Chapter 22, Despicable!

Tang Fei closed the sturdy gate of his home as soon as he got back.

He ran to the room where Phoenix was hiding and knocked on the door, but no one responded.

Then, he pushed the door open, only to have a sharp dagger pressed against his throat.

"It's me, sis."

"Hmph, who's your sister?" Phoenix withdrew the dagger in her hand.

Tang Fei touched his neck and asked, "Where did you hide just now? Those Grey Robes came looking for someone but found nothing."

Phoenix, with a look of disdain, said, "They thought they could find me? I was lying right on top of his head, and that idiot didn't even see me."

Tang Fei forced a smile and said, "Those Grey Robes are just ordinary people at best, barely able to manage a few clumsy moves. They can bully the kind-hearted folks, but they're not enough against a Cultivator... Besides, you are an expert in controlling Qi, how could they possibly find you?"

If Phoenix hadn't had that skill, Tang Fei would have dealt with them in the courtyard.

Phoenix looked thoughtful and said, "They're looking for an expert in controlling Qi, saying he killed a group of predators... But, I didn't kill those predators. How could they say that an expert in controlling Qi killed them?"

Clearly, she had eavesdropped on the conversation of the Grey Robes while hiding in the room.

Without blushing, Tang Fei calmly explained, "Maybe the expert in controlling Qi is just too eye-catching. Think about it, there are already few Cultivators in the Old Land, and those who can reach the level of controlling Qi are one in ten thousand... Suddenly, such an expert appears in the Henshan Gathering Area, wouldn't the Flame Shrine be nervous?"

"The predators weren't killed by you, but you did kill most of the other Grey Robes. One whip per person, one whip per person... Naturally, they focused all their attention on you... So, the person they are looking for is you, the expert in controlling Qi."

Phoenix felt Tang Fei's explanation made sense and said, "So you just sent them away like that?"

Tang Fei looked pained and said, "What do you mean just sent them away? It sounds so easy when you say it. I had to sacrifice half a rabbit and a pheasant, fed those bastards full to get rid of them."

"Did they also want to take you as a little brother?" Phoenix looked at Tang Fei with a smirk, thinking, could only someone as shameless as him survive well in such a place?

If Dragon knew that the expert in controlling Qi they were searching for was right under his eyes, the killer who killed the Black Robes of the Flame Shrine was roasting meat skewers for him, and he was vigorously pulling him into their group while also pasting a Flame Shrine amulet on his door...

He would probably cry into his pillow, right?

It was indeed a misplaced trust!

"With such a grand invitation, if it weren't for their notorious reputation, I would have joined them long ago. They are numerous and powerful. Whenever someone bullies me, I can just call my big brother."

Tang Fei grinned and said, "Rejecting them is a dangerous thing. They may not need you, but you can't just not show up. Besides, with this Flame Talisman, the Flame Shrine won't be knocking on our door anymore. You can safely wait for your people to come pick you up."

Phoenix looked at Tang Fei and asked, "What if my people never come?"

Tang Fei widened his eyes and said, "That's impossible, right? What outrageous thing did you do, that even your own parents don't want you?"

"It's you who were abandoned by parents," Phoenix said irritably. "The escape pod can't send coordinates, and I can't contact New Star, so how can they find me? What if they never find me?"

"That's impossible," Tang Fei said, shaking his head. "Although I don't really understand that high-tech stuff, you flew from such a far place, there must be some trace of your flight... Your family will definitely be able to find you."

Phoenix sighed softly, "I hope so."

"Are you still hungry?" Tang Fei looked at Phoenix and said, "I roasted more rabbit and pheasant, they didn't finish it... Do you want to eat some more?"

"Sure." Phoenix nodded. "I haven't tried roasted rabbit and chicken from the Old Land yet. I heard that when Blue Star was still thriving, their barbecue was quite famous."

"Of course!" Tang Fei agreed emphatically, "Back then... everything was good."

"Yes, everything was good." Phoenix nodded. "If only Blue Star could return to that era."

"That's impossible." Tang Fei shook his head. "Once the human race becomes extinct on Blue Star and all the usable resources are scavenged clean by the people of New Star... maybe this place will turn into a garbage star, a trash disposal site for New Star."

Tang Fei walked over and reheated the unfinished meat skewers, and Phoenix began her second meal. Little Fatty and the old man hadn't had their share of meat before, and now they were enjoying it immensely.

Tang Fei grilled and ate, feeling life was blissful.

At that moment, the courtyard door was knocked again.

An eerie silence enveloped the small courtyard, everyone glanced at each other—had the people from the Flame Shrine realized something was amiss and made a sudden return strike?

Tang Fei walked to the gate and listened to the noise outside.

"Who's there?" Tang Fei called out.

Suddenly, he felt his nerves stretch tight, hairs standing on end.

When he turned around, he saw two figures wearing ghost face masks in the courtyard.

Oriental demons, one black, one red, exuding a strange glow in the dark night.

On the black mask, a pair of ghost-like eyes stared at Tang Fei, asking, "Is there any left? I want to eat too."

"I want it too," said the man in the red mask.

"Who are you?" Tang Fei asked sternly.

A visitor who comes unbidden spells trouble.

The fact that these two people could appear silently in the courtyard already showed that they were not ordinary.

What was worse, why had they come to his courtyard?

He was simply the top hunter in the Henshan Gathering Area and a barbecue master among humans, the most handsome man in Lingyang District… Oh, such shameless self-praise was only learned from the old man.

He had already become a spokesperson for Blue Star, the image of the Imperial Double Wall. Compared to him, he was still too timid.

It couldn't just be that they smelled the scent and came simply to eat barbecue, could it?

"My name is Shadowless," said the man in the black mask.

"And I'm Wu Feng," said the man in the red mask.

Hearing their names, Phoenix's expression turned solemn, the old man looked thoughtful, and Little Fatty...

Little Fatty was choking on a kebab, desperately looking for water to drink.

Little Fatty felt this was the worst night of his limited life, which should have been the happiest evening.

His brother had grilled field mice, rabbits, and pheasants, so many delicious kebabs, and everyone could have eaten their fill. Plus, Phoenix was there, their new friend...

Kids always like it when there are guests at home; the more, the merrier.

But his beautiful life was interrupted time and again. First, the people from the Flame Shrine came and took his grilled field mouse. Just as he had managed to send them away, two guys in ghost face masks showed up, shouting they wanted to eat barbecue… When would he ever get enough?

As everyone knows, if you don't want someone to take the candy from your hand, you better put it in your mouth first.

Little Fatty was worried that his brother would, just like before, snatch the barbecue from his hands to please the other 'big brothers'…

Little Fatty just ate a bit too quickly and then choked, rolling his eyes.

"Water..." Little Fatty shouted.

The old man cursed Little Fatty as a glutton but still passed him the big enamel jar by his side.

Little Fatty hugged it and guzzled down until the big chunk of meat stuck in his throat finally went down.

Tang Fei was very unhappy with the red mask's name and demanded, "Why do you call yourself Wu Feng?"

"What should I call myself then?"

"You should call yourself Traceless," Tang Fei suggested. "Shadowless and Traceless, that would sound much more together."

"The name is just a code."

"Is it? Then why don't you call yourself Dog Shit?"

"..." Wu Feng felt he couldn't communicate with Tang Fei.

Shadowless looked at Tang Fei and said, "We just wanted to ask for some meat to eat, why must you be hurtful?"

"You're just going to eat and leave?" asked Tang Fei.

"Eat and leave," confirmed Shadowless.

"Also, we'll take someone with us," Wu Feng added.

"What has the old man ever done to you? Why do you want to take him?" Tang Fei was furious. "Look at him, he's so old, can't shoulder burdens, can't lift weights, and he's full of venereal diseases, aren't you afraid of catching something?"

"You little bastard..." The old man was so enraged his face contorted; he no longer cared that there were 'guests' present. He grabbed a meat cleaver from the table and lunged at Tang Fei. "I'll slaughter you..."

Sadly, his steps were light, his movements sluggish, and the knife in his hand limp, posing no threat at all.

As he was about to reach Tang Fei, his steps suddenly became firm and agile, and his speed increased dramatically...

Then he stabbed the knife towards Shadowless's back.

Tang Fei was also not idle; the stick he used for skewering meat, fashioned from a red willow branch, turned into a sharp dagger.

His body lunged forward in an ungraceful manner, like a predatory dog charging at the prey he coveted.

The red willow skewer glistened with grease under the moonlight, still threaded with several pieces of rabbit meat, then viciously stabbed towards Shadowless's head.

Even if his head were made of fine steel, Tang Fei's vigorous stab would punch a huge hole in it.

In the narrow path they met, the unscrupulous proved successful.