Chapter 111: Meeting Xiao Yunmeng Again

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The half-immortal Chu Tianfeng moved swiftly. In less than ten minutes, he had drawn close to the group of martial artists.

A brief sweep of his spiritual sense confirmed that Xi Yazi had been right.

There were eleven martial artists in all: two at the late stage of the Force Transformation Realm, two at the early stage, and six at the Dark Force Realm. The last was an ordinary man wearing glasses, with no cultivation whatsoever.

The two late-stage martial artists appeared to be around fifty. One was short and stout, with a round face. The other was tall and broad-shouldered, with a square face and three long tufts of beard hanging beneath his chin.

The two early-stage martial artists did not look young either, appearing to be in their forties. One had a long face and wore his hair long. The other had a horse-like face and an emaciated frame, thin as a bamboo pole.

Of the eleven, four carried flashlights: the square-faced elder at the front, the two middle-aged men at the early stage of Force Transformation, and the bespectacled civilian.

“Everyone, be careful. I heard the Huangshan and Hengshan factions were wiped out here last time,” the round-faced elder growled over his shoulder as he advanced with his back hunched.

“Yes!” the others answered in low voices.

“Heh heh. I think the Special Operations Group must have changed locations. No fool would ambush people in the same place twice,” the square-faced elder said with a laugh. “Besides, I really can’t understand how the Huangshan and Hengshan factions could have lost to the Special Operations Group, given their strength.”

Hidden in the darkness, Chu Tianfeng was caught between laughter and tears.

Indeed, if he had not insisted, Du Jingjing and the others would certainly have chosen another ambush site.

His reason had been simple: Yan Ruoyun was badly injured and needed a quiet place to recuperate.

In truth, however, he had felt that since they had already fought a battle here, those martial artists would never return. He could then cultivate in peace.

Who could have guessed that human calculations would never match the heavens’ arrangements? This bunch of fools had actually gone out of their way to throw themselves into the barrel of his gun.

This was not merely stupidity.

They were practically begging to be beaten.

“Red Tiger, don’t forget that the Special Operations Group isn’t carrying rolling pins. If they use heavy weapons, they could wipe out ten Huangshan or Hengshan factions,” the round-faced elder rebuked him in a low voice.

The instant he finished speaking, a muffled thud sounded.

“Who was that?” The round-faced elder glared behind him. “Which damned idiot was so careless he tripped while walking?”

Hidden among the trees, Chu Tianfeng nearly laughed himself breathless.

He had just sent out an ice spike, striking the long-faced early-stage martial artist at the very rear of the group.

Kill!

After dropping that man, Chu Tianfeng immediately swept both hands through the air. Ice spikes descended in a dense storm upon the group at the rear.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The four martial artists at the back were all relatively weak. They had no time to react before the ice spikes struck them, and they cried out in agony.

“Not good!”

The round-faced elder instinctively rolled into the grass and looked around warily.

The others did the same. Thinking their attackers were using firearms, they rolled into the grass, seeking cover in panic.

Their habitual way of thinking, however, was what doomed them.

Their opponent was not hiding in the darkness and shooting at them as they had imagined. He was concealed right beside them, sending ice spikes at them without pause.

And so, a most theatrical scene unfolded.

The martial artists crouched in the grass as if they had made an arrangement with Chu Tianfeng. Whenever an ice spike flew toward them, one of them would let out a scream, then another, until they collapsed one after another.

For a moment, Chu Tianfeng almost thought he had wandered onto a film set. He imagined that after lying there for a while, these men would climb to their feet, grin, gather together, and start discussing whether they were being paid one hundred or two hundred yuan.

The only difference was that the actors here were unusually dedicated. Their screams sounded terrifyingly genuine, rising and falling in waves.

In a matter of moments, all four men apart from the round-faced and square-faced elders had been struck. Not one escaped.

The horse-faced early-stage martial artist died the most miserably. Chu Tianfeng had taken special care of him, sending dozens of ice spikes into his body until he was reduced to a bloody ruin.

The bespectacled civilian had been struck by only two or three spikes. He was not quite dead yet and lay on the ground shouting, “It has nothing to do with me! I’m a translator! I’m a translator!”

Chu Tianfeng could only mourn for him inwardly and offer his apologies.

The round-faced and square-faced elders had reacted quickly enough. After watching their subordinates fall one after another, they finally sensed that something was wrong. They also realized that hiding would accomplish nothing.

The two old men exchanged a glance, and each saw the same word in the other’s eyes:

Run!

Separate and run! The farther, the better!

Without saying a word, they leaped to their feet.

The round-faced elder fled to the left, while the square-faced elder fled to the right, both running for their lives.

Without hesitation, Chu Tianfeng went after the square-faced elder.

There was no choice. The man was taller and more conspicuous.

The square-faced elder was only at the late stage of Force Transformation. In a contest of speed with Chu Tianfeng, he was like a kindergartener racing a university student.

There was no suspense.

The square-faced elder had run barely thirty feet before Chu Tianfeng caught up with him.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

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Hearing the wind behind him, the square-faced elder hurriedly rolled across the ground, trying to evade the incoming ice spikes.

His ideal was beautiful, but reality was painfully stark.

His movements were far slower than his thoughts, and far slower than Chu Tianfeng’s ice spikes.

Aaaah!

The square-faced elder’s scream was strangely melodious, almost enchanting.

Still, it was not something anyone should listen to in the middle of the night.

Even Xi Yazi felt a chill run through her and frowned in discomfort.

Chu Tianfeng swept his spiritual sense briefly over the square-faced elder, whose body had been reduced to a mass of bloody holes, then turned and left.

When the round-faced elder heard the square-faced elder’s scream, he was scared half to death.

He summoned every ounce of strength and ran wildly.

In Chu Tianfeng’s eyes, however, his speed was pitiful.

In less than three minutes, Chu Tianfeng appeared behind him.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Unlike the square-faced elder, the round-faced elder never even considered dodging.

He simply ran for his life, hoping to escape the range of the ice-spike attack.

A sharp sizzling sound rang out repeatedly.

The ice spikes sank effortlessly into the round-faced elder’s body.

Once again, a high, rolling scream rang through the night.

Chu Tianfeng revealed himself and kicked the corpse onto its back. He removed the man’s pack, then returned to the original site.

The group had not carried many firearms, only a little over twenty. There were also several strange pairs of goggles. Chu Tianfeng collected everything, took Xi Yazi with him, and returned to base.

“That young lady is still waiting for you.” They were still several hundred yards from the camp when Xi Yazi’s voice came through his spiritual sense.

Chu Tianfeng rolled his eyes. He had reminded Xi Yazi several times not to call everyone “young lady,” but the female ghost seemed to have a poor memory. No matter how often he corrected her, she always returned to those same two words.

Before long, Chu Tianfeng’s spiritual sense also detected Du Jingjing.

She stood halfway up the mountain, a pair of binoculars in her hands, her face bright with a smile.

Looking at her delicate figure standing in the cold wind, Chu Tianfeng felt a warm current pass through his heart.

“Let’s go back.” Chu Tianfeng walked up to Du Jingjing.

“How did it go? Were you hurt?” Du Jingjing examined him anxiously from head to toe.

“What could possibly happen while dealing with a few ants?” Chu Tianfeng returned the pistol and ammunition to Du Jingjing. “We’ll talk when we get back.”

The two returned to the House of Chu Tianfeng. Lü Hui and Wei Chengxun had not rested either; they were sitting beside the stretcher, keeping Yan Ruoyun company in conversation.

Chu Tianfeng took out all the spoils of war at once and dumped them onto the ground.

“Wow!”

Lü Hui and Wei Chengxun shone their flashlights over the items one by one, exclaiming in surprise.

“With a scope, and even an infrared sight. This gun must have cost a fortune,” Lü Hui said loudly as he picked up several components.

“These goggles are strange. They’re actually infrared binoculars!” Wei Chengxun exclaimed, his eyes wide with admiration.

Du Jingjing, meanwhile, studied the identification cards one by one and murmured, “Zhang Bufan, Chen Zhao, Li Yinglong... Wait, they all seem to be members of the Tomb Raiders Sect.”

“Let me see.” Lü Hui snatched the cards from her and examined them for a moment. “That’s right. Zhang Bufan’s nickname is Blue Tiger, and Li Yinglong’s is Red Tiger. They’re both among Cao Zhengming’s chief lieutenants.”

“Their bodies are over on the slope. Find some people to deal with them tomorrow.” Chu Tianfeng stretched lazily. “Good night, everyone.”

Lü Hui watched Chu Tianfeng’s retreating back, then turned to Du Jingjing. “How are we supposed to write the report this time?”

Du Jingjing thought for a moment before replying, “Just write the truth. Tomorrow, go back to the site and search it again to see whether there are any other clues.”

Chu Tianfeng naturally had no objections to Du Jingjing’s arrangement.

Or rather, he had no interest in offering any opinions.

He went straight to another valley and continued practicing the Five Elements Escape Arts with frenzied determination.

Early the next morning, Lü Hui and Wei Chengxun carefully made their way to the slope and conducted another thorough search of the site.

Naturally, they did not forget to photograph each of the dead men. At Du Jingjing’s instruction, they also called the local armed police and asked them to handle the matter.

For the next several days, everything remained calm. No armed martial artists passed through again.

Yan Ruoyun’s injuries had largely healed, and she was once more capable of taking care of herself.

With the Lunar New Year approaching, Du Jingjing discussed the return journey with Lü Hui and the others. They naturally agreed enthusiastically.

Chu Tianfeng, however, refused to return to Tianhai with Du Jingjing, citing important business of his own.

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Du Jingjing was quite reluctant to leave, but in the end she still bade Chu Tianfeng farewell. After arranging to meet him again in An City, she led Lü Hui and the others down the mountain.

After seeing Du Jingjing and the others off, Chu Tianfeng forged another ring and went to a supermarket in downtown Ruimei to purchase supplies in bulk.

Tents, a bathtub, mineral water, bedding, clothing, cooking oil, salt, and countless other necessities—even a liquefied-gas stove and gas cylinders. He filled an entire ring to the brim.

Chu Tianfeng felt little about celebrating the New Year. In his previous life, he had often secluded himself for months or even years at a time. To him, the New Year was, at most, merely a unit of measurement.

Nothing more.

After returning to the base, Chu Tianfeng continued cultivating as he always did.

During that time, Xi Yazi warned him twice that armed martial artists had passed nearby, but he paid no attention.

He did not consider himself a good man, nor did he feel obligated to shield the Special Operations Group from danger.

He merely assembled several pistols for self-defense.

Twenty days passed in a flash. His cultivation had advanced little. Of the Five Elements Escape Arts, only Wind Escape had reached a modest level of proficiency; the others had made no meaningful progress.

On the day of the Lantern Festival, Chu Tianfeng went down the mountain as usual and scanned the entire city of Ruimei.

Unfortunately, the result was the same as before. He found nothing.

That evening, Chu Tianfeng did not return to the House of Chu Tianfeng. Instead, he found an ordinary hotel near the Ruimei Plaza project and spent the night there.

The next day was the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, and also the day construction officially began on the Ruimei Plaza project.

Chu Tianfeng rose late, dawdled over breakfast, and only afterward strolled slowly toward the site.

The weather seemed excellent. The wind was mild and the sun bright, its rays shining hotly against his skin. Chu Tianfeng even felt as though summer had arrived.

Xiao Xinghua was as enthusiastic as ever. The moment he saw Chu Tianfeng, he opened his arms from a distance.

Chu Tianfeng remained indifferent—until Xiao Xinghua pulled him into the temporary office, where two radiant beauties were sitting on the sofa.

Then he could no longer remain indifferent.

One had long hair falling past her shoulders, her skirt fluttering elegantly. The other wore a refined work uniform and had short hair cut neatly around her ears.

They were none other than Xiao Yunmeng and her assistant, Shi Xiaomei.

“Brother Liu, allow me to introduce you. This is my daughter, Xiao Yunmeng. I’m sure you’ve heard of her. The other is her colleague, Shi Xiaomei.” After introducing the two women to Chu Tianfeng, Xiao Xinghua turned to introduce him in return. “Yunmeng, Xiaomei, this is Master Liu Feng, the very man I’ve told you about.”

“Master Liu, it’s a pleasure to meet you!” Xiao Yunmeng extended her hand first. “Thank you for saving my father.”

“Hello.” Chu Tianfeng reluctantly reached out and shook her hand.

Xiao Yunmeng’s hand was as fragrant and soft as ever.

Yet to Chu Tianfeng, it felt as though he were gripping an electric baton. A strange numb pain shot through his entire body, leaving him deeply uncomfortable.

He had never imagined that Xiao Xinghua was Xiao Yunmeng’s father.

Xiao Yunmeng had once saved his life without asking anything in return. Yet when he saved Xiao Xinghua, he had accepted a full six million yuan.

His thoughts raced as he wondered what he could give Xiao Yunmeng to make amends.

“Hello!” Seeing that Chu Tianfeng continued holding Xiao Yunmeng’s hand, Shi Xiaomei immediately reached out to rescue her.

The young woman was as protective of Xiao Yunmeng as ever.

Xiao Xinghua failed to notice Chu Tianfeng’s awkwardness. Smiling broadly, he picked up the leather briefcase on the table and removed two cards, handing them to Chu Tianfeng. “Brother Liu, this is your identification card. The other is a bank card containing your payment for today’s work.”

Chu Tianfeng was immediately mortified. How could he accept Xiao Xinghua’s money now?

“President Xiao, you’re being too generous.” Chu Tianfeng accepted the identification card but returned the bank card. “I only saved you that day because it happened to be convenient. I once searched everywhere for parasites to study, and that parasite of yours was worth more to me than gold. So I can’t accept any more money from you.”

After a moment’s thought, Chu Tianfeng took three defensive bracelets from his ring and handed them to Xiao Xinghua and the others. “Just a small gift. I hope you’ll accept it.”

Xiao Xinghua had witnessed Chu Tianfeng’s abilities. He understood that anything Chu Tianfeng gave him was bound to be extraordinary, so he accepted the bracelets without hesitation and thanked him.

“Thank you!” Xiao Yunmeng, however, assumed that the bracelet was ordinary. She accepted it with a polite smile.

“You’re welcome.” Chu Tianfeng waved his hand.

At that moment, a young man appeared at the office door. He bowed slightly and reported to Xiao Xinghua, “President Xiao, most of the guests have arrived.”

Xiao Xinghua nodded, then turned to Chu Tianfeng. “Brother Liu, let’s go take a look.”

The four of them filed out of the office. Guided by the young man, they walked toward a temporary platform erected at the construction site.

The platform was enormous, roughly two hundred square yards in area. A row of tables and chairs stood in a line, covered with red cloth, while a red carpet stretched across the ground. The entire place was filled with a festive atmosphere.

Behind the platform stood a huge red backdrop bearing the words:

“Ruimei Plaza Project Commencement Ceremony.”

Below the stage were representatives from every sector, packed tightly together: local government officials, representatives of the design, construction, and supervision companies, as well as delegates from local banks, tax authorities, and even real-estate firms.

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