After receiving cultivation techniques, medicinal pills, soul cultivation methods, and various resources that could drastically improve their futures, the atmosphere in the courtyard became unusually quiet.
For a moment—
None of the girls spoke.
Because they all understood just how valuable everything Xiao Feng had given them was.
These weren't ordinary resources.
Many of them were treasures that even powerful clans would fight over.
Yet Xiao Feng had handed them over without hesitation.
The gratitude in their hearts grew even stronger.
Liu Fei especially felt this deeply.
From the day Xiao Feng saved Liu Qing to now, he had continuously helped her, protected her interests, and even considered her future growth.
The more she thought about it—
The more she wanted to do something in return.
Suddenly, her eyes lit up.
"I have an idea!"
Everyone immediately looked toward her.
Liu Fei quickly opened her storage ring and took out a small bamboo bottle.
The moment it appeared—
A gentle fragrance spread throughout the courtyard.
The scent was refreshing and calming.
It carried a faint aroma of medicinal herbs mixed with forest flowers.
Even Xiao Feng felt his mind become slightly more relaxed.
Xue Ni blinked curiously.
"What is that?"
Xiao Yu nodded.
"It smells surprisingly good."
Even Ruo Ling looked interested.
Liu Fei smiled proudly.
"This is a special relaxation oil from my clan."
"It is made using dozens of medicinal ingredients."
"It helps relieve mental fatigue, physical exhaustion, and stress."
The girls immediately became interested.
After all, cultivators constantly pushed themselves through training and cultivation.
Something capable of relieving fatigue was naturally valuable.
Liu Fei then looked toward Xiao Feng.
"Senior Brother Xiao Feng."
"You've helped all of us so much."
"We wanted to do something for you too."
Before Xiao Feng could respond, Liu Fei took out two wooden chairs.
One was slightly larger than the other.
She placed them beneath a nearby tree.
Then she pointed toward the smaller chair.
"Sit."
Xiao Feng raised an eyebrow.
"And what exactly are you planning?"
Liu Fei crossed her arms proudly.
"I'm going to help you relax."
"No cultivation."
"No alchemy."
"No planning."
"No city management."
"Just relax."
Xiao Feng couldn't help laughing.
"You're ordering me around now?"
Liu Fei puffed her cheeks.
"For once, yes."
The others immediately laughed.
Even Xiao Yu joined in.
"Honestly, she's right."
"You never stop working."
"You're either cultivating, refining pills, training, fighting, or planning something."
"When was the last time you properly rested?"
Xiao Feng thought about it.
Then realized—
He genuinely couldn't remember.
Seeing his reaction, the girls immediately understood the answer.
Ruo Ling shook her head helplessly.
"That's not healthy."
Xue Ni nodded repeatedly.
"Even powerful cultivators need rest."
Faced with unanimous opposition, Xiao Feng finally surrendered.
"Fine."
"I'll listen this time."
He sat down on the chair.
The moment he did—
The girls immediately smiled victoriously.
Liu Fei carefully poured a few drops of the fragrant oil into her hands before gently applying it to his hair and temples.
Her movements were careful and professional.
Clearly, she had done this before.
A soothing sensation spread through Xiao Feng's body.
The aroma became even more pleasant.
His tense muscles gradually relaxed.
Unexpectedly—
It felt quite comfortable.
"See?"
Liu Fei smiled proudly.
"I told you."
Xiao Feng closed his eyes slightly.
"I'll admit it."
"This is surprisingly effective."
Hearing the compliment, Liu Fei became visibly happier.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yu, Xue Ni, and Ruo Ling sat nearby, chatting casually while enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.
For the first time in a long while—
Nobody discussed cultivation.
Nobody talked about enemies.
Nobody worried about future battles.
They simply enjoyed the quiet afternoon together.
A gentle breeze passed through the courtyard.
Sunlight filtered through the trees above.
Laughter occasionally echoed throughout the area.
And sitting beneath the shade, surrounded by friends who genuinely cared about him—
Xiao Feng suddenly realized something.
Perhaps moments like these were just as precious as any cultivation breakthrough.
Because strength could be earned through effort.
But peace like this—
Was much harder to find.
After Liu Fei finished helping Xiao Feng relax with the fragrant medicinal oil, the atmosphere in the courtyard became increasingly warm and lively.
Seeing Xiao Feng finally setting aside his responsibilities for a short while, both Xue Ni and Ruo Ling exchanged glances.
They also wanted to express their gratitude.
After all—
The resources, cultivation techniques, medicinal pills, and guidance Xiao Feng had provided were enough to change their futures completely.
Xue Ni suddenly stood up.
"If Liu Fei has already done something, then I can't just sit here."
Xiao Feng opened one eye curiously.
"Oh?"
"What are you planning?"
A mischievous smile appeared on Xue Ni's face.
"You'll see."
Moments later, she drew her sword.
A stream of Dou Qi flowed through the blade as she stepped into the open space beneath the trees.
The evening breeze gently lifted her hair.
Then—
She began performing a beautiful sword dance.
The sword moved like flowing water.
Every movement was graceful yet powerful.
Sometimes the blade moved swiftly like lightning.
Other times it drifted gently like a falling leaf.
It wasn't a battle technique.
Nor was it a duel.
It was simply a performance.
A way of expressing gratitude.
Xiao Feng watched quietly.
Even he had to admit that Xue Ni possessed remarkable talent.
After several minutes, the performance ended.
The courtyard erupted into applause.
"Beautiful."
Xiao Feng nodded sincerely.
"You've improved a lot."
Hearing his praise, Xue Ni immediately smiled proudly.
Then Ruo Ling stood up.
"If that's the case..."
"I should contribute something as well."
As a mentor, her movements possessed a mature elegance completely different from Xue Ni's youthful style.
Her dance wasn't flashy.
Yet every movement appeared natural and refined.
The soft flow of her Water Attribute Dou Qi created countless tiny droplets around her.
Under the setting sun, they reflected countless colors.
The scene resembled a painting.
Even Xiao Yu and Liu Fei couldn't help admiring it.
When Ruo Ling finally finished, Xiao Feng clapped as well.
"No wonder you're an instructor."
"You make even a simple performance look profound."
Ruo Ling laughed softly.
"I'll take that as a compliment."
The group continued chatting happily afterward.
Liu Fei brought out several jars of fruit wine from her storage ring.
This time, everyone drank only a little.
Unfortunately—
Xiao Feng's tolerance remained exactly as terrible as before.
After only a few cups, his face became slightly red.
The girls immediately noticed.
Xiao Yu couldn't help laughing.
"He's finished."
Xue Ni nodded seriously.
"Definitely finished."
Sure enough—
A few minutes later, Xiao Feng leaned back in his chair and promptly fell asleep.
The entire courtyard became silent.
Then everyone burst into laughter.
"He actually fell asleep."
"Again."
"His alcohol tolerance is hopeless."
Liu Fei shook her head helplessly.
Looking at the sleeping Xiao Feng, she suddenly remembered something.
"The medicinal oil."
"It also works for relieving physical fatigue."
Xiao Yu's eyes brightened.
"That's true."
"He trained us the entire day."
"He probably hasn't rested properly in weeks."
After some discussion, they carefully moved Xiao Feng onto a nearby reclining chair.
To make him more comfortable, they removed his outer robe, boots, and heavy training equipment, leaving him dressed comfortably while he slept.
The moment they did—
Everyone finally realized something.
Xiao Feng's physique was incredibly well-built.
Years of cultivation, body refinement, and countless battles had left their marks.
Numerous faint scars could be seen across his arms and shoulders.
Rather than ruining his appearance—
They served as proof of everything he had experienced.
For a moment, the girls became unusually quiet.
"He really works harder than anyone else," Xue Ni said softly.
Ruo Ling nodded.
"No wonder he's become this strong."
Even Xiao Yu's expression softened.
More than anyone present—
She knew how much pressure Xiao Feng carried.
The responsibilities of the Xiao Clan.
The Fire Faction.
Fire City.
His friends.
His cultivation.
His alchemy.
And the countless enemies waiting for him in the future.
Yet he rarely complained.
Liu Fei gently applied some of the medicinal oil to his shoulders.
The others joined in as well, helping ease the accumulated tension from his training.
There was nothing romantic or improper about it.
Simply friends taking care of someone who constantly took care of everyone else.
As the evening sky gradually darkened and the stars appeared overhead, the courtyard became peaceful once more.
Xiao Feng slept soundly.
Meanwhile, the four women sat nearby talking quietly.
Occasionally they glanced toward the sleeping young man.
Then smiled.
For tonight—
The future could wait.
The battles could wait.
The responsibilities could wait.
Their friend finally had a chance to rest.
The evening breeze gently drifted through the courtyard.
The fragrance of medicinal herbs, food, and wine still lingered in the air.
Meanwhile—
Xiao Feng remained peacefully asleep on the reclining chair.
His steady breathing made it clear that he had entered a deep and comfortable sleep.
The four girls sat around him.
For once—
There were no enemies to fight.
No cultivation deadlines.
No dangerous missions.
Only a peaceful evening among friends.
Liu Fei sat closest to him.
Every now and then, she carefully applied a small amount of medicinal oil to his shoulders and arms.
Her movements were extremely gentle.
Almost as if she was afraid of waking him.
Seeing this, Xue Ni couldn't help teasing.
"If someone didn't know better, they'd think you're taking care of a husband."
Liu Fei instantly froze.
Her face turned red.
"I-I am not!"
The other girls immediately laughed.
Even Ruo Ling smiled softly.
"Your reaction says otherwise."
Liu Fei immediately lowered her head in embarrassment.
Unfortunately—
That only made the teasing worse.
Meanwhile, Xiao Feng remained completely unaware of everything.
Still sleeping soundly.
Seeing his peaceful expression, Xiao Yu couldn't help smiling.
Usually—
This fellow was constantly busy.
Either cultivating.
Refining pills.
Managing the Fire Faction.
Or solving somebody else's problems.
Moments like this were incredibly rare.
Carefully reaching forward, she brushed a loose strand of hair away from his forehead.
"He looks much younger when he's sleeping."
Xue Ni nodded immediately.
"Normally he acts like some old monster who has seen everything."
"But right now?"
"He just looks like a tired young man."
The group quietly agreed.
After all—
Most people only saw Xiao Feng's achievements.
Few people ever saw how much effort stood behind them.
As they continued chatting, Liu Fei accidentally applied a little too much medicinal oil.
"Oh!"
Before she could react—
The bottle slipped from her hand.
A few drops landed directly on Xiao Feng's nose.
The entire courtyard became silent.
Everyone stared.
Several seconds passed.
Then Xiao Feng unconsciously rubbed his nose while sleeping.
"..."
The girls immediately burst into laughter.
Even Liu Fei couldn't stop herself.
"Sorry..."
"I didn't mean to."
Fortunately—
He never woke up.
After calming down, Ruo Ling joined the conversation.
Looking at the sleeping Xiao Feng, she said quietly,
"To be honest."
"When I first heard about him, I thought he would be arrogant."
"Someone with his talent usually is."
Xiao Yu laughed.
"And?"
Ruo Ling shook her head.
"Completely wrong."
"He acts more like a caretaker than a genius."
The others nodded.
That description was surprisingly accurate.
Just then—
Xue Ni leaned forward and lightly poked Xiao Feng's shoulder.
Nothing happened.
Curious, she poked again.
Still nothing.
"He sleeps like a magical beast during hibernation."
The others laughed again.
Xiao Yu immediately smacked her hand away.
"Stop bothering him."
"I just wanted to see if he would wake up."
"He won't."
Liu Fei answered confidently.
Everyone looked at her.
"..."
Liu Fei realized she had spoken without thinking.
Her face immediately became red again.
The teasing resumed instantly.
As the night continued, the atmosphere grew increasingly relaxed.
Sometimes they talked about cultivation.
Sometimes about academy gossip.
Sometimes about embarrassing stories from the past.
Throughout the entire conversation—
Xiao Feng remained asleep.
At one point, he unconsciously shifted position.
One arm slipped off the chair.
Before it could fall completely, Liu Fei instinctively caught it.
The action was completely natural.
Yet when she realized what she had done, she immediately became embarrassed.
Xiao Yu simply smiled.
"Relax."
"You look more nervous than the person who's actually sleeping."
The courtyard filled with laughter once again.
Eventually, the moon rose high into the sky.
The conversation gradually became quieter.
Looking at the sleeping Xiao Feng one last time, the girls couldn't help feeling grateful.
Not because of his strength.
Not because of his talent.
Not because of his status.
But because, despite carrying so many responsibilities, he still found time to help the people around him.
And perhaps—
That was the reason so many people naturally wanted to stay by his side.
The night remained peaceful.
The stars shone brightly overhead.
And surrounded by friends who genuinely cared for him—
Xiao Feng enjoyed one of the rarest things in his life.
A truly restful sleep.