Witch blood awakening

Chapter 5: Just a Warning

The mountain was high, the forest dense, and the path treacherous. Mu Feng dashed into the thick bamboo grove, running faster and faster. The mountain paths were rugged, and in some places, there were no paths at all. The hazy moonlight made the journey even more difficult. One misstep could mean stepping on a sharp stone or falling into a deep ravine. Relying on his familiarity with the terrain, he soon left Mu Qingyuan and his group far behind; however, the keen-nosed hunting dog continued to pursue him relentlessly.

Woof, woof, woof...

The barking grew louder as the hunting dog leaped through the trees. Agile and powerful, it moved like a cheetah, gaining speed.

This won't work!

Hearing the increasingly close barks and seeing the dense bamboo around him, Mu Feng's face hardened. He suddenly stopped and started working quickly. He cut down a bamboo stalk, sharpened it, and securely tied one end to a large tree, with the other end pointing towards the direction the dog was coming from. Using some dry branches, he made a simple scarecrow and draped his robe over it...

Since he couldn't shake off the dog, he decided to set a trap using the resources at hand.

Just as he hid in the bushes, the relentless hunting dog lunged at the scarecrow, its powerful leap leaving a blur in the air.

Thud...

The ferocious dog bit through the scarecrow's neck, but at the same time, it felt a sharp pain in its abdomen as the sharpened bamboo pierced through it, causing blood to spurt out.

The faster it ran, the harder it hit!

A pitiful howl echoed as the injured dog struggled, trying to bite through the bamboo. But before its sharp teeth could sever the bamboo, a heavy stone came crashing down on its head, hitting its vulnerable skull. One hit, two hits... soon, the dog closed its eyes in defeat.

"Hah..."

With a roar, Mu Feng condensed the dog's blood into a blood bead and swallowed it, replenishing the energy he had expended during the chase.

The pursuers were getting closer. After dealing with the dog, time was tight, but Mu Feng remained calm and efficient. As the thumb-sized blood bead entered his mouth, he felt a surge of energy, his legs filling with strength. Simultaneously, he experienced a strange sensation. With a light sniff, he could detect the faint scent of blood in the wind, the earthy smell of the mountain, and even the scent of Mu Qingyuan and his group...

The inherited talent from the Blood Refining Technique!

Mu Feng's eyes lit up as he quickly understood what had happened.

The profound Blood Refining Technique not only allowed him to condense the blood and even the corpses of enemies into blood beads, but it also enabled him to inherit their blood power and talents. By killing the ferocious hunting dog, he had not only eliminated a formidable enemy but also gained a useful talent, achieving two goals at once!

If absorbing the blood of a hunting dog brought such surprises, what would happen if he condensed the blood of a human enemy into a blood bead and swallowed it?

Mu Feng's heart raced, and the ancestral blood bead within him stirred with a violent, bloodthirsty desire, growing stronger by the moment.

"Hurry, catch up! That guy is entangled with the dog, quick!"

"Mu Feng, you're dead, dead!"...

Ahead, the sound of footsteps and Mu Qingyuan's furious shouts grew closer. He urged his guards to quicken their pace, eager to capture and humiliate Mu Feng before killing him slowly.

Dead?

Mu Feng sneered, disappearing into the darkness.

"Hahaha, Mu Feng, you're dead!"

Mu Qingyuan laughed heartily, bursting out of the bamboo grove first. Seeing the dog impaled on the bamboo, he froze, his laughter abruptly stopping.

He had expected to find Mu Feng writhing on the ground under the dog's attack. Who could have imagined that it was his prized hunting dog that had been killed instead?

This was a top-tier shepherd dog imported from the northern borders of the empire, capable of fighting tigers and leopards, and on the verge of forming a demon core!

Mu Qingyuan's face twisted in anger and pain.

Forming a demon core meant that the high-priced hunting dog would officially become a powerful demon beast, significantly enhancing its abilities. It could easily overpower a Mortal Realm expert, making him look impressive. But now, it was all gone!

"Mu Feng, I'll skin you alive and pull out your tendons!"

Mu Qingyuan roared, about to order a search when a sharp whistling sound cut through the air. Looking up, he saw a bamboo spear flying towards him, too fast to react.

Thud...

The sharp spear grazed his scalp, embedding itself deeply into a tree behind him. The spearhead penetrated deeply, and the tail still quivered with force, demonstrating its terrifying power!

"This is just a warning. Next time, I won't aim for your scalp!"

A cold voice echoed from the depths of the bamboo forest, then silence.

The swaying bamboo shadows seemed to form a path to hell, making anyone hesitant to take even a step forward.

Mu Feng?

Touching his forehead and seeing the blood on his hand, Mu Qingyuan's face turned pale with both fear and anger.

He was furious that Mu Feng dared to attack him, but also scared by Mu Feng's unexpected skill. A slight deviation, and he would have been dead. The speed and precision of the attack left him shaken.

Imagining the spear piercing his forehead, Mu Qingyuan shivered, realizing that Mu Feng was not as easy to handle as he had thought. He was tough and prickly, not someone to be humiliated lightly.

"Second Young Master, something's not right!" A skinny, triangular-faced guard approached, his expression confident.

"Of course, I know something's wrong!" Mu Qingyuan snapped, still angry. "Skinny Monkey, explain what's wrong and how to deal with it."

Seeing Mu Qingyuan's impatience, the guard nicknamed Skinny Monkey patiently explained, "How could a weak scholar suddenly become so powerful? Second Young Master, I'm sure there's something fishy going on. Mu Feng's behavior has been strange lately. I suggest we have someone follow him around the clock to find out what's really happening."

"Good idea, Skinny Monkey, this task is yours," Mu Qingyuan agreed.

"No problem, leave it to me."

Skinny Monkey grinned, continuing, "Following him is necessary, but there are many ways to deal with a mere scholar. Second Young Master, the Lantern Festival is coming up, and according to family rules, it's time for commoners to pay tribute. Just have the steward demand an extra ten taels of silver from Mu Feng. That'll be enough to ruin him!"

"Good!"

Mu Qingyuan's eyes lit up, but he hesitated. "But if the punishment elder or the old family head finds out, it might not be good."

"Hehe, the punishment elder and the old family head are rarely seen. As long as the steward doesn't speak up, who will know?" Skinny Monkey grinned wickedly. "And with your status, Second Young Master, a word to the steward is all it takes."

"Good, Skinny Monkey, you have a way with words, so cunning and despicable, hahaha!"

Mu Qingyuan laughed heartily, imagining Mu Feng and his mother crying over the tribute money, feeling immensely satisfied.

A penny can crush a hero!

Ten taels of silver might not be much to him, but to the impoverished Mu Feng and his mother, it was a huge sum!

Seeing Mu Qingyuan finally laugh, Skinny Monkey seized the moment. "Second Young Master, my old ailment is acting up again. My meridians are twitching painfully. Remember that Clear Wind Technique you promised..."

"Here, take it. It's just a copy, but remember to burn it after you've memorized it!"

In his excitement, Mu Qingyuan generously handed over a booklet, patted Skinny Monkey's shoulder, and left with his guards. Skinny Monkey stood still, flipping through the booklet with delight.

Muscles, bones, and membranes were the three key areas for a Mortal Realm practitioner to train. Techniques for refining bones were easy to find, with Thunderous Bone Refining being the most basic and effective. But techniques for refining meridians and membranes were harder to come by, especially advanced ones.

The Clear Wind Technique was a secret Mu family technique for refining meridians and membranes. Holding the booklet, the usually cunning Skinny Monkey couldn't contain his excitement, seeing hope for advancing to the mid-stage of the Mortal Realm and even the Elite Realm!