"However, Vice Association Master Zhao, you are still the vice master of the Red Butterfly Association after all. As someone second only to the master and above ten thousand others, it's not good to jump to conclusions without investigating the matter first."
"Actually, I don't really mind — I am an outsider after all, and you had your reasons for acting against me."
"But Elder Liu is a different matter entirely. Setting aside the fact that he is a presiding elder of the Red Butterfly Association, you should at least have had a basic level of trust in him."
"Yet you knew full well that Elder Liu is gravely ill, and still insisted on having him punished — even demanding that he kneel before you. Isn't that a bit excessive?"
"If you were truly just performing your duties strictly, that would be one thing. But before that, you even went out of your way to tell Elder Liu, 'Don't think that just because you're the master's teacher, you can throw your weight around.'"
"I don't know if I'm reading too much into this, or if you've truly held a grudge against Elder Liu for a long time and used my arrival here as an excuse to deliberately make things difficult for him — all to establish your authority as vice master."
"I really don't mean to meddle as an outsider. But since Elder Liu is the master's teacher, even if his rank is lower than yours, his seniority is above yours."
"I truly believe that, even as vice master, you should show Elder Liu more respect. Using your position as vice master to deliberately suppress him is simply wrong."
"After all, his health is truly in a poor state," Chu Feng said.
"Chu Feng, you—!" Hearing these words, Liu Chengkun's face turned green. In truth, while Chu Feng had been speaking, he had been trying to interrupt him the entire time, but… Chu Feng hadn't given him the chance.
Meanwhile, even Liu Chengkun, Huang Luo, and the others had their expressions change, and the way they looked at Chu Feng now carried an added measure of newfound respect.
What Chu Feng had said was truly a blade drawn without blood — though he had only offered indirect barbs, he had laid out every one of Zhao Ruofan's misdeeds before the Red Butterfly Association's master for all to see.
As everyone knew, their master held her own teacher in the highest regard.
"Vice Association Master Zhao, is this true? Did you really say those things when you made my master kneel?" Sure enough, the Red Butterfly Association master's face now bore a look of barely restrained fury.
In truth, even without Chu Feng saying any of this, she already knew about it all.
But on the surface, she had arrived later than everyone else, and so it wouldn't have been appropriate for her to act against the vice master.
However, now that Chu Feng had brought these matters into the open, as the master, she had no choice but to do something about it.
"Master, I… I really didn't mean it like that, I was just…" Zhao Ruofan was beginning to panic. The events had actually happened, and far too many people could attest to it for him to explain his way out.
"Say no more. I only hope this will be the last time. If there is a next time, then the position of vice master of my Red Butterfly Association will have to go to someone else."
"I truly do not wish for the vice master of my Red Butterfly Association to be someone who abuses public authority for private grudges," the Red Butterfly Association master said coldly.
Her words made Chu Feng realize that Zhao Ruofan and Liu Chengkun likely had a personal grudge between them. Otherwise, the Red Butterfly Association master wouldn't have worded her reprimand the way she did regarding Zhao Ruofan's behavior today.
"Master, I… I…" Hearing this, Zhao Ruofan's expression grew even uglier. He didn't know what to say anymore. He had never imagined that the situation would escalate to this degree — that the master would actually consider removing him from his position as vice master.
"That is enough. You may leave," the Red Butterfly Association master said, waving her hand dismissively.
"This subordinate takes his leave." Zhao Ruofan didn't dare say another word and withdrew immediately.
To the members of the Red Butterfly Association, the master's warning was already an exceptionally severe reprimand.
But in Chu Feng's eyes, the Red Butterfly Association master had only issued a verbal warning with no real punishment whatsoever. That was far too lenient.
Though he didn't know the exact reason, Chu Feng understood that there had to be some hidden circumstances — circumstances that made even the Red Butterfly Association master unwilling to truly act against Zhao Ruofan.
Afterward, Chu Feng was genuinely given VIP treatment and settled into a rather fine palace within the Red Butterfly Association to rest.