Chapter 42: The Graceful Maiden

After some hard cultivation, seeing that it was still early, Mu Feng went again to the small mountain village where his brother Sky Splitting Tiger lived. From afar, he saw a girl in white squatting by the stream washing clothes, and a melodious song faintly reached his ears.

The song was melodious, faint, with an accent from an unknown place, soft and gentle; it was like a girl murmuring to herself, quietly telling her sorrows. As Mu Feng walked and listened, he unconsciously quickened his steps, and only realized when he suddenly found himself standing right in front of the girl in white.

“Brother Mu Feng?”

Jing Wushuang raised her head, lightly bit her pearly teeth, her face slightly flushed with the shyness unique to a young girl. Hearing Mu Feng’s footsteps, she suddenly realized he was already in front of her. She quickly stood up, holding the laundry basin, and led the way ahead with light steps.

“Shuang’er, is big brother home?”

Mu Feng walked faster to catch up with the light-footed Jing Wushuang. Although she wore a plain long dress and no makeup, from behind, the rough cloth could not hide the fair skin on her neck and her graceful figure.

Guan-guan go the ospreys,

On the islet in the river.

The graceful maiden,

Is a fine match for the gentleman.

…

Looking at Jing Wushuang’s graceful figure from behind, Mu Feng’s heart couldn’t help but ripple. The next moment, he quickly stopped himself, silently reciting the Clear Wind Method to calm down.

“Big brother went out hunting early in the morning. Maybe he won’t be back until evening, or even tomorrow.”

Jing Wushuang spoke softly. Perhaps sensing Mu Feng’s unusual gaze, her face grew even more shy, her heart racing like a deer. “Brother Mu Feng, come in. Have a cup of mountain tea.”

“Maybe I should come back another day.” Mu Feng hesitated and stopped.

Big brother Sky Splitting Tiger wasn’t home, and only Jing Wushuang, a young girl, was there. It didn’t seem appropriate for him to just walk in like this.

“No, Brother Mu Feng, come in quickly!”

Jing Wushuang pushed open the wooden door and warmly invited him in.

At her invitation, Mu Feng had no choice but to enter. Soon, Jing Wushuang brought a cup of hot tea. After taking a sip, the fragrant taste lingered. The two sat in the living room, drinking tea and chatting about recent events. Gradually, they both relaxed and became more natural, growing more familiar with each other.

“That bully Mu Qingyuan is just too hateful!”

After hearing about how Mu Qingyuan had been making trouble for Mu Feng everywhere, Jing Wushuang wore a look of hatred. Mu Feng’s expression was calm, his tone even, but upon closer thought, one could sense his hardship from just a few words.

The bigger the family, the more troubles there were. For a powerless, scholarly young man to persevere under the harassment of a bully and come this far was no easy feat.

After refilling Mu Feng’s cup halfway with hot tea, Jing Wushuang hesitated for a moment, then said, “Brother Mu Feng, that music score you brought from the Cangshu Pavilion, have you checked it carefully? Could there be some hidden advanced cultivation technique inside?”

Understanding Mu Feng’s situation, Jing Wushuang felt anxious for him and hoped he could reach the Elite Realm soon.

Compared to ordinary people who couldn’t cultivate, those in the Mortal Realm were powerful, but they were still mortals. Only by breaking through to the Elite Realm could one transcend the mortal category, with a completely different status and position. By then, Mu Feng’s status and treatment within Mu Manor would naturally greatly improve, and he wouldn’t have to endure so much hardship.

Mu Feng shook his head with a bitter smile and took the thread-bound ancient book from his chest. “I’ve looked. It’s just an ordinary music score. Shuang’er, you’re good at singing and dancing. Why don’t you keep this music score?”

“Past and Present Lives?”

Jing Wushuang took the thin thread-bound ancient book, flipped through it carefully several times, even pinched the pages and gently shook them to see if there were any hidden layers. Unfortunately, she found nothing, and she couldn’t understand the music inside. After thinking for a moment, still unwilling to give up, she placed it on the table nearby, planning to search it slowly when she had time.

“Oh, Brother Mu Feng, recently, have you felt anything unusual in your body? Any signs of poisoning?” Thinking of the Six-Winged Golden Cicada that had entered Mu Feng’s body, Jing Wushuang had been worried.

“No, it’s just that the blood in my body seems to have taken on a faint green tint.” Mu Feng shook his head and used his power to force out a drop of blood.

“Green blood?”

Seeing the blood on Mu Feng’s fingertip, Jing Wushuang’s face changed. “Not good, Brother Mu Feng! The Six-Winged Golden Cicada’s venom has seeped into your blood. Next, if it seeps into your bone marrow, it will be incurable. Come, let’s go. We must find Ghost Mother Granny immediately and have her personally detoxify you!”

Without waiting for a reply, Jing Wushuang suddenly stood up and pulled Mu Feng along. The two of them, one after the other, hurried straight to the Yinfeng Cave deep in the mountains.

Seeing her extreme anxiety, Mu Feng’s expression also turned serious. Throwing a punch with poison in the wind was good—it doubled his attack power. But if the venom spread further, that would be bad. According to the memories of Ancestral Witch Zhu Youxuan, the Blood Refining Art could refine anything in the world, even potent poison. But whether it could completely refine the Six-Winged Golden Cicada’s venom fused in his blood, he wasn’t sure.

“Shuang’er, close your eyes. I’ll carry you for a while!”

After traveling some distance on the mountain path, seeing Jing Wushuang panting and sweating profusely, Mu Feng grabbed her right hand and transferred a stream of pure Spiritual Power into her. Although she had long broken through to the Early Mortal Realm, she spent most of her time practicing medicine and refining pills. Both her physical strength and Spiritual Power were far inferior to his.

“Hmm…”

Jing Wushuang’s face flushed with shyness, her heart racing like a deer. After an internal struggle, she let Mu Feng hold her small hand. The sun was setting, and to reach Yinfeng Cave before dark, this was the only way. The next moment, she felt as if she were flying through the mountains, her right hand continuously receiving vast, pure Spiritual Power.

“Quiet, he seems like a gentle scholar; sharp and fierce, he seems like a god of slaughter, free and unrestrained. What kind of person is he, really?”

Jing Wushuang quietly opened her eyes and looked at Mu Feng, who was concentrating on the journey. For a moment, she lost herself in thought. She recalled the first time she met Mu Feng, his powerful and bold handwriting, his bravery and decisiveness when facing Ghost Mother Granny’s threat in Yinfeng Cave, and the imposing, four-faced, eight-armed shadow behind him…

After several encounters, they had become more familiar. Being with Mu Feng, she felt time seemed to pass especially quickly. But at the same time, sometimes he felt elusive—close yet far away.

“We’re here!”

Only when Mu Feng’s voice came did Jing Wushuang suddenly snap back to reality. She looked up and saw the dark, sinister Yinfeng Cave right before them. A cold Yin Wind blew towards them, making her shiver all over. She felt a deep chill from inside out, and faint, ghostly wails seemed to echo in her ears.

Yinfeng Cave!

Not many days had passed, and the two had returned to this gloomy cave once again