"Forget it, I'll stop thinking about it. Even if the sect masters of the six great powers showed up, they probably couldn't catch me—let alone a bunch of rabble."
Chu Feng curled his lip. With his current capabilities, unless someone like Jie Xingpeng made a move, no one could really do anything to him. He dropped the matter and shouted, "Waiter! Bring me your best wine and meat."
"Coming right up!" The waiter didn't dawdle and quickly set a table full of wine and meat before Chu Feng.
Places like this rarely had any delicately prepared dishes. Most of the fare was simple—big chunks of meat, big bowls of wine—hearty and filling. For the starving Chu Feng, this was just the thing.
"Waiter! Bring out every last bit of your best wine and food, damn it! I'm treating my two sworn brothers today!"
While Chu Feng was eating to his heart's content, three burly men walked in. They were shirtless, their muscular bodies covered with tattoos of dragons and phoenixes—clearly not the sort of people you'd want to cross. They looked more like mountain bandits or forest outlaws.
So when these three appeared, the waiter's face immediately turned pale. Many customers also showed fear in their eyes, not daring to look at the trio, afraid they'd cause trouble.
And these three were indeed domineering. Though there were only three of them, they claimed the largest table in the tavern—the one that could seat over twenty people. By doing so, they left any later group of customers without a suitable place to eat.
Chu Feng glanced up at the three. They all appeared to be in their early thirties, with cultivation at the peak of Yuan Martial. Other customers feared such men, but Chu Feng couldn't have cared less. He ignored them and continued eating on his own.
"Hey, Big Brother, Third Brother, have you heard? The Marriage Alliance Conference hosted by the Supreme Villa has finally concluded."
"I heard the whole thing was a huge success. Outstanding disciples from the Supreme Villa successfully married Xu Zhongyu, the first disciple of the Spirit World Alliance, and Jie Qingming, the future patriarch of the Jie Clan." A dark-skinned man shouted in his uniquely loud voice, completely disregarding the comfort of those around him.
"Yeah, the Spirit World Alliance and the Jie Clan are considered the two strongest forces on the Nine Provinces Continent, with the backing of the Jiang Dynasty behind them."
"If the Supreme Villa can ally with both those powers, their position on the Nine Provinces Continent will be unshakable. They'll probably become the strongest force besides the Spirit World Alliance and the Jie Clan." Another man chimed in.
"What you two are saying is hardly news." The bald man sitting in the middle shot them a disdainful look.
"Big Brother, did you hear something we don't know?" Seeing this, the other two hurriedly asked.
"Hmph, of course! My brother's kid attended the conference. The information he's got is the real deal—the most explosive news there is." The bald man puffed out his chest, his face full of pride whenever he mentioned his nephew.
"Oh? Big Brother, then tell us—what kind of explosive news is it?" Hearing this, the other two men grew even more excited.
At the same time, the dozens of people in the tavern had all heard the conversation. They turned their gaze toward the bald man, their faces showing great curiosity and eagerness to listen. After all, the Marriage Alliance Conference was currently the most eye-catching event in Qinzhou—something people loved to discuss over drinks and dinner.
Seeing all this attention, the bald man grew even more proud. He slapped the table, stood up with a loud bang, and declared, "Today I'll tell you all about the unknown stories of the Marriage Alliance Conference."
"You all know who that person is, right?" The bald man first pointed at the wanted poster of Chu Feng.
"Of course we do. That kid is Chu Feng, and he was also a participant in the conference."
"It's just that this kid was too sinister and vicious. Taking advantage of the trust the elders of the great powers placed in him, he secretly drugged them to death."
"That's how he managed to steal a peculiar weapon that the great powers had discovered in some ruins. I heard it has an unusual name—something like the Asura Ghost Axe." The dark-skinned man spoke first.
"What you're saying may not even be the truth. According to my nephew, Chu Feng isn't that kind of sinister person. On the contrary, he indirectly saved their lives." The bald man said.
"For real? That Chu Feng is only at Xuan Martial Third Level, and your nephew is at Xuan Martial Sixth Level, right? How could Chu Feng possibly save your nephew's life?" Both men expressed their doubts.
"Hmph, that's exactly what makes Chu Feng formidable. My nephew has always been arrogant and full of himself, but whenever he mentions Chu Feng, his face is filled with admiration."
"He told me that even though Chu Feng's cultivation is only at Xuan Martial Third Level, even someone at Xuan Martial Ninth Level probably wouldn't be his match. His combat power is incredibly strong, and his talent is the greatest he's ever seen."
"That day they went to Ten Thousand Demon Mountain for training, they were captured by a Demon King and trapped inside a labyrinth. Although a peerless expert from the Supreme Villa came to rescue them, they were still in danger."
"Because if that peerless expert fought the Demon King of Ten Thousand Demon Mountain, the underground palace would likely collapse, and they'd all be buried inside."
"At that critical, life-or-death moment, it was Chu Feng who led them out of the labyrinth. If Chu Feng hadn't guided them, and they'd escaped even a moment later, they would have been trapped and killed inside the collapsing labyrinth." The bald man said.
"Is that Chu Feng really that powerful? Isn't he just a sixteen-year-old kid?"
The bald man's words left people half-believing, half-doubting, but they listened with rapt attention. One by one they set down their bowls and chopsticks, and some even moved closer to the bald man to listen intently.
"Every word is true. According to my nephew, Jie Qingming—the future patriarch of the Jie Clan—got into an argument with Chu Feng and challenged him to a fight. And for the sake of fairness, Jie Qingming deliberately suppressed his cultivation to Xuan Martial Third Level to fight Chu Feng on equal footing."
"Guess what the result was?" The bald man deliberately built suspense and asked the crowd.
"What's there to guess? Jie Qingming must have won, of course."
"Yeah, Jie Qingming is hailed as the number one of the younger generation on the Nine Provinces Continent, and he has a peculiar weapon on him. How could that Chu Feng possibly be his match?"
"Exactly, exactly! Jie Qingming is someone who can destroy heaven and earth with a wave of his hand." The crowd answered without even thinking. In their eyes, Jie Qingming was simply like a legend come to life.
"Bullshit! You're all just repeating rumors—you don't know the facts. If Jie Qingming is so amazing, has any of you actually seen it with your own eyes?" The bald man grew angry and slammed the table with a roar.