"Though I've only heard rumors, I know that Iron Fiend's barrier techniques are quite formidable. He may not be a Dragon-veined Royal Robe Spirit World Master, but he's only a hair's breadth away from that level. If he truly wanted to tamper with something, I'm sure he could manage it." Aunt Lian said.
"This Iron Fiend — truly insidious and vicious. Placing a mark on auctioned items after the sale... He's planning to tail us and rob us blind." Nangong Ya said.
"As expected of Iron Fiend. It seems this sort of underhanded trick isn't the first time he's pulled it." Nangong Baihe added. They had all guessed Iron Fiend's intentions.
"Aunt Lian, if you were to fight Iron Fiend, how would your odds look? If they aren't favorable, I could remove this mark. But if you like your chances, this could be a great opportunity for revenge." Chu Feng said.
"No — don't remove it. Chu Feng, give me that Dragon-level Barrier Stone. I must settle things with Iron Fiend once and for all this time." Aunt Lian snatched the Dragon-level Barrier Stone away, intending to use this opportunity for a decisive battle with Iron Fiend.
"Hong Qiang, I'm entrusting Chu Feng and the others to you. Please escort them to my Nangong Imperial Clan." Aunt Lian said again — she was planning to go alone.
"Aunt Lian, that won't work. If we go, we all go together. Otherwise, none of us go." Chu Feng said with a faint smile.
His words carried deeper meaning. He knew Aunt Lian harbored intense hatred toward Iron Fiend. Given a chance for revenge, she would never let it pass. But seeking vengeance recklessly and losing her life in the process — that would be a terrible trade-off.
If all of them went along, it would give Aunt Lian pause. She didn't care about her own life, but she certainly wouldn't want Chu Feng and the others to die because of her.
So if she didn't have a certain degree of confidence in defeating Iron Fiend, she likely wouldn't go.
"Chu Feng, when I fight Iron Fiend, having you along will only distract me." Sure enough, Aunt Lian didn't want them tagging along.
"Rest assured, Aunt Lian. We may not be able to intervene, but we certainly won't become a burden. The moment you two start fighting, we'll get as far away as possible. After all, we have Senior Hong Qiang with us." Chu Feng said.
"Aunt Lian, let us come along. I promise we won't be a burden."
"That's right, Aunt Lian. Chu Feng is right — if we go, we all go. Otherwise, none of us go." Nangong Ya and Nangong Baihe pleaded in unison.
"Though I can't step into a battle between Martial Emperors, I can certainly protect them. Leave them to me, and leave Iron Fiend to you." Hong Qiang said as well.
"Very well." Seeing that Chu Feng and the others were insistent on accompanying her, Aunt Lian had no choice but to nod. She truly didn't want to miss this chance to avenge her husband and daughter.
And so, Chu Feng and the others left the mark on the Dragon-level Barrier Stone intact. To ensure that Iron Fiend would take the bait, they didn't use the Ancient Teleportation Array and instead chose to travel on foot.
As they journeyed onward, Chu Feng and the others outwardly appeared calm, but inside, their nerves were stretched to the breaking point. After all, their opponent was none other than Iron Fiend — one of the Five Great Villains of the Sacred Land of Martial Arts.
This man had committed every evil imaginable and killed countless people. He was an absolutely dangerous individual.
Now, Chu Feng and the others were putting themselves in plain sight, deliberately luring the hidden Iron Fiend into springing his trap. The danger involved was off the charts.
But what Iron Fiend had done to Aunt Lian was nothing short of monstrous. And he was incredibly cunning, making him nearly impossible to catch — otherwise, with so many enemies, he wouldn't have survived this long.