Chapter Forty-Eight: Ning’s Father Fights Desperately

“Isn’t there the Thousand Severance Array? We can just claim that it was set up by that person, in order to steal the Soul Devouring Sword. He injured you, snatched the Soul Devouring Sword from Mo Fei, and escaped through the teleportation array.” With a mischievous wink, Yu Youwei flashed a crafty smile.

Chen Feng, seasoned by years of adventures and known for his cunning, found himself at a loss for a better solution in this dire situation—other than silencing everyone involved. Naturally, he agreed with Yu Youwei's suggestion, regarding her now as little less than a fox on the verge of gaining true sapience.

“Scoundrel, where do you think you’re going!”

A furious shout rang out. Chen Feng sprang up and lunged toward the auction platform, only to crash violently to the ground mid-leap, spurting a mouthful of blood. He twitched on the floor like a dying fish, then lay motionless.

Five purple-eyed simians charged the auction platform from several directions, battering it like crazed beasts. Already battered and scarred from the earlier battle, the platform finally collapsed, revealing a hidden passage below.

Yu Youwei cried out in alarm, “Mo Fei, don’t die!”

Changsheng, who was closest, was inexplicably struck by a palm wind and fell unconscious. Ning Guodong, who had been lying like a corpse, was rolled over in the commotion and let out a faint groan. Yu Youwei’s heart leapt with joy at the sound, though her face betrayed nothing. Holding Ning Mofei in her arms, she wailed in grief, “Mo Fei, don’t scare me like this!”

Ning Guodong staggered to his feet, roaring like a wounded lion, “Who killed Mo Fei!”

Among the figures who had rushed to the platform as the purple-eyed simians attacked, a burly man with a purple face shouted, “There’s a teleportation array here! The killer has escaped with the Soul Devouring Sword!”

Neither Chen Feng nor Yu Youwei had said the sword was stolen, but with Chen Feng, grievously wounded, charging the platform, and the five battered simian brothers suddenly turning on the platform too, everyone naturally assumed the Soul Devouring Sword had been snatched and that the thief had escaped via the auction platform. Thus, those who rushed over hoping for a windfall instead discovered the teleportation array beneath. The blame for the theft and escape thus fell squarely on the auction house’s traitors.

“Father, Mo Fei is dying! We must take him home to the Ancestor at once!” Yu Youwei’s snow-pale face was filled with panic and streaming with tears. No one could have guessed she was acting. Even Chen Feng, lying there pretending to be dead, nearly believed Ning Mofei truly was at death’s door—for after all, inheriting a legacy was fraught with peril.

“Let’s go. We’re going home.” Ning Guodong, convinced his son was dying, suddenly summoned a wellspring of strength. Though he could barely stand, his steps became steady and unyielding as a mountain, and he strode toward the main gates.

Yu Youwei followed, cradling Ning Mofei. She watched as Ning Guodong produced a maple leaf-shaped jade token, chanting under his breath. She recognized it as a Beastkeeper Token, a kind of storage space that could hold living creatures. Unlike ordinary storage artifacts, the Beastkeeper Token contained spiritual energy attuned to certain attributes, allowing spirit beasts to cultivate within. Such tokens were exceedingly rare, and to see her father-in-law produce one made her covetous.

After ten breaths, a beam of light shot from the token, within which appeared the image of a lion-like spirit beast. She had seen this beast in the Illustrated Compendium of Spirit Beasts and recalled its name—Crimson Cloud Ni.

The Crimson Cloud Ni leapt from the beam, sitting beside Ning Guodong and towering over him by half a man’s height. At a glance, it stood at least two and a half meters tall. Its entire body was covered in crimson fur, with a faint red glow shimmering about it. Its eyes bulged like copper bells, exuding an awe-inspiring presence.

“Old friend, I’ll be counting on you this time,” Ning Guodong murmured, stroking the beast’s head.

Seeing Ning Guodong summon the Crimson Cloud Ni, Chen Feng could no longer feign death. “Brother, your Crimson Cloud Ni hasn’t recovered yet. If you force it to fight now, you’ll ruin its foundation!”

“Uncle, Mo Fei’s sword was stolen, he’s lost so much blood—if we don’t find the Ancestor soon, he’ll die! However precious the Crimson Cloud Ni, is it more precious than Mo Fei’s life?” Yu Youwei sobbed, her slender body trembling, the very picture of despair and frailty.

“I must take Mo Fei home,” Ning Guodong declared, his voice steely with resolve. He regarded the Crimson Cloud Ni as a companion, not just a beast. At any other time, he would have cared for its injuries, but with his son’s life on the line, he could only put his son first.

The Crimson Cloud Ni threw back its head and roared, as if sensing its master’s intent. It then opened its jaws and spat fireballs at the tightly closed main gate. The fireballs, each the size of a coconut, flew forth in an endless stream, crashing into the gate’s defensive array. Upon impact, they burst apart, sending shallow ripples of energy across the barrier.

“Brother, this bombardment is useless!” Chen Feng cried, spitting another mouthful of blood—this time not from forced effort, but from genuine agitation.

Yu Youwei choked through her tears, “Yes, Father, it seems hopeless. Let the Crimson Cloud Ni stop for now.”

Only then did Ning Guodong instruct the beast to cease. His already wan complexion grew even more ashen.

Chen Feng was tempted to use spiritual voice transmission to reveal the truth to Ning Guodong, but Yu Youwei, seeing his intent, quickly interjected, “Those people just mentioned a teleportation array. If Uncle still has strength, why not go take a look? Let Father rest a bit.” She understood he meant to keep the secret, making the drama all the more convincing.

At that moment, the auction house’s defensive array was broken from outside. Xiang Cunxu, the auction house manager, led a group of cultivators, forcing the doors open. Seeing the devastation within, his usually fair face darkened instantly, and he shouted like a madman, “Who did this?”

An elder at his side counseled, “Master, let’s tend to the wounded first.”

Suppressing his fury, Xiang Cunxu hurriedly directed his men to care for the injured, promising all present answers within ten days. He also arranged for the wounded to be sent home. The Tianyuan Auction House had royal backing, and Xiang Cunxu himself was of the imperial family. Even the Ning clan had to give him face; none of the survivors dared voice complaint. Ning Guodong promptly coughed up blood and fainted. With him unconscious, Yu Youwei and Chen Feng had nothing further to say, letting Xiang Cunxu’s men escort them back to the Ning estate.

Before they even reached the gates of the Ning residence, Yu Youwei leapt from the carriage with Ning Mofei in her arms and dashed inside like a whirlwind, shrieking, “Ancestor! Mo Fei is dying! Father is dying too!”

The quiet Ning estate erupted in chaos. Figures swarmed from all directions. Lord Ning and Ninth Master Ning, having just returned, rushed over at the sound of her cries and moved to take Ning Mofei from her arms. Second Master Ning arrived with his retinue, bellowing from afar, “Such racket—how utterly improper!”

Not wishing to clash with Second Master Ning and his men, Yu Youwei shrank back, clutching the seemingly lifeless Ning Mofei, her tear-filled eyes wide with terror as though she had suffered a dreadful fright.