Chapter 61: The True Master Hides His Skill

“Thank you, Young Master Chu!” Lei Jianqin, her heart still pounding, immediately expressed her gratitude to Chu Feng. “If you hadn’t acted in time, I would have been stung by that Iron-plated Sand Scorpion. Even if I survived, I’d be crippled for sure!”

“Chu Feng, I didn’t expect your moves to be so swift! Just the speed of your attack just now—like lightning! I, Old Fan, could never manage that!” Fan Qianjun couldn’t help but look at Chu Feng with newfound respect.

“You’re too kind, both of you. It’s what I ought to do,” Chu Feng nodded in reply.

As for Lei Jianqin, Chu Feng had always felt quite amicable toward her. In truth, he also liked Fan Qianjun, with his fiery temperament, and Tang Jiao, always wearing that melancholy expression. They were all decent people—except for Liu Run, who was rather irksome.

“Senior Sister Lei, what happened just now?” At this point, Liu Run’s voice drifted from up ahead.

“Nothing much. Just killed an Iron-plated Sand Scorpion,” Lei Jianqin replied.

“Oh! We’re still quite far from the edge of the Gale-Thunder Stone Desert. Move faster! In martial arts, speed is everything. With my level of speed, Sand Scorpions don’t even have a chance to harm anyone. You don’t need to worry about them!” Liu Run called out loudly.

“Junior Brother Liu, what nonsense are you spouting?” Fan Qianjun exploded in fury at those words. “You’re a disciple of the Wind Sect, skilled in movement techniques, running ahead. Why don’t you clear the path for us, wipe out the Sand Scorpions and such? Instead, you just dash ahead for your own amusement, then throw shade at us! Are you even a member of Gale-Thunder Martial Hall anymore…”

“Ah!”

Suddenly, Tang Jiao behind Chu Feng let out a scream, and the ground beneath her feet shook violently. As Chu Feng quickly shifted his stance, he saw that the spot where Tang Jiao had stood had caved in.

Boom!

Countless stones surged toward Tang Jiao, dust rising in thick clouds, about to engulf and bury her.

“Senior Sister Lei, help me!” Tang Jiao’s cries echoed from the pit she had fallen into.

Before Lei Jianqin could act, Chu Feng’s figure flickered—three steps left, two steps right, then a swift turn. With a sharp gust, a pillar of wind shot forth, blowing away two massive stones that were about to crush Tang Jiao.

Seizing the momentum from his Gale Step technique, Chu Feng leapt directly into the pit, wrapped his arms around Tang Jiao’s waist, then, with three steps left and three right, flashed like a phantom, landing safely back on solid ground.

Boom!

Dozens of jagged stones crashed down like a collapsing mountain, instantly filling the pit.

The earth trembled again from the force of the impact.

Had Chu Feng acted a second later, Tang Jiao would already be buried beneath the rubble, her fate too grim to imagine.

Caught off guard by the sudden calamity, Tang Jiao’s face went pale with fear. She clung tightly to Chu Feng’s sleeve and, after a long pause, finally managed to say, “Thank you, Young Master Chu… thank you for saving my life.”

“Chu Feng, both Tang Jiao and I owe you our lives! When Tang Jiao called for help, I was too far away to act in time. Even if I’d been standing where you were, my movement skills aren’t as strong as yours—I wouldn’t have been able to save her,” Lei Jianqin said, her admiration for Chu Feng’s abilities evident.

“Chu Feng, you don’t seem to be just at the fourth tier of Body Refining! In that dangerous moment, if Senior Sister Lei and I had tried to save Tang Jiao, we not only would have failed, but might have gotten ourselves killed as well!” Fan Qianjun added. “Liu Run warned you not to hold us back, but it looks like we’re the ones slowing you down! From now on, I’d better stay close to you. If danger arises, only you can save me!”

“There’s no need for thanks! Since we’ve teamed up for this task, helping each other is only right,” Chu Feng said with a smile, nodding.

He noticed Tang Jiao still standing before him, gripping his sleeve. Remembering that she was Liu Run’s intended, he realized that if Liu Run saw her holding onto him, it would stir up more conflict. Gently, he freed his sleeve from Tang Jiao’s grasp.

“What are you doing, Chu Feng?”

Unexpectedly, Liu Run had seen the scene. True to his reputation, he appeared in an instant, eyes blazing with anger.

“Chu Feng, you’re holding Tang Jiao’s hand?” Liu Run glared at Chu Feng and demanded.

“Are you blind, Liu Run?” Fan Qianjun strode forward, rebuking him loudly. “Tang Jiao fell into a pit, and if Chu Feng hadn’t risked his life to save her, she’d be buried by now! Instead of thanking Chu Feng, you’re here interrogating him? Even if someone was holding hands, it was Tang Jiao grabbing Chu Feng’s hand, not the other way around!”

“Senior Brother Fan, this is between me and Chu Feng—not your concern!” Liu Run’s face burned red, but he spoke with stubborn conviction. “Even if Tang Jiao was in danger, I’d have been able to save her! Chu Feng, you just want to curry favor here. What are your intentions…”

“Liu Run, shut up!” Tang Jiao snapped, her voice ringing out. “Young Master Chu risked his life to save me, and you question his motives? You say you have the ability to save me—were you planning to wait until I died first? You boast about your movement skills, rushing ahead to show off, but when I was in mortal peril, where were you?”

“Exactly! Liu Run, you’re a Wind Sect disciple, your movement techniques are indeed impressive, but only when it doesn’t count! Chu Feng’s skills are truly profound—just a few steps and he’s out of the wind’s path. Now that’s real ability!” Fan Qianjun nodded, giving Chu Feng a thumbs-up in admiration.

Mocked by both Fan Qianjun and Tang Jiao, Liu Run’s face was scarlet, but his anger did not abate. “Tang Jiao, you’re my fiancée—my future wife! Just now, you held Chu Feng’s arm, and he even embraced your waist. Don’t you find this improper?”

“So, Liu Run, you mean that because I’m your fiancée, I should be buried under a pile of stones in a pit, but not accept Chu Feng’s help?” Tang Jiao demanded, tears streaming down her face. She pointed ahead and said, “Go on! Walk ahead, and stay as far away from us as possible! When we return to the Martial Hall, I’ll break off the engagement with you!”

“Tang Jiao, you—” Liu Run clenched his fists and bit his lip, swallowing the word “fine” that was about to escape.

At the Gale-Thunder Martial Hall, Liu Run was the only son of the vice hall master and Wind Sect leader, Liu Shenghua. Tang Jiao, on the other hand, was the daughter of Tang Dong, the leader of the Thunder Hall. In terms of status, Tang Jiao was never equal to Liu Run, and now that Tang Dong was dead, she was left with no one to rely on, making Liu Run’s superiority all the more pronounced.

Though trained in martial arts, Liu Run’s temperament was no different from a pampered young master. Even with his own fiancée, he couldn’t stand being insulted. So, facing everyone’s ridicule, Liu Run snorted coldly and strode off ahead.

Tang Jiao had hoped Liu Run would say something kind, offer her an apology, but he turned away without a word. Her tears flowed even harder.

“Don’t be sad, Tang Jiao,” Lei Jianqin comforted her. “Look at Young Master Chu’s magnanimity! Liu Run’s words are venomous, and if it were anyone else, they’d have exploded in rage or even fought him. Young Master Chu, though, didn’t even reply. Such composure is something we could never match!”

She clasped her hands to Chu Feng and said, “Young Master Chu, I’m truly ashamed. You must be very disappointed in our Gale-Thunder Martial Hall.”

“Heh, not at all.”

Chu Feng smiled gently at Lei Jianqin and Fan Qianjun. “I’m curious, is Liu Run always like this? Is he always so sharp-tongued and aggressive toward others?”

“Well… not really,” Lei Jianqin shook her head. “Liu Run is the only son of Vice Hall Master Liu. Among the younger disciples, he has the highest status. He’s always had a strong presence, but he’s never been so unreasonable or poisonous as today! What do you think, Senior Brother Fan?”

“Yes, that’s true,” Fan Qianjun agreed. “Liu Run isn’t very likable, but he’s never been this obnoxious. If he were always like this, how could we even get along with him, let alone include him in our five-member squad?”

Chu Feng said nothing, but silently wondered: if Liu Run were always so disagreeable, why would the Gale-Thunder Martial Hall assign him to the team? Was it deliberate sabotage?

A vague sense of something amiss stirred within Chu Feng, though he couldn’t yet say what it was.