"Young friend Chu Feng, could it be that you blame me for failing to seek justice for Li Xiang and the other disciples?" the Sacred Pill Manor's Manor Master asked.
"You've already gotten that justice back, and you've also recovered the Sacred Pill Manor's reputation."
"But my justice — I need to seek for myself."
"That's two entirely separate matters. Why would I, Chu Feng, blame you?" Chu Feng said.
"Young friend Chu Feng, if you wish to leave, this old man won't force you to stay. However, I do hope you'll accept this gift."
The Sacred Pill Manor's Manor Master produced an Immortal Armament and presented it to Chu Feng.
He was quite clever about it. Rather than regifting the Immortal Armaments that Yuwen City had paid as compensation, he gave Chu Feng one that had originally belonged to the Sacred Pill Manor itself.
Truth be told, in terms of value, this was certainly a generous gift — even if it was just a single piece.
But there was no reason for Chu Feng to accept it. If he did, he would feel that he was doing a disservice to the deceased Li Xiang, to the deceased Gao Hao, to the deceased Ma Qiang, and even to those innocent disciples of the Sacred Pill Manor.
"I have done no great deed, so I cannot accept such a generous gift. Elders — farewell." With those words, Chu Feng departed.
No one from the Sacred Pill Manor gave chase.
After all, if even the Manor Master had no intention of keeping him, who would dare try?
"Manor Master, was it worth refusing a half-completed Immortal Armament for this Chu Feng?"
After Chu Feng left, an elder of the Sacred Pill Manor asked.
"Would it be worth letting the tens of thousands of years of our Sacred Pill Manor's foundation be destroyed in our hands over a single Immortal Armament?" the Manor Master countered.
"Manor Master, are you saying that the terrifying, unknown force behind Chu Feng truly exists?"
"But didn't he say he came from the Mortal Realm?" that elder asked.
Earlier, while chatting with Chu Feng, the Manor Master had inquired about his background, and Chu Feng's answer was that he came from the Mortal Realm — indirectly telling the Manor Master that he had no notable backing.
Although most of the elders were highly skeptical of this claim, there were some who actually believed it — such as this particular elder.
"If I said I came from the Lower Realm, would you believe it?" the Manor Master asked.
"This subordinate was foolish." The elder realized his lapse and hurriedly bowed in apology.
The Manor Master gazed in the direction Chu Feng had departed and sighed with emotion: "According to Elder Ma's description, that Hell Hurricane was incredibly powerful. Tell me — if one day such a Hell Hurricane were to descend upon our Sacred Pill Manor, who among us could withstand it?"
Hearing this, the elders all felt a chill of lingering fear and agreed that the Manor Master's decision to refuse the Yuwen City Lord's demands had truly been wise.
Even so, someone asked: "Manor Master, since the force behind Chu Feng is so powerful, why don't we take this opportunity today to destroy Yuwen City?"
"We'd eliminate Yuwen City as a thorn in our side, and we'd also earn a favor with Chu Feng — wouldn't that be perfect?" that elder said.
"If Yuwen City could be eliminated, I would have done it long ago. Would I have let myself be dismissed with a mere hundred Immortal Armaments? If I destroyed Yuwen City, wouldn't all of their treasures belong to the Sacred Pill Manor?"
"Why do you think I've been holding back all this time? Isn't it obvious?" the Manor Master asked.
The people of the Sacred Pill Manor knew perfectly well — the reason they couldn't eliminate Yuwen City was because of the Yuwen City Lord's Master.
Although that Master was currently absent from the Upper Realm of the Great Thousand and his status — alive or dead — was unknown, no one could guarantee whether he would return or not.
"Manor Master, if we could gain the favor of the force behind Chu Feng, would we still need to fear Yuwen Yanhong's Master?" an elder said.
"Foolish. If even you can think of using this incident to curry favor with Chu Feng, do you think the minds behind Chu Feng's force would fail to see through it?"
"True colossuses of that magnitude — their favor is not so easily won," the Manor Master said.
Upon hearing this, the elders fell silent.
Indeed, the relationships of such colossal powers were truly not easy to cultivate.
……
After leaving the Sacred Pill Manor, Chu Feng did not actually head directly for the Void Sacred Tree.