Chapter 123: Xiang Tao Finally Appears

Zhao Feng said coldly.

Taishan and his companions shuddered, instinctively taking a few steps back. They could all sense it: this Zhao Feng was truly capable of killing. They stared at him, not daring to make a reckless move, for Zhao Feng had begun to emit a faint, chilling aura of slaughter.

Taishan’s heart skipped a beat. "Oh no, he’s going to strike!"

"Boom!"

Taishan retreated rapidly, but in the next instant, a massive fist was already inches from his face.

"Crap!"

"Boom!"

"Boom-boom!"

Taishan kept backing away, yet the fist followed him like a shadow, clinging to him relentlessly.

"Bang!"

Taishan hit the corner of the wall; there was nowhere left to go. He looked at Zhao Feng nervously. "Fellow Daoist, let’s talk this over!"

"Hmph!"

Zhao Feng let out a cold snort and slowly withdrew his fist. He hadn't truly intended to strike; he had only done so to intimidate Taishan. The onlookers were stunned by the scene.

"How can he be this terrifying?"
"I know, right?"
"What level of Qi Refinement is he actually at?"
"It must be the sixth level! Maybe even the seventh!"
"My god, is there really a cultivator at the seventh level of Qi Refinement in this world?"
"He’s so young—how did he cultivate to this point?"

The crowd whispered among themselves, but Zhao Feng paid them no mind. He looked at Taishan. "Now, do you still wish to spar with me?"

*Gulp!*

Taishan swallowed hard. "No, no, I wouldn't dare!"

Zhao Feng snorted, lowered his hands, and turned to leave. He cast a cold, sharp glance toward a certain corner—the implication was clear. In that corner, Zhai Xiangyu surreptitiously wiped cold sweat from his forehead. The earlier incident had been orchestrated by him; he had wanted to test Zhao Feng’s mettle. He hadn't expected to be discovered. Zhao Feng’s parting look spoke volumes.

Zhao Feng returned to his seat, but he had lost his appetite. He sat with his arms crossed, eyes closed, appearing as if he were resting. No one dared to approach him again. Soft music played, yet the venue remained deathly silent. People gathered in small clusters, but no one dared to speak, all casting fearful, sidelong glances at Zhao Feng. This tension lasted for about two hours.

Suddenly, Zhao Feng stood up. He walked over to Hong Chang. "It’s time to go."

Hong Chang rolled her eyes. "Finished showing off, have you?"

Zhao Feng glared at her. "Let’s go. Xiang Tao is here."

"Oh! Right!"

Hong Chang downed her drink and hurried off after Zhao Feng. About forty minutes after they left, two men arrived together. One was young, the other middle-aged. The young man had a handsome face, though his eyes were sharp and sinister. This was the very Xiang Tao that Zhao Feng had been obsessing over; the middle-aged man was surely the wealthy merchant from Hong Kong.

After Zhao Feng and Hong Chang had left, the crowd had begun to whisper again, but the moment Xiang Tao and the merchant appeared, everyone fell silent once more. They stared at Xiang Tao in shock.

"Why is he back again?"
"Is he going to start a fight, too?"

Their stunned expressions made Xiang Tao feel uneasy. Zhai Xiangyu walked over with a smile and gave the middle-aged man a warm embrace. "Ah, Brother Du Meng, you’ve finally arrived!"

Du Meng, the Hong Kong merchant, laughed heartily. "Brother Zhai, it’s been a long time!"

"Indeed, indeed!" Zhai Xiangyu chuckled. He looked at the young man beside Du Meng, and for a moment, he froze. At this moment, Xiang Tao was only at the first level of Qi Refinement and clearly lacked any mastery of disguise arts. Being a crafty veteran, Zhai Xiangyu instantly understood the nuances of the situation.

Zhai Xiangyu smiled at Du Meng. "Brother Du Meng, who is this...?"

Du Meng laughed. "This is my prized disciple!"

"Oh! Brother Du Meng truly has an eye for talent; your disciple looks like a young man of great wisdom!"

Du Meng shook his head modestly. "Hardly, hardly!"

Zhai Xiangyu watched Xiang Tao closely for a moment, and once he confirmed he was not Zhao Feng, he let out a silent sigh of relief. "Hahaha!" He extended his right hand. "Please!"

Du Meng and Xiang Tao nodded in return and walked toward the courtyard. As they entered, the cultivators present all fell silent, daring only to steal glances at Xiang Tao, which made him feel quite uncomfortable.

Xiang Tao leaned toward the merchant. "Master, why do I feel like they’re all staring at me?"

The merchant looked around and rolled his eyes. "Don't overthink it. Who would look at you? If they're looking, they're looking at me!" Du Meng joked dryly.

Xiang Tao rubbed his nose. "I suppose so!"

Du Meng patted Xiang Tao on the shoulder. "Go find a seat yourself. I’m going to go chat with some acquaintances."

"As you wish, Master!"

"Hmm."

Du Meng headed toward the iron-tower-like figure of Taishan. As he approached, Taishan took an involuntary step back in terror.

Du Meng paused. "Brother Taishan, what’s wrong?"

Taishan looked fearfully at Xiang Tao in the distance, who happened to look over and wave at him. Taishan asked Du Meng in a voice full of suspicion and dread, "Brother Du Meng, why are you with him?"

"Him? Who is he?"

Taishan pointed at Xiang Tao. "Him! That man!"

Du Meng let out an "oh" and said, "He’s my disciple!"

"What? He’s your disciple?"

"Yes! Why?"

"Impossible, impossible!" Taishan insisted. "He’s so terrifying—how could he be your disciple?"

Du Meng frowned. "What on earth is going on?"

But Taishan, Iron Monkey, and Wang Hu all kept their mouths shut. This left Du Meng feeling quite annoyed.

Meanwhile, after Zhao Feng and Hong Chang exited the seaside villa, they hailed a taxi and headed for their residence. The journey was uneventful. Once they arrived, Hong Chang stepped inside and kicked off her slippers. She stretched, revealing her graceful silhouette. Zhao Feng glanced at her, pretending to be indifferent.

Hong Chang’s eyes narrowed. "What? If you want to look, just look openly!"

Zhao Feng curled his lip. "Who would want to look at a tomboy like you?"

"You're asking for a beating!" Hong Chang waved a fist.

Zhao Feng kicked off his shoes and flopped onto the sofa. Hong Chang walked over and poked him with her foot. "Hey! Now that Xiang Tao has appeared, what are you going to do?"

Zhao Feng shook his head. "Let nature take its course."

"What does that mean?"

"It means exactly what it sounds like."

Hong Chang rolled her eyes. "I’ve discovered something about you."

"Oh? What’s that?"

"Well..." Hong Chang thought for a moment. "You tend to be very vague when you talk!"