Chapter 52: Seizing Profit Without Hesitation

Chu Feng truly hadn’t expected that he could be so terrifying—just a slap to the back of someone’s head and he’d actually frightened the man to death.

Staring at the two corpses on the ground, Mu Zhentong sighed, immediately ordering his men to collect the bodies and clean up the scene.

“Uncle Mu, there’s something I’ve always been curious about,” Chu Feng said in a low voice to Mu Zhentong. “Who exactly was Ding Wanchong? How could someone with such character and disposition become the chief disciple of the Mu family’s fiftieth generation?”

By all rights, in a martial family such as the Tianji Mu clan, with thousands upon thousands of disciples and descendants, to rise as the leader among one’s peers, one must outshine the others in martial prowess, virtue, and talent. Ding Wanchong, however, was clearly lacking on all fronts.

“Alas,” Mu Zhentong sighed, “Ding Wanchong was the son of my sworn brother. Years ago, when I was traveling abroad, my brother died saving me from the claws of a savage beast. To repay his life-saving grace, I brought his son Ding Wanchong into the Mu clan. I treated him as my own and made him chief disciple of the fiftieth generation. Who could have foreseen how things would end up... Sigh, as his master, I failed to teach him properly. I am truly ashamed before my brother’s spirit in the afterlife.”

Chu Feng had asked because he was worried that Ding Wanchong’s death might stir unrest within the Tianji Mu clan. After all, as chief disciple, Ding Wanchong must have had his own loyal followers. But from Mu Zhentong’s tone, Ding Wanchong’s death was well deserved, and Chu Feng’s worry was needless.

Soon, disciples arrived to collect the bodies of Ding Wanchong and Xiao San, and Mu Zhentong excused himself to handle family affairs. Mi Xinjian left together with the disciples who had come for the bodies.

“Yun’er, take Xinlian, Xiaoli, and Xiaodao to register with the clan and claim what they are owed. Xinlian and Xiaoli will stay with me, and Xiaodao can follow Mu Kaihe,” Mu Qiaoxue arranged everything for the three with a few simple words.

After Mu Yun’er led the three away, only Chu Feng and Mu Qiaoxue remained at the door to Green Bamboo Retreat.

“Miss Mu, I suppose I should take my leave as well,” Chu Feng cupped his fists to Mu Qiaoxue.

She smiled faintly, “In such a hurry to head to the Gale and Thunder Cavern and court death?”

“Not at all,” Chu Feng shook his head, “But I gave my word to the Gale and Thunder Martial Hall, so I must see it through. Whatever dangers arise, I’ll meet them head-on.”

The path of a martial artist is, by nature, fraught with hardship and uncertainty. The greater the risk, the more Chu Feng’s spirit soared to face it. If the Gale and Thunder Cavern were calm and uneventful, he might not even be interested in going there.

“Ah, had I known you were so confident about this venture, I wouldn’t have bothered to worry over you,” Mu Qiaoxue sighed softly, shaking her head.

Her words caught Chu Feng’s attention. He quickly said, “Miss Mu, confidence aside, if you have any advice, I am all ears and eager to listen.”

Seeing how quick-witted he was, Mu Qiaoxue smiled and said, “I heard you were going to the Gale and Thunder Cavern, so I spent the past couple of days gathering information for you and even made two puppets as gifts. Will you accept them?”

“Absolutely!” Chu Feng replied without hesitation. “The more favors like this, the better. I’ll take every single one—one, ten, however many there are, I won’t miss any!”

Mu Qiaoxue laughed, “Chu Feng, sometimes you’re quite the opportunist, always ready to seize a bargain.”

She continued, “From what I’ve learned, the Gale and Thunder Cavern is an immense, mysterious underground labyrinth—a blend of mountains, canyons, caves, deserts, and stone chambers. Besides the Thunderbeast, dangers such as raging winds, furious lightning, rolling boulders, and shifting sands are everywhere within.”

“Is there anything else you know?” Chu Feng asked.

“That’s all. Of the Eighteen Ranges and Nine Mountains, the Gale and Thunder Cavern is both the most perilous and the most enigmatic. Since its appearance a thousand years ago, the Gale and Thunder Martial Hall has dispatched elite expeditions every year to explore its depths.”

“But these teams either vanish mysteriously or return empty-handed. The only conclusion anyone’s reached is that the terrain of the Gale and Thunder Cavern is ever-changing—shifting slightly every five years, undergoing great changes every ten.”

It was clear Mu Qiaoxue had done her research.

“With the terrain so unpredictable, it sounds like I won’t even have a reliable map when I go in?” Chu Feng asked.

“Indeed, any map of the deeper areas would be unreliable. But the martial hall should be able to provide a trustworthy map of the immediate vicinity,” she replied.

As she spoke, Mu Qiaoxue suddenly took a large, round object from her storage pouch and handed it to Chu Feng.

“What’s this?”

He examined the object—it was even bigger than a watermelon, and when he hefted it, it must have weighed at least a thousand pounds. The material seemed to be an incredibly dense wood, covered in intricate patterns.

A thousand pounds would be an impossible burden for an ordinary person, but with the strength of a rhinoceros, Chu Feng didn’t find it heavy at all.

“Throw it, and toss it as far as you can,” Mu Qiaoxue said mysteriously.

“Alright!” Chu Feng hurled the round object five zhang away with a powerful swing.

With a loud crash, the instant it hit the ground, it sounded as if a giant umbrella had suddenly unfurled. At the same time, Chu Feng saw the round object swiftly deconstruct itself. In the blink of an eye, it was gone—and in its place stood a tall, imposing martial artist.

“What?” Chu Feng was astonished. Was this some kind of magic trick?

Moments ago it had clearly been a wooden sphere, yet now it had transformed into a living person—one who looked as though he could hold his own against an army.

Looking more closely, Chu Feng realized it wasn’t a living person after all, but a puppet warrior.

But this puppet’s physique, features, and even its expression were so lifelike, its clothes painted in vibrant detail, that it seemed to be a real person.

Even with Chu Feng’s discerning eye, he would have mistaken it for a living man at first glance.

“Miss Mu, the Mu family’s puppet-crafting truly stretches the imagination. It’s nothing short of astonishing,” Chu Feng praised sincerely.

She laughed, “That’s nothing yet! Chu Feng, watch out!”

As soon as Mu Qiaoxue spoke, the puppet warrior suddenly sprang into action, wielding a massive ruler the size of a door, and charged straight at Chu Feng.