Chapter 104: A Fateful Encounter on a Narrow Path

At the break of dawn the following day, while the bright, full moon still hung high in the night sky, Chu Feng heard a knock at his door. The two Gao brothers had come to urge him to depart.

Chu Feng had requested a storage bag from Gao Guangying. Through his experiments the previous night, he had learned that his own storage bag did not possess the ability to manifest whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted, or in unlimited quantities; it was bound by limits. It functioned much like an ox pulling a plow—the ox required energy to pull, and it could not do so indefinitely. Creating items with the storage bag consumed energy for every object produced. Therefore, it was most efficient to prioritize items of high value. The golden pulse needles Mu Qiaoxue used to suppress her pain were highly valuable, whereas ordinary gold ingots, silver ingots, or Battle Shadow Iron possessed negligible value by comparison.

Given his current status, Chu Feng was not short on funds. Even setting aside the three hundred thousand gold coins the Nine Mysteries Sect had promised for his travel expenses, he already possessed two large piles of gold and silver ingots and Battle Shadow Iron, worth over one hundred thousand gold coins.

Gao Guangying, the Hall Master of the Nine Mysteries Sect’s Material Affairs Hall, had casually handed Chu Feng a white storage bag. Chu Feng transferred all his gold and silver ingots, the Battle Shadow Iron, and even his Overlord Shadow-Chasing Spear into the white bag. His goal was to reduce the energy consumption of his black creation bag. Unless absolutely necessary, he would no longer dump metal-based items into the black bag; unless an object was of exceptional value, the white storage bag would suffice. To create only the finest items, never the mediocre, and certainly never junk—that was the principle Chu Feng adopted for using his storage bag.

"Nephew Chu, I heard you had a bit of a conflict with Hall Master Bai last night?" Gao Guangying asked as they walked.

"Well, I should say it was Hall Master Bai who had a conflict with me! He was the one who came looking for trouble," Chu Feng replied.

"Right, right! We were unaware that Hall Master Bai sought you out last night. However, he likely holds a grudge because of the injury to the Cloud-Piercing House Eagle, and that is why he went to provoke you."

Gao Guangying’s words confirmed what the disciples had whispered the previous night.

"Let him be."

Chu Feng shook his head. Seeing a large crowd of over three hundred people gathered before the Nine Mysteries Main Hall, he asked in surprise, "What are all these people doing here? Is Sect Master Sikong here as well?"

"Indeed! Nephew Chu, your departure for the Wuhan Snow Clan is a major event for the Nine Mysteries Sect, so the Master has led all the Hall Masters to see you off," Gao Guangying said.

"Haha, three or five people would have sufficed; is it really necessary to mobilize so many?" Though he spoke modestly, Chu Feng felt quite honored; such treatment was a mark of respect rarely afforded to others.

"Look, Young Master Chu is here! Brother Tian, did you hear? Young Master Chu sparred with Hall Master Bai last night, and Hall Master Bai was actually defeated!"

"Yes, I heard! They say Hall Master Bai attacked relentlessly while Young Master Chu only defended. After yielding three moves, Young Master Chu drew his spear and won in a single strike!"

"Young Master Chu is truly brilliant! Hall Master Bai wanted to regain some face regarding the Cloud-Piercing House Eagle incident, but he only ended up more humiliated."

"Given Hall Master Bai’s personality, I fear this won’t be the end of it. Not to mention other things, the current mission to the Wuhan Snow Clan still requires his involvement!"

Standing dozens of paces away, the disciples behind Sikong Xing could not help but whisper to one another as Chu Feng approached, and even several Hall Masters spoke in hushed tones about him. Ignoring the chatter, Chu Feng cupped his fists toward Sikong Xing from a distance. "Sect Master Sikong, I am truly honored that you and all these Hall Masters and disciples have stayed up all night to see me off."

"Think nothing of it!"

Sikong Xing smiled faintly. "Chu Feng, I have heard about the conflict between you and Bai Naizhao last night. I am not trying to shield my own Hall Master, but there was a cause for it, stemming from that Cloud-Piercing House Eagle. Of course, when you fought the eagle, you could not have known how complicated things were. Even Hall Master Han Mo of the Wind-Thunder Martial Hall did not know that although the eagle was raised at the Nine Mysteries Sect, it was actually used by the Wuhan Snow Clan to hunt for Ice-Nether Mother Shells in the Ice-Nether Sea. Otherwise, he would have stopped you from fighting it."

"I see, that makes sense," Chu Feng nodded, not wishing to dwell on the matter further.

"Chu Feng, as you travel to the Wuhan Snow Clan, Bai Naizhao will be accompanying you," Sikong Xing said suddenly.

"Oh? He is coming with me? Is he also headed to the Wuhan Snow Clan?" Chu Feng asked immediately.

"Yes! Bai Naizhao is the Hall Master of the Beast-Taming Hall. Not only is he well-versed in wild beasts, but he is also intimately familiar with the Ice-Nether Mother Shells. If they have ready-made Ice-Shell Gold Pearls, you can use your great power to manifest more. If there are none, the Wuhan Snow Clan must search the Ice-Nether Sea, and that is when Bai Naizhao’s expertise will be needed," Sikong Xing explained patiently.

The Nine Mysteries Sect and the Wuhan Snow Clan were deeply intertwined. With the Snow Clan facing a crisis, the Nine Mysteries Sect could not sit idly by; every capable member, from Hall Masters to disciples, was expected to contribute. Bai Naizhao was the person best suited for this task.

"So that is how it is."

Chu Feng nodded and said, "Sect Master Sikong, it is not that I wish to exclude anyone, but I sense that Bai Naizhao holds a prejudice against me. To prevent any complications, perhaps it would be better for us to go our separate ways."

"I am afraid that is not possible," Sikong Xing said with a wry smile. "For the first five hundred miles to the Wuhan Snow Clan, you may ride flying beasts to conserve strength. Once you reach the border of the Dusk Snow Villa, you must proceed on foot, and as you head north into the Wuhan Snow Mountains, you must tread lightly. To avoid triggering avalanches or disturbing the snow monsters within, you must take the safest path. This path is not static; it changes based on real-time conditions in the mountains. Bai Naizhao has traversed the Wuhan Snow Mountains many times and knows the terrain well. He is the only one in the sect who can guide you and contribute to the matter of the Ice-Nether Mother Shells."

"Haha, what a coincidence!"

Chu Feng also shook his head with a wry smile. It was a case of enemies meeting on a narrow path. After humiliating Bai Naizhao just the night before, he now had to travel through the snowy mountains with him. He would have to be very careful.

"Chu Feng, rest assured. Although Bai Naizhao is young and impetuous, he is a man who separates public duties from personal grievances. When he arrives shortly, I will personally instruct him not to have any conflict with you," Sikong Xing said solemnly.

Chu Feng nodded, though he thought to himself that when he had headed to the Wind-Thunder Grotto, Liu Shenghua had also warned his son, Liu Run, not to provoke him. The warning had proven to be the opposite of effective; Liu Run not only clashed with him but even attempted to do him harm. Of course, Chu Feng knew that one situation did not necessarily mirror another.

"Look, Hall Master Bai is here!" a disciple exclaimed.

Chu Feng saw four snow-white horses galloping toward them under the moonlight, rounding the corner of the Nine Mysteries Main Hall. There were three riders, with Bai Naizhao in the lead, followed by two female warriors in golden attire. The fourth horse was riderless.

In an instant, they arrived before the hall. Bai Naizhao and his companions dismounted and bowed to Sikong Xing. Chu Feng noticed that these horses were extraordinary; they had fleshy wings tucked against their flanks, clearly indicating they were flying steeds.

"Bai Naizhao, the four of you are about to depart. Remember, do not have any conflict with Chu Feng. He is here to help the Nine Mysteries Sect. Above all, prioritize the greater good!"

Sikong Xing admonished him in front of Chu Feng, and Bai Naizhao bowed his head, appearing to listen with respect.

"Nephew Chu, here is a bag of Fire-Yang Pills refined by the Nine Mysteries Sect. The cold is intense in the depths of the Wuhan Snow Mountains; take these to ward off the chill and conserve your inner energy," Gao Guangying said, handing the bag to Chu Feng.

Chu Feng accepted it and pointed to the riderless horse. "Why is this horse empty? Is it prepared for me?"

"Correct! These four are Flying Snow Horses raised by the Beast-Taming Hall. Each of you will ride one to cover the first five hundred miles," Gao Guangying explained.

"I see! However, this horse of mine seems a bit unusual," Chu Feng said, his sharp gaze fixed on the steed prepared for him.

"Chu Feng, is something wrong?" Bai Naizhao walked over and asked.

"Something is indeed wrong! The horse the Beast-Taming Hall prepared for me seems a bit frail, and it doesn't look very spirited," Chu Feng replied, shaking his head with a look of deep dissatisfaction.