The moment Ouyang Kongyu spoke those words, the Totem Dragon Clan's clan chief couldn't hide his embarrassment, but his smile didn't fade.
After all, regardless of whose face was being given credit, they hadn't made the trip for nothing. So whatever the reason, they'd take it.
"Senior, you've met my mother?" Chu Feng was more concerned with whether Ouyang Kongyu knew his mother.
"We crossed paths a few times." Ouyang Kongyu offered a faint smile and said nothing more.
But even that faint smile came as a surprise to everyone.
After all, this man had maintained a cold expression the entire time—even when facing the clan chief of the Totem Dragon Clan, he hadn't shown a hint of warmth.
So this small smile toward Chu Feng was notably out of the ordinary. Whether it was out of admiration for Chu Feng or a bond with his mother, no one could tell.
"Stop standing around out here and come rest at my Daoist temple." Ouyang Kongyu waved his hand.
"Senior, your temple has no concealment at all. Wouldn't it be dangerous for us to go there?" The Totem Dragon Clan's clan chief hesitated.
His concern, naturally, was Chu Feng's identity. Now that Chu Feng's enmity with the Seven Realms Sacred Estate was common knowledge, word getting out would inevitably bring unnecessary trouble.
"I said go rest, so go rest. What's with all the chatter?"
"If I were afraid of that Jie Tianran, I wouldn't have taken this assignment."
Ouyang Kongyu's voice rang out, but he had already vanished, having returned to the interior of his Daoist temple.
"What a temper," Long Chengyu muttered, clearly displeased.
Though they had come here seeking his help, watching his own father be treated this way was naturally frustrating for a son.
If not for the fear of ruining things for Chu Feng, he would have already spoken up.
"Senior Ouyang has always been like this."
"Let's just follow the host's lead and do as he arranges."
Unlike Long Chengyu, the Totem Dragon Clan's clan chief showed no displeasure whatsoever.
And so Chu Feng and the others entered the Daoist temple.
The temple was quite small, and everyone gathered in the main hall.
Ouyang Kongyu took Jia Lingyi's pulse while Chu Feng and Bai Yunqing watched from the side.
Wang Qiang and the others sat inside the hall resting.
The young boy who had been cultivating stopped his practice upon seeing the guests and hurriedly brought out tea, glancing around the group before his eyes locked firmly on Chu Feng.
Not only was his gaze burning with enthusiasm, but his youthful cheeks were flushed red.
"Wh-wh-what's wrong, little brother? Taken a fancy to m-m-my bro here?" Wang Qiang teased deliberately.
"I-I-I-I haven't," the boy stammered.
"Wh-why are you copying me?" Wang Qiang glared with wide eyes.
"I-I-I-I'm not!" the boy panicked, waving his hands frantically.
"St-st-still saying you're not?" Wang Qiang feigned anger.
But Ouyang Kongyu spoke up: "He's the same as you—born with a stutter that can't be cured no matter what."
He then turned to Chu Feng: "Chu Feng, rest assured, there's nothing wrong with his orientation. His name is Tian Ming. After hearing of your deeds, he became a great admirer of yours."
Chu Feng looked at Tian Ming and gave a nodding smile.
Seeing this, Tian Ming dropped his panicked expression and broke into a radiant grin.
Though he had a stutter, Tian Ming was actually quite good-looking—especially at his tender age, he had a very pleasant appearance.
"Sigh, being young is wonderful. Full of vigor."
"Really makes me nostalgic for the past. After all, when I w-w-was young, I was praised by everyone."
As he spoke, Wang Qiang deliberately glanced toward Long Muxi.
Long Muxi didn't react at all.
But Long Chengyu asked curiously, "Brother Wang Qiang, what did they praise you for? High martial cultivation talent?"
"They praised me for being young," Wang Qiang said.
"Uh..." Long Chengyu was left speechless.
Praising a young person for being young?
That didn't exactly sound like a compliment.
It was the kind of praise you'd desperately scrape together when there was truly nothing else to say.
Wang Qiang continued with his sighing, "Sigh, time spares no one. In the blink of an eye, I'm already th-th-this old."
"Yeah," Long Chengyu agreed, seemingly sharing the sentiment.
"What age are you lot even? A bunch of snot-nosed kids, and you think you're old?" the Totem Dragon Clan's clan chief said. "In the martial cultivation world, being under a hundred is no different from being an infant."
And there was truth to those words.
In their understanding, it was perfectly normal for martial cultivators to live to ten thousand years. Even with poor talent and low cultivation, living several thousand years was hardly difficult.
But at that moment, Ouyang Kongyu withdrew his hand from Jia Lingyi's pulse and furrowed his brow: "I didn't expect such a severe shock."
"Senior, can she be brought back to consciousness?" Chu Feng asked.
"It will take some time."
"And I cannot guarantee it will be effective."
"Do you want me to proceed? If so, I'll make the preparations," Ouyang Kongyu said.