Chapter 32: People of the Martial World

Lu Cunyi turned his head, and a numbness crept over his entire body.

Approaching were two more men, one elderly, the other middle-aged.

The older man appeared even more advanced in years than Duan Rui, his head crowned with a greater abundance of white hair; his face was long, mottled with age spots. The middle-aged man, by contrast, had a round, plump face, remarkably rosy, as though he suffered from a surplus of nourishment.

Lu Cunyi recognized them both: Ge Huawen and Ouyang Zhen of the Mount Heng School—the elder, Ge Huawen; the plump one, Ouyang Zhen.

In both cultivation and status, these two were equals of Duan Rui and Dong Qingfei from the same sect, and Lu Cunyi dared not offend them either.

So Lu Cunyi stood his ground, awaiting what would unfold.

"Brother Ge, it has been some time," Duan Rui greeted first.

"Brother Duan, well met," Ge Huawen replied with an amiable tone.

"Brother Ge, your timing is unfortunate. Chief Lu here has just promised this pill furnace to me," Duan Rui said.

Lu Cunyi thought bitterly that if one were to lie, at least give some warning. How could such a blatant falsehood be uttered without the slightest preamble?

"Is that so? Yet I heard this object was abandoned by a thief and now belongs to no one. If it is ownerless, how can Chief Lu have the right to give it to you?"

"This item was clearly seized from the thief by Chief Lu, so it is naturally his for the time being. Chief Lu, tell us—did you not intend to give the furnace to me just now?" Duan Rui cast a chilling glance at Lu Cunyi once more.

"Chief Lu, think carefully—should you be the one to bestow such a treasure?" Ge Huawen’s expression remained pleasant, but Lu Cunyi knew his temper was infamous for turning as swiftly as a flipped page.

Cradling the pill furnace, Lu Cunyi was almost in tears. All he wished was to declare that he had nothing to do with this furnace and that the others could fight over it as they pleased.

It was the bald young man who reacted quickest—he hurried forward and said, "Chief, I just saw the thief flee toward the lakeside. We should give chase!"

Lu Cunyi seized the opportunity, quickly setting the pill furnace on the ground. "Honored elders, that thief wounded me with a hidden weapon. I shall never share the same sky with him. Once I’ve killed the rogue, I’ll return to receive your instruction." With that, he turned and fled, the bald youth following swiftly behind.

"You impudent Lu Cunyi—how dare you defy me!" Duan Rui roared in anger.

"Brother Duan, the treasure is now truly without an owner. Shall we sit and discuss how to divide it, or settle the matter with our fists?" Ge Huawen asked.

"Brother Ge, I know my skills are slightly lacking. But must you always rub it in every time we meet? And surely you’re not here merely for this pill furnace. Have you nothing better to do than pick a fight?"

"Haha, Brother Duan, you speak my mind. Let’s stick to our old arrangement—split it fifty-fifty."

"Agreed. May our cooperation be fruitful."

The two men burst out in hearty laughter.

——————

Chu Tianfeng had no idea the pill furnace he had carelessly discarded was being treated as a coveted treasure by others.

He was focused solely on escaping, his mind too preoccupied for any other thought.

He dashed through the forest and over a stream until the endless expanse of the lake appeared before him.

With a final burst of speed, his figure shot like an arrow to the shore, where he leapt into the air.

Almost at that very instant, a gunshot rang out not far off.

Chu Tianfeng was not unfamiliar with firearms; he knew the power of such hot weapons, and in his current state, he could not withstand them.

A violent shock coursed through his body, followed by a sharp pain in his back—he had been shot!

The bullet had evidently pierced his protective energy and entered his back.

He had no time to see who had fired the shot. He immediately dove underwater and began swimming toward the center of the lake.

Blood streamed steadily from his wound, dyeing the waters red; behind him, a crimson ribbon marked his passage.

He continued to employ his internal breathing technique, swimming for dozens of minutes before rising briefly to the surface to catch his breath, then diving again, repeating the process.

Had he not been injured, or his wound been lighter, this method would have sufficed. But his wound was grave—the bullet lodged deep in his back, causing him to lose blood rapidly.

After his third dive, he soon felt his strength ebbing and his head growing dizzy. He was tempted to simply drift off into sleep.

But reason warned him against it—the assassin could be close behind, finger on the trigger.

So he rose to the surface again, clinging to consciousness by sheer will.

—

He did not know how much time had passed when he saw a swan—a white swan—gliding nearby.

The swan swam close and, to his astonishment, spoke in a woman’s voice: "Look, there’s someone in the water!"

Another voice replied, "Where?"

Chu Tianfeng was bewildered: how could a swan have two voices?

"There, over there."

Moments later, two human heads emerged from beneath the swan’s belly—one with long, flowing hair, the other with a short, neat bob. Both faces were beautiful, the long-haired woman so stunning that Chu Tianfeng felt she looked familiar, as if he’d met her before.

The swan drew alongside him.

"Chu Tianfeng!" the long-haired woman cried in alarm.

"It really is him!" the bob-haired woman echoed in surprise.

"Quick, help him aboard," urged the first.

"Be careful, Yunmeng, let me," the other said.

Together, the two women hauled Chu Tianfeng onto the swan’s belly.

At first, Chu Tianfeng did not lose consciousness, but as he truly saw their faces, his taut mind finally relaxed; he gave a faint smile and slipped into a deep sleep.

Indeed, he knew both women—one was Xiao Yunmeng, the other her agent, Shi Xiaomei.

Xiao Yunmeng had no filming today. Taking advantage of the fine weather, she had dragged Shi Xiaomei out for a ride on one of the swan-shaped pedal boats provided by the hotel.

They had spent the entire morning on the water, and at last, hungry, had started back—only to find Chu Tianfeng floating in the lake, prompting their rescue.

"His back is wounded," Xiao Yunmeng murmured helplessly, sticky with blood.

"We should revive him first," Shi Xiaomei said.

She laid Chu Tianfeng flat and gently propped his head.

"Will you do it, or shall I?" Xiao Yunmeng asked.

"I’d better—if someone took a photo, it could cause a scandal and hurt your reputation," Shi Xiaomei replied.

Xiao Yunmeng rolled her eyes. "Are you seriously worrying about that right now?"

Shi Xiaomei smiled faintly, then leaned over Chu Tianfeng, performing chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

After several minutes, Shi Xiaomei was flushed with exertion, but Chu Tianfeng showed no response.

"Let me try," Xiao Yunmeng said firmly, gently pushing her aside.

Shi Xiaomei, exhausted, made no objection.

Xiao Yunmeng bent down, alternating chest compressions and artificial respiration.

Perhaps it was luck, or perhaps her technique was more precise, but within a minute, Chu Tianfeng coughed violently and opened his eyes.

"You’re finally awake!" Xiao Yunmeng wiped the sweat from her brow.

Chu Tianfeng spat out water in great gulps, then looked up at last. "Thank you!"

"Don’t mention it. What happened to you?" Xiao Yunmeng asked with concern.

Glancing about, Chu Tianfeng realized the ‘swan’ he’d seen before fainting was actually a swan-shaped boat.

"I was ambushed," Chu Tianfeng replied with a faint smile. "Where am I?"

"This is the hotel’s swan boat. We’re still on the lake," Xiao Yunmeng explained.

"Thank you both. Could you take me to the nearest island and leave me there?" Chu Tianfeng still avoided her question.

"No. What about your wound?" Xiao Yunmeng objected.

"Exactly. We went through all this trouble to save you—if you die, we’ll be in trouble," Shi Xiaomei added.

Xiao Yunmeng rolled her eyes again.

—

"I’ll be fine. Once I’m on the island, I can heal myself," Chu Tianfeng said, then sat cross-legged, closed his eyes, and began circulating his energy.

The Five Elements Technique was formidable. In moments, Chu Tianfeng used his spiritual sense to locate the bullet, wrapped it in his inner power, and with a slight shudder of his body—

With a muffled pop, the bullet shot out of his back. Chu Tianfeng’s right hand flashed back and seized it.

The bullet was unusually long—not a standard handgun round.

"You—you…" Xiao Yunmeng and Shi Xiaomei stared in astonishment. It was their first time witnessing anyone extract a bullet this way.

"You can rest assured now," Chu Tianfeng said, scanning his wound with his spiritual sense and sealing it with his energy. The bleeding stopped instantly.

He pocketed the bullet, intending to find out who had fired it and, if possible, to return it to them.

"But you’ve lost a lot of blood. Shouldn’t you go to the hospital?" Xiao Yunmeng asked.

"I can’t go to the hospital. And I can’t stay with you, either—otherwise, you’ll be dragged into danger," Chu Tianfeng replied gravely.

"How about we take you back to the hotel and have the doctor meet you there?" Xiao Yunmeng suggested.

"There’s really no need. This is a minor wound to me, truly. Trust me," Chu Tianfeng insisted, unwilling to involve anyone else, especially his rescuers.

Xiao Yunmeng could only turn helplessly to Shi Xiaomei.

Shi Xiaomei handed Xiao Yunmeng some wet wipes. "Let him play the hero if he wants; after all, he’s a man."

"Very well. But take care. If anything happens, call us," Xiao Yunmeng said, wiping her hands.

"Thank you. Please let Director Zhang know I’ve gone on a trip out of town," Chu Tianfeng said.

He knew his injury would not heal in a day or two.

Moreover, the Mojin Sect and that lurking assassin would not let him go easily. For now, he could not show himself publicly.

"I’ll go pedal the boat," Shi Xiaomei said, pouting.

"All right. You get some rest," Xiao Yunmeng replied, heading for the bow.

Half an hour later, the boat reached an unremarkable little island.

Chu Tianfeng bid farewell to the two women, again expressing his thanks.

"What kind of man is he, really?" Xiao Yunmeng murmured, watching his retreating figure.

"A man of the jianghu," Shi Xiaomei blurted.

Xiao Yunmeng rolled her eyes yet again.

"Fine, but judging by how he doesn’t want to implicate us, he can’t be a bad person."

"And?"

"What else? I’m starving, I can’t think," Shi Xiaomei replied weakly.

They had found Chu Tianfeng near one in the afternoon. After all the commotion, they had not eaten a thing and were completely drained.

"Didn’t you notice his eyes that rainy night?" Xiao Yunmeng asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"His eyes? What about them? Like a hunter spotting his prey?" Shi Xiaomei grew uneasy.

Xiao Yunmeng was not only her boss but her idol—she did not want anything bad to happen to her.

"I give up," Xiao Yunmeng sighed, rolling her eyes repeatedly. "His eyes were full of compassion. I still can’t understand it."

"So?"

"Well, at least it means he’s kind."

"Let’s say so. But what’s that got to do with us? I’m so hungry I can barely move!" As soon as Shi Xiaomei relaxed, hunger returned with a vengeance, leaving her legs weak and unsteady.

"…"