Chapter Thirty-Eight: Three True Dragons

After leaving Master Yichen’s residence, the two of them found themselves at a loss for where to go, aimlessly wandering through Wang Family Village. Jiang Feng’s mind was singularly occupied with cultivation, replaying every moment of his battle with the mysterious woman, while Wang Yingying, timidly following by his side, was awash with entirely different feelings.

“That blockhead Jiang Feng, can’t he even say a word on his own? This silence is so awkward,” she thought, heart fluttering with anxiety. Master Yichen's words still pricked at her heart like a thorn. Although her grandfather had decided to betroth her to the young man beside her, who could say what intentions he truly harbored?

Did he even like her? If there was not even a trace of affection, what was to become of this marriage? Her mind was a tangled mess, so much so that she failed to notice Jiang Feng had walked ahead and suddenly stopped. She collided straight into his broad, solid chest with a thud.

“Ah!”

The lovestruck girl cried out in surprise, startling Jiang Feng.

“What’s got you so distracted? Is something troubling you?” His body was as if cast from gold by now, so a collision like this caused him no pain. But the soft contact of her delicate body against him sent a strange warmth through his chest, making even his blood seem to boil.

“Ah? No, nothing…” Wang Yingying looked up just as her gaze met his, brimming with masculine vigor. She was instantly flustered, her words trembling and uncertain, as if her defenses had been completely swept away.

Jiang Feng glanced at her in confusion. “Really? You seem a bit odd to me.”

Wang Yingying stammered for a long moment, unable to think of a defense. In her panic, she shot him a fierce glare before spinning on her heel and running off, her speed betraying her agitation.

Watching her slender figure retreat, Jiang Feng was utterly bewildered.

“Young man, can’t you see it? The Wang family’s young lady has fallen for you,” a peach vendor called from the roadside, laughing as she watched Jiang Feng’s bafflement. “You silly boy, you were so impressive in the competition, but in front of a girl you’re as timid as a mouse, clueless about her feelings!”

Jiang Feng had grown up under the disdainful eyes of his clan, with little experience in matters of the heart. After a moment’s thought, realization dawned.

“So that’s it. If she likes me, why doesn’t she just say so?” he wondered aloud.

The woman nearly dropped her basket in exasperation. After carefully gathering her rolling peaches, she marched over and poked him hard in the chest. “Blockhead! When has it ever been a girl’s place to confess first? That’s your job! Besides, Old Master Wang has already promised the girl to you—what are you waiting for?”

“Promised to me?”

It was as if a great stone had crashed into the lake of Jiang Feng’s heart, sending ripples and waves coursing through him.

The woman looked at him in surprise, baffled. “Don’t tell me you didn’t know?”

“Uh, I… I had no idea,” Jiang Feng replied, aggrieved.

She burst into laughter, her wrinkled face creasing with amusement. “So, Old Master Wang didn’t promise you his daughter—he tricked you into being his ideal son-in-law!” Her laughter echoed as she walked away, mingling with her calls: “Fresh peaches, come and buy!”

Jiang Feng stood there with a wry smile, muttering to himself, “So I suddenly have a fiancée out of nowhere. Heaven really hasn’t treated me badly.”

~

Wang Yingying hurried home, intending to lock herself in her room and sleep off her embarrassment. But the moment she stepped through the door, her father blocked her path.

“Yingying, where’s Jiang Feng?”

“He’s right behind me!” she snapped, flustered at being caught in such a state, glaring at her father in annoyance.

Old Master Wang peered past her, seeing nothing but the courtyard. “He’s not here. Didn’t you go to see Master Yichen together?”

She turned to look behind her, exclaiming, “Isn’t he right behind me?!” But before she could finish, she realized with a start that the space behind her was empty. In her haste, she’d run off and left Jiang Feng behind—he was probably still wandering the street.

“Yingying, how could you leave him out there alone?” her father admonished, holding a slip of card filled with writing.

Thinking of that slow-witted Jiang Feng only made her more frustrated. “Why should I have to bring him along? Father, you’ve promised me to him, but he doesn’t show the slightest interest. How can I not be upset?”

Her father chuckled with a hint of mischief. “So that’s why you’re sulking. That young man is obsessed with cultivation and Soul Arts, but how could he be unmoved by my daughter’s beauty? I imagine he’s just too shy to speak.”

“Really?” At this, the lovestruck girl’s intelligence seemed to melt away. Though Wang Yingying was usually clever, her father’s words swept her anger aside.

“Of course. Who in Wang Family Village could compare to you in intelligence and beauty?”

A rosy blush bloomed on her cheeks. “But outside the village, there must be many beautiful girls. Maybe I’m nothing special compared to them.”

“Nonsense. Remember Li Chen, who’s been pursuing you? He went out to study far and wide, saw countless beauties, yet still returned to chase after you. The world is vast, but few could surpass you in looks.”

Old Master Wang was a seasoned hand at comforting young women, far more adept than the wooden Jiang Feng. In just a few words, Wang Yingying was all smiles, her earlier anger forgotten.

“Father, don’t mention Li Chen again. Just thinking of him makes me sick—he’s a shameless rake, only after beauty,” she said, her heart now calm.

Old Master Wang lifted the card with a wry smile. “I’d rather not mention him, but as fate would have it, Jiang Feng’s next opponent is Li Chen. What a coincidence.”

“Li Chen?” Wang Yingying was incredulous. “He’s in the competition too? With his Ninth Rank Soul Warrior cultivation, how could Jiang Feng possibly beat him?”

Her father could only spread his hands in frustration. “What can I do? That’s why I’m counting on you to help. I’ve got two fine elixirs here—give them to Jiang Feng to boost his cultivation for tomorrow’s match.”

Just then, Jiang Feng wandered back, still dazed by the image of Wang Yingying’s radiant smile. As he approached, he overheard their conversation, and a spark of indignation lit up in his mind.

“So, there’s someone else pursuing Yingying? Hmph—I'll defeat him, no question!”

Old Master Wang was overjoyed, immediately retrieving the two elixirs to hand to Jiang Feng. Wang Yingying, who had just calmed down, was thrown back into a fluster at seeing Jiang Feng so fiercely jealous. She fidgeted, not knowing where to put her hands or feet, utterly ill at ease.

Jiang Feng, his face reddening after a glance at Wang Yingying’s breathtaking beauty, quickly looked away. He pushed back the offered elixirs, replying resolutely, “Since this is a competition, it should be fought fairly. I won’t take these elixirs—I have every confidence I can defeat him on my own!”

“Well said, young man!” Old Master Wang saw his own youthful vigor reflected in Jiang Feng’s determined face. He put away the elixirs and performed a spell, saying, “Still, it’s wise to know your enemy as well as yourself. These are the Soul Arts Li Chen is skilled in. Study them—they’ll help tomorrow.”

In Jiang Feng’s mind, the image of a three-tailed true dragon appeared first.

Awe struck by its grandeur, he finally understood why Old Master Wang had long dominated the village—anyone who could conjure such a soul image must be well above the fifth rank of the Void Soul Realm.

The three dragons were fierce beyond compare—whiskers, golden scales, claws, and long horns, exuding a peerless, commanding presence. Ordinary people would be terrified at the sight, but for Jiang Feng, they only fueled his fighting spirit.

He stared at the three-tailed dragons for a while, then a cold smile curled his lips. “So it’s just a dragon? In the Xuantian Soul Arts my master gave me, there’s a technique called the Eightfold Dragon Song. By channeling vast soul energy into one’s voice, one can conjure eight celestial dragons, far mightier than these three. Li Chen, Wang Yingying is my fiancée—if you try to lay a hand on her, you’ll pay for it!”

It is said that nothing is more attractive than a man wholeheartedly devoted, and Wang Yingying was utterly captivated by the focused Jiang Feng. Her beautiful eyes formed heart shapes, and her hands unconsciously clasped together in a classic look of infatuation.

Watching the yet-to-be-wed couple, Old Master Wang forgot all about the coming match. Smiling, he spoke in a voice tinged with age, “Yingying, you’ve finally found someone worthy of entrusting your life to. My years of effort for the Wang family have not been in vain. With Jiang Feng by your side, our family will reach new heights!”