Chapter 28: Night Journey

Tempering the body with yin energy is agonizing, but after several hours, Chen Tiansheng had grown accustomed to it.

With no need to worry about cold toxins, he had intended to cultivate until he could go no further, but the sound of knocking at his door forced him to stop. Utilizing the "Art of Controlling the Chamber," the residual yin energy within his body was entirely transmuted into yang energy, fortifying his physique.

He stood up and stretched, his joints popping with a crisp sound, leaving him feeling refreshed. Looking at his hands, he felt a surge of power; he threw a sudden punch, and a faint sound of air being torn apart echoed in the room. His strength had more than doubled! If he could cultivate at this rate a few more times, he would be able to master the Soul-Devouring Palm. At that point, possessing a martial technique would significantly boost his combat prowess.

Beyond the increase in strength, his five senses had also sharpened. A cobweb smaller than a palm in the corner of the ceiling five meters away appeared as if it were right before his eyes; the silk was clearly visible.

"Did you hear me!"

Amidst his joy, the maid's indignant voice came from outside the door.

Collecting his thoughts, Chen Tiansheng hurriedly opened the door and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, beautiful sister, I just fell asleep."

Seeing him looking so energetic, the maid gave him a strange look and said, "You look so spirited, I'm afraid you weren't sleeping, but rather eavesdropping on the guests downstairs. To be so young and yet so wayward—it’s a pity you’re so handsome."

*Uh, surely I’m not that twisted.* Wait, how did this maid know so much? Could it be...

"Aren't you coming?" the maid scolded him.

Chen Tiansheng shrugged and followed her to Yue Wumiao's room. Inside, Yue Wumiao stood by the window, gazing sorrowfully at the full moon in the sky.

"Miss Yue, Chen Tiansheng is here."

The maid's voice brought Yue Wumiao out of her reverie. Shaking off the sadness on her face, she signaled for the maid to leave before turning to Chen Tiansheng. "Tonight, I need you to accompany me on an outing."

Chen Tiansheng was curious about why Yue Wumiao was going out, but knowing the professional ethics of a bodyguard, he didn't ask further and nodded in agreement.

Yue Wumiao was surprised that he didn't inquire. Given that he hadn't offended her today, she said honestly, "If you come with me tonight, you might die. I can give you one more chance to back out now."

"I don't like leaving things unfinished. Since I'm here, there's no reason to retreat," Chen Tiansheng smiled, then added, "Besides, I am a member of the Mortal Dao Association; I have some means to handle danger. If I die, you won't survive either, though I fear you might be the one who's scared."

"Furthermore, aren't you afraid that if we run into danger, I'll just abandon you and run away?"

His lack of chivalry displeased Yue Wumiao, yet she was surprised that this man dared to speak to her this way. Every man she had met before had been nothing but sycophantic and obedient.

*Interesting!*

Yue Wumiao said calmly, "I have my own methods, which is why I dare to travel with you despite not knowing you well. You don't need to worry; just look after yourself."

Chen Tiansheng nodded in understanding. "If you are not afraid, what do I, a man of character, have to fear?"

Having just mastered the Ten Thousand Yin Soul-Devouring Art, even if he couldn't use the Soul-Devouring Palm yet, his physique had already surpassed that of a disciple-level martial artist. With the protection of his "Stone Skin and Stone Bones," if he wanted to leave, even an average master-level martial artist couldn't stop him! Moreover, he was eager to test his current strength.

***

After receiving his confirmation, Yue Wumiao told him to return to his room and wait.

At the Hour of the Ox, Chen Tiansheng was summoned to Yue Wumiao's room, where they changed into night-traveling attire. Yue Wumiao pulled up her veil to cover half her face, looked at Chen Tiansheng with firm eyes, and whispered, "Once we are out, you are not permitted to speak without my orders. You must do exactly as I say, or I will dismiss you!"

Chen Tiansheng hesitated for a moment and asked, "How are we leaving, where are we going, and what are we doing?"

Wearing this night gear, they certainly couldn't leave through the front door. The Si Xiang Pavilion was surrounded by hired guards and martial artists; avoiding their eyes would not be easy.

Yue Wumiao said, "The guards and the martial artists at Si Xiang Pavilion change shifts at this time; it is when their vigilance is weakest. Follow my lead, and we will certainly be able to leave without anyone noticing."

"As for where we are going and what we are doing, these are not things you need to know. If I want you to know, I will tell you."

Since she had put it that way, Chen Tiansheng wisely stopped asking. He was waiting to see how she would lead him out when Yue Wumiao gestured to him: "Come in front of me, turn your back, and crouch down."

*Huh?*

Chen Tiansheng was a bit bewildered, then realized what was happening. She intended to step on his shoulders to reach the roof. He stepped forward and crouched as instructed, but just as he expected her to step on him, he received an embrace instead.

The intimate touch and the soft sensation caused him to lose his focus for a moment. Although he had lived two lives, he had always been single. Aside from being held by Gu Xue in his childhood, he had never had such intimate contact with a woman. Yue Wumiao had an excellent figure, which made it hard not to let his imagination run wild.

"Don't just stand there! Carry me out the window, use your light-body technique to leap across the street, land on the eaves opposite, and then head east!"

As he was thinking, Yue Wumiao's low voice came from behind him.

Chen Tiansheng hurriedly collected himself and stood up with her on his back. Yue Wumiao weighed about ninety jin; for someone tempering his body with energy, this weight was nothing. However, using a light-body technique to leap across the street—that was a challenge.

He had never practiced light-body techniques!

Seeing him standing still by the window, Yue Wumiao narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "You must have the strength of a disciple to accept my task from the Gua Sect. Surely a disciple of the Gua Sect isn't ignorant of light-body techniques? Are you that incompetent?"

These words made Chen Tiansheng both angry and ashamed. Every disciple of the Gua Sect had spent years of bitter training in martial arts, and light-body techniques were essential for any martial artist traveling the world. Carrying a woman of modest weight across a street should not have been difficult. He was ashamed because he couldn't do it, and angry because of Yue Wumiao's doubt. For a woman to call a man "incompetent" was no different than saying "you're useless."

"You can rest assured, Miss; it's a trivial matter. I was just giving you time to prepare. Are you ready?" Chen Tiansheng said with a serious expression.

"You had better be," Yue Wumiao replied, gripping his shoulders tightly.

Chen Tiansheng took a deep breath and gently opened the window. Twenty meters away, the eaves of a building stood opposite them. Looking down at the nearly thirty-meter drop, he couldn't help but swallow hard.

If he were careless, falling would be quite unpleasant. Of course, with his Stone Skin and Stone Bones, he probably wouldn't die, but Yue Wumiao on his back might not be so lucky. *Forget it, if I really fall, I'll just cushion the impact for her; I should survive.*

As for why he proceeded without absolute certainty, the reason was simple: if he admitted he didn't know light-body techniques, Yue Wumiao would definitely fire him. It was better to try now; at least he could ensure they both wouldn't die!

Yue Wumiao couldn't be certain that Chen Tiansheng had the ability to carry her across the street safely, but she had no choice. On this night one year ago, her entire family had been slaughtered. She was going to pay respects to her deceased relatives. Even if Chen Tiansheng hadn't come, she would have found a way out on her own.

At this moment, following Yue Wumiao's gestures, Chen Tiansheng climbed out the window and stepped onto a narrow ledge less than two inches wide. He gently closed the window to prevent anyone from discovering they had left. The ledge was narrow; he needed to walk several meters to reach the wooden beam where the sign was hung. Only from there could he exert his full strength; otherwise, it would be impossible to leap to the opposite side while carrying someone.

Ever since his "Chest-Hammering Stone" technique had reached a certain level, his body had become steady and powerful. As long as he remained focused, walking those few meters on the ledge wasn't difficult. Soon, they successfully reached the wooden beam.

Just as he prepared to leap toward the eaves across the street, a man walked out from downstairs and began patrolling.

"It's a hired martial artist. Be careful, wait for him to move further away!" Yue Wumiao recognized the man and gave a warning.

Chen Tiansheng crouched down to avoid being seen if the man looked up. The martial artist didn't notice the movement above and continued walking toward the end of the street as planned. Both Chen Tiansheng and Yue Wumiao breathed a sigh of relief.

Just as Chen Tiansheng stood up and prepared to jump, the sound of inappropriate panting drifted up from the room below—a blush-inducing sound that nearly caused him to slip and fall.

*Right, this is a brothel! And it's late at night!*

The two of them being there was like two people sneaking out to eavesdrop. More awkwardly, they were a man and a woman...

Blocked time and again, tonight was truly an inauspicious time for an outing.

"Don't listen!"

Yue Wumiao scolded in a low voice and blocked Chen Tiansheng's ears with her fingers. Beneath her black veil, her face was flushed bright red.

With the sound blocked out, Chen Tiansheng didn't hesitate. He held her legs tightly, braced himself, and leaped with all his might.

Under the full moon, a single shadow of two figures soared high across the long street and landed steadily on the eaves of the building opposite.