"You want to go out for training?"
At the dinner table, four pairs of eyes landed on Xiao Feng simultaneously.
"Yes." Xiao Feng set down his bowl and chopsticks and nodded.
Xiao Yan looked at Xiao Feng with a face full of surprise and confusion; in that instant, he felt as though his familiar companion had suddenly become a stranger.
Xiao Li, who had just come out of seclusion after breaking through his cultivation level, said nothing, merely watching Xiao Feng silently.
Xiao Xun Er had a look of urgency on her face. She had too many unanswered questions, and more importantly, why hadn't Brother Feng discussed this with her beforehand?
Xiao Zhan, however, was much calmer. He gave a light cough. "To ensure the younger generation has enough ability and means to carry on the Family legacy, many families select talented descendants who have participated in their Coming-of-Age Ceremony to go out for training. This measure increases the risk of premature death, but the benefits are even more obvious. Anyone who survives will far surpass their peers in both mindset and methods. Once such a person returns, they can often lead the Family a step further."
At this point, Xiao Zhan looked at Xiao Feng. "But the premise of all this is that the practitioner has a certain level of self-preservation ability. Fenger, you are too young, and..."
Xiao Zhan didn't finish his sentence, but everyone understood his meaning.
Xiao Feng stood up, gave Xiao Zhan a deep bow, and then rose to speak. "Uncle Xiao Zhan, Xiao Feng has been hiding something. Before I clarify things today, I would like to ask for your forgiveness."
Xiao Zhan narrowed his eyes. Xiao Feng had grown up right under his nose, yet his thoughts were buried very deep. Hearing this sudden statement, he couldn't help but have a few guesses. "Fenger, as for whether to forgive you or not, tell me first."
Xiao Feng didn't speak. Instead, he looked at Xiao Xun Er; it was easier for people to accept things when they came from someone else's mouth.
Xiao Xun Er:?
"Just say what can be said." Xiao Feng's mouth twitched; his secrets truly couldn't be revealed recklessly.
"Alright." Xiao Xun Er nodded. "Brother Feng is already a Dou Practitioner."
Xiao Yan's eyelids jumped, his face showing both surprise and a sense of relief.
Xiao Li grinned. "I told Eldest Brother long ago that this kid wasn't simple. I bet he's a real dark horse!"
Xiao Zhan seemed to have anticipated this as he looked at Xiao Feng and Xiao Xun Er with a smile, wearing an expression that said, 'Keep talking, I'm listening.'
Xiao Xun Er glanced at Xiao Feng, took a breath, and continued, "What Brother Feng showed during his fight with Jia Lie Ao was only the tip of the iceberg. As for Brother Feng's true strength, even Xun'er isn't sure."
A sense of frustration showed on the young girl's face, but her eyes flickered with deep joy and pride, as if saying: The person I chose is more outstanding than anyone else!
Xiao Yan was choked by the public display of affection. After several dry coughs, he spoke in a disbelieving tone, "Brother Feng usually works so hard at his Cultivation, so it's only natural for him to become a Dou Practitioner. But no matter what, he's just a Dou Practitioner. Sister Xuner, isn't it a bit of an exaggeration for you to say that?"
Xiao Zhan rose to his full height. "Whether it is or not, we'll know after a test. Fenger, be careful."
With that, Xiao Zhan stepped across the table and threw a punch at Xiao Feng. Crimson Qi condensed on his fist into the roar of a wild lion. Before the fist even reached him, the roar of a Lion King echoed in the surroundings.
Xiao Feng neither dodged nor avoided it. He crossed his hands over his chest, facing the punch head-on. Qi gathered there, and before the fist struck, a small translucent round shield emerged.
Bang!
The round shield shattered. Xiao Feng's posture didn't break, but he slid back a long distance, only stopping when he hit the door threshold.
"Cough, cough..." Xiao Feng coughed twice. His blood surged within his chest and abdomen, but in the end, he had blocked it.
Regardless of how much strength Xiao Zhan had used, he had withstood a strike from a Great Dou Master as a mere Dou Practitioner.
Xiao Zhan withdrew his hand and stood sideways, not looking at Xiao Feng, his tone indifferent. "You may go."
"Thank you, Uncle Xiao Zhan." Xiao Feng bowed once more, turned, and left.
"Brother Feng!" Xiao Xun Er immediately chased after him.
Xiao Yan looked left and right, feeling anxious. "Father, Brother Feng is only eleven years old after all! How could you agree to this!"
Xiao Zhan slowly sat down and said with emotion, "If I didn't let him go this time, I wouldn't have the heart to let him go later. But Wutan City is too small; Fenger should go out and see the world."
"But he..." Xiao Yan's face was full of worry.
Xiao Li patted Xiao Yan's shoulder and headed out first.
He quickly caught up to Xiao Feng, pulled a small cloth bag from his robes, said "stay safe," and returned to his own courtyard.
Inside the room, Xiao Zhan was still trying to talk sense into Xiao Yan.
"Yaner, Fenger has always been sensible. Since he brought it up, he must have thought everything through. Keeping him here by force wouldn't be good for him. Go see him off." Xiao Zhan's face was half gratified and half reluctant.
Xiao Yan paused, then nodded and turned to run outside.
In the small courtyard, Xiao Xun Er gazed at Xiao Feng with misty eyes.
Xiao Feng scratched his head, then pulled the girl's soft body into his arms. "Xun'er, I didn't tell you beforehand because I was afraid you would try to stop me."
He kissed the girl's hair, his voice becoming even gentler. "You know, if you really came to persuade me, I might not have wanted to leave anymore."
Xiao Xun Er pouted her rosy lips, her small face full of loss and reluctance. Her lips moved slightly then pressed tight again as she buried her head forcefully into his chest.
"Hey! You're about to leave, and you're still shoving this public display of affection in my face!"
Xiao Yan saw the two embracing, and his expression was not very friendly.
Reasonably, one should avoid such a scene, but Xiao Feng could leave at any moment, and he wanted to say goodbye.
Xiao Xun Er naturally heard Xiao Yan's voice, and the tips of her ears turned red, yet she still refused to leave Xiao Feng's embrace.
"Alright, I'm just going out for a stroll, it's not like I'm never coming back." Xiao Feng gently pushed Xiao Xun Er out of his arms and whispered softly, "If I don't work hard, I won't be able to hold onto you."
Xiao Xun Er's pretty face grew even redder. She gave a slight nod, her voice carrying a hint of a sob. "Stay safe."
Xiao Yan watched from the side. Any heavy emotions he had were washed away by their display. He curled his lip and said, "Brother Feng, since Father isn't stopping you, I have nothing more to say. Come back safely!"
After speaking, he tossed over a small cloth bag and turned to leave.
Xiao Feng caught the bag, set it aside, and shouted to Xiao Yan, "Huo Huo, let me give you a piece of advice."
"What?" Xiao Yan turned around, looking at Xiao Feng with a face full of curiosity.
"Thirty years on the east bank, thirty years on the west bank; do not look down on a youth for being poor." Xiao Feng said seriously.
"Huh?" Xiao Yan was even more confused, but Xiao Feng ignored him. "Tch, so mysterious."
"Let me see what Brother Xiao Yan gave you." Xiao Xun Er curiously opened the small bag. Inside were quite a few gold coins arranged neatly, about twenty or so, along with two Blood Ginsengs.
"This guy, did he empty out his entire savings?" Xiao Feng laughed, feeling a wave of emotion in his heart.
Xiao Xun Er also smiled, then said, "Brother Feng, wait for me a moment," and ran out.
Xiao Feng didn't have much to pack: a few changes of clothes, a tattered map, and a long saber he had acquired. He had to return the Dou Techniques, and things like teapots weren't convenient to carry, so there wasn't much else.
Just as he finished packing, Xiao Xun Er returned.
"Brother Feng, keep this safe." Xiao Xun Er handed over a pitch-black ring. It didn't look like much at first glance, but the more one studied it, the more one could feel its ancient and majestic aura, possessing a sense of great craftsmanship in its simplicity.
"A storage ring?" Xiao Feng was startled and quickly guessed the object's name.
Xiao Xun Er was slightly surprised. "Brother Feng knows about storage rings too? Then you should know how to use it, right?"
Xiao Feng shook his head. "I don't want it."
Xiao Xun Er got a bit anxious. "Brother Feng, why don't you want it?"
"I don't need to bring much with me. On the contrary, you have many things that aren't convenient to keep in your room, right?" Xiao Feng rubbed the girl's head.
Xiao Xun Er beamed. "Is Brother Feng worried about that? Xun'er has another one."
With that, she held out her other hand, where another storage ring lay, though this one was more delicate.
Xiao Feng's mouth twitched. He roughly understood what Xiao Xun Er had gone back for, and he immediately smiled and accepted it.
In the corner, Ling Ying roared silently: That's mine! My storage ring!
...By a small stream, Xiao Feng speared a fish and started a fire to roast it for food.
While eating the fish seasoned with fine salt, Xiao Feng sighed with emotion about how his own woman truly knew how to take care of him.
After he accepted the storage ring, Xiao Xun Er had dragged Xiao Feng out of the Xiao Family home to start shopping, looking as if she wouldn't stop until she filled the storage ring. Whether it was something Xiao Feng had thought of or not, as long as Xiao Xun Er saw something she felt might be useful, she would buy it.
The sky gradually darkened.
He set up a tent, sprinkled a circle of insect-repelling powder, set up a bell-rope alarm, hung an oil lamp, and then laid out the bedding. He even had more than two sets of quilts and pillows... Don't ask where they came from; his woman's love.
It was clearly meant to be training, but it ended up feeling like a picnic, and was even more comfortable than living with the Xiao Family.
He glanced at the opposite bank of the river; beyond that lay the territory of the Magical Beast Mountain Range.
'I'll get a good night's sleep tonight. I'll head in tomorrow, and the training will officially begin!'
Xiao Feng wasn't in a hurry to lie down. He sat cross-legged and circulated his Qi to work through his limbs and bones, only stopping when his Qi was down to half.
Out here, he didn't dare to recklessly detonate his Qi vortex, so he went to sleep after his Qi had fully recovered... At the Xiao Family home.
A beautiful silhouette stood on a roof ridge, looking toward the Magical Beast Mountain Range, her eyes full of worry.
"Old Ling."
"Young Miss, I am here."
"Do you think Brother Feng had a good dinner?"
Ling Ying:... "Do you think any wild beasts will sneak up on Brother Feng while he's sleeping at night?"
Ling Ying:... "Do you think..."
"Young Miss!"
"Hmm?"
"Young Miss, it is already very late. You really should sleep."
"Old Ling, how about you go and protect Brother Feng!"
Ling Ying silently turned and vanished into the darkness... The Magical Beast Mountain Range was both terrifying and beloved. It was a paradise for mercenaries and simultaneously their Hell. Some obtained wealth here that others couldn't earn in several lifetimes, while others lost their precious lives, which became worth less than a copper coin.
At dawn, the bell-rope Xiao Feng had set up rang.
"Hello, is anyone there?" a woman's voice sounded. Her voice was soft, her tone steady and unhurried, radiating friendliness in every way.
Xiao Feng, who possessed a Soul even more powerful than Xiao Yan's, had already detected someone approaching. It was just that some people had passed by before, so he had assumed this person was also just passing through.
Now that someone was knocking, it wouldn't be right for him not to answer.
"I'm here. Do you need something?" Xiao Feng emerged from the tent.
While Xiao Feng was surprised by the woman's features, she was also surprised by Xiao Feng's age.
"Uh... excuse me." Xiao Feng noticed his rudeness and quickly lowered his gaze.
She was a rather delicate-looking girl in the prime of her youth, about fifteen or sixteen. However, the left side of her face had a scar half the size of a palm; the red flesh was wrinkled together, looking quite hideous.
"No, no, no, I'm the one who should say sorry." The woman quickly turned her face away. "I didn't scare you, did I?"
Xiao Feng waved his hand and asked, "Are you looking for me for something?"
"Ah..." The woman hesitated. "I originally thought you were a mercenary about to enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range. I'm sorry for the intrusion."
Xiao Feng was a bit curious. "Entering the Magical Beast Mountain Range?"
He could tell the woman had no Qi. Why would such a weak woman be looking for a mercenary preparing to enter the Magical Beast Mountain Range? Did she want to follow them in?
"Oh, I'm a Herb Gatherer..." The woman smiled, but a hint of sorrow appeared in her eyes and quickly spread across her face. She sighed. "Well, actually, I'm an ostracized Herb Gatherer..."
"Herb Gatherer?" Xiao Feng didn't recall such a profession.
The woman assumed it was because Xiao Feng was young and explained with a smile, "medicinal herbs are very diverse. Some require the flowers, some the leaves and stems, and some the roots. Some medicinal herbs look like common weeds, and mercenaries simply can't tell them apart. The role of a Herb Gatherer is self-evident."
After explaining, the woman waved her hand. "I'm really sorry to have disturbed your rest. Big sister still has things to do, so I'll be going now."
"Wait." Xiao Feng called out to her. "What are you looking for a mercenary for?"
"Little brother, we'll chat if we have the chance. Big sister really has things to do."
"I am a mercenary." Xiao Feng interrupted.
"Huh?"