Chapter 25: A Taste of Something New

As soon as Chu Tianfeng left, Shao Fei began cursing loudly.

"Bit-part actor, if you've got guts, don't run!"

"I curse your whole family, damn it!"

"You still dare to act as a bit-part? I curse your ancestors!"

"I'll cut off your third leg to ease the hatred in my heart."

...

The others stared at him, none willing to provoke him at such a moment.

Unexpectedly, his tirade went on endlessly, eventually even targeting Guo Xiancheng.

"Guo, our two sects have had ties for a thousand years, and yet you set me up?"

Guo Xiancheng remained silent.

"When that kid grabbed my throat, you never thought of saving me. In fact, you were hoping I'd die. Don't think I don't know."

Guo Xiancheng still chose silence.

"I'll remember today's grudge. I'm breaking ties with you!"

Guo Xiancheng truly wished that bit-part kid would return and crush Shao Fei's throat beneath his heel.

Suddenly, in the distance, came the rumbling sound of engines.

"Quiet, let's see who's coming." Guo Xiancheng's face went pale with fear. He was genuinely worried, afraid his secret prayers had come true and that the bit-part kid was returning.

"I'm lying down—how can I see?" Shao Fei growled angrily.

"Your junior is lying on his side." In his heart, Guo Xiancheng cursed Shao Fei's ancestors.

"Who's coming?" Shao Fei had no choice but to ask his junior.

"Too far, can't see clearly," his junior replied.

The four fell silent, each inwardly praying: let it not be that bit-part kid, let it not be that bit-part kid.

Perhaps their sincerity moved the heavens, for soon Shao Fei's junior saw that several people were approaching!

Clearly, it couldn't be the bit-part kid.

The four breathed a long sigh of relief.

"How many exactly?" Guo Xiancheng asked.

"Six," Shao Fei's junior replied.

"Can you tell who they are?"

"Not yet."

A while later, Shao Fei's junior suddenly cried out in alarm, "Damn! It's them!"

"Who?" The other three were startled.

"Hu Changde and Scarface from the Salt Society," Shao Fei's junior answered.

"Damn it, that kid must be from the Salt Society. He left us here to call for reinforcements!" Shao Fei nearly shouted.

Guo Xiancheng frowned. He didn't believe the bit-part kid was from the Salt Society; neither the kid's movement techniques nor his acupoint unlocking skills bore any resemblance to their methods. However, the kid had just left, and the Salt Society people arrived immediately. Guo Xiancheng couldn't help but see a connection.

He even suspected that the bit-part kid was the murderer last night, working with the Salt Society: the kid snatched the treasure, while the Salt Society handled the aftermath.

"Hahaha! Guo Xiancheng, Shao Fei, your day has finally come! Hahaha!" Not long after, thunderous laughter echoed from not far away.

They recognized the voice. Just last night, they had humiliated its owner, turning him into a pitiful figure.

Indeed, it was Hu Changde, Scarface, and the others from the Salt Society.

Guo Xiancheng and his companions felt a sinking dread: it was over for them this time.

"Hu, what do you want?" Shao Fei was filled with regret; had he known, he would have prayed for the bit-part kid to return instead.

"Haha! What do I want?" Hu Changde strode closer and kicked Shao Fei's leg.

"Ah!" Shao Fei cried out in pain. "Wu, I advise you to let me go, or the Hengshan Sect will raze your Salt Society to the ground!"

Hu Changde, however, looked at Shao Fei's legs with keen interest, laughing again, "Retribution!"

---

"Brother De, look!" A young man pointed at the pill furnace beside Guo Xiancheng.

"They've been immobilized by acupoints, yet the treasure remains here—strange indeed," Scarface said, puzzled.

Guo Xiancheng's mind was in a haze, confused by what he heard.

Obviously, Hu Changde had no prior knowledge of the situation here, or at least not the whole story.

Hu Changde lifted his foot and slowly placed it on Shao Fei's face. "Tell me, what's going on?"

"If you've got guts, just kill me. If I so much as flinch, I'm no man," Shao Fei gritted his teeth.

He was convinced Hu Changde had been summoned by the bit-part kid and was only asking to find an excuse for revenge.

"Don't worry, you'll talk," Hu Changde said, pressing down hard.

Shao Fei groaned, the veins on his temple bulging, sweat streaming down his face.

"Brother De, we shouldn't linger here; it's best to leave quickly," Scarface whispered.

Hu Changde nodded.

With the pill furnace as a prize, at least they had something to show for their efforts; they could report back with some success. Its presence at the scene of the fight meant it was undoubtedly valuable. If they brought it back, it might even redeem their mistakes.

As for the four captives, they'd take them back for interrogation. If they were connected to the pill furnace, they'd have to be killed to avoid any leaks.

With this decision, Hu Changde ordered his men to carry Guo Xiancheng and the others aboard the boat, and in a flash, they vanished.

---

After piloting the boat for a few miles, Chu Tianfeng abandoned it and swam toward a small island.

He hadn't killed Guo Xiancheng and the others—not because he lacked the courage, but because he simply didn't wish to. They had tried to rob him, so he robbed them in return. It was fair.

He was not someone who delighted in killing; the two he killed from the Grave Raiders last night were due to a longstanding grudge.

He also didn't want to make too many enemies—not out of fear of the Huangshan or Hengshan Sects, but because there was no need.

The island was small, less than two thousand square meters, lush with pine and cypress trees.

Chu Tianfeng found a slightly open area, sat cross-legged, and continued cultivating.

Two hours later, his stomach growled with hunger, forcing him to stop and leap to his feet.

Though this trip was rushed and he hadn't prepared food, he didn't mind. As the saying goes: "Rely on the mountains for sustenance, rely on the sea for sustenance."

He'd heard that the blue carp of Thousand Birds Lake had thick, tender flesh, a delicious taste, rich in fat, and large but few bones—considered a premium among freshwater fish. Chu Tianfeng was eager to catch one for a taste.

However, these fish usually hid in deep water, rarely venturing into shallows.

So Chu Tianfeng stripped off his clothes, leaving only his underwear, slung his pack onto his back, took up his flashlight, and dove into the lake.

As before, he wrapped his pack and flashlight with true energy, using the internal breathing technique to explore the depths.

His spiritual sense was still weak, but after advancing to the second stage of Qi Refining, he could extend it about two meters.

He could now stay underwater for over twenty minutes at a stretch.

The lake water was cool, and the bottom even colder and darker.

Chu Tianfeng searched slowly.

He encountered two groups of martial artists; one group lingered nearby for more than twenty minutes, almost suffocating him.

An hour later, he still had nothing.

Prolonged use of spiritual sense left him exhausted.

After resurfacing for a break, he glanced around—he was near the lake's center, two or three miles from the nearest shore.

He dove again, searching patiently.

Perhaps luck was on his side: this time, barely ten meters deep, he spotted a large blue-black fish swimming nearby.

It was a big blue carp, estimated at over a meter long and weighing seventy or eighty pounds.

Chu Tianfeng was overjoyed, immediately using water control techniques to speed toward the carp.

Yet the fish was clever; as soon as his flashlight shone on it, it twisted and darted deeper into the lake.

Chu Tianfeng pushed his speed to the limit, chasing close behind.

---

Fish ahead, man behind—one man and one fish began a race in the water.

Though the carp wasn't fast, Chu Tianfeng's speed underwater was only slightly greater.

Moreover, the fish didn't flee in a straight line, sometimes swerving and changing direction, outsmarting Chu Tianfeng.

Minutes passed, and the gap between Chu Tianfeng and the carp was about twenty meters.

Furious, Chu Tianfeng found the fish just outside his spiritual sense's range, making it impossible to catch.

After a few more minutes, the distance shrank again, to barely ten meters.

On land, his water bolts would easily hit and stun the fish, but in water, their power was greatly diminished, likely unable to harm it.

His internal breathing time was almost up; gazing at the fish's black back, Chu Tianfeng felt helpless.

Splash—

Just as he was about to give up and surface, a massive figure shot out ahead.

Chu Tianfeng was startled, quickly retreating.

He stared: the enormous figure was a giant python!

Its head was the size of a basin, its body as thick as a barrel, stretching twenty or thirty meters long!

The giant python appeared suddenly before the carp, catching it off guard.

The python opened its black maw and swallowed the carp whole, leaving Chu Tianfeng dumbfounded.

Chu Tianfeng realized that this was no ordinary python—it was a demon beast!

Even though his spiritual sense couldn't detect it, he could judge from its aura: at least a second-level early-stage demon beast.

Demon beast levels corresponded to human cultivators: nine levels matched Qi Refining up to Ascension, each with four sub-stages—early, middle, late, and peak.

Thus, this python was at least equivalent to an early-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.

Chu Tianfeng's expression grew grave; he knew this python's cultivation far surpassed his own, its true energy much stronger, and in water, its speed seemed greater.

Luckily, it didn't know spells—otherwise, Chu Tianfeng's death would be certain today.

The python seemed surprised Chu Tianfeng hadn't fled. It slowly swam toward him, raising its head.

Its eyes gleamed with dark green light, fixed intently on Chu Tianfeng.

Chu Tianfeng knew he stood no chance in water and had no wish to fight.

But escape was impossible; the python's speed upon appearing had made that clear.

Chu Tianfeng quietly formed spell seals, his gaze locked on the python.

The distance closed: six meters, five, four, three!

Swish!

Chu Tianfeng struck first!

He had no choice; he couldn't waste time in a standoff—his internal breathing was limited, and delay meant death.

At three or four meters, his water bolts might inflict some damage.

Normally, a demon beast's body was far tougher than a human's of the same level; such an attack wouldn't accomplish much. He only intended to warn the python, hoping it would retreat.

The python was caught off guard by Chu Tianfeng's ranged attack, unable to react before a barrage of water bolts struck.

Sss—

The python groaned, curling its body in pain.

Chu Tianfeng was astonished!

He immediately realized the creature was wounded—and not lightly.

He suddenly recalled what Lu Sheng from the Grave Raiders had mentioned: disciples of the Huangshan Sect had encountered a lake monster, several injured and one missing. The monster was said to be a giant snake, possibly seriously wounded.