"Knock, knock!"
Just as Ling Feng was basking in the joy of possessing the Gate of Spacetime, a knock sounded outside his door. Jia Lie Bi's voice followed immediately afterward.
"Young Master Ling, may I come in? There's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Ling Feng immediately put away the Gate of the Void, and the strange light in the room vanished with it. After tidying up a little, he called out, "Come in."
"Creak..."
The wooden door slowly swung open, and Jia Lie Bi walked in. His aged eyes scanned the room, and his brows knitted slightly. Clearly, the strange light in the room had caught his attention.
But in Ling Feng's presence, Jia Lie Bi dared not ask too many questions or say too much. His furrowed brows relaxed again. Looking at Ling Feng as he approached, he cut straight to the chase.
"Young Master Ling, we've taken almost all the business from the Xiao Clan's markets. Oba Pa has joined our camp as well. Bringing down the Xiao Clan is only a matter of time, but..."
Jia Lie Bi hesitated at the end. Ling Feng narrowed his eyes. He hated people stopping midsentence, and he hated people dragging their feet. A trace of impatience entered his voice.
"If you have something to say, say it."
Hearing that, Jia Lie Bi hesitated no longer and voiced his concerns. "Young Master Ling, bringing down the Xiao Clan won't be difficult, but I'm afraid that man in black might step forward. His strength is so far beyond mine that I can't even glimpse the dust he leaves behind. If he interferes, I fear all our efforts will come to nothing. We might even bring death upon ourselves."
"Don't worry. That old fellow won't act lightly. He's afraid of making too much noise and drawing his enemies here, too. And I've already sent people to find those enemies. When the time comes, he'll have his hands full saving his own skin. How could he have any strength left to interfere in the Xiao Clan's affairs?"
Ling Feng spoke calmly as he sat down in a chair beside the tea table in his bedroom.
"Is that truly so, Young Master Ling?"
Jia Lie Bi still felt uneasy.
"Do you think I have any reason to lie to you?"
Ling Feng immediately turned his gaze toward him, meeting his eyes. Looking into Ling Feng's deep eyes, Jia Lie Bi felt an inexplicable pressure bearing down on him. He forced a smile. "I was worrying too much."
"Jia Lie Bi, since you've already boarded this ship, keep doing your part. Don't overthink things. Jumping off halfway will only harm you."
Disregarding Jia Lie Bi's reaction, Ling Feng said evenly, "Besides, if that old fellow really does step forward to help the Xiao Clan, do you think your Jia Lie Family can stay out of it unscathed? Your Jia Lie and Aoba families have fought the Xiao Clan for so long. Do you think Xiao Zhan will let you off?"
His tone carried an unmistakable warning.
With that, Ling Feng rose from his seat and walked straight out of the room, paying no attention to what Jia Lie Bi might be thinking.
A clever man needed few words to understand. Old and crafty as he was, Jia Lie Bi naturally understood Ling Feng's meaning.
You've already boarded the ship. Don't think you can get off.
Getting off means nothing but death.
After leaving his room, Ling Feng headed to his mother Liu Qingqing's bedroom to pay his usual respects.
Afterward, Ling Feng went to the Mittel Auction House. As usual, he flirted with Ya Fei, showing off his literary flair and three hundred love poems until the beauty's cheeks flushed peach-red and her heart fluttered wildly.
It was nearly noon before Ling Feng finally left the Mittel Auction House, feeling absolutely wonderful.
Yet just as Ling Feng was about to head home for lunch, a piercing cry suddenly interrupted his journey.
"Screee!"
Ling Feng looked up. A shadow swept swiftly across the sky. Only after taking a closer look did he realize it was a bird.
"A Thick-Winged Bird?"
Ling Feng murmured as he watched the bird overhead.
Thick-Winged Birds did not belong to the ranks of magical beasts. They were ordinary birds through and through. Extremely gentle by nature, they were among the easiest creatures for humans to tame.
Thick-Winged Birds were generally used for aerial transport, flying from place to place like the "airplanes" on Ling Feng's home planet in his previous life. That was also why he could see one in Wutan City.
"Flying?"
Watching the Thick-Winged Bird recede into the distance, Ling Feng felt an inexplicable yearning. "I really want to experience what soaring feels like."
Suddenly, an impulse struck him. "Right! I can fly, too."
Seemingly struck by an idea, Ling Feng ran toward the outskirts of Wutan City.
The outskirts of Wutan City.
Ling Feng looked around. Only after making sure no one was nearby did he take out the Creation God Pen and begin drawing life into being, using heaven and earth as his canvas.
Soon, the outline of a round little green chicken appeared. With a sweep of the Creation God Pen, Ling Feng imbued it with the essence of life.
"It worked!"
Looking at the round little chicken that had dropped to the ground, Ling Feng's face lit up with delight. "So this is the Extreme-Speed Little Flying Chicken? I wonder how well it works?"
Crouching down, Ling Feng alternately patted and rubbed the Extreme-Speed Little Flying Chicken's head, doubt creeping onto his face. "It looks so round. Doesn't seem like it could fly..."
The moment he finished speaking, the Extreme-Speed Little Flying Chicken shot into the air with a "pew," grabbed Ling Feng's belt with one hand, and carried him straight up.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa... Help! Put me down!!!"
Suddenly hauled into the air, Ling Feng's expression changed drastically, and he could not help crying out in alarm. Hanging upside down and watching the scenery race past below made his heart pound and his courage tremble.
The Extreme-Speed Little Flying Chicken paid him no heed, however, and simply carried him swiftly onward. It crossed roads large and small and entered a forest.
At last, the Extreme-Speed Little Flying Chicken brought Ling Feng to an open clearing in the woods. Even after landing, Ling Feng's heart still quivered with lingering fear. His desire to experience soaring had vanished in an instant.
Turning toward the Extreme-Speed Little Flying Chicken, Ling Feng snatched it up and began kneading it in revenge with a "ferocious" expression.
"Damn you! I told you to stop, stop, but you wouldn't listen! You nearly pulled my pants off! I'm going to squeeze you until you burst..."
Under Ling Feng's vengeful assault, the Extreme-Speed Little Flying Chicken soon met a glorious "death," turning into a cloud of ink before vanishing between heaven and earth.
"Roaar!"
Suddenly, a beast's roar startled Ling Feng, snapping him out of his foul mood and putting him on guard. "Where am I? There aren't any high-level magical beasts here, are there?"
Finding himself somewhere unfamiliar, especially somewhere with unknown dangers, Ling Feng was somewhat nervous. But after everything he had experienced, his courage had been tempered as well. When trouble came, he would not panic. He would proceed carefully and respond calmly.
Watching every direction and listening on all sides, Ling Feng cautiously edged forward, hoping to leave this trouble-ridden place.
Just then, a sudden cry for help rang out.
Ling Feng frowned slightly and looked toward the sound, but saw no one. Faint tremors began traveling through the ground. He immediately went on alert, clenching his fists and fixing a hawk-sharp gaze ahead as he readied himself for battle.
The tremors grew stronger and stronger. Then, within Ling Feng's field of vision, a girl suddenly appeared, wearing a clean white dress and carrying a small wicker basket on her back.
At that moment, the girl was fleeing swiftly toward Ling Feng, her face full of panic, as though something terrifying were chasing her from behind...