"Chu Feng, please, don't kill my father." Su Mei, who was hiding in Chu Feng's arms, pressed her sweet little face upward, her tear-filled eyes gazing at Chu Feng as she clung tightly to him. Her tenderness, her kindness—all of it was on full display in this moment.
"Chu Feng, let him go. After all, he is our father." Su Rou also pleaded. The always-strong young woman's eyes had turned red as well, showing that deep down, she harbored genuine affection for Su Hen. Blood was thicker than water, after all.
Faced with the desperate pleas of the two women he cared about most, the fury in Chu Feng's heart began to gradually subside, and the killing intent radiating from him slowly withdrew. He said to Su Rou and Su Mei, "Even if I let him go, people from the Qilin Prince's Mansion and the Lingyun Sect won't spare him."
"Chu Feng, you must have a way. Take my father with us. I believe he'll turn over a new leaf," Su Mei begged.
"Chu Feng, bring my father along with us. Let's give him a chance together," Su Rou added, her voice trembling.
In this moment, Chu Feng felt conflicted. That place—his destination—was not somewhere he wanted to bring someone he couldn't trust. But looking at the two beautiful women before him, he ultimately gritted his teeth and said to Su Hen, "You should consider yourself fortunate. You have two wonderful daughters."
In the end, Chu Feng spared Su Hen's life. Not only did he refrain from killing him, but he even planned to bring Su Hen along with Su Rou and Su Mei back to the Azure Dragon Sect, intending to settle the entire family there. Before departing, Chu Feng gave Su Hen some time to dismiss the rest of the Su family members.
Though this meant the Su family would cease to exist and those people would be scattered and homeless, it was the only way to save their lives. Watching the family he had built over many years dissolve before his eyes, Su Hen's face was filled with complicated emotions. Having nearly died, he seemed no longer as consumed by fame and fortune, as though some realization had dawned upon him.
Afterward, at the pleading of Su Rou and Su Mei, Chu Feng went to bring their eldest brother, Su Long, from wherever he had been hiding. Together, the family of four set off for the Azure Dragon Sect.
"Chu Feng, thank you for sparing my life. I..." On the back of the white-headed eagle, Su Hen sat beside Chu Feng, seemingly wanting to say something but unable to get the words out.
"You don't need to thank me. I spared you entirely because of your two daughters. I, Chu Feng, know what it's like to grow up without a father. I don't want them to taste that same bitterness."
"I know you still can't let go of the Su family, of all those people. But you need to understand—the most important thing to you should be your two daughters and your son. Because when you were on the verge of death, the only ones willing to stand up and protect you were them," Chu Feng reminded him gravely.
"Yes... you're right. I was too foolish before. From now on, I'll do everything I can to make it up to them," Su Hen said, his face full of remorse.
"Also, let me remind you of something. For a person, the most important thing is dignity. Living the way you did before—without any dignity—means no one will ever truly respect you or regard you. You'll always be like a dog that people summon at will, using you when they need you and ready to slaughter you the moment they don't," Chu Feng added.
"Heh, maybe you're right. But when a person doesn't have enough strength and yet has to protect their entire family, it really feels powerless." Su Hen's laugh was full of helplessness.
Seeing Su Hen like this, something stirred in Chu Feng's heart. Su Hen's cowardice and love of self-preservation were real, but in truth, he wasn't as terrible as one might think. He was simply trying to protect himself and his family, his clan—in his own way. His methods were just too timid, and Chu Feng couldn't approve of them.
But when a person lacks both sufficient strength and a powerful background, what can they really do to protect themselves and their loved ones? Perhaps most people in his position would do exactly what Su Hen did—compromise and endure just to survive, because when the alternative is death, they truly have no choice.
Chu Feng thought about it carefully and realized it wasn't entirely fair to blame Su Hen. In this world, there were countless people who sold their own children to survive. A lack of ability was part of the reason, but the main factor was that this world was simply too ruthless—cruelly pragmatic.
After a long journey, Chu Feng successfully delivered Su Rou, Su Mei, Su Long, and the entire Su family to the Myriad Bones Graveyard. Only then did the anxious weight in his chest finally lift.
Regardless of whether his next trip ended in life or death, at least the people most important to him now had their safety secured. After settling them in, Chu Feng prepared to leave, but Su Rou insisted on seeing him off.
"Chu Feng, can you not go? I know Elder Qi Fengyang has shown you tremendous kindness, but you know full well this journey is fraught with danger. Going anyway is not a wise choice. I believe if Elder Qi Fengyang knew, he wouldn't want you to do this either."
In the forest above the Myriad Bones Graveyard, Su Rou tightly gripped Chu Feng's hand. Her eyes were red, and two lines of tears traced down her alluring cheeks. She knew what Chu Feng was about to do, and she simply couldn't bear for him to walk into what might be his death.
"Stay here and guard this place. Take care of Xiao Mei and my family. You'll be able to grow stronger here, and I'm entrusting them all to you." Chu Feng gently pried Su Rou's slender fingers loose.
"Can you really not do this?" But Su Rou seized his hand once more, gripping it even tighter than before.
In this moment, Chu Feng offered no further explanation. Instead, he smiled and said, "If I couldn't do this, then I wouldn't be Chu Feng. You know that about me."
Hearing this, Su Rou was moved. She did know Chu Feng. He wasn't lacking in rationality, but there were many times when he would choose to cast reason aside—throwing caution to the wind, disregarding the consequences, to do what he believed was right. That was his way. That was Chu Feng.
"We'll be here, waiting for you to come back," Su Rou finally let go, so docile it was almost heartbreaking.
"Be good. I'll be back before you know it." Chu Feng tenderly wiped the tears from Su Rou's face and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
Su Rou didn't linger any further. She turned and stepped through the barrier entrance into the Myriad Bones Graveyard. Chu Feng, after the barrier sealed shut, rose into the air.
He stood in the sky, treading on empty air, gazing back with reluctance at the magnificent Azure Dragon Sect—the place that had taught him the martial path. He didn't know whether the next time he returned, the Azure Dragon Sect would still be there.
"Whoosh!"
Suddenly, Chu Feng shot forward, transforming into a streak of light that flew toward the distant horizon. He didn't ride the white-headed eagle, because time was of the essence, and in a situation like this, his Void Flight Technique was clearly faster.
At the same moment Chu Feng departed from the Azure Dragon Sect, Su Rou returned to the Myriad Bones Graveyard. When she entered and her vision cleared, she found that every person inside was standing in a line, their faces etched with complex emotions as they looked at her. Some of the younger ones could no longer hold back their grief and had begun to sob quietly.
"Sister!"
Suddenly, Su Mei threw herself into Su Rou's arms, crying loudly—sobbing with such sorrow that it nearly brought tears to the eyes of everyone present.
In that moment, Su Rou's own eyes reddened, but she forced herself not to cry. Instead, she stroked Su Mei's glossy black hair and said, "We have to believe in him!"