Chapter 0023: This Feels like Flying

Pine trees stood straight and proud, surrounded by luscious flora and fauna in a particular courtyard within the mountain prison. The trees gave it a secluded feel, making it a serene escape from the rest of the prison. Surrounded by spiritual energy and the song of spirit birds, it was an ideal place to nurse one’s health.

Yang Wu woke in a room connected to this courtyard, and as he did, he was assaulted by an excruciating headache.

Sitting up, he realized he was still in Wan Lanxin’s bedroom. Under the reak of alcohol, he caught a whiff of a woman’s sweet, tender fragrance. When he looked down, he notice he was no longer wearing the clothes he had on the night before. He also noticed claw marks on his skin. Recalling how they had downed one bottle of liquor after another, he jumped out of bed. Did Big Sister Lanxin take advantage of me?

He examined the clothing he wore. His pants were still tight around his hips, indicating that his virginity may still be intact. Yang Wu slapped his cheeks a couple of times, trying to remember, but nothing of the night’s events came to him.

“Crap. I’m done for this time. Regardless of what actually happened, it’s undeniable that I’ve ruined big sister’s reputation. What should I do?” Yang Wu muttered to himself, frustrated, before sitting with crossed legs to force the remaining alcohol out of his system.

As he circulated the Supreme Nine Profound Art, he quickly purged the last of the alcohol. The numerous pores in his peach pit dantian absorbed and released energy, the surrounding energy appearing like a celestial realm. As it gushed through his twelve major meridians, the pure Profound Energy nourished his muscles and organs, and it spun in whirlpools when it reached the acupoints in his feet.

After an hour of meditation, Yang Wu got to his feet and dressed. He examined his feet, now free of shackles, and reveled in how light and carefree he felt. Since he had time, he decided to stay in the room and take up the Dragon Turtle Water Suppression Stance. He already knew that the stance worked in perfect harmony with the Supreme Nine Profound Art, and by combining the two, he could circulate his power faster and stronger than ever before.

Not long after taking up the stance, he felt water at his feet. His dantian greedily soaked up the water-attributed Profound Energy, puffing wisps of mist through its pores. The energy flowed easily to his twelve major meridians, and they began to chime.

The sound was more intense than it had been in the past, sounding like the sharp whistle of thousands of arrows flying through the air. He could now consolidate his fifteen stones of strength, stabilizing his cultivation, which had only reached the Consummate Grade Foot Soldier Realm after his fight with the wolf spirit.

Most others needed far more time to advance from one stone to the next, but Yang Wu had become an exception. Now, increasing his strength only required maintaining and cultivating a stance for a while. Comparing oneself to others was only frustrating, of course, yet the wonder of combining the Supreme Nine Profound Art and the Dragon Turtle Water Suppression Stance was incredible.

As the young man delighted in his growing strength, the door suddenly swung open. It startled him so much that he lost sync with his breath. Fortunately, the energy rushing through his body was not overly powerful, and the peach pit dantian was able to react, containing the chaotic energy and preventing a painful rebound.

Interruptions during cultivation were frightfully damaging. However, although Yang Wu was frustrated, he let go of the emotion when he saw his beloved Big Sister Lanxin. “Big Sister!” he called out.

Already in her combat attire, Wan Lanxin gave him a saddened look. She said, “Something has happened to my father. You have to stay here until I return. I’ve already arranged for someone to see to your daily needs.”

She turned to leave without another word, but the young man reached out and stopped her. “Big Sister Lanxin, what happened?”

She hesitated. “A massive bloody pit has been unearthed in block 8. My father led some men to investigate, but now, he’s trapped inside. No one knows if he’s still alive, so I’m going to save him.”

“To trap a powerful man like Uncle Wan, this pit must be extremely dangerous. Are you strong enough to save him?” Yang Wu asked.

“It doesn’t matter! I have to save my father!” Wan Lanxin’s reply was firm, and she shook off his hand before striding off.

Yang Wu quickly caught up with her. “Big Sister Lanxin, let me come with you.”

The woman spun on him. “No, you stay here!”

She then summoned her leopard, taking off as soon as her butt hit the saddle.

Although Yang Wu ran after her, he was not fast enough. He could only stand by as she left his sight.

“Big Sister Lanxin!” he cried after her.

She did not turn back, however, already out of the courtyard on her beast. Worried, Yang Wu pondered over the situation for a while before making his mind up to join her.

Without the shackles to weigh him down, he was quite fast on foot, but not nearly as swift as the leopard.

Of course, he was not one to give up so easily. Circulating the Supreme Nine Profound Art, he focused his strength into his legs. With the energy flooding toward the acupoints in his feet, he gained a burst of speed within seconds.

He ran as swiftly as only Warriors could.

“It’s not enough!” Yang Wu snarled, pushing himself harder, yet the distance between him and the snow leopard only grew. His anxiety building, he recalled the Dragon Turtle Sea Flipping Art and the old man who waded through water unhindered and with incredible speed. To him, the old man had almost seemed as if he had been flying over the water’s surface.

Yang Wu directed all of the energy within him toward his legs and feet. Using the Supreme Nine Profound Art to urge along the Dragon Turtle Water Suppression Stance, he felt a powerful suction with every step as if his feet were drawing water from the ground. He felt as if he were floating along a layer of water as he flew forward.

The young man, however, was in no mood to enjoy the fascinating feeling. He only knew he had to catch up with her. As he ran, he kept shouting, “Big Sister Lanxin, wait for me!”

The prison guards in the area had not seen Yang Wu before, but they assumed, based on the way he addressed her, he must be familiar with their young miss. With the assumption in mind, none dared to stop him. They only watched as he darted by.

Wan Lanxin was too distressed to pay him any attention. Besides, even a Superior Grade Warrior might struggle to keep up with her leopard. Yang Wu was merely a Consummate Grade Foot Soldier, so she doubted he would catch up on foot.

When she heard him calling after her, she thought it was only her imagination. Have I gone crazy? Why can’t I get him out of my mind even at a time like this?

“Big Sister Lanxin!

“Big Sister Lanxin …!”

——

Yang Wu’s calls were loud enough that many people heard him clearly, and hearing someone address Wan Lanxin as ‘Sister Lanxin’ was astounding. Considered the prettiest officer in the prison, on top of being the warden’s daughter, everyone referred to her as ‘Captain Wan’ or ‘First Young Miss.’

“Who dared speak to the young miss so casually? I didn’t know the warden had a son.”

“Perhaps he’s the warden’s nephew or something? I’ve heard that the warden entered the strange pit yesterday. Could something terrible have happened to him?”

“How could that be possible? The warden is such a powerful man. What should we do if something has happened?”

——

The commotion finally caught Wan Lanxin’s attention, and she glanced over her shoulder. She immediately noticed Yang Wu chasing after her with astonishing speed.

“Whoa, Xiaohua!” She urged, slowing her beast to a stop.

Looking back again, she watched the young man desperately run toward her, emotion swimming in her gaze. His actions were touching, reminding her of days gone by when a skinny boy had carried her on his back as he sought help in the cold wilderness.

Meanwhile, Yang Wu felt as if he were flying. The rough stone of the mountain felt no different than running across flat, solid land. Rather, he felt like a dragon turtle riding the waves with easy grace.

Alas, as he reached his target, that grace seemed to abandon him as he tried to stop, and he almost collided with the snow leopard’s rear. Whatever gallant image he had made a moment ago was dashed. Panting awkwardly, he said between gulps of air, “I … I finally caught up with you.”

Without any hesitation, he leapt on the leopard’s back. Clutching Wan Lanxin’s petite waist, he told her, “Big Sister Lanxin, we can go now.”

She froze but said nothing as she urged her mount forward.

Despite her anxiety, the woman warned him, “When we reach block 8, you must follow my instructions to the letter.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll do whatever you say,” he responded easily.

Soon, they reached cellblock 8. Currently, a large number of guards had the area cordoned off, chasing off any prisoners who approached.

The moment she appeared, someone ran forward to greet Wan Lanxin. The man appeared to be in his early thirties and seemed quite dignified in his armor as sat atop a golden-maned war lion.

The man was Lie Feng’s eldest son, Lie Ziying, a General and the leader of cellblock 8. He was the first to discover the bloody pit. He was also wan Lanxin’s suitor and had long regarded the woman as his.

Since his father had informed him that the warden was not likely to make it out of the pit alive, he saw this as an opportunity to get closer to her. Without Wan Tianlong and Zhao Changdao around, his father had become the top authority within the prison. If the woman could no longer lean on her father, he would have the best chance of taking advantage of her.

However, he did not expect the young, male stranger whose arms were wrapped around his beloved’s waist. Seeing this, he was instantly infuriated. Glaring at Yang Wu, he roared, “Who the hell are you? What audacity! Get your hands off Lanxin this instant!”