Chapter 127: Chapter 126: Inexplicable Hostility

SWOOSH—

Planting his feet, Fang Han recalled the first form from the manual, "Wind Rises from the Green Willow." He slowly lifted his foot and tried to circulate his Inner Qi along the new pathways.

For the first few steps, his movements were stiff. The Inner Qi flowed unevenly through the unfamiliar meridians, occasionally threatening to go awry, and his footwork felt heavy and clumsy.

This was where his Sixteenfold Stepping Talent showed its power. Insights into the essence of the step technique flooded his mind, allowing him to quickly identify his mistakes and adjust the coordination between his Inner Qi and his steps.

The entire day passed in this manner.

By the time the sun began to set in the west, Fang Han had only managed to familiarize himself with the twelve forms of the step technique. He was still a considerable distance from reaching the Entry Level.

He rubbed his sore ankles, but there was no sign of discouragement on his face.

After all, it had taken him a full five days to reach the Entry Level with the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship. In comparison, the difficulty of this Wind Shadow Step didn’t seem to exceed his expectations.

The next day, Fang Han once again threw himself into cultivating the Wind Shadow Step.

Building on the previous day’s practice, he was much more familiar with the circulation of his Inner Qi, and his steps gradually became smoother.

As he practiced the seventh form, "Shadow-Enveloped Corridor," the Inner Qi in his body seemed to find a crucial point, and its flow suddenly accelerated.

WHOOSH!

A current of air surged beneath his feet. His body shot forward, his speed skyrocketing, leaving a faint afterimage in his wake.

Fang Han’s steps came to a halt. A flash of joy crossed his eyes; he knew he had reached the threshold.

Without slacking, he struck while the iron was hot, performing the subsequent forms in one smooth sequence.

When he finished the twelfth form, "Wind and Shadow Following," and came to a stop, he felt currents of air swirling around him. His body felt indescribably light and agile, a world of difference from the day before.

"I did it!"

Fang Han slowly relaxed his stance. As he felt the smoothly circulating Inner Qi and the wondrous lightness in his feet, the corners of his mouth curved into a slight smile.

Compared to the full five days it took him to reach the Entry Level with the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship, he had now reached the Entry Level with the equally difficult Wind Shadow Step in just two days.

The root cause was that his Stepping Talent Amplification had reached Sixteenfold, whereas when he was cultivating the Wind-Splitting Swordsmanship, his Swordsmanship Talent Amplification was only Eightfold.

...

「True Inheritance Courtyard, Chu Feng’s Residence.」

In the courtyard, exquisite rockeries stood beside gurgling streams. A few rare plants grew in the corners, creating a quiet and elegant environment.

Chu Feng was not wearing his True Inheritance Robe but a set of loose, casual clothes. He sat on a stone stool in the courtyard, sipping tea with a leisurely expression, a beautiful maidservant attending to him at his side.

Sunlight filtered through sparse bamboo leaves, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow on his face. The usual tension was gone, replaced by an air of an excellent mood.

The sound of footsteps approached, and Song Xiang walked briskly into the courtyard. His face bore a look of reverence and joy, and he held an exquisite Purple Sandalwood Box in his hands.

"Senior Brother."

Song Xiang bowed in greeting.

Chu Feng gave a faint "Mm."

"Senior Brother, this is last month’s share of the profits from the affiliated shops. The total is one hundred and twenty thousand taels of silver. Please have a look."

Song Xiang gently placed the wooden box on the stone table and opened the lid. Inside was a thick stack of new, large-denomination silver notes, each with a face value of one thousand taels.

Chu Feng’s gaze swept over the silver notes in the box. He casually picked up a stack, weighed it in his hand, and then set it back down without counting it.

"Leave it."

His tone was flat, as if one hundred and twenty thousand taels of silver were nothing more than an ordinary object.

He hadn’t invested a single tael of silver into these shops. He had merely lent them his name for affiliation, and in return, he received a monthly share of over one hundred thousand taels.

These were the benefits that came with power. He didn’t need to manage the businesses himself or even invest any money. He only needed to flash his status as a True Disciple of the Qingxuan Sect, and countless individuals and factions would willingly offer up their profits in exchange for his protection.

Song Xiang acknowledged the order but did not immediately withdraw.

He had keenly sensed that Chu Feng’s aura today was deeper and more restrained, and his body seemed to be enveloped in an indescribable, harmonious presence that was far beyond what it had been half a month ago.

More importantly, Chu Feng was leisurely drinking tea at this moment instead of being in secluded cultivation.

A bold guess surfaced in his mind. Suppressing his excitement, he asked cautiously.

"Senior Brother, you... could it be that you’ve broken through?"

"During my cultivation yesterday, the breakthrough happened naturally."

Chu Feng glanced up at Song Xiang, quite satisfied with his subordinate’s perceptiveness. He did not deny it, simply nodding slightly.

Although he had anticipated it, hearing the confirmation firsthand still sent a jolt through Song Xiang. His face instantly flushed with ecstatic joy, and his voice trembled.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother, on your promotion to the Fifth Grade! Senior Brother, the Celestial Pride List updates next month. Will you..."

His eyes were filled with anticipation, as if he could already see Chu Feng’s name becoming famous on the Celestial Pride List.

"The Celestial Pride List isn’t arranged by people. It follows some kind of mysterious rule, automatically sensing and displaying the qualified young talents within the commandery. However, simply reaching a certain cultivation level isn’t enough to get on the list."

"One must fight against others and display their strength. Furthermore, the battles must be honorable and open. Sneak attacks and ambushes are not recognized."

Hearing this, Chu Feng shook his head and took a light sip from the teacup on the stone table.

"Senior Brother, the Netherworld Pavilion has been frequently causing trouble for our Qingxuan Sect recently because of the death of their True Inheritor. Several of our True Inheritors have been ambushed by Netherworld Pavilion True Inheritors while outside the Sect and suffered serious injuries."

Song Xiang’s eyes lit up with understanding. Then, with a shift in his gaze, he lowered his voice and said.

"Everyone in the Sect is quite indignant about this. Senior Brother, you could find a Netherworld Pavilion True Inheritor and defeat them in an honorable battle. Not only would this bolster the prestige of our Qingxuan Sect and enhance your reputation within the Sect, but it would also allow you to display your strength. It would kill two birds with one stone!"

"Your thoughts coincide with mine. I already have a plan for this matter."

Chu Feng set down his teacup, his fingertips tapping lightly on the stone table as a hint of approval flashed in his eyes.

"Then I wish you swift success, Senior Brother, and fame on the Celestial Pride List!"

Song Xiang’s heart settled, knowing that Chu Feng already had a comprehensive plan. He quickly bowed.

Chu Feng waved his hand, and Song Xiang tactfully withdrew.

Silence returned to the pavilion, but Chu Feng’s thoughts had already drifted far away.

He needed a victory that was significant and eye-catching enough. A True Inheritor from the Netherworld Pavilion... was the perfect stepping stone.

...

「Inside Qingxuan City.」

Fang Han walked out of a reputable Money Shop, carrying five heavy gold ingots.

He had exchanged all five thousand taels worth of silver notes, a gift from the Xu Family, for gold.

Silver notes were convenient to carry, but they were ultimately just paper—neither fireproof nor waterproof—and they carried the risk of being lost. It was far safer and more reliable to convert them to gold and deposit it into the system panel.

Finding a quiet, deserted corner of an alley, Fang Han called up the system panel with a thought and deposited the five gold ingots.

As the gold vanished, the wealth value on the panel fluctuated.

[Host: Fang Han]

[Root Bone Talent Amplification: 16x (Level 5 Amplification requires 100,000 silver)]

[Swordsmanship Talent Amplification: 16x (Level 5 Amplification requires 100,000 silver)]

[Stepping Talent Amplification: 16x (Level 5 Amplification requires 100,000 silver)]

[Wealth: 5,230 silver]

’5,230 taels.’

Fang Han stared at the number and let out a soft sigh.

To unlock the Level 5 Amplification for any of his three talents, he needed one hundred thousand taels.

Although over five thousand taels was a decent sum, it was still a far cry from the target of one hundred thousand.

’I still need to work harder,’

Fang Han muttered to himself. Half a month had passed since his last task; it was time to accept another one.

He returned to the Sect and headed straight for the Task Hall.

As always, the Task Hall was bustling with people.

Just as Fang Han stepped through the entrance, the sharp-eyed disciple surnamed Li spotted him and immediately hurried over, his face wreathed in smiles.

"Junior Brother Fang, you’re finally here! There happen to be a few good tasks available today."

The disciple surnamed Li said enthusiastically, guiding Fang Han around the noisy main hall and back to the side hall.

The one on duty today was not the same steward as last time, but a stern-faced, middle-aged steward with sharp eyes, surnamed Han.

"Steward Han, this is Junior Brother Fang Han from the Sub-Branch."

the disciple surnamed Li introduced.

"I’ve heard of Nephew Fang’s reputation. Seventh in the Sub-Branch, young and promising."

Steward Han sized Fang Han up, a somewhat polite smile cracking his stern face.

With that, he took out several wooden task plaques from under his desk.

"These few tasks have decent rewards. See if any of them suit you."

Fang Han cupped his hands in thanks and examined them carefully.

The tasks included escorting merchant caravans, clearing out Demon Beasts, and apprehending criminals. Ultimately, his gaze landed on a one-month guard duty task.

[Task: Guard the Spirit Iron Mine on a rotational basis (Requires one captain and ten team members)]

[Requirement: Captain must have a Cultivation of Seventh Grade or higher; team members must have a Cultivation of Late Stage of Ninth Grade or higher]

[Location: Spirit Iron Mine]

[Duration: One month]

[Reward: Captain receives 300 Contribution Points per month; team members receive 120 Contribution Points per month.]

’Guard the Spirit Iron Mine?’

Fang Han’s interest was piqued.

He was no stranger to the Spirit Iron Mine. An escort mission had once started from there, which ended up causing a whole series of troubles.

However, times had changed. Qian Yong had long since fled, and the mine had likely been completely reorganized.

The reward for this task was a generous one hundred and twenty points. Although there probably wouldn’t be any extra perks, the task itself was extremely simple. It only required a few fixed patrols each day and would hardly interfere with his cultivation, which was exactly what he needed right now.

"Steward Han, this disciple would like to accept the task to guard the Spirit Iron Mine as a team member."

Fang Han made his decision.

"Very well. Assemble outside the sect gate at Chen hour in two days. Someone will communicate with you then and inform you of the specific arrangements."

Steward Han nodded.

"Thank you, Steward."

Fang Han expressed his gratitude.

Early in the morning two days later, Fang Han arrived punctually outside the sect gate with a simple luggage bundle containing a change of clothes and a few daily necessities.

Several people were already there when he arrived, and the rest arrived soon after.

Fang Han’s gaze swept over the group. He didn’t see Wang Meng this time, nor any other familiar faces.

There were men and women among the ten members. Most of them had profound auras, and their cultivation levels were all at the Late Stage of the Ninth Grade or higher, meeting the task’s requirements.

’This person...?’

However, when his gaze met that of one of the members, he saw a flash of coldness flicker in the other person’s eyes.

It was a young man in his early twenties. He had an ordinary face, but his brow carried a faint air of arrogance. He was wearing a green Disciple’s Robe.

A chill ran down Fang Han’s spine. This person held obvious hostility towards him, yet he was certain that they had never met before.

’Where did this animosity come from?’