Maplecloud City, Feng Family side hall.
Arthur Feng listened calmly as Feng Kai finished his complaints about Evan Chu, then asked lightly, "So, what do you plan to do?"
Feng Kai blurted out, "Naturally, I'll bring people to wipe out the Chu Family."
At this, a trace of disappointment flashed in Arthur Feng's eyes. "It's true that our Feng Family could easily destroy the Chu Family, but have you considered what excuse you'd use to do it?"
"Obviously because he doesn't respect our Feng Family!" Feng Kai retorted as if it were self-evident.
"Why should he respect you?" Arthur Feng sneered.
"Because I'm the second young master of the Feng Family!"
Hearing this, Arthur Feng was even more disappointed. His second son was the classic type with a head but no brains, hopelessly inferior to his elder brother.
Arthur Feng continued, "Seizing someone's wealth is like killing their parents. You're trying to take their pillar industry—why should they give you any face?"
Feng Kai was stunned, even a bit dumbfounded. He hadn't expected his own father to take the other side, so he argued, "But he shouldn't have killed Uncle Yu!"
"Let me ask you, what exactly did you send those two to do?" Arthur Feng pressed.
"To take Evan Chu's head, of course!"
"Hmph!" Arthur Feng snorted. "You were trying to kill him—why shouldn't he fight back? Why should he give you face? Or are you saying if you want to kill him, he should just stretch out his neck and wait for it?"
Feng Kai's face flushed red, but he stubbornly muttered in his heart, "Are we just going to let him off like this?"
Bang!
Arthur Feng slammed his palm on the table, glaring at Feng Kai. "You really are an idiot. How did I, with a lifetime of reputation, end up with such a foolish son?"
"...I...!" Feng Kai opened his mouth but couldn't speak.
Seeing this, Arthur Feng felt a wave of helplessness and said, hating iron for not becoming steel, "Our Feng Family has stood strong in Maplecloud City for centuries, not just because of martial power, but because of our methods."
Take this incident, for example. Your biggest mistake was personally sending people to kill Evan Chu. Who are you? You're the Feng Family's second young master. For someone of your status to go after a mere town-level martial clan is already beneath you, and then you got one of our guards killed and were forced to flee back to Maplecloud in disgrace. You practically threw away all our Feng Family's face!
Your family background is your support, but it's not your only asset. A blade is most dangerous when kept sheathed; once drawn, it must kill the enemy, or else it loses its power to intimidate. Do you understand?
"I think I'm starting to get it!" Feng Kai nodded thoughtfully.
"Looks like you aren't completely hopeless after all!" Arthur Feng finally showed a faint smile. "So tell me, if you run into something like this again, what should you do?"
"I... I haven't figured it out yet. Please advise me, Father!" Feng Kai said awkwardly, face full of embarrassment.
Sigh!
Arthur Feng gave a heavy sigh, staring wordlessly at Feng Kai for a long moment before saying, "If I were in that situation, I'd spread some rumors. As the second young master of the Feng Family, you have no shortage of people eager to curry favor with you. Without you lifting a finger, others would naturally take care of him. Now do you understand?"
"I understand now!" Feng Kai nodded, suddenly enlightened.
Arthur Feng continued, "But there's no medicine for regret in this world. So tell me, what should you do now?"
"Spread rumors and let others deal with Evan Chu!"
Smack! Arthur Feng, furious, slapped the back of Feng Kai's head. "All those words I just said to you were wasted!"
"I...!" Feng Kai looked aggrieved, but didn't dare say another word.
"The situation has already happened, and Evan Chu has shown strength far beyond the Divine Sea peak. Who would still dare go after him? So, the only way to salvage your reputation is to crush him with overwhelming force. Otherwise, get ready to be the laughingstock of Maplecloud City!"
"Father, you're wise!"
"Get lost. For the next half year, you're not allowed to leave Maplecloud City!"
"Yes, sir!"
After Feng Kai left, Arthur Feng couldn't help rubbing his aching temples. His second son really was born without a brain.
Suddenly, his expression turned cold. There was something he hadn't made clear earlier: this time, Feng Kai had been used by the Wei father and daughter.
"Since when could a tiny Wei Family use my Feng Family as a tool?"
With a cold laugh, Arthur Feng ordered someone to summon Elder Ethan Xu, the Feng Family's enshrined elder.
"Greetings, Brother Feng."
Half a quarter of an hour later, Elder Ethan Xu arrived, politely cupping his fists to Arthur Feng. Though he was the Feng Family's enshrined elder, he wasn't a servant, so he and Arthur Feng addressed each other as equals.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Arthur Feng said, "Brother Xu, I have two things I need to trouble you with."
"Go ahead, Brother Feng, just tell me what you need."
Arthur Feng said gravely, "First, quietly wipe out the Wei Family. Second, openly destroy the Chu Family!"
Wiping out the Wei Family was to warn those with ulterior motives; destroying the Chu Family was to reestablish the Feng Family's prestige.
As for why the Wei Family had to be wiped out in secret, there was a reason. Although they had used Feng Kai, their crime wasn't enough to merit public execution. If the Feng Family openly destroyed the Wei Family, it would provoke resentment from others.
But if it was done quietly, even if others suspected, they couldn't accuse the Feng Family directly. Instead, it would serve as a greater deterrent.
"Don't worry, Brother Feng. Leave it to me!"
Elder Ethan Xu promised.
An hour later, at the Wei Family estate, blood flowed like a river. Not even chickens or dogs were left alive. The air was thick with the stench of blood.
Sweeping the area with his divine sense and finding no survivors, the black-cloth-masked Elder Ethan Xu vanished without a trace.
Half a quarter of an hour after he left...
A corpse dressed as a maid suddenly came back to life, threw herself over Victor Wei's body, and began to cry silently.
"Dad, don't worry. Your daughter will avenge you! Feng Family, I, Lena Wei, swear I'll make you pay in blood for blood!"
After wiping her tears and roughly treating her wounds, Lena Wei set fire to the Wei Family estate and quietly disappeared from Changyang Town. If her heart hadn't been on the right side, if she hadn't happened to have a Guixi Pill, and if she hadn't swapped clothes with her maid, she probably wouldn't have survived today.
The reason Lena Wei was sure the Feng Family had wiped out the Wei Family was because she'd seen Elder Ethan Xu before. Even though he wore a black cloth over his face, she still recognized him.
The next morning, a carriage bearing the Feng Family crest rolled openly into Gracefield Town.
Informants from every major family rushed to report the news.
Qin Family.
Upon hearing the news, Roger Qin let out a heavy sigh. "The Chu Family is finished!"
Li Family.
Stephen Li was overjoyed at the news. He immediately ordered his men to get into position—once Evan Chu died, they would seize all the Chu Family's assets.
Meanwhile, the Zhou and Wang Families hesitated slightly, but also began to make arrangements to take over the Chu Family's assets.
At the same time, martial artists from all over Gracefield Town began gathering at the Chu estate.
Half a quarter of an hour later, the carriage arrived at the Chu Family's front gate. The driver called out loudly, "Elder Ethan Xu, enshrined elder of the Feng Family from Maplecloud City, has arrived! Evan Chu, come out and greet him!"
Boom!
The moment they heard the name Elder Ethan Xu, the surrounding martial artists were stunned. Who was Elder Ethan Xu? He was a true Yuan-Core master.
"The Chu Family is finished!"
"I told you, offending the Feng Family never ends well! Now their Yuan-Core master is here!"
"Hmph, Evan Chu brought this on himself. Now, not only will he die, but probably everyone in the Chu estate won't survive either!"
While everyone was busy gossiping and not a single person had faith in Ian Song, the tightly shut gates of the Chu Family suddenly swung open with a bang.