The figure knelt down, shouting anxiously. Chen Feng looked down to see none other than Young Master Milo from the Iron Sword Trading Company.

Chen Feng knew that Philomena must have told the boy about him; otherwise, he wouldn't be acting this way. He said coolly, "I am not taking disciples. Move aside; I need to rest!"

"Sir, I..."

Milo heard the sharpness in his tone and quickly sidestepped. A dissolute young master like him was never sincerely devoted to apprenticeship; one rejection would drain his spirit.

"Go back and let your sister teach you!" Chen Feng finished, then walked away with Ling Feng.

Although rejected, Milo sensed Chen Feng’s tone wasn't completely icy, and his heart soared. He hadn't expected to meet his idol here. Back when Yagami Iori won the Newcomer Selection Tournament, defeating the champions of several other empires effortlessly, single-handedly storming the Imperial Palace... those feats had long been mythologized beyond measure. He had only been twelve then, secretly taking the man as his role model. He had heard he was dead, and now, seeing him alive was astonishing!

Sometimes people are truly absurd, much like the fanatical devotees of previous generations in Chen Feng's past life. Even if their idol kicked them and broke their leg, they would consider it an honor—because... why didn't the idol kick someone else?

Then there were the loyalists who claimed their idol could "resurrect" or that "the idol is a true man, a real hero," their fervor reaching terrifying heights!

Milo felt exactly this way now. Despite Chen Feng’s rejection, he was secretly gloating: "Yagami Iori could reject me; can the rest of you?"

"Milo, what is this..."

Just as Milo was getting excited, a voice sounded beside him. It belonged to the young man who had just been discussing bets with Xiao Hu.

"Oh?" Milo glanced at the youth beside him and quickly said, "It's Young Master Anthony!"

Anthony had also only arrived here in the last few days. Milo didn't know his exact status, but his sister had told him to get along well with him and avoid conflict.

"Heh, judging by Young Master Milo's excitement, do you have some good news?" Anthony’s eyes glittered sharply.

"Good news? Of course!" Milo laughed, though his eyes remained fixed on the direction Chen Feng had gone without blinking.

"It seems Young Master Milo is quite familiar with this... person. I wonder what great figure commands such regard from you!" Anthony probed indirectly.

"A great figure? Heh, truly a great figure!" Milo was clearly pleased that the other party didn't know Chen Feng's identity.

"Oh? Is it some prince, or perhaps..." Anthony left his sentence unfinished.

"A prince? Perhaps a prince is inferior to him! He once defeated a prince all by himself!" As Milo spoke, the young servant in the green robe approached, bowed, and said, "Young Master... here is the prize money won by the esteemed gentleman just now!"

"The prize money? Hmm, good. Send it over to him later!" Milo instructed.

"Yes, sir!" The green-robed servant hurried forward.

"Young Master Anthony, I shall take my leave now too!" Milo cupped his hands and turned to exit.

"Farewell!" Anthony smiled broadly, but his expression immediately grew grave after Milo departed.

"Smashed the head of a Rank Four Fighting Beast, the Iron-Armored Leopard, with one punch; effortlessly tore apart the specially reinforced iron cage... and defeated a prince before..." Anthony let out a cold sneer. "Yagami Iori, must I guess your name if you don't offer it?"

.....................................................

After a bath and changing into clean clothes, Chen Feng felt refreshed inside and out, his spirit invigorated. He stepped out of the room into the deep moonlight and practiced all the Fist Emperor techniques once more in the courtyard. Just as he was about to return to his room, a knock sounded from outside the campus gates.

"Chen Feng!" Long Qi Te stood outside the small yard, looking sincerely at him. The beard on his face had been cleanly shaved, faintly restoring the appearance he had when he first advanced to a Rank Five Swordsman in Dragon Mountain Town.

"Come in and sit!" Chen Feng called out.

"No need. I now know my father is still alive, and I'm anxious to rush back. I only came here today to say thank you!" Long Qi Te said with a smile, his resolute face showing a rare warmth. "I plan to gather myself and restore our family's former glory!"

Chen Feng nodded. "Yes, it wouldn't have been worth it if Philia hadn't risked her life to save you back then!"

Hearing Philia's name, Long Qi Te's face flushed crimson, and a flicker of sorrow crossed his eyes, as if recalling his gentle but perpetually worried sister.

"She always lived for others—for me, for Father. In truth, she was the greatest contributor to our family! And I... I only knew how to evade, not even one-tenth as good as her..." His voice caught slightly as he spoke.

Chen Feng didn't press him. After a moment, Long Qi Te looked up and asked earnestly, "I know she once hurt you, once framed you. I just want to know: what were her last words when she died?"

Chen Feng sighed and replied, "She only said one thing: 'I am just a weak woman with no opinions of my own.'"

"A weak woman with no opinions of her own?" Long Qi Te tore at his hair, his face contorted in extreme agony. "She was weak? She had no opinions? That was because she considered the family too much. These things should have been mine to handle, not hers..."

Chen Feng knew further words would be useless and remained silent.

Philia was truly a tragic girl. Was she right, or was she wrong? Impossible to judge. But Chen Feng knew she was pitiable. The words she uttered before dying fully revealed her helplessness and sorrow.

It wasn't "I was wrong" or "I'm sorry," but "I am just a weak woman with no opinions of my own."

Indeed, just a woman, her fate beyond her control. How could one judge the rightness or wrongness of her actions? If one argued she harmed people, wasn't she living in terror and guilt for all those years?

After venting for a while, Long Ba Te felt much better. He said to Chen Feng, "Thank you again, thank you for finally forgiving her!" He then turned and walked out, his tall, broad figure reminiscent of when Chen Feng first met him...

"Alas!" Chen Feng sighed. He couldn't believe that of the first three people he met after crossing over, all were dead: Uncle Wen killed by others, Philia dying for him, and Gu Bo killed by him... Everything seemed predetermined, leaving one feeling helpless.

"Even if one’s cultivation is supreme, even if one’s strength can make the entire world tremble... there are still so many things one cannot do!" Chen Feng mused. Finally, he understood why the masters felt such loneliness. Immense power could not bring Uncle Wen back to life, nor could it send him back to his world of his previous life!

"Why are you sighing alone here, Your Excellency?" A voice drifted from nearby.

Chen Feng turned to see the youth, Anthony, who had been instructing Xiao Hu on betting. Chen Feng didn't have a bad impression of him, so he replied, "Just expressing a feeling."

"Heh, the moonlight is bright, yet you stand alone watching the moon and sighing. Perhaps you have something weighing on your mind?" Anthony inquired. After a moment, seeing Chen Feng remain silent, he smiled and said, "Are you perhaps not inviting me in for a seat, but insisting on standing out here?"

"Come in!" Chen Feng replied politely, leading the way back into the courtyard and taking a seat on a stone bench by the stone table.

"I am Anthony!" Anthony said as he sat down.

"My name is Chen Feng!" Chen Feng did not hide his identity. Previously, it was due to insufficient strength; now, even if he announced his true name, few would dare to provoke him.

"So, it is Your Excellency Chen Feng!" Anthony said with a smile.

"State your purpose," Chen Feng said plainly, his eyes suddenly shooting out sharp light.

Anthony felt a momentary constriction in his chest and forced a dry laugh. "What purpose could I have? I am merely quite curious about Your Excellency and wished to make your acquaintance..."

"Speak up. Your cultivation has reached Rank Nine Fighter, and you wear an Upper-Grade Saintly Artifact inner armor. I don't believe someone like that just strikes up conversations with strangers casually," Chen Feng stated.

"I... ah, please don't misunderstand. I am actually the Ninth Prince of the Loki Empire," Anthony confessed. "And the most insignificant, idle prince in the Empire."

Chen Feng had already sensed the extraordinary nature of the man through his demeanor. Hearing him admit it still caused a flicker of surprise, but Chen Feng had little interest in the Loki royal family. Hearing the admission, his expression darkened: "Since you are a son of royalty, you must surely know who I am by now!"

Seeing his gaze, sharp as a blade, Anthony felt a pang of guilt for the first time. In terms of both talent and intellect, he was among the best of the princes; even his brother, hailed as a genius, wasn't much stronger than him. Under his father's authority or even the watchful eyes of his ancestor, he had never felt this flustered. Today, he felt completely incapable of lying.

"You are Yagami Iori!" Saying this, he felt a wave of relief wash over him, and he let out a breath.

"Knowing who I am, you still seek interaction. State your purpose!" Chen Feng pressed again.

"I know the conflict between you and Father the Emperor! But you also know my ranking—ninth in the family—meaning I basically have no hope. Therefore... I hope to use your hands to help me ascend the throne!" Anthony said suddenly, cutting straight to the chase.

"I help you?" Chen Feng scoffed.

"I know that with your current cultivation and insight, you wouldn't cooperate with me, as I currently hold no value for you," Anthony acknowledged his position clearly. "But I want to ask you: do you still remember a blacksmith named John, a youth named Yas, and a young city lord named Brent?"

PS: I just saw in the book reviews that there are eight thousand review points available for use. Brothers, leave your comments quickly! Whether it's scolding or praise, as long as you write something, you'll get points. But each person can only post once a day, so please avoid posting duplicates and try to keep the conversation flowing, haha...

Also, we are only short of 8~ monthly tickets! It's double period, so I sincerely beg you!!! (To be continued. If you wish to know what happens next, please log on to www**m for more chapters, support the author, and support genuine reading!)