Chapter 40: The Hidden Dragon Enters the Sea

With Old Master Feng having spoken so bluntly, any possibility of reconciliation between the two parties had vanished. Xu Feng himself knew there was no longer a place for him in the Feng residence.

"Then it shall be as you wish."

Watching the back of the old master as he walked away, Xu Feng spoke slowly. In truth, he had been waiting for this day for far too long. Neither Feng Yuzhi nor her father had ever truly valued him. In their eyes, there was only Zuo Jincheng; it seemed that, to them, only Zuo Jincheng was worthy of being the Feng family’s son-in-law.

As he returned to his courtyard, many thoughts swirled in Xu Feng’s mind. He could not surrender the credit he had earned; it was tied to his livelihood and his future.

"With this achievement, I will finally have an official standing, which will make things much easier to handle. Combined with the Human Emperor Banner, reaching the pinnacle of martial arts is only a matter of time."

It would be best to join the Six Fan Gates; that way, he could easily encounter all sorts of criminals, capture them all into the Human Emperor Banner, and reaching the Martial Sect realm would be within reach. The Human Emperor Banner was his greatest reliance. While others polished their foundations from childhood, he was a late bloomer. Without the help of the Banner, he would never touch the pinnacle of the martial path in this lifetime.

Killing the barbarians would earn him military merit from the Imperial Court, and with his status as a Juren scholar, the imperial rewards would surely be generous. Of course, Xu Feng’s greatest reliance remained his own strength. The Fengs thought he was a good-for-nothing, unaware that his prowess had long since surpassed Zuo Jincheng’s. Their behavior was akin to discarding a watermelon to pick up a sesame seed.

But none of that mattered now. He had made up his mind to leave the Feng family, and no one could make him change it. With a clear conscience, Xu Feng felt the sunlight was exceptionally bright today.

"From here on, the sea is wide for the fish to leap, and the sky is high for the birds to fly."

After walking only a few steps, Xu Feng felt a jolt throughout his body. An imposing aura emanated from him, and his body and mind suddenly felt enlightened. He had unexpectedly broken through to a higher minor realm. Xu Feng glanced around, relieved that no one had noticed.

Several maids and servants passed him by. While they said nothing to his face, they pointed and whispered behind his back. Xu Feng had long grown accustomed to this and had no intention of causing trouble.

"He's about to be kicked out, yet he’s still putting on airs. Just because he read a few books by the sages, he really thinks he can be the Feng family's son-in-law."

"Keep your voice down, he just passed by. He might hear you. Besides, he can write poetry."

"So what? In my opinion, a hundred poems aren't worth half a hair on Young Master Zuo."

...

Such was Xu Feng’s status in the Feng household; even a servant could bully him.

Fortunately, he no longer had to endure any of this. Back at his small courtyard, Xu Feng saw Dong'er sitting alone at a stone table, chin in her hands, staring blankly at the sky. The little girl was likely worried about her master being cast out.

"Oh! Young Master, you're finally back! What did the Master say?"

Seeing the worry in the girl’s eyes, Xu Feng could not bear to deceive her. From this point on, he and Dong'er would have to rely on each other.

"I'm afraid we have to leave the Feng residence. Are you willing to wander the world with me?"

"Wherever the Young Master goes, I go."

Dong'er had long despised Feng Yuzhi’s attitude, but as they were living under someone else's roof, she hadn't felt free to voice her opinions. As soon as Xu Feng made his decision, the little girl immediately changed how she addressed him.

"Then we shall leave today and stop taking their insults."

"I'll go pack our things."

Compared to the Feng family, who had never valued him, Xu Feng felt Dong'er was more like his true family. They had relied on each other and never looked down on one another; that had always been the case from the very beginning.

Having lived in the Feng residence for so many years, their belongings were few: just a few old quilts and some threadbare clothes. Other than that, there were only the original owner's trunks of books. Xu Feng had originally intended to discard them, but after a moment's thought, he decided to take them along. The original owner had carried them through his family’s decline; to cast them aside now would likely arouse suspicion.

"Young Master, where shall we go after we leave the Feng residence?"

Before Xu Feng could answer, Dong'er thrust a bundle into his arms.

"I've saved up some of my monthly allowance over the years. If worse comes to worst, we can rent a small courtyard first. I can wash clothes or gather firewood for others to earn enough to get by."

Seeing Dong'er seriously contemplating this, Xu Feng felt a complex mix of emotions. He returned the bundle to her.

"Don't worry about survival. Your Young Master hasn't fallen that far yet. Look at this!"

Xu Feng had previously raided plenty of silver while acting as the 'Ghost-Faced Man.' He had given the bulk of it to the poor, but what remained was enough for him and Dong'er to live on for a long time.

"So much silver! Where did you get this, Young Master?"

"I saved it, of course. Come, let’s go. Don't be attached to this place; let's go find a place to stay."

The two of them, one grown and one small, left the place that had brought them so much sorrow. Feng Yumian was not at the estate, so there was no one to see them off. Xu Feng had intended to say goodbye to her before leaving, but it seemed he would have to wait for another day.

As soon as they stepped outside the Feng residence, they saw a luxurious carriage parked at the gate.

"Young Master Xu, over here."

A familiar voice came from the carriage. Xu Feng looked closely and saw it was Honglian.

"Miss Honglian, what is this?"

"I am simply waiting for you here. I happen to have a property in the city that I would like to gift you."

Xu Feng did not accept. Before he had gone up the mountain, the two had no connection. To him, Honglian's behavior was abnormal. Giving him an incredible credit was one thing, but now she was handing him a house? He was not narcissistic enough to believe he could conquer the world on his looks alone.

"Why were you so certain I would leave?"

"The Feng residence lacks the capacity to hold you. Young Master Xu is no ordinary man; they could never keep someone like you."

Her words were spoken with even more confidence than Xu Feng himself possessed.

"Besides, a man of ambition seeks to roam the world; how could you stay under someone else's thumb for long? I suspect you had already decided to leave the Fengs long ago, otherwise, they would have known about your other identity."

Upon hearing this, Xu Feng was stunned. Honglian’s insight was truly sharp. She had deduced his next move simply from his attempt to hide his identity. Such a person was truly extraordinary—far more perceptive than Feng Yuzhi.

"Young Master, who is this lady?"

"Her name is Honglian. She is a friend of mine."

Upon receiving Xu Feng’s acknowledgment, a smile appeared on Honglian’s lips.

"Let’s go. I’ve already had the courtyard prepared. You can move in directly, and I guarantee you'll be satisfied."

Xu Feng did not reply. He was considering whether he should accept this favor; such a heavy debt would not be easy to repay. He would have to return it eventually.

Dong'er, however, had no such reservations. She simply thought this lady was a good person—beautiful and well-spoken, unlike Feng Yuzhi, who only knew how to use her words to prick others.