Qin Fen looked up at Lie Feng towering before him, and a chill crept down his spine. Judging from everything Lie Feng had done so far, Qin Fen knew that if he refused to join him in seeking vengeance, Lie Feng truly wouldn't hesitate to kill him.
Did that mean he had no choice at all?
The thought made Qin Fen feel wronged and helpless, yet in order to survive, he could only swallow his resentment and force out, "Fine. I'll go with you for revenge. What do you want me to do?"
Seeing Qin Fen almost offer no resistance and compromise so quickly only fueled Lie Feng's anger. But he didn't lash out—after all, he had given his word, and he couldn't break it. Besides, this was part of his plan.
So Lie Feng said calmly, "Go back and wait for my message. But before that, you'll have to leave something behind."
The moment he finished speaking, Lie Feng suddenly reached into Qin Fen's chest area with astonishing speed. When his hand withdrew, he was already holding the teleportation jade token Qin Fen had hidden inside.
The sudden action caught Qin Fen completely off guard—this was clearly meant to cut off his retreat.
He glared at Lie Feng, but the only response he received was: "You may go."
Qin Fen had no choice but to endure again and turn to leave.
But the surrounding rebel soldiers would not allow him to walk away so easily. They all raised their weapons and blocked his path.
Qin Fen instinctively took a few steps back. At that moment, Lie Feng's voice came from behind him.
"Let him go."
The rebels clearly disliked the commanding tone and responded angrily, "Who the hell do you think you are, ordering us around?"
"I said, let him go. Otherwise… you die."
They could tell Lie Feng meant every word. The killing intent in his voice was enough to make their skin crawl, further tightening an already suffocating atmosphere.
When Lie Feng saw that they were ignoring his warning, he knew that if he didn't kill a few of them, they would never listen.
If he truly acted, a mass riot might break out and they could all attack him—but so what? Worst-case scenario, he would just slaughter all of them.
He didn't know whether it was the demonic technique's influence, but such terrifying thoughts were surfacing in his mind.
Yet none of that mattered anymore. All he wanted right now was to kill these people. Just as he took a step forward, a sharp shout came from behind.
"Everyone stop! Move aside at once!"
The one shouting was Zheng Jian, and Ji Wushi beside him also nodded, signaling the rebels to obey.
With their two highest leaders speaking up, the crowd reluctantly stepped aside and allowed Qin Fen to leave.
Only after Qin Fen's figure disappeared into the forest did Ji Wushi give his order:
"Everyone put away your weapons. Dismiss."
But this time, the rebels refused to obey. Someone shouted, "No, Ji Wushi, that man is a demonic cultivator!"
Clearly, they were too agitated by Lie Feng's identity to calm down.
Zheng Jian spoke next: "Don't worry. He's a friend of mine and Ji Wushi's. We can guarantee he won't cause trouble. Put away your weapons and disperse."
Seeing even Zheng Jian speak on Lie Feng's behalf—combined with the fact that Lie Feng hadn't actually taken action—the rebels exchanged glances, then slowly dropped their battle stances and left, leaving only the three of them behind.
Only then did Zheng Jian let out a long breath. He had witnessed Lie Feng's strength with his own eyes and knew the man truly was capable of killing everyone present with ease. He was genuinely afraid the rebellion army would end up wiped out not by enemies, but by Lie Feng—an utterly absurd way to die.
Ji Wushi spoke first. "Brother Lie Feng, long time no see. We owe today's survival entirely to your help."
Without the agitation of the earlier crowd, Lie Feng's mind cooled down. The sincerity in Ji Wushi and Zheng Jian's attitudes also helped him regain composure.
Though his expression was still tense and hard to approach, he managed to reply steadily, "No need to thank me. I didn't act to save anyone. I just happened to encounter my enemies."
"Regardless, you helped us repel a powerful foe. We still owe you gratitude. This isn't the place to chat, though. How about we find somewhere else to talk?"
Lie Feng glanced at the corpses scattered across the ground. This indeed wasn't a place for conversation—but he had something else on his mind right now.
"Sorry. Let's talk at sunset. For now, I need to find a place to meditate and recover."
Ji Wushi and Zheng Jian exchanged puzzled looks. They had noticed something strange about Lie Feng—he seemed to be forcibly suppressing some indescribable pain.
Ji Wushi nodded. "Alright. We won't disturb you. See you later."
After they left, Lie Feng found a high point deep in the forest and began circulating his energy. Sweat poured down his forehead, his expression twisted in pain, and it wasn't until dusk that he finally recovered.
At that moment, Yao Fan emerged from the ring and sighed. "No matter how many times I see it, your Hunyuan Art is unbelievable… it can actually merge two mutually repelling energies into one. Where did you even get this technique?"
Lie Feng answered with eyes still closed, "I don't know. When I was cultivating, the technique simply appeared in my mind, as if telling me it was tailor-made for me—capable of containing all kinds of energies."
After spending many days with Lie Feng, Yao Fan had already grown accustomed to his temperament and no longer minded his vague answers. He said calmly, "Maybe in a past life you were some extraordinary figure. Perhaps mastering this technique is why you've become a once-in-five-lifetimes prodigy."
"Maybe. But I'm not interested in digging into the past. Whoever I was before doesn't matter."
Lie Feng opened his eyes and ended his meditation. The sharp, oppressive aura he carried earlier had completely disappeared. He continued, "The backlash of the Soul-Devouring Demon Sutra is terrifying. Earlier, I nearly lost control and attacked those people. If not for the Hunyuan Art, I really might have gone berserk."
Then he covered his mouth and muttered to himself softly, "If the Hunyuan Art truly allows the fusion of repelling powers… then the condition it mentioned for using that force should now be met…"
Yao Fan suddenly retreated back into the ring and whispered, "Someone's coming."
Lie Feng turned around but saw no one. Only after a few seconds did two blurred figures slowly appear in the distance—Zheng Jian and Ji Wushi approaching.
Lie Feng marveled inwardly. What sharp senses this old man has… detecting others long before they even entered sight. Perhaps he really was one of the top cultivators of his era.
The two soon arrived before him.
Ji Wushi examined Lie Feng closely and found that the earlier murderous energy had vanished. He now looked similar to when they first met, though still slightly different somehow. Ji Wushi couldn't pinpoint what changed, but at least he no longer radiated that suffocating hostility.
Ji Wushi smiled. "Brother Lie Feng, as promised, we're here. Is now a good time?"
Lie Feng smiled lightly. "Don't be so formal. You two aren't really here just to reminisce, are you?"
Ji Wushi chuckled. "Brother Lie Feng is indeed straightforward. Then I'll get to the point—why don't we work together to take down Yuan Hong, and while we're at it, seize Zhongzhou City?"