As Feng Shen shoved his way through the crowd, finally reaching the front, he was met with a surprising sight.
His gaze swept over the small tea shop, and his eyes locked onto three figures.
"Huh…?" Feng Shen mumbled to himself in disbelief.
Each of the three figures had tails and animal ears, a bizarre fusion of human and beast.
They wore gray robes with green stripe patterns, towering over everybody at well above eight feet tall.
'How are Demi-Humans here? Did everything truly change throughout this time?' Feng Shen thought, his disdain for this time growing even stronger.
The human cultivators had been at war with the Demi-Humans for as long as Feng Shen could remember, stretching back to when he first began cultivating in his first life.
Even so, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of curiosity. How had they managed to bring peace and end the Race War?
It seemed unthinkable, given the bloodshed Feng Shen had witnessed in his past life.
The sight of them now, both human and demi-human walking freely, only deepened his disgust.
Feng Shen preferred when they just killed each other.
In fact, he had taken pleasure in joining the fray, relishing the chance to slaughter both sides.
As Feng Shen fondly recalled the days of the Race War, he was abruptly snapped back to reality by the rising voices inside the small tea shop once again.
"Enough! Hand over your daughter, human!" one of the masked figures barked, their voice deep, dripping with impatience.
"Please! Give me some more time—" the father, Chun Hao, pleaded, his voice shaky. He was short and chubby, with small gray hair and weary gray eyes, wearing a brown robe, but he was quickly interrupted.
"You knew the risk of taking a loan from us beasts," another masked figure added. "Don't act all innocent."
"That's right! You came to us because you gambled away all your life savings!" the third masked figure yelled.
"No! No! No! Don't let them take me!" the daughter, Chun Ai, cried, her slim frame trembling as she clung to her father.
Tears streamed down her gray eyes, and her long black hair cascaded down her back. She wore a pink dress and tight black stockings.
'Uh~ these inferiors…' Feng Shen thought, exasperated. He had intended to ignore the scene unfolding before him, but he couldn't help but facepalm.
These beasts were clearly going about this all wrong!
"Um, Second Young Master, are you going to keep moving?" Xiǎo Bāo asked quietly, tilting her head.
She wanted to get out of there; the hostility of everyone around them was palpable, and she could feel their hatred directed at them.
Feng Shen raised a finger to her lips without looking at her. "Silence." He then strode into the small tea shop, casually placing the black fan in front of his face.
"Second Young Master!? What are you doing!?" Xiǎo Bāo whispered loudly, bewildered as she hurried to follow him.
She couldn't fathom why he was doing this. Shouldn't he be minding his own business and making his way to the Alchemy Pavilion instead?'
'The Second Young Master will be the death of me…' Xiǎo Bāo wished she could bury her head in the ground and never come out.
Why did the Second Young Master have to make everything so confusing and difficult? His randomness drove her to the brink.
Feng Shen clapped his hands together. "Gentlemen, you are doing this all wrong!" His voice rang out, and the sharp sound of his clap drew the attention of everyone present.
Murmurs spread through the crowd as many began recognizing the young man who had forcefully pushed his way through.
"Wait… that was the Second Young Master of the Feng family?"
"Holy shit! That coward? What is he doing here?"
"Wasn't he hiding away somewhere on the Feng Estate?"
"That pussy pushed me…?"
Xiǎo Bāo covered her face, feeling a wave of embarrassment wash over her. 'Too many eyes… too many eyes…' she thought, wishing she could disappear.
The three figures exchanged glances, seemingly communicating in silence before turning their attention back to the Second Young Master of the Feng family, who they were well aware of.
The father and daughter duo, Chun Hao and Chun Ai, could only remain silent, at a loss for words and unsure of what to do next.
One of the figures opened his mouth, fixing his gaze on the coward he had done so much research on. "What does the Second Young Master mean by his words?" he asked, his tone curious yet cautious.
This was completely irregular from what he knew of this coward; he had always known him as a pathetic weakling, not someone who looked so cocky and prideful.
Feng Shen flashed a wide smile behind his black fan, revealing his teeth. "Well, you're all just talking and not taking any action. Why are you even bothering to converse with this weakling?"
His gaze shifted to the father, a mocking glint dancing in his eyes. "You're clearly stronger, so why even give this ant a chance to beg? Just kill him and take his daughter. You're wasting everyone's time."
Feng Shen's eyes returned to the three figures, looking at each of them carefully. "Or, don't tell me… are you all just acting strong?"
The eyes of everyone in the crowd widened, including Chun Hao and Chun Ai, as they heard this. All gazes turned toward the three figures, who suddenly seemed to shrink under the weight of those stares.
One of the figures cleared his throat nervously. "The Second Young Master of the Feng family must be joking? We're all in the Peak Stage of the Martial Realm!"
Feng Shen let out a small laugh as he walked slowly forward, positioning himself right before them.
"Are you sure you want to keep this act up?" He whispered, his voice dripping with a playful tone.
Feng Shen looked at each of the steel collars around their necks, partially concealed by their fur, a clear sign that they were slaves and that their Qi had been blocked off, along with all their cultivation.
The three figures fell silent, sweat starting to bead on each of their faces behind the masks.
'Have we been found out!?' they all screamed internally, a wave of panic flooding their minds.
"I'll ask one more time… Do. You. Want. To. Keep. This. Act. Up?"