As soon as Zhong Shuhui stepped into the office, her expression changed. Approaching Li Feng, she asked anxiously, “Young Master, are you injured? Who hurt you?”
Unlike Tianlang, who was merely a body refiner, Zhong Shuhui had cultivated true qi. The moment she entered, she sensed Li Feng’s weak aura and pale complexion, concluding that he was injured.
She knew Li Feng’s strength well. Whoever could injure him was at least his equal. This time, Li Feng had gone to the Hundred Thousand Mountains. Could he have been injured there?
“Just a minor injury, nothing serious,” Li Feng said calmly, unsurprised that Zhong Shuhui could discern his condition. He had no intention of hiding it from her.
“But…”
“The one who injured me is already dead,” Li Feng said indifferently.
Zhong Shuhui trembled. Though his tone was calm, she understood that for someone of Li Feng’s level to fight and kill an opponent, it must have been a fierce battle.
Had Li Feng encountered another expert in the Hundred Thousand Mountains, or perhaps a ferocious beast?
“Zhong Shuhui, what’s your take on Hu Meng’s situation? Who’s backing him, Qin Feng or the Emperor’s Pavilion?” Li Feng asked.
Zhong Shuhui sighed in relief. She had endured Hu Meng’s provocations, expecting Li Feng to blame her.
“What does Young Master think?” she countered.
“I’m not sure,” Li Feng shook his head. “It could be the Emperor’s Pavilion or Qin Feng. The Emperor’s Pavilion is always mysterious, hard to predict. Qin Feng, on the other hand, was the mastermind behind Hu Meng’s former boss, Sun Xipeng. Both are likely. Otherwise, a small fry like Hu Meng wouldn’t dare provoke me.”
“It could also be someone else,” Zhong Shuhui said, handing Li Feng a document. “This details the forces that have come to Tianhai City recently, plus the local Fu and Song families. They’re all possibilities. Young Master, you’ve been too prominent lately. It’s hard not to attract attention.”
“But…” Zhong Shuhui hesitated.
“But what?” Li Feng asked.
“It seems someone is covering up everything you’ve done in Tianhai City,” Zhong Shuhui said.
“Covering up?” Li Feng was taken aback. “Could it be someone from the family?”
“Absolutely not,” Zhong Shuhui shook her head. “This isn’t something the family could do. Their goal is unclear, but it’s helping you. Could they be a friend of yours?”
This puzzled Zhong Shuhui. Covering up Li Feng’s actions could obscure others’ perceptions, which was highly beneficial for him. With his prominence in Tianhai City at this critical time, it helped him conceal his strength for a surprise advantage.
If it was the family, she wouldn’t be surprised, but it wasn’t. It was a mysterious force. She had thought Li Feng might know who they were, but his reaction suggested otherwise.
“Impossible,” Li Feng said firmly. He had only been in this world for a month, with no friends, only countless enemies. The former Li Feng was a nobody; how could he have friends?
“Then who is it? What’s their goal?” Zhong Shuhui frowned. If it wasn’t a friend or the family, what was their motive?
Kindness?
She chuckled inwardly. She wasn’t a naive girl who believed in pure goodwill. The other party must have a hidden agenda, but this time, Zhong Shuhui was stumped, unable to discern their purpose.
“No need to worry about who they are or their goal. As long as it benefits us, that’s enough. As for their hidden motives, hmph, we’ll deal with whatever comes. Are we afraid of them?” Li Feng snorted coldly. To him, speculating was pointless. Better to focus on cultivating strength.
“Young Master is right,” Zhong Shuhui nodded faintly, but inwardly, she grew vigilant. As the leader of Eagle Eye, her duty was to investigate everything. Though this seemed beneficial, she sensed a hidden agenda.
“We can’t delay Hu Meng’s matter any longer,” Li Feng said, looking at Zhong Shuhui. “I must say, you were too cautious this time. Whoever’s behind Hu Meng, he’s just a small fry. Kill him, and we’ll see their next move.”
“But Young Master, being too prominent now isn’t good for you,” Zhong Shuhui hesitated. Having followed Mu Chunfeng for years, she had learned patience, so Li Feng’s approach felt unfamiliar.
“But it’s not harmful either, is it? Are we just going to let a small fry like him prance around us?” Li Feng glanced at her calmly. “I know what you’re worried about. Be it the Emperor’s Pavilion, Qin Feng, or someone else, if we tolerate Hu Meng, will they leave us alone? Hmph, for enemies, we use iron and blood. Gods or Buddhas, we kill them all.”
As he spoke, a towering killing intent surged from Li Feng.
Feeling it, Zhong Shuhui’s expression changed, her face filled with disbelief. She couldn’t fathom how many lives Li Feng had taken to carry such intense killing intent.
“Young Master, I understand. I’ll handle it soon,” Zhong Shuhui took a deep breath and said.
“Next is Tianhai City’s business networking event. Many people have come to the city recently, haven’t they? Has Liu Shichao given you the event’s guest list?” Li Feng asked.
“Liu Shichao told me to pick it up at Kaiyuan Community today,” Zhong Shuhui replied.
“Pick it up? Liu Shichao has some nerve,” Li Feng snorted, a flash of anger in his eyes.
“Young Master…” Zhong Shuhui looked at him, puzzled. She had thought Liu Shichao was Li Feng’s friend or ally, but his reaction suggested otherwise.
“Liu Shichao is just a slave. If he doesn’t obey, kill him. No need to hesitate,” Li Feng said calmly.
A slave, indeed. In Li Feng’s eyes, Liu Shichao was a dispensable pawn, his life in Li Feng’s hands. Talk of making him the Liu family heir depended on his performance.
Li Feng hadn’t expected that after being away for a few days, Liu Shichao would dare act superior, ordering Zhong Shuhui to fetch the list. Who did he think he was?
“Slave,” Zhong Shuhui was stunned, taking a moment to process. She was shocked by Li Feng’s words.
It was her first time hearing him call someone a slave, especially the eldest son of the Liu family in Tianhai City.
“Did he call you to pick up the list?” Li Feng asked in a deep voice.
“Yes,” Zhong Shuhui replied.
“Liu Shichao’s getting bolder. Does he really think I won’t kill him?” Li Feng sneered, a cold glint in his eyes.
After a few steps, he stopped and turned to Zhong Shuhui, asking gravely, “Who has Liu Shichao been in contact with recently?”
Zhong Shuhui shook her head. “I haven’t paid attention to that. Young Master, you mean…”
“What else did Liu Shichao say to you?” Li Feng pressed.
Zhong Shuhui recounted what Liu Shichao had said that day, adding, “Young Master, are you suspecting Liu Shichao?”
“He doesn’t have the guts,” Li Feng sneered. Liu Shichao was too cowardly to risk his life.
“But caution never hurts. Tianhai City’s unstable right now. Be careful when you go to Kaiyuan Community. By the way, Liu Shichao hasn’t met you, has he?” Li Feng reminded her.
Zhong Shuhui’s eyes lit up, catching his meaning.
“Anything else happened recently?” Li Feng continued.
“Young Master, several forces are investigating Fengyuan Group,” Zhong Shuhui said, handing him a report. “I found their target seems to be Fengyuan Group’s Intelligence No. 1.”
“Intelligence No. 1?” Li Feng paused, then smiled. “That’s expected. It’s a major breakthrough in the intelligence field. Many would be interested.” He opened the report to read.
“Foreign forces?” Li Feng frowned, scanning the document.
“Yes, these foreign forces arrived in Tianhai City recently. Some are here for Intelligence No. 1, others seem to be investigating the Network Phantom,” Zhong Shuhui replied.
“Network Phantom? What’s that?” Li Feng looked up, puzzled.
“It’s something that happened online recently,” Zhong Shuhui explained, detailing the Network Phantom.
“So that’s the Network Phantom,” Li Feng chuckled.
“Young Master, the Network Phantom isn’t simple. If we can find and recruit them, it’d be a great asset,” Zhong Shuhui said.
“Find them? No need,” Li Feng shook his head.
“Why?” Zhong Shuhui looked at him, confused. She couldn’t believe Li Feng, with his intelligence, wouldn’t see the Network Phantom’s value.
“If it’s about Yu Su, then I am the Network Phantom,” Li Feng said with a smile.
“How is that possible?” Zhong Shuhui stared at him in disbelief. The Network Phantom was world-renowned. She had never connected it to Li Feng. How could he be the Network Phantom?
“Nothing’s impossible,” Li Feng said calmly.
It took Zhong Shuhui a moment to accept it, but her expression soon changed. “This is bad. This could be a big problem.”
