C17 Dragon Playing Whip

Chapter Seventeen: Dragon Playing Whip

In a fleeting moment, Lu Feng considered retrieving the Nether Bow from the Qilin Ring, but the thought of accompanying Jiang Ruoyun on a shopping trip made him abandon the idea. He didn't want to miss out on such an excellent opportunity to gather information.

As evening approached, Jiang Ruoyun could no longer justify Lu Feng's presence in her personal quarters. With no spare rooms available in the courtyard, she reluctantly offered him a stay in the modest storeroom tucked away in a corner.

Lu Feng raised no complaints, understanding Jiang Ruoyun's predicament and her lack of authority within the Jiang Mansion. He was aware that she might be grappling with her own uncertainties about where she could turn.

During their conversations, Lu Feng learned more about Xiaorou's situation. She had been sent by her 'second uncle,' the son of the Second Mansion Lord, Jiang Aotian. Ostensibly, she was there to care for Jiang Ruoyun, but her true purpose was to keep watch. Despite Xiaorou's compliance and obedience in recent years, Jiang Ruoyun remained guarded and cautious around her.

Night descended, and Lu Feng had tidied the storeroom, discarding the clutter. The space was now considerably neater, and he had cobbled together a makeshift bed from wooden planks, giving the room a more lived-in feel.

For Lu Feng, the other household items were superfluous; a bed, however, was essential. Given his current level of cultivation, he still needed to partake in the ordinary activities of sleeping and eating.

As the night grew deeper, Lu Feng remained awake, seated cross-legged on the wooden bed, focusing on the condition of his Life Soul. Since leaving Carefree Village for Azure Dragon Town, he had sensed a slight shift in the other Spirit Souls within his Life Soul. Despite his efforts, he had yet to master control over them.

Resigned to his unsuccessful attempts, Lu Feng decided to rest. He reached for a blanket nearby and draped it over himself. A pleasant scent wafted to his nose, bringing him comfort. He remembered that the blanket he was using had once belonged to Jiang Ruoyun, who had replaced it with a new one due to her distaste for the old, leaving it for him.

"A woman's bedding does have a lovely scent," Lu Feng said, the corner of his mouth lifting into a tender smile.

...

At the crack of dawn, as the darkness receded and the sky began to show the first light of day, Lu Feng was already present in the courtyard.

Before long, Jiang Ruoyun emerged from her room, only to find that Lu Feng had thoroughly 'swept' the courtyard multiple times over.

Catching sight of Lu Feng's figure in the courtyard, Jiang Ruoyun's drowsy eyes widened in surprise.

Lu Feng, broom in hand, was meticulously sweeping up leaves and debris from the ground. His movements were deliberate—three steps at a time, now to the left, now to the right. Despite appearing to make little progress, the ground had become noticeably cleaner.

Jiang Ruoyun silently commended him, "Such masterful footwork!"

Lu Feng was practicing the legendary steps of Exquisite Valley while cleaning. Accustomed to training every morning since childhood, he used to practice swordsmanship, but now, constrained by his surroundings, he was refining his agility in secret.

Jiang Ruoyun surveyed the courtyard, sensing a change in the ancient banyan tree and the lush potted plants around her, yet she couldn't pinpoint exactly what was different. It was as if the whole space had become tidier and more serene.

Jiang Ruoyun, too, was in the habit of morning practice. She normally trained in the courtyard, but today, reluctant to mar Lu Feng's pristine work, she had another idea.

"I'm heading to the back mountain to practice my Whip Technique. Would you like to join me?" she asked, perhaps impulsively inviting Lu Feng or maybe wishing to showcase her prized skill.

Lu Feng paused his sweeping and looked over at Jiang Ruoyun, noting her change in attire from the day before. Her jet-black hair was now neatly tied back in a ponytail, and her outfit was the epitome of practicality. Bands tightly secured her wrists, waist, and ankles, with no loose ends in her clothing or sleeves. Her every move radiated vitality and the exuberance of youth.

"Practice the Whip Technique?" Lu Feng said with a light smile, recalling the clarity with which he had witnessed Jiang Ruoyun's whip lash against Jiang Ren's face. Intrigued by the brief glimpse of her skill, he agreed to accompany her to the back mountain.

Exiting the courtyard, they took a left, slipped through a small gate, and then a right to pass through the rear entrance of Jiang Mansion. A short walk beyond the back door, lasting about the time it takes half an incense stick to burn, brought them to the mountain behind the mansion, with a forest lying just ahead.

Jiang Ruoyun practiced her Whip Technique at the base of the mountain, where a flat expanse of land provided the perfect space, not too deep within the woods.

She retrieved her long whip from the Storage Ring on her hand, pausing for a moment as she gazed at the ring. Her expression turned reflective; this Storage Ring was a gift from her grandfather, Jiang Batian, on the day she connected her Seven Souls. It held a special place in her heart.

Lu Feng observed the pale pink whip in Jiang Ruoyun's grasp. It was significantly longer than a standard whip, its body crafted from interwoven red and white patterns that added an artistic flair when in motion. The handle was wrapped in a thick layer of protective cord to better safeguard the user's palm.

As Lu Feng was lost in thought, Jiang Ruoyun had already commenced her practice. She maneuvered the long whip with finesse, alternating between vertical strikes and sweeping arcs. The transitions were seamless, leaving a trail of delicate pink afterimages in the air.

Jiang Ruoyun had been honing her Whip Technique since she was six, persisting through the days and years, never slackening even after the degeneration of her Seven Souls. While she hadn't yet reached the pinnacle of mastery where anything could serve as a whip, her skill was profoundly deep.

Her whipping was akin to a dance, her form shifting with graceful agility. Each gesture was as enchanting as a scene from a painting, her braided hair bouncing playfully, reminiscent of a sprightly rabbit, utterly adorable.

Lu Feng watched, entranced. His past had been consumed by training, leaving him unacquainted with such captivating beauty.

"Let me show you something even more impressive," Jiang Ruoyun said with a cheerful grin, calling out to Lu Feng. In an instant, her stance transformed, and she unleashed a powerful lash of her whip.

With a resounding "Boom!", a massive boulder not far from Lu Feng shattered into a heap of rubble under the force of Jiang Ruoyun's whip.

The previous display of grace and beauty vanished in an instant, replaced by an overwhelming aura of violence and strength.

Lu Feng couldn't help but twitch his lips at the sight; the contrast was simply too stark!

Simple moves like trembling, swinging, and twisting were infused with formidable power in Jiang Ruoyun's hands. The explosive force generated by her whipping left the ground marred with crisscrossing scars, each mark a testament to its fearsome power.

Every strike Jiang Ruoyun unleashed was incredibly potent. Even at her current Two-soul Stage, her strength was immense. Lu Feng couldn't help but think that once her cultivation improved, her whip might have the power to devastate the heavens and the earth.

"If this girl ever took to domestic violence, her future husband would be in for a world of suffering," Lu Feng mused with a mischievous chuckle.

Then came the sound of a whip snapping. Lu Feng glanced over to see that Jiang Ruoyun's whip had broken, unable to withstand her tremendous power.

"What whip technique is this?" Lu Feng exclaimed, recognizing the extraordinary nature of the technique. However, since Jiang Ruoyun was only executing basic moves, he couldn't determine the technique's rank.

"Dragon Playing Whip," Jiang Ruoyun replied with a playful smile, wiping the sweat from her brow. After a brief rest, she retrieved a new whip from her Storage Ring and began to swing it once more.

Lu Feng knew that neither the Dragon Playing Whip nor the 'Three Times Strength' cultivation method belonged to Jiang Mansion's repertoire.

Watching the increasingly enigmatic woman before him, Lu Feng's curiosity was piqued. He wondered just how many secrets she held.

The two contrasting styles of whip technique—one light and swift with numerous variations, the other violent and forceful, charging ahead—complemented each other perfectly. They alternated between hard and soft, controlled yet unrestrained, quick without descending into chaos.

Jiang Ruoyun didn't delve deeper into the Dragon Playing Whip's cultivation; she understood that mastering these fundamental techniques was crucial. By perfecting a series of basic whip movements and combining them into a seamless flow, she knew that learning any advanced Whip Technique would become exponentially easier.

After some wear and tear on her Dragon Whip, Jiang Ruoyun ceased her daily training. Despite the fact that she went through one or two whips each day, they were inexpensive enough to not strain her finances.

Jiang Ruoyun glanced at the sky to gauge the time and called out to Lu Feng, "Let's head back and get ready. We're going shopping!"

Upon hearing this, Lu Feng set aside the stone he was working with and accompanied Jiang Ruoyun back to Jiang Mansion. While Jiang Ruoyun had been honing her Whip Technique, Lu Feng had been busy as well, practicing his Engraving skills on the readily available stones. Engraving on these expendable rocks meant that any mistakes, resulting in shattered stones, were of little consequence.

Back at the mansion, Jiang Ruoyun freshened up and slipped into her casual attire, letting her hair down from its usual training updo. The transformation softened her appearance from the fierce determination of her training to the gentle elegance of a well-bred young lady.

"Ready to go? I'm meeting Ms Qiao at Fragrance Gathering Garden," Jiang Ruoyun announced. Noticing Lu Feng's puzzled look, she chuckled and clarified, "Fragrance Gathering Garden is a teahouse in Azure Dragon Town, and Ms Qiao is my dearest friend."

"Are you two planning to discuss something in particular?" Lu Feng inquired.

"Well, since I'm about to be 'sent packing,' I need to find a new place to live as soon as possible," Jiang Ruoyun replied with a laugh. She then handed Lu Feng some Soul Coins, saying, "Take this money and buy yourself a bow and arrow that suits you."

On the Profound Heaven Continent, the currency in circulation was known as Soul Coins. The smallest denomination was the Copper Soul Coin, followed by the Silver Soul Coin, the Golden Soul Coin, and the Jade Soul Coin. The conversion between them was based on hundreds, meaning one Silver Soul Coin was worth one hundred Copper Soul Coins, and one Golden Soul Coin was worth one hundred Silver Soul Coins.