Chapter 55: Casting the Bait
Within the Courtyard
Mu Feng's hands formed a sword-like gesture, Yuan energy swirling around his fingertips as he thrust repeatedly into a small cauldron filled with scalding hot iron sand. Each thrust caused a grinding friction, the heat burning away impurities in the fine veins of his fingers while gradually opening up his smaller meridians.
This training method was excruciatingly painful, as the nerves in the fingers were acutely sensitive. Yet Mu Feng gritted his teeth and endured, his determination unwavering.
In this world, talent alone was insufficient; true strength required blood, sweat, and relentless effort. The so-called "genius" was merely someone who endured greater pain and invested more effort than others.
After an hour of training, Mu Feng's fingers were bloodied and raw. Stopping to recover, he submerged his hands in a nearby medicinal basin filled with a milky solution brewed from Tiger Bone Grass. The medicinal properties seeped into his bones, soothing his pain and fortifying his fingers.
After half an hour, the solution had turned clear, its efficacy fully absorbed. Without missing a beat, Mu Feng picked up a warblade and began practicing the Tiger Dominance Saber Technique.
He crouched low like a predator preparing to pounce. With a sudden burst of energy, he stepped forward and swung the saber, his Yuan energy channeling into the first-tier Yuan weapon he had inscribed himself. The blade struck a steel-reinforced wooden stake with a sharp crack, leaving only a shallow groove before the energy dissipated.
Mu Feng frowned, clearly dissatisfied with the result.
"You only have the form of a tiger but lack its intent," Xi Yue's voice echoed in his mind. "The Tiger Dominance Saber Technique demands ferocity and dominance—without embodying the tiger's spirit, you'll never unleash its full potential."
"Tiger form but no tiger intent..." Mu Feng muttered, contemplating her words. Then, he resumed practicing, each strike seeking to capture the elusive essence of the tiger.
A Rigorous Training Schedule
Mu Feng's daily routine was relentless: practicing Golden Break Finger in the morning, honing his Tiger Dominance Saber Technique before noon, training the explosive fire-elemental Nine-Flame Fist in the afternoon, and dedicating an hour each evening to studying rune crafting. The rest of his time was spent meditating, refining Yuan energy through pills, and steadily improving his cultivation.
Days passed in this rigorous fashion until one day, Mu Hai visited him again.
"Feng'er, I need to trouble you once more," Mu Hai said, looking a little sheepish.
"More inscriptions?" Mu Feng asked with a knowing smile.
"Yes, we've received a significant order this time—forty Yuan weapons," Mu Hai admitted.
"Forty?!" Mu Feng's eyebrows shot up. "Uncle Hai, how many orders do we usually handle in a month?"
"Usually, we receive ten to twenty orders a month, which we send to a rune craftsman in Anxi City. Why do you ask?" Mu Hai replied.
Mu Feng's expression darkened. "It seems strange to receive so many orders at once. Doesn't this strike you as unusual?"
Mu Hai fell silent, pondering Mu Feng's words. The sudden influx of orders had seemed like a windfall, but now he realized it might be more than coincidence.
"You think this is a trap?" Mu Hai asked, his eyes narrowing.
"There's a strong possibility," Mu Feng said. "Uncle Hai, when we lost the previous shipment, didn't you suspect it was orchestrated by someone in An Nan City?"
"I did suspect a particular faction but couldn't prove it. Are you saying this order is bait?" Mu Hai asked, his tone growing serious.
Mu Feng nodded. "Exactly. Whoever orchestrated the previous theft might assume we've let our guard down. By placing a large order, they're luring us into another ambush."
Mu Hai's eyes flashed with anger. "Their audacity knows no bounds! Do they think they can rob us twice?"
"That's precisely the brilliance of their plan," Mu Feng said with a wry smile. "My father once used a similar tactic in battle—tricking an enemy into thinking the same strategy wouldn't be used twice. Overconfidence leads to carelessness, and that's when the trap is sprung."
Mu Hai's expression shifted from anger to admiration. "Feng'er, your insight is remarkable. Truly a tiger's son grows into a tiger. What do you suggest?"
"We play along. Let's use their own bait against them to uncover the culprits," Mu Feng said with a steely glint in his eye.
Mu Hai nodded in understanding. "And the weapons?"
"I'll inscribe them," Mu Feng assured him. "If this isn't a trap, we'll be prepared. If it is, we'll have the upper hand."
"Very well. I'll leave this to you," Mu Hai said, bowing slightly before leaving the room.
As Mu Hai departed, he couldn't help but feel a newfound respect for Mu Feng. The boy's wisdom and maturity far exceeded his years, qualities that reminded him of the legendary General Mu Tian.
Preparing the Countermove
Over the following days, the Mu family dispatched a convoy loaded with raw weapon blanks toward another city. Mu Feng diligently inscribed patterns onto one or two weapons daily, refining his technique and increasing his success rate. Whenever time allowed, he ventured into the wilderness with Mu Zhong to hunt ferocious beasts, absorbing their blood energy to fuel his cultivation.
In the blink of an eye, a month passed. As the annual family festival approached, Mu Feng's hard work bore fruit.
A Breakthrough
Within his secluded training room, Mu Feng sat cross-legged, surrounded by a vortex of spiritual energy that rapidly funneled into his body. Swallowing an entire bottle of Foundation Elixirs, he converted the potent medicinal energy into a surge of Yuan energy.
Inside his Purple Mansion, a second vortex of Yuan energy slowly condensed, signifying his breakthrough to Purple Mansion Stage Two.
However, as his breakthrough completed, a sudden and unexpected transformation began...