Chapter 18: The Lady in the Yellow Dress

“Brother Mi, if he wishes to leave, let him go—why press him so hard?”

At that tense moment, a distinctly youthful female voice carried over from afar.

No sooner had the voice resounded than its owner appeared: a young woman in a yellow gown stood before Chu Feng.

She seemed no more than seventeen or eighteen, her features delicate and clear—though not particularly striking in beauty. Her attire was a simple yellow robe, not the usual garb of a martial artist, yet her very presence exuded a formidable aura.

It was a forceful presence, sharp as a beast approaching with jaws agape, or an arrow nocked, ready to pierce an enemy’s throat in the next instant.

“This young woman’s aura is even more overwhelming than Mi Xin Jian’s. Could she be a master of the fourth level of the Body Refining stage, the Rhinoceros Power Realm?” Chu Feng mused, remaining where he stood. A master at that level could subdue a Vajra War Rhinoceros and wield the strength of such a beast; the might of her body was likely beyond his current imagination.

It was precisely this sudden intervention that caused Chu Feng’s hand to pause, sparing Mi Xin Jian from the concealed weapon that was about to be unleashed.

Otherwise, Mi Xin Jian might have already met a miserable end.

“Junior Sister Mu, is that you?” Mi Xin Jian composed himself upon seeing the woman in yellow and said, “This man claims to be Lin Shan, but his origin is unclear. He tried every means to enter the Mu family’s estate, even offering a gold ingot as a bribe! And now he’s in a hurry to leave. I find his behavior highly suspicious—so I must detain him for questioning!”

Chu Feng could tell that Mi Xin Jian clearly held this woman in yellow in great respect, even harboring some apprehension. Otherwise, with his usual arrogance, he would never have offered so much explanation.

“I understand,” the woman nodded, then addressed Chu Feng, “You wish to inquire about the Six Meridian Gold Needles used by the Mu family’s second young lady?”

“Yes,” Chu Feng replied.

He had intended to leave, but the woman’s demeanor was so unlike Mi Xin Jian’s that he nodded, deciding to stay and observe.

“And for what purpose do you seek this information?” she asked.

“Could we speak in private?” Chu Feng replied, glancing openly at Mi Xin Jian, making his intention clear—he did not want the latter privy to his motives.

“You!” Mi Xin Jian grew agitated and protested to the woman, “Junior Sister Mu, you mustn’t! This fellow may look guileless, but he could be cunning. If his intentions are honorable, why not speak openly here? If what he knows concerns the Tianji Mu family, then I have even more reason to listen!”

The woman’s brow furrowed. She replied coolly, “Brother Mi, this concerns the second young lady of the Mu family. I have the authority to handle it—you do not. Whatever this man has to say, I can judge for myself. Please step aside.”

Mi Xin Jian was at a loss for words, but dared not argue further; he cast Chu Feng a venomous look and stalked away.

As Mi Xin Jian retreated, Chu Feng cupped his fists to the woman. “I am Lin Shan. I have heard that the second young lady’s old ailment has relapsed, and I have come to inquire about one matter. The Six Meridian Gold Needles she uses—do they differ in shape, size, and weight, or are they all identical?”

“Why do you ask?” The woman stared into Chu Feng’s eyes, answering his question with another.

“To speak frankly,” Chu Feng replied, “though my martial skills are modest, I have learned a secret art from a master, one that can, by force of will, conjure and create two identical objects. However, my power is limited for now—I can only create objects of the gold element.”

“That’s remarkable,” the woman exclaimed in surprise. “Are you jesting?”

“Of course not.” Chu Feng’s expression was earnest. “I seek only a word from you—if the Six Meridian Gold Needles are each different, then I have wasted your time and will depart immediately. But if they are completely identical in every aspect, my arrival may offer a great turning point in the treatment of the second young lady’s chronic illness.”

“You mean to say,” the woman clarified, “that if the Six Meridian Gold Needles are identical, you could use your secret art to create a new one out of thin air?”

“Precisely.” Chu Feng nodded. “But I cannot guarantee perfection. To be honest, though my power is not insignificant, I am not yet infallible.”

By stating this up front, Chu Feng was preparing a retreat for himself.

After countless trials, Chu Feng had confirmed that his storage pouch possessed extraordinary power to create objects of gold, but whether it could reproduce something as special as the Six Meridian Gold Needles, he dared not say for certain.

Nothing is absolute, especially in matters such as these—only by trying could Chu Feng know the outcome.

The woman in yellow fixed him with a long, searching gaze before finally saying, “Very well. Come with me.”

Mi Xin Jian could not hear their conversation, but when he saw the woman in yellow lead Chu Feng up the mountain, he grew anxious and called out, “Junior Sister Mu, do you know this man’s true background? Have you investigated him thoroughly?”

“No need for your concern, Brother Mi,” she replied coldly, striding on ahead.

Chu Feng regarded Mi Xin Jian with a deep, steady gaze. Whether this man was a gatekeeper or held some other post, his attitude surely disgraced the Tianji Mu family. Chu Feng had done nothing to offend him, and yet the man treated him as though he were a thorn in his side.

Under the guidance of the woman in yellow, Chu Feng followed her up Tianji Mountain.

Tianji Mountain towered majestically, reaching heights of ten thousand feet. There were two ways to ascend: one, a mountain path used by the Mu family’s disciples; the other, the Skyway, reserved for honored guests or mysterious envoys.

The so-called Skyway involved riding a basket, which was hoisted to the mountaintop by a transport array. This method was not only swift but effortless.

Chu Feng and the woman seated themselves in a small basket, about a yard square. At the ringing of a bell, the array above activated, and the basket began its steady ascent.

Wind roared past their ears as the basket climbed rapidly, the surrounding rock faces blurring and receding.

After the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the basket broke through layers of cloud and mist, finally stopping at the edge of a cliff.

Before them lay a world shrouded in fog—the very summit of Tianji Mountain, and the ancestral estate of the Mu family: Tianji Peak.