Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 196: Between Fortune and Misfortune

Chu Tianyu’s terrifying strength shocked everyone present, including Liu Xiangshi, who already knew a bit about him. Especially when dealing with the last six Yunluo Demons, his demeanor was simply ruthless—killing those who stood in his way. Aside from instantly smashing one of their heads with a punch at the beginning while they were still stunned, he handled the remaining five as if it were a game, fully demonstrating the various techniques he had mastered in the forest against wild beasts, as well as his unique combat skills.

At times, he used powerful punches that ignored the sharpness of swords, charging head-on and using the energy within his fists to shatter the swords into pieces. Then, without slowing down, he would break through their defenses and, with the opponent’s shock still evident on their face, plant his fist firmly in their chest…

Other times, he changed his posture rapidly, moving like a ghost to get close to his enemies. Leveraging the ability to release energy from every muscle in his body, he focused all his strength at the point of contact, causing explosive bursts of energy. After countless such encounters, the enemy would feel as if they had taken multiple punches…

Finally, when dealing with the two who went mad and fled due to the intensity of the attacks, Chu Tianyu remained calm, standing still. Just as they were about to escape his reach, he bent his legs forward, clenched his fists, and unleashed a fierce strike. Along with a loud shout, two pale yellow energy balls shot out from his fists like lightning, hitting the back of their necks mid-air and exploding, sending them flying once more. By then, they were already dead.

At this moment, Chu Tianyu felt a sense of ease and smoothness throughout his body. The energy within his muscles moved subtly through his veins, flowing slowly through every cell and spreading throughout his body, filling him with ecstasy.

“It’s your disciple, Liu Xiangshi, paying respects to my two uncles!” After what seemed like a long time, as Chu Tianyu gradually regained consciousness from these extraordinary changes within his body, he happened to hear his senior brother’s words of greeting.

He quickly glanced at the three middle-aged men. They seemed to have just recovered from some situation as well. Two of them, holding dust brushes, nodded slightly. Though their expressions were calm, their tones were somewhat excited as they said, “Good, very good. Feng Shui Master, it’s been so many years since we last met. I remember the last time your master brought you here, you were just in your early thirties. In the blink of an eye, so many years have passed! Your uncles Xian Tian and Xian Yun must have aged…”
“Not at all! Both uncles still look as sharp as ever. You even look younger than when I first met you as a disciple. Congratulations on your further improvement in skills!” Feng Shui Master Liu quickly replied respectfully.
Upon hearing their conversation, Chu Tianyu immediately understood that the two men before him were his long-lost uncles. Although they appeared middle-aged, they were clearly far inferior to the man with the sword behind them in terms of demeanor and speech. It could be inferred that the latter was likely a disciple trained by the uncles.
“Disciple Chu Tianyu, pays respects to both uncles!” Realizing this, Chu Tianyu quickly bowed and spoke loudly.
“By the way, masters, this is my master’s newly recruited disciple, who is also the current head of our Yunmen…” Since there were few disciples in Yunmen, and most of them lived in seclusion in the mountains, they rarely met. So Feng Shui Master Liu took the opportunity to introduce Chu Tianyu in advance.
Xian Tian and Xian Yun were already very interested in this “wildman” named Chu Tianyu. To their surprise, he turned out to be the successor chosen by their senior brother, and even the current head of the sect. They didn’t dare to be overconfident. They leaned slightly, bowed again after receiving the greeting, and said, “Disciples Xian Tian and Xian Yun of Yunmen, along with disciple Ling Fei, pay respects to the sect head.”
Chu Tianyu also stepped back slightly to show respect, then quickly stepped forward. He shook the hands of the two uncles, dissolving the awkwardness of such formalities.
After the introductions, it was still Feng Shui Master Liu who suggested that this wasn’t a good place for chatting or catching up. It would be better to go to his temporary residence nearby and talk at ease.
…
Although the thatched cottage wasn’t large, it was kept spotless by Feng Shui Master Liu, and it was sufficient to accommodate five people.

After sitting down, everyone spent some time chatting and getting to know each other’s experiences. There was no need to elaborate on Chu Tianyu and Liu Xiangshi’s stories, while their own experiences were simple—living in the mountains, practicing diligently in harsh conditions. In fact, both uncles focused more on various esoteric studies, which left them somewhat deficient in martial arts skills. Thus, they preferred to stay low-key and avoid conflicts. Xianyun rarely reached out to them unless it involved matters concerning the safety of the Cloud Gate sect, as such situations were enough to disturb them.

This time, it was Liu Xiangshi, who was in a difficult situation, who sent out a distress signal at the level of a Cloud Gate disciple using a unique communication talisman of their sect.

Chu Tianyu also possessed such a talisman, which his master had given him specifically after he completed his training under Xianyun. However, his talisman was of the sect leader’s rank—once sent or received, every Cloud Gate disciple was required to arrive immediately, without hesitation!

The two uncles showed great concern for Chu Tianyu and kept asking about his current situation. Liu Xiangshi took this opportunity to express his doubts and worries, but he didn’t want Chu Tianyu to know right away, as such situations could easily cause mental or psychological issues in the person involved.

So, when the conversation was almost over, Liu Xiangshi suddenly took out an old satellite communication phone from his makeshift bed and handed it to Chu Tianyu, saying, “Younger brother, when I first saw you, didn’t you say you wanted to find some companions? If they’ve survived, you should be able to contact them now!”

Upon hearing this, Chu Tianyu was shocked. With the cold, violent, and bloodthirsty energy within him having been released during the recent battle, and since night hadn’t yet fallen, he had a temporary reprieve from the subtle influence of lunar energy on his mind and consciousness.

Now, hearing his elder brother Liu Xiangshi remind him so directly! And since he had already emerged from the maze, how could he possibly forget such an important matter?

What scared Chu Tianyu even more was that, in his mind, finding some beasts to fight against to release his energy freely seemed far more important than searching for or finding out the whereabouts of Ouyang Ziyi and the others…

For a moment, Chu Tianyu’s thoughts became chaotic. He numbly took the phone from his elder brother, his mind once again going blank.

In a daze, he had no idea how much time had passed. Only Chu Tianyu was left in the room, still holding the satellite phone in the same position. Outside, Liu Xiangshi and his two uncles were also waiting anxiously. Liu Xiangshi never expected that the method he planned to use to distract Chu Tianyu would instead become the cause of the problems he was worried about. So now, the only one who could help Chu Tianyu was himself. During this time, Liu Xiangshi explained the situation in detail to his two uncles, hoping to find a solution. Otherwise, if Chu Tianyu continued on this path, he would eventually abandon all ties and fall back into the evil ways of killing. Such extraordinary matters involving the energy of heaven and earth and the light of the moon far exceeded his understanding. Even if he knew a little, it would be of little use—there was too big a gap. It was better to discuss it with his uncles, even if they might not find a specific solution, it was far better than guessing on his own. In fact, inside the room, Chu Tianyu was filled with self-reproach and confusion. He blamed himself for allowing such absurd and even shameless behavior—ignoring their safety and indulging in cultivation and fighting. It was unforgivable. Even after leaving the maze, it was his senior brother’s reminder that made him think of the safety of Ouyang Ziyi and the others. Otherwise, he would still be immersed in the pleasure of his recent killings… Instinctively, Chu Tianyu dialed a number he didn’t know how he got, not expecting anyone to answer. All he wanted to do was turn back to the maze and use his fists and legs to knock down those towering ancient trees, leveling the entire area to relieve his frustration! “Hello, who is this? How do you have my satellite communication number?” The call finally connected, and a hoarse but familiar female voice came through. “Zi, Zi…” Halfway through calling her name, Chu Tianyu suddenly found he couldn’t say anything anymore. “Tianyu! Tianyu! Is that really you?” Hearing Chu Tianyu’s voice, Ouyang Yi’s anxious words came through the phone, along with noises around her—like the roars of white lightning or Angel’s soft calls. But all that reached Chu Tianyu’s ears was just a buzzing sound. “Great, they’re alive, they’re alive…” At that moment, Chu Tianyu’s lips trembled. He couldn’t hear anything or speak, only feeling ecstatic in his heart, repeating those words over and over again.

Liu Xiangshi, who had been watching from outside, could no longer stay outside and slowly walked in. He took the phone from Chu Tianyu’s hands and spoke to Ouyang Ziyi on his behalf, at least to let her know he was safe and to prevent her from worrying further.
…At night, the sky was dotted with stars, and the moonlight covered the mountains and fields.
Liu Xiangshi repeatedly told Chu Tianyu, who still stood there motionless, about Ouyang Ziyi and the others’ situation as well as his own condition, assuring him that he didn’t need to blame himself. There are no free lunches in the world. The price of fully absorbing and controlling the breath of the Ink Dragon and the light of the moonlight was the loss of one’s true nature and a transformation of consciousness. Especially since this subtle transformation occurred when Chu Tianyu’s martial skills and vital energy had completely vanished, allowing those sinister energies to take advantage of the weakness. Otherwise, with Chu Tianyu’s temperament, realm, and skills, he would never have been affected in this way.
But as the saying goes, fortune and misfortune go hand in hand. Without the help of the moon, Chu Tianyu might have already died in the maze. Gradually, Chu Tianyu himself also realized this. Now, the question was how to solve it.