283 Clash 4

How could an expert at showmanship like Lin Liushui miss his cue? The handsome man gave out a gasp and took a step back as though he had been slapped. Which had Qin Feng doing his best to keep from rolling his eyes. That sort of thing was so exaggerated that he wondered if Lin Liushui had learnt it from the theatre!

Even the Su Patriarch, standing next to the handsome man, had a reddened face. Clearly, he was more than just slightly embarrassed that he had the good-looking fellow on his side now. But he held himself back from saying a word, and left everything to the over-acting Lin Liushui.

"Oh dear! You are right about that! I had not bothered to check if they were telling the truth! My thanks, brother, for that reminder. This group of rascals may be impostors, like you said. After all, the famous Wuyang Lin Family would never stoop to such despicable tactics."

Lin Liushui ignored the growls of anger that were already pouring out of the opposing side, and haughtily pointed a finger at the lot of them. "I had taken you at your word earlier, when you said that you were from the Lin Family of Wuyang City. But you have not shown any courtesy, and did not introduce yourselves according to the accepted protocols. Who are you? What are your names? Identify yourselves!"

One of the group standing in front of the doors of the Su Family Residence stood forward at that, and sniffed at the demand. "You dare to challenge our Lin Family? You have guts!"

But Lin Liushui merely snorted back in response. "You lot have claimed that you are from the Lin Family but where is the proof? You dare not even name yourselves now!"

Qin Feng hid a smile as he ran his eyes across the features of the eight men who were glaring at the handsome fellow. Most of them looked as though they were in their late thirties or early forties, which made it rather obvious that this was not some sort of petty quarrel that they were pursuing.

Not to mention the fact that their features were too rough, too plebian, to look anything like the sort of pampered sons of a rich and powerful family.

They were all dressed in similar clothing too. Which gave the impression that they were some sort of gang, or a similar organisation. And nothing at all like the Lin Family scions that Qin Feng and the others had come across at the river crossing. Those sybaritic scoundrels had worn luxurious silks in a variety of design and colors, and preened themselves to give off an air of gentlemen, each with their own signature style of accouterments.

Which made these pathetic fools in their rather uniform garments look like mere hangers-on at best. Qin Feng was rather confident that Lin Liushui had not missed that either. Which was probably why he was tossing out those accusations and questions at the idiots, to force them to commit themselves.

After all, Lin Liushui would have a better case if he presented something like that, to the rest of the Lin Family in Wuyang City. Especially if he could catch them in the lie, before he smacked their faces!

But the ones who were standing in the street had realized that they were in for a fight, and had closed ranks. And some of them had even begun to circulate their zhenqi; the swirls of air at their feet and around their chests made that a little obvious.

"What is this? Do you think that we would bother to lie about who we are? I am Lin Jinjun! And this is my cousin Lin Weihe beside me!" declared one of the moustachioed fellows in the glaringly loud shirts.

Which had Lin Liushui doubled over at once with laughter. Something that the captive audience, including the ones who were pretending to be from the Wuyang City Lin Family, looking at him in surprise. Even the Su Patriarch had an odd look on his face, as though he believed that the handsome man next to him had gone insane!

Only Qin Feng, of all those present, rolled his eyes at Lin Liushui's antics. But he had to admit that the gallant was taking things a little too far this time. So he coughed into his fist, and hoped that he would take the hint.

Fortunately, Lin Liushui had some sense in how far he could play the game, and cut his laughter off abruptly, pointing a finger at the so-called family. And there was no disguising the disgust in his voice, when he accused them:

"I would have expected you lot to have a little more sense, and to do your research properly. Lin Jinjun is a nephew of Lin Weihe! That is something that everyone in the Lin Family would know, for certain! The middle characters for their names are completely different, and that is used to identify which generation that which member of the family belongs to!

"But you imbeciles didn't even bother to figure that out! What morons!" he declared loudly.

"And you should have picked better players for this little show too! Lin Weihe is only sixteen years old this year! And Lin Jinjun is only eighteen! The ones that you have playing their parts are far too old! So you cannot be from the Lin Family!"

That was the signal that they had agreed upon earlier, and the women from the Snow Swallow Palace charged forward at the moment that Lin Liushui made that declaration, their swords leaving their scabbards with a loud hiss. Then stopping deliberately before the Lin Liushui, Su Patriarch, Qin Feng trio, as if to protect the same.

The group pretending to be the Lin Family gave out a cry then. And scattered quickly, with five of their number rushed towards the girls, leaving the rest to deal with Lin Liushui and Qin Feng, who were next the Su Patriarch.

Clearly, they were still aiming to remove the last from the game!

"Attacking when you are unable to get your way? And you call yourselves representatives from the Lin Family? You are showing your hand as impostors, are you not? Enough of this. Attack!"

Lin Liushui seized the opportunity to throw out yet another accusation, even as he moved to protect the Su Patriarch. The girls, on the other hand, charged to meet the imposters immediately, hurling insults at the same as they rushed forward.

But a huge roar of laughter swept over the whole street, before Li Changhai and Qin Feng could get started. And a burst of warm air washed over the pair like a gale, as the rest of the men pretending to be Wuyang City's Lin Family looked stunned. What was this? What sort of cultivation was capable of doing that?

"So you have caught us! But what of it? Do you think that we had only this one scheme against you? If trickery doesn't work, we'll just smash you all like eggshells!"

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