"This..." Although Li Chan felt that danger was closing in from all sides, she wasn't foolish enough to reveal her family's secrets to someone she had just met.
But if Chu Feng left right now, and that old couple really were traitors, then she might be killed at any moment. She was truly torn.
"To be honest, I can neutralize the drug that was administered to this demon beast, provided I can gather the right ingredients. Once I do, whoever fed it the drug — or whoever it encountered before the transformation — will naturally come to light. We may even uncover who's trying to harm you and obtain proof."
"Of course, if you don't trust me, just pretend I never said anything. I've never been one to force things on others." With a smile, Chu Feng finished speaking, then turned around, ready to leave.
"Benevolent One, please don't go!" Seeing this, Li Chan grew frantic. She rushed forward and grabbed the corner of Chu Feng's robe once more. "I believe you. Please stay and help me."
"This is no place to talk. Follow me." Seeing that Li Chan had relented, Chu Feng willed the Azure Dragon beneath his feet, and with a sweep of his sleeve, he brought Li Chan onto its back. The Azure Dragon then shot straight into the sky, quickly leaving the Langya Mountain Range and arriving at a hidden location.
"Benevolent One, what martial art did you just use? It was incredibly fast! I've never seen anything so extraordinary." After experiencing the power of the Azure Dragon's swift flight, Li Chan's face was filled with astonishment. Her admiration for Chu Feng's strength grew even deeper. She increasingly felt that the young man before her was not to be underestimated — he was truly formidable.
At Li Chan's praise, Chu Feng simply offered a faint smile. He had deliberately shown off that ability, with the goal of making Li Chan trust him more, convincing her that he could actually help her.
So Chu Feng offered no explanation. Instead, he said, "Tell me — what exactly happened to you, or in your family?"
Under these circumstances, Li Chan hesitated for a moment. But after weighing her situation, she ultimately decided to tell Chu Feng the truth.
After hearing Li Chan's account, Chu Feng was secretly delighted. It turned out that the so-called treasure of the Li and Ma families was indeed connected to a natural treasure of heaven and earth.
The origins of this matter went back six hundred years...
Five hundred years ago, the ancestors of both the Ma family and the Li family were born into poverty. Through widely circulated cultivation methods in the Eastern Sea, they had become martial cultivators. However, due to their mediocre aptitude, both had been stuck at the Spirit Martial realm, unable to advance even a single step further.
The Spirit Martial realm was extremely common in the Eastern Sea — it could only be considered the most humble of existences. Naturally, the ancestors of the Ma and Li families could not achieve anything noteworthy with such cultivation.
Back then, they were destitute beyond measure. They couldn't even find wives and were despised by everyone. Only the two sworn brothers had each other to rely on, making a living by hunting in the Langya Mountains.
But one day, the Ma family ancestor and the Li family ancestor discovered a gravely wounded person deep within the mountains. They realized this person might be a powerful martial cultivator. If they saved him, perhaps it could change their fates. And so the two carried him home and cared for him diligently for over three years.
Truly, effort is never wasted. One autumn day, the man finally awoke. With the help of special pills and his own abilities, he made a full recovery. It turned out he really was a powerful cultivator.
To repay the Ma and Li ancestors for saving his life, the cultivator left them a vast fortune. He even passed down advanced cultivation methods and a wealth of cultivation resources.
Before departing, he used his own abilities to help the Li and Ma ancestors advance from the Spirit Martial realm all the way to the Heaven Martial realm. He also told them that a special treasure was forming within the Langya Mountains.
However, the time was not yet ripe — the treasure could not be put to use just yet. But if too much time passed, the treasure would develop spiritual intelligence and gain tremendous power, making it extremely difficult to deal with.
And so, that mysterious expert had set up a special seal, hiding and sealing the treasure's entrance. He left two keys capable of opening the barrier, one each to the Ma and Li ancestors.
Before parting, he instructed them that six hundred years later, they should open the barrier. By then, they would certainly gain considerable benefit. But they must not open it too early, nor too late — given their level of cultivation, six hundred years would be optimal, otherwise the gains would not be worth the cost.
After that, the mysterious expert departed. And with everything the expert had bestowed upon them, the Ma and Li ancestors quickly rose to prominence. They married, had children, and became well-known figures in the region.
But sadly, after only a few short decades, their lifespans had come to an end. They could not possibly live to see the five hundred year mark, nor witness the mysterious sealed treasure.
So before their deaths, they joined forces to claim control of the Langya Mountain Range, and told their descendants about the treasure within. They instructed future generations to open the treasure at the appointed time, so as to strengthen both the Li and Ma families.
Now, five hundred years had passed. The Li and Ma families still maintained an excellent relationship and were preparing to open the treasure within the Langya Mountains.
But Li Chan did not trust the head of the Ma family. She felt he harbored selfish intentions, and in recent years he had begun spending enormous sums to hire numerous experts. The Ma family's overall strength had already far surpassed the Li family's.
If the treasure were truly opened, she feared the Ma family would seize the opportunity to destroy the Li family and claim the treasure for themselves.
So Li Chan had been deliberately obstructing things, delaying the opening of the treasure. During this time, she had also been paying handsomely to recruit experts for the Li family from all over.
However, Li Chan knew this would anger the Ma family. Sure enough, today's dangerous scene had unfolded as she expected. If Chu Feng hadn't intervened, Li Chan would certainly have died.
So the moment it happened, Li Chan concluded that the demon beast's drugging was the Ma family's doing, and that the old couple were the ones who had betrayed her.
"To be honest, I overheard the conversation between that old couple. Just as you suspected — it was indeed the Ma family targeting you, and they really did betray you. The reason seems to be that their son committed some crime, so the Ma family used it to blackmail them." After learning the full story, Chu Feng looked at Li Chan with a knowing smile. He already knew she had nowhere to turn now and would certainly beg for his help.
Sure enough, upon hearing Chu Feng's words, Li Chan's brows knit tightly together. Her suspicions and worries had been confirmed — that old couple indeed had a disappointing son.
"Benevolent One, please help me! As long as you escort me safely back to the Li family, I will repay you handsomely," Li Chan pleaded earnestly.
However, at Li Chan's plea, Chu Feng simply smiled calmly and said, "I can escort you back to the Li family, and you can tell your family the truth. But do you have any evidence? Are you certain they'll believe you? Even if they do, does the Li family have the strength to contend with the Ma family?"