Chapter 123: The Mighty Matriarch

Seeing Xiao Mei blushing as she scolded him, Chu Feng shook his head and said, "See? I told you, you would definitely get angry at me!"

"You insolent boy, do you have any idea who I am? How dare you toy with me!" Xiao Mei was clearly enraged, her cold eyes fixed on Chu Feng’s face.

"Alright, miss! You were the one who insisted on eating this meat; I didn't force it down your throat. You were the one who asked where it came from; I didn't insist on telling you! I’ve treated you to fine wine and good meat, and I’ve even saved your life. No matter how world-shaking a figure you might be, you shouldn't treat me like this, should you?"

Chu Feng shook his head, deciding not to bicker with her anymore. "Are you going to eat this meat or not? If you’re going to eat it, then do so; if not, give it back to me!"

Looking at the succulent meat, Xiao Mei hesitated for a moment.

Once the roasted meat reached her stomach, it had an immediate effect, much like the Snow Scorpion Fire Wine. A surge of heat rose within her internal organs, driving away the lingering coldness. From her dantian to her limbs, her entire body began to feel increasingly comfortable.

"Eating one bite is eating, and eating ten bites is also eating. Just hurry up and eat; I won’t laugh at you!" Chu Feng said indifferently.

"That is true!" Xiao Mei immediately resumed eating the roasted meat.

As they continued along their journey, Chu Feng could clearly feel that the coldness in her body was fading, replaced by a growing warmth.

By now, Xiao Mei’s limbs were entirely normal, devoid of any frozen state, and naturally, Chu Feng could no longer continue carrying her.

Chu Feng looked at Xiao Mei standing before him. Her complexion, once deathly pale like frost, now held a hint of red. Her bright red lips, contrasted against her snowy-white face, only added to her allure.

Once the ice on her body had melted, she looked as though she had just emerged from a bath—pure and ethereal. Seeing this, Chu Feng could not help but feel his heart skip a beat. Xiao Mei was truly a cold beauty; her figure was lithe and statuesque, possessing an aura of extreme coldness paired with beauty of the highest order.

Awooo!

Just then, a roar erupted from the far distance—clearly the sound of some exotic beast.

"Xiao Mei, listening to that roar, could it be that there are more Snow Monsters haunting this area?" Chu Feng asked immediately.

"Correct! We are quite close to the territory of the Wuhan Snow Tribe, and there are many Snow Monsters here!" After finishing the roasted meat, Xiao Mei took a few gulps of the Snow Scorpion Fire Wine, acting as casually as if it were her own provisions.

"Many? By the way, how are you feeling now? If we encounter a Snow Monster, are you capable of fighting?" Chu Feng asked, his heart stirring.

"No! Although the freezing in my limbs has been lifted and my internal energy can circulate, I am in no condition to fight a Snow Monster!" Xiao Mei replied.

"Then, is there a path with fewer Snow Monsters? Or perhaps one where we can avoid them entirely? Even if we have to take a detour, it would be better if we could bypass them," Chu Feng asked.

"What is it? Are you so afraid of Snow Monsters? Are you afraid of dying?" Xiao Mei’s tone changed instantly.

Chu Feng shook his head. "I’m not afraid of the monsters; I’m worried about you! If I encounter them, I’ll fight if I can, and if I can’t, I at least have the ability to run. But now that I’m with you, don’t I have to ensure your safety?"

Xiao Mei looked deeply at Chu Feng and asked expressionlessly, "Are you really that kind-hearted?"

Hearing this, Chu Feng felt as if his heart had been pierced by a knife. He nearly opened his mouth to snap back, but took a deep breath instead. "Miss, I used my own internal heat to neutralize the cold in your body and help you survive the freezing ordeal. I’ve treated you to good wine and meat; I’ve done you a great favor! Don’t you think it’s a bit much to say such heartless things?"

Xiao Mei remained unmoved. She shook her head and said, "You helped me neutralize the cold, and my cold energy helped you dissipate your excess heat. We are mutually complementary; we owe each other nothing. As for the wine and meat, they were indeed good, but I asked for them myself; you didn't offer them out of the kindness of your heart!"

Chu Feng took another deep breath. "Miss, having traveled this far with you, I’ve formed two deep impressions of you! First, you are as cold as frost and as beautiful as a peach blossom. Second, you are full of thorns and completely heartless! Once you lead me to the Wuhan Snow Tribe, don't say another word to me!"

"Fine!"

Xiao Mei nodded readily and began to walk in front.

Watching her cold, arrogant back, Chu Feng shook his head. Since leaving the Fear Gate to enter the world, he had met many young women, but he had truly never encountered anyone like her.

She was like a rose with thorns, or a cold, glistening sword—she would hurt anyone who got too close.

This flicker of resentment passed through Chu Feng’s heart, and he pushed the thought aside, deciding not to dwell on it.

Awooo!

They had not walked far when another roar rang out, and this time, it sounded as if it were right in front of them.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

With two sharp whistling sounds, two extremely fast beasts appeared on the vast, snowy expanse, leaving two blurred shadows as they charged forward.

In the blink of an eye, the two beasts suddenly appeared within two zhang of Chu Feng!

"Are these... White Gorillas?"

Chu Feng stared vigilantly at the two beasts and asked Xiao Mei, who was standing to the side.

Each of these beasts was over a zhang tall and completely snow-white. They were indeed giant white apes, but these ones were holding weapons!

One held a long spear, and judging by its posture and gait, it was clearly an expert. The other clutched a broadsword a zhang long, looking equally majestic.

The two apes were filled with murderous intent and high fighting spirit, each selecting a target: Chu Feng and Xiao Mei.

"These are Snow Mountain Fighting Gorillas! Don't let their size fool you; they are more formidable than the Snow Mountain Ghost Apes! They know martial arts, footwork, and tactics, and their battle intent is immense. A single Snow Mountain Fighting Gorilla is equivalent in strength to a martial artist at the eighth level of the Body Tempering stage!" Xiao Mei told Chu Feng.

"If that’s the case, then we have no choice but to run, right?" Chu Feng whispered.

Xiao Mei was a martial artist at the seventh level of the Body Tempering stage. Had she been at full strength, Chu Feng would have liked to join forces with her to test these powerful creatures. But with her body injured and lacking even the strength to defend herself, Chu Feng, no matter how confident, did not believe he could defeat two monsters equivalent to eighth-level Body Tempering experts on his own.

"Exactly! If you can run, don't worry about me; save yourself! I’m just afraid neither of us will make it out."

No sooner had Xiao Mei finished speaking than the two gorillas thrust their spears and swords, launching an attack on Chu Feng and Xiao Mei respectively.

From two zhang away, Chu Feng could feel the force of the wind hitting his face. The spear flowers dancing before his eyes showed that the gorilla was a true martial arts master; its first strike was already exceptional.

Whoosh!

Chu Feng gripped his spear, stepped forward, and a funnel-shaped pillar of wind shot toward the gorilla like an arrow.

"He-ha! He-ha!"

The gorilla let out a strange cry, dragged a trail of shadows to dodge the attack, and then dived into the thick snow, suddenly vanishing from sight.

The gorilla was clearly lurking within the snow, but the surface remained undisturbed, making it impossible to tell where it had hidden.

"Truly a difficult monster to deal with!"

Chu Feng spun his Thunder-Piercing Spear, creating a one-zhang-wide defensive circle around himself while keeping an eye on the battle near Xiao Mei.

Facing the other gorilla, Xiao Mei’s situation was even more precarious. The beast seemed to know she had no offensive power; it was merely harassing her, not landing a lethal blow. Even so, Xiao Mei was flustered and faced danger at every turn.

"Xiao Mei, how are you?" Chu Feng called out.

"We are no match for these gorillas. Run for your life; don't worry about me!" Xiao Mei said coldly.

"That won't do! If we run, we run together! Move toward me; I have a way to escape!" Chu Feng said, moving toward her while continuing to wield his spear.

"He-ha! He-ha!"

Just as Chu Feng finished speaking, a strange cackling sound erupted from the snow beneath his feet, and he felt his ankle tighten.

The gorilla had grabbed his ankle!

Chu Feng thrust his spear downward!

"He-ha! He-ha!"

The gorilla reacted with extreme speed, diving back into the snow and disappearing again.

Chu Feng did not pursue. He continued to circle his spear and move toward Xiao Mei, thinking it better to use his God-Speed Giant Crab to escape as soon as possible.

Unexpectedly, Chu Feng suddenly stepped into thin air.

"A pitfall!"

Chu Feng felt a jolt of alarm. He hadn't expected the gorilla to have dug a trap, only to reveal itself to lure him into it. The intelligence of these creatures was incredibly high!

At this critical moment, Chu Feng stomped his feet together, a pillar of wind erupted from thin air, and he used its lift to vault into the sky.

Simultaneously, he reversed his spear and thrust it violently into the center of the pit.

Awoo!

With a pained cry, the gorilla lurking in the trap, having failed to harm Chu Feng, was instead wounded in the right shoulder by the surprise counter-strike.

Chu Feng pulled the spear out, and blood sprayed a zhang high, with a large chunk of flesh torn away by the spearhead.

"Xiao Mei! Don't go any further; come toward me! I have a plan to escape, hurry!" Chu Feng shouted urgently.

That strike had failed to kill the beast, only fueling its ferocity. Knowing how cunning and vicious these creatures were, he knew he had to leave immediately to prevent any disaster.

Awoo!

The gorilla’s rage boiled over. With that roar, a crackling sound of air exploding emanated from its body, and a thin mist enveloped it, causing its entire frame to expand.

Chu Feng cursed internally, knowing the gorilla had unleashed its full power and that he was in grave danger!

Xiao Mei was still over a dozen zhang away. With the distance between them, even if he summoned the God-Speed Giant Crab, he feared he wouldn't have the time to reach her and escape together.

Clang!

Clang-clang!

Just then, a metallic clashing sound erupted nearby!

It was a peculiar sound—like a blacksmith at work, yet sharper and more piercing, making one want to cover their ears and flee from the source.

To Chu Feng’s shock, this strange clanging sound was coming from Xiao Mei’s own mouth!

Even more shocking was that the two murderous gorillas, upon hearing this sound, behaved as if they had encountered something truly terrifying. Their killing intent vanished, and they scurried away like two frightened rats.

Xiao Mei stood there quietly, her cold gaze fixed on Chu Feng, wearing an expression that seemed to say, "Well, what do you think of that?"

Chu Feng stared back at her and nodded. "Miss, if I’m not mistaken, you are the leader of the four great gifted women of the Wuhan Snow Tribe, the one known as 'Sharp-Tongued,' aren't you?"

"That’s right!" Xiao Mei nodded crisply.