*Chapter 17: The Dragon-Whip Technique*
For a brief moment, Mu Feng considered taking out the Netherworld Bow from his Qilin Ring. However, when he heard Jiang Ruoyun mention going shopping, he dismissed the idea. He didn’t want to miss the chance to gather more information.
...
As evening approached, Jiang Ruoyun insisted that Mu Feng could no longer occupy her bedroom. Unfortunately, there were no spare rooms in the courtyard, leaving Mu Feng with no choice but to settle in a simple storage room on the edge of the estate.
Mu Feng didn’t mind. He was well aware of Jiang Ruoyun’s difficult position within the Jiang family. She had little authority in the household and was likely facing her own struggles, potentially even being forced out of her home soon.
During their idle conversations, Mu Feng learned that Xiao Rou, Jiang Ruoyun’s maid, was actually assigned to her by her second uncle, Jiang Aotian, the second head of the Jiang family and Jiang Caiyun’s father. Though Xiao Rou had been polite and well-behaved in recent years, she had always been a source of suspicion for Jiang Ruoyun, as she was placed there not only to care for her but also to spy on her.
By nightfall, Mu Feng had tidied up the cluttered storage room, discarding useless items and cleaning up enough to make the space look neat. He cobbled together a simple bed from wooden planks, which gave the room a semblance of comfort.
For Mu Feng, most furnishings were unnecessary, but he still preferred having a proper bed. After all, despite his current cultivation level, he still required sleep and food like any ordinary person.
As night deepened, Mu Feng sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, focusing on the state of his Original Soul. Since leaving Wuyou Village and arriving in Qinglong Town, Mu Feng had sensed some looseness in the other Soul formations within him, but no matter how much he meditated, he still couldn’t fully control or connect them.
Unable to make further progress, Mu Feng gave up and lay down to sleep. As he pulled the blanket over himself, he caught a faint, pleasant scent. He realized the blanket had once belonged to Jiang Ruoyun, who had discarded it after replacing it with a new one due to her distaste.
“Girls’ blankets always smell so nice,” Mu Feng murmured, a soft smile tugging at his lips.
...
At dawn, the first light of day barely broke through the horizon when Mu Feng was already up and busy in the courtyard.
Before long, Jiang Ruoyun emerged from her room, rubbing her sleepy eyes. When she noticed Mu Feng, she was taken aback.
Mu Feng was holding a broom, sweeping away fallen leaves and debris. His movements were slow, deliberate, and precise. Although he hadn’t moved far from his original spot, the ground seemed noticeably cleaner.
Jiang Ruoyun couldn’t help but admire his technique. What a brilliant footwork technique!
As Mu Feng swept, his feet followed the steps of the legendary movement technique he had learned in Linglong Valley. He had developed a habit of practicing martial arts every morning, and since the environment didn’t allow for sword practice, he instead practiced his footwork in secret.
Jiang Ruoyun glanced around the courtyard. She felt like something had changed, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint what. The ancient banyan tree and the surrounding green potted plants all seemed somehow more vibrant, and the whole courtyard felt cleaner and more peaceful.
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She had intended to practice her morning exercises in the courtyard, as was her routine, but seeing Mu Feng’s diligent cleaning, she hesitated to disturb the space.
“I’m heading to the back mountain to practice my whip technique. Would you like to come?” Jiang Ruoyun asked, almost impulsively. Deep down, perhaps she wanted someone to witness her proudest skill.
Mu Feng paused mid-sweep, turning to look at Jiang Ruoyun. Today, she looked different from the previous day. Her long, jet-black hair was tied into a ponytail, and her outfit was much more practical. Her sleeves, waist, and legs were all tightly bound, giving her an air of readiness. Every movement was sharp, with no excess or drag, making her appear full of youthful vitality.
“Whip practice?” Mu Feng smiled slightly, remembering the whip strike Jiang Ruoyun had delivered to Jiang Ren’s face the day before. His curiosity was piqued, and he decided to accompany her.
The two left the courtyard, took a left through a side gate, and soon reached the back door of the Jiang estate. After a short walk, they arrived at the foothills of the Jiang family’s back mountain, where a flat, open space served as Jiang Ruoyun’s practice ground.
Jiang Ruoyun pulled out her whip from the storage space in her ring, lingering for a moment as she looked at the ring with a hint of nostalgia. The ring had been a gift from her grandfather, Jiang Batian, when she connected her Seven Souls as a child. It held special meaning for her.
Mu Feng examined the long, pale-pink whip in her hand. It was much longer than a typical whip, woven from alternating red and white patterns that made it look graceful in motion. The grip was thickly wrapped to protect the user’s hand during heavy strikes.
While Mu Feng was still observing the whip, Jiang Ruoyun had already begun her practice. The whip danced through the air with graceful precision, sometimes striking in straight lines, sometimes sweeping in wide arcs. The transitions were fluid, leaving countless pale-pink afterimages in the air.
Jiang Ruoyun had been practicing with the whip since she was six years old. Even after her Seven Souls had regressed, she never stopped training. Although she hadn’t yet reached the pinnacle of mastery, where anything could serve as a whip in her hands, she had achieved an impressive level of skill.
Her movements resembled a beautiful dance, each step light and agile. Her ponytail bounced with her every turn, making her look like a playful, nimble rabbit. The sight was both captivating and endearing.
Mu Feng found himself entranced by the scene. In the past, he had been so focused on cultivation that he rarely took the time to appreciate something as beautiful as this.
“I’ll show you something even better!” Jiang Ruoyun called out with a grin. Then, with a sudden shift in her posture, she flipped her wrist and unleashed a powerful whip strike.
“Boom!” A loud explosion echoed as a large boulder in front of Mu Feng shattered into pieces under the force of her whip.
The delicate, graceful aura vanished in an instant, replaced by an overwhelming sense of raw power.
Mu Feng’s jaw dropped. The contrast was staggering!
Snap, flick, twist... Simple movements like these, when executed by Jiang Ruoyun, exuded terrifying power. The ground bore the marks of her devastating strikes, each crack and dent a testament to her destructive force.
Despite being only at the Second Soul stage, Jiang Ruoyun wielded enough power to shatter boulders. When her cultivation advanced further, her strikes would likely be capable of immense destruction.
Mu Feng couldn’t help but chuckle mischievously. Whoever marries her better watch out. If she ever gets mad...
Crack!
The sound of the whip breaking echoed through the air.
Mu Feng looked over and saw that Jiang Ruoyun’s whip had snapped under the immense force of her strikes.
“What whip technique is that?” Mu Feng asked, intrigued. He could sense that the technique was extraordinary, but since she had only demonstrated the basics, he couldn’t discern its full potential.
“Dragon-Whip Technique,” Jiang Ruoyun replied with a playful smile as she wiped the sweat from her brow. After a brief rest, she pulled out another whip from her storage ring and resumed her practice.
Mu Feng understood that neither the Dragon-Whip Technique nor her unique cultivation method belonged to the Jiang family. They were far too advanced for that.
As he watched Jiang Ruoyun, the mystery surrounding her deepened. How many more secrets was she hiding?
The two styles of whip techniques she practiced—one light, agile, and ever-changing, the other fierce, powerful, and relentless—complemented each other perfectly. She transitioned between them effortlessly, her control impeccable.
Jiang Ruoyun didn’t delve too deeply into the advanced moves of the Dragon-Whip Technique. She knew that mastering the basics was the key to progressing further. By combining basic movements like snap, flick, and twist, she would be able to perform more complex techniques with ease.
After her practice session, Jiang Ruoyun’s whip was worn and frayed. She decided to stop, knowing that she’d likely break one or two whips every day, but since they were inexpensive, she could afford to replace them regularly.
Glancing at the time, Jiang Ruoyun called out to Mu Feng, “Let’s head back and get ready. We’re going to the market.”
Mu Feng set down the stones he had been working with. While Jiang Ruoyun practiced her whip technique, he had been practicing array inscriptions on the nearby rocks. Even if he made a mistake and shattered a stone, it didn’t matter.
Back at the estate, Jiang Ruoyun freshened up and changed into a more casual outfit. She let her hair down again, shedding the fierce, martial aura she had displayed during practice. In its place was the gentle, refined elegance of a noblewoman.
“Let’s go. I arranged to meet Sister Qiao at Juxiang Garden,” Jiang Ruoyun said. Seeing Mu Feng’s puzzled expression, she explained, “Juxiang Garden is a teahouse in Qinglong Town. Sister Qiao is my best friend.”
“Are you meeting to discuss something important?” Mu Feng asked.
“Well, since I’m about to be kicked out, I need to find a place to stay,” Jiang Ruoyun replied with a wry smile. She then handed Mu Feng some soul coins. “Take this. You can use it to buy yourself a bow while we’re in town.”
In Xuantian Continent, the currency used was called soul coins. The smallest unit was the copper soul coin, followed by silver, gold, and jade soul coins. Each tier was worth a hundred times the value of the one below it. In other words, one silver soul coin was worth a hundred copper soul coins, one gold soul coin was worth a hundred silver ones, and so on.