"Remember this — Song Xi is my brother. Anyone who disrespects him from now on disrespects me."
"And if anyone dares to retaliate against him after I leave—"
"I will make sure your Zhao Manor is completely wiped from this face of the world."
Chu Feng spoke, weighing every word. The moment he finished, he didn't wait for any reaction from the Zhao Manor's people. He simply took Song Xi and Aunt Jing and departed.
Along the way, Song Xi kept staring at Chu Feng, his gaze brimming with adoration.
It was practically the way a lovestruck girl would look at the object of her affection — and that kind of stare made Chu Feng extremely uncomfortable.
"What are you looking at me like that for?" Chu Feng asked with a frown.
"Chu Feng, you really are the most impressive person I've ever seen," Song Xi said.
"Now that's impressive?" Chu Feng replied, unimpressed.
"Way beyond impressive! You have no idea how arrogant and overbearing the Zhao Manor people usually are. That Manor Master was practically a tyrant beyond the reach of law — a local emperor in every sense."
"But today, in front of you, they were scared out of their wits. It was so satisfying!"
"That aura of yours was just too powerful — even I was afraid."
"If I hadn't been standing right next to you, knowing you wouldn't hurt me, I probably would've ended up on my knees begging for mercy just like them," Song Xi said.
"If you keep going, I'm going to think you're just flattering me," Chu Feng said.
In Chu Feng's eyes, while Song Xi's cultivation wasn't especially strong, he was someone who had traveled far and wide. He should have witnessed plenty of scenes like this. His current reaction was honestly a bit exaggerated.
In truth, Song Xi had indeed seen many similar situations — but only as a bystander.
Standing beside Chu Feng like this, watching him unleash his power from such close range — that was a first in his life.
It was the difference between blindly spectating from the sidelines and experiencing it firsthand.
Naturally, he was excited.
"I'm really not flattering you — I genuinely admire you," Song Xi said with a grin, and these were truly his heartfelt words.
"Alright, let's drop this topic." Chu Feng was thoroughly exasperated.
If it were a woman, maybe he could overlook it — but a man staring at him with those eyes? He felt nothing but discomfort.
"Oh right, there's one thing… I do need to warn you about."
"Song Xi, you're far too indecisive. The way Wang Lianzhi treated your mother — how could you let her go?"
"If I hadn't shown up, your mother wouldn't have survived much longer."
"And the one responsible for it all was Wang Lianzhi," Chu Feng said.
"But… she grew up alongside me since childhood. I just can't bring myself to be cruel to her," Song Xi said.
"You can't bring yourself to be cruel to her, but she had no trouble being cruel to your mother."
"You — your heart is far too soft. That kind of soft-heartedness won't let you survive in the world of martial cultivators."
"Do you know what kind of people make up the majority of this world? People like the Zhao Manor and the Ouyang family — those who bully the weak and fear the strong."
"Normally, we don't have to go out of our way to provoke or bully anyone."
"But remember — if someone provokes us, we absolutely cannot show them mercy."
"Today, the only reason the Zhao Manor Master is still breathing is because I considered the fact that you still have to live here, and I was worried about retaliation."
"Otherwise, the Zhao Manor Master would already be dead."
"You know why?" Chu Feng asked.
"Why?" Song Xi asked.
"Because when he attacked, he intended to kill me. I have no reason to let someone who wants me dead continue breathing," Chu Feng said.
"I understand. I won't be indecisive anymore. But Chu Feng — can you spare Wang Lianzhi's life?" Song Xi said.
"I already told you — that's your decision. Since you've already chosen to let her go, I won't make things difficult for her," Chu Feng said.
In truth, Chu Feng felt a certain helplessness about the situation.
He could see it clearly — for all of Song Xi's quick agreement on the surface, at his core, he was still a soft-hearted person.