After rescuing Li Datou, Chu Feng used the White-headed Vulture to send him back to the small town. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Chu Feng did not take him directly into the town but landed outside.
To prevent any retaliation from the Illusory Thunder Sect's Master, Chu Feng gave Li Datou one of the Universe Bags he had snatched from the Illusory Thunder Sect's young master and his followers. He instructed, "Take your family and leave this place. Don't ever go back to the Illusory Thunder Sect."
Holding the Universe Bag, Li Datou was so moved he didn't know what to do. He couldn't fathom why this young hero would help him. After a moment of hesitation, he couldn't help but ask, "Young hero, why are you helping me?"
"Heh." At Li Datou's question, Chu Feng just smiled faintly without answering. He leaped onto the back of the White-headed Vulture. Just as the great bird spread its massive wings to take flight, Chu Feng said to Li Datou, "When you get back, thank your grandfather for me. Tell him I appreciate the meal he treated me to."
As the words left his lips, the White-headed Vulture shot into the sky, carrying its piercing cry deep into the heart of Qingzhou. As for Li Datou, he was no fool. He realized his grandfather must have done something good to earn the gratitude of this mysterious young cultivator who saved his life.
Once he roughly understood the sequence of events, Li Datou wasted no time and hurried back to the small town where his family lived. First, he needed to find out what his grandfather had done. Second, he had to arrange for his entire family to evacuate the town immediately, getting as far away from the Illusory Thunder Sect's sphere of influence as possible.
Back in the town, Grandfather Li had already regained consciousness. However, knowing his grandson had offended the young master of the Illusory Thunder Sect and been thrown into the dungeons, his current fate unknown, the old man was heartbroken and filled with despair.
As a commoner who had long since grown indifferent to fame and fortune, losing his current wealth didn't matter; he could live a poor life just fine. But if something truly terrible happened to his grandson, then his own life would lose all meaning.
"Grandfather! Grandfather!"
Just then, a familiar voice suddenly called out from outside the door. Moments later, Li Datou burst into the room. Upon learning his grandfather had fainted, he had been terrified.
"Datou? Is that you? Am I... am I dreaming?" Seeing Li Datou, the old man thought he must be dreaming. It felt unreal.
"Grandfather, it's me! It's Datou!"
"Master, it is the young master! It really is the young master! He's back!" Li Datou nodded vigorously, while the servants in the room were overcome with joy.
"Is it really you, Datou? Weren't you locked up?" Seeing his grandson truly returned, Grandfather Li was both overjoyed and bewildered, sensing something wasn't quite right.
"Grandfather, didn't you send someone to rescue me?" Li Datou asked instead of answering directly.
"Send someone to rescue you? No! Datou, you know our family's situation. Everything we have now is thanks to you. How could we possibly afford someone capable of breaking you out of the Illusory Thunder Sect's dungeons?" The old man denied it emphatically.
"It wasn't you who sent someone? Grandfather, have you recently hosted a young man for a meal?" Li Datou continued his inquiry.
"Ah... This morning, a young man from Jiezhou did stop by for a simple meal. Datou, why are you asking? Could it be that young man saved you?" Grandfather Li was getting confused by the questions.
"That must be it then! Grandfather, it was your act of kindness that drew an expert to save me. That young man, after rescuing me, even asked me to thank you for the meal." Li Datou had finally pieced together the whole truth.
"Datou, are you serious? That young man saved you? But at his age, how could he possibly..."
At this, Grandfather Li's face was filled with astonishment. He still remembered Chu Feng's youthful face and extremely young age.
Even though Chu Feng had claimed to be a cultivator, even if he was one, how could he possibly have the power to extract his grandson from the clutches of the Illusory Thunder Sect? If Chu Feng was truly that powerful, it was almost too terrifying to comprehend. This was simply not something an ordinary commoner could easily accept.
Facing the doubts of his grandfather and the others, Li Datou nodded with absolute certainty. "It was just a single young man, definitely the one you described. Grandfather, this time, your unconscious act of kindness saved your grandson's life."
Seeing Li Datou's certainty, everyone drew in a sharp breath. They had no choice but to believe that the person who saved Li Datou was indeed the young man who had eaten breakfast in their manor that morning.
But unlike the others' simple shock, the man with the mustached beard and the few burly servants were filled with a fresh wave of fear. Just the thought that they had failed to recognize a dragon, and had nearly raised their hands against a cultivator of special standing, made their blood run cold.
Following the rescue, Li Datou, heeding Chu Feng's advice, promptly took his grandfather and their most trusted family members and left the small town that very day.
However, the reactions of the Li family were completely unknown to Chu Feng. His objective was now crystal clear: he had to enter the Myriad Monster Mountain. And after learning that the Myriad Monster Mountain was a perilous land dominated by demon beasts, the only chance he had to enter it was through the Supreme Manor.
Although Qingzhou was vast, using the speed of his high-grade White-headed Vulture, Xiao Bai, it took Chu Feng several days, but he finally arrived at the Supreme Manor.
The Supreme Manor, despite its name suggesting a simple villa, was actually a colossal power. Constructed upon a mountain range were several massive cities. These cities were not only vast in scale and magnificent in bearing but also connected to one another. In terms of both presence and area, they surpassed every other force Chu Feng had ever seen.
However, due to the Martial Arts Marriage Convention, the area outside the Supreme Manor was now a sea of people. Talent from the younger generation across the Nine Provinces Continent had gathered here. Now, merely gaining entry into the Supreme Manor was a monumental challenge, let alone obtaining the qualification to participate in the convention.
"Damn, is it really that bad? Are they all desperate to find wives or something? Why have so many people come to join the commotion?"
Standing amidst the crowd, Chu Feng stared at the endless human dragon stretching along the road toward the Supreme Manor. His brows were tightly furrowed, and his face had turned slightly green.
He had no idea how long he would have to queue to get inside.
Furthermore, it wasn't just a matter of lining up. In reality, many people, due to their insufficient status and standing, had traveled long distances only to be sent back after the arduous wait, failing the very first screening checkpoint.
Seeing such strict scrutiny, Chu Feng, who hailed from Qingzhou, genuinely doubted whether he could even qualify to enter the Supreme Manor.
"Hey, you! Are you queuing or not? If you're not going in, get out of the way! There are people behind you waiting to line up!"
Just as Chu Feng hesitated, the people behind him began to shout impatiently.
"What the hell do you guys think you're..." In a foul mood already, Chu Feng felt a surge of suppressed anger flare up instantly when someone dared yell at him. He whirled around, ready to unleash a torrent of abuse, but the moment his gaze fell upon the person behind him, his eyes lit up, and his expression turned to one of delight.