The master and apprentice duo exited Xu Beishan’s home and immediately set off towards their own.

Xiang Ming tugged at the elder master’s robe and asked curiously, "Master, did Lin Tian really inflict such grave injuries on my cousin?"

"Yes."

"Then why didn’t he just kill her, leaving her still breathing?" Xiang Ming mimicked the elder master’s manner, speaking with his hands behind his back, old beyond his years: "Leaving the roots only lets them spring back with the spring breeze."

Thump!

The elder master mercilessly knocked Xiang Ming on the head, saying coldly, "Where does such murderous intent come from at your young age?"

Xiang Ming clutched his head, looking aggrieved, "Didn’t you say so? That I should be honed like an unpolished jade? This murderous intent is something I’ll need sooner or later."

"Oh~" The elder master elongated his tone, "You’re quite perceptive."

Thump!

Another knock on the head.

"Just do as I say. At your young age, why nurture murderous intent? Are you planning to go down a crooked path?" The elder master asked coldly.

Xiang Ming clutched his head, huffing and wanting to return the knock, but alas, he wasn’t tall enough.

Suddenly, the elder master halted.

"What’s wrong?" Xiang Ming asked.

"Did you lead us the wrong way?" The elder master suddenly frowned.

"Impossible, I grew up here, I can’t be wrong..." Halfway through, Xiang Ming suddenly stopped and found that they were not at Xu Family Stream, but rather in a vast bamboo forest!

The two of them were at this moment in the heart of the bamboo forest.

"How could this be? I clearly..." Xiang Ming, being young, found it hard to articulate his feelings, only clutching the elder master’s robe even tighter, saying, "I’ve been here before, I know the way, should we go back?"

"I’m afraid it will take a while to go back." The elder master suddenly turned around, looking at the desolate little hill and said, "Come out, it’s boring to hide any longer. Unexpectedly, there’s someone else in the Xu Family whose Charm Technique can bewilder me."

Whoosh whoosh whoosh~

No one revealed themselves, but suddenly a gust of wind swept through, causing the bamboo forest to rustle. Numerous bamboo leaves fell, creating a desolate feeling.

"Master, master, I suddenly feel so cold, why does this wind feel like a chilling breeze?" Xiang Ming looked around, his little heart pounding frantically, feeling a sense of eeriness.

"This is a bamboo forest, obviously it’s cold."

As the elder master finished speaking, the bamboo forest’s light gradually dimmed. When they looked up, they saw two dark clouds blown in by the strange wind, blocking the sun, and the bamboo forest became increasingly dim. It felt as though sunset had arrived, and everything appeared only as a blurry silhouette.

When had Xiang Ming ever seen such a scene? His little legs trembled with fear.

"Master, will it rain?"

"Possibly."

"When I was young, my sister told me stories about graves in bamboo forests rising corpses, this, this won’t be haunted, will it?" Xiang Ming spoke shakily.

"You talk nonsense! There’s no grave here, how can corpses rise?" 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"That’s true..."

The elder master suddenly smirked mischievously, "But it might be haunted."

"Gh-gh-ghost..." Xiang Ming’s face turned pale instantly, drained of blood from fright.

"As a man, are you afraid of ghosts?" The elder master’s tone suddenly paused, turning his head sharply, his eyes like an eagle’s, sharp.

"What’s wrong?" Xiang Ming asked softly.

"Found them, someone is in that direction."

After speaking, the elder master flicked his hand, catching several leaves blown down by the wind. With a twist of the wrist, the leaves straightened, turning into beams of green light, cutting down the bamboo in a dazzling manner.

Seeing the open view ahead, Xiang Ming’s eyes and mouth widened, and if it weren’t for the wrong atmosphere, he would have clapped happily.

"Master, where’s the person?" Xiang Ming asked.

"Ran away. I thought it was some expert, but it turns out they were just timid and hesitant, boring, let’s head back."

The elder master took Xiang Ming’s little hand and led him back the way they came.

But after walking less than fifty meters, the two returned to their original spot, where the bamboo cut down by the elder master stood again.

"How did we come back again? We clearly followed a straight path." Xiang Ming’s palms were sweaty from nerves, everything being too surreal. "Master, you have Lightweight Skill, right? Why not carry me and fly over the bamboo?"

"Hold on tight!"

The elder master swiftly scooped Xiang Ming onto his back.

Footsteps like the Big Dipper, rising with the wind!

Chasing Star and Cloud Step.

Upon reaching the top of the bamboo forest, the two witnessed an incredible sight.

The entire sky was overcast, shrouded tightly by dark clouds.

But logically, even if overcast, it shouldn’t create darkness akin to night, where everything becomes blurred.

Everything felt peculiar!

Xiang Ming lay on the elder master’s back, pointing loudly in one direction, "Home’s there, let’s head that way!"

Sure enough, in the direction of Xiang Ming’s finger, a small village could be seen dimly in the dusk, its outline barely visible.

The elder master, touching bamboo leaves with his toes, soared across like a startled bird.

But this bamboo forest was like a sea, endlessly extending, never escaping.

Suddenly, the elder master smelled a sweet scent like honey, and upon close inspection, he noticed a yellow-brown mist appearing before them.

Strangely, although the wind was blowing towards the mist, it was still drifting against the wind towards them!

"Master, master, I recognize that! It’s Honey Flower Fog, also known as Bee Fart, exclusive to our Xu Family. Inhaling too much makes one dizzy, turning them into a lunatic!"

The elder master slapped Xiang Ming’s butt, saying irritably, "Of course I know that! It’s not lunacy; it’s delirium, a perfect match with your Xu Family’s Charm Technique! Even the resources are lavishly spent!"

This Bee Fart had gained fame centuries ago, not as toxic as the Tang Family’s items, but if affected by the Xu Family’s Charm Technique, one would become their puppet. During the Eleven Families’ assault on the Xu Family, this Bee Fart made many tremble in fear.

In reality, the mist housed poisonous bees nurtured by the Xu Family, not gathering honey but instead feeding on it. When needed, they swarmed, attacking enemies, and not only the Bee Fart but two or three stings proved fatal within a week.

"You are from the Xu Family, do you know how to handle this?"

"I only know how to handle Bee Fart, we use urine-soaked cloth to cover our mouths and noses and hold our breath to evade it."

"What about the poisonous bees? How do we handle them?"

"I don’t know about that either..."