Chapter 123: If You Have What It Takes, Fly Over Here

The news of Chu Tianfeng’s appearance at Peach Blossom Valley spread like a spring breeze, instantly sweeping through the Chinese martial arts world and the entertainment industry.

Xu Yan and Jiang Ziyue, being the closest to Peach Blossom Gully, were the first to be swayed by this gust of news. They had originally planned to return to Tianhai that morning, but upon hearing that Chu Tianfeng had surfaced in Peach Blossom Valley under the alias Liu Feng, Xu Yan was both shocked and delighted. Regardless of the consequences, she begged Jiang Ziyue to change their itinerary, and they rushed to Peach Blossom Town in a flurry.

After arriving at the venue and exhausting every avenue of inquiry and pleading, they finally managed to obtain a map of Peach Blossom Valley from a female martial artist. Following the map, the two women hurried toward the valley without a moment's rest. As ordinary people, it took them two hours just to reach the fissure Chu Tianfeng had crossed the previous night. Standing before the seven-or-eight-meter-wide gap, Xu Yan felt a sense of utter despair, her eyes welling with tears.

"Xu Yan, let's just go back!" Jiang Ziyue had lost count of how many times she had offered this advice.

"Mm," Xu Yan replied as she always did, yet her body remained frozen in place.

"Xu Yan, we worked so hard to get where we are today; don't you want to cherish it?" Jiang Ziyue gripped her hand tightly. "Listen to me, let's go back. He and you are like these two cliffs—though you are so close, you can never truly reach each other."

Xu Yan shook her head, offering no response.

Just then, a Buddhist chant echoed behind them: "Amitabha!"

Startled, the two women turned around to find an old monk standing by the cliffside. This was none other than Master Wuyin. After seeing off the other martial artists, the old monk had been patrolling the valley to ensure no one else had snuck in, only just now making his way back. Seeing the two women standing at the edge of the abyss, he feared they might be contemplating suicide and rushed over, taking a wide detour so as not to startle them.

However, upon reaching them and realizing they were not suicidal, he felt a bit deflated. By habit, he opened his spiritual sense to probe their cultivation levels. To his surprise, he found them to be mere mortals, but his attention was immediately caught by an anomaly on their wrists. The bracelets they wore were brimming with true essence—they were clearly magical artifacts! Intrigued, he approached them to get to the bottom of it.

Though initially fearful, the women calmed down upon seeing the monk’s kind, benevolent expression.

"Master," they said, bowing slightly.

"Amitabha," the monk replied with a bow of his own before cutting straight to the point. "Forgive my intrusion, but I noticed the bracelets you are wearing are quite extraordinary. Might I have a look at them?"

Xu Yan raised her wrist, puzzled. "You mean these?"

"Precisely," the monk replied with a smile.

Full of doubt, they nonetheless removed the bracelets and handed them over. The monk accepted them solemnly and examined them with his spiritual sense. He was no stranger to protective bracelets; he occasionally crafted them for his disciples or the children of his close friends. However, the jade bracelets he made could only hold a small amount of true essence, or the jade would shatter. Consequently, his creations could only defend against attacks below the level of Dark Jin.

But these bracelets were entirely different! They surged with true essence, comparable to the identification medallions he crafted from Geng metal. They could likely withstand an attack from a master at the early stages of the Innate Realm! He was stunned—the material was fragile jade, yet it held power equivalent to his Geng metal creations.

*Amitabha!* The old monk was inwardly shaken. He probed deeper and was shocked once more. Arrays! He had discovered complex arrays etched into the tiny bracelets.

"Master, is something wrong?" Jiang Ziyue asked, noticing his bewildered expression and fearing something was amiss.

"Not at all," the monk said, shaking himself out of his stupor. He hesitated, then asked, "Might I inquire where you obtained these?"

"We bought them at a street stall in An City a few days ago," Jiang Ziyue replied, her sharp mind keeping her from revealing the truth to a stranger.

"I see," the monk said, knowing she was lying but choosing not to press further. He handed the bracelets back with a wry smile. "It is a pity I cannot meet the maker of these. If you recall anything later, you may seek me, Wuyin, at the Wuxin Academy in Li Jia Jie. Farewell!"

As the monk drifted away, the two women stared at each other, still perplexed as to why he had placed such high value on the trinkets.

"Let's go too," Jiang Ziyue said, watching the monk disappear.

Xu Yan turned back to the cliffs, filled with lingering regret. "If only I could fly."

"Please!" Jiang Ziyue hooked her arm through Xu Yan’s. "I've said it a thousand times: Chu Tianfeng is Chu Tianfeng, and you are you. You live in two different worlds. Besides, what he did wasn't flying—it was more like a toad’s hop."

Xu Yan shot her a resentful look.

"Fine! Flying, he can fly," Jiang Ziyue said, throwing her hands toward the opposite cliff. "Chu Tianfeng! I’m starving over here! If you’re so capable, fly over here and bring me two lobsters!"

Xu Yan couldn't help but laugh, rolling her eyes at her friend. "Let's go. You manage to ruin everything."

"Hehe! Xu-jie, Auntie Xu, you've finally come to your senses," Jiang Ziyue said, pulling her along. "This way, boss!"

Xu Yan could only roll her eyes again.

***

Chu Tianfeng’s influence spread with remarkable speed. It blew out of Shaanxi, crossed the Qinling Mountains, swept through Henan and Anhui, and entered the Tianhai and Jiangsu-Zhejiang regions. After upending the lives of the Hua and Liu families, it turned north and blew straight into the capital.

In a modest villa on the outskirts of the capital, three people sat in the living room: two men and a woman. The men were an old man and a middle-aged man; the woman was young and strikingly beautiful. Had Chu Tianfeng been there, he would have recognized them instantly—the middle-aged man was Xiao Xinghua, and the young woman was Xiao Yunmeng.

The elderly man, with his silver hair and sharp, piercing eyes, was Xiao Huanwen. He was the true patriarch of the Beijing Xiao family, the father of Xiao Xinghua, and the grandfather of Xiao Yunmeng. The Xiao family was a prominent dynasty in the capital, with deep influence in both politics and commerce, particularly in real estate, construction, and luxury goods.

"Father, are you certain it is Chu Tianfeng?" Xiao Yunmeng asked, her bright eyes fixed on Xiao Xinghua.

"Yes," Xiao Xinghua nodded. "I have made inquiries, and I can confirm that Liu Feng is indeed Chu Tianfeng."

Xiao Huanwen’s expression was grave. "We must be cautious when dealing with such extraordinary figures. A sharp blade is useful, but it can easily cut the hand that wields it."

"Grandfather, I think you’re overthinking it," Xiao Yunmeng said with a smile. "I finally understand why he gave us such precious bracelets." She never took hers off, not even when she slept.

"Because you saved him?" Xiao Xinghua asked, having heard the story of her rescuing the hero.

"Yes," Xiao Yunmeng said, fiddling with the bracelet. "Sister Xiaomei said he was infatuated with me, but his eyes were completely clear—there were no other intentions."

"You saved him? When was this?" Xiao Huanwen asked, clearly unaware.

"Last August, while I was filming at Thousand Bird Lake. Sister Xiaomei and I were out on a boat when we found him lying in the water, wounded."

"And then?"

"We pulled him onto the boat and revived him. He extracted the bullet himself. I wanted to take him to our hotel for treatment, but he was worried about implicating us and insisted we drop him off on a deserted island," she recounted.

Xiao Huanwen frowned. "So, he did not approach you?"

Xiao Yunmeng pondered for a moment. "Grandfather, I don't know him well, but I have a feeling he is not a bad man, nor the kind of person you fear."

"Oh? Then what kind of person is he?"

"He is sincere and kind," she said without hesitation.

"Kind?" Xiao Huanwen smirked. "Your father just mentioned he has killed many martial artists. Kind men do not do such things."

Xiao Xinghua shrugged helplessly. "Father, does this mean you don't approve of us associating with him?"

After a moment of thought, Xiao Huanwen said slowly, "For now, keep your interactions strictly private. The Xiao family has worked hard to reach this position, and we must remain prudent. Besides, with Fuhua just having been transferred to Tianhai, I don't want any complications."

Xiao Yunmeng started to protest, but Xiao Xinghua held up a hand. "Fine. We will do as you say and keep our contact to a minimum."

Xiao Yunmeng pouted, making a face as the conversation came to an end.