Idle Gossip

"Oh, proof? That's simple!"

Yi Feng scratched his nose and said nonchalantly, "Your sect leader has a mole on her butt. Does that count?"

As soon as these words fell, the sneers on Sun Zimei and the others' faces froze solid.

They stared at each other, wide-eyed.

Shi Qingwu's expression also darkened instantly.

The atmosphere in the room became so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

Especially Sun Zimei, who was so choked up that he couldn't utter a single word, despite having a whole arsenal of arguments and retorts prepared.

"You... you're spouting nonsense!"

After a long pause, he finally managed to squeeze out this sentence.

"How is it nonsense? Doesn't this prove the intimate relationship between us since childhood?" Yi Feng retorted directly.

"You..."

Yi Feng's words infuriated Sun Zimei, who turned his gaze to Shi Qingwu. "Sect Leader, this brat is insulting you like this. Aren't you going to do anything about it?"

Shi Qingwu, who had initially been on the verge of lashing out at Yi Feng, suppressed her anger upon seeing Sun Zimei's reaction.

Instead, she said with a stern face, "What he said is true."

"But... but..."

Sun Zimei's face turned ugly, and he shouted unwillingly, "What he said is completely unverifiable!"

"Oh, so Grand Elder Sun thinks I'm lying too?" Shi Qingwu asked coldly. "Do you want me to take off my pants to prove it to you?"

"I wouldn't dare."

Sun Zimei quickly replied, not wanting Shi Qingwu to accuse him of insubordination.

Seeing this, Shi Qingwu sneered and glanced at Yi Feng subconsciously.

She couldn't help but view him in a slightly better light.

Although Yi Feng's words were offensive to her, she had to admit that they were a heavy blow to Sun Zimei.

As Sun Zimei himself had said, this was something that couldn't be proven.

Even though everyone knew there was no mole, there was nothing they could do about it, as they couldn't possibly force her to take off her pants to prove it.

So, while Yi Feng's tactic seemed crude, it was actually quite brilliant.

"Now that Yi Feng has proven his relationship with me, do you have anything else to say?" Shi Qingwu asked condescendingly.

Hearing this, the elders who had been causing trouble remained silent, their faces looking as if they had eaten something disgusting.

They had prepared all sorts of countermeasures, confident they could expose Yi Feng, but they hadn't expected him to shut them all down with a single move.

"In that case, you may leave. I will choose a date to marry him."

"He has no sect affiliation, which aligns with the rules passed down by our ancestors."

"After our marriage, I hope you elders will no longer use this rule to challenge me."

Shi Qingwu spoke without any reservation, making her intentions crystal clear.

"Yes!"

Sun Zimei and the others retreated with frosty expressions.

Once everyone had left, Yi Feng let out a sigh of relief and sat down on a nearby stool, casually peeling a banana.

Shi Qingwu looked at him coldly.

"Aren't you afraid I might kill you on the spot for insulting me like that?" Shi Qingwu asked leisurely.

"You're a smart person," Yi Feng said nonchalantly. "Besides, you're not the type to care about idle gossip."

Shi Qingwu was momentarily stunned.

It seemed she was contemplating Yi Feng's words.

After a long while, she smiled and praised, "You did well this time. Very well."

"But you'll need to stay here for a while longer. Only after my position is fully secured can you leave. It won't be long, a month or two at most."

"Fine."

Yi Feng nodded.

Although he was eager to find his disciple, he knew that sharpening the axe wouldn't delay the chopping of firewood. With enough resources, he could accomplish his goals more effectively.

"In the meantime, you'll need to be careful. They won't let this go and will definitely make further moves."

Shi Qingwu continued, "Of course, as long as I'm here, nothing will happen to you."

"Go and rest now."

With that, Shi Qingwu waved her jade-like hand, instructing her subordinates to take Yi Feng away.

Yi Feng settled down in a small courtyard, where he stayed peacefully for several days.

Initially, several disciples had been assigned to serve him, but within a day, all but one naive young boy had left.

Moreover, wherever he went, he was met with disdainful glances and gossip.

People called him a good-for-nothing.

They mocked how Shi Qingwu, the once-in-a-millennium genius and leader of the Hundred Refinements Sect, had chosen a useless childhood friend as her husband.

Some even boasted about challenging Yi Feng.

It was clear that the elders were behind this, fanning the flames.

After all, with Shi Qingwu around, they didn't dare to act against Yi Feng openly.

So they resorted to indirect methods, using public opinion to pressure Yi Feng into exposing himself.

How many people could remain calm under the weight of such widespread ridicule and gossip?