Upon hearing this, Su Wanqing and Qin Lan's expressions immediately changed.

"Qian Xiaoxiao! What nonsense are you spouting!"

Su Wanqing was both ashamed and angry, and scolded in a low voice.

She felt that Qian Xiaoxiao had completely disgraced them all.

"Exactly! Shameless!"

Ruan Mengtian couldn't help but curse as well. Although she herself had had similar unrealistic fantasies, it still made her feel embarrassed to have them said in public.

Qin Lan was so angry that her face turned ashen. She glared at Qian Xiaoxiao and thought that this woman was hopeless. Even in this state, she still wanted to use such despicable means to gain sympathy or opportunities.

Lin Feng looked at Qian Xiaoxiao's pretentious and seductive manner, but his face remained completely expressionless, without even a trace of disgust. His eyes were as calm as a bottomless, icy pool.

He shook his head, his tone indifferent and direct: "Because you are a burden."

That simple sentence was like a sharp knife, piercing the hearts of all the women present.

Qian Xiaoxiao, in particular, froze instantly. The forced, seductive smile stuck at the corner of her mouth, making her look incredibly ridiculous and pathetic.

"Moreover," Lin Feng shifted his gaze from Qian Xiaoxiao and added casually, "I don't need women."

These words were spoken with absolute certainty, leaving no room for negotiation.

Qian Xiaoxiao's face turned ashen, and her body swayed as if she were about to collapse to the ground.

All her fantasies and all her hopes were ruthlessly shattered by Lin Feng at this moment.

Su Wanqing took a deep breath. Although she was also stung by Lin Feng's words, she forced herself to calm down.

She knew that now was not the time to act impulsively.

Lin Feng's attitude today was noticeably more lenient than usual. This was a rare opportunity to try and change their situation.

Mr. Lin,

Su Wanqing took a step forward, trying to make her tone sound rational and sincere: "I know we are indeed a burden to you now. But, humans are social animals. Don't you feel lonely living alone in this wilderness?"

"Besides, we...we're not entirely useless. We can also learn and help you with what we can. For example...gathering, sewing, managing the camp...there are always things we can do."

She tried hard to promote their "value," hoping Lin Feng could see that they weren't entirely useless.

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng turned his gaze to Su Wanqing, a hint of amusement in his eyes. He sized her up; although she was equally disheveled, she still retained a touch of the former star's arrogance and resentment.

“I know you, Su Wanqing.”

Lin Feng spoke slowly, his voice not loud, but clearly reaching everyone's ears, "You've acted in quite a few TV dramas before, many of them are 'female lead' dramas, right? In those dramas, you always played independent, strong, and omnipotent female characters."

Su Wanqing's cheeks flushed slightly, feeling somewhat embarrassed, but she still nodded: "Well... well, it's just acting after all."

"acting?"

Lin Feng's lips curled into a faint smile: "I've also seen many of your comments online. You like to 'fight' on social media, proclaiming that men have 'original sin,' saying that men have oppressed women and restricted their development since ancient times, and that without the oppression of men, women would live better lives and society would be more progressive."

Su Wanqing's face instantly turned even more unpleasant, even somewhat pale.

She never expected that Lin Feng would even know about her previous online posts.

Those words, which had garnered her a lot of attention and a "self-reliant woman" persona in the past, now made her feel utterly ashamed when Lin Feng revealed them to her in public.

"I..." She opened her mouth, wanting to explain something, but found that any words seemed so pale and powerless at this moment.

Lin Feng didn't give her a chance to explain. He raised his head, his gaze slowly sweeping over the six ragged, trembling women before him. His tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable, penetrating power:

“Now, here, in this primeval wilderness, there are no laws, no moral shackles, and no so-called ‘men oppressing you.’ I, Lin Feng, have never thought of oppressing you, and I don’t even want to see you.”

His voice paused, and his eyes sharpened.

"Then tell me, you 'independent women' who have escaped 'male oppression' must be living very happy and prosperous lives now, right?"

These words were like an invisible slap in the face, striking every woman hard across the cheek.

They subconsciously glanced at their tattered clothes that barely covered their bodies, touched their empty, rumbling stomachs, and felt the biting cold wind and the deep-seated helplessness and despair.

Happiness? Abundance?

These two words are an absolute irony to them!

They all lowered their heads, their shame, anger, resentment, and grievances intertwined, making it almost impossible for them to breathe.

Su Wanqing, in particular, felt her cheeks burning.

How ridiculous and naive her once proud remarks now sound.

"We..." Qin Lan tried to speak, her voice a little hoarse, "We just... we just don't have any experience in wilderness survival..."

"No experience?" Lin Feng interrupted her. "How long have you been here? A month? Two months? Or longer? That's enough time for a willing person to learn a lot. Is it that you can't learn, don't want to learn, or simply don't have the ability to learn?"

"That's because...because this is the wilderness! The environment is too harsh!"

Su Wanqing finally mustered her courage, raised her head, and retorted loudly, though her voice trembled, "In this kind of environment, you...you're a man, you're naturally physically stronger than us! This isn't fair!"

She finally found a reason to justify their failure.

"Advantages?" Upon hearing this, Lin Feng not only wasn't angry, but nodded matter-of-factly: "You're absolutely right. In this environment, my physical strength is indeed superior to yours, and my hunting skills are also better. Therefore, I can survive better than you."

He paused, his gaze becoming profound, as if he had pierced through time and space to see the past.

"In the previous world, I, Lin Feng, was just an ordinary food delivery worker. I didn't have your fame, your wealth, or your social status."

"Under the rules of that world, I worked hard and toiled, but I could barely make ends meet. According to you, I couldn't compete with you glamorous celebrities, internet influencers, and rich heiresses."

His voice was calm, yet it carried a strange power that made the women involuntarily hold their breath.

“But now,” Lin Feng’s tone rose slightly, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, “the world has changed. This is a new beginning. The rules here are simpler, but also more brutal—survival of the fittest.”

“We started on the same footing and competed fairly. There was no law to protect the weak, and no public opinion to sympathize with the losers. I survived and thrived because I adapted to the rules here, I worked hard, and I mastered the skills to survive.”

His gaze swept over them again, carrying an undeniable air of judgment:

"And you, living poorly, starving and naked, have only your own fault. Blame your incompetence, your cowardice, your inability to let go of your ridiculous pride and fantasies of the past, and your lack of courage and wisdom to face this new and cruel world."

Su Wanqing was speechless after Lin Feng's series of words, her face turning pale and then red.

She wanted to argue, but found that every word Lin Feng said was like a sharp knife, piercing the truth she least wanted to admit.

Yes, fair competition.

In this primitive world devoid of social rules and moral constraints, everything they possess—beauty, fame, wealth, and education—becomes worthless.

The only thing of value was the ability to survive. And in this respect, they were utterly defeated.

Looking at their dejected appearance, Lin Feng smiled slightly, a smile tinged with a sense of vicissitude and understanding.

He raised his head, gazing at the snow-covered mountains in the distance, his voice deep and resonant:

"Thinking about it carefully, there's really nothing unacceptable about it. Didn't our ancestors emerge step by step from such a barbaric era?"

"They ate raw meat and drank blood, practiced slash-and-burn agriculture, fought against wild beasts, and struggled against nature. They were once weak and confused, but they did not give up. They used their blood and wisdom to create human civilization."

"Today, we have simply returned to the 'past' in a certain sense. History is a cycle, and we have just been thrown back to a certain original point."

His words, like a pebble thrown into a lake, stirred ripples in the women's hearts.

They had never considered their situation from this perspective.

Wilderness? Ancestors? Return? These words felt both unfamiliar and awe-inspiring to them.

Lin Feng withdrew his gaze, gave them one last look, and his tone returned to its initial calm: "I've told you the location of the salt. Whether you can find it, and how much you can find, is your business. As for the rest, don't harbor any more unrealistic fantasies."

Having said that, he ignored the distraught women, gave the reins a gentle tug, and the White Moonlight let out a clear neigh, its four hooves taking off, carrying him into the distance.

White Jade carried its prey, following gracefully behind, while Wangcai frolicked between the two divine steeds.

Soon, the figures of one person, two horses, and one dog disappeared into the vast snow forest, leaving behind six women by the lake with different expressions and a myriad of thoughts, silently processing the enormous impact that the forest wind had brought them in the biting cold wind.

Qian Xiaoxiao slumped on the cold snow, her eyes vacant. All her hopes and calculations had been ruthlessly crushed by Lin Feng.

Ruan Mengtian and Shen Jiaqi looked bewildered and terrified.

Lin Feng's words struck them like a heavy hammer, making them vaguely realize that this world was truly different from what they had previously known.

Tang Bao remained weak, leaning against the rock. She didn't quite understand Lin Feng's profound words, but she could sense his strength and ruthlessness, and also felt the uncertainty of her future.

Qin Lan and Su Wanqing exchanged a glance, both seeing a deep shock and a hint of... indescribable bitterness in each other's eyes.

"What he said...may be right."

After a long silence, Qin Lan finally spoke with difficulty, her voice hoarse: "We...we really relied too much on the past."

Su Wanqing didn't speak; she just clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.

Lin Feng's words, especially his comments about her being a "leading lady" and "boxing," stung her pride like needles.

But after the initial pain, they had to admit that Lin Feng's logic was impeccable. In this new world, everything they had relied on had collapsed. To survive, they had to abandon the past and start anew.

However, this "starting over" is incredibly difficult for them.

The cold wind still howled, and the thin ice on the lake reflected a dazzling light in the sunlight.

After a brief confrontation, the six women once again found themselves lost in uncertainty about the future and struggling to survive.