“Zhu Yuanyang, that was a brilliant move,” Li Feng said, giving her a long, deep look.
“Young Master Feng.” Zhu Yuanyang turned, glanced at him, and spoke calmly. “Rest assured, no one will lay a hand on you while you are here.”
“Eldest Miss Zhu, you are just too kind,” Li Feng replied with a cold laugh. From start to finish, he had underestimated this woman. Song Zhiyuan had warned him in advance, yet his guard had still not been high enough.
Zhu Yuanyang kept smiling, her expression betraying nothing despite his words. She knew Li Feng hated her now, but so what? Last time, at the Fengyuan Group press conference, she had tried to mend relations by personally preparing a gift for him. Someone had swapped it for a box of Durex containing a chewing-gum bomb. Li Feng had claimed he believed she was not involved, but Zhu Yuanyang suspected he did not truly mean it.
That was when she had started planning. Killing Chen Haotian and framing Li Feng was not intended to get him killed. With his skill and the innate-realm expert at his side, the Hongmen would find it hard to finish him off. Their headquarters was not in China, so they could not send a large number of innate-realm masters. At most, one or two.
Even so, they could still injure him gravely or eliminate the innate-realm expert protecting him. Then she could move on to the second phase of her plan.
Zhu Yuanyang knew Li Feng hated her now, but she believed that once her entire scheme was complete, he would end up thanking her.
“Hmph, Li Feng, you really don’t know what’s good for you,” Fu Yanxiong snorted, then turned to Zhu Yuanyang. “Eldest Miss Zhu, why waste words on an ungrateful murderer who doesn’t know his place? The banquet has only just begun. Shall we return?”
“Young Master Feng…”
Zhu Yuanyang smiled and started to speak, but Li Feng cut her off. “Zhu Yuanyang, I won’t be attending your banquet any longer. Thank you for your kindness. I’ll remember it well.” Without waiting for her reply, he turned and left.
Zhu Yuanyang watched him go, a glint flashing across her eyes.
“Little sister, I have matters to attend to today as well, so I should take my leave,” Ying Suyan said at that moment.
“Sister, are you leaving now because you feel I haven’t hosted you properly?” Zhu Yuanyang looked startled. She had not expected Ying Suyan to depart so soon.
“Of course not. I genuinely have urgent business,” Ying Suyan replied, shaking her head. In truth, she now felt deep wariness toward Zhu Yuanyang and feared being plotted against in the same way. Zhu Yuanyang’s cunning was terrifying. If it were her, she would never have thought of killing Chen Haotian and pinning it on Li Feng. At most, she would have used Chen Haotian to cause Li Feng some trouble.
“I see. Then I’ll invite you again another time.” A sharp light flickered in Zhu Yuanyang’s eyes. She knew Ying Suyan had sensed something, but that was already within her calculations.
Ying Suyan gave Zhu Yuanyang one last deep look, then turned and left.
“Young Master Fu, let’s head back,” Zhu Yuanyang said, turning to Fu Yanxiong.
“Yes, yes, of course. After you, Eldest Miss Zhu.” Fu Yanxiong gazed at her beautiful face, heat flashing in his eyes.
On the other side.
Li Feng left the villa district and walked onto a deserted road. He glanced back at Zhu Yuanyang’s brightly lit villa, a cold smile curling his lips.
Zhu Yuanyang, you’ve taught me a fine lesson today. Rest assured, I’ll make sure you learn the price of scheming against me.
“Li Feng, you’ve finally come out.”
At that moment, the two black-clothed men appeared, one in front of him, one behind.
“Hmph. I told you I didn’t kill Chen Haotian. If you insist on making trouble for me, don’t blame me for holding nothing back,” Li Feng said, a cold smile playing on his lips as he looked at them.
“Whether you killed our young master or not, come with us and we’ll find out. If you resist, that only proves your guilt,” one of the men snorted.
“Come with you?” Li Feng’s expression chilled. Once he went to the Hongmen, whether he had killed Chen Haotian or not, he would never walk out again.
“Exactly. I know you’re skilled, but you should understand the consequences of opposing our Hongmen,” the same man said gravely.
“Consequences?” Li Feng gave a contemptuous snort. Two small fry daring to threaten him? Did they really think he was easy prey? The Hongmen was nothing more than a slightly stronger underground organisation.
“If you have the ability, take me. If you don’t, stop wasting my time with your nonsense,” Li Feng said coldly, murderous intent glinting in his eyes. He had explained himself repeatedly, yet these two refused to believe him. He would show them no more mercy.
“You’re courting death.” Enraged, both men leapt at him.
“Just the two of you? Hah. Since you refuse to back off, let this be your lesson.” Li Feng laughed coldly, his figure flickering and vanishing from sight.
Bang! Bang!
Each man took a fist to the chest, flew backwards, and crashed to the ground with two heavy thuds.
“This is your lesson. Bother me again, and you die,” Li Feng said, icy killing intent rolling off him.
“You…” The two men spat blood, glaring at him in fury, but his strength filled them with dread. They could only snort coldly. “Li Feng, just you wait. You killed our young master. The Hongmen will have its revenge.” With that, they scrambled up and fled.
Li Feng laughed coldly at their retreating backs.
“You’re really letting them go?” At that moment, Ying Suyan stepped out from behind a large tree.
“Killing two small fry isn’t worth the effort,” Li Feng replied, glancing back at her in surprise. “Why are you out here?”
“That banquet became boring,” Ying Suyan said, walking up to him with a smile. “But Young Master Feng, you’re in serious trouble now. Do you need my help?”
“Help? Since when were you so kind?” Li Feng snorted. If she offered favours for no reason, she was either plotting or thieving. He refused to believe she meant well.
“Of course there’s a condition,” Ying Suyan said.
“So you have a way to resolve this?” Li Feng asked gravely.
“I can’t resolve it completely, but I can save your life. From then on, you only need to hide somewhere no one knows you, change your name, and even if the Hongmen wants revenge for Chen Haotian, they won’t find you,” Ying Suyan said, shaking her head.
“That’s your idea of help? Living in hiding?” Li Feng laughed coldly. “Ying Suyan, let me tell you right now, that will never happen. I, Li Feng, will die standing, never cowering in the shadows.”
“You’re refusing?” Shock flashed through Ying Suyan’s eyes. She had explained how dire the consequences were, yet he still turned her down.
“Correct. Even setting aside the fact that I didn’t kill the Hongmen young master, even if I had, why would I be afraid? When soldiers come, I’ll block them. When flood waters rise, I’ll dam them. I want to see just how Chen Junyi of the Hongmen plans to take his revenge,” Li Feng said with a cold laugh.
“Li Feng, you want to fight the entire Hongmen?” Ying Suyan stared at him, stunned. She thought he had gone mad. If it were her, she would choose to disappear without hesitation, but Li Feng’s reaction was completely beyond her expectations.
Li Feng smiled. “Ying Suyan, thank you for the kind offer, but I don’t need your help. I can handle this myself. Mind your own business, and I hope you stay out of it. Otherwise, I won’t show you mercy.”
“You… you’ll come begging me yet,” Ying Suyan snapped, glaring at him before storming off.
“Beg you?” A cold smile tugged at Li Feng’s lips. Then he turned toward an electricity pole. “You’ve watched long enough. Isn’t it time you showed yourself?”
