Chapter 1411 — Yu Feng's Suspicion

Chen Yutian's expression turned somewhat ugly, but what Yu Feng said was indeed the truth — the truth of the past, at least. In the old days, Chen Yutian truly could not hold the Chen family up. Back then he spent every day with An Jianwen and the rest, eating, drinking, and making merry, known as one of the Four Young Masters of Songshan, and rather pleased with himself for it — until he woke up one day, too late. He had missed the best years for cultivation. He watched Qiu Lingshan step by step into the ranks of cultivators while he himself stood still, and so he had resolutely chosen to go out into the world, to the border defenses, to fight smugglers and drug lords to the death, hoping to force out his own latent potential.

But because of his age, Chen Yutian still made no progress — until he met Instructor Eagle. It was during a training camp; the Mysterious Investigation Bureau had, by all accounts, gone to enormous lengths to secure Eagle as an instructor. And it was precisely through that acquaintance with Eagle that Chen Yutian groped his way to the threshold of cultivation, and afterward rose in one leap to become an early Yellow rank expert.

Yet although he had become a Yellow rank expert, he knew well enough that he was still far too weak. Such strength was nowhere near enough to hold up the whole Chen family — even the bodyguards of many a big boss were early Yellow rank experts — and yet Chen Yutian had no way out. He could only work diligently while striving to raise his cultivation.

He understood too that if not for his sister's nominal betrothal, the Chen family would likely never have come this far. But that nominal betrothal — even Chen Yutian himself did not believe in it, let alone anyone else. So many years without a word; Chen Yutian had even come to think that it was a smokescreen his grandfather had deliberately laid down back then for the family's sake. Otherwise, how could an ancient sect possibly take a fancy to his sister, still in swaddling clothes? There was simply no sense in it.

"Yu Feng, don't push people too far!" Chen Yutian said coldly. "Half a word is too many when the talk doesn't agree. Since that's how it is, please go ahead. Lingshan and I still have work to discuss."

"Driving me off? Ah, yes — a rumor just came back to me. Chen Yutian, aren't you one of Qiu Lingshan's suitors? Years of chasing and you never caught her. What's the matter, afraid I'll beat you to it?" Yu Feng snorted scornfully. "But let me tell you, Chen Yutian — the betrothal between Qiu Lingshan and me was settled by our families. You don't qualify! There's nothing here for you. Get out, and don't make me throw you out."

"First, this is a workplace, and Qiu Lingshan and I have work to discuss," Chen Yutian said. "Second, if anyone leaves, it's you. You said it yourself — the betrothal was arranged by the families, not decided by Lingshan herself. She doesn't like you, and she already has someone in her heart. So if you have any sense, you'd best give it up, before you're rejected and lose face. There — I've said what needed saying. Suit yourself."

"Someone in her heart?" Yu Feng's face darkened. "You mean that someone is you?"

"It certainly isn't you!" Chen Yutian could hardly name Wei Zhao on Qiu Lingshan's behalf, so he said only that.

"Fine! Very fine!" Yu Feng stared at Chen Yutian and nodded, grinding his teeth. "Chen Yutian, so you're determined to stick your oar in?"

"I would not shrink from it!" Chen Yutian said firmly. This was a matter he had to take up, whether for Qiu Lingshan's sake or for Wei Zhao's. Since words had carried them this far, then let it be settled here — otherwise Yu Feng would keep pestering Qiu Lingshan day after day, and that would be a problem in the end.

"You think you're something, do you?" Yu Feng had not expected Chen Yutian to dare challenge him. These past days Yu Feng had been suffocating with pent-up rage, stripped of all face by Wei Zhao's pressure, with no outlet for his temper; he had slunk out of the school in disgrace with no chance to vent. Now it was perfect — here was a Chen Yutian of the Chen family, shouting at him. No need to be polite to him.

"I don't think that. I'm only reasoning with you, telling you how thoroughly obnoxious your behavior is," Chen Yutian said.

"Fine, very fine, Chen Yutian. Since that's how you want it, don't blame me for being rude. Today I'll let you taste the price of meddling!" As he spoke, Yu Feng stirred up his inner cultivation method, true qi leaking out, ready to strike. He was not afraid of what today's business might bring; in his view, Chen Yutian had thrust in his oar and meddled, so teaching him a lesson was only natural. And even if he beat Chen Yutian, what could the Chen family do? Go settle scores with the Yu family? Would they dare?

"Mid Profound rank?" Chen Yutian looked at Yu Feng in some astonishment. He had not expected him to already be a mid Profound rank expert.

"Heh heh, good that you know it!" Yu Feng sneered. "Chen Yutian, you've dug your own grave. Don't blame me for being unkind."

"Yu Feng, what are you doing?" Qiu Lingshan had not expected Yu Feng to actually stir up his true qi, and grew anxious at once. "You want to fight?"

"Fight? He isn't worth it. I'll just teach him a lesson," Yu Feng said indifferently.

"Teach me a lesson? Heh. You think I'm still the Chen Yutian of before?" As he spoke, Chen Yutian too stirred up his inner cultivation method, and the strength of early Profound rank was on full display.

"You're early Profound rank?" Yu Feng was stunned, staring at Chen Yutian in surprise. "You're actually an early Profound rank expert?"

"Heh heh, not just me. Lingshan is an early Profound rank expert now too! You think being mid Profound rank is something remarkable?" Chen Yutian said mildly.

"Lingshan too? How could you both have become early Profound rank? Impossible!" Yu Feng looked at Chen Yutian in disbelief. "There's no reason for it. You were early Yellow rank before, I heard. Even if you advanced fast, you couldn't possibly be early Profound rank now — that's skipping a whole rank. And Lingshan was at peak late Yellow rank, but she only broke through recently, didn't she? How has she broken through again?"

"Hmph, there's a great deal you don't know!" Chen Yutian thought of Wei Zhao, and could not help but speak with pride.

Wei Zhao truly was his lucky star. Ever since he met him, his good fortune had come in a steady stream, and his strength had risen considerably.

"You two... dual cultivated?" Suddenly a possibility occurred to Yu Feng: the cultivation method Qiu Lingshan practiced was of a dual-cultivation nature. If the two of them had both advanced in strength at the same time, then perhaps there was only one explanation — they had been dual cultivating together.

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