"How did we end up together?"
"I was wondering the same thing. The world is so vast, yet I just had to run into this Chu Feng."
Even as he brought up the matter, Old Cat couldn't hide his resentment—clearly, he hadn't wanted to encounter Chu Feng either. Still, he turned to look at Chu Feng.
"Chu Feng, you see? Xue Ji has been living perfectly well. I didn't lie to you, did I?"
At this point, Old Cat turned toward Xue Ji again.
"Xue Ji, hurry and tell Chu Feng—haven't I treated you well? Wasn't it your own decision to come to the Demonic Spirit King?"
But the moment those words left Old Cat's mouth, a wave of killing intent erupted from within Xue Ji's body.
"What do you mean, 'come to'?"
Xue Ji's beautiful eyes remained unchanged, yet the pressure she radiated was suffocating.
Even Old Cat, upon seeing Xue Ji like this, swallowed several times before managing an awkward smile.
"Wrong choice of words, wrong choice of words."
Old Cat chuckled nervously.
"Leave us. I have something to say to Chu Feng."
Xue Ji addressed Old Cat, her tone more like a command.
"Brother Chu Feng, I'll be waiting for you outside then."
With that, Old Cat headed out the door—it was clear he truly feared Xue Ji.
When Xue Ji had flared up just now, Chu Feng had caught a glimpse of her cultivation. She was now a seventh-rank Martial Venerable—a significant improvement from before.
Her rate of growth could practically rival Chu Feng's own.
But that level of cultivation hardly seemed enough to make Old Cat so terrified.
Could it be the Demonic Spirit King that Old Cat feared?
While Chu Feng was mulling this over, Old Cat had already stepped outside and shut the hall doors behind him.
Now, only Chu Feng and Xue Ji remained inside the grand hall.
"It seems Old Cat was telling the truth. You've been doing well, and you came here of your own free will." Chu Feng looked at Xue Ji.
From the exchange between her and Old Cat, and from Xue Ji's current state, he had already realized that Old Cat hadn't been lying about this matter.
"That's right. I'm currently under the Demonic Spirit King's protection."
"He even intends to marry me."
"What's the matter? Jealous?"
Xue Ji's enchanting eyes narrowed into two crescent moons, her smile both alluring and stunning. It had to be said—despite all the beautiful women Chu Feng had encountered since, very few could truly compare to Xue Ji and Egg Egg.
But Chu Feng let his guard down not one bit. He still couldn't bring himself to speak with Xue Ji the way one would with an old friend.
No matter what attitude Xue Ji showed him, Chu Feng felt that the real Xue Ji wasn't this person. He always sensed a thread of danger from her.
Naturally, he maintained his wariness.
"Jealous? Do I seem like that petty a person?"
Though he could still feel that Xue Ji was as dangerous as ever, Chu Feng didn't show any fear. He simply smiled with composure.
After all, Xue Ji had teased him like this more than once, and he had long grown accustomed to it.
"No jealousy, then. So why did you come all the way here?" Xue Ji asked.
"Actually, I came looking for you on someone's behalf," Chu Feng said.
"On someone's behalf? Who? That girl Egg Egg?"
"Whatever she wants with me can't possibly be anything good, right?"
When Xue Ji mentioned Egg Egg, there was a hint of resentment in her voice.
"It was Yusha," Chu Feng said.
"Yusha?"
At the mention of Yusha's name, a subtle change flickered across Xue Ji's expression.
"So you do remember Yusha." The look on Xue Ji's face told Chu Feng everything he needed to know—she knew Yusha.
"I remember. She was just a little follower of mine. How did you two end up together?" Xue Ji asked.
"A little follower?"
"It seems the two of you remember that relationship very differently."
"She found me because she was looking for you."
"It was because of Yusha that I wanted to find you as well," Chu Feng said.
"So you're saying Yusha is your world spirit now?"
"Then bring her out to see me," Xue Ji said.
"Not yet. Yusha is in seclusion. Once she comes out, I'll let her see you. Knowing her temperament, even if I didn't allow it, she'd find a way on her own."
"After all, she came here for you. To her, you're not just some irrelevant person."
Chu Feng's words were a deliberate barb aimed at Xue Ji.