Luckily, in the deep forests of the south,
horses couldn't get in, and they couldn't run fast.
For someone like Chen Feng, darting all over the mountains, there was still a good chance of escaping.
Unless the Canal Gang mustered a huge force, surrounded the mountains, and gradually closed in. But that was clearly impossible; they didn't have enough men.
With Cheng Tingxue on his back, Chen Feng ran at full speed.
To his surprise, she weighed less than the stone block he'd practiced lifting with when he was a beginner.
She barely affected his pace.
But the posture was rather indecent.
The path was bumpy, and to keep Cheng Tingxue from slipping off, Chen Feng had no choice but to steady her by the buttocks.
It was undeniably awkward.
Especially since... Cheng Tingxue had a stunning figure.
He could feel the softness of her flesh beneath his hand.
To keep impure thoughts at bay, Chen Feng questioned Cheng Tingxue about various things as he ran.
For instance, the Xu Family and the Canal Gang.
When Cheng Tingxue saw that Chen Feng was asking, she told him everything without holding anything back.
"Back in Pingcheng, Lu Hong of the Canal Gang had already taken a liking to me."
"After my husband passed away, the First Branch's standing in the family plummeted, while the Second Branch had long been dissatisfied with us."
"But I never thought they would! They would actually try to send me to Lu Hong to curry favor with the Canal Gang..."
Chen Feng wanted to complain about how melodramatic this was.
But he had to admit, the Xu Family had planned things well. The First Branch had probably played a part in it, too.
If Cheng Tingxue were handed over to the Canal Gang in Nanxun Town, it would bring shame upon the Noble Family.
But if they left town and pretended she'd been abducted by the Iron Butcher, that was different. They could curry favor with the Canal Gang without giving anyone grounds to criticize them.
The only one sacrificed would be a daughter of the Cheng Family, an outsider whose husband had died.
She hadn't borne any children.
She hadn't left behind an heir for the Xu Family.
She was an outsider.
"Then, the Cheng..."
Chen Feng considered it, but the words died on his lips.
He couldn't bring himself to ask. From what he could see, the Cheng Family didn't care much about Cheng Tingxue.
Otherwise, why had they sent so few people?
Chen Feng refused to believe that Cheng Li was the only Bone Forging Martial Artist the Cheng Family could spare.
Cheng Tingxue thought Chen Feng was worried about Cheng Li.
"Are you asking about my Second Uncle? He should be fine. Before we set out, he told me the Canal Gang wouldn't kill him."
"He said that, at worst, he wouldn't lose his life. They could always pay them off with some money."
Chen Feng froze.
"What do you mean?"
He could feel a tangled web of clues in his mind about to unravel.
"He's my Second Uncle."
There was an air of certainty in Cheng Tingxue's voice.
"No, the Canal Gang wouldn't spare Cheng Li because of Cheng Tingxue."
Chen Feng shook his head. He knew that wasn't what Cheng Tingxue had meant.
Suddenly,
a flash of insight struck him.
Chen Feng hurriedly asked, "Who's your father?"
"My father is Cheng Yuan... Why are you suddenly asking that?"
When he heard Cheng Tingxue's answer,
everything clicked into place.
Cheng Yuan, the current Patriarch of the Cheng Family.
But that wasn't what mattered. What mattered was Cheng Yuan's other identity—
"Presented as a Presented Scholar."
A Son of Heaven's Disciple, a Local Elder.
The highest honor in Daliang's Imperial Examination system.
Though he'd been demoted from the capital to Pingcheng decades ago and had retired from office long ago,
his connections remained.
As long as he was alive and breathing, the Cheng Family would remain one of Pingcheng's three Noble Families.
It had never even crossed Chen Feng's mind. The age gap between them was simply too great!
Besides, Cheng Tingxue called Cheng Li her Second Uncle.
No matter how old Cheng Li was, he didn't look as old as Cheng Yuan.
Chen Feng couldn't help exclaiming,
"That old man is your father?!"
After blurting it out, Chen Feng realized it sounded rather rude.
So he asked in a much quieter voice, "Cheng Yuan really is your father?"
Cheng Tingxue angrily gave Chen Feng's shoulder a light punch, as if scolding him for his rudeness.
But the blow was so gentle it barely registered.
"Who else would he be?"
"But you're so young? And Cheng Li—how could he possibly be..."
Chen Feng stopped himself. On second thought, it really was possible.
Martial Artists generally looked young.
Only Hidden Injuries, internal injuries, or declining Qi Blood made them age quickly.
And Cheng Li had the Cheng Family's resources. He didn't need to fight others for no reason, either. With such a comfortable life and abundant Qi Blood, it was only natural that he'd barely age.
At the mention of being young, Cheng Tingxue assumed Chen Feng was complimenting her. A faint blush appeared on her face.
She lowered her head again and didn't reply.
Chen Feng's mouth twitched.
She should've said so earlier.
With that connection, even if Elder Cheng—no, Elder Cheng, the senior—were captured,
he'd keep his head.
Though...
whether he'd keep it in one piece was another matter.
The Canal Gang was at the height of its power now.
A Presented Scholar who no longer held office wasn't enough to make the Canal Gang too wary.
Otherwise, how would they dare abduct his daughter?
Cheng Yuan's influence only went so far as to keep the Canal Gang from openly breaking with him.
Chen Feng's expression turned serious.
He always remembered that the Li Family had the Canal Gang behind it. The stronger the Canal Gang became, the worse it was for him.
"Then why did the Cheng Family only send Elder Cheng to fetch you? Don't they have any other Martial Artists?"
Chen Feng continued asking.
"Hm? The Xiangshi Examination is next month. Didn't you know?"
"My father took the students to the Provincial Capital ahead of time. Most of the family's Martial Artists went with him."
Chen Feng froze.
The Xiangshi Examination was held once every three years.
Since coming to this world, he'd either been working to save money or busy practicing martial arts. He really hadn't paid attention.
"That's why they sent Second Uncle to fetch me."
"To be safe, we even paid the Xu Family's Martial Artists to help. And yet... after all that money we paid, this is what happened..."
Cheng Tingxue's spirits sank.
Chen Feng thought back.
That cartload of valuable treasures he'd transported here must have been swallowed up by the Xu Family!
Why was the Xu Family acting like a bunch of bandits?
They'd taken so much money, only to hire one Bone Forging Martial Artist and two Blood Refining Martial Artists? And they'd even subcontracted to Zhang Biao Tou!
The Xu Family was downright shameless.
Disgusting.
They wanted everything: taking the money with one hand, demanding favors with the other, currying favor with the Canal Gang, saving face, and planting a spy on top of it all.
Were they even human?
"Does the Xu Family care about anything besides profit? How did you end up marrying into a family like that?"
Hearing Chen Feng stand up for her,
Cheng Tingxue pressed her lips together and said,
"My parents arranged the marriage, and the matchmaker made the agreement. I had no say in it."
Chen Feng understood. He still wasn't used to thinking from a feudal perspective.
Then a gleam flashed in Chen Feng's eyes.
The thing he'd been most worried about hadn't happened. The Cheng Family hadn't abandoned Cheng Tingxue.
She was still the apple of the Cheng Family's eye.
A bona fide wealthy woman.
He could still vividly remember the boxes of jewelry they'd transported to Nanxun Town.
So,
this was the perfect opportunity!
Cheng Tingxue was vulnerable right now. If he protected her, then...
he could ask for a bigger reward!
Martial Arts! Silver!
Once he got back to Pingcheng, he'd never have to worry again.
He could simply lie low.
With the system, he'd make the most of "Cultivating in Seclusion in the Martial Way World Until I Become a Saint."
Once he reached the pinnacle and emerged from seclusion,
he'd crush the Lin Family, the Li Family, and everyone else.
Chen Feng could almost see his bright future!
Overcome with excitement,
Chen Feng patted Cheng Tingxue on the butt and reminded her, "Hold on tight."
Feeling his hand on her buttocks, Cheng Tingxue's face flushed red, as if it might drip with color.
Before she could react,
Chen Feng suddenly accelerated. The momentum sent Cheng Tingxue pitching backward, and she nearly slipped off.
"Ah!"
She instinctively tightened her legs around Chen Feng's waist and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck, terrified of falling.
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