Chapter 67 Youthful Spring Robes (Thirteen)
Wei Feng stared at him in despair, his face filled with disbelief, "...Master?"
Jiang Gu ruthlessly shook off his hand and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
"Master!" Wei Feng tried his best to grab, but grasped at nothing.
Overwhelmed with anger and anxiety, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
——
Yanghua Sect, main peak.
Wu Hezhi coughed for a long time, covering his mouth with his handkerchief, before looking at Jiang Gu in surprise and saying in a weak voice, "But Yanghua Sect has not been hospitable enough. Why does Elder Jiang suddenly want to leave?"
Jiang Gu said calmly, "The Jiang family urgently summons you."
The family's urgent summons meant that even if Wu Hezhi wanted to stay, he couldn't. Besides, he had long been eager to get rid of this powerful figure. However, there was one thing that bothered him. He turned and exchanged a glance with Xie Fuxue beside him. Xie Fuxue instantly understood and said with a smile, "Since it's the Jiang family's order, we can't force Young Master Jiang to stay any longer. But what about Wei Feng—"
Wei Feng is crucial to the foundation of the Treasure Pavilion, and Yanghua Sect will never let him leave.
Jiang Gu said coldly, "Wei Feng is a disciple of Yanghua Sect, so naturally he should stay here."
Wu Hezhi and Xie Fuxue both breathed a sigh of relief.
Wu Hezhi coughed twice more, feigning politeness, and said, "Tomorrow is the sect competition. Elder Jiang is in a hurry to leave, so a day or two won't make a difference. It would be good for you to stay and join in the fun."
"The sect leader is right." Jiang Gu nodded.
Wu Hezhi was stunned, not expecting him to actually agree, and covered his face with his handkerchief, coughing violently.
Jiang Gu subtly curled the corners of his lips, then rose to take his leave and left the main hall.
Inside the main hall, Wu Hezhi coughed so loudly it shook the heavens and earth. Xie Fuxue silently rubbed her forehead. A woman emerged from behind the screen, looking at Wu Hezhi speechlessly, "You just had to say that, didn't you?"
"I cough cough cough... I was just being polite." Wu Hezhi almost couldn't catch his breath, and said helplessly, "How could he agree so readily?"
"So what if I can make you unhappy?" Qu Fengyu said lazily, arms crossed. "Even if Wei Feng doesn't meet his standards, he still properly kowtowed and offered tea to his master. You're scheming against your disciple in front of his master. If I were you, I would be furious too."
Jie Fuxue frowned and said, "Madam Lu—"
"You bastard's wife, it's not like I don't have a name." Qu Fengyu looked at her irritably. "What are you glaring at me for, little fatty? If you're so capable, go outside and show me a few moves."
"You—" Xie Fuxue was so angry that her face turned pale.
"Feng Yu." Wu Hezhi called out to her, then looked at Xie Fuxue, "Sect Leader Xie, you should go ahead and attend to your work."
Jie Fuxue glanced coldly at Qu Fengyu, then turned and cupped her hands to Wu Hezhi, saying, "Yes."
After Xie Fuxue left, Wu Hezhi looked at Qu Fengyu with a headache and said, "She is now the one who truly controls Yanghua Sect, so you should be more polite to her."
“She’s just a fame-seeker, I can’t be bothered with her.” Qu Fengyu sat down on the edge of the couch and nudged him with her arm. “Move over a little, give me some space.”
Wu Hezhi coughed a few more times from being jostled by her, and said with a wry smile, "You are now Lu Zhenyi's Daoist partner. It's really improper for us, a single man and woman, to spend our lives together—"
"Wu Hezhi!" Qu Fengyu grabbed his shirt and said fiercely, "How many times have I told you? I was tricked into marrying him by Qu Qing. I have no liking for that bastard surnamed Lu, and he doesn't like me either. Once I finish this matter, we will dissolve our Daoist partnership!"
Wu Hezhi let her tug at his collar, his handsome features bearing a helpless smile. "The Spirit Dragon Sect is the largest sect in Pingze, and Lu Zhenyi is its chief disciple. If you—"
"If you utter another word, I'll rip out your tongue." Qu Fengyu's face darkened.
Wu Hezhi smiled, then lowered his eyes with a touch of melancholy. "I am... at my wit's end."
"I didn't come here for you." Qu Fengyu let go of her hand, turned her face away and muttered, "Although Qu Qing is crazy, Wei Feng is still my nephew. I will find a way to take him away."
Wu Hezhi slowly closed his eyes, letting her lean on his shoulder.
"If you want to protect Feng, even without Jiang Gu, you'll have to deal with more than just Xie Fuxue and Ruan Keji's group; you'll also have to deal with Qu Qing's people. Why bother?"
After a long pause, Qu Fengyu's voice finally rang out: "I have failed him."
Inside the hall, incense smoke drifted in the air, while outside, a strong wind rose, and the gloomy sky loomed closer, making the window frames rattle.
Wu Hezhi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and sighed, "It seems the weather is about to change."
——
Yanghua Sect, Xieyu Peak.
"Jiang Gu is leaving?" Ruan Keji frowned as he looked at Xie Fuxue sitting opposite him. "Why so suddenly?"
“They said the Jiang family urgently summoned him.” Xie Fuxue’s brows furrowed even deeper than his. “But when Wu Hezhi asked him to stay after the sect competition, he readily agreed. When I said we couldn’t take Wei Feng with us, he didn’t object.”
"That's strange." Ruan Keji narrowed his sharp, three-white eyes, a playful look in them. "Is he in a hurry or not?"
“It’s hard to say. Although Jiang Gu is young, he is difficult to deal with. Every member of the Jiang family is shrewd and cunning. Even the old folks who are a thousand or eight hundred years old are wary of him.” Xie Fuxue pondered, “He clearly came for Wei Feng before, but then he wanted to leave. And now Qu Fengyu has come. She herself is not to be feared, but she is backed by Lu Zhenyi of the Linglong Sect. The Zhou family also recently sent me an invitation to send someone… It doesn’t seem right no matter how you look at it.”
"It seems Jiang Gu has figured something out and is preparing to leave early." Ruan Keji tapped the table with his fingers. "Could it be that he obtained a divine artifact during his trip to the Xiyuan Secret Realm?"
“Then there’s no need for Lu Zhenyi to fight Zhou Ningjiang to the death.” Xie Fuxue shook her head in denial. “I heard that Lu Zhenyi is still healing her injuries, and Zhou Ningjiang has also gone into seclusion.”
“This is strange, we can’t just sit here and wait to die,” Ruan Keji said. “We’ll make our move as soon as Jiang Gu leaves.”
Xie Fuxue nodded, got up and left.
Ruan Keji pondered for a while, then flicked his sleeve and unfolded a water mirror in front of him, revealing a woman in black robes. She removed her mask, revealing a face that bore a striking resemblance to Qu Fengyu.
“Madam Qu, did you hear that?” Ruan Keji said.
Qu Qing's expression was indifferent. "I will lend you a hand, and I hope you will keep your word."
“That’s for sure. Xie Fuxue will definitely be unable to restrain herself and kill Wu Hezhi. As long as you and I join forces to kill Xie Fuxue and help me ascend to the position of sect leader, I will offer up Wei Mingzhou’s Purple Mansion and Wei Feng as well,” Ruan Keji said.
"No, I only want the Purple Mansion of Mingzhou." Qu Qing said, "Find a way to kill Wei Feng."
Ruan Keji was taken aback. "Killed Wei Feng?"
“He has become a huge problem now. If we don’t kill him now, it will be a disaster for both of us.”
——
Qingping Peak.
When Wei Feng woke up again, he was lying on his bed in his room. He vaguely saw a figure, and his heart leaped with joy. He managed to move his lips with difficulty, "Master..."
"Awake?" It was Xuan Zhiyan's voice that rang out.
He walked towards Wei Feng, whose vision gradually cleared. Wei Feng froze when he saw him, "Zhiyan?"
"How did you get yourself into this state in your own home?" Xuan Zhiyan sighed, reaching out to help him sit up and lean against the bed. "Your injuries are too severe, even your primordial spirit is damaged. I had some medical cultivators from Lianyun Peak come to treat your injuries, but their cultivation is limited, so they can only heal about 70-80%. You'll have to slowly recover the rest. I searched the entire Yanghua Sect but couldn't find Elder Jiang. Do you know where your master went?"
Wei Feng looked at him with a weary and miserable gaze, then reached out to support himself on the bedpost and tried to get down.
"Ancestor! Are you out of your mind?!" Xuan Zhiyan quickly grabbed the man and pressed him down. "Your wrists and ankles are broken! How can you let your newly healed bones fall to the ground so carelessly!"
"It's okay, I... I'll go find my master." Wei Feng tried to push him away.
“Wei Feng!” Xuan Zhiyan’s voice suddenly turned deep.
Wei Feng was stunned for a moment, met his gaze for a while, and then silently looked away.
"You've been acting strangely ever since we came back from the Stream Source Secret Realm. Did Jiang Gu do something bad to you?" Xuan Zhiyan frowned and asked, "What did he do?"
"No, don't make wild guesses." Wei Feng lowered his eyes and said, "My master has always treated me very well. He loves me very much and even risked his life to save me. He would never harm me."
He suddenly fell silent, staring blankly at his hands, which had grown back with flesh and bone, still bearing traces of gruesome blood.
Xuan Zhiyan got up, paced around the room in agitation, and suddenly stopped, kicking over the stool next to the bed.
"You're a fucking idiot!" He pointed at Wei Feng and cursed, "Use your dog brain to think about it. Jiang Gu gave up being the young master of the Jiang family to run to a backwater like Yanghua Sect to take you as his disciple and treat you like a treasure. Is it because you have extraordinary talent or just good luck?! If he didn't have designs on you, I'd change my name!"
Wei Feng was startled by his sudden outburst.
“Anyone with a brain can see that you told me you knew what was going on, but I think your brain has been eaten by a dog.” Xuan Zhiyan took a deep breath, bent down and picked up the stool again. “When I came to see you lying at his door, I felt something was wrong. He’s a powerful cultivator in the Void Refinement stage. If he didn’t tacitly approve, who would dare to injure you like this under his nose?”
Wei Feng stared silently at his palm for a long time before his voice became hoarse as he said, "I can give him anything he wants... Why can't he just be a good master to me?"
Xuan Zhiyan wiped his face. "I guess he doesn't care. He's the seventh young master of the Jiang family. What kind of disciple can't he have? Why would he really look down on a small family like Yanghua?"
Wei Feng looked up and smiled at him.
"You still have the nerve to laugh." Xuan Zhiyan reached out and pinched his cheek. "Next time, use your brain a little. You rush to fawn over people who are even slightly nice to you. If you run into a stupid one, that's one thing, but if you run into someone like Jiang Gu, you wouldn't have enough lives to kill."
Wei Feng mumbled, "I understand."
"Alright, you should focus on recovering first. I'll go back and ask my master for advice." Xuan Zhiyan advised him, "If your master comes back, don't try to anger him. We can't afford to offend the Jiang family. Save your life first, then we'll figure out a solution, understand?"
Wei Feng nodded and gave him a reassuring look. "Don't worry."
Xuan Zhiyan gave a few more instructions before leaving, still feeling uneasy.
After he left, Wei Feng's smile slowly faded. A faint, lingering fragrance filled the air. Countless black ghost patterns spread rapidly like hair to his eyes, slowly emerging from his neck, ear canals, and pale pupils, frantically sniffing the scent that belonged to Jiang Gu.
Wei Feng slumped his head listlessly, stuck out his long, forked tongue, and gently licked his palm with the tip of his bright red tongue.
I want to find a master.
The faint, almost invisible black aura spread rapidly outwards from him, covering the entire Yanghua Sect in the blink of an eye. Soon, it locked onto the source of the faint fragrance, echoing the black aura within Jiang Gu's body.
Wei Feng blinked slowly, and Jiang Gu's figure was reflected in his white pupils. He instantly perked up.
Black ghost patterns lurked in the mist, silently spying.
On the back mountain, Jiang Gu untied the spirit pet pouch at his waist and threw out the puppet inside.
Qin Zhi rolled twice and crashed into the hard stone wall. He then quickly got up and stared at him warily. Immediately afterward, a whimpering sound came from behind him.
He turned his head and saw a boy of about sixteen or seventeen years old, who was tied up tightly and hanging in the cave.
Lu Ziming angrily kicked and thrashed in the air, but his eyes and mouth were sealed shut, leaving him unable to see or speak, and he was utterly helpless.
"What exactly are you—" Before Qin Zhi could finish his question, a puppet needle struck him squarely between the eyebrows, and he instantly lost all self-control.
"You are Jiang Lin's puppet, ordered by your master to guard Lu Ziming here. Anyone who comes is to be killed without mercy." Jiang Gu gave him the order. "Jiang Lin's other identity is Zhou Huaiming of the Zhou family. Remember that?"
"Yes." Qin Zhi nodded stiffly.
Jiang Gu curled the corners of his lips and resealed the barrier. Inside the barrier, Qin Zhi was dutifully guarding Lu Ziming. Once Lu Zhenyi arrived, they would be able to find the "real culprit."
One of Jiang Gu's few pleasures was to make his opponents kill each other.
He stepped out of the cave, the faint black mist following him like a shadow. The ghostly patterns inside turned their heads to "look" at the barrier, hesitated for a moment, and then followed Jiang Gu out.
Jiang Gu walked steadily. Under the cover of the night and the black mist, the ghostly pattern silently wrapped around Jiang Gu's ankle, and then carefully tried to move upward along the thin fabric. Just as it was about to wrap around his thigh, it was grabbed and pulled up by a slender, slightly cool hand.
He immediately felt a chill.
Jiang Gu looked at the seven or eight wriggling ghost patterns on his fingers with a displeased expression. But the ghost patterns seemed to be aware of their own existence, rubbing against his fingertips in a flattering manner, and wrapping themselves around Jiang Gu's fingers and wrists. The dirty blackness covered his fair palms, revealing a kind of eerie and ghostly aura in the night.
“Wei Feng.” Jiang Gu immediately recognized who these disgusting things came from.
The ghostly patterns froze for a moment, then remained motionless on his hand, pretending to be dead.
"Get out of here," Jiang Gu said coldly.
The ghostly pattern twitched, then reluctantly retreated from his hand. One of them silently slipped into his sleeve and quickly crawled into his front, trying to burrow into his heart.
Before it could even touch Jiang Gu's skin, it was grabbed by the tail and pulled out.
The released ghostly patterns vanished instantly, and Wei Feng felt a sharp pain in his chest, spitting out a mouthful of foul blood.
"Overestimating yourself." Jiang Gu scoffed coldly and turned to leave.
But he didn't notice an extremely thin ghost mark hidden in his hair, silently curling up behind his ear.
On Qingping Peak, Wei Feng wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and revealed a satisfied smile.
Master's teachings were indeed correct; the smaller and more insignificant something is, the easier it is to overlook. That ghostly mark was like that, and so was he.
His master told him to leave, but he refused.
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