Chapter 7, The Crow and the Phoenix

Although there have been numerous changes to the body, the situation is not entirely dire; at least I still appear to be a person.

Yang Jiang smiled bitterly and said, "I am merely a deserter; however, this marksmanship is a family heirloom, indeed meant for battles on the battlefield"

Yang Jiang then noticed that there was originally a row of small grooves spiraling up the trunk, resembling a staircase. Qin Xiaoguan and the others actually walked up as if they were walking normally.

Sunlight streamed in through the gaps between the wooden boards surrounding the cabin, tranquil and warm. Yang Qiang suddenly realized that his body was filled with a surging power.

The layout of the house is undoubtedly exquisite, and its decoration is also unique. Surrounding the house, there are clay walls, adorned with rare flowers and unusual plants, complemented by climbing vines and fruits, creating a harmonious appearance that makes the house seem as if it has naturally emerged from the landscape.

The mountain path is exceedingly steep, winding upwards as if reaching the heavens.

The gentle chirping of birds, the growling of wild beasts, the soft murmurs of spring water, and the resounding waves...

In Qin Xiaoguan's hand, there was still a dark object, which was none other than the ancestral black iron spear of Yang Jiang—Swift Battle.

Yang Jiang was nearly frightened enough to fall from the tree upon seeing the creature that spoke. It turned out to be an extraordinarily large bird, standing a full three feet tall, which, after the door opened, made a gesture of invitation with its wings.

Such trees, yet one cannot know how many thousands or tens of thousands of years it will take to grow

Yang Jiang still thought she was joking, but who would have known that she actually wielded a gun, and remarkably, she handled the heavy black iron spear as if it were as light as a feather, maneuvering it with the ease of threading a needle.

The force of the gun sent the leaves surrounding him scattering in all directions

I see that your skills are quite impressive, and your marksmanship is equally remarkable. I never expected you to be just a foot soldier. It seems that this damned court is also nearing the end of its good days

Having said that, Qin Xiaoguan leisurely walked out, and then with a flash of his figure, he disappeared without a trace

Qin Xiaoguan smiled and walked towards the tree

Yang Jiang steadied his spear, feeling an overwhelming sense of exhilaration. Although he had no internal energy to rely on, his spear technique was nonetheless vigorous and unrestrained, prompting him to exclaim in delight.

Qin Xiaoguan smiled and said: "This matter should be considered a blessing in disguise for you. As the saying goes, 'one must break before one can stand.' Having gone through such hardships this time, and with my guidance in your transformation, your body has now changed from acquired to innate. In the future, your progress in martial arts training will surely be remarkable."

Brother Yang, once you have mastered the Qīngnáng technique, you will naturally understand it!

However, how can houses be built on such a towering mountain

Three days later, in the early morning

Qin Xiaoguan smiled and did not directly respond to Yang Jiang's words, "Once your injuries have healed, we will discuss the matter of the Qing Nang technique."

Yang Jiang felt that the events occurring in his life were too shocking, even beyond the scope of his imagination. However, what provided him with some comfort was that he was still alive

Yang Jiang followed behind Qin Xiaoguan and the others. He observed that although they were not moving too quickly this time, they climbed the mountain with light steps and great ease. However, Yang Jiang himself was no different; despite having no internal energy left, he felt no sense of fatigue whatsoever

Along the way, bizarre rocks are jagged, the mountain cliffs are steep, clear springs cascade, towering giant trees reach the sky, and dense wisteria vines are abundant

This left Yang Jiang quite perplexed. However, he finally understood why Qin Xiaoguan and others had placed him below, as it was simply impossible to construct houses in this area of the mountain.

Yang Jiangxin thought to himself, this place of residence is indeed a dwelling of immortals, for ordinary people, and those who wish to ascend this mountain through books and illustrations, find it almost akin to the dreams of a madman.

The houses are built in accordance with the contours of the trees, stacked layer upon layer, reaching as high as nine stories. Due to the branches and leaves of this giant tree above the houses, they not only provide shade from the scorching sun but also shelter from the wind and rain

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Next to the pillow, a set of clothes had appeared without his knowledge. Yang Jiang did not hesitate at all; he put on the clothes, which turned out to be a white robe. The fabric felt smooth and warm to the touch, though its material was unknown. Yang Jiang already had an excellent physique, and after donning this well-tailored robe, he appeared even more striking and extraordinary.

The long spear flew out of Qin Xiaoguan's hand, heading straight towards Yang Gang

The hissing sound echoed continuously through the air, enveloping Yang Qiang and the surrounding area within a radius of three zhang in a chilling darkness filled with the shadows of spears

Those who have struggled back from the brink of life and death often have a broader perspective than the average person, and Yang Gang is no exception

Yang Jiang bitterly smiled and said, "If I were to engage in a fight with the lady, I would consider it fortunate if I could last fifty moves."

With a slight exertion, the several layers of cloth on his body were already torn away. Yang Gang looked at his bare body and noticed that, compared to before, he seemed to be much more robust. However, his skin appeared a bit too pale, which left him somewhat dissatisfied.

In the realm of martial arts, only speed is invincible. What you lack, Yang, is merely speed.

The woman shook the gun a few times and then handed it to Yang Jiang, laughing, "It seems that my marksmanship has always been lacking. The gun is the king of all weapons; if marksmanship lacks dominance, it cannot be called marksmanship. Yang Jiang, you are still the one who excels!"

Yang Jiang carefully climbed for quite a while before finally reaching the base of the treehouse. Looking around, he couldn't help but be greatly impressed; the layout of this house was indeed astonishing. The surrounding trees were significantly shorter compared to this ancient giant tree, which made the house feel as if it were built atop a peak among the trees, surrounded entirely by a lush green sea of forest

Upon seeing this, Yang Jiang was profoundly shocked. On the mountaintop, which spanned a radius of one hundred zhang, there stood towering giant trees, each of which was so massive that it would take two or three people to encircle its trunk.

It turns out that their houses are actually situated within the sea of trees

Yang Jiang then realized that his wooden cabin was located in the midst of an ancient forest. The trees in the forest were exceptionally tall and straight, and under the cover of their branches and leaves, only a small amount of sunlight could filter through the gaps. No wonder it was so cool here

You really haven't seen much of the world

In an instant, the shadows of guns were dense, and the whistling was incessant

What struck Yang Jiang as even more peculiar was that the numerous birds and beasts in the forest did not retreat at all upon seeing Qin Xiaoguan and his companions. It was as if they held a great trust in Qin Xiaoguan and the others. A few squirrels even boldly leaped onto the shoulders of several ladies.

As long as one is alive, one can still reunite with one's wife and pursue one's ambitions.

Cheers and applause erupted. One of the women laughed and said: "Although the shot seemed a bit slow, this set of shooting skills is indeed excellent; it must be a battle-tested technique honed through countless trials! Yang Gang, are you a general?"

Seeing that Yang Jiang appeared quite dejected, Qin Xiaoguan said, "Yang Jiang, your health has already recovered. I wonder if there are any other issues?"

Young man, since your body has already recovered, do not stay cooped up in bed any longer, come out!

Oh! ... ...

Seeing Yang Qiang's somewhat dazed expression, Qin Xiaoguan continued, "How about this, let's talk as we walk. First, let's go home and have something to eat. After being hungry for so many days, you must be starving."

Let us go, we can take our time to look around once we are up there

Qin Xiaoguan smiled and pointed to the several ladies around, saying, "Building the house on top of this, it is all their idea, but this big 'bird's nest' is truly delightful"

Yang Jiang could not help but marvel at the means of this scholar, who was over a hundred years old. However, judging by the words and actions of this scholar and his several wives, it did not seem that they were deceiving Yang Jiang. Moreover, they had no need to trick him at all

Yang Jiang was momentarily taken aback, just as he was about to ask a question, he heard Qin Xiaoguan shout: "Yang Jiang, catch it!"

Suddenly, a surge of blood rushed to his head, accompanied by a sense of familiarity. Yang Jiang felt a warmth in his heart and instinctively channeled his internal energy to wield the spear, only to realize that he had no internal energy left. Nevertheless, the nearly one hundred jin spear felt light and effortless in his hand.

Yang Jiang was lamenting when he suddenly heard the round wooden door creak open with a "creak" from inside. A strange voice at the door called out: "So there are guests arriving, please come in, I am the butler—Phoenix!"

As soon as he stepped out of the house, he was immediately met with several appreciative gazes

Yang Jiang said: "With the master's divine intervention, not only has my body healed, but it has also surpassed its previous state by several times. However, I have suddenly discovered that my entire vital energy seems to have nearly vanished, and I am unable to summon even a trace of it."

Good marksmanship

As Yang Jiang was pondering, he suddenly heard Qin Xiaoguan shout, "Show me a few moves!"

Qin Xiaoguan and several of his wives stood beneath a giant tree, dressed in pure white gowns. The mountain breeze blew gently, causing their garments to flutter and the leaves to dance, resembling fairies riding the wind

The woman said, stepping forward, took the long spear from Yang Jiang's hand, and said: "Let me give it a try as well"

Good

The spear shot out from Yang Jiang's hand, swift as lightning and fierce as thunder. Not only were the onlookers around him startled, but even Yang Jiang himself was taken aback by the might of his own strike. He felt as if there were a weight of ten thousand pounds between his arms, disregarding the fact that he had completely exhausted his internal energy, and pushed his spear technique to its limits

Yang Jiang reached out and had already grasped the gun in his hand

Even though one may be a master of martial arts, their agility is still far from comparable.

Yang Jiang hurriedly followed, but he did not dare to walk as they did; he could only use both hands and feet to climb up.

The voice of Qin Xiaoguan sounded outside the house, indicating that he was waiting for Yang Jiang to come out.

The trunk of this tree appears to be like a "tree wall"

After approximately half an hour of climbing, the group finally reached the summit of the mountain

Yang Jiang was momentarily stunned; although this woman's marksmanship was not particularly impressive, her speed surpassed Yang Jiang's by more than double. Thrusts, stabs, covers, and lifts were executed with remarkable finesse in the blink of an eye

Yang Jiang secretly marveled at the choice to reside amidst this lush forest, which indeed exudes an elegant ambiance

Yang Jiang looked up and finally understood that Qin Xiaoguan and the others had actually built their house in the trees like birds. However, their "bird's nest" was unusually large, resembling a palace. The builders of this house were indeed remarkable, but without this ancient tree, which had stood for ten thousand years as the foundation, it would have been impossible to construct this "mortal paradise".

A wave of drowsiness swept over him, and Yang Gang fell into a deep sleep once again

Having said that, a group of people proceeded towards the mountain top

After walking for a while, Qin Xiaoguan and the others finally came to a stop. In front of this group, there stood an unimaginably large giant tree.

If it were not for his inability to move, he would certainly take the time to explore the surroundings here. For even by merely listening with his ears, he can feel that this place is indeed like a fairyland.

What astonished Yang Jiang even more was that the strange bird, upon noticing Yang Jiang's gaze, actually cast a disdainful glance at him, as if to say—

It is right here