After questioning them for some time, Chu Feng came to understand the situation in this place.
The reason all the clansmen here had been poisoned was that a toxic creature had suddenly appeared in the forest.
The creature was over a hundred meters long, hideous in appearance, and it attacked the clansmen with poisonous gas, which was how they had been poisoned.
However, along with the creature's appearance, there had also been a stone tablet.
The inscription on the tablet declared that the creature's arrival was their punishment, but that a savior would descend to rescue them.
"My lord, please save us."
After recounting the events to Chu Feng, the clansmen continued to beg him desperately.
Without question, Chu Feng had already become the savior in the eyes of these clansmen.
"Where is that creature now?" Chu Feng asked.
"The creature is hiding deep within the jungle. We don't know exactly where," the clansmen replied.
"There is no need to panic. From what I can tell, the one who tied the knot must be the one to untie it."
"Your poison can only be completely cured by finding the solution from that creature itself."
"I will go find the creature, and once I discover a way, I will return to save you," Chu Feng said.
"Stop!!!"
But who could have expected that the moment Chu Feng said this, someone blocked his path.
"The cure for the poison is your own flesh and blood. If you don't want to help us, just say so. Why make up such an excuse to run away?"
The clansman who had blocked Chu Feng pointed at him and declared.
And once those words left his mouth, quite a few others echoed his sentiment, surrounding Chu Feng completely.
"My flesh and blood can indeed cure the poison, but obviously there isn't enough for all of you. Even if there were enough for everyone, once I'm dead and the creature is still out there, continuing to attack you—will anyone else come to cure you?" Chu Feng countered.
"I don't care. Heaven sent you here to save us."
"Even if you die, that is your duty," the clansmen blocking his path declared, their voices full of menace.
At that point, it was clear that Chu Feng would not be allowed to leave. Even if he refused to help them willingly, they would carve the flesh from his body and consume it themselves.
"These bastards are truly asking for death."
"Let me out—I'll show them what it means to wish they were dead," Eggy snarled through gritted teeth.
"My lady, this is all a test. It is testing Chu Feng's compassion."
"Chu Feng, you must endure this," Yusha urged.
As for Chu Feng, he neither released Eggy nor heeded Yusha's words.
Instead, he let out a cold laugh and asked, "Is this what all of you believe? That my life belongs to you? That even though we are strangers, I ought to sacrifice my life to save you?"
"I believe the lord is right. If we want to cure the poison, we need to find the root cause from that creature. Otherwise… even if the lord saves us today, if we encounter that creature again in the future, we will still meet our end."
"Besides, the lord truly owes us nothing. There is no reason for him to sacrifice his life for our sake. And we certainly should not be making such demands of him."
"Calm down, everyone. We should follow the lord's instructions."
To Chu Feng's surprise, after he finished speaking, there were indeed some who agreed with his reasoning.
It was a young man of ordinary appearance, but his face radiated righteous conviction.
And once he spoke those words, quite a few others supported him as well.
But equally, there was no shortage of those who feared Chu Feng would flee and abandon them, who wanted him to carve his flesh and blood right then and there to save them.
In an instant, two factions had formed within the clan.
The clansmen fell into fierce debate among themselves, even beginning to hurl insults and attacks at one another.
In the end, those who wanted Chu Feng to cure them immediately still held the majority.
Those who remained rational and supported Chu Feng's decision were but a small minority.
"Are all of your clansmen here?" Chu Feng asked the young man who had been the first to voice his support.
"My lord, aside from those who have already perished, almost all of our clansmen are here," the young clansman replied.
"Good."
Chu Feng nodded, then turned to those who refused to let him leave.
"So you are not going to let me go, is that correct?" Chu Feng asked, his voice cold and sharp.
"We will let you go, but only if you cure us first."
"That's right. Your arrival was arranged by Heaven. It is not that we are being unreasonable—it is simply that Heaven's task for you is to save us."
"If you refuse to save us, even if we let you go, Heaven will never spare you," they declared with menacing confidence.
"Very well. I understand."
"This is your decision. Do not regret it."
Having said that, Chu Feng began to force his way through toward the exit.
"Stop! You will not leave until you cure us!"
One of them not only blocked Chu Feng's path but lunged at him with a dagger, intending to carve the flesh from his body by force.
*Smack—* With a single sweep of his broad sleeve, Chu Feng sent the man flying. Upon landing, not only were his bones shattered and blood pouring from his mouth, but his head lolled to the side as he slipped straight into unconsciousness.
"This…"
The sight of it terrified the clansmen who had been preparing to block Chu Feng.
"Chu Feng, you…"
But it was not only the clansmen who were horrified—Yusha was equally shaken.
"If there are any more who don't want to live, you are welcome to try and stop me."
"I don't need that creature to kill you. I can dispose of all of you right here and now."
As those words left Chu Feng's mouth, his overwhelming pressure erupted outward like an invisible hurricane, sweeping from his body across the land.
The moment his pressure was released, heaven and earth themselves trembled.
Feeling that pressure, every single person stumbled backward in terror.
Only then did they realize that this supposed savior was far too powerful for them to control.
"Chu Feng, you must hold back. This is all a test," Yusha hastily reminded him as she saw the anger building in Chu Feng.