Peak's heart gave a sudden jolt upon hearing those three names, a killing intent rising within him so sharp his face seemed dark enough to bleed. "What have you done to them? If you don't speak, I swear you will never leave this courtyard alive!"

Anthony's face instantly turned ashen. "I... I..." Though his heart was usually calm as still water, now he was so tense he couldn't utter a complete sentence. "Speak!"

"It wasn't me!" Anthony roared with nearly all the strength he possessed. "It was Father Emperor, it was him..."

Hearing the name Emperor Suomen, Chen Feng's eyes blazed with intense hatred, a killing aura shooting out of his gaze like electrical sparks.

"After you caused chaos in the Capital and fled... making such a dramatic exit, Father... Emperor Suomen immediately dispatched people to gather detailed intelligence on you. As expected, fortune favors the persistent; they indeed found the people closest to you—those three. So, Your Majesty detained all three of them, worried you might seek revenge. This way, he secured a bargaining chip!" Anthony hurried to explain.

"Using the people I care about as leverage, fine. It seems the time for Suomen is also drawing near!" Chen Feng finished, instantly retracting the killing intent surrounding him. "You have the capital to cooperate with me. Go on."

Only then did Anthony exhale, a strained, dry chuckle escaping him. "What capital do I possess? Of course, I wouldn't dare threaten Your Excellency. I know where His Majesty is holding them, and I can lead you there to rescue them. However, doing so will brand me a traitor to my own father. Therefore... I ask for your understanding!"

"Rescue them, and I will make your wildest dreams come true!" Chen Feng stated.

"That's settled then..." Anthony said quickly. "Then, Your Excellency, when will you fulfill your promise regarding my..."

"No need to rush. Since Suomen is using those three against me, and he has held them for this long, another day or two won't matter. We can go later," Chen Feng replied.

A flash of anxiety crossed Anthony's face, but he instantly masked it, adopting a look of nonchalance. "Then I shall await news from Your Excellency."

"Hmph," Chen Feng suddenly snorted again. "I must say, you are clever. I do not wish to see any other ideas brewing behind that cleverness when you are with me. If you harbor any, I guarantee your end will come faster than your father Emperor's."

"Yes!" Anthony broke out in another cold sweat.

"Alright, you may leave for now," Chen Feng said.

"Yes, sir." Anthony slowly backed out of the small courtyard, his face a mask of respectful terror. But the moment he turned his back, it was replaced by a cold sneer...

Inside the courtyard, Chen Feng lightly closed his eyes, seemingly oblivious to the display.

………………………………………………………………

"Since you are here, come in," Chen Feng spoke again.

"Ah," a sigh sounded from outside the small courtyard, and then a figure entered—it was Philomena.

Five years had passed, yet her figure remained impeccable, her appearance barely changed, perhaps even more beautiful and alluring.

"Lord Iori Yagami!" Philomena softly called out as she sat opposite Chen Feng.

"What is it?" Chen Feng inquired.

"I..." Philomena wasn't sure why she had come here. Though she had walked away, she found herself returning. She furrowed her delicate brows. "You killed Rex and destroyed my happiness. I should hate you."

"Is that so?" Chen Feng replied flatly, his tone devoid of much inflection.

Rex belonged to the Leof family, renowned for crafting magical scrolls. Philomena had been deeply fond of him back then, even traveling to the Leof stronghold to relay warnings for his sake.

"But, for some reason, I can't bring myself to hate you," Philomena continued. "After learning of your ordeal in Dragon Mountain Town, I could never hate you. But from that moment, I realized how vital strength is to a person! If you hadn't possessed that power, you would have been the one to die."

"Once you truly recognized that fact, your personality shifted. You trained day and night, your temper grew more volatile, and you even resorted to violence frequently... You don't realize how every place you pass through influences a whole chain of people!"

"Miss Philomena, coming to see me in the middle of the night wasn't just to discuss this, was it?" Chen Feng asked.

"Of course not!" Philomena managed a bitter smile, continuing, "Seeing you just reminded me of old times, a moment of pure feeling."

Chen Feng knew she had more to say, so he remained silent. Sure enough, her expression grew serious. "You've met my brother, Milo. He has always had that temper, acting without thinking. Please, do not take offense. I was so shocked when I saw you that I mentioned your situation to him. I warned him severely, but I didn't expect him to still leak your affairs, letting others find out."

"The others you speak of are Anthony, aren't they?"

"Ah... you know?" Philomena’s eyes showed a flicker of alarm.

"What is your opinion of Anthony?" Chen Feng suddenly asked.

"My opinion?" Philomena was startled, frowning slightly. "Actually, I've known his identity for a long time; he is the ninth son of Emperor Suomen, the Ninth Prince. From my recent interactions with him, I can tell he possesses great ambition, unlike typical princes. As for his specific plans, I..." She paused, "Why do you ask? Did he come to see you?"

"I was merely making casual conversation," Chen Feng's expression remained unchanged. "Is the purpose of your visit merely to intercede for your brother?"

"Yes! He is my only brother, and I don't want him to utter words that bring disaster and die without even knowing how." Philomena pleaded.

"If it's only about that matter, you can leave now," Chen Feng stated.

"My brother's situation..."

"He is just a child; I won't stoop to bickering over him," Chen Feng assured her.

"Thank you very much, Lord Iori Yagami," Mina said, a smile touching her lips.

As Philomena departed, Chen Feng gazed at the moon hanging in the sky, recalling his days with Xiaoya. His fists clenched abruptly, his heart filling with rage.

"Suomen! If I don't make the entire Loci Empire perish, then Chen Feng will have come to this world in vain!"

Although hatred burned within him, Chen Feng knew he could not rush concerning Xiaoya and the others. If he pushed too hard, they might resort to mutual destruction. Rushing would be useless; just as he reflected earlier, no matter how high one's cultivation, if death is certain, one is powerless.

………………………………………………………………

Dawn broke the next day, and Chen Feng rose as usual, showing no outward signs of anxiety.

"You have something weighing on your mind," Ling suddenly asked.

"You can tell?" Chen Feng thought he had concealed everything well; how could she discern it?

"Yes, you are different from usual," Ling Feng replied.

"What kind of difference?"

"I don't know, just a feeling of difference!" Ling Feng answered vaguely.

Chen Feng didn't expect such an answer. He smiled and dismissed the thought.

Little Tiger, seeing the two talking as if in riddles, grew anxious, but after thinking it over, he decided not to ask. He looked forward and suddenly grinned.

"Boss, the person asking to become your disciple is here again!"

Chen Feng looked up and indeed saw Milo excitedly scampering over.

"Your Excellency, you aren't leaving today, are you?"

"What is it?" Chen Feng inquired.

"Our Middle Merchant Town is an ancient place with many fun spots. I want to show you around!" Milo said excitedly.

"Did your sister send you?" Chen Feng asked.

"No, my sister doesn't know. I came on my own initiative!" Milo declared proudly. "You won't refuse, will you?"

"Fun? What fun places?" Before Chen Feng could speak, Little Tiger piped up.

Milo's eyes lit up, and he quickly said, "The Dragon Soaring and Phoenix Dancing at Thousand Year Mountain is spectacular. It erupts once a year, and today is the day! Why don't we go see it?"

Hearing Dragon Soaring and Phoenix Dancing, Ling Feng also looked interested and glanced at Chen Feng. Chen Feng nodded. "Alright, let's all go together."

Upon hearing this, Little Tiger let out an excited roar and immediately dashed into his room to pack.

Chen Feng shook his head, looking at the clear sky outside, and exhaled a long breath from his chest. He had a premonition that a great battle was brewing.

Just as the group finished packing and were about to depart, Anthony arrived. Chen Feng seemed unsurprised by his arrival and smiled faintly without saying anything more.

The group traveled by carriage for nearly two hours, arriving at the foot of a mountain outside the city. After getting off, they noticed a surging crowd.

"There seem to be a lot of people!" Little Tiger asked.

Milo quickly explained, "It only erupts once a year; such a beautiful sight naturally draws many spectators. Not just people from Middle Merchant Town, but people from the Imperial Capital are said to often come around this time too!"

"That's great!" Little Tiger said with a smile, following the flow of people forward.

Not far from them, in a small pavilion, several people were relaxing in the shade.

"Young Master, look at that woman!" A servant-like person said, attempting to flatter his master.

"What woman? Don't show me anything ugly; this Young Master has no time for that!" A languid voice sounded.

"She is absolutely breathtaking, look right there!" The servant pointed toward Ling Feng.

"Hm?" The pale-faced youth called Young Master's eyes lit up, and he instantly sprang up. "Who... who is this? How can there be such a beautiful woman in the world?" The youth became agitated and slightly incoherent.

"Young Master, it seems she is with that group," the servant said.

"I don't care who she is with; just drag her over here to keep this Young Master company. If anyone objects, just toss them some money!" the youth commanded.

"Yes, Young Master, I'll go immediately."

"Hurry back quickly. To think I'd meet such a beauty on an outing! If this matter is handled well, this Young Master will reward you handsomely!" The youth said, his eyes already gleaming with lustful wickedness, his whole body tensing with desire.

"Little beauty, I will make you crave death..."