C22 Poor Jiang Feng

Jiang Feng's rage boiled over. Frustrated by his miss, he bellowed, "Let's go inside and smash everything in sight."

Jiang Caiyun paused, then cautioned, "But... the Great Mansion Lord has expressly forbidden anyone from entering this courtyard..."

Hearing this, Jiang Feng's fury subsided slightly.

Jiang Ren, timidly standing by, suddenly spoke up, "There's no need to worry. They're not here, so how would they know it was us?"

Upon hearing this, Jiang Feng, who had been mindful of the Mansion Lord's decree, let out a wild laugh and strode into the courtyard, heading straight for the house.

Armed with an assortment of weapons, the trio wreaked havoc on the interior, shattering furniture and decor while hurling insults. Even after the destruction, their anger seemed unabated.

Jiang Ren tentatively proposed, "Should we set it on fire?"

Jiang Feng kicked him in annoyance, "Have you lost your mind? I'm about to take ownership of this courtyard. If you burn it down, what use would it be to me?"

Chastened, Jiang Ren grinned sheepishly, "Right, right, right. Silly me. How about we smash the flowers and plants then?"

Jiang Feng agreed, "That could work, but leave the ancient banyan tree. Jiang Batian, that old man, is quite fond of it. No need to provoke him unnecessarily."

As they spoke, they moved into the courtyard. But as soon as they smashed a potted plant, Jiang Feng sensed something amiss. He quickly stopped Jiang Ren, who was still in the act of destruction, and pointed ahead, "Look."

The flowerbeds around them began to move as if alive, encircling Jiang Feng and his companions.

"Is this... a formation?"

"Why would there be a formation here!" Jiang Feng exclaimed, panic-stricken.

"Could it be a formation Jiang Batian set up for his granddaughter?" Jiang Ren speculated.

Jiang Caiyun countered with a hint of envy, "That's impossible. There's no formation in my courtyard. Grandfather wouldn't show such favoritism. It must be the doing of the Contract Slave."

Jiang Feng, taken aback, looked even more troubled, "Are you suggesting that kid is an Array Master?"

If that were indeed the case, then he, a Six-soul Stage Soul Master of high standing, would suffer a significant blow to his pride if he were to be injured by an Array Master at the One-soul Stage.

Jiang Caiyun wasn't certain, but once words are spoken, they can't be taken back. She asserted, "It has to be him. Jiang Ruoyun only started having all these issues after his arrival. She never would have dared to act this way before."

Jiang Feng pondered the situation with a chillingly grim expression and said in a deep voice, "We need to leave this place first and avoid alerting anyone else in the Great Mansion. Getting caught would be difficult to explain."

Jiang Ren and Jiang Caiyun nodded in agreement. They had already reduced Jiang Ruoyun's dwelling to rubble. If the Mansion Lord discovered this, severe punishment was inevitable.

Jiang Ren took a bold step forward as he noticed the flowerbeds had formed a ring around them.

"Watch me reduce it to rubble!" he exclaimed, swinging the long staff in his hands and striking a flower pot directly in front of him.

"Be careful," Jiang Feng responded swiftly, pulling Jiang Ren to his side, but it was still a moment too late. The flower pot Jiang Ren had shattered vanished, replaced by a cloud of white powder that enveloped them.

Caught off guard, all three were unable to evade the dusting. Their hair and clothes were coated in a layer of white powder.

"An Illusion Array? How did it become an Illusion Array again?"

Jiang Feng was filled with astonishment, unable to fathom the sudden change. He was sure he had sensed the presence of a Trapping Array, so how did it morph into an Illusion Array?

"Is this... Guiding Butterfly Powder?"

Jiang Caiyun recognized the powder covering them, a sense of unease growing within her. She recalled the powder being used to attract butterflies, but its direct offensive use puzzled her.

Before they could brush off the powder, the shattered stones in front of them began to levitate and hurtled towards them.

"How many arrays are there?"

Jiang Caiyun, dodging the flying debris, voiced her frustration. Had she known about the multitude of arrays in the courtyard, she would never have ventured in recklessly.

The Trapping Array in the flower bed held the trio in place, while the Illusion Array at the flower pot scattered Guiding Butterfly Powder, obscuring their vision. The Rock Tossing Array among the rubble launched a relentless assault...

Jiang Feng was just about managing to cope, occasionally breaking away to help fend off an attack or two. However, Jiang Ren and Jiang Caiyun were faring less well. They were pelted by countless stones, and although the barrage wasn't severe enough to cause serious injury, it left them in pain, covered in bruises.

"Be careful..." Jiang Feng sidestepped a shower of rocks and drew his long sword to sever the vines that had suddenly lashed out from behind.

"Damn, even this ancient banyan tree has been turned into an array," Jiang Caiyun exclaimed, her fear tinged with a hint of awe.

"Move closer to me. We'll break through the arrays one by one, starting with the Trapping Array in the flower bed," Jiang Feng instructed, as he led the two in an attack on the flower bed. He had regained his composure by now, realizing that the arrays were not as complex as they seemed. They weren't even proper arrays, just a combination of Array Patterns that, when mixed, unleashed their inherent power. Breaking through them layer by layer, he knew, would not be difficult.

"Buzz, buzz, buzz..." A cacophony of noise suddenly filled the air above them.

Jiang Feng's brow furrowed, a sense of foreboding washing over him. He looked up to see a dark yellow mass rapidly approaching.

"It's the Autumn Poison Wasp!"

"Damn it, the Autumn Poison Wasp usually resides in the back mountain. How did it get here?"

"Who would be so malicious as to bring the hive here?"

Jiang Caiyun's complexion drained of color; she had lost all courage to resist. Only now did she remember the other purpose of the Guiding Butterfly Powder, but it was too late.

Confronted with a swarm of Autumn Poison Wasps, even Jiang Feng felt a twinge of despair. He regretted his rash decision to enter this place.

Now, the three of them were no longer focused on escaping undetected; they were simply hoping to make it out alive...

The Autumn Poison Wasp was a resilient species, capable of surviving from summer until the end of autumn. As winter approached, their venom grew more potent. Their sharp stingers could easily penetrate the defenses of those below the Spirit Gathering Stage, and the poison was so strong that even a warrior at the Spirit Gathering Stage would be in agony for hours.

Jiang Feng hastily pulled out a whistle and blew it with urgency, signaling for help. This distinctive call for aid was unique to Jiang Mansion and could be heard for miles. It had been ages since it was last sounded, and no one could have anticipated that today, of all days, someone would be calling for help within the Mansion itself.

The cry for assistance echoed through the Mansion, putting everyone on high alert. In no time at all, people rushed to the side courtyard. By then, Jiang Feng and his companions had already collapsed, their bodies covered in countless pustules from the stings, the pain so intense that they had lost consciousness.

"Autumn Poison Wasps fear fire," observed Third Mansion Lord Jiang Juetian, a man of vast experience, as he sat in his wheelchair and directed his subordinates.

Soon after, the servants had successfully driven the wasps away with flames. Second Mansion Lord Jiang Aotian arrived upon hearing the commotion and, seeing the three figures sprawled on the ground, assumed they had been attacked. Enraged, he bellowed, "Who dares to wreak havoc in Jiang Mansion! Show yourself!"

Jiang Batian arrived shortly after, surveying the chaos in the courtyard with equal fury. "What has happened here! Where is Ruoyun?" he demanded.

Jiang Aotian, whose concern had been solely for his beloved granddaughter and most cherished child, had initially overlooked the disarray. But upon hearing Jiang Batian's question, he took in the upheaval and instantly understood the gravity of the situation. He shot a look of frustrated disappointment at the three prone figures.

Seeing his elder brothers on the verge of another quarrel, Third Mansion Lord Jiang Juetian quickly intervened, "Let's focus on getting the children treated first. Any delay could result in serious complications." He then turned to the Mansion's herbalists, instructing, "Make sure to thoroughly neutralize the wasp venom during treatment."

The reputation of Jiang Mansion had taken a severe blow. The distress signal had not only resonated within the Mansion but had also reached the ears of the curious and concerned far and wide. By tomorrow, the tale of Jiang Feng and his companions' ordeal would likely be the talk of the town.

"We'll investigate this matter once they've regained consciousness!" commanded Jiang Batian with authoritative resolve.

...

Azure Ganoderma Mountain.

Unaware of the events unfolding back at the mansion, Lu Feng and Jiang Ruoyun continued their search for traces of Spirit Beasts within the depths of Azure Ganoderma Mountain.

Suddenly, Lu Feng heard a rustling sound nearby. He stepped forward and halted Jiang Ruoyun, who was clearing a path through the underbrush, whispering, "Be careful, there's something ahead."

Jiang Ruoyun's expression turned cautious at his warning, and she paused to watch the area ahead intently.

Expecting the commotion to be the work of a formidable Spirit Beast, they were surprised to find, upon parting the bushes, no such creature. Instead, a group of weak, ordinary animals, known as Hungry Tooth Rabbits, was the source of the noise.

The Hungry Tooth Rabbit, a gregarious wild beast, possessed strong, hardy teeth capable of gnawing through all manner of sustenance, even the bones of some Spirit Beasts.

"Let's move on," Lu Feng gestured to the side, signaling Jiang Ruoyun to bypass the area.

"Why take a detour? Isn't there a direct route? Plus, those Hungry Tooth Rabbits could fetch a decent amount of Soul Coins," Jiang Ruoyun questioned, puzzled.

Lu Feng replied with a smile, "The Hungry Tooth Rabbits are quite frail; any beast slightly stronger could easily decimate them. If we were to slaughter them, soon there might be no trace of them left. Besides, each one is only worth a handful of Copper Soul Coins. The bloodshed would also attract powerful Spirit Beasts. We should exercise caution and focus on hunting the more dangerous and harmful Rank One Spirit Beasts."

Jiang Ruoyun gave Lu Feng a look of surprise and inwardly admired him. His analysis not only reflected his character but also his extensive experience.

The outer fringes of Azure Ganoderma Mountain were sparsely vegetated, and Jiang Ruoyun could swiftly clear a path. However, deeper within the mountain, the dense foliage was so thick that not even sunlight could filter through.

After trekking for well over half an hour, they still hadn't spotted a single Spirit Beast. With no other option, they settled on a nearby clean spot to take a break.

"Get up, something's coming!" Lu Feng abruptly leapt to his feet, gripping his bow a bit tighter.

Jiang Ruoyun quickly rose from the ground as well, yet she failed to detect the 'something' Lu Feng had mentioned was drawing near.