Trouble in Paradise!

"How dare you!"

"Treasonous! Drag them away and execute them!"

If this were on New Star, or in the Phoenix Empire, anyone who dared to speak to her in such a flippant, disrespectful, and blasphemous manner towards a superior would have already been dragged out and beheaded.

The Phoenix Empire's sense of hierarchy was extremely strict and deeply ingrained.

Unfortunately, she was on Old Earth now, amidst the ruins.

Patience!

Living, nothing is more important than living.

Phoenix, feigning indignation, looked at the old man and said, "I have no intention of interfering in your family matters. I'm merely explaining the dangers of early marriage and early childbirth from a scientific perspective. I can show you authoritative reports on this; it's standard practice on New Star."

"Of course, this is just my personal suggestion. If you're unwilling to accept it, then consider me to have said nothing."

"Authoritative reports? Are the reports from your New Star experts more authoritative, or is our real-life experience more authoritative?" The old man dismissed Phoenix's words with disdain.

"Look up at the sky, then look around you. How is any of this similar to your New Star? Everyone's struggling to survive. Many young, strong lads die in their thirties. If we don't quickly have children while we're alive, won't our old Tang family be without descendants? Are you going to bear that responsibility?"

"Old man, isn't your surname Lu? Why are you suddenly talking about our old Tang family?" Tang Fei interjected, picking a fight.

He actually wanted to change the subject; he didn't want the old man and Phoenix discussing this topic.

The feeling was subtle, like the old man holding a foxtail and asking a gleaming golden vase if this thing could be placed inside it.

It would put someone in a difficult position.

Put it in? The status doesn't match.

Don't put it in? Afraid of offending someone.

Tang Fei felt ashamed, coupled with the pride of youth.

One was a refugee from the ruins, the other a pampered guest from New Star. How could the two possibly have such deep interaction?

No matter how brilliantly a foxtail bloomed, it was still just a bunch of foxtails. They were everywhere, so who would cherish it?

The old man glared at Tang Fei, saying angrily, "I'm asking on behalf of your deceased parents. They entrusted you to me, how can I not worry about you?"

"Phoenix, you tell me, if you don't let him marry An Ning, will you become his wife later?"

The old man seemed not to have understood Tang Fei's words, stubbornly pressing Phoenix for an answer.

Phoenix knew she had to face this issue directly. She glanced at Tang Fei, her long eyelashes fluttering, then quickly shifted her gaze, looking at the old man with a serious and solemn expression. "Uncle, Tang Fei is my savior, and someone I must repay in the future. I am very grateful for everything he has done for me, and for saving my life multiple times."

"However, matters of the heart are very complex. We've only just met, and under these circumstances... I don't know what kind of relationship we will have in the future. But, if you absolutely must have an answer, I truly cannot agree right now."

She gritted her teeth and said sternly, "I cannot agree to be his wife."

Cut the Gordian Knot!

Love is love, not loving is not loving. Such matters do not allow for perfunctory answers, nor can they involve deception. They must be handled decisively.

Besides, who would agree to be someone's wife after knowing them for only two days?

If their parents found out about this, they would surely fly into a rage and chop off their heads.

"You truly refuse?" The old man was still not giving up.

"I refuse," Phoenix's attitude was firm.

"Can you think of a way?"

"I... I can't think of any way to make myself accept this."

"Then forget it." The old man waved his hand casually and said, "This kid really isn't worthy of you. I was just saying it casually, you don't need to take it to heart."

"..." Phoenix.

"..." Little Fatty.

"&^%$#@*&%$b" Tang Fei.

The old man was indifferent to their reactions, truly achieving self-reconciliation. His current state was the best he could hope for.

He looked at Phoenix with a cheeky grin and asked, "You said you're very grateful to Tang Fei, thanking him for saving your life multiple times. Besides carrying you back here, when else did he save you?"

Phoenix's heart skipped a beat. As expected, none of these people were easy to deal with.

Her eyes darted to Tang Fei, wanting him to give her a hint, to let her know whether she should let the old man know about that incident.

Tang Fei understood Phoenix's thoughts. He signaled Little Fatty to go close the courtyard gate and guard it, then turned to the old man and said, "We killed a group of Gray Robes."

"Gray Robes?" The old man's eyes narrowed slightly. After a pause, he said, "If you killed them, so be it. The Flame Shrine has committed countless evils, no different from those Predators outside. You must have had no choice but to kill them."

"There was also a Black Robe," Tang Fei added.

"Hiss..."

The old man gasped, then angrily exclaimed, "How could you kill a Black Robe? Do you know what a Black Robe represents? They are high-ranking officials of the Flame Shrine, leaders of a region. You must have killed the Black Robe from the Hate Mountain settlement, right? The entire population of the Hate Mountain settlement will suffer because of this..."

"Did you clean up the mess properly? If they find our home, it'll be trouble... The Flame Shrine has vast influence and acts arrogantly. You can't reason with them at all. Tell me quickly, why exactly did you kill the Black Robe?"

And so, Tang Fei recounted how they were carrying the rabbit home and encountered Bian Zhenxin and others from the Flame Shrine at the edge of Hate Mountain. Bian Zhenxin, lusting after Phoenix, ordered his men to beat him and Little Fatty to the ground and forcibly seize Phoenix.

After hearing this, the old man's gaze turned grim as he swept it over Phoenix.

Phoenix's nerves instantly tensed, as if she had been locked onto by a dangerous beast.

Phoenix found it strange. She was a cultivator, a master of the Qi Control Realm. How could this ordinary, scrawny, lewd old man with a face full of wrinkles bring her such immense pressure?

Was this what the ancient texts in the royal library described as "a person under another's roof has no choice but to bow their head"? Because she was on someone else's territory, even if her strength surpassed everyone else's, she had to bow to reality and her surroundings, and yield to others?

Yes, it had to be this way!

Seeing the old man's gaze, Tang Fei understood that he intended to silence them.

Killing the Black Robe had extremely severe and terrifying consequences. Therefore, he wanted to keep the matter within his control.

He and Little Fatty were controllable; the only unstable factor was Phoenix.

If she were killed, this matter would be buried without a trace, and no one would ever know.

"I killed him," Tang Fei said.

Tang Fei's words immediately broke the deathly silence that had just settled.

Phoenix also felt a sense of relief, both physically and mentally. The oppressive aura that had locked onto her instantly vanished. She let out a soft sigh of relief and returned the Phoenix Whip in her hand to its original position.

The old man knew Tang Fei was trying to take all the responsibility. He glared fiercely at Tang Fei and said angrily, "The old saying is true, isn't it? 'A beautiful woman is a disaster.' What do we do now? The person is already dead, and you're unwilling to deal with the unstable element."

Phoenix understood that the old man was still uneasy about her. She immediately spoke up to reassure him, "Sir, Tang Fei didn't kill him alone; I was involved too. Tang Fei mentioned on the way that we are truly one of us now. If they come looking for us, none of us will survive."

"So, if there's anything I can do, I will actively cooperate. And I promise you, no matter when or under what circumstances, I will never betray you."

The old man scoffed dismissively and said sarcastically, "You're so young, what do you know about betrayal? Do you think this is a children's game?"

Seeing that Phoenix still wanted to argue, the old man waved his hand and said, "Forget it, forget it. It's come to this, and I have nothing more to say. However, we need to be prepared."

The old man sighed heavily and said, "Prepare for the worst-case scenario."

"Understood," Tang Fei and Little Fatty nodded. They had grown up in such an environment.

No matter when, one should never entrust their life to fate.

Never underestimate others' intelligence, and never overestimate human nature.

The old man glanced at Phoenix again, his face contorted into a grimace. "A disaster. Change your clothes and make yourself look less attractive. You're too eye-catching."

"Okay," Phoenix agreed readily.

She understood that the old man's suggestion was reasonable. In such a harsh environment, beauty was also a valuable resource, an object of plunder.

Besides, even if it were unreasonable, she would have to accept it.

What right did she have to haggle with him?

The old man looked at Tang Fei, then at Phoenix, and then pointed at Little Fatty. "Come with me to smash rocks. Work has come up."

"." Little Fatty.

Tang Fei looked at Phoenix and said, "Let's go, I'll take you to change."

"Oh," Phoenix nodded and asked curiously, "You have women's clothes?"

"."

Hate Mountain. Eagle Beak Cliff.

A large number of Gray Robes were gathered around the dense forest, surrounding the Flame Army, who wore unified uniforms with flame totems inlaid on their chests. The Flame Army was the regular legion of the Flame Shrine, responsible for maintaining the authority of the Flame God and the Shrine, protecting peace within their jurisdiction, and providing security for important figures.

In the center of the crowd stood an old man dressed in a White Robe. The old man was short in stature, with white hair and beard, appearing very kind and benevolent.

However, only a very few people knew that this old man named Bian Feng had a terrifying nickname: "The Butcher."

He liked to hang people up high and burn them until the aroma of roasting meat filled the air.

He called it "representing the Flame God to punish you."

It was very chuunibyo and very cruel.

It was said that due to his excellent performance and outstanding work in eliminating heretics, coupled with his loud slogans, he was deeply trusted by some high-ranking officials above him.

White Robes were mid-to-high-level managers of the Flame Shrine, responsible for the overall work of a large district. Above them were only the more distinguished Red Robes and Gold Robes. Of course, the Gold Robe was a color only the Flame God could use in each generation.

At the old man's feet lay Bian Zhenxin, who was already completely dead.

Bian Zhenxin was his son, and he had only this one son.

He had placed Bian Zhenxin in the Hate Mountain gathering area, wanting him to hone his skills there for a few years before taking over his position. He had already communicated with the elder council above, and once the Lingyang district was completely stabilized, he would go to the main shrine to serve as a Red Robe.

But his son was dead, in such a dishonorable manner.

His hopes, his future, were thus extinguished.

"Sir, we have thoroughly examined the deceased. There were no signs of a fierce struggle before death. The fatal wound was to the head," the coroner, responsible for autopsies within the shrine, reported in a low voice.

The old man's face was grim, and he didn't respond.

Another soldier reported that they had finished checking all the surrounding bodies and found no survivors.

"Chen Hu!" Bian Feng called out.

"Divine Envoy," a burly man strode over and bowed deeply to the White Robed old man.

The old man looked at the burly man and said hoarsely, "I sent you here as my adjutant to protect your Divine Envoy, and this is how you protect her?"

Thump!

Chen Hu knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly. He explained, "Sir, when the Divine Envoy wanted to go out, I offered to accompany her. But she wouldn't let me, saying there was a lot of work to be done at the shrine."

Bian Feng understood that Chen Hu was telling the truth. Knowing his son, he knew he wouldn't want to get involved in such trivial matters. He had sent Chen Hu to be Bian Zhenxin's adjutant for two reasons: firstly, he considered him loyal and reliable, a core subordinate he had personally promoted.

Secondly, despite his rough exterior, he was extremely meticulous and a skilled hand at handling political affairs.

This matter couldn't really be blamed on him.

"Get up and speak," Bian Feng said.

Chen Hu looked up at Bian Feng and said, "Sir, your subordinate has made a mistake. Please allow me to speak while kneeling. It will make me feel better."

Whether Chen Hu felt better or not was unknown, but Bian Feng certainly felt a bit better.

He looked down at Chen Hu from his superior position and asked, "You've spent three years in the Hate Mountain settlement and have a good understanding of the area. Who do you think did this?"

Chen Hu shook his head and said, "Sir, your subordinate doesn't know."

"You don't know?" Bian Feng was clearly dissatisfied with this answer.

"Sir, your subordinate truly can't figure it out. The ordinary people in the settlement wouldn't dare provoke our Flame Shrine. As for those ruthless Predators, they shouldn't have provoked us either. Don't they understand the consequences of killing a Black Robe? Aren't they afraid of our shrine's retaliation?"

Bian Feng kicked Chen Hu to the ground and berated him, "So many brothers died in front of you, and you say this and that won't happen. Did they commit suicide?"

"Sir, that's not what I meant..." Chen Hu got up from the ground again and explained, "I think something is fishy. Logically, they wouldn't dare provoke our shrine, let alone kill our Black Robe Divine Envoy so easily. We will thoroughly investigate who did this and give you a satisfactory answer."

"A satisfactory answer? Would killing them all satisfy me?" Bian Feng said hatefully.

Just then, a Gray Robe, who was investigating the scene, suddenly found a Skull Lighter deep in the grass and shouted, "I found it! I found the evidence!"