Chapter 38: Hu Mei’er

The girl was about the same age as Su Mu and his group; even if she was older, it wasn’t by much. Yet, as she walked, her hips swayed enticingly with every step, exuding an endless, captivating charm. Despite her youth, she already possessed a faintly mature aura. However, because this maturity hadn’t fully blossomed, it appeared somewhat unnatural.

"Hu Mei’er!" Seeing this girl, Su Mu’s expression involuntarily changed. His eyes couldn’t help but roam over her body as he swallowed hard. If Su Mu reacted like this, Li Yuntian and the others were even worse.

Pairs of eyes latched onto Hu Mei’er’s body like leeches, lingering on her exquisite curves. Although martial artists were typically unbothered by trivial formalities, women who dressed as provocatively as Hu Mei’er were exceedingly rare. Furthermore, she was merely a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old girl. With her tender skin and delicate features, the physical allure she projected was overwhelmingly lethal. Li Yuntian and the rest were in the prime of their youth, their vitality and hormones raging. One could easily imagine their mental state upon suddenly witnessing such a stimulating sight.

The brazen stares of the Lingxiao Pavilion Disciples didn’t annoy Hu Mei’er in the slightest. On the contrary, she seemed to revel in the attention. Covering her small mouth with her hand, she giggled coquettishly. "So Little Brother Su actually knows me?"

Su Mu quickly coughed, forcing himself to look away as a faint blush crept onto his cheeks. "Of course I know you."

Chengg Shaofeng was the leading figure among the Fengyu Tower Disciples in the Body Tempering Realm, while this Hu Mei’er was the leading figure among the Blood War Gang Disciples in the Body Tempering Realm. This girl’s status was extraordinary; she was the youngest daughter of the Blood War Gang’s Gang Leader. However, her reputation had never been good. The Gang Leader of the Blood War Gang, Hu Man, didn’t bother to discipline her, allowing her to stir up trouble outside as she pleased. Although Hu Mei’er was young, she had countless suitors at her beck and call.

He just didn’t know why she was mixed up with Chengg Shaofeng today. Could it be that the latter had also become one of her secret lovers? At this thought, Su Mu felt both envious and delighted. He was envious that Chengg Shaofeng had such good luck with women, and delighted that the man had actually been tamed by one. A bizarre smile naturally surfaced on Su Mu’s face. When he looked at Chengg Shaofeng again, his gaze carried a hint of disdain.

This look made Chengg Shaofeng very uncomfortable. Furthermore, the fact that the group from Lingxiao Pavilion was still ogling Hu Mei’er made him even more displeased. He immediately took a few steps forward, planting himself in front of Hu Mei’er to block the brazen stares of the Lingxiao Pavilion Disciples. This seemingly casual action made Hu Mei’er purse her lips into a soft smile.

"Su Mu, tell your people to step aside." Chengg Shaofeng’s face darkened, not even bothering with pleasantries.

Su Mu sneered. "The road is wide open for anyone to walk on. Are we in your way by standing here?"

"Yes!" Chengg Shaofeng’s expression grew even gloomier.

"And what if I don’t?" Su Mu countered tit for tat. The two of them had held a grudge against each other for a long time and were well aware of each other’s methods. Why would Su Mu be afraid of him?

"Little Brother Cheng, it doesn’t matter if Little Brother Su stands here. We can just take a detour. No one will say anything about you," Hu Mei’er suddenly interjected. She seemed to be smoothing things over, but in reality, she was fanning the flames.

Su Mu cursed her as a slut in his heart. This woman’s intentions were truly malicious. As a member of the Blood War Gang, she naturally wanted nothing more than to see Lingxiao Pavilion and Fengyu Tower fight to the bitter end.

Upon hearing Hu Mei’er’s words, Chengg Shaofeng’s initially hesitant expression instantly hardened. He sneered, "If you don’t get lost right now, you’ll regret it." Intent on showing off his prestige in front of Hu Mei’er, how could Chengg Shaofeng possibly back down at a time like this?

With a smile playing on her lips, Hu Mei’er looked at the two of them with keen interest, then discreetly took a few steps back.

"Try it if you have the guts!" Su Mu glared at Chengg Shaofeng with a sneer. Li Yuntian and the others simultaneously took a step forward, standing firmly behind him.

"You asked for it." Chengg Shaofeng suddenly laughed. Waving his hand, he shouted to the crowd behind him, "Beat them!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chengg Shaofeng charged at Su Mu, throwing a punch straight at his face. Su Mu sneered and met the attack with a palm strike. When their fist and palm clashed, Su Mu was forced back more than a dozen steps—THUMP, THUMP, THUMP—before he managed to stabilize himself. In contrast, Chengg Shaofeng looked entirely unbothered, his body not swaying in the slightest.

"You broke through to the Origin Opening Realm?" Su Mu’s expression drastically changed. During their exchange just now, the traces of Primordial Qi he felt from Chengg Shaofeng’s fist were far more profound than the Misty Primordial Qi inside his own body at the Ninth Level of Body Tempering Realm. This was clearly a level of strength that could only be displayed after breaking through to the Origin Opening Realm.

Chengg Shaofeng laughed uproariously as he charged at Su Mu again. "Su Mu, you and I began our Cultivation on the exact same day, but there are differences between people! From now on, you will only be able to chase my footsteps. Don’t ever dream of surpassing me again!"

Su Mu’s expression turned ashen, his heart filled with bitterness. This feeling of being surpassed by Chengg Shaofeng made him even more resentful than being humiliated by Yang Kai. In an instant, Chengg Shaofeng was already within striking distance. Snapping back to reality, Su Mu didn’t dare to be careless. He unleashed the full strength of the Ninth Level of Body Tempering Realm, yet he still couldn’t withstand Chengg Shaofeng’s onslaught.

Before Yang Kai even reached the Heifeng Forest, he heard the sounds of a fight coming from a distance. Mixed within the commotion were the angry curses and shouts of Li Yuntian and the others, their voices sounding humiliated and sorrowful. Listening closely for a moment, Yang Kai felt that something wasn’t right. It seemed that Su Mu’s group had run into some trouble.

Realizing this, Yang Kai involuntarily quickened his pace. When he reached the four-way intersection, he was shocked to find Su Mu lying on the ground, beaten black and blue, with a youth straddling him and pummeling him relentlessly. Li Yuntian and the others were gathered around Su Mu, desperately trying to protect him, but to no avail. The opposing side had quite a few people, and their overall strength was a cut above Li Yuntian’s group. The Lingxiao Pavilion Disciples couldn’t even fend for themselves, let alone save Su Mu.

"Do you submit?" Chengg Shaofeng smashed a fist into Su Mu’s eye socket, tearing the corner of his eye.

"Submit your ass!" Su Mu spat a mouthful of bloody saliva right into Chengg Shaofeng’s face.

"Do you submit?" Another punch rained down, leaving a high, swollen welt on Su Mu’s cheek.

"I submit... I submit to your ancestors to the eighteenth generation!" Su Mu panted heavily, but his words remained incredibly stubborn.

"Do you submit?"

"Submit to your grandma’s ass!"

Chengg Shaofeng didn’t say anything else to Su Mu; he simply threw a punch and then asked, "Do you submit?" Su Mu’s replies were always vulgar, venomous curses. This only made Chengg Shaofeng’s fists heavier and his beatings more ferocious.

Yang Kai stood not far away, quietly watching. He discovered that Su Mu actually had quite a bit of backbone. Looking at Su Mu right now was like looking at his past self—when facing an unstoppable enemy, even if covered in cuts and bruises, he would absolutely never compromise. This wasn’t foolishness; it was a form of perseverance!

Yang Kai hadn’t planned on getting involved. He didn’t know who Su Mu had offended to end up facing such retaliation. Not only did Yang Kai have no friendship with him, but they also had an ongoing feud. There was no need to wade into these muddy waters. However, Su Mu’s unyielding backbone resonated with him slightly.

Chengg Shaofeng was getting tired of hitting him. Even though Su Mu, pinned beneath him, was bruised and battered, his eye socket torn and his mouth full of blood, the disdain and contempt in his eyes hadn’t changed in the slightest.

Hu Mei’er chimed in again at the perfect moment. "Little Brother Cheng, let him go. Little Brother Su has quite a bit of backbone, and I just love people like that."

Hearing this, Su Mu couldn’t help but turn his head and curse, "Slut!"

Chengg Shaofeng sneered darkly. "Backbone? I like that too!" As he spoke, he casually picked up a rock from the ground and aimed it right at Su Mu’s head.