Chapter 49: Struggle of a Cornered Beast

Ding Wanchong’s fury surged from his heart, and wickedness emboldened him. Once his crimes were exposed, he knew his fate would not be kind. Resolving himself, he steeled his heart and, with lightning-fast movements, seized Xiao Li, who was utterly unprepared.

Originally, Ding Wanchong had meant to capture Chu Xinlian, for she was Chu Feng’s own sister; if he could control her, it would be as good as controlling Chu Feng himself. Unfortunately, Chu Xinlian was too far away, and Ding Wanchong feared a misstep, so he settled for the next best option and took Xiao Li hostage instead.

“Ding Wanchong, I’ll give you one chance! Let Xiao Li go immediately, and I can spare your life. If you dare harm her in the slightest, I swear you will die a miserable death!” Chu Feng shouted.

“Shut up! Raise your hands—now! Did you hear me? Raise your hands! I know you have a deadly hidden weapon; don’t think I’m unaware. Hurry up!”

Ding Wanchong roared like a mad beast, his voice unhinged.

Chu Feng’s heart tightened. He had intended to calm him with words first and then use the bamboo-segmented hidden weapon to blow his head off. But now, seeing that was impossible, he could only raise both hands high.

Xiao Li’s life was at Ding Wanchong’s mercy, a seventh-layer Body Refining martial artist. Without absolute certainty, Chu Feng dared not make a move.

“What do you want, Ding Wanchong?” Mu Qiaoxue asked.

“What do I want? Hmph! I have no desire to commit evil; I only wish to leave here, to leave the Mu family forever!” Ding Wanchong spoke, but his right hand remained tightly clamped on Xiao Li’s nape. “I’ll give you half a stick of incense’s time. Have the treasurer make out a twenty-thousand gold bank note for me, and hurry!”

Ding Wanchong had already planned his escape. After this act, there would be no place for him among the Nine Mountains and Eighteen Ridges, nor could he hope for peace in Hengshan Outer Town. Once he had the gold note, he would flee far away, find a distant town, change his identity, and start anew!

With twenty thousand gold to support him, wherever he went, his martial cultivation would not lack for resources.

“Yun’er, notify the treasury!”

Mu Qiaoxue nodded to Mu Yun’er, then spoke to Ding Wanchong, “Once you have the gold note, you’ll release Xiao Li, won’t you?”

“Hmph!”

Ding Wanchong was extremely vigilant; his gaze suddenly shifted to Mi Xinjian and Xiao San, barking, “One more thing—you must do this for me! Deal with these two traitors, quickly!”

“Ding Wanchong, if you could escape unscathed, it would be enough; why commit further murder? Though these two betrayed you, they were once your disciples. Can you really bear to take their lives?” Mu Qiaoxue frowned, her brows elegant.

“Haha! Mu Qiaoxue, I never imagined you’d be so adept at sarcasm! If you hadn’t driven us to desperation, would they have betrayed me? Would I have risked everything?”

Ding Wanchong’s expression was tormented. He said, “Since things have come to this, I won’t hide the truth from you! Mu Qiaoxue, ever since you arrived at the Mu family a year ago, I have been utterly captivated by you—day and night, my thoughts and dreams are filled with you. You seized my soul in an instant! I have dreamed of winning your heart, standing by your side, and venturing together into a broader world…”

He spoke his feelings, but Mu Qiaoxue’s face remained expressionless, her cool, clear eyes fixed intently on Ding Wanchong’s own.

“Mu Qiaoxue, precisely because I care so deeply for you and wish you no pain, I tried to prevent Chu Feng from taking the Meridian Needle from you! Yet, my heartfelt concern won me no gratitude, nor did anyone understand me. Instead, all assumed I had ill intentions!” Ding Wanchong declared bitterly.

“In truth, I understand you quite well,” Mu Qiaoxue replied softly. “You wanted to impress me so I would notice you. For any splendid deed, you must be the one to accomplish it; only then are you content. If you fail but another succeeds—even in something as important as relieving my meridian pain—you feel resentment, unable to bear seeing others outshine you. In short, you are a profoundly selfish person.”

“Shut up!” Ding Wanchong, stung by Mu Qiaoxue’s words, flew into a rage, his shout echoing like a lion’s roar.

Ah!

But before his words faded, Ding Wanchong suddenly seemed possessed. His eyes burned with pain, his whole body numb, and he could not help but cry out.

“Now!” Mu Qiaoxue called, but Chu Feng needed no prompting. Seizing the fleeting opportunity, he rushed at Ding Wanchong and punched him in the chest!

Bang!

The wild force of the Vajra Battle Rhinoceros erupted from Chu Feng’s fist, slamming into Ding Wanchong’s chest with a booming sound, like a great log striking a bell.

Ding Wanchong’s body was sent flying several yards away by Chu Feng’s single blow!

Chu Feng had no time to retrieve the hidden weapon from his storage pouch. Instead, he immediately employed the Soul Severing Stab technique; two afterimages flashed, and as Ding Wanchong’s body touched the ground, Chu Feng swept in and grabbed him once more.

“Heavenly King Mountain-Splitting Palm!”

Chu Feng shouted, pushing Ding Wanchong’s chest with his left palm, while his right gathered the force of the Vajra Battle Rhinoceros. With the powerful momentum of the Heavenly King Mountain-Splitting Palm, he struck Ding Wanchong’s chest solidly.

Bang!

Another thunderous clash of gold and iron rang out. Ding Wanchong’s body, like a kite with a severed string, was sent flying, but still he did not die.

“To withstand both a heavy punch and a powerful palm and still survive? A seventh-layer Body Refining martial artist truly is not easily defeated by me!” Chu Feng marveled inwardly. He again performed the Soul Severing Stab technique, several afterimages streaking by, and before Ding Wanchong’s body hit the ground, Chu Feng launched a flurry of heavy strikes.

Once a martial artist reached the fifth layer of Body Refining, the Iron Bone realm, their flesh became incomparably tough—bronze head, iron arms, impervious to blades and fire, swords as gentle as a breeze, even five horses could not tear them apart.

Though Chu Feng possessed the strength of a rhinoceros and had learned several external techniques, his ferocious attacks barely harmed those at the Iron Bone realm, for their bodies were simply too resilient and their defenses too strong.

Yet Ding Wanchong’s strength was at the seventh layer of Body Refining, the Vital Breath realm—immune to poisons, free from disease, unconcerned by broken bones or torn muscles, flesh healing itself, energy inexhaustible, vitality unending.

A master at the Vital Breath realm, suffering a broken bone, was no worse off than an ordinary martial artist stumbling and falling; it was hardly an issue. With their dantian full of inner energy, they could even bare their chest to receive blows, enduring heavy attacks.

“I refuse to believe I can’t kill you!”

As he reached Ding Wanchong, Chu Feng already held the Overlord Shadow-Chasing Spear. Without hesitation, he unleashed the Triple Yang Pass technique; the golden spearhead flashed, casting a blur as he thrust at Ding Wanchong’s chest.

“Chu Feng! With your mere fourth-layer Body Refining strength, you dare try to kill me? You overestimate yourself!” Ding Wanchong, whether possessed just now or otherwise, had been dazed, unable to retaliate when struck by Chu Feng’s fist and palm. Now, as if waking from a long dream, he immediately entered a fighting stance.