Chapter 340: Meeting Zhou Mei
"For me..."
Yi Chen muttered with disbelief evident on his face. At the same time, guilt welled up in his heart for questioning Feng Lei for his inaction.
Never did he think that the reason Feng Lei had given up on getting stronger and, consequently, taking his revenge was none other than him.
"Mhmm."
Feng Lei nodded with a hint of admiration evident in his being as he said, "Indeed. Heās truly a different kind of man. Someone I canāt help but admire from a distance..."
Feng Lei paused briefly as a sharp glint appeared in his eyes the next second, "...for even if the world were to be overturned, Iāll never give up on the thoughts of revenge.
Just a few more years...and Iāll be strong enough. At that time, Iāll definitely make sure to claim Huo Tianyangās head not only for my revenge but also for the two of them."
From what Yi Chen remembered, all the Patriarchs of the Noble Clans were at the Core Building Stage, so sensing how confident Feng Lei sounded, Yi Chen couldnāt help but subtly furrow his brows.
āCould it be...ā
Thinking of a possibility, he immediately checked Elder Leiās status panel only to find that it looked the same as it did before.
======
STATUS PANEL
========
Name
: Feng Lei
Age
: 77
Strength
: 570
Cultivation
: Ninth Level of
[Qi Absorption Stage]
Qi Nature
: Fire
Extra
: A heart that longs for vengeance
[Regenerate: 10,000 EXP]
=====================
āHeās still at the Ninth Level...ā Yi Chen thought, realising that he had misjudged because of how confident Feng Lei sounded earlier.
āYes, that just might be possible...ā Yi Chen muttered inwardly as he remembered that a typical Qi Absorption Stage cultivator could live up to 600 years.
In that way, Feng Lei really had enough time to catch up with Huo Tianyang and enact his revenge.
"Alright then, weāve talked more than enough for tonight. Go back inside to rest, and Iāll see you tomorrow." Feng Lei said the next second.
"About that..." Yi Chen was immediately reminded of Qin Yaoās worries and hurriedly asked the next second, "Uncle also...is there a reason youāre always in an irritated mood these days?
I heard from Qin Yao that youāve been like this ever since your return. As a result, heās always worried and anxious when heās next to you..."
"...Is that so?" Feng Lei responded subtly to that question with an unreadable expression on his face and continued, "Thank you for informing me. Iāll pay more attention to it from now on."
With that said, he nodded towards Yi Chen and started making his way towards the residence.
However, Feng Lei would have taken just a few steps when he paused all of a sudden.
Turning around to face Yi Chen, he suddenly asked, "Have you felt anything different while cultivating during these days?"
"Something weird? I donāt exactly understand what you mean by that...Well, I do feel that the rate of my improvement has slowed down greatly compared to before." Yi Chen stated as a frown formed on his forehead.
āLooks like he hasnāt reached it yet...ā Feng Lei thought to himself and shook his head the next second, "Itās nothing. You can go to bed now."
With that said, Feng Lei soon entered the manor, leaving a confused Yi Chen behind.
"Just what did he mean by something weird?" Yi Chen muttered to himself in confusion, but with no way to get an answer to it, he soon shook those thoughts away, making his way back to his room to rest.
The next day, after a long time, he helped Qin Yao with the morning chores before being taught the intricacies of the Crimson Fire Arts by Feng Lei.
āJust how high is his comprehension....ā Yi Chen couldnāt help but think to himself as he heard the theories and facts which Feng Lei explained one after the other.
Now that Yi Chenās comprehension percentage was nearing ninety, he didnāt think that Feng Leiās classes would be as beneficial to him as before.
However, to his surprise, the more he listened to him, the more he realised how wrong this assumption was.
The various concepts and realisations he had familiarised himself with during the years spent inside the tomb ended up sharpening even further under Feng Leiās guidance, which acted just like the whetstone which Yi Chen needed.
As a result, Yi Chen soon got so engrossed in everything that he didnāt even realise when two hours had passed.
Standing up from his spot, Feng Lei stated, "Mull over what I taught today deeply. It will further prepare the two of you for the upcoming entrance test."
"Yes, master!"
"Yes, Elder Lei!"
Both of them replied simultaneously and soon saw Feng Lei out.
Sigh.
The moment Elder Lei left the manor, Qin Yao couldnāt help but sigh deeply and whine.
"Just what was that...todayās class was so much more difficult to comprehend than normal! Despite paying my full attention, I was barely able to understand at most one per cent of what was taught today..."
Hearing this, Yi Chen subtly knitted his brows and thought, āDid he raise the standard because of my arrival?ā
The longer that thought lingered, the more it made sense to him as a feeling of warmth welled up in his heart.
Glancing at Qin Yao, who had a worried expression on his face, Yi Chen patted his back the next second.
"Donāt worry! Your goal is not to understand everything in a single sitting. Even if youāre able to completely grasp one per cent of what was taught today, your gains would be enormous.
Since the entrance test is fast approaching, itās only normal for masters to be worried about our performance, isnāt it? Thatās why he must have increased the difficulty level to benefit us in the end. So, instead of feeling discouraged, do your best."
Yi Chen cheered Qin Yao from the side and said while going towards the manor, "Itās almost time, so Iāll go and get ready..."
"Mhmm." Qin Yao nodded with gratefulness evident in his eyes as he busied himself with his spear training. Yi Chen had already told him about his plan to visit the Zhou Clan earlier.
A while later, Yi Chen waved at him and left for the Zhou Clan in a carriage.
Reaching the Clanās gates almost an hour later, he took out a blue palm-sized plaque from his storage ring to confirm his identity as the Clanās honorary member.
With that, he was immediately granted access and the carriage led him towards the largest residential building within the Zhou Clanās estate.
"Brother Chen, youāre late!" Zhou Mei, who had been waiting for his arrival outside her home, complained the moment he stepped out of the carriage.
While at it, her eyes thoroughly scanned Yi Chen from top to bottom, noticing the subtle changes in his physique and the way he carried himself.
"Late? Didnāt I say that Iāll be here by noon?" Yi Chen asked with a subtle frown.
"Yes, and itās already several minutes past noon! Do you have any idea how many minutes Iāve been waiting for you under the sun?" Zhou Mei protested while feigning an angry expression, but inside her heart was jumping with joy.
Hearing her nonsensical words, Yi Chen couldnāt help but make a weird expression, saying while flicking her forehead with his finger.
"Silly girl, it was an estimation. Besides, who told you to wait outside in the first place? You did that at your own discretion, and now youāre trying to push the blame onto me?"
"Ouch! That hurts, you know!" Zhou Mei exclaimed while rubbing her forehead with a blaming expression evident on her face.
Seeing this familiar look, Yi Chen couldnāt help but chuckle in amusement and said while pointing towards her home, "Letās go inside then. Otherwise youāll grow even darker under the sun."
"What?! Have I grown dark? Where??" Zhou Mei asked with disbelief and surprise evident on her face.
However, by that time Yi Chen had already started walking forward with a smile on his face while acting as if he didnāt hear her at all.
"Brother Chen! Wait! You canāt just leave after saying something like that!" Zhou Mei cried in annoyance, but seeing that he wasnāt responding to her words at all, she was forced to catch up to him.
"So tell me now. Did I really turn dark? Where exactly? Is it my face? Or is it..."
Being blasted by a series of questions the moment she caught up with him. Yi Chen shook his head with a playful smile and muttered,
"I was just kidding you, little brat. However, it indeed feels good to see that youāre still as healthy and lively as always and have a lot of things to talk about.
Nevertheless, this is not the right place to catch up with each other, so letās go inside first. Your mother should be waiting for us inside, right? We can leisurely talk to each other after meeting her."
"...Alright."
Zhou Mei nodded while following after Yi Chen. Hearing Yi Chenās doting tone, her irritation slowly died out as the two of them soon made their way inside the residence.