Heavens' Laughter

As time passed, Feng Shen, who was sitting cross-legged on the forest floor, was deep in cultivation, his breathing steady as energy flowed in perfect harmony with the surrounding environment.

Despite his meditative state, he kept a portion of his focus on his personal servant, who was still immersed in the freezing water.

Feng Shen could sense her faint shivers and the wavering fluctuations in her as she struggled to adapt to the cold.

However, then, his indifferent expression shifted.

A faint ripple disturbed the serene flow of the energy, like a whisper carried on the wind.

Feng Shen's brows furrowed slightly as his senses sharpened.

Someone was approaching—no, multiple people were.

Sighing softly, Feng Shen rose gracefully from his seated position, brushing a thin layer of dirt off his robe.

His expression remained calm, but his eyes held a sharp, calculating glint.

Feng Shen couldn't afford to let these unknown presences draw too close to his personal servant.

After all, her training was at a critical juncture, and any disruption could jeopardize the delicate balance she was struggling to maintain.

"I'll be right back. I need to take a little walk," Feng Shen yelled. He glanced briefly toward his personal servant, making sure she heard him.

Yùn Yì, her entire body trembling uncontrollably, appeared almost lifeless as the cold gripped her mercilessly.

Her pale face, stark against the dark, icy water, bore a frozen mask of agony, every muscle too rigid to express more than sheer endurance.

Tears welled up in Yùn Yì's eyes, only to freeze in place, clinging stubbornly to her lashes like fragile icicles.

Yet, despite the overwhelming cold, she managed a small, robotic nod of acknowledgment.

It was slow, mechanical, almost unnatural, as if Yùn Yì's body moved on instinct rather than willpower.

The motion, faint as it was, seemed to signal she had understood the Second Young Master's words, even as her own strength waned.
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Seeing this, Feng Shen nodded his head.

With that, he used Shadow Step, his figure vanishing in a seamless blur of motion.

One moment Feng Shen was there, and in the next, he was gone, leaving no trace behind.

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Reappearing high in the canopy of a towering tree, Feng Shen landed gracefully on a broad, sturdy branch.

His movement was as fluid as a shadow melting into the night.

Settling himself on the branch, Feng Shen leaned back against the trunk, plucking a ripe apple from a cluster hanging nearby.

Taking a casual bite, the crisp crunch echoed softly in the otherwise silent forest.

Feng Shen's sharp eyes, gleaming with a cool detachment, scanned the area ahead.

Through the gaps in the foliage, he saw them.

"Ah~ so my little maid is scurrying around with these pathetic ants? How revolting~! Ugh, just the thought makes my skin crawl~. But no, no, no—I can't let them creep any closer. Oh, they'll be such a nuisance~! So annoying~!"

Feng Shen chuckled softly, a low sound that blended with the rustling leaves around him.

With a flick of his wrist, he let the bitten apple slip from his grasp.

The fruit tumbled through the branches, bouncing off twigs and leaves on its descent, before landing with a dull thud on the forest floor below.

The sound was subtle yet deliberate, enough to draw attention without betraying his position.

Feng Shen smirked, leaning forward slightly to watch the group's reaction, his golden eyes glinting with quiet amusement.

Down below…

Hè Jun, who had been storming ahead with her usual fiery impatience, froze mid-step.

Her playful demeanor vanished in an instant, replaced by a sharp, focused expression.

Hè Jun gripped her massive hammer tightly, the weapon's head gleaming faintly as she held it out before her like a shield. "Hold it!"

The entire group came to an abrupt halt, exchanging nervous glances.

Cai Xiu glanced at her childhood friend with a puzzled expression, her brows furrowing slightly.

She hadn't sensed anything out of the ordinary.

To Cai Xiu, the forest remained just as serene and uneventful as it had been moments before.

"What's gotten into you?" She asked. She took a step closer, her eyes darting to where her childhood friend's gaze was fixed:

"I don't feel anything dangerous nearby."

Hè Jun didn't immediately respond.

Her grip on the hammer tightened, the muscles in her arm flexing.

"That's the problem," Hè Jun muttered under her breath. "Something's here, watching us. I know it."

Cai Xiu tilted her head slightly, letting out a small sigh as she crossed her arms.

"You're always on edge," she said with a faint smile. "Not every sound in the forest is a threat. Sometimes it's just... the forest."

Hè Jun shot her a sidelong glance, her expression hard.

"And sometimes it's not," she replied bluntly.

Hè Jun pointed her hammer toward the spot where the apple had fallen, the massive weapon resting lightly in her grasp despite its size:

"Tell me you don't feel it. That... weird stillness."

Cai Xiu hesitated, her senses now on alert.

While she still couldn't detect anything unusual, her childhood friend's instincts had proven reliable in the past.

And so…

Cai Xiu nodded slightly, putting up her guard.

Behind them, the rest of the group exchanged uneasy whispers, their nervousness palpable.

One of them muttered, "She's probably just looking for an excuse to smash something."

"It's probably just an animal," another muttered.

"Well, as long as she's not hitting us!" someone else chipped in.

Hè Jun didn't seem to hear them—or perhaps she simply didn't care.

She took a slow step forward, her hammer raised and ready.

"Whoever—or whatever—you are, I'm not in the mood for games. Show yourself, or I'll start tearing this forest apart to find you," Hè Jun called out.

Above…

Feng Shen frowned.

'The Ninth Princess has sharp instincts, I'll give her that... But sadly, they're not sharp enough... Not sharp enough to find me... How disappointing...'

Suddenly, a funny thought struck Feng Shen.

He grabbed another apple and lined it up carefully.

With a flick of his wrist, Feng Shen tossed it with pinpoint precision, letting it sail lazily through the air.

Below…

The apple struck an injured man square in the head, a dull thud.

"What the—?!" the man cried out as his legs buckled beneath him, sending him sprawling onto the forest floor.

The apple, innocent yet oddly menacing in its simplicity, rolled away with a slight wobble, leaving him stunned and breathless.

The impact, though far from lethal, was enough to feel like the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back, the man's already weakened body giving out under the strain.

Hè Jun's eyes locked onto the direction the apple had come from, her predatory instincts kicking in. With a sharp intake of breath, her lips curled into a wild grin.

"FOUND YOU!" she roared, lifting her massive hammer high above her head.

In a single, thunderous motion, Hè Jun brought it crashing down to the ground.

The impact reverberated through the forest, shaking the earth violently.

The sheer force of the strike created a visible shockwave, sending dirt and debris flying into the air.

Trees in the direction of Hè Jun's attack swayed and trembled as if caught in a storm, their branches whipping wildly.

A cacophony of rustling leaves and cracking wood filled the air.

Above…

Feng Shen remained completely unfazed. While the tree he sat upon trembled violently from the impact of the hammer, his body was as still as a statue.

He leaned back lazily, stretching his arms above his head, and let out a slow, deliberate yawn.

"Is that all?" Feng Shen muttered, his voice tinged with boredom as if the Nine Princesses's display of raw power was nothing.

In all honesty, Feng Shen had expected much more power from someone of her status.

A princess, born into privilege, with unlimited resources at her disposal—masters, techniques, training, rare treasures, and countless opportunities that most cultivators could only dream of.

Mostly everything had been handed to the Ninth Princess on a golden platter, yet this was the extent of her strength?

Feng Shen was truly disgusted.

'The Ninth Princess couldn't even bring down all the trees with that pathetic amount of power… How utterly weak~.'

Now, thanks to this lackluster display, Feng Shen's amusement evaporated entirely.

What had begun as a moment of curiosity and mild entertainment had soured into boredom and a hint of irritation.

With an exasperated sigh, Feng Shen stood up from his perch on the tree branch, brushing off the dust.

Without sparing the scene below another thought, he allowed himself to drop from the branch.

Feng Shen's descent was effortless, his body slicing through the air as if gravity itself were a mere suggestion.

Thud…

Feng Shen landed gracefully on the ground, his feet barely making a sound.

Under the collective gaze of the group, all wide-eyed, the figure of the Second Young Master of the Feng family appeared.

Feng Shen kept his hands clasped neatly behind his back, his gaze sliding over to his little maid:

"Ah~ my little maid~ how delightful to see you again! It's been so long, oh, so long~! My heart? Crushed, shattered~! My soul? Writhing in agony! Oh, the pain, the unbearable ache I've endured since you abandoned me! How emotional I've been~! Truly, truly, you've broken me~!"