Free Web NovelChapter 367: Chapter 367: A Clear Conscience
Ye Yunfeng obediently followed Feng Zhang away, leaving a bewildered crowd behind.
"What’s going on? Why is the Lord Master being so harsh with Ye Yunfeng?"
"That kid probably got into trouble again, right? To make the Lord Master that angry, he’s really something else, hehe!"
"Exactly! The Lord Master usually thinks so highly of him! Looks like something big is about to happen..."
Murong Ye listened to the surrounding gossip, and the anger simmering inside him finally subsided a little.
He shot one last look at their departing figures, snorted coldly, and left with a flick of his sleeves.
...
Ye Yunfeng followed Feng Zhang all the way to his residence.
That was right—Feng Zhang lived at the Imperial College.
It was just a small, rather simple hut, with only enough room for him to sleep and work.
He spent most of his time here.
Ye Yunfeng stood dutifully to the side, keeping his head down and his gaze lowered.
Feng Zhang turned and saw his posture, which only made him angrier. In a sarcastic tone, he said, "What, not so arrogant now?"
Ye Yunfeng replied formally, "I wouldn’t dare disobey the Lord Master’s teachings."
Feng Zhang grew impatient. "Stop putting on an act in front of me! You think I don’t know what kind of temper you have? If you were really sorry, you would’ve been kneeling outside my door apologizing long ago!"
’And he still had the nerve to go pick a fight with Murong Ye?’
Ye Yunfeng looked up and broke into a grin. "I was just worried it would reflect poorly on you. If you want, I can kneel right now—"
Feng Zhang snorted. "So you’re saying you were actually being considerate of me? Was I wrong to blame you?"
Ye Yunfeng met his gaze candidly. "You are my benefactor and teacher. Whatever I do for you is only natural."
"Such a silver tongue!"
Feng Zhang’s head throbbed. He casually pulled over a chair, looked Ye Yunfeng up and down, and finally spoke irritably:
"If it weren’t for the trouble that coincidentally befell your family, do you really think you’d still be standing here safe and sound after what you said to me last time?"
He had originally planned to teach this kid a lesson, but with everything that happened afterward, he had to let it go for the time being.
Only after hearing that things had taken a turn for the better yesterday did he relax. And so, he came to give Ye Yunfeng a hard time first thing this morning.
Hearing this, Ye Yunfeng’s expression grew much more serious. He cupped his fists and bowed to Feng Zhang.
"Lord Master, I will never forget this kindness."
Feng Zhang frowned, suddenly a bit awkward. "What’s the point of saying all this useless stuff!"
But Ye Yunfeng shook his head and met his gaze, speaking frankly, "Since my sister was slandered, there have been those who watched coldly from the sidelines and those who kicked us while we were down. But you were different. That difference is precious to my sister, and to all of us siblings."
Feng Zhang stared at him for a long moment before grunting.
"You stinky brat, you’ve gotten better with your words."
Many people thought Ye Yunfeng was reckless and impulsive, someone who acted on his whims with little forethought, but that wasn’t the case at all.
The mere fact that he had been at the Imperial College for so long, had acted like a troublemaker and spoken arrogantly, yet had never once received a formal punishment, made it clear that he was not as willful as he appeared.
Some might think it was all because Ye Jingyan was there to keep him in check, but Feng Zhang saw clearly that, in the end, it was because the kid understood how things worked.
Ye Yunfeng broke into a smile. "Isn’t that because you taught me so well!"
After the past few days, Feng Zhang wasn’t really that angry anymore. Just now, he had only been putting on a show to give Ye Yunfeng a bit of a warning.
But this kid was impervious to both threats and flattery, so he might as well get straight to the point.
"Enough with the smart remarks. Do you know why I called you here today?"
Ye Yunfeng hesitated. "...Wasn’t it to finish the lecture you didn’t get to the other day?"
"You!"
Feng Zhang finally lost his patience. He shot up, darted forward, and kicked Ye Yunfeng.
"Give you an inch and you take a mile!"
Ye Yunfeng didn’t dodge, taking the kick head-on. He grimaced. "Then please forgive my foolishness, because I truly can’t guess."
Feng Zhang glared at him.
"Those things you said the other day... who taught you?"
Ye Yunfeng blinked, stunned. "No one taught me?"
Feng Zhang narrowed his eyes. "That method of advancing from Little Gu Mountain to encircle them... did you come up with that yourself?"
’So that’s what this is about.’
Ye Yunfeng breathed a sigh of relief inwardly and nodded without hesitation. "Yes!"
Feng Zhang was still skeptical, so Ye Yunfeng straightened his back and let the man scrutinize him.
’He didn’t mention his sister’s sand table, but he wasn’t lying, either—he really had come up with the offensive strategy himself.’
Seeing him like this, Feng Zhang finally started to believe him. And with that belief came an irrepressible sense of excitement and joy.
It was for no other reason than this: Ye Yunfeng was a born general!
He had been too consumed by anger that day. It was only after he went back and reviewed the situation that he realized how remarkable it was for a thirteen-year-old boy like Ye Yunfeng to say such things.
Even generals who had been on the battlefield might not have conceived of such a cunning and perfect plan of encirclement.
Before, he had only thought that Ye Yunfeng possessed innate strength and was a promising martial arts prodigy. But now he realized Ye Yunfeng was even more outstanding than he had imagined!
If properly cultivated, in time, he would surely become a formidable general!
That was why Feng Zhang had summoned him today. His appreciation for talent had overcome the shame and anger of being questioned to his face by a student.
Feng Zhang was silent for a long while before he spoke:
"I called you here to tell you two things."
Ye Yunfeng’s eyes lit up, and he immediately perked up his ears. freewebnoveℓ.com
Feng Zhang pointed at him. "First: You are absolutely forbidden from telling a third person what you said to me that day!"
’Too late,’ Ye Yunfeng thought. ’I already told my sister everything.’
’But my sister isn’t an outsider, so it’s fine.’
Ye Yunfeng nodded seriously.
"I understand. And the second thing?"
Feng Zhang’s expression grew complex.
He seemed to be recalling many past events, an unspeakable emotion swirling in the depths of his eyes.
Scenes from the past replayed in his mind.
After a long time, he said in a heavy voice:
"The second thing is this: I can promise you that I, Feng Zhang, have never done anything to wrong Huo Yucheng."
...
