“Sister Lin, please,” Chen Ziyi said softly, her voice like a warm breeze. “Let’s travel using the Spirit Boat. Both you and my husband could use the rest.”

Lin Zhiwei gave a slight nod. With a flick of her wrist, she tossed a small jade carving into the air.

Whoosh!

The jade artifact caught the wind and expanded instantly, transforming into an exquisite Spirit Boat about three zhang long. It hovered quietly in mid-air, large enough to comfortably accommodate seven or eight people.

The hull was crafted from translucent emerald crystal, intricately carved with drifting cloud patterns that seemed to move on their own. A faint, refreshing fluctuation of Spirit Qi emanated from the vessel, soothing the mind and spirit of anyone nearby.

The interior was surprisingly spacious, furnished with fixed jade tables and chairs.

Chen Ziyi took Lin Zhiwei’s hand, guiding her to sit by the gunwale. She leaned in close, whispering intimate words and occasionally switching to voice transmission, her demeanor affectionate and sisterly.

Zhou Kai sat cross-legged at the bow, acting as the lookout. The Spirit Boat’s speed was astonishing; at this rate, they would reach the Crouching Tiger Mountain market by tomorrow evening.

However, the market was a mixed bag of dragons and snakes—crowded and full of prying eyes. The three of them, especially a beauty like Lin Zhiwei, were far too conspicuous.

“Ziyi,” Zhou Kai spoke, his voice calm but authoritative. “Once we reach the market, suppress your cultivation to the Mortal level. We don’t want to draw attention.”

“Mm. Don’t worry, husband,” Chen Ziyi nodded obediently, her eyes curving into crescents.

Zhou Kai turned his gaze to Lin Zhiwei.

“Miss Lin, in the market, continue using the alias Su Qingzhu. You’ll need to conceal your appearance. It would be best if you could suppress your cultivation aura as well.”

Lin Zhiwei was currently at Qi Condensation Great Perfection. In a place like Crouching Tiger Mountain, such strength was already considered a local tyrant. Walking around with that aura fully unleashed was like carrying a torch in the dark.

“I understand,” Lin Zhiwei nodded gently. “My family has an inheritance technique called the ‘Turtle Breath Spirit Suppression Art.’ I can suppress my aura to around the Qi Condensation Seventh Layer. As for my face, I will wear a veil.”

Silence fell over the boat.

After a long moment, Lin Zhiwei suddenly raised her head. Her pearly teeth bit into her lower lip, her expression struggling as if she had made a tremendous resolution.

“Fellow Daoist Zhou… Sister Chen… Uncle Sun deceived you.”

Zhou Kai’s heart sank. Chen Ziyi stopped her whispering, looking at Lin Zhiwei with shock.

The only sound was the whistling wind rushing past the energy barrier of the Spirit Boat.

Zhou Kai’s gaze deepened. He stared straight at her. “Miss Lin, what do you mean?”

Lin Zhiwei took a deep breath, her chest heaving slightly.

“Uncle Sun didn’t just ‘happen’ to clash with the Fu family. The Lin family and the Golden Copper Dock’s Fu family are… sworn enemies. It is a blood feud that cannot be resolved.”

She lowered her gaze, her voice trembling.

“The Fu family’s appearance at Minshan Lake was no coincidence. They must have found clues and traced us to the central island. Uncle Sun… he didn’t tell you the whole truth. The Fu family’s influence is vast. Their clan is overseen by an Ancestor at the Golden Core Late Stage! Uncle Sun dragged you both into my Lin family’s death trap. This is… far too unfair to you.”

Having said it, Lin Zhiwei slumped slightly, as if shedding a thousand-pound burden, yet she kept her head bowed like a sinner awaiting judgment. She didn’t dare meet their eyes.

Hearing this, the stone hanging in Zhou Kai’s heart actually settled.

So that’s it? Just a blood feud?

He had feared she was going to say she was cursed by a god or hunted by the entire cultivation world. A mere local clan feud? That was manageable.

This Miss Lin was quite honest. A rare quality.

A faint, confident smile curled Zhou Kai’s lips. “Miss Lin, there is no need for such excessive worry.”

“Since I, Zhou Kai, agreed to this matter, I have sufficient confidence to ensure your safety.”

Boom!

As he spoke, his aura shifted violently. A terrifying surge of Vitality erupted from his body, hot and heavy like a furnace. He no longer concealed his strength, fully revealing his physical cultivation base.

Meridian Opening Ninth Layer!

Both Lin Zhiwei and Chen Ziyi widened their beautiful eyes in disbelief.

Chen Ziyi’s heart pounded against her ribs. How long has it been? Two months? Her husband had broken through from the Sixth Layer to the Ninth Layer in such a short time? This speed was monstrous!

“Miss Lin, my constitution is special. My cultivation starts slow but accelerates rapidly later on,” Zhou Kai lied without blinking, his voice steady and powerful. “Within a month, I am confident I can break through to the second major realm of body cultivation—Bone Forging. Ensuring your safety is not an empty promise.”

He leaned forward slightly, his eyes gleaming with a predatory light.

“And, to be honest with you, I also have long-standing grievances with that Fu family. Do you know where my Truth-Seeking Jade came from? It was seized from a Fu family junior… right after I took his life!”

To win the beauty’s trust, Zhou Kai played the hero. In truth, he had no desire to provoke the entire Fu family yet. But that Young Master Fu Weilun? Once Zhou Kai’s strength was sufficient, he would definitely settle that score.

Lin Zhiwei jerked her head up, a bright gleam shining in her watery eyes.

So… Fellow Daoist Zhou and Sister Chen weren’t implicated just because of me? They already had a feud with the Fu family?

The guilt in her heart lessened slightly, replaced by a strange sense of security.

Meanwhile, a different drama was unfolding regarding the Fu family’s Eldest Young Master, Fu Weilun.

The Fu family of Golden Copper Dock had cultivated poison techniques for generations. But the main lineage’s methods were particularly bizarre and domineering.

They didn’t simply kill with venom. They forcibly extracted souls from living people to refine into an extremely sinister “Soul Poison,” using it to nourish their own cultivation. It was a cruel, heterodox path.

Five months ago, on the outskirts of the Crouching Tiger Mountain ruins, Fu Weilun had casually killed a lone disciple from Calamity Abyss Valley.

While tearing the man’s soul from his body to refine poison, he inadvertently scoured the victim’s memories and learned about Zhao Tieshan—a sworn brother of Lin Zhiyuan.

Discovering that Zhao Tieshan was a disciple of Calamity Abyss Valley gave Fu Weilun an idea. He planned to infiltrate the sect to find Zhao Tieshan and dig up clues about the missing Lin family remnants.

He selected a collateral branch member—Fu Sheng—for the job.

To ensure success, Fu Weilun bestowed a Qi Explosion Pill, forcibly boosting Fu Sheng’s cultivation to the Qi Condensation Eighth Layer. He also gave him the Truth-Seeking Jade to hide his level and placed a Life Tablet on him to monitor his status.

He never expected Fu Sheng to have such rotten luck. The man walked right into Zhou Kai and was killed, gifting the precious jade to his murderer.

When Fu Sheng died, his Life Tablet shattered.

Far away at Crouching Tiger Mountain, Fu Weilun immediately decided to investigate Broken Wood Bay personally.

However, he didn’t leave right away. He had been delayed by fear.

He had witnessed a scene that branded itself into his nightmares: the young lady, Li Youci.

Her Mana was profound, her artifacts terrifying. She had confronted a Golden Core cultivator while being only at the Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer. Not only did she retreat unscathed, but she also did it without ever stepping out of her sedan chair!

Having seen Li Youci fly toward Broken Wood Bay, Fu Weilun didn’t dare move. He feared running into that baleful star.

He waited a full month until he estimated she must have left.

When Fu Weilun finally reached the Minshan Lake area, he happened to cross paths with Zhou Kai and Chen Ziyi on the road.

At the time, he glanced at the two “First Realm Early Stage” juniors and felt nothing but disdain. He casually ordered two guards to kill them and continued on his way, not bothering to look back.

Upon reaching Broken Wood Bay, he found nothing. Fu Sheng’s corpse had been disposed of with professional thoroughness.

Fu Weilun launched a meticulous investigation. During this period, he had several minor conflicts with a rather flamboyant Calamity Abyss Valley disciple named Gao Feiyang.

This Gao Feiyang possessed Qi Condensation Great Perfection cultivation. He was backed by the Gao family, a vassal clan of the Li family. The Gao family’s strength was roughly comparable to the Fu family, meaning Gao Feiyang was not someone who could be easily bullied.

Moreover, Gao Feiyang was a Steward under Li Youci herself.

Although annoyed by the hindrance, Fu Weilun didn’t want to escalate matters.

Until one night.

Taking advantage of Gao Feiyang’s negligence, Fu Weilun secretly captured an ordinary Calamity Abyss Valley disciple patrolling the area.

He performed a Soul Search.

The screaming disciple’s memories revealed the truth: On the day Fu Sheng died, he had purchased a token. Almost simultaneously, two other individuals—Han Cheng and Han Lan—had also purchased tokens!

Even more enraging was the description of their appearances. The remnant soul’s memories showed a man and a woman who perfectly matched the two “ants” Fu Weilun had passed on the road near Minshan Lake!

The ones I ordered killed… were the culprits!

However, Fu Weilun’s act of Soul Searching was detected.

Gao Feiyang was furious. A subordinate in his territory had been Soul Searched right under his nose? It was a slap in the face!

Wearing his flamboyant cloak embroidered with the words “Calamity Abyss Valley Expert,” Gao Feiyang confronted Fu Weilun directly, demanding an explanation.

A great battle erupted.

Although Gao Feiyang was merely at Qi Condensation Great Perfection, his boast that he could “trade blows with a Foundation Establishment Early Stage” wasn’t empty talk.

Relying on numerous trump cards, talismans, spirit beasts, and puppets, he actually fought evenly against the Foundation Establishment Second Layer Fu Weilun for a time.

Explosions rocked the forest. Trees were pulverized.

In the end, Fu Weilun’s cultivation advantage prevailed. He destroyed Gao Feiyang’s puppets and exhausted his supplies. However, fearing repercussions from the Li family, Fu Weilun refrained from delivering the killing blow, merely injuring him severely before retreating.

Battered, bleeding, and barely clinging to life, Gao Feiyang lay in the ruins of the battlefield.

He inwardly cursed the mysterious “Han Cheng” eight hundred times over.

Who the hell is that bastard? He killed the Fu family member, stole the loot, and left me to take the blame!

Gao Feiyang was convinced that Zhou Kai was a baleful star sent by the heavens specifically to make his life miserable.