“You know Feng Xiao-zi?” Lu Fanger was startled.

“Of course. I made some inquiries,” replied Long Chen.

“Who did you ask?”

“Senior apprentice-brother Qi.”

“You ended up running into him? Ah! Did you end up killing him?”

Long Chen hurriedly shook his head. “How could a kindhearted person like me so easily take a life? No matter what, he is from the same sect as sister Fang-er. How could I have the heart to kill him?”

Not only did I not kill him, but I also gave him an unforgettable experience. Hehe, two naked men in close quarters like that, who knows what kind of story will unfold. If the two end up igniting a spark of passion in that space, then that would at least be a bit interesting.

However, Long Chen had already broken their limbs. Because of his special methods, and because they didn’t have any medicinal pills, it would require at least three months for them to recover.

He had also fed them special medicinal pills. If they tried to open their mouths, then the vibration of their vocal cords would cause their qi and blood to flow in reverse. In less than two hours, their bodies would explode.

He had already warned them about that, and they were also experts who were capable of sensing the truth. They definitely wouldn’t dare yell for others to come and save them. They could only obediently wait there.

Long Chen was planning on going back to properly sort them out once his matters were finished. That was because he felt that killing those two dregs so easily would be too regretful.

“Then that really is unfortunate. Why wouldn’t you kill such a revolting fellow? I feel like vomiting whenever I look at him,” said Lu Fang-er regretfully.

“Does he have enmity with you?”

“It can’t be said to be enmity. It’s just that he’s a loyal lapdog of Feng Xiao-zi. He’s always been monitoring my and Meng Qi’s actions.

“Long Chen, back when Meng Qi went to break off her engagement to you, she lied when she said she was resentful towards her parents’ orders. In truth, she wanted to help your Long family.

“Ever since she joined the Wind Spirit Pavilion, the pavilion master took extra care of her due to her talent. He took her in as an apprentice and went all out to raise her. Furthermore, the pavilion master’s son, Feng Xiao-zi, also possesses an incredibly rare talent. His soul root has reached the high Earth class. His soul root is even slightly stronger than Meng Qi’s soul root.”

Long Chen knew this so-called soul root was just a way to evaluate the talent of soul cultivators. It was an evaluation based on the purest soul energy within their mind-sea.

Back in Phoenix Cry, grandmaster Yun Qi had personally appraised Long Chen, but the testing instrument had been extremely crude and Long Chen had also hidden his skills. Back then, grandmaster Yun Qi had thought that Long Chen’s soul aptitude had reached the Xuan class.

However, as for what level his soul had truly reached, Long Chen didn’t know, as he had never had a chance to test it.

Lu Fang-er continued, “So Feng Xiao-zi and Meng Qi are the strongest members of their generation in our Wind Spirit Pavilion, and they’ve been called… cough, well, they’re the ones that our Wind Spirit Pavilion goes all-out to groom.

“One day, the pavilion master got drunk and told Meng Qi that he hoped for her and Feng Xiao-zi to become partners once they reached the Xiantian realm.

“Meng Qi replied that she wasn’t planning on becoming partners with anyone, which was the first time she had ever refused her master’s wishes. The pavilion master was displeased to say the least. Although he never displayed it, Meng Qi could clearly sense it. Later, Feng Xiao-zi repeatedly came to express his goodwill to her, but he was refused by Meng Qi every time.

“After being nagged for so long, Meng Qi finally said she was already engaged and hoped for them to drop the matter.

“But who would have thought, Feng Xiao-zi didn’t give up and instead, stealthily sent people to Meng Qi’s family to investigate that engagement.

“One day, Meng Qi heard that there was someone secretly reporting on every single one of your movements within Phoenix Cry. In fact, Feng Xiao-zi was even planning on secretly eliminating you along with your entire Long family, all so that Meng Qi would no longer have an excuse to refuse him.”

“That bastard!” Long Chen couldn’t hold back any longer, and dense killing intent surged out of him, instantly chilling the air.

Lu Fang-er sighed. “I didn’t know about this back then. Meng Qi only told me the whole story afterward.

“She said she was truly sorry towards you, feeling as if she had deeply wounded you. However, she couldn’t tell you her own difficulties for fear of implicating your entire Long family.

“The fact that you actually straightforwardly handed over the marriage contract, and instead of blaming her actually consoled her and took pity on her, made Meng Qi cry several times after she returned.

“Later, when I brought back that medicinal pill you gave her, she didn’t hesitate at all to consume it.

“When I asked her why she would just directly consume it without investigating what it was first, why she wasn’t afraid of the results, do you know what she said? She said she trusted you completely.”

Now Long Chen truly felt ashamed of himself. He had never dreamed that there were so many secrets revolving around why Meng Qi had withdrawn from their engagement.

Previously, he had been greatly impacted by Meng Qi’s beauty, infatuated with her immortal, fairy-like temperament, and adored that perfect charm of hers. But it seemed he had forgotten that no matter how beautiful the woman, she still needed to be cherished.

Now that he learned how much Meng Qi was carrying on her shoulders, he was filled with pity and self-blame. Compared to Meng Qi, he had been far too selfish.

“In truth, I shouldn’t have said so much. I know you would give up anything for Meng Qi. The only thing I wanted you to know is that even Meng Qi is in a pitiful situation. Within the entire Wind Spirit Pavilion, she has no one she can rely on. All her grievances and helplessness have to be hidden inside her heart.

“Only I know all her sufferings, but I also don’t have the power to help her. However, I know that Meng Qi does love you. I’ve seen her secretly staring at that comic of you in Phoenix Cry several times. Sometimes she would be both crying and smiling all by herself.

“Although I don’t know exactly what happened between the two of you when you were alone, I know that you are in Meng Qi’s heart.

“However, it is precisely because she loves you that she is in even greater pain. She is helpless. She likes you, but she doesn’t dare accept you. Do you understand?” Lu Fang-er couldn’t hold back her tears any longer.

“Thank you, sister Fang-er. I will definitely get stronger so I can help resolve Meng Qi’s predicaments. I swear, I will let Meng Qi become a free woman who won’t suffer from any restrictions,” swore Long Chen.

Lu Fang-er wiped away her tears and nodded. “Originally, I shouldn’t have said these things to you. But seeing your combat ability as well as your rate of growth, I can finally feel some hope for her. Perhaps in this world, you’re the only one who can change Meng Qi’s fate. Perhaps this was all set up by the will of the heavens. Meng Qi went to withdraw from your engagement, but you didn’t resent her at all and instead consoled her. What kind of fool would do something like that?”

“I suppose I’ll take that as praise?” Long Chen forced a smile.

Lu Fang-er laughed, “Of course, it’s praise. If you hadn’t done that, how could you have left such a deep impression on Meng Qi? Although she is considered a heavenly genius in the Wind Spirit Pavilion, everyone in that nasty living environment is selfish. You were the first person who was so kind to her. If it were me, I think I’d also be emotionally moved by you.”

Although Long Chen did his best to control his face, he still felt as if his cheeks were burning so hotly he could easily fry an egg on them.

He had simply put on a miserable act back then because he hadn’t been able to control himself in the face of Meng Qi’s beauty. And yet, even Lu Fang-er had been moved by it. Long Chen truly felt as if he were becoming more and more reprehensible.

Is it because I’m getting infected by Guo Ran? But it seems that at that time, I didn’t know him yet... Was I contaminated through the air?

“Long Chen, I know this will put a lot of pressure on you, but Meng Qi is truly too pitiful. I hope you can help save her.” Lu Fang-er pulled on Long Chen’s arm.

“Even if I have to give up my life, I will definitely save Meng Qi. My woman definitely can’t be bullied by anyone.”

Although such words were a bit vulgar and a bit domineering, they were an extremely trustworthy promise in Lu Fang-er’s ears. They gave her a strong sense of security.

“Is that Crazy Brat[1] very powerful? Will he go crazy and start biting people?” asked Long Chen.

“Crazy Brat? Feng Xiao-zi?”

Hearing that, Lu Fang-er laughed and winked at Long Chen. “You really are good at coming up with nicknames. If he heard that, he would definitely die from fury.”

After laughing, Lu Fang-er once more became serious. “Feng Xiao-zi is the pavilion master’s son, and his cultivation base has reached the ninth Heavenstage of Tendon Transformation. As for his Spiritual Strength, it is as vast as a sea, and he has opened six spiritual spaces for six powerful fourth rank Magical Beasts.

“Furthermore, he himself is proficient in soul arts. Although he is the son of the pavilion master, he actually went through even harsher training than others, and he has never tasted defeat against someone in the same realm.

“Some time before entering the secret realm, he compared notes with your Xuantian Supermonastery’s top expert’s brother, Han Tianfeng. However, the two of them were clearly holding back, and they ended up in a draw.

“However, it was said that Feng Xiao-zi had already forced Han Tianfeng into a disadvantage. He only stopped to give him face.

“I don’t know the exact details, but I am sure that at that time, neither of them went all-out, and yet their auras were so powerful that they made it so even other Chosen had difficulty breathing.

“Long Chen, if you want to pursue Meng Qi, then you’ll definitely have to face off against Feng Xiao-zi one day. You can’t be careless as he really is terrifyingly powerful.”

Long Chen nodded. The fact that he could fight to a tie with Han Tianfeng was enough to prove that he was truly powerful. Long Chen had been shocked by Han Tianfeng’s skills back when he had fought the Barbaric Wind Beast.

But if he was only on the same level as Han Tianfeng, Long Chen wouldn’t fear him. As long as he wasn’t on the same level as his brother Han Tianyu or Yin Luo, he wouldn’t be a problem.

That was because Long Chen hadn’t felt the mountain-like pressure from Han Tianfeng that he had felt from Han Tianyu and Yin Luo.

Although he had advanced to the Tendon Transformation realm, he still had no assurance in being able to match Yin Luo and Han Tianyu.

Yin Luo was able to control natural energy, a power that could destroy the world. He wasn’t someone an ordinary person could block.

As for Han Tianyu, since he was equally as famous as Yin Luo, he also had to have his own shocking trump cards. Although he didn’t know what they were, Long Chen was sure that Han Tianyu was not weaker than Yin Luo.

Currently, Long Chen was most worried about Yin Luo’s ability to control natural energy. That was especially true since Yin Luo’s cultivation base was so powerful. Fighting head-on with him was definitely a bad idea.

Up to now, other than those two, Long Chen was sure he could defeat anyone else here.

“That’s right, a couple days ago, I ran into a heaven-shaking battle,” brought up Lu Fang-er suddenly.

[1] Feng Xiao-zi is 風嘯子 is Fēng xiào zi, the Feng being the same character as ‘Wind’ in Wind Spirit Pavilion. Here, Long Chen calls him 瘋小子 Fēng xiǎo zi, meaning crazy brat.