After receiving Lie Feng's clear answer, the three of them exchanged smiles.
Lie Feng said, "Then from now on, you'll be my superiors. What plans do you have for the future?"
Ji Wushi smiled. "No—you've misunderstood one thing."
Lie Feng frowned slightly. "What did I misunderstand?"
"You are the one who will be our leader."
"What?" Lie Feng was stunned. "You seriously want me to be your leader? You're not joking?"
"Absolutely not."
"I don't understand," Lie Feng said. "Why would you give up the position of rebel leader? You two are clearly very capable."
"There are three reasons," Ji Wushi replied.
"First, I have some skill in divination. My readings told me that to accomplish something great, we would need the help of a certain person. When I first met you, I already suspected that person might be you. After yesterday, I'm even more certain."
"And the second?"
"This is ultimately a world ruled by extraordinary power. You might think we're suitable leaders, but no matter how brilliant a strategy is, without enough strength, it will still fail. Take our battle with Zhang Shun as an example—if you hadn't appeared, we would have been wiped out. With someone like you leading us, everyone will have far greater confidence. A powerful leader has an enormous impact, both internally and externally."
Ji Wushi chuckled and added, "As for the third reason… I'm afraid of dying."
"Huh?" Lie Feng looked completely baffled.
"There's a saying—the ringleader is punished, the followers are spared. If we fail in the end, maybe we'll still survive. You, on the other hand, don't seem afraid of death."
Lie Feng laughed. "I don't really buy your first two reasons, but the third one is surprisingly convincing. Still, are the others really okay with me being the leader?"
"Don't worry," Ji Wushi said calmly. "We already explained everything to them last night. No one objected."
Zheng Jian interjected, "Alright, let's not stand around here anymore. Let's go prepare a celebration feast to welcome Lie Feng."
Ji Wushi laughed. "Good idea. I've wanted to drink with you for a long time. Let's drink properly tonight."
As soon as they returned to the City Lord's estate, someone approached Ji Wushi.
"Ji Wushi, three people have come looking for you. They said they want to discuss something with our leader. Since you weren't back yet, we had them wait in the main hall."
Ji Wushi smiled. "Zheng Jian and I are no longer your leaders. Lie Feng is. You should speak to him."
The man cupped his fists toward Lie Feng, a little awkwardly. "Right… Lie Feng, someone wants to see you."
Lie Feng smiled gently. "No need to be nervous. Since I've joined, we're all brothers now. Do you know who they are?"
"They said they're from the Changsheng Sect. One elderly man and two young women. All three are cultivators. The old man's cultivation is quite high—mid Sixth Realm. One of the girls seems like a noble lady, with Fourth Realm peak cultivation. The other is only at early Second Realm and looks like a maid."
Hearing this description, Lie Feng couldn't help recalling his encounter in the Zhongzhou Secret Realm.
Could it be Li Qiuyun? She's from the Changsheng Sect?
Zheng Jian frowned. "Why would people from the Changsheng Sect come here? We've never had any dealings with them."
Ji Wushi considered it briefly. "Regardless, the Changsheng Sect is the foremost cultivation sect of this era—and also the largest force opposing the Da Qian dynasty. They're worth befriending. We should go in."
Lie Feng nodded. "Agreed. Let's go."
Inside the main hall, Li Qiuyun sat quietly on a chair, poised and elegant, radiantly beautiful.
An elderly man sat to her left, while a young, cute-looking girl stood behind her.
Hearing footsteps approaching, Li Qiuyun stood up and turned around. When she saw Lie Feng, surprise flickered across her face before she smiled.
"Young Master, it's been a while."
Lie Feng replied, "Miss, you're very kind."
"Why are you here?" Li Qiuyun asked. "Have you joined the Zhongzhou rebels?"
Lie Feng smiled. "Recently. I heard you were looking for me, so I came."
Li Qiuyun paused, then laughed softly. "You just joined and already became their leader? That's rather unbelievable."
Lie Feng sighed lightly. "That's exactly how I feel. By the way, the two behind you are…?"
The elderly man cupped his fists. "Xu You."
The young girl smiled brightly. "I'm Xiao Cui."
Lie Feng and the others returned the gesture.
"We were just about to drink," Lie Feng said. "Why don't we sit down together? We can talk over wine."
"Alright."
They gathered around a round table. Soon, dishes were brought out, along with two jars of wine and filled cups.
Lie Feng noticed that everyone had taken a seat except Xiao Cui, who was still standing behind Li Qiuyun.
"Miss, please sit," he said.
Xiao Cui waved her hands hurriedly. "I can't! I'm just a servant. I can't sit at the same table as my mistress."
Lie Feng smiled. "With me, there's no distinction between high and low. Please, have a seat and drink a few cups."
Xiao Cui glanced at Li Qiuyun. Seeing her smile and nod, she finally sat down.
Lie Feng raised his cup with both hands. "I'll drink first as a sign of respect."
He drained the cup in one go, and the others followed suit.
Li Qiuyun then said, "There are a few things I wish to ask, Young Master. I wonder if you'd be willing to tell me."
"Go ahead."
"What exactly happened during the time you disappeared? And how did you become the leader of the Zhongzhou rebels?"
Lie Feng sighed. "That's a long story. As for how things turned out this way, I have these two beside me to thank."
He then recounted how he escaped his predicament—the matter involving the Medicine King Valley retrieving an important item from the secret realm, his cultivation of demonic arts for revenge, and how, with Ji Wushi and the rebels' help, he finally killed Yuan Hong.
However, he deliberately omitted any mention of the Hunyuan Art.
He had yet to fully trust everyone present and didn't want all his cards exposed.
Xiao Cui exclaimed, "Young Master Lie Feng, you're amazing! Killing a Sixth Realm expert while only at the Third Realm—how did you do it?"
"You flatter me," Lie Feng replied modestly.
Xu You smiled. "Young Master needn't be humble. That truly is an extraordinary feat."
He then turned to Ji Wushi. "Of course, your strategy was equally impressive."
Ji Wushi laughed. "I couldn't very well let him burn the entire estate down and have everyone sit under the open sky."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Afterward, Li Qiuyun said softly, "To be honest, I wanted to help you on the day of the tournament. But I was afraid it would implicate the entire sect, so I didn't act. I'm truly sorry."
"I believe you," Lie Feng said without hesitation.
That immediate response made Li Qiuyun curious. "Why?"
"At that moment, everything around us was silent. Only one person dared to speak up and say, 'Attacking a junior by surprise—how shameless.'
That single sentence stalled Yuan Hong just long enough. Otherwise, I wouldn't have had time to recover and fight."
He looked directly into Li Qiuyun's eyes with a sincere smile.
"Thank you for your righteousness that day. I won't forget it."
Being stared at like that, Li Qiuyun suddenly felt flustered and turned her head slightly in embarrassment.
Unfortunately, Xiao Cui's next words made the atmosphere even more delicate.
"In my opinion, Young Master Lie Feng, you're just praising my lady because she's beautiful, right?"
Lie Feng instantly felt awkward, while Li Qiuyun shot Xiao Cui an annoyed glance—only then realizing the girl had already drunk several cups and was slightly tipsy.
Li Qiuyun said apologetically, "Xiao Cui speaks nonsense when drunk. Please forgive her."
After composing himself, Lie Feng asked, "By the way, may I ask what brings you here today?"
Li Qiuyun nodded, regaining her composure.
"We came today to discuss forming an alliance with the rebel."