"Oh?"
The woman turned her gaze toward Chu Feng, initially just sizing him up.
But the moment their eyes met, Chu Feng's gaze suddenly sharpened with lethal intent.
The woman's body involuntarily shuddered, and a flash of fear passed through her eyes.
"Sorry to bother you."
She was clearly frightened, and she turned to walk back the way she had come.
However, the moment that woman left, several of her fellow sect members rose to their feet and began heading toward Chu Feng and Zi Ling's direction.
"So, future husband — does that mean it's only a betrothal? You haven't actually married yet?"
One of the men, a figure holding a folding fan who appeared to be the leader of the group, sized up Zi Ling while looking at her with a lewd smile.
"Brother Chu Feng, let's go."
Zi Ling had seen far too many scenes like this.
In this world, there was no shortage of arrogant, overbearing people.
Often, even when you had no desire to cause trouble, trouble would come looking for you.
But Zi Ling had no wish to stir up trouble right now. Though she completely ignored the man with the folding fan, she still rose to her feet, ready to leave with Chu Feng.
"Alright."
Chu Feng nodded and also stood up.
"Miss, don't be in such a hurry to leave."
But the moment Zi Ling and Chu Feng stepped out of the refining formation, the man snapped his folding fan open and blocked Zi Ling's path.
"I already have a husband. I would ask you to behave yourself."
Zi Ling spoke to the man.
She was doing her utmost to suppress her anger, but her tone still carried an edge.
Chu Feng understood why Zi Ling was acting this way. After all, this was the Seven Realms Heavenly River — she didn't want to cause trouble here, which was why she was enduring one provocation after another.
Otherwise, given Zi Ling's temperament, she would have struck long ago.
"Miss, my name is Zhao Ruoshan, a true disciple of the Purple Universe Immortal Pavilion."
"Seeing a woman of such beauty keeping company with a toad, I simply can't stand it."
"So I'd like to offer you some advice — you'd be better off leaving this man."
"Just look at the brothers here. Which one of us isn't a hundred times better than him?"
The moment the fan-wielding man finished speaking, the men behind him burst into laughter.
And every one of them turned their gazes back to Chu Feng with looks of contempt and provasion.
Chu Feng held an immensely important place in Zi Ling's heart. If the man had only been disrespectful toward her, she might have been able to endure it. But now he was insulting Chu Feng — and that was something Zi Ling could no longer tolerate.
"You're courting death."
Killing intent surged through Zi Ling's eyes, and she was about to strike right then and there.
But at that very moment, a hand came to rest on her shoulder. It was Chu Feng.
"Don't fight them."
Chu Feng gave Zi Ling a smile.
Then he pulled her behind him with a single motion.
Zi Ling knew Chu Feng far too well — she understood what he was about to do.
If Chu Feng was telling her not to fight, that meant he intended to fight himself.
Now that things had come to this, Zi Ling knew there was no point trying to dissuade him.
These people truly did deserve to be taught a lesson.
So she obediently stood behind Chu Feng.
But the men from the Purple Universe Immortal Pavilion clearly had no idea how dangerous their situation had become — especially the fan-wielding man, whose face was still plastered with a smug grin.
"I didn't expect this toad to have such self-awareness."
"Brother, since you know your place so well, I'll let you off the hook."
"Let me be straightforward."