After talking a bit more with his father, drinking and eating, Feng Shen eventually retired for the night.
Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!
Suddenly, it was morning, but Feng Shen slept in. He hadn't felt tiredness in what seemed like forever, so the sensation was strange yet comforting.
He couldn't resist savoring it, sinking his face into the pillow and wrapping himself tightly in the blankets, enjoying the warmth and softness.
"Mhmm… This is nice…" Feng Shen muttered in his sleep, his body shifting as he turned over.
Even in his dreams, he found himself surrounded by scenes of blood and slaughter, yet it only seemed to make his sleep deeper and more peaceful.
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Outside the bedroom, several maidservants stood nervously, unsure of what to do. No one dared knock, fearing they'll disturb the Second Young Master's rest, as his presence had already instilled fear in all of them.
They exchanged anxious glances, unwilling to be the one to face his wrath if they woke him.
"… You do it!"
"Me!? Are you insane? I like living!"
"Well, I'm not going in there! I'd rather jump off a cliff!"
"Even if he is good-looking, I'd rather not die today, thanks!"
As the maidservants whispered back and forth, an old maidservant suddenly approached with a worried expression on her face:
"Girls—" Before she could continue, she was hushed by multiple fingers pressed to her lips as they all shushed her.
They felt as if they were navigating a minefield, terrified of stepping on an explosive.
The maidservants, using their free hand, pointed toward the bedroom door, silently urging their senior to keep her voice down.
Nodding her head and taking a step back, the older maidservant whispered:
"Girls, why have you not awoken the Second Young Master? The First Young Lady of the Cai family and the Patriarch of the Cai family have been waiting!"
Gulping, one of the maidservants protested, "I'm sorry for not following orders, but I don't want to die! If we wake him, he might get mad!"
"Umu!"
"Yeah!"
"Yep, yep!"
The other maidservants quickly nodded in agreement.
They all shared the same sentiment: no one wanted to provoke the Second Young Master.
It was like waking up a dragon!
Sighing, the older maidservant turned around. "Fine. I'll go tell the Patriarch. Wait here," she said, her voice low as she hurried back to the main hall.
▬▬ι═══════ﺤ
Arriving in front of the main hall, the older maidservant stepped through the doors.
As chatter filled the room, it suddenly died down when everyone noticed the older maidservant approaching. All eyes turned toward her, a hush falling over everything.
The older maidservant walked down the red carpet. She cupped her hands together as she approached the Patriarch of the Feng family, who sat on his throne.
"Patriarch, the Second Young Master is still sleeping, and the other maidservants don't dare awaken him…" the older maidservant reported, her voice steady despite the tension in the room.
She felt a little uncomfortable under the scrutiny of so many powerful eyes, each one weighing heavily on her. The patriarch's gaze, in particular, was piercing.
To the sides of the main hall sat the elders of the Feng family—regal, white-haired men with numerous scars that marked their seasoned bodies.
They wore simple animal cloth, preferring the skins of beasts they had slain over anything fancy.
Despite not having to be here, the elders of the Feng family wanted to see if the rumors were true.
Even with the recording from the small tea shop, some of them found it hard to believe, so they sought to witness it in the flesh.
After all, the elders needed to decide whom to support for the position of patriarch: the First Young Master or the Second Young Master.
Although the patriarch of the Feng family had already made his decision, nothing was set in stone; things could always change with the right backing.
Before Feng Yuanyun could speak to the old maidservant, a beautiful female voice, reminiscent of an angel, resounded through the main hall.
"Unbelievable! That "hero" dares to show no face to our Cai family?!"
Cai Xiu, placing down her tea, was furious. Her long, silver curls framed her face, while her striking green eyes gleamed with sharpness.
Dressed in an elegant robe that accentuated her graceful curves, she radiated an air of authority that demanded attention.
"Father, hurry and have them cancel the engagement! They've shown too much disrespect!" Cai Xiu exclaimed, her eyes flashing with frustration as she glanced to the side, clearly beyond annoyed.
Cai Bo, the patriarch of the Cai family, dressed in an elegant white robe, with long silver hair and an aging face partially obscured by a white blindfold covering his green eyes, was beyond enraged.
The clear disrespect from the Feng family frustrated him, especially as he watched his daughter become increasingly upset.
"Feng Yuanyun! You have been most disrespectful! Sign this scroll, and we shall no longer impose upon your Feng family!"
Cai Bo then took a scroll and held it out, displaying the promise of marriage. "I have already signed it!"
The scroll bore the Cai family seal, its significance clear as he presented it, indicating they wanted to cancel the engagement.
Feng Yuanyun clenched his fists on the armrests of his throne and replied, "It's not that we don't want to cancel the engagement; it's that I want my second son here to witness this!"
It was quite simple.
Before his second son had retired for the night, he had shared his plan to steal the innocence of the First Young Lady of the Cai family to help grow his Spiritual Root.
Something Feng Yuanyun was perfectly fine with, but seeing that his son hadn't awakened yet, he decided to buy time.
Though he wasn't too pleased that his second son had slept in.
Feng Yuanyun let out a quiet sigh as he glanced back at the old maidservant. "I don't care if he kills all of you. Wake. Him. Up!" His voice boomed, shaking the entire main hall.
The old maidservant raised her head. "At once!" She turned and hurried out of the main hall, nearly tripping several times as she rushed.