Chapter 651: Unpredictable Winds and Clouds (This Chapter Is High-Octane)

Mr. Master Kongfang ordered He He Jiaqing to kill Ma Wu, and to show sincerity, he sent He He Jiaqing a considerable amount of medicinal herbs to accumulate Dao Yuan.

He He Jiaqing dared not accept: "No merit, no reward. I've already noted your elder's instructions; once the task is accomplished, I'll come to you for the reward."

Mr. Master Kongfang waved his hand: "These herbs are nothing. I came to your home—could I possibly show up empty-handed? The reward will be settled after the task is done."

He He Jiaqing still looked troubled: "Elder, Ma Wu is guarded by ruthless people; killing him won't be easy."

"You mean Feng Daiku, right?" Mr. Master Kongfang flicked a copper coin beneath his hat, offering his assessment: "Among the local deities, Feng Daiku's cultivation base isn't high, but his methods are indeed impressive—his combat strength qualifies as top-tier."

He He Jiaqing added: "Especially his Full-Thread Emotion technique—it still exerts considerable restraint over my Dao sect."

Mr. Master Kongfang nodded slightly: "Then I see it's indeed difficult for you."

He He Jiaqing exhaled deeply inside—he'd finally offloaded this job.

Mr. Master Kongfang sat silently for a moment: "I'll find you a partner. Meet me here at noon tomorrow. Today is the twenty-third; finish the task on the twenty-fifth."

"The twenty-fifth…" He He Jiaqing frowned tightly.

Mr. Master Kongfang smiled: "Don't keep fixating on how hard it is. Once you meet the partner I've arranged for you, you'll find it much easier."

He He Jiaqing said nothing—this matter left him no choice to refuse.

Mr. Master Kongfang finished his tea and left.

The next noon, a man who looked barely twenty arrived at He He Jiaqing's estate.

The man had long hair tied in a ponytail, skin unnaturally pale, delicate eyebrows and large eyes, strikingly handsome—especially his eyes, which flickered and sent shivers through the heart; even He He Jiaqing dared not meet his gaze.

"Young Master He, I've long admired your name!" The man lit a cigarette, pinching it between thumb and forefinger, inhaling lightly.

"I dare not," He He Jiaqing bowed deeply. "May I ask your elder's name?"

"Don't call me elder—you'll make me sound ancient," the man smiled. "I'm Shang Shang Rongchu. Call me Ah Chu."

He He Jiaqing felt his face flush hot, sweat trickling down his forehead.

Shang Shang Rongchu handed He He Jiaqing a handkerchief: "Young Master He, spring has just arrived—the snow hasn't even melted yet. Why are you sweating so much?"

He He Jiaqing wiped his sweat: "Last night I met a beloved companion—I lost restraint, expended too much, and my body has grown weak."

"Then your beloved is truly fortunate!" Shang Shang Rongchu smiled, then asked, "Young Master He, why tell me this?"

Yes—why tell him?

To prove I prefer women?

Does this need proving before him?

He He Jiaqing calmed his mind, suppressed the sweat, and turned to Shang Shang Rongchu: "Forgive my boldness—Elder, are you a Joy Cultivator?"

"Not bold at all—I am indeed a Joy Cultivator." Shang Shang Rongchu exhaled smoke; the mist curled around him, making his features even more captivating.

He He Jiaqing forced himself to stay composed: "Joy Cultivators struggle to gain the upper hand against Emotion Cultivators."

Shang Shang Rongchu smiled: "Who says you can't gain the upper hand? Without joy, where is emotion?

If a beloved spends every day talking of love with Young Master He, yet never mentions bedchamber matters—is that true emotion? Talking only of love, never of joy—that's using a lowborn's scheming to toy with you!

With your status, you must have many beloveds. Only true joy brings true emotion. Surely you understand this?"

As he finished, Shang Shang Rongchu exhaled smoke directly at He He Jiaqing.

The smoke drifted onto He He Jiaqing's face—his sweat, just receded, returned.

He He Jiaqing wiped his sweat, thinking inwardly: I came to talk about battle—he's talking about this?

"Brother Shang Rongchu, let's return to the matter at hand."

Shang Shang Rongchu brushed his hair aside, smiling calmly: "I seem to have overstepped, delaying your business. So—shall we kill Ma Wu today, or wait until tomorrow?"

He He Jiaqing paused, then said: "We shouldn't rush. First, we must confirm Ma Wu's movements and the condition of those around him.

If Ma Wu has only Feng Daiku guarding him, our odds are decent. If he has other high-level allies, we must not act rashly."

Shang Shang Rongchu blinked, looking at He He Jiaqing: "I know Ma Wu's whereabouts—he's at his new land. He has many followers, but aside from Feng Daiku, all others are at Ground Level.

As for Ma Wu's other associates, yes, there are Cloud-Level cultivators among them—but none are nearby. I'll hold off Feng Daiku; if you strike swiftly, you can kill Ma Ma Junyang.

We promised Mr. Master Kongfang we'd finish by the twenty-fifth. That deadline is absolute."

As he spoke, Shang Shang Rongchu lit another cigarette and offered it to He He Jiaqing.

He He Jiaqing refused the cigarette, lit his own, and returned the handkerchief.

His sweat finally subsided.

"Since Brother Shang Rongchu has decided, let's set out tomorrow."

He He Jiaqing arranged lodging for Shang Shang Rongchu and spent the entire night without contacting him.

Shang Shang Rongchu sat alone in his room, nodding slightly: "This young man actually resists temptation—uncommon indeed."

The next noon, Shang Shang Rongchu and He He Jiaqing arrived at the edge of Ma Wu's territory.

Shang Shang Rongchu disguised himself as a new-land hunter: tattered clothes, face smeared with mud, glued with thick, woolly whiskers.

This disguise was to counter Feng Daiku's Full-Thread Emotion technique.

Feng Daiku left emotion threads in his usual haunts—threads as fine as spider silk—used to detect intruding enemies.

The key to Full-Thread Emotion lies in judgment: countless people brush against these threads, but only true threats must be identified.

Cultivation level is invisible, but emotion is not. If a woman on the street instantly feels drawn to a stranger, that man is no ordinary man.

So Shang Shang Rongchu had to conceal himself—otherwise, he'd be exposed the moment he entered Ma Wu's territory.

He He Jiaqing also disguised himself—as a porter.

He had absorbed the Qingyun Society and the Hundred Flowers Gate, acting ruthlessly and flamboyantly; now his name was well-known throughout Puzhou. Ordinary people, recognizing him, would flee two streets away. Such a fearsome figure—Feng Daiku would sense him instantly through emotion threads.

Ma Wu's new land was bustling—the pace of reclamation was astonishing; nearly half the territory had already been cleared.

Dawn light stretched across the land, illuminating thick mist, filling the entire territory with the fresh energy of morning.

Ma Wu and Feng Daiku were walking through the woods. Lately, Ma Wu had been exhausted—he'd grown thin.

Like Li Qi's situation, Ma Wu hadn't reached Cloud Level, yet had forcibly become a local deity. Clearing land—activating plots—was now a necessary hurdle for him.

Each time he activated a plot, he had to borrow techniques from Feng Daiku—but Cloud-Level techniques weren't freely usable; each use damaged Ma Wu's body.

Feng Daiku worried: "Wu Lang, slow down the reclamation. Wait until your cultivation improves—I'll teach you better methods to activate plots."

Lately, Ma Wu had trained diligently. He built a grand mansion on his land, naming it Ye Liangxiao. Sixty-three strange beings, twenty-seven wandering spirits, and one hundred thirty-six three-headed men had moved in to cultivate alongside him.

Combined with Feng Daiku's guidance and the pills gifted by Li Qi, Ma Wu had reached the seventh layer of cultivation.

Ma Wu clasped Feng Daiku's hand gently: "If there's a better method, I'll learn it. If not, I'll endure it myself. The other day, I visited Chu Er's territory—her land is developing even faster than mine. I can't fall behind her."

Feng Daiku pinched Ma Wu's cheek: "Chu Er risks her life just to earn Li Qi's praise. Why compare yourself to her? Are you jealous?"

"What nonsense!" Ma Wu shook his head. "Old Qi risked everything to secure this land for me. If I lose to Chu Er, I'd betray his goodwill."

"You really are trying to please Li Qi!" Feng Daiku grew angry. "Listen to me—don't compare yourself to her. She has powerful backing—Old Ku's branch isn't something anyone can climb."

Hearing this, He He Jiaqing slipped silently behind them and severed two emotion threads attached to Ma Wu.

These two threads were Ma Wu's lifelines—should he face death, Feng Daiku could use them to save him.

There were more than just two such threads—Feng Daiku had left twelve on Ma Wu. He He Jiaqing, using surprise, severed only two—seemingly unwise.

Shang Shang Rongchu couldn't discern He He Jiaqing's intent. At that moment, He He Jiaqing had already struck—he pulled out a folding fan, unfurled it, and slashed toward Ma Wu's throat.

Weapons?

Shang Shang Rongchu found this unreasonable. With He He Jiaqing's cultivation level, killing Ma Wu shouldn't require weapons.

Feng Daiku used the technique "Love Harder Than Gold"—a layer of armor formed around Ma Wu. He He Jiaqing's fan sliced his neck—the paper tore, the bones snapped, and the fine weapon was ruined.

He He Jiaqing's assault didn't falter—he twisted his right ring, and a sharp spike shot out, aiming for Ma Wu's third eye.

Feng Daiku's eyes filled with tears as he glanced at He He Jiaqing.

Emotion Technique: Pitifully Lovely.

He He Jiaqing missed—he hesitated. He feared hurting Feng Daiku's feelings; Ma Wu dodged.

Two attacks failed—He He Jiaqing's position worsened. He prepared to retreat slightly, waiting for Shang Shang Rongchu's support.

Feng Daiku extended his index finger, gently hooking He He Jiaqing's cheek—He He Jiaqing couldn't move.

Emotion Technique: Fish and Water Interdependent. He He Jiaqing felt that if he moved away from Feng Daiku, he'd be like a fish out of water—unable to survive.

Then move closer—use Theft Cultivation techniques to fight Feng Daiku.

He He Jiaqing took one step forward—then saw Feng Daiku's expression turn solemn. Feng Daiku bowed deeply to He He Jiaqing.

Seeing this, He He Jiaqing dared not advance further. He'd been caught in an Emotion Technique: True Emotion, No Desecration. Now, he and Feng Daiku were bound by sincerity—any closer step would be sacrilege.

Too far—he couldn't bear it. Too close—he couldn't disrespect. He He Jiaqing was frozen three steps away.

That distance was deadly: Theft Cultivation techniques couldn't be used, escape techniques couldn't be deployed. But for Feng Daiku, it was perfect—his sleeves suddenly lengthened, wrapping tightly around He He Jiaqing's neck.

Feng Daiku's eyes brimmed with tears, filled with reluctance—he pulled his wrists, strangling He He Jiaqing alive.

Meanwhile, Ma Wu whistled sharply—A Qin, Huo Ling, A Rou, Duan Duan Wuchou… over a hundred beloveds burst from the mansion.

He He Jiaqing was cornered—Shang Shang Rongchu, hiding nearby, still did nothing.

He sensed something was wrong. Feng Daiku had Cloud Level Three cultivation—but according to Mr. Master Kongfang, He He Jiaqing's cultivation might already surpass Cloud Level.

Their combat experience differed greatly. Feng Daiku had dominated the Belt Threshold for years—he'd faced far more battles than He He Jiaqing.

Yet He He Jiaqing's displayed combat strength was pitiful—his cultivation advantage showed nothing.

Under siege, He He Jiaqing would die. Shang Shang Rongchu could no longer watch.

He leapt into the crowd, flung his tattered clothes, opened a pouch of rouge, and stirred up a fragrant wind among them.

The women attacking He He Jiaqing felt their bodies go numb—Ma Wu's body went numb too.

Their cheeks flushed, breath quickened, legs weakened—they could barely stand.

A Qin suspected the powder was poisonous: "Hold your breath!"

Feng Daiku shouted: "Don't hold your breath—take Wu Lang and leave!"

Holding breath was useless—the powder had no poison. It was merely a catalyst. What truly overwhelmed them was Shang Shang Rongchu's Joy Cultivation technique: Soft Jade, Warm Fragrance.

They smelled the fragrance on Shang Shang Rongchu's body and developed a deep attachment to him, gradually losing their combat ability.

This technique was brutal—even Feng Daiku felt his consciousness grow hazy. When his mind cleared somewhat, Feng Daiku looked at the newcomer: "Senior Brother Shang, it's been many years."

Shang Shang Rongchu smiled faintly: "Senior Sister Feng, all these years, I've never forgotten you."

"Senior Brother, do you mean that sincerely?" Feng Daiku's eyes filled with tears.

"Good sister, if you ask that, it breaks my heart," Shang Shang Rongchu stepped close to Feng Daiku and whispered softly, "All these years, have I ever spoken one true word to you?"

Feng Daiku's face twisted in sorrow as she wept: "It was my own delusion. Brother never spoke a true word."

As her words ended, Feng Daiku stirred her emotional threads, aiming to slit Shang Shang Rongchu's throat.

Shang Shang Rongchu dodged the emotional threads, his fingernails gently brushing through Feng Daiku's hair.

Feng Daiku was startled—Shang Shang Rongchu's movement was too fast; she couldn't evade it.

She had expected him to strike hard, at least peel off a layer of her skin, but to her surprise, she was unharmed—only a surge of hatred rose in her heart.

Damned!

This strike struck Feng Daiku's vital point.

Joyful Cultivation Technique: Love Turns to Hatred.

Having been struck by this technique, Feng Daiku was filled with rage toward Shang Shang Rongchu—but no trace of affection remained.

Once affection vanished, all her Emotional Cultivation techniques became useless.

If she couldn't use Emotional Cultivation techniques, how could she fight?

Feng Daiku's eyes reddened; she first used the Emotional Cultivation technique "Piteous Beauty" to soften Shang Shang Rongchu's heart, then used "Entwined Affection" to entangle him with emotional threads.

Feng Daiku hoped to stall the "Love Turns to Hatred" technique, but Shang Shang Rongchu gave her no chance.

He opened his arms, fingers trembling, gently caressing the air around Feng Daiku with all ten fingertips.

Feng Daiku summoned her emotional threads to force him back—but found all surrounding threads severed.

Joyful Cultivation Star Technique: After the Act, No Emotion Remains!

This was a technique Shang Shang Rongchu invented specifically to counter Emotional Cultivation.

"After the Act, No Emotion Remains" perfectly matched the nature of Joyful Cultivation—this strike severed the root of emotion entirely. Feng Daiku's every tactic lost its foundation, and in an instant, she was cornered by Shang Shang Rongchu.

Shang Shang Rongchu stepped closer to Feng Daiku, tilting her chin upward, preparing to unleash his killing move.

Ma Wu rushed forward and brushed his hand against Shang Shang Rongchu's arm.

Shang Shang Rongchu felt as if his arm had been skinned alive—excruciating pain, yet strangely exhilarating.

He didn't retaliate immediately—this was a Joyful Cultivation technique: "Rubbing Powder, Kneading Vermilion," essentially applying Joyful Cultivation methods directly on the skin.

Shang Shang Rongchu had indeed been wounded; under the technique's effect, his hand was broken, and his blood pressure surged, causing unceasing bleeding.

This was an insult to Shang Shang Rongchu—if he hadn't been fully focused on Feng Daiku, Ma Wu, a Ground Skin Seventh Layer cultivator, could never have harmed him.

But Shang Shang Rongchu didn't seek revenge on Ma Wu—he continued pursuing Feng Daiku.

Feng Daiku's emotional threads were all severed—couldn't Shang Shang Rongchu spare a hand to deal with Ma Wu?

He could spare a hand, but he refused. The reason was simple: this was Ma Wu's territory; Ma Wu was the local god here.

Shang Shang Rongchu's cultivation had surpassed Cloud Above; killing Ma Wu on his own land would be like signing his name on the Peddler's ledger.

He He Jiaqing's cultivation had also surpassed Cloud Above—didn't he fear breaking the Peddler's rules?

Of course he feared it—he didn't want to kill Ma Wu either, but Kong Fang had forced him to this point.

He He Jiaqing, facing a group of Ground Skin cultivators, held overwhelming advantage; Ma Wu was wounded and on the verge of collapse.

Shang Shang Rongchu pressed closer, seized his chance, and breathed lightly into Feng Daiku's ear.

Feng Daiku's ear tingled—then her body suddenly burst into flames.

Joyful Cultivation Technique: Joyful Fire Consumes the Body.

Smoke rose from Feng Daiku's ears, then her eyes, then her nose and mouth, until her entire body burned.

This was one of the most vicious Joyful Cultivation techniques—normal flames burn from the skin outward, but this technique ignited the opponent's inner heartfire, burning from within outward.

Ma Wu was terrified and rushed forward to extinguish the flames, but He He Jiaqing kicked him down.

This fire couldn't be put out—Ma Wu, at his current level, couldn't extinguish heartfire. If he touched Feng Daiku, he'd only transfer the fire to himself, and both would burn to death.

Feng Daiku looked at Ma Wu, her face aflame, filled with reluctance.

Shang Shang Rongchu laughed: "Sister, look at your lover one last time—next time you see him will be in your next life."

To extinguish heartfire, the best method is Cold Cultivation technique—to cool the heart, suppress love and hatred, and let the fire die.

But Feng Daiku didn't know Cold Cultivation techniques; the two paths were mutually exclusive—Emotional Cultivation couldn't be practiced alongside Cold Cultivation.

Feng Daiku struggled fiercely in the flames—her greater reluctance toward Ma Ma Junyang made her heartfire burn hotter.

Ma Wu crawled toward Feng Daiku, only to be kicked back by He He Jiaqing again.

Others rushed to attack He He Jiaqing—he kicked each one down with a single blow.

Shang Shang Rongchu no longer focused on Feng Daiku—he watched He He Jiaqing, waiting to see when he would kill Ma Ma Junyang.

He He Jiaqing was still pondering how to delay, when suddenly he saw Feng Daiku, still burning in the flames, stand motionless.

Was she dead?

Too fast, isn't it?

Shang Shang Rongchu froze for a moment—then noticed the woman's figure within the fire had changed.

Her lines were no longer soft; her contours had sharpened.

Her clothing was no longer elegant; her heavy robes bore crude stitching.

Her features were no longer beautiful; beneath white hair, deep wrinkles emerged.

As Shang Shang Rongchu stared in shock, He He Jiaqing shouted: "Shang Rongchu, help me!"

What nonsense is this? He He Jiaqing is handling a few Ground Skin cultivators—he needs my help?

Shang Shang Rongchu glanced at He He Jiaqing—and was stunned.

He saw Feng Daiku, her body smoldering, now leading Ma Wu and the others in attacking He He Jiaqing.

When had Feng Daiku moved to He He Jiaqing's side? Wasn't she burning in the flames?

Why was her body now only smoke? Had her heartfire been extinguished?

When had it been extinguished?

If her heartfire was gone, then who was this woman before him?

Who had been burning in the flames all along?

Flames roared, growing fiercer; the blinding light obscured the woman's face, yet her aura radiated overwhelming power.

Smoke curled around her—she was indeed being scorched by the flames, yet she made no sound, showed no struggle.

Could it be…

Could it be the Suffering Cultivation technique: "Substitute the Peach for the Plum"?

He was right—the woman had used the "Substitute the Peach for the Plum" technique, transferring Feng Daiku's flames onto herself, taking the suffering in her stead.

The woman raised one hand and pointed at Shang Shang Rongchu. Shang Shang Rongchu screamed as flames erupted within him, burning outward.

Suffering Cultivation Technique: Share the Pain.

Shang Shang Rongchu's body was instantly engulfed in fire.

Unlike Feng Daiku, whose heartfire had burned slowly, Shang Shang Rongchu's heartfire erupted instantly from within to without.

The fire burned his skin black, his flesh charred, leaving him unable to stand—he collapsed to the ground.

He opened his mouth, summoning every ounce of strength, and sucked in a deep breath—drawing all the flames into his mouth.

This was a Cloud Above Joyful Cultivation technique: Evil Fire Self-Swallow.

This technique had no offensive power—it was purely for survival.

The higher a Joyful Cultivator's level, the more easily they were consumed by heartfire. Those with talent saw everything in the world as connected to their path. Take Ma Wu—for instance, he saw a hollow bamboo and thought it must be useful for cultivation.

The higher the cultivation level of a Joy Cultivator, the more likely they are to be backlashed by heartfire; those with talent among Joy Cultivators link everything they see to their own Dao gate—for example, Ma Wu saw a hollow bamboo and thought it must be useful for cultivation.

Feng Daiku sometimes wondered: "What use could a lock possibly be to Joyful Cultivation?"

Ma Wu had his own explanation: "Think about it—locks have keyholes, keys go in and out. Isn't that exactly the principle of our path?"

Feng Daiku hadn't understood then, and argued with him: "The key turns inside the lock—that's nothing like your path!"

Ma Wu replied seriously: "I can turn too. Want to try?"

Feng Daiku tried—and decided he was right.

Talented Joyful Cultivators could perceive the essence of all things through the relationship between lock and key.

The root of all things stemmed from Joyful Cultivation.

The higher such cultivators rose, the more their hearts became entangled—by the time they reached Cloud Above, everything they saw reminded them of cultivation, their heartfire never ceased, and they risked burning themselves to nothing.

Among Joyful Cultivation Cloud Above techniques, this one—Evil Fire Self-Swallow—was a survival technique.

Shang Shang Rongchu was clever; though he knew Cloud Above techniques were limited, he chose this one—his sole purpose: to preserve his life.

He inhaled deeply, swallowing over ninety percent of the flames. Less than one percent remained on his back—he had no time to deal with it.

The fewer flames left, the harder they were to swallow; this small residue couldn't be swallowed in one or two breaths—he'd have to handle it later. He needed to conserve his strength to flee.

He might still escape—if he hesitated even a moment, his life was over.

Shang Shang Rongchu staggered to his feet, trying to run—but after only a few steps, he saw two wild boars mating in the woods.

Seeing this, his heart stirred—and the flames on his back flared up another ten percent.

A few steps further, he saw two snakes entwined together.

He quickly averted his gaze—and the flames on his back flared up another ten percent.

Shang Shang Rongchu quickly averted his gaze, the flames on his body growing another ten percent.

Is this a coincidence? How did he keep running into this?

It's no coincidence—there's karmic cause and effect here.

He is a Da Huan Xiu, Ma Wu is a Da Huan Xiu, and the two fought in this forest; the Da Huan Xiu's techniques affected all life around them.

Look further ahead—a pair of wild cattle are affectionate.

Look to the left—two hedgehogs have just embraced.

Look to the right—two large trees are entwined.

Shang Shang Rongchu lowered his head—earthworms on the ground twisted and clung to each other.

He looked up again—two crows were building a nest.

Wherever he looked, it was wrong; flames on Shang Shang Rongchu's body multiplied, and roaring fire erupted once more.

Why did this karmic cause and effect strike so precisely?

Because he was struck by a technique: the Da Huan Xiu technique, Danxi Huofu.

Shang Shang Rongchu could no longer run; even with his eyes closed, the scenes he had seen kept replaying in his mind.

He lay on the ground, pouring all his strength into the technique, drew one more breath, and sucked away every flame.

After using this technique, Shang Shang Rongchu had not a shred of strength left; he lay on the ground and cried out in desperation: "Elder, spare my life!"

The woman who had been engulfed in flames was now free of fire.

She was unharmed—not a single hair scorched, not a single ash mark on her clothes.

The woman looked at Shang Shang Rongchu but said nothing.

In despair, Shang Shang Rongchu turned to He He Jiaqing—he now actually hoped He He Jiaqing could save him.

Amid the assault, He He Jiaqing fell among the crowd, his body riddled with wounds, seemingly dead.

Shang Shang Rongchu wanted to beg again, but it seemed too late—the ground churned with heat, and a hot spring erupted.

Shang Shang Rongchu could not struggle; he was about to be boiled alive by the hot spring.

A shower of copper coins fell over Shang Shang Rongchu, pulling him free from the hot spring.

The woman saw this, looked up, and said: "You came too?"

Master Master Kongfang stood in the dense forest, bowing to the woman: "Old sister, I truly didn't know you were here—if I had, I'd never have dared intrude."

The woman smiled: "I was just passing through—I came to see my nephew, but didn't find him, only you birds."

PS: Next chapter, nuclear energy.