Chapter 17: The Patriarch
In the place that appeared to be some kind of secluded area, devoid of trees or other kinds of buildings one would expect, there stood just a single mansion.
Looking at such a scene, one's imagination would surely run wild. Judging from the design of the mansion and the statues outside, presumably meant as decorations, one would imagine this to be the house of some kind of big shot.
Merely gazing at the statues would suffocate someone. The artwork appeared to be extremely realistic, with eyes that looked alive, as if the statues were the real deal.
Moving away from the statues, the interior of the mansion wasn't any less intimidating.
First of all, the endless corridor within the mansion created an illusion of a bottomless abyss. The further one walked, the more they felt lost.
Nonetheless, if someone did manage to break the illusion, there would be another one waiting for them patiently.
Something that could leave a person mentally crippled for the rest of their life.
Even though the illusions were unsettling, they didn't directly harm the person in question. However, the obstacles faced next were a series of crazy ravings more than capable of mentally crippling anyone.
And well... All of this was the main reason for the patriarch of the Feng Family being called a big show-off.
Though an average person or a cultivator weaker than the patriarch of the Feng family wouldn't dare to say this in front of his face, the cultivators at a similar level had no problem in doing so.
Other than being a show-off, the patriarch of the Feng family was popular for another reason. That was for the bad temper he possessed.
He would literally cripple someone over an argument. As one said, no one is perfect, and even though the patriarch was smart, on a few occasions, he would appear to be even dumber than a four-year-old kid.
Currently, this so-called great patriarch was sitting on a majestic throne, with one leg casually crossed over the other.
Looking at the pose he was in and his arrogant demeanor, anyone would come to the obvious conclusion that he was the owner of this entire mansion.
His long black hair that reached his waist, his muscular yet lean body, and his dark green robe made him look quite intimidating.
Those dark green eyes with dangerous slits present in them, similar to that of a serpent, and that chiseled jaw were the cherry on top of the cake.
These dark green slits present in the eyes were literally the symbol of the Feng family, who had the unique bloodline of a beast called Naga, which was akin to a natural disaster.
Only those with thick bloodlines could awaken such mutations, differentiating them from the commoners.
Unfortunately for the Feng family, their bloodline had already thinned out, resulting in only a few individuals capable of awakening basic mutations such as the slits in their eyes, scales in some parts of their bodies, or venom.
It was truly unfortunate for the family, as almost no one in the younger generation managed to awaken any kind of mutation, leading to a decline in their strength.
Through those dangerous slits of the Naga, the patriarch was looking at the person in front of him, Feng Wangsheng, his own brother.
The patriarch suspected that his younger brother was the one who had kidnapped Feng Sheng or issued the mission to someone.
But the patriarch was no fool, except for a few instances. After calming his anger and conducting a proper investigation, he found all the evidence suggesting that someone else had committed the crime.
Though some part of him still believed that Feng Wangsheng was the mastermind.
Feng Wangsheng lay on the ground, injured. Thankfully, his cultivation was only damaged and not entirely crippled.
'Brainless bastard, even an ass has more brains than you!' he cursed in his mind.
Suddenly, a bright green light erupted in the place, startling Feng Wangsheng. His eyes instinctively fell on the patriarch, only to find that he was unfazed.
As the light dimmed down, the outline of a figure was slowly revealed. His presence seemed quite profound.
The figure walked gracefully towards the patriarch, his steps seemingly in sync with the so-called pulse of the world.
The figure that emerged was a hermit-like individual with a long white beard that extended down to his chest.
As he covered the short distance, the hermit-like figure froze and then knelt down.
"What information have you brought?" asked the patriarch.
"Unfortunately, we couldn't find the whereabouts of your master."
The patriarch's tranquil eyes were stirred once again. His dark green slitted eyes started to shimmer as he scanned the hermit-like figure, simultaneously clenching his fist as if trying to control himself.
"You couldn't track his location? God damn it, I even gave him the bead. Are you all useless? You can't track him even though he has the bead?! It's a tracking device!" The patriarch couldn't contain his explosive aura any longer.
As a result, the hermit-like figure was pushed several meters away, and Feng Wangsheng's bicycle soared into the air like a kite.
The patriarch opened his mouth again, causing the hermit-like figure to stiffen, anticipating another outburst.
Fortunately, at that moment, another light flashed, this time in crimson red.
As the light faded, another figure appeared right beside the hermit-like figure.
This man appeared middle-aged, with a few strands of white hair mixed in with his dark locks. Some visible wrinkles graced his face, but he seemed otherwise fine.
Today, however, his eyes, which usually remained crystal clear, were filled with various emotions. He didn't dare to meet the patriarch's gaze.
"What's the matter?" The patriarch regained his composure as he noticed the unusual atmosphere.
"Well, we found the young master... But..."
"But?" prompted the patriarch.
"He is dea-", his throat went dry and the words that he wanted to utter, suddenly went missing, after all, he stood in front of someone who could slice and dice him with one wrong word!
"..."