C4 A Roadblock

In White Feather City, a spacious road stretched thirty miles beyond the city outskirts. A carriage emblazoned with the Han family crest approached, its wheels rumbling against the ground, before coming to a halt at the base of Green Plum Mountain. The mountain's ascent was steep, necessitating travel by foot.

Han Fei emerged from the carriage and gazed upward. The Green Plum Mountain was lush and verdant, its grandeur evident amidst the ceaseless chirping of birds and insects, while the rich scent of nature enveloped the area.

"Third Young Master, are we really going to hike up the mountain to visit Huang Zun?" Liu San asked, his face tinged with unease. "We've come empty-handed, without a single respectable gift. And Third Young Master, if you look behind us, those folks are thoroughly prepared..."

Trailing Han Fei's carriage was an impressive convoy. Lee Xiao, the head shopkeeper of the Pavilion of Delicacy, rode atop a majestic chestnut horse, his face alight with a welcoming smile. Upon noticing Han Fei looking back, he called out, "Nephew Han Fei, what brings you to Green Plum Mountain today? Quite the coincidence."

Lee Xiao, as an elder, carried himself with dignity, but the Lee family disciples following him showed no such respect. One of them loudly berated, "Han Fei, you have the audacity to come here with nothing to offer? You lack any semblance of sincerity. Has the Han family run out of silver, unable to even present a gift?"

Laughter erupted from the Lee family's convoy at the remark. Lee Feng, still harboring resentment from Han Fei's reprimand days earlier, sneered with biting sarcasm, "The Han family may not have gifts to offer, but you're all unaware of their pride. They'd rather starve than accept charity."

While it appeared they were defending Han Fei, their words were laced with criticism, implying he was ungrateful. Recently, the Lee family had shown interest in purchasing the Purple Sanctum to alleviate their own difficulties, yet the Han brothers had staunchly refused their offer.

The laughter of the Lee family members grew even louder. However, Lee Xiao's expression turned stern as he reprimanded the younger disciples. His demeanor softened when he turned to Han Fei with a smile, "On this visit to Huang Zun at Green Plum Mountain, we've brought plenty of gifts. If it pleases you, feel free to select one or two for yourself. How does that sound?"

Han Fei offered a slight, unfazed smile, clearly not bothered by the jeers and jests of the others. He then instructed, "Liu San, let's head up the mountain."

With the carriage driver left behind, Han Fei and Liu San started their ascent.

Lee Xiao watched them go, a cold smile on his lips as he gestured, "Unload the gifts. We'll make the climb on foot as well! Handle everything with care; we wouldn't want to damage the offerings."

The group sprang into action. Lee Xiao had come well-prepared, with gifts so numerous they could fill a catalog. The smallest was a cat-eye sapphire nestled in a silk-lined box, a deep-sea gem brimming with pure water essence that, once absorbed and refined, could rejuvenate one's meridians.

The most substantial and precious gift was a piece of blood coral, rich in fire essence, a coveted treasure for practitioners of fire-based techniques.

With Han Fei and Liu San leading the way, followed by Lee Xiao, Lee Feng, and the rest of the Lee family, the group climbed with a shared purpose. Before long, they encountered a crouching tiger.

Green Plum Mountain boasted three extraordinary beasts, and this crouching tiger was one of them. It was a guardian spirit beast raised by Huang Zun, a formidable and majestic presence. Its fur gleamed darkly, and its half-lidded eyes flickered with a listless glow as it sprawled lazily across the path, seemingly on the verge of sleep.

The black tiger, undisturbed by the climbers, yawned widely without a sound. It swished its tail dismissively, as if swatting at flies, silently warning the group to pass quickly.

This black tiger was a Fellbeast, possessing immeasurable strength and the ability to understand human speech. Its intelligence and natural resilience made it a far more challenging adversary than the average martial arts master.

To ascend the mountain, one must first earn the approval of the guardian tiger!

At that moment, Lee Xiao glanced at Han Fei, a smile playing on his lips. "Nephew Han Fei, I recall your visit to Green Plum Mountain a few years back when you were halted in your tracks. Time has passed, and your strength has vastly improved. Perhaps you'd like to lead the way?"

Han Fei shook his head. He had encountered this formidable opponent once before, yet its true power remained elusive. It seemed wiser to let Lee Xiao make the first move, to probe the beast's strength.

"With an elder present, I shall not vie for the honor," Han Fei declared. He and Liu San then stepped aside, yielding the floor to Lee Xiao.

Lee Xiao, unsurprised, faced the tiger and bowed respectfully, his expression turning grave. "Elder Tiger, forgive my intrusion!"

With those words, Lee Xiao let out a thunderous yell and lunged at the tiger with the force of an arrow shot from a bow!

Lee Xiao, the esteemed manager of the Lee family's Exquisite Hall, was a formidable practitioner at the Third Empyrean of the Vital Spirit Realm. As he moved, his internal energy burst forth tumultuously. Though made of flesh and blood, he seemed an unstoppable mountainous figure.

The tiger remained reclined, not even bothering to rise. It simply opened its maw and expelled a fist-sized orb of green Qi, which spiraled like a cannonball and struck Lee Xiao, halting his charge.

Lee Xiao retreated swiftly, a muffled grunt escaping him. His boots carved deep furrows into the ground, and a trickle of blood stained his lips, indicating some internal injury. Yet his demeanor remained composed, his breathing steady and strong, suggesting he was largely unharmed.

"Thousand Army Break!"

Without pausing to recover, Lee Xiao bellowed again, his hand chopping down like an axe! Instantly, a visible arc-shaped blade of energy burst forth, cleaving towards the tiger.

The Thousand Army Break, a formidable and domineering martial art, stood as the Lee family's most powerful secret technique. Renowned throughout the Tian Yuan Continent, it was considered among the top third-rate techniques, renowned for concentrating the practitioner's entire power into a singular point and releasing it in a devastating strike.

The disciples of the Lee family recognized the technique and gasped in amazement. Han Fei was somewhat taken aback as well, but that was the extent of his reaction.

In the next instant, as the crescent-shaped energy blade hurtled toward him, the Fellbeast casually flicked its tail.

The movements were too swift to catch, but a series of explosions followed. The energy blade shattered, and its remnants turned into a powerful gust that ruffled the Fellbeast's glossy black fur, causing it to comfortably squint its eyes.

Thousand Army Break was the Lee family's most formidable skill and Lee Xiao's ace in the hole. Having executed it, he was left completely drained, his chest rising and falling as he gasped for air.

With his initial strike unsuccessful, Lee Xiao refrained from further action, simply too exhausted to continue. He remained standing, pulled out a Rejuvenation Pill, and swallowed it, his pallor slowly giving way to a healthier flush.

The Fellbeast, however, nodded in acknowledgment, its eyes showing a hint of respect. Despite being a beast, it gestured like a human, pointing with its paw to indicate that Lee Xiao had passed the challenge and could lead the Lee family onward up the mountain.

Lee Xiao visibly relaxed at this gesture. He didn't rush to move on; instead, he turned to Han Fei with a grin and said, "Nephew Han Fei, it's your turn. I'm looking forward to seeing what you can do."

Han Fei offered a slight smile, but instead of engaging, he reached into his pocket and rummaged around before producing a dark pill. "I have a modest pill here, consider it my contribution for the climb. I hope it suffices, Elder Hu, and you'll allow me to pass."

Lee Xiao's brow furrowed in disapproval.

The Lee family disciples behind him were even more incensed. Lee Feng scoffed, "Han Fei, you think you can bribe Elder Hu with a pill? I suggest you think better of it and save yourself the embarrassment. What interest would such a noble creature have in your little black pellet?"

Other irate disciples chimed in, "Han Fei, put that mud pill away at once! If you provoke Elder Hu and get thrown off the mountain, that's on you. Just don't drag us down with you!"

"Exactly, Han Fei, don't be reckless!"

Upon hearing this, Han Fei remained unfazed, his grin deepening. Far from holding back, he snapped his fingers and flicked the dark, mud-like pill straight in front of Senior Hu.

The crowd's faces turned pale!

Even Liu San thought his young master's actions were too flippant. As expected, a flash of rage appeared in the eyes of the provoked Senior Hu.

For the first time, it stood up!

As everyone, including Lee Xiao, braced for Han Fei to face the wrath of Senior Hu, something astonishing occurred.

Senior Hu approached the dark pill, lowered his front half, and vigorously sniffed it with his tiger nose. Then, he extended his barbed tongue and rolled the pill into his mouth.

Chewing the pill twice, Senior Hu seemed to savor an exquisite taste, appearing to want more as he looked up at Han Fei expectantly.

Han Fei chuckled and said, "That's all there is. The Tiger Nourishment Pill is not easy to make, and I only had one. If Senior Hu is content, please clear the path so we can continue our ascent."

Hearing this, a clear look of disappointment crossed Senior Hu's eyes. With a low growl, he suddenly sprang into the woods and vanished from sight.

The onlookers were left speechless, frozen in astonishment!

Han Fei casually dusted off his hands as if he had just performed a trivial task. "Liu San, snap out of it. Let's keep climbing."

Without waiting for a response, Han Fei set off up the mountain, striding ahead.