Lei Feng ignored Yan Rou's angry shout. He calmly patted her shoulder, like someone trying to calm a startled cat, but he kept his eyes on the masked man and his followers.
His simple, dismissive action was more infuriating than any words could have been.
At first, the masked man looked confused, but that quickly turned into cold anger. He was a strong cultivator in the middle of the Foundation Realm, and he couldn't believe someone like Lei Feng would dare to stand up to him.
Lei Feng was even making jokes and seemed to be flirting with Yan Rou right in front of him, acting like the masked man didn't matter at all. That was enough to make him truly angry.
"You must really want to die," the masked man growled, his voice low and dangerous. As he gathered his Qi, the air around him felt slightly heavier and more tense.
"I'll give you one chance. Let the woman come with us, kneel down, and call me father three times. Maybe then I'll let you die quickly."
Lei Feng quietly chuckled. In the tense clearing, even that small laugh seemed loud and out of place.
"A quick end?" Lei Feng repeated, genuinely amused. He smiled, looking at the thugs and then their leader. "You and these..weaklings think you can kill me?"
The word "weaklings" hung in the air. The thugs stopped smiling, and their faces turned serious as they gripped their weapons tightly. Being called weak by someone without any Qi was a huge insult to them.
One of the thugs spat on the ground. "Our leader is showing you mercy, kid. Take his offer. If you don't, we'll kill you and do what we want with the girl. Give her up, and maybe we'll let you leave."
"Besides, do you even know who's backing us? Our boss's boss could wipe out you and your whole family line without breaking a sweat. And trust me, it wouldn't be quick."
"Now move aside and don't get in our way. Be a good boy."
The others laughed loudly too—some clutching their stomachs, others itching to attack Lei Feng and tear him apart.
"Well, I have heard all of you. But you know what, I do not feel like moving." Lei Feng smiled at the men around him.
"So, what are you going to do about it?"
"Brat, you still dare act arrogant? Boss, just give us the word..." The men around the masked men were seething with anger. They wanted to pounce on Lei Feng and tear his mouth out.
The masked man raised his hand to silence his men. He stepped forward slowly and deliberately, letting the full power of his Foundation Realm cultivation burst out.
"You have made your choice. I hope you do not regret it," he hissed.
The air changed suddenly. A heavy pressure spread out from the masked man, filling the clearing like an invisible wave.
You couldn't see the pressure, but its effect was instant. The air felt heavy, making it hard to breathe. Dust rose from the ground, and leaves spun around his feet, as if the world itself was bowing to his strength.
This was what a strong cultivator's aura felt like, and it was overwhelming to say the least.
Yan Rou's chest tightened, and her lungs burned as she tried to breathe. Her legs shook under the crushing pressure, and her face paled. For a moment, she thought she would collapse under the murderous aura surrounding the masked man.
Instinctively, she reached out and leaned against Lei Feng, her heart pounding with fear.
Of course, being in a prominent family, she had seen even stronger cultivators. However, it was her first time experiencing a powerful aura aimed right at her.
Knowing and experiencing true strength were two very different things.
It felt like there was no escape.
Panicked, she glanced up at Lei Feng, expecting to see fear or at least some sign he understood how much trouble they were in. After all, even she, who had been training for so long, was almost down on her knees due to this heavy pressure.
She saw nothing of the sort.
Lei Feng stood there coolly, with his trademark smile still there.
It felt like that was the only expression his face was capable of making.
He looked like someone mildly amused by a buzzing fly, not someone who realized real danger was right in front of him.
That calm, clueless smile scared Yan Rou even more than the masked man's heavy aura.
"This guy really doesn't understand..."
She shouldn't be surprised. He was just a regular person, no matter what he claimed. She couldn't sense any Qi in him at all.
Lei Feng had no idea how powerful the Foundation Realm was, or how easily someone like the masked man could kill him. His bravery was really just ignorance, and it would get him killed.
Suddenly, a calm feeling came over her. Her fear faded and was slowly replaced by a cold determination. She realized she had been foolish to feel any hope when Lei Feng pulled her back.
He wasn't her savior; he was just another victim. And it was her fault he was in danger now.
"If it weren't for me, Lei Feng wouldn't be in this mess. I've dragged him into something that had nothing to do with him."
"I guess there's only one thing I can do now."
She couldn't let an innocent, even if annoying, man die for her. Taking a deep breath, she gently moved away from Lei Feng and stepped between him and the masked man.
"Stop," Yan Rou called out loud to the masked man.
She spoke with the clear, steady tone of the Yan family's Young Miss. Yan Rou stared directly at the masked man with a cold and determined face.
"Let him go. He has nothing to do with any of this," Yan Rou said.
She kept her voice steady. "I'll go with you. I will do whatever you want, just promise me you'll let him leave safely."
The masked man's heavy aura eased a little. He tilted his head, surprised, and looked from the defiant woman to the smiling man behind her.
"Very well, Miss Yan. That's a smart choice."
He gave a slow, cruel smile. "How touching. Sacrificing yourself for a commoner. It seems like Miss Yan's disposition isn't just rumours. You truly care about others. How unfortunate..."
He turned to his men.
"Men, grab Miss Yan and tie her up."