Song Wanníng glanced at the woman, her tone casual. "Study hard. A few days ago, I ran into a talisman cultivator—gods, she was stunning."
She put on an expression of savoring the memory, just as she expected, spurring the woman into renewed determination. The woman buried herself in her work with full focus.
Staying at Feng Youming's side was a cushy life, and she had no intention of letting someone else take her place.
The noise finally died down. Song Wanníng's brows and eyes shifted ever so slightly as she exhaled in relief, glancing again at the woman.
Sometimes, keeping up an act was exhausting.
When dawn finally broke, Song Wanníng sent the woman away and shut the door.
Not long after she stepped out, several of Feng Youming's other lovers crowded around her, their words dripping with sarcasm. Instead of snapping back, the woman lowered her head and spoke with shy coyness. "Honestly, last night the Master kept me busy the whole night… didn't even let me sleep."
The others fell silent.
Shameless.
"Anyway, enough talking. I need to go rest—ah, my waist is so sore…"
She rubbed her lower back as she left.
And she wasn't lying. Last night had been exhausting for her—just not in the way they thought.
What those others imagined was none of her concern.
The moment she left, the others stalked off, teeth clenched in frustration.
The courtyard quieted. From a shadowed corner, a figure stepped into view.
Her brows furrowed, confusion plain on her face.
Feng Youming had only gone out for a short while—so why had the Patriarch ordered her to watch his every move?
Could Feng Youming have been bought off by the Song Clan from outside?
Impossible.
Still, she glanced back toward the courtyard. For now, Feng Youming seemed fine, but she couldn't ignore the Patriarch's command. She would keep watching.
…
The next few days passed quietly for Song Wanníng. She had sensed someone shadowing her movements.
Feng Jinchuan had been thorough—he'd sent a late-stage Divine Transformation cultivator to watch her. If her Primordial Soul hadn't been strong, she might never have noticed.
It was enough to put her on alert. Clearly, Feng Jinchuan had sensed something.
Just to be safe, she contacted Bai Yang again, warning him not to make a single rash move. If his presence was exposed, Feng Jinchuan would immediately trace it back to her. With that handled, she settled into a life of leisure at the Feng Clan estate, keeping her head down.
Half a month passed like this. Then, for two days straight, her shadow had not appeared. She had just begun to relax when someone came with a message—Feng Jinchuan wanted to see her immediately.
"Understood."
Song Wanníng made her way to the council hall. When she arrived, she found it full. Even the two peak Divine Transformation elders were present, their faces solemn.
Something big had happened.
Her mind turned over swiftly as she took her usual seat.
Feng Jinchuan lifted his gaze toward her, then looked away just as quickly. According to a report from another elder, Feng Youming had shown no unusual behavior. Perhaps he had been overthinking.
But still…
Pushing down his private thoughts, he said aloud, "Everyone's here. I have urgent news. Peng Yu has killed Feng Liuguang. His soul tablet has shattered. Through the clan's secret arts, I confirmed it was Peng Yu who struck the blow."
Murderous intent rolled off Feng Jinchuan in waves. The major families might not get along, but they usually spared each other's lives for the sake of appearances.
But Peng Yu had killed a member of the Feng Clan outright. That was something they could not ignore.
"What? Has Peng Yu lost her mind, daring to harm one of our own?"
"Come on, let's go demand justice right now!"
"That's right. The Peng Clan must hand her over. I've disliked her for a long time, and now she dares to bring her trouble to our doorstep!"
The elders were seething. Peng Yu's act was not just the loss of a clan member—it was a public slap to the Feng Clan's face. Who could endure that?
Meanwhile, Song Wanníng sifted through her memories for anything about Feng Liuguang. The man had been taciturn, withdrawn, and preferred to be alone. He had no real friends in the Feng Clan.
How could someone like that have crossed paths with Peng Yu?
She was still mulling it over when Feng Jinchuan's gaze suddenly locked on her. "Feng Youming, what do you think we should do? I want your opinion."
At once, the hall's attention shifted to her.
Lately, the Patriarch seemed to value Feng Youming's thoughts more and more—even in matters like this. The looks directed her way were complex, though no one knew that Song Wanníng was laughing coldly inside.
"So, Feng Jinchuan still wasn't ready to give up."
"In my view, a life for a life is the only answer. I crossed paths with Peng Yu not long ago. She still harbored wicked thoughts toward me, and when she failed to lure me in, she turned her sights on Feng Liuguang. A woman like that is nothing but trouble."
She rose to her feet. "Patriarch, I believe we should strike now, before Peng Yu has a chance to escape."
The moment she spoke, others chimed in.
"She's right, Patriarch. We need to go immediately—what if she runs?"
"Let's go, now!"
The atmosphere flared, united in outrage.
Feng Jinchuan was silent for a few moments, eyes fixed on Song Wanníng, before he too stood.
"Let's go."
He brushed his sleeve lightly, his figure blurring as he vanished from the council hall.
The elders hurried after him. Song Wanníng followed in the middle of the group, keeping pace beside a "friendly" elder.
Meanwhile, far away, Peng Yu had already sensed the danger. The moment Feng Liuguang died, a spark lit in her eyes, her heart leaping with excitement.
She had succeeded.
But now the Feng Clan surely knew. She couldn't stay here. She had to hide.
Her expression was grim as she ran, thoughts racing. The Feng Clan wouldn't rest until they caught her.
Where was the safest place?
Her mind spun faster. The more dangerous the situation, the calmer she had to be.
Now that her experiment had succeeded, she couldn't allow herself to be destroyed by the Feng Clan at this critical moment. If she could just avoid them for a while, she could achieve her goal.
Thinking it over, she remembered the saying: the most dangerous place is the safest. They wouldn't immediately suspect her of hiding on Feng Clan territory.
Suddenly, an idea struck her. A cave.
Once, while trying to get closer to Feng Youming, she had followed him to a natural cavern he had found outside the estate. Warm in winter, cool in summer, it was a comfortable hideaway.
Feng Youming sometimes stayed there for days at a time. Now, he would surely be with the Feng Clan's hunting party. He would never imagine she'd be hiding there.
With that decision made, Peng Yu veered toward the cave.
…
At the gates of the Peng Clan, their Patriarch stood with his elders, facing off against the approaching Feng Clan.
The Peng Patriarch was a massive man, his presence imposing.
Beneath his glowering stare was a storm of curses. Peng Yu, that reckless fool—she had gone too far this time, bringing disaster to their door.