Chapter 35

Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW

Chapter 35: The Two Families

Night had fallen. Mu Xiaofeng and his group were close to the central treasury, but the surroundings had grown eerily silent. The sounds of battle had ceased. The group hesitated to move forward; the darkness had set in, and they were all in need of rest. However, resting wasn’t a choice they had the luxury to make.

Just as they were preparing to rest, Zhang Wenyu heard hurried footsteps in the distance—someone was running towards them. He immediately tensed up, stood, and gripped his short sword tightly. His eyes were fixed on the distant woods, and he seriously warned the others to stay alert.

Everyone grew nervous; they had no idea who was coming. If it was another fight, rest would be impossible.

Mu Xiaofeng, however, remained calm. He figured that whoever was making such a ruckus in the dark probably wasn’t there to fight. If it were an ambush, they would have moved silently under the cover of night. Perhaps these people were fleeing from something. What intrigued Mu Xiaofeng was just who they might be running from.

Suddenly, five people emerged from the woods, one of whom was being helped along, clearly injured. But if they were fleeing, how had they not been caught by their pursuers?

The five fugitives, upon spotting Mu Xiaofeng and his group, stopped in their tracks, fully on guard. They didn’t dare come closer. To Mu Xiaofeng’s surprise, the man leading them recognized him and exclaimed, “Mu Xiaofeng, it’s you?”

Under the faint moonlight, Mu Xiaofeng could vaguely make out the person speaking—it was Feng Xun. As Mu Xiaofeng approached, he noticed that the injured person was Yun Jie, who had already passed out.

Mu Xiaofeng and his companions were shocked. Ever since Yun Jie had saved them, they had believed her team to be incredibly strong. Yet, they had been defeated this time.

They sheathed their weapons and helped lay Yun Jie down to rest. Qiao Zi quickly took out some herbs and began treating her injuries.

After settling Yun Jie, Mu Xiaofeng walked over to Feng Xun and asked curiously, “Who injured Yun Jie? Didn’t they pursue you?”

Feng Xun turned to look at Mu Xiaofeng. Though his eyes still showed a hint of hostility, anxiety was more apparent. He sat down and recounted everything that had happened.

On the first day, Yun Jie’s team had also been ambushed. However, after defeating the leaders of the attacking group, the rest scattered. They had made their way to the vicinity of the treasury early and even easily defeated two more teams along the way.

On the second day, they encountered only one team and then saw no one else nearby. They had already secured three “Kings” and one “Knight.” Yun Jie wanted to acquire another “King” quickly and rest, so they decided to search through the night.

Soon, they spotted a fire in the distance, indicating that someone had lit a fire for the night. Lighting a fire at night was like broadcasting one’s location to everyone.

Yun Jie decided to ambush them. But this time, the opponents were a strange and extremely formidable group, who utterly defeated Yun Jie’s team, leaving Yun Jie severely injured.

They fled towards the central treasury, but today, the number of guards at the treasury had increased significantly—there were over ten guards, unlike the last time. The guards drove Yun Jie’s team away, but surprisingly did not pursue them, instead choosing to engage those strange opponents.

After hearing Feng Xun’s account, Mu Xiaofeng was puzzled. He asked Feng Xun about the characteristics and identities of those opponents, “Since you fought them, what were they like? How was their team composed?”

Hearing this, Feng Xun lowered his head and gave a bitter smile. “They were bizarre. You could tell at a glance. As for their team, none of them were like anyone we’ve ever seen. There was a warrior wielding a spear, a shadow assassin who threw knives but didn’t wear gauntlets, a scholar with strange magic, and two others who didn’t fight at all, just stood in the back watching.”

Mu Xiaofeng understood. These people were indeed strange and easy to identify. Their team was completely unconventional. A spear-wielding warrior usually had low vitality and was relegated to low-level guard duties.

As for the shadow assassin, they were rare among humans. Beasts typically had superior physical strength, so shadow assassins were more common among beast tribes. Mu Xiaofeng couldn’t quite grasp the strange magic; it was beyond his understanding.

While they were still discussing these oddities, a white shadow darted past Mu Xiaofeng’s vision. He raised his heavy sword, ready for battle, and everyone tensed up again. But this time, it wasn’t an enemy—it was a familiar friend, a little white tiger.

Mu Xiaofeng recognized the tiger instantly. It was Huzi Si, the tiger he had once saved, who had given him the Tiger Fang Sword.

Lowering his sword in surprise, Mu Xiaofeng asked, “Huzi Si, is that you? What are you doing here?”

Huzi Si stood up straight, walked over to Mu Xiaofeng, and bowed. “The chieftain has requested your presence, so I’ve come to bring you there.”

Mu Xiaofeng was puzzled as to why the tiger chieftain was looking for him, but he sensed that this invitation was no ordinary matter. He instructed Zhang Wenyu and the others to take good care of the injured Yun Jie and wait for his return before making any moves. Then, he and Huzi Si dashed into the woods, heading towards the central treasury.

Before long, Mu Xiaofeng arrived at the central treasury, where he saw that over ten massive guards were stationed. Interestingly, some were sitting or crouching on the ground, while a few were lying down, breathing heavily, with visible wounds on their bodies.

Seeing Mu Xiaofeng’s surprised expression, Huzi Si reassured him, “Don’t worry, the central treasury wasn’t looted. A group of powerful individuals came by, but the guards managed to repel them. The chieftain didn’t summon you to make you a guard.”

Mu Xiaofeng burst into laughter at Huzi Si’s joke, but it didn’t ease his curiosity and concern. He remembered the struggle they had faced defeating just one guard, and now, five people had fought against so many guards—how terrifyingly strong they must be.

Following Huzi Si into the treasury, Mu Xiaofeng met the tiger chieftain. The chieftain greeted him with a broad smile, showing no sign of worry. It seemed the treasury hadn’t lost anything.

The chieftain walked over to Mu Xiaofeng and pointed to the White Tiger Sword placed nearby. “Mu Xiaofeng, since you left, the White Tiger Sword hasn’t reacted. But today, it glowed, and I knew you must be nearby. I wanted to see how you were doing. It seems you’ve grown much stronger since we last met.”

Hearing this, Mu Xiaofeng felt reassured. Perhaps he had been overly sensitive, worrying that something major was happening. At that moment, a tall man emerged from the treasury. He was middle-aged, with a serious expression, a few wrinkles on his face, and large round eyes glaring at Mu Xiaofeng with a fierce look.

The man slowly spoke to the chieftain, “Chieftain, you don’t need to be so enthusiastic. Putting too much hope in this child isn’t wise. Every few decades, the White Tiger Sword reacts to someone it finds suitable, but not everyone can draw the sword. And even if they do, not everyone can wield its full power.”

The man’s lack of faith in him left Mu Xiaofeng feeling awkward. He gave a slight, bitter smile and stayed silent.

But the chieftain remained confident in Mu Xiaofeng and argued with the man, “Lord Yun, don’t be so pessimistic. I had a dream of the prophecy, so let’s wait and see. The chosen one for the White Tiger Sword has traditionally been from the Feng or Yun families, but this wouldn’t be the first exception.”

Mu Xiaofeng was struck as if by lightning. He realized that the Feng and Yun families referred to Feng Xun and Yun Jie’s families, which might explain their attitudes toward him.

Perhaps Feng Xun was jealous, and Yun Jie was envious, but Mu Xiaofeng was only guessing. He didn’t dwell on it much, but he now knew that the man before him was a member of the Yun family and held a significant position.

“This kid can’t compare to that great man!” the man snorted, then turned his back to Mu Xiaofeng, walking away while muttering, “I’m just here on official business. I don’t care about this child. The decennial spirit-summoning event is crucial to everyone, not just our nation.”

Hearing this, the chieftain’s smile faded, and his expression became respectful. It seemed that the spirit-summoning event was of great importance to them, which explained the increased number of guards around the central treasury. A once-in-a-decade event was indeed worth such attention.

As the man left, Mu Xiaofeng let out a sigh of relief. The oppressive feeling the man gave him was overwhelming, reminiscent of the authority and reverence he felt only in the presence of his grandfather.

Suddenly, the White Tiger Sword emitted a blinding light, as if it were about to explode. But the chieftain, instead of being alarmed, grew excited. He eagerly called out to Mu Xiaofeng, “The prophecy might be coming true. You should try to take the White

Tiger Sword. It might choose you today!”

Mu Xiaofeng, feeling both honored and apprehensive, approached the White Tiger Sword. It had always been the chieftain’s most cherished treasure, kept in a place of reverence within the treasury. Mu Xiaofeng took a deep breath, reached out, and gripped the hilt. It felt cool to the touch, sending a wave of energy through his body.

As he lifted the sword, it glowed brighter, pulsating with power. The chieftain and Huzi Si watched with bated breath. Lord Yun, who had been walking away, stopped in his tracks, his eyes wide with disbelief.

But as soon as Mu Xiaofeng lifted the sword, it suddenly grew heavy, as if resisting his grip. He strained to hold it aloft, but his strength waned, and the sword slipped from his grasp, embedding itself into the ground. The light faded, and silence fell.

The chieftain’s face fell, disappointment etched in his features. Lord Yun scoffed, “I told you, chieftain, he’s not the one. The prophecy might have been a mere dream.”

Mu Xiaofeng, feeling a mix of embarrassment and frustration, took a step back. The sword hadn’t rejected him entirely, but it hadn’t accepted him either. He looked at the chieftain, seeking some form of reassurance.

The chieftain sighed, his excitement now tempered with a sober understanding. “Perhaps the time isn’t right, or perhaps there’s still more you need to do, Mu Xiaofeng. Don’t lose heart.”

Mu Xiaofeng nodded, grateful for the chieftain’s encouragement, but the weight of the sword’s rejection hung heavy on his mind.

The chieftain then turned to Lord Yun, “Let’s not be too hasty in our judgment. The sword has chosen in its own way before. We’ll wait and see. The spirit-summoning event will tell us more.”

Lord Yun simply grunted, unwilling to continue the discussion. He glanced once more at Mu Xiaofeng, then walked away without another word.

Mu Xiaofeng remained with the chieftain, his thoughts a whirlwind of doubt and determination. He knew that the road ahead would be even more challenging, but he was resolved to prove himself worthy of the White Tiger Sword, no matter what it took.