The carriage had already left the outskirts of the capital by the time dusk began to fall.
As the sky darkened, Chen Fan asked, "How much further?"
"What do you care how much further it is?" the County Princess said dismissively. "If you're scared, you can still get out and scram now!"
Chen Fan replied calmly, "Feng Qianyuan did not die by my hand."
"That doesn't absolve you of responsibility!"
The County Princess said with deep hatred, "If you hadn't injured him, how could he have died? Whoever the culprit behind the scenes is, I will kill them myself!"
"You, too, will be buried with my brother!"
Chen Fan's expression was indifferent, offering no comment.
This woman's attitude perfectly represented the true stance of the Feng family.
However, in his eyes, the Feng family was nothing special. After more than three years, they still hadn't found the real killer, which showed that this ancient family was not adapted to modern society.
The Feng family possessed immense power in the secular world, but that power wasn't necessarily true strength.
The intricacies of it were rather complicated.
He simply closed his eyes to rest, too lazy to argue with the County Princess.
Finally, as the sky grew dark, the carriage drove into the mountain range.
As far as Chen Fan knew, this should be part of the Yan Mountain range, located in the northwest region of Yan Mountain.
After driving for an hour along the mountain road, the carriage turned onto a small path and soon arrived at a valley.
The entrance to the valley was strategically located, with steep slopes and sheer cliffs on both sides. Although a road had been built to enter, it was still breathtaking.
In ancient times, this would have undoubtedly been a place of contention for military strategists.
Passing through the valley, a village outline appeared beneath a mountain peak in the darkness.
The carriage stopped at the village entrance. Looking around, a flagstone path sloped upwards, exuding an indescribable classical charm.
On either side of the flagstones were densely packed houses, all spacious and decorated in a classical, elegant style, arranged in the pattern of the Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams.
The woman did not get out of the carriage directly but instead honked the horn.
A long honk broke the silence of the night.
Within this ancient village, countless lights flickered on, with lights illuminating the rooftops of every building, making the entire village appear as if it were daytime.
From the classical-style buildings, two young men emerged, leaping onto the flagstone path, which was undoubtedly many years old. They took up positions every four or five meters.
Only then did the County Princess alight from the carriage and say, "We've arrived. You insisted on coming, so this is your welcoming ceremony!"
Chen Fan narrowed his eyes and asked, "What do you mean?"
"This path leads directly to the Feng family ancestral hall," the woman sneered. "As you walk, at every young man you pass, they will strike you with a move!"
"I have to take the blow?"
Chen Fan inquired.
"No, you have to endure it!" the woman scoffed. "If you can't do it, you don't need to go in. Just get lost!"
Chen Fan frowned.
These conditions were too harsh, and furthermore, enduring a blow without retaliation was not his style.
"I forgot to tell you, this ceremony was proposed by my brother!" the woman said coldly. "He had this plan three years ago to have the young men of the clan line this path and for him to force his way through!"
"Doing so would prove his peerless talent!"
"He has always been the future of the Feng family, a once-in-a-century genius."
Chen Fan's expression remained placid as he asked, "Where are your Feng family elders?"
The woman said coldly, "They are in the ancestral hall! After knowing you were coming, the Feng family never intended for you to leave alive!"
Chen Fan said calmly, "What would be the consequence if I fought my way through?"
"The Feng family's experts would attack together and kill you!"
"What difference does that make to me?"
A hint of mockery curved Chen Fan's lips.
"The difference is whether we adhere to the rules or not!"
The woman said proudly, "If you do not comply with our requirements, it is an intrusion into the Feng family ancestral hall, and then there would be no need for any restraint."
Chen Fan nodded to show he understood and said, "Then so be it. For the sake of the deceased Feng Qianyuan, I will tolerate you this once."
"However, if your Feng family doesn't want to invite disaster, it's best to have some self-awareness!"
"Such arrogance!" the woman sneered. "In a thousand years, no one has dared to cause trouble at the Feng family!"
"Do you really think you're someone important? If it weren't for your identity as the Undefeated Heavenly King, do you think you could have survived more than three years ago?"
"Your identity here means nothing!"
Chen Fan glanced at her indifferently and stepped onto the bluestone path, saying, "Enough talk!"
He had only taken two steps when a young man with a buzz cut on his left unleashed a palm strike.
This person was stocky and well-built. His palm aimed directly for Chen Fan's chest, his eyes filled with hatred.
"Qianyuan Ge, I'll avenge you!"
The attacker roared like thunder.
A venerable family like the Feng family could produce a young man of considerable strength with ease.
Chen Fan acted as if he hadn't seen it.
With a thud, the palm struck Chen Fan's chest.
The moment the palm's force was unleashed, Chen Fan's chest seemed to retract and then rebound.
With a bang, the young man was sent flying backward.
Chen Fan, with his hands behind his back, strode forward.
The Feng family County Princess watched this scene, her pupils constricting.
Tonight, all the young members of the clan, except those not present, had been mobilized.
The young man sent flying by Chen Fan, though only at the initial stage of internal energy, had not delivered that palm strike easily. Yet Chen Fan had endured it so effortlessly, as if unharmed.
Chen Fan took a few more steps.
The second young man stepped forward, assumed a horse stance, and threw a punch directly.
The punch was an ordinary Hong Quan, but the internal energy it contained was by no means weak.
At this moment, Chen Fan leaned slightly forward, meeting the punch with his abdomen just a hair's breadth ahead of time.
The young man staggered backward, his face flushed.
Chen Fan's feet did not stop, and he moved forward calmly.
The third was a woman. Facing Chen Fan, she delivered a side kick, her movements elusive, aiming for Chen Fan's vital acupoint.
The next instant, the woman was sent flying backward and fell to the ground. Chen Fan continued to stride forward.
His steps were inevitably paused, but only for a few seconds at most. With his hands behind his back, he moved past them, one by one, and the young men of the Feng clan were defeated, their faces red.
Their strength was too meager. When their internal energy struck Chen Fan, it was repelled.
No one could make Chen Fan pause for even a few seconds.
From the surrounding small buildings, elders and middle-aged men emerged.
They watched Chen Fan walk step by step towards the ancestral hall in silence, their eyes filled with a complex emotion.
The Feng family County Princess followed Chen Fan. The young men who had failed to stop him, like her, trailed behind Chen Fan, anticipating his eventual halt.
The path had reached its halfway point. After a slight curve, about two to three hundred meters away, a stern black structure could be seen at the base of a cliff.
On the steps of that building stood some elders and older individuals, watching them.
As they rounded this bend, under the eaves on the left, a young man with a slender build, dressed in a grey training outfit, stepped out and blocked Chen Fan's path.
Chen Fan's pupils contracted.
Although this person was young, his spirit and demeanor were extraordinary, his eyes sharp as lightning.
The level of Dark Energy!