"What a bold claim!"
Peng Jia stared coldly at Fei Kui. "Fei Kui, do you think having Black Buddha Lord backing you allows you to do as you please in Yanluo Kingdom? Let me tell you, I call you 'Boss Fei' out of courtesy. If I don't give you that face, you're nothing but a clown in my eyes!"
Peng Jia might fear Black Buddha Lord, but that didn't mean he feared Fei Kui.
As a Noble Scion of the Immortal Court and a direct disciple of a major sect, with both parents being Immortals, he naturally had no reason to fear him.
No matter how influential Fei Kui was in Yanluo Kingdom, it all relied on Black Buddha Lord's support.
Others might not dare offend Fei Kui, but that didn't mean Peng Jia wouldn't.
"Heh, this is my personal matter and has nothing to do with Black Buddha Lord," Fei Kui replied, still wearing a faint smile. "So today, Lord Peng need not give Black Buddha Lord any face on my account."
"Hmph! I want to see just what kind of formidable figure this 'Gu' is, to make you so arrogant and presumptuous in front of me!" Peng Jia waved his hand grandly and shouted, "Search the place!"
Beside him, Yue Jinghong and over ten other Immortal Officials were about to begin the search when Fei Kui across from them suddenly stood up, his voice sharp and commanding. "My Young Master is resting in the VIP lounge! Anyone who dares disturb his peace today, I'll kill them!"
"How dare you!"
With a loud crash, Peng Jia slammed his palm down, shattering the table in front of him. He glared furiously at Fei Kui. "Fei Kui, you're nothing but a dog under Black Buddha Lord! Do you really think I wouldn't dare touch you?"
The two sides were at a standoff, tension thick in the air.
No one had expected Fei Kui to dare confront Noble Scion Peng Jia so publicly, even threatening to kill anyone who disturbed the 'Young Master' he spoke of.
Yue Jinghong and the others were all Immortal Officials enfeoffed by the Immortal Court.
The crime of killing an Immortal Official was not something an ordinary person could bear. Forget Fei Kui being merely a subordinate of Black Buddha Lord; even the prodigies from the Chixiao Sect's Yanluo branch wouldn't dare kill an Immortal Official.
In the VIP lounge on the second floor, Tang Manqing and Shui'er were both shocked and puzzled. They hadn't expected Fei Kui to stand up to Peng Jia for Gu Qingfeng's sake. Moreover, judging by his stance, it wasn't just for show. Although his Dharma Form wasn't fully activated, it was stirring, and the killing intent in his eyes was unmistakably fierce. It seemed if these Immortal Officials really started searching, he would genuinely make a move.
"Has that fatty Fei Kui gone mad? If he dares kill an Immortal Official, even Black Buddha Lord won't be able to protect him!" Shui'er murmured in horror.
Standing by the window, Tang Manqing frowned deeply. She had thought Fei Kui's appearance was to settle the matter peacefully. After all, Gu Qingfeng's identity couldn't be exposed; once it was, he would be doomed. And if Fei Kui wanted to resolve this, it wouldn't be difficult—he had plenty of money. He could just take out his own funds to return what Gu Qingfeng had won to Yue Jinghong.
But to her utter surprise, Fei Kui hadn't come to settle things or show weakness. Not only that, his attitude was extremely aggressive—so aggressive that he was threatening to kill Immortal Officials for Gu Qingfeng's sake.
Why?
Who gave him such courage?
Who gave him such audacity?
Didn't he know Gu Qingfeng's identity couldn't be exposed?
Why was his attitude so unyielding?
Was he trying to protect Gu Qingfeng or harm him?
Just why?
Tang Manqing couldn't figure it out at all.
And what was even more unbelievable to her was that while Fei Kui was on the verge of fighting Peng Jia and the others, that Gu Qingfeng was standing in the pavilion lounge, leaning against the windowsill, sipping wine and eating spirit fruits, watching with a faint smile. His lazy posture was as if he were merely watching a spectacle.
It was as if Fei Kui wasn't confronting over a dozen Immortal Officials for his sake, and as if Peng Jia wasn't there looking for him, but for someone else entirely.
Tang Manqing had never seen such a strange person.
She couldn't help but wonder: Did this guy not fear his identity being exposed in the slightest?
What was he relying on?
His status as the Heir of the King?
That identity wouldn't protect him; it would only make him die more miserably.
If not that, then what?
Cultivation?
Strength?
Did he have any?
No.
Not only did he not have any, he was utterly weak.
Tang Manqing really wanted to ask this guy: What made him so fearless and indifferent?
She didn't know, and neither could Wei Lao beside her figure it out.
Like Tang Manqing, when Wei Lao saw Fei Kui appear, he also thought it was to settle the matter. He never expected the situation to escalate like this. He too was puzzled about what Gu Qingfeng was relying on to stand there so idly watching the show. But there was no time to ponder further. Seeing that the two sides were about to clash, Wei Lao immediately stepped in to intervene.
"I urge both of you to remain calm. You are both esteemed guests of the villa and should know its rules."
When Wei Lao stepped forward, neither Peng Jia nor Yue Jinghong and the other Immortal Officials made a move, and the killing intent in Fei Kui's eyes also receded.
Yes.
They all knew the rules of Linglong Mountain Villa.
That was, no matter how great the grievance, no one was to take action within the villa.
This was a rule set by Sister Hong.
No one dared violate it.
Because everyone knew that the furniture in the villa was extremely expensive. If any was damaged during a fight, compensation would be required.
And the cost of that compensation would far exceed one's imagination.
Even if it was just a blade of grass, Sister Hong wouldn't hesitate to demand hundreds of thousands, even millions in compensation. If tables or chairs were damaged, the cost would start in the tens of millions and could reach hundreds of millions.
It didn't matter if you were a direct disciple of the Four Great Families or Seven Great Sects, or a prodigy from the Chixiao Sect branch, or even an Immortal Official from the Immortal Office—no exceptions were made.
Don't doubt whether Sister Hong had the capability or the courage to do this. Over the past hundred years of the current era, countless facts had proven that Sister Hong absolutely had both the capability and the courage.
Once, a direct disciple of one of the Four Great Families and Seven Great Sects foolishly took action here. Three days later, his family and sect elders personally brought him to apologize and compensate with spirit stones worth hundreds of millions.
Once, several arrogant geniuses from the Chixiao Sect branch took action here, not believing the rumors. Afterwards, the branch master of the Chixiao Sect also personally came to apologize and compensate.
Once, an Immortal Noble from Yanluo Immortal Office caused trouble here. Afterwards, he too personally came to apologize and compensate.
Once, several outsiders who didn't know any better took action here. Unable to pay compensation, they ended up working as laborers here for over thirty years.
Once, several loose Immortals caused trouble here, and then...
There was no 'then'...
Because they all mysteriously disappeared...
What was Sister Hong's identity or background?
Those who didn't know didn't dare ask.
Those who knew didn't dare speak of it.
All that was known was that Sister Hong's influence was immense—so immense that the Four Great Families, Seven Great Sects, the Chixiao Sect, even Yanluo Immortal Office and the Yanluo royal family didn't dare not give her face.
"Steward Wei, I know the villa's rules and have no intention of causing trouble here," Peng Jia said, staring coldly at Fei Kui. "I merely wish to meet that Young Master surnamed Gu, that's all. Can't you even give me that much face?"
Wei Lao pondered for a moment, his eyes glancing subtly at Gu Qingfeng in the pavilion. After a brief consideration, he said, "Young Master Gu has been by the pavilion window all along. If Lord Peng wishes to see him, you need only look up. Why go to such great lengths?"