After the Xu Clan Heavenly Clan members left, Chu Feng breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t dare let his guard down. With his cultivation sealed, he couldn’t tell whether the Xu Clan members were hiding nearby to observe or had truly departed.
Since the act had begun, Chu Feng had no choice but to keep it going.
So, when the Xu Clan members left, he showed no trace of joy. His demeanor suggested everything was within his expectations—as if their departure was only natural.
“Chu Feng, thank you,” the Chu Clan man said to him.
“Senior, you’re too polite. As fellow clansmen, we should help each other—especially since the Xu Clan was being so overbearing,” Chu Feng replied.
“Sigh, that’s true, but I grew up with Xuanyuan. It should’ve been me protecting you, yet here you are protecting me. I’m truly ashamed,” the man said, his face tinged with guilt.
Hearing this, Chu Feng grew excited—both surprised and delighted. He quickly asked, “Senior, you know my father?”
“Know him? Far more than that,” the man said with a sudden sigh.
Through Chu Feng’s questions, he learned that the man’s name was Chu Chengkong.
Though Chu Chengkong’s status in the Chu Clan Heavenly Clan was now very low, he and Chu Xuanyuan had been close friends since childhood. The claim of “growing up together” was no exaggeration.
However, as Chu Xuanyuan’s growth outpaced everyone else’s and he faced increasingly greater challenges, their time together dwindled.
Their differing statuses and circumstances created distance, but Chu Xuanyuan had always regarded Chu Chengkong as a friend.
Later, Chu Xuanyuan even offered to help Chu Chengkong improve his cultivation.
But Chu Chengkong had refused.
Naturally, Chu Feng wanted to know why.
Under Chu Feng’s probing, Chu Chengkong shared his reasoning.
He believed cultivation was a personal journey. No matter how far one went, as long as it was through their own efforts, they could hold no regrets.
“This guy’s full of nonsense. Who’d say something like that? Refusing a chance to improve their cultivation?”
“Yeah, I’ve never heard of Chu Xuanyuan having a friend like this.”
“In my opinion, he’s just a nobody trying to cozy up to Chu Feng with wild tales.”
“I think so too.”
After hearing Chu Chengkong’s story, the surrounding onlookers began whispering among themselves.
Some even shouted aloud, warning Chu Feng not to believe this man’s nonsense.
Hearing the crowd’s chatter, Chu Chengkong seemed worried that Chu Feng might misunderstand. He said, “Chu Feng, I’m not telling you this to climb any ladder with you. Truth is, I saw you the day you returned to the clan—I witnessed you ascend the Nine-Level Thunder Platform with my own eyes.”
“If I wanted to latch onto you, I’d have approached you that day.”
“I’m only telling you this now so you know I’m not lying. I truly have known your father for years—since we were kids.”
“If you don’t believe me, you can ask Lord Chu Xuanzhengfa. He knows about this too.”
Chu Chengkong spoke earnestly, though his eyes betrayed a hint of worry. He feared Chu Feng wouldn’t believe him, that he’d think he was being deceived.
“Senior, I believe everything you’ve said.”
“Besides, you didn’t bring this up—I asked, and you answered,” Chu Feng said.
He wasn’t just comforting Chu Chengkong—he genuinely trusted him.
Though his mental power was sealed, preventing him from using boundary techniques to read people, Chu Feng had seen enough of the world to develop a knack for judging character. It wasn’t foolproof, but he had some confidence in it.
To Chu Feng, Chu Chengkong seemed a simple, honest man.
He was likely one of those unambitious small figures—naturally, such people tended to have good hearts.
He might be timid or prone to retreat, bearing the flaws common to most minor characters, but he held firm to his own beliefs, retaining a core of pure sincerity.
He surely longed for strength but refused to rely on others—hence his rejection of Chu Xuanyuan’s help.
He feared danger but wanted to protect those he cherished—hence why, despite his terror facing the Xu Clan, he’d stood in front of Chu Feng to shield him.
“As long as you believe me, I don’t care what others think,” Chu Chengkong said, a smile spreading across his face after hearing Chu Feng’s words.
*Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—*
Suddenly, a gust of wind kicked up as several figures swooped down, landing behind Chu Feng.
At the same time, an excited voice rang out.
“Young friend, are you really Chu Feng?”
“The descendant of the Chu Clan Heavenly Clan’s Chu Xuanyuan?”
