"Su Yan?"
Chenxi's voice broke the silence of the great hall.
Li Feng's expression shifted almost imperceptibly.
"Who is Su Yan?" Yuchen asked quietly.
For a moment, Li Feng said nothing.
The hall felt heavier.
Mo Zhu glanced at him but did not interrupt.
Li Feng exhaled slowly.
"It seems," he said calmly, "I'll have to tell you about my past."
Chenxi immediately leaned forward.
"Uncle… please tell us."
Li Feng looked at the four young men before him — Chenxi, Yuchen, Xu Tianming, and Mo Yanluo.
"If the four of you truly want to hear it," he said, voice steady, "then I will tell you everything."
They nodded.
And Li Feng began.
"I was not always the Shadow Emperor."
His tone was distant now.
"If I'm being honest… I once walked the righteous path. Just like Xu Tianming."
Xu Tianming straightened slightly at the comparison.
"I had a family," Li Feng continued. "A father. A mother. A younger sister. And… an adopted younger brother my parents took in. His name was Li Wei."
His eyes darkened faintly.
"I treated them well. I gave them everything I could. But in the Li Family… I was never the favored one."
Chenxi frowned. "They preferred Li Wei?"
"Yes." Li Feng smiled faintly, but it held no warmth. "To them, I was useless. No matter how much I achieved, it was never enough. Li Wei was always the pride of the family."
Yuchen clenched his fists slightly.
"I also had someone I loved," Li Feng said.
Chenxi's eyes widened. "Mei Lan?"
"Yes."
"How did you know?"
"Once Xu Tianming said you had a girlfriend and she cheated on you with Tian Hao"
His voice softened briefly.
"I was happy with her. I focused on cultivation constantly. I ranked second in the sect — second only to the Holy Son."
"Tian Hao," Xu Tianming muttered under his breath.
Li Feng nodded.
"Tian Hao feared losing his position. He feared I would surpass him."
"So he targeted you?" Yanluo asked.
"At first," Li Feng said, "he spread rumors. Small things. Undermining my reputation. I endured it."
His gaze hardened.
"But then one day… he framed me."
The hall grew silent.
"He accused me of slaughtering fellow disciples."
Chenxi's eyes widened. "What?!"
"I was innocent," Li Feng said calmly. "But no one stepped forward to defend me. Not the elders. Not the disciples."
"What about the Sect Leader?" Yuchen asked.
"He chose silence."
That answer was heavier than anger.
"They stripped me of my cultivation resources. They humiliated me publicly. They called me a traitor."
Yuchen's jaw tightened.
"And when I was expelled from the sect…" Li Feng continued, "that was when I learned the truth."
His voice grew colder.
"Mei Lan. Su Yan. Tian Hao. The three of them had already decided to eliminate me completely."
Chenxi stiffened.
"Su Yan too?"
"Yes."
"And your family?" Xu Tianming asked carefully.
"They disowned me," Li Feng said flatly. "They said I was unworthy. Li Wei… helped them."
A heavy silence filled the hall.
"I did everything for them," Li Feng said quietly. "Like a servant. And they discarded me."
Chenxi lowered his gaze.
Yuchen's eyes were burning.
"I was on the verge of death," Li Feng continued. "Broken. Betrayed. Alone."
Then his expression shifted.
"That was when I met Mo Zhu."
All eyes turned toward Mo Zhu.
"My brother," Li Feng said.
Mo Zhu said nothing, but his gaze softened slightly.
"He gave me power," Li Feng said. "He gave me purpose."
Chenxi swallowed. "You destroyed the Heavenly Sect… didn't you?"
"Yes."
His answer was simple.
"Every last one of them. The only person who survived… was Su Yan."
"Why?" Yuchen asked.
Li Feng's eyes turned cold.
"I shattered her mind instead. I left her alive — broken."
"And now?" Xu Tianming asked.
"Now," Li Feng said slowly, "someone has removed the mind lock I placed on her."
Mo Zhu finally spoke.
"Su Yan's cultivation was crippled. But her body constitution was unique. That may have made restoration possible."
Li Feng nodded.
"But breaking my mind lock," he continued, "requires someone above Saint level."
The four younger men exchanged glances.
"Is there anyone that powerful still alive?" Yanluo asked.
Li Feng was silent.
Mo Zhu frowned slightly.
"…None that I know of."
Chenxi looked troubled.
"So someone stronger than Saint level is hiding… and using Su Yan?"
"Yes," Li Feng said.
"And they targeted us," Yuchen added quietly.
Li Feng's gaze sharpened.
"Yes."
The hall fell into deep thought.
Then Li Feng spoke again.
"We will need to set a trap."
Xu Tianming looked up. "A trap?"
"We will announce publicly," Li Feng continued, "that Xu Tianming and Mo Yanluo are leaving the palace alone on a private mission."
Yanluo blinked. "You want us to be bait?"
"Yes."
"If they are watching," Li Feng said calmly, "they will not ignore that opportunity. They will move."
"And when they do," Mo Zhu added softly, "we capture Su Yan."
Yuchen nodded slowly.
"That makes sense."
Li Feng continued, "But there is another problem."
"What?" Chenxi asked.
"There is likely a mole inside our Demon Sect."
The atmosphere turned sharp.
Yuchen frowned. "You're sure?"
"I am."
Chenxi's expression darkened. "Do you suspect anyone?"
Li Feng glanced at Yuchen.
"There is someone."
"Who?"
"The maid who came with us from the Central Kingdom."
Yuchen blinked. "Her?"
"She is quiet," Li Feng said. "Too quiet."
Mo Zhu folded his arms.
"How do you intend to confirm it?"
Li Feng looked directly at Yuchen.
"You will tell her you are walking alone at night."
Yuchen froze slightly.
"And then?" he asked.
"We observe who moves."
Chenxi immediately protested. "That's dangerous!"
Li Feng stood and walked toward Yuchen.
"You will not actually go anywhere," he said firmly. "After telling her, you will come directly to my chamber."
Yuchen hesitated only a second before nodding.
"Understood."
"Do not leave your room alone tonight," Mo Zhu added coldly.
Yuchen nodded again.
Li Feng placed a hand on Yuchen's head gently.
"Do not be afraid," he said quietly. "Nothing will happen to you."
Yuchen's expression softened.
"…You endured humiliation for years," he said softly. "If it were me… I don't know if I could."
Li Feng smiled faintly.
"You grow stronger when you survive what should have broken you."
Yuchen suddenly stepped forward and hugged him tightly.
The hall went silent.
Li Feng stiffened.
"…Enough," he muttered awkwardly.
Yuchen pulled back quickly, his face turning red.
"Ahem. Sorry."
Chenxi tried not to laugh.
Mo Zhu cleared his throat lightly.
"We move tonight."
Li Feng's eyes darkened once more.
"Yes."
Far away, beyond the palace walls—
A faint black lotus mark glowed in the darkness.
And somewhere unseen—
Someone was waiting for them to make their move.
The trap had been set.
But no one yet knew—
Who was truly hunting whom.