Chapter 23: The Path to Salvation

Chu Feng could never have imagined that Mu Qiaoxue, who had been smiling and speaking kindly just a moment ago, would suddenly attack him. And not only that—she struck straight at his throat, aiming for his most vulnerable spot!

"Dodge!"

The instant before Mu Qiaoxue's fingers touched his throat, a reflexive movement, faster than his own thoughts, made him evade her fierce strike.

Chu Feng's motion was as swift as lightning. The moment he dodged, there was a sudden rush of energy—a sound like a muffled explosion—as the muscles from his shoulders down to his waist abruptly tensed and unfurled, as if a small umbrella had opened behind him, instantly forming a broad, inverted triangle.

Mu Qiaoxue's attack was fast, but Chu Feng's evasion and the way he instantly readied his body for combat were just as quick, all in the blink of an eye.

At that moment, Chu Feng resembled a furious king cobra—his entire being on high alert, power surging through every fiber of his body.

Seeing this, Mu Qiaoxue immediately took two steps back.

"Young Master Linshan, please don't misunderstand. Have a seat," Mu Qiaoxue said with a gentle smile. "I was abrupt in testing you just now, but I simply wanted to confirm something. Tell me, in these past few days, have you eaten the flesh of a giant python?"

Her words made Chu Feng's heart skip a beat. At the same time, the tension in his body melted away.

He still did not know the true extent of Mu Qiaoxue's cultivation, but he was sure that if she truly intended to harm him, even two of him together would not be her match.

"That's right. In the past few days, I did eat python meat. Is there something wrong with that, Miss Mu?"

Since she had already pointed it out, it would be pointless to hide it any longer. She trusted him this much—how could he not trust her in return?

"Yes. The meat you ate was most likely from a battle python," Mu Qiaoxue replied. "This is both a blessing and a curse for you. It's a blessing because the meat of a battle python can greatly and rapidly increase your strength—far more effectively than any other beast's flesh. But as for the curse, you won't feel it yet. When you reach the third level of body refinement and begin to practice martial skills, the battle python's fierce nature hidden within you will gradually erupt. Then you’ll become uncontrollably violent, seeking battle with everyone you meet. Such a fate would only lead to your untimely death!"

Her explanation stunned Chu Feng.

"You seem to know quite a lot about battle pythons, Miss Mu," Chu Feng said.

"Indeed," Mu Qiaoxue answered. "In the main branch of the Mu family in the Imperial City, we reward our disciples with various elixirs. Among them is the Battle Python Pill, made from the flesh and blood of the golden battle python. After being refined with fire and herbs, this pill greatly enhances a warrior's strength, and leaves no ill effects. But the python meat you ate was unprocessed—perhaps at first you felt a surge of power, but as time passes, the python's blood energy will saturate your veins. When that happens, there will be pain but no benefit."

She spoke calmly and in detail. "Just now, when our eyes met, I sensed a trace of the battle python’s aura in your gaze. To verify it, I had no choice but to test you. As I expected, your reaction to attack was identical to that of a battle python facing an enemy."

After hearing her detailed explanation, Chu Feng broke into a sweat. "Miss Mu, the Mu family is renowned for both mechanical puppetry and alchemy. Do you know of any way to resolve this predicament?"

"Of course I do. Others may not, but I do." Mu Qiaoxue nodded. With a flick of her wrist, a pure white pill as flawless as snow appeared in her slender hand.

"This Clear Heart Dissipation Pill was crafted by my own hand half a year ago. Take it now, and it will greatly delay the accumulation of the battle python’s energy within you."

She handed the pill to Chu Feng.

"Miss Mu, I am ashamed. I have not yet used my secret method to relieve your meridian pain, yet I must first accept a favor from you. Thank you!"

Chu Feng took the pill and swallowed it immediately.

"There's no need for such formality, Young Master Linshan," Mu Qiaoxue replied with a gentle smile and nod.

Just then, several members of the Mu family entered the bamboo lodge, bringing in the five elemental objects Chu Feng had requested: a piece of iron, a wooden staff, a basin of water, a fire striker, and a large stone. All five were placed in the center of the main room.

"Yun'er, stay with me. The rest of you may leave. Unless you hear from me or Young Master Linshan, no one is to enter the bamboo lodge," Mu Qiaoxue instructed.

With that, she and the yellow-robed Mu Yun'er entered the inner chamber.

Left alone, Chu Feng paced the room, deliberately adjusting the positions of the five objects, making a show of preparation.

Soon, Mu Yun'er emerged from the inner room, holding a slender bamboo tube.

"Young Master Linshan, here is the meridian needle."

She approached and tipped the bamboo tube, letting a long, thin golden needle slide into Chu Feng's hand.

He examined it carefully. Just as the martial artist had described, the needle was as long as a chopstick, incredibly slender, but its golden glow was dazzling—clearly no ordinary item.

If it were an ordinary gold needle, no matter how thin, it would never shine with such brilliance.

"Please keep this safe, Young Master Linshan. If you need anything, call me at any time."

Having handed over the golden needle, Mu Yun'er promptly left the hall and returned to the inner chamber.

Chu Feng wasted no time. As soon as she left, he placed the golden meridian needle into his storage pouch.

At the same time, he began to imitate the wandering, hopping mystics he’d seen outside, pacing around the bamboo lodge, sometimes fast, sometimes slow, circling the five elemental objects and making all sorts of strange gestures.

Though Mu Qiaoxue had given strict orders ensuring no one would spy on him, Chu Feng still kept up the act—just in case. Better to be busy than to sit and wait idly.

The lodge was silent, save for his own footsteps.

A quarter of an hour soon passed.

Chu Feng stopped and checked his storage pouch.

"One begets two, one begets two... Hmm?"

To his disappointment, the golden meridian needle was still alone in the pouch—no second needle had appeared.

"Given how fine the needle is, the storage pouch should be able to replicate it quickly. Am I being too impatient? I'll wait another quarter hour and see."

From repeated experiments, Chu Feng had learned that the smaller the metal item placed in the pouch, the faster it could be replicated. A tiny gold chip the size of a fingernail would be duplicated much sooner than a fifty-tael gold ingot.

Steeling his nerves, he continued pacing around the lodge.

Unconsciously, another quarter hour slipped by. Again, he checked the pouch—still only one needle.

"Impossible! What's going on? Am I still being too hasty? I'll wait a bit longer!"

Suppressing his restlessness, Chu Feng resumed walking the small hall. Time seemed to pass both slowly and swiftly—slow, because there was no sign of a second needle; swift, because another precious quarter hour had already slipped away by the time disappointment struck.

There are eight quarters in an hour. Six had now passed, and yet, after his sixth inspection, still only one needle lay within the pouch.

Only two quarters left before the hour was up!

If he failed to produce a second needle in time, even if the Mu family did not call him a fraud, he would be unable to escape the suspicion. To be harshly scolded by Ding Wanchong would be a small matter—what truly pained him was the thought of disappointing Mu Qiaoxue, who had just gifted him a precious medicine.

"Is it possible the storage pouch simply cannot replicate such an item? But why?"

By now, Chu Feng could hardly maintain his composure. His mind was in turmoil, searching for a reason, yet unable to find a clue.

"Young Master Linshan?"

Just then, Mu Yun'er's voice came from the inner chamber. "Young Master Linshan, six quarters of an hour have passed—are you finished yet?"

"Not yet! Please grant me a little more time!" Chu Feng forced himself to reply.

"Very well! My lady's meridian pain has flared up again, and four meridian needles cannot stop it. If you cannot succeed, do not force yourself."

"I understand."

Mu Yun'er's tone was urgent. Though Chu Feng did not know the exact situation within, he could well imagine Mu Qiaoxue enduring excruciating pain.

In other words, the time he had now was bought at the cost of Mu Qiaoxue’s suffering. Every moment was precious.

As Mu Qiaoxue endured the agony in her meridians, Chu Feng’s heart too was wracked with distress.

"If I could produce a second meridian needle even a moment sooner, I would gladly bear the pain in her place!"

Chu Feng cried out silently in his heart, praying that neither his luck nor Mu Qiaoxue’s would fail them, and that the second meridian needle would soon appear.