Chapter 49: An Explosive Presence

Lin Feng's words made the blood rush to his head in anger.

Why was this guy acting more arrogant than him, when he was clearly supposed to be the protagonist here!

After being expelled from the Lin family, he had been taken in as a disciple by the Carefree Daoist. Now, his strength was nothing less than that of a true Martial Master—a figure Lin Feng should have to look up to. Yet this insignificant nobody dared to show such insolence before him!

“Wretch, have you ever heard this saying?” Lin Feng’s aura surged as he declared, “A Master cannot be insulted!”

As soon as he finished, a formidable surge of true energy swept through the hall. Many present were cowed by the sharp, daunting presence Lin Feng exuded.

“He just claimed he’s a Martial Master—how is that possible? He’s so young!”

“Could it be that this Lin family outcast is truly a genius?”

“If that’s the case, the balance of power in the Lin family is about to change!”

Although most of the guests weren’t martial artists themselves, they understood the weight the title “Martial Master” carried. Even Fang Yuanliang, Dragon City’s reputed top expert, had only reached the level of a ninth-level martial artist. In other words, Lin Feng now stood above Fang Yuanliang!

“Little Zhou, maybe you should try persuading that gentleman…” Lin Tianhao, worried Lin Feng might kill Chu Fei, hurriedly whispered to Zhou Mi.

Zhou Mi replied with confidence, “Uncle Lin, don’t worry. My junior brother excels in that area—almost unbelievably so!”

“Are you sure you should be saying this?” Lin Tianhao asked seriously. “Besides, being strong in that area isn’t the same as being good at fighting.”

Zhou Mi rolled her eyes at this old man who cared nothing for his own dignity.

—Seriously, Lin sir, you think this broken road is still drivable?

Just as Zhou Mi was about to steer the conversation back on track, Lin Feng continued smugly, “Did you hear that, wretch? You’re no match for me. If you kneel now, I might spare your life!”

“I advise you,” Chu Fei said with a look of utter disdain, “to stop indulging in those brainless fantasies.”

His attitude sent Lin Feng into a fury. He was a true Martial Master—how could he tolerate such insolence from a nobody?

He couldn’t stand this humiliation for another second!

With a swish, he shot toward Chu Fei like an arrow loosed from a bow, his fist swinging straight for Chu Fei’s face.

And then—smack!

Chu Fei effortlessly pinned Lin Feng to the ground with one hand.

Lin Feng lay sprawled, the desire for worldly things extinguished in his eyes.

Everyone present was left utterly dumbfounded.

Wasn’t it said that a Master cannot be insulted?

But does being ground into the floor not count as an insult?

So this Master, in his indignation, merely managed to be indignant for a moment?

“What’s wrong with insulting you?” Chu Fei asked, gripping Lin Feng’s head and slamming it into the floor. “Come on, tell me: what, is, wrong, with, insulting, you?”

After several resounding impacts, Lin Feng’s head was covered in blood. What made it worse was that with every slam, his martial veins shattered a little more.

If this kept up, he truly would be crippled!

“Stop, stop! I surrender, I surrender!” Lin Feng pleaded desperately.

“Who asked if you surrendered?”

“Huh?”

Chu Fei made it clear through actions: he was beating Lin Feng simply for the sake of beating him. Whether Lin Feng surrendered was irrelevant.

“I asked: what’s wrong with insulting you?”

“I…”

“Are you going to answer or not? Are you?”

“If you insult me… then you’re just kicking at cotton—!”

Chu Fei erupted in anger. “I’m beating you and you try to act cute? Are you mocking my strength?”

And so, he unleashed another round of merciless blows.

The entire audience began to pity Lin Feng.

Only when Lin Tianhao stepped in to plead, “Young man, calm down, for my sake—just leave him half alive,” did Chu Fei finally release the barely conscious Lin Feng with a sneer.

“If you try acting tough again, I’ll send you flying for real. What a joke. Bah!”

Lin Feng was on the verge of tears.

He’d thought that returning as the disgraced son would stir up a storm of blood and chaos. Instead, he’d been crushed before he could even get started and beaten like a dog. He was so humiliated, he wished he were dead.

Although Lin Tianhao had expelled Lin Feng from the family, he was still his son, after all. So he had someone send Lin Feng to the hospital—but after a beating like that from Chu Fei, Lin Feng would likely be a cripple for life.

Once Lin Feng was taken away, Lin Tianhao approached to thank Chu Fei. “Young man, what a disaster for my family. Thankfully, you subdued that rebellious son for me, or who knows how long this farce would have dragged on!”

“It’s nothing. If you ever need someone to beat him up again, just call me. No charge,” Chu Fei replied coolly.

Zhou Mi, meanwhile, was curious. “Uncle Lin, why did you expel him from the family?”

“He fell in love with someone.”

“Well… that’s not exactly a matter of principle, is it?”

“That someone was a man.”

“What?”

“And that man was his own older brother.”

Even Chu Fei couldn’t help cursing under his breath.

Whether in high society or among the gay community, that was a scandal of explosive proportions.

—That kid truly understood the meaning of taboo love!

After that, Lin Tianhao went off to deal with Lin Feng’s aftermath.

Chu Fei and Zhou Mi made their way into the hall, where various auction items were on display, the proceeds of which would all go to charity.

The charity foundation Lin Tianhao had established was open and transparent. Otherwise, someone like Zhou Mi would never have attended.

This auction featured all kinds of antiques and artworks, from paintings and calligraphy to ceramics—everything imaginable.

The two of them stopped before one display case.

“This is a Mingfeng landscape scroll by Tang Hu,” Chu Fei began calmly. “It’s 51.5 centimeters high and 1191.5 centimeters long, painted on silk in blue and green hues, unsigned. The piece is a long horizontal scroll, depicting a continuous range of mountains and vast rivers and lakes, rendered with exquisite detail and vivid expression…”

Zhou Mi looked at Chu Fei with admiration. “I never expected you’d know so much about this, junior brother!”

Chu Fei didn’t pretend otherwise. Under Zhou Mi’s adoring gaze, he pointed to the text inside the display.

“It’s written right here. I’m just reading it aloud.”

Zhou Mi forced an awkward smile. “I thought you were an expert…”

“Though it’s been around for centuries and some of the colors have faded, the technique remains clear and discernible. The method for painting rocks is to first outline the forms with strong, light lines…” Chu Fei continued, unperturbed.

“But that’s not written here. Do you actually know this stuff?”

“Of course. I just looked it up online.”

Zhou Mi’s eye twitched. She leaned close and hissed, “Don’t make me slap you in such an inappropriate place.”

Chu Fei chuckled, about to explain that he did know his stuff—his beautiful master had not only taught him cultivation techniques, but also enjoyed studying antiques and art with him in their spare time.

But before he could say a word, a surprised voice came from behind.

“Chu Fei, what are you doing here? Is this the kind of place you belong?”

Chu Fei and Zhou Mi turned to see a woman approach, dressed in a short, off-shoulder cheongsam and high heels, looking down at them from above. Behind her trailed a man, maintaining a respectful distance as he followed.

Inside, Chu Fei mused, “Is she out walking her dog? Did she remember the leash?”