Chapter 140: The Flaw

“Oh, how so?”

Mu Feng raised his eyebrows and quietly pressed the boatman, who wore a Bamboo Hat and a straw raincoat.

“This old man never went to school and hasn’t seen much of the world, but I’ve lived most of my life and encountered all sorts of people. I can’t quite put my finger on what’s wrong, but that old man who suddenly boarded the boat in the middle of the night just feels strange.”

Old Man Tang, the boatman, spoke in a raspy voice. He paused, glanced up at Old Man Li snoring loudly in the cabin, and then continued, “Miss Mei is a great benefactor to my Tang family. Her friends are my friends, Old Man Tang’s friends. Young Master Mu, you must be careful on your journey. Of course, if you trust this Old Man Li, just pretend I never said anything!”

After this warning, Old Man Tang the boatman bent his head and went back to poling the boat, saying no more and remaining quiet.

“Hmm, I understand. I’ll be careful. Thank you, boatman!” Mu Feng bowed slightly in thanks, swept a glance at the boatman who was poling, and asked as if casually, “The rain is letting up. Boatman, isn’t it cumbersome to keep wearing the Bamboo Hat and straw raincoat while poling?”

“Oh?”

The boatman held the long bamboo pole, lightly tapped it on a jumble of rocks not far away to avoid the river’s scattered stones, took a breath, and then continued, “Young Master, you may not know this, but Shigeng River is the upper reach of the Jianshui River. Every summer, the morning fog is very heavy. If you stay outside the cabin for a while, your clothes will be soaked through. Although the rain has stopped, it will be dawn soon. If I take off the raincoat now, I’ll just have to put it back on later. That would be even more troublesome!”

“I see. Understood. Thank you for the explanation, boatman!”

Mu Feng nodded. Just as he was about to turn and leave, his eyes inadvertently swept over the boatman poling again, and suddenly an idea struck him. Without thinking, he added, “By the way, boatman, when I was at Plum Blossom Manor, Fourth Lady Mei spoke to me about your situation. Summer is here; an elderly person shouldn’t stay in a dark, damp room all the time. How is your mother’s paralysis? Has it improved recently?”

“Much better, thank you for your concern, Young Master!”

The boatman answered quickly without looking up, tirelessly continuing to stand at the stern and pole the boat.

“It’s good that her condition has improved!”

Mu Feng smiled, turned away without showing any expression, and went into the cabin to sit cross-legged. Only then did a cold glint flash in his eyes before he slowly closed them. The sound of the howling wind, the pitter-patter of raindrops on the boat’s canopy, and the splashing of the river waves all reached his ears clearly.

After closing his eyes, every movement around him became even clearer. He could hear the slightest noise distinctly!

“Hurricane Over the Ridge, only the grass lies low!”

Mu Feng’s heart was as clear as a mirror. He sat cross-legged on the boat without moving, quietly waiting for the storm to arrive. At a glance, he seemed to be deep in meditation, or perhaps he had already fallen asleep, his breathing growing slower and longer.

Outside the cabin, the boatman, who had been wearing the Large Bamboo Hat all along, glanced up at him. With a sharp whistle, the pigeon that had been standing on the boat canopy suddenly shook the water droplets from its feathers, spread its wings, and flew up into the sky, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

The river current was swift, and the small wooden boat sailed downstream. It was indeed much faster than traveling by land. Before dawn, they had already passed through many mountains and arrived at the famous Wind Gap Gorge.

This was an especially dangerous stretch of the river. At this point, the Shigeng River suddenly narrowed, the water flowed rapidly and fiercely, twisting and turning with many hidden reefs. Cold winds blew in gusts, howling as if ghosts were wailing and wolves were crying. As soon as they reached this place, the wind suddenly grew stronger, blowing coldly against them.

There were no sandy banks on either side, only high cliffs and steep precipices that even monkeys would find hard to climb. Looking up, they could only see a sliver of sky. The terrain bore some resemblance to Green Kill Pass. The difference was that one was a land route where everyone could advance or retreat at their own pace, while the other was a water route where everyone was crammed into a single small wooden boat. If the boat wrecked, all would perish, making it even more perilous.

Bang…

A wave surged up, nearly dashing the small wooden boat against a reef. Fortunately, the boatman was quick-eyed and swift-handed. He thrust his bamboo pole hard against a large rock nearby, and the wooden boat narrowly scraped past the reef, making everyone secretly break into a cold sweat. Old Man Li, who had been sound asleep the whole way, perhaps startled awake, suddenly sat up, his face covered in cold sweat, and cried out in terror, “Water ghosts! There are water ghosts!”

“Can’t you sleep properly instead of talking nonsense? There are no water ghosts!”

The boatman poling at the stern glared coldly at Old Man Li, who had been awakened by a nightmare, his voice hoarse. “Old man, we who make our living on the water year-round especially dislike people babbling about ghosts and spirits on the boat. If you can’t sleep, get up. Otherwise, keep your mouth shut!”

“Sorry, I had another dream!”

Old Man Li smiled apologetically, rubbed his eyes, glanced at Mu Feng sitting cross-legged opposite him, then lay back down to continue sleeping. Daybreak was near, and perhaps feeling a slight chill, he hunched his shoulders. Soon, continuous snoring sounds were heard again.

“That old man!”

A smile flickered across Mu Feng’s face. Although he hadn’t opened his eyes, he was fully aware of Old Man Li’s every move. Listening to the sound of the water outside, an idea suddenly struck him, and his Spiritual Soul left his body. Instantly, a cold sensation rushed over him, and boundless darkness rolled in, as if he were trapped in an eternally sunless world of ice and snow. The yang blood energy contained within his Spiritual Soul was nearly scattered by the sudden onslaught.

Such dense Yin Energy!

Mu Feng’s heart clenched, and he grew even more alert!

After breaking through to the Late Mortal Realm, his Spiritual Soul had undergone a qualitative leap compared to before. Even in broad daylight, he could leave his body at will and practice Soul Roaming a Thousand Miles. Ordinary lonely ghosts and wild spirits wouldn’t dare approach him. Yet now, his Spiritual Soul was almost overwhelmed by the Yin Energy here. One could imagine how concentrated it was.

Under natural circumstances, even places that never saw sunlight all year wouldn’t be so gloomy. The only explanation was that over the centuries, far too many merchants and travelers had met unfortunate ends here. Like Green Kill Pass, it had gradually become a place of great danger. Passing through here, those with slightly weaker constitutions would be somewhat affected.

No wonder Old Man Li suddenly had a nightmare!

Mu Feng nodded, quickly understanding the reason.

Wind Gap Gorge—the name “Wind Gap” said it all. To ordinary people, it was just a place with strong, cold winds. Only cultivators with deeper cultivation knew this was the fearsome Yin Wind. Frequently passing through such places, ordinary people would find their health deteriorating, with aches in their backs and legs; cultivators would feel unsettled and prone to breeding Inner Demons.

After a while, Mu Feng’s Spiritual Soul gradually adapted to the environment here.

Looking down from above, the small wooden boat was like a leaf, perilously navigating through raging waves and scattered rocks. Rising higher with his Spiritual Soul, he could see the entire river winding through the mountains like a ribbon. Over millions of years, the torrential flow had carved a gap through the majestic, grand mountains, like a giant serpent moving through the hills.

Splash…

Just as Mu Feng’s Spiritual Soul hovered in the air, looking down and preparing to carefully admire the scenery of Wind Gap Gorge, suddenly, a somewhat strange sound of flowing water reached his ears, as if something lurking beneath the surface was swimming toward the small wooden boat. Following that, the boatman, who had been silently poling all along, suddenly put his fingers to his mouth and let out a sharp whistle.

It’s coming!

A cold light flashed in Mu Feng’s eyes. His Spiritual Soul in the air swiftly transformed into a red glow and submerged back into his body. His figure abruptly surged upward.