Ximen Qiuhuan's entire body surged with killing intent, his hair fluttering without any wind.
"Perhaps... perhaps spring has arrived, and this wild bull is missing the little cow from someone's farm?" Feng Wuji's voice was as thin as a mosquito's hum.
"Useless thing!" Ximen Qiuhuan snorted coldly, though he suppressed his doubts, figuring he must have neglected walking the bull and it had gone stir-crazy.
He was about to vault onto the saddle when his gaze swept over the wild bull's mud-caked and filthy body, and in disgust, he finally pinched out a "Cleansing Water Incantation."
Clear water flowed in a torrent, and in an instant, the wild bull's fur was washed until it shone brilliantly.
Ximen Qiuhuan satisfiedly lifted his leg and straddled the beast.
"Moo!"
Just as his posture settled, the wild bull beneath him let out a miserable, blood-curdling screech, its four hooves turning soft as it collapsed heavily to the ground!
Dead silence.
"Feng Wuji! Is this the Spirit Beast you've been taking care of?"
Ximen Qiuhuan's beard bristled with rage, his hair standing on end as he abruptly whipped his head around and roared!
Yet where was there any trace of a person in the spot?
Feng Wuji had already pulled Xu Qing'er along, scrambling onto the back of the Silver-Winged Crane.
"Elder Ximen! I truly cannot set my mind at ease regarding the spirit hall, so I am going ahead a step to investigate!" Feng Wuji's voice came from afar. The crane flapped its wings, transforming into a silver streak of light that vanished into the horizon in the blink of an eye.
"You little brat!" Ximen Qiuhuan was furious enough to burst, but out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of something scattered on the ground.
That pair of broken shackles.
His pupils suddenly contracted, his towering rage instantly freezing. He slowly squatted down and picked up the cold, heavy lock ring, his fingertips actually trembling slightly.
"Impossible... Shackles forged from Spirit-Suppression Iron... he actually broke free of them by sheer force?!"
Staring at the ferocious jagged break, a monstrous storm churned in his heart.
...
High above, the fierce gale howled.
The Silver-Winged Crane smoothly and swiftly wove through the clouds.
Feng Wuji instinctively supported the slim yet resilient waist of the young girl in front of him, feeling the warm touch against his palm.
"Ah~" A weak, delicate, and soft gasp came from before him, carrying an imperceptible tremor.
"Qing'er? What's wrong?" Feng Wuji hurriedly asked.
"N-nothing," Xu Qing'er's voice was as soft as a mosquito's hum, the tips of her ears dyed an alluring pink as she gently bit her lower lip. "It's just... it's my first time riding a crane, so I'm a bit... nervous."
The sunlight outlined her delicate profile, making even the tiny downy hairs on her lobes clearly visible, exuding a raw, sweet shyness.
The sight made Feng Wuji's heart ripple, bringing past memories rushing back to the surface.
In his past life, he had been single from birth for over twenty years; starting this new life with such a beauty by his side was already a rare blessing.
"Then let's fly slower," he said gently.
Yet Xu Qing'er grew even more bashful, because Feng Wuji's hand was now resting flat against her lower abdomen. That scalding hot palm made her body feel very strange.
The mere thought that she had almost been taken by Feng Wuji back at the animal pen made her feel a fresh wave of shyness and vexation.
"Young Master, your palm is so hot."
"Ah, sorry."
Feng Wuji hurriedly pulled his hand back.
Before long, the two arrived above the spirit hall.
Feng Wuji jumped down from the air first.
Xu Qing'er and the Silver-Winged Crane landed slowly. She bit her lower lip, staring resentfully at Feng Wuji's back, her legs shifting awkwardly.
Feng Wuji's footsteps were as heavy as if filled with lead, and the chilling wind near the spirit hall also awakened the pain within his memories.
"Senior Brother Feng! The enemy has set an ambush!"
"It hurts, it hurts so much!"
"Senior Brother, am I going to die? I still have a little sister at home. Can you exchange what I've earned over the years for silver taels and give them to my family?"
"I refuse to accept this! I am so unwilling!"
"..."
Those young fellow disciples had possessed bright futures, yet now they had become cold corpses.
This filled him with anger and self-blame!
He walked straight toward a small coffin.
The coffin lid was pushed open, and a pink three-tailed spirit fox covered in terrifying bloody holes lay quietly inside.
Its tiny body was cold and stiff, and its once lively eyes were reduced to hollow voids.
A massive wave of grief abruptly gripped Feng Wuji's heart.
This three-tailed fox had died protecting its master. The once lively little creature had now turned into a corpse.
"Young Master..." Xu Qing'er couldn't bear to look any longer, turning her face away as crystal tears welled up in the corners of her eyes.
The Silver-Winged Crane at the side seemed to share the grief, letting out a low, mournful cry as it gently nudged Feng Wuji's arm.
"Young Master, are you really... going to open the coffin and examine the corpse?" Xu Qing'er saw through his intent, her voice filled with worry.
"It must be opened!" Feng Wuji's tone brook no argument as he reached out to push the nearest coffin lid!
The very second the coffin lid loosened, a sudden change occurred!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Several pitch-black round spheres accompanied by a sharp piercing sound accurately smashed through the window paper and rolled onto the floor!
Smoke bombs carrying dense fumes rolled crazily within the spirit hall.
In an instant, the entire spirit hall became hazy with smoke, making it impossible to see one's own hand in front of one's face.
"Qing'er, be careful!" Feng Wuji shielded Xu Qing'er behind him, watching his surroundings vigilantly.
However, the anticipated attack did not come; instead, it was replaced by the sound of heavy objects being dragged!
"Not good! They're trying to snatch the corpse!" Alarm bells rang madly in Feng Wuji's head!
Without time to think further, he grabbed several scattered coffin nails like lightning, infused them with spiritual energy, and hurled them fiercely by sound into the depths of the smoke!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Several harsh metallic crashes rang out—the nails had clearly been parried!
Feng Wuji's heart sank to the bottom. Without hesitation, he held his breath and, like an arrow loosed from a bow, broke through the smoke's blockade and charged out of the spirit hall's doors!
Sure enough!
Four figures in black were cooperating flawlessly, treading a bizarre and eerie footwork as they shouldered a heavy black coffin and sprinted wildly toward the distant dense forest!
Once the coffin entered the forest, all leads would be cut off! Never mind clearing his name and returning to the inner sect—even the final hope of avenging these thirty-two wronged souls would be completely buried!
"Put that down!"
With his eyes splitting in rage, Feng Wuji put all his strength into a furious pursuit.
Inside that coffin very likely lay the corpse of a fellow disciple holding the clues!
"Screech!"
A crisp crane cry came from overhead.
The Silver-Winged Crane carried Xu Qing'er as it dove down, the gale whipping the black-robed men's garments into a frenzy.
Xu Qing'er's soft whip lashed out like a venomous snake, accurately wrapping around a corner of the coffin in an attempt to drag it down.
"Hehe, little beauty, don't get in the way!"
The leading man in black let out a hoarse, strange laugh. Without looking back, he swung his arm backward, and two pitch-black, heavy iron chains shot out from his sleeves like poisonous pythons. Accompanied by a piercing whistle, they instantly crossed to whip toward the Silver-Winged Crane's wings!
The Silver-Winged Crane shrieked in terror, frantically beating its wings to gain height and dodge.
Thrown off balance by the sudden attack, Xu Qing'er had no choice but to release her whip. With a fierce cry, she was forced to flip down from the crane's back.
The moment she hit the ground, two more men in black flashed out from her left and right like ghosts—one wielding a ghost-head saber, the other grasping a water-parting awl. Their chilling murderous intent locked onto her tightly, completely sealing off her escape route.
"Young Master, watch out!" Xu Qing'er was burning with anxiety, but she had no time to spare and could only engage in a fierce battle with the two troublesome men in black.
At the same time, a third man in black appeared like a bolt of black lightning, soundlessly materializing by Feng Wuji's side. Feng Wuji said coldly, "Who on earth are you people? How did you get into Beast Taming Mountain?"
"None of your damn business!" The scoundrel held a short blade coated with a dim blue chilling light, carrying bone-chilling murderous intent as he thrust straight for Feng Wuji's vital throat!
The speed was astonishing, the angle tricky—clearly a fatal strike!
"Young Master!"
Xu Qing'er's pretty face drained of color as she screamed in alarm!