Volume 4: Hidden Battles – Chapter 203: A Happy Ending

But Senior Brother Liu Xiangshi paid no attention to Chu Tianyu’s joke. Perhaps he didn’t even hear what Chu Tianyu was babbling about, as his focus was entirely on the soft white light emanating from Chu Tianyu’s body.

At that moment, Chu Tianyu also noticed his senior brother’s gaze and instinctively looked down. He then suddenly realized something strange about his own body. With a thought, the white light around him seemed to be controlled by some force—it instantly contracted and faded, then rushed back into his body in the blink of an eye and disappeared without a trace.

“This… this is…” Liu Xiangshi’s brain almost stopped functioning. He had given up hope; he could no longer explain what was happening to Chu Tianyu!

Since he couldn’t explain it, and Chu Tianyu, the one who started it all, even less so, Chu Tianyu could only respond to his senior brother’s expression with a helpless look and say, “I don’t know why either. I just thought about it, and that’s when it happened! If it weren’t for you coming over, I wouldn’t have even noticed.”

“How was it last night? Could coordinating with the Sounds of Heaven and Earth solve the problem? I was distracted for a moment and ended up trapped in those rhythms too, so I didn’t see what happened afterward…” Liu Xiangshi changed the subject.

Hearing this, Chu Tianyu burst into hearty laughter and said, “Haha, Senior Brother, not only was it completely solved this time, but we also gained a lot. That strange phenomenon just now might well be the result of merging with Xue Feifei’s Sounds of Heaven and Earth!”

“Really?” Hearing Chu Tianyu’s words and the good news that his own problem had been completely resolved, Liu Xiangshi was almost unbelievably excited.

“Mm, yes. Senior Brother, it’s absolutely true…” Chu Tianyu then explained the entire process in detail to Liu Xiangshi. The dangers and wonders involved even made Liu Xiangshi gasp in shock, showing great surprise and astonishment.

“Heh, so the Sounds of Heaven and Earth can not only regulate the flow of energy in your body but also turn the intangible into the tangible, condense energy into mist, and create a super magnetic field to extract and refine the energy within your body, right?” Liu Xiangshi said, beginning to understand.

“It seems to be more or less like that! Such coordination has also been extremely beneficial for Xue Feifei. I heard her cultivation level has increased by at least three years, if not more. Moreover, at that time, my mind and hers entered a wonderful state of spiritual communication—like soaring through the sky—without the need for words, relying solely on mental connections!” Chu Tianyu added.

“Is that so! Since it’s beneficial for both of you, that’s great. But what I don’t quite understand is how this situation could arise. Notes can actually turn into physical forms? If I were to tell anyone, they wouldn’t believe it!” Liu Xiangshi said, still puzzled.

Chu Tianyu lowered his head and pondered for a while before saying, “Senior brother, I can somewhat guess the reason. The ability to turn notes into physical forms is likely due to Feifei’s ‘Sounds of Heaven and Earth,’ amplified by the techniques from the ‘Heavenly Melody Scripture,’ achieving a special effect of condensing energy into reality. The jade in Feifei’s hand was forged from the soul of ten-thousand-year-old cold energy. With it as a medium, it’s not hard to create such illusory mist. As for why it can attract energy from within me like a magnetic field, it might be because both Feifei and I possess the essence of dragons and serpents—especially since these dragon and serpent energies have long merged into one. The remaining green serpent energy in Feifei’s body naturally exerts an attracting effect between us…”

As Chu Tianyu explained and inferred, Liu Xiangshi gradually understood the reason and agreed with his thoughts. Smiling, he said, “That’s great! If it’s really as you say, then your problem is easily solved. It’s even a blessing in disguise. With Feifei’s help, you can absorb lunar energy every day, gaining powerful energy without being affected by its negative aspects. Hehe, in the future, I, as your senior brother, should step aside and let Feifei take care of you. That way, you two can be together, complementing each other—haha…”

Facing his senior brother’s teasing, Chu Tianyu didn’t retort but simply smiled and said, “Senior brother, aren’t you admitting you’re in love? Otherwise, why do you keep talking about being together and complementing each other all the time? Right…?”

He drew out the last word. “Go away! I, as your senior brother, don’t have the fortune to have someone by my side, nor do I have such thoughts. It’s you who should behave more properly. Don’t you still have that girl, Ouyang Ziyi?” Liu Xiangshi retorted.

Just then, a commotion came from the side of the Tianyin Sect disciples. Chu Tianyu and Liu Xiangshi temporarily stopped talking and turned their attention there. In the distance, people were busy preparing breakfast. Xue Feifei, who had already recovered from her embarrassment, was waving at them, signaling for them to have breakfast. During breakfast, a small incident occurred that left Chu Tianyu puzzled. First, a few lively Tianyin Sect disciples pointed at him with sly smiles. When Chu Tianyu glanced their way, they lowered their heads and giggled among themselves. At first, Chu Tianyu thought they were acquaintances he had met in Motuo, but after looking for a while, he couldn’t recall them at all. Moreover, he was sure they weren’t there during that time. It would have been fine if they had just observed him, as Chu Tianyu felt his resistance had grown strong after training outside, so he simply ignored them! But his ignorance didn’t calm things down; instead, the situation grew worse. More and more disciples joined in pointing, whispering, and giggling, which made even Chu Tianyu, who thought of himself as having a thick skin, feel extremely awkward. Under the “attention” of so many girls, his every move became somewhat unnatural. Senior Liu Xiangshi had already noticed something was wrong and promptly distanced himself from Chu Tianyu, going to the other side. By asking about the injuries of a few Tianyin Sect disciples, he naturally took a seat there. Eventually, almost all the active Tianyin Sect disciples gathered there, as if arguing fiercely about something, before seemingly reaching some secret agreement. In the end, they all stared at Chu Tianyu with sinister smiles… It was Xue Feifei who finally couldn’t stand it anymore. She came over to the confused Chu Tianyu. Seeing her approach, Chu Tianyu was overjoyed and quickly asked, “Feifei, what are they doing? Why do they keep looking at me with such ill intent? Am I doing something wrong?” Xue Feifei smiled gently and whispered, “I knew you’d ask. That’s why I came to give you a heads-up! Hehe, you’re not doing anything wrong at all. On the contrary, you’re quite charming!” “How so?” Chu Tianyu asked, puzzled. “Do you know what they’re talking about?” “No. Come on, Feifei, stop teasing me and tell me quickly!” Her curiosity really piqued his interest.

“Hehe, it still comes down to asking you. Although you caused trouble in Motuo, playing the role of a homemaker, making meat soup, and cooking mushrooms. The sisters who went there back then spread the word widely, and they imagined you as an excellent homemaking man…”
As Xue Feifei was saying this, Chu Tianyu quickly stopped her. Utterly aggrieved, he said, “Stop, stop! Are you kidding? An homemaking man? Besides those things, there was also my punch that showed my dominance—so manly and heroic. Why didn’t they mention that?”
Facing Chu Tianyu’s unwilling expression, Xue Feifei suppressed her laughter and deliberately shrugged her small nose helplessly. “Heh, you’ll have to ask them about that. But to be honest, what impressed me the most seemed to be the soups and grilled bread with meat you made—hehe, really delicious…”
“I’m really beaten by you!” Chu Tianyu shook his head helplessly at Xue Feifei’s expression.
“So, when they see you now, the contrast with the homemaking man they imagined is huge. They can’t believe that such a tall, muscular man could make such delicious food. Those who went to Motuo last time insist on this view, so a dispute arose. They even came up with a way to test it and set a bet…”
Listening to this and seeing Xue Feifei’s gloating expression, Chu Tianyu felt extremely helpless. Especially when he heard the last part, he couldn’t help asking, “What bet?”
“Hehe, it’s a bet on whether you, this ‘God of Food,’ will show off your cooking skills again and whether the food is really that delicious…”
“What do you mean?” Chu Tianyu was confused.
“Someone will bring you a tasteless breakfast with extra ingredients later, and then deliberately leave some ingredients for you to see if you’ll cook something by yourself!” Xue Feifei whispered.
“Ugh, you guys are too childish! Coming up with such a plan. I just won’t eat it, that’s it!” Chu Tianyu snapped.
“Don’t worry about whether it’s childish or not. Hehe, I’m betting you’ll cook breakfast by yourself…” Without waiting for Chu Tianyu to react, she quickly ran away, leaving him at a loss—turns out she was the worst among them all, claiming to come to give news but actually trying to control the bet and manipulate things behind the scenes. What corruption!

One day passed in great excitement. With Chu Tianyu’s own problems resolved and the chance to reunite with Xue Feifei, he was in high spirits and decided to join them in playing. A few mischievous girls brought him a bowl of dark, sticky porridge, which they claimed was congee—though Chu Tianyu couldn’t tell the difference. He then set to work using available mountain herbs and wild vegetables to prepare a delicious, colorful, and aromatic eight-treasure congee, giving Xue Feifei, the behind-the-scenes mastermind controlling the gambling game, full credit and allowing her to shine, creating a lively atmosphere filled with laughter and banter…

…

After careful treatment and recovery over night by his senior brother Liu Xiangshi, Xue Feifei’s master, Elder Qiao, also woke up in good spirits. He even tasted the eight-treasure congee cooked by Chu Tianyu and praised it highly, showering him with compliments. His enthusiastic gaze was like that of a mother-in-law looking at her son-in-law—his affection grew the more he looked at him!

She had originally wanted to ask Chu Tianyu about having many girlfriends, but upon seeing his current appearance—sharp features, a cold yet resolute look, lips that occasionally curved into a wild and carefree smile, bronze-colored skin that shone like brocade, and a slender, well-proportioned figure that wasn’t bulky at all despite his muscular build—she couldn’t bring herself to say anything. Instead, he gave off an aura of strength and agility…

With such charm, plus being flattered by her compliments, how could she possibly say anything more? Chu Tianyu himself hadn’t expected that a bowl of congee made casually in the morning to help with someone’s scheme would have such an effect. It saved him from having to explain anything and avoid embarrassment. Truly, fate was very kind to him. Even Liu Xiangshi, seeing Elder Qiao’s biased enthusiasm, was filled with resentment—after all, who was her real savior?

“Sigh, it’s frustrating to compare oneself to others! Back in our youth…” Left unattended, Liu Xiangshi had no choice but to imagine those good old times by himself.

However, the conversation that followed became much more serious. Some practical matters needed careful discussion, as this siege was just the beginning. The issue of fake spirits had only just surfaced, and the next step was to figure out how to handle the Tianyin Sect.

Fortunately, according to Master Qiao’s analysis, it is estimated that the rival sect, Hanchan Sect, which is familiar with their Tianyin Sect, has deployed all its forces this time. Aside from the portion that has already been eliminated by Chutianyu, those who came to attack include their sect leader and the elites he led, all of whom were slaughtered under Chutianyu’s rampage. So, it seems that the entire Hanchan Sect has been wiped out; even if there are any remnants, they pose no threat.

Therefore, when Chutianyu suggested that they go to Chengdu temporarily, where they would be protected by the disciples of Xuanji Sect’s Martial Hall and the forces of Tianmo Sect, Master Qiao rejected this proposal. Basically, since Chutianyu has eliminated the entire Hanchan Sect, as long as Tianyin Sect does not move on such a large scale, returning to their hometown and relying on its secluded location, defensive arrays, and their own Tianyin Sect’s abilities, nothing should be able to threaten them anymore.

When Chutianyu heard that they wanted to return, it naturally meant that Xue Feifei would also go back, which made him extremely anxious as he kept glancing at her. Master Qiao saw Chutianyu’s expression and, not wanting to upset this good “son-in-law,” expressed her own thoughts. Considering Chutianyu’s current physical condition, even if Xue Feifei wanted to go back, she wouldn’t agree! After all, if she absorbed moon energy every night without the soothing effect of the sounds of heaven and earth, it was uncertain whether new violent energy would accumulate within Chutianyu’s body. So for now, Chutianyu really couldn’t be separated from Xue Feifei.

Meanwhile, Xue Feifei had successfully mastered the Tianlai Mysterious Scripture, and it was said that using it to neutralize Chutianyu’s physical energy also brought many benefits to her. Just last night, her skills improved significantly, much to Master Qiao’s amazement and delight.

Thus, it was naturally not difficult to accommodate Chutianyu and avoid separating them again. However, Master Qiao did put forward a condition: Xue Feifei must return for two months each year to prepare to take over as sect leader and train the disciples, while managing Tianyu Company overseas. The internal affairs of the sect could be handled by a few older disciples. After all, Tianyin Sect was a sect focused on cultivation, with not many daily tasks—its main concerns were financial support from outside. So Xue Feifei’s absence wouldn’t cause much disruption.

As for the arrangements for Chu Tianyu and the others, it would depend on Master Qiao’s injury condition. If there were no serious issues and they could set off back, then further discussions would take place. Later, Chu Tianyu suggested escorting them back, but Master Qiao declined. Just one day later, feeling that aside from being unable to practice cultivation for the time being, he was fine, he bid farewell to Chu Tianyu and the others along with his disciples and hurried back to the mountain temple.

As for the secret vault here, it actually contained only a small piece of warm jade, discovered by an ancestor of the Tianyin Sect. This jade was of great help to those with a pure natural body qualified to practice the Tianlai Xuanjing. That’s why Xue Feifei came here to cultivate in the final stage, leading to a series of subsequent events.

However, this place is no longer important at all. During Xue Feifei’s final stage of cultivation, the internal energy she generated absorbed all the essence of the warm jade, allowing her to overcome the final obstacle and achieve complete success in her cultivation. The warm jade itself turned into an ordinary stone.

Chu Tianyu was also greatly surprised by Xue Feifei’s transformation. After all, Xue Feifei’s Qingjiao energy had no consciousness, and its powerful energy could be fully absorbed by her and transformed into robust true energy. Unlike Chu Tianyu, who, despite possessing two complete true dragons, was ignored by them as they each went their own way. So far, in terms of absorbing dragon energy, Xue Feifei had reaped more benefits from absorbing those so-called residual energies!

This made Chu Tianyu extremely envious. Helplessly, he often sighed that he had such a treasure but couldn’t use it, not only failing to benefit from it but also facing constant troubles, such as outbursts of uncontrollable energy…

After resolving his health issues, Chu Tianyu quickly called Ouyang Ziyi and the others to reassure them. He originally planned to return that day, but his senior brother Liu Xiangshi mysteriously asked him to do a few more favors before leaving. Since everyone was happy now, there was no rush in those few days, so he agreed immediately to help his brother finish his tasks before setting off back to the capital.

Liu Xiangshi had originally discussed with them that since Chu Tianyu’s health was fine, after helping him with a few tasks, they would not disturb the couple’s sweet time and would head back to that secret forest first to reunite with their uncles before making further plans.

When Chu Tianyu reminded him that the Tiancai Dibao brothers were still at Shaolin Temple, Liu Xiangshi showed a strange expression and stammered for a long time before saying that the two had grown up and should go out and experience the world. In particular, a certain uncle who knew more about the outside world should be fully capable of taking responsibility for teaching them, rather than leaving them at Shaolin Temple unattended. By the end, even Chu Tianyu felt deeply guilty, realizing he had treated the Tiancai Dibao brothers poorly, and repeatedly apologized to his senior brother, vowing to fulfill his duties as an uncle in the future and making various assurances. Only then, under his senior brother’s critical gaze but reluctant agreement to watch his future actions, did he take on the responsibility of supervising the brothers—essentially, controlling their food and shelter!

However, once he realized what had happened, Chu Tianyu exclaimed that he had been deceived, pretending to regret it, which left Xue Feifei utterly puzzled. She thought such an obvious deception should be easy to spot—there was no need to claim to have been tricked!

Later, when asked about it, Chu Tianyu simply replied with four words: “It’s good to be confused!”

In fact, this was just Chu Tianyu’s way of communicating with his senior brother. The senior brother was also thinking of the Tiancai Dibao brothers—he couldn’t let them wander the mountains with him forever; they needed a chance to experience the wonders of the world. If they couldn’t adapt to life outside, it would be no fault of theirs, and it wouldn’t be too late for them to return!

Chu Tianyu certainly understood his senior brother’s good intentions toward the Tiancai Dibao brothers and decided that once he returned, he would bring them out and arrange things properly, giving them a chance to freely choose what they wanted to do.

……

In the mountains not far from Sigu Nvru Mountain in Sichuan, where cliffs and jagged rocks abounded and few people lived, two men and a woman were walking along a treacherous path.

“Senior brother, what fierce beast are we dealing with this time? You’ve been so mysterious all the way,” Chu Tianyu asked casually, holding Xue Feifei’s hand as they walked.