Having exacted his revenge, Chasing Wind became even more affectionate toward Zhang Yang, carrying him as they raced across the grasslands.

Occasionally, ordinary passersby or herders who glimpsed them couldn't help but rub their eyes. Chasing Wind’s speed was so immense, appearing as a rapidly moving white dot on the prairie, that it would vanish in an instant. Some even convinced themselves they had imagined it.

Chasing Wind stayed out this time, leaving Long Feng and the others behind by a full two days.

After two days of meandering through the grasslands, catching a few unfortunate wild beasts, Zhang Yang enjoyed a comfortable respite until Long Feng and his group finally caught up.

Seeing the venomous fangs of the Golden Crown Python casually tossed over by Zhang Yang nearly made Long Feng’s jaw drop.

The fact that Zhang Yang was not only fast enough to run ahead but also managed to dispatch a Golden Crown Python left him genuinely surprised. A Seven-Crown Golden Crown Python—he himself wouldn't stand a chance facing it alone; only someone like Zhang Yang could resolve it so easily.

Along with his astonishment, Long Feng felt a strong sense of resignation.

For so long, chasing Zhang Yang had been his goal. When Zhang Yang was at the early Third Layer, he thought of catching up; at the mid-Third Layer, he still aimed for it; even at the late Third Layer, he hadn't given up hope.

After cultivating the top-tier high-level mind technique again, he constantly felt he held an advantage over Zhang Yang.

Unfortunately, reality was harsh. Just when he finally broke through to the Third Layer, thinking he had closed the gap, Zhang Yang had also advanced, already reaching the pinnacle of the Fourth Layer, leaving him far behind once more.

Now, he held no illusions about catching up to Zhang Yang.

Who knew to what monstrous level Zhang Yang would have advanced by the time Long Feng managed another improvement? In Long Feng’s eyes, Zhang Yang was simply a prodigy, a monster.

There was no stopping on the way back; they quickly reached a densely populated area.

It was only here that Chasing Wind reluctantly curbed its arrogant speed, lest it cause too much of a sensation.

Even so, its gleaming white coat and beautiful form still drew countless stares, sometimes even attracting more attention than the adorable Lightning. In many places, people asked to take photos with Chasing Wind.

Eventually, Zhang Yang rented a large carriage, forcing the rather disgruntled Chasing Wind to stay inside, which finally settled the matter.

They didn't stop much along the way, traveling swiftly, and three days later, the group arrived back in Changjing.

This outing lasted nearly a month and a half, yet for Zhang Yang, it felt like over a year had passed. Everything that occurred during this period was destined to be unforgettable for him.

Outside the villa where Zhang Yang lived, a beautiful woman was diligently trimming flowers and plants. Beside her, another girl held something, chattering ceaselessly about something unknown.

The one tending the garden was Mi Xue. School had broken for winter vacation, and since Xiao Dai and Nan Nan could manage the restaurant completely, she had a wealth of free time.

During this past month and a half, she made sure to go out every day, waiting for Zhang Yang to return, and occupying herself with these chores when boredom set in.

“Xiao Xue, let me tell you, the Young Master probably went off indulging in wine and women somewhere. Men are all like that, especially with Long Cheng tagging along—he certainly wouldn’t lead him astray…”

The speaker was Qu Meilan, who had been spending most of her days with Mi Xue. The two had developed a rather good rapport.

She was speaking up for Mi Xue. Being gone for so long without even a single phone call was unacceptable.

Furthermore, there was Long Cheng; since he was the one who captured her initially, and he had broken through before her, she couldn't help but feel jealous, inevitably muttering a few bad words behind his back.

Listening to her, Mi Xue simply smiled, then suddenly looked up, staring at something behind her with astonishment.

Her bright eyes flickered rapidly, soon filling with a crystalline sheen. Qu Meilan turned around dazedly, her mouth immediately gaping open, leaving her standing there in a stupor.

“Y-Young Master, I didn’t…”

“Dare to say I was indulging in wine and women? I’ll settle the score with you later!”

Zhang Yang glared, and Qu Meilan immediately shrank to the side, looking aggrieved and terrified, not daring to utter another word.

She hadn't expected to be caught red-handed while gossiping behind someone’s back.

“Xiao Lan didn’t mean it, don’t frighten her like that!”

Mi Xue looked at Qu Meilan, who seemed on the verge of tears from fright, and spoke softly. She was thankful for Qu Meilan’s companionship these past few days, which kept her from sinking into boredom.

“I know. I’m back now; we can talk more inside!”

Zhang Yang nodded gently, embracing Mi Xue, and they entered the villa together. Only then did two cars pull up behind them, and Long Feng and Long Cheng stepped out.

However, the first one out was Chasing Wind, who seemed deeply displeased. Being confined to the slow-moving freight wagon hadn't been nearly as good as stretching its legs and running freely. If Zhang Yang hadn't kept it calm along the journey, it likely would have thrown a tantrum long ago.

After unloading the goods from the vehicles, Long Feng headed to his room to bathe.

All these items needed careful preservation; they were all treasures. Dozens of potent medicinal pills could be brewed from these materials alone, and with the Thousand-Year Jade Poria in Zhang Yang’s possession, the efficacy of these spiritual herbs would be even greater.

Beyond the spiritual herbs, precious non-spiritual medicines like Longevity Pills and Detoxification Elixirs meant Zhang Yang could also concoct many more batches. He no longer had to worry about raw materials.

Furthermore, the depleted Essence Blood Pills could finally be replenished. The two of them and the three beasts had consumed the Essence Blood Pills constantly, and most of the previous stock was gone. The blood essence from this Seven-Crown Golden Crown Python would be just right to brew some more.

The effects of these new Essence Blood Pills wouldn't match those derived from the Spiritual Ape Blood Essence, but they were better than the previous Golden Crown Python ones. Zhang Yang no longer needed these pills, but they would still be immensely helpful to Long Feng and Lightning.

The first night Zhang Yang was back, Mi Xue cooked the meal.

During the past month and a half while he was away, she had learned culinary skills from the restaurant chefs. While she wasn't as masterful as a true grand chef, her cooking skills had improved considerably compared to before. A lavish banquet was the result of her efforts.

After dinner, Long Feng voluntarily took his leave, taking the reluctant Chasing Wind and Lightning and the other small ones with him.

As for Long Cheng, after dropping off the items, he left too; he hadn't been home in a long time and wanted to check on his own family.

“You’ve lost weight!”

Looking at Mi Xue’s slightly wan face, Zhang Yang felt a pang of concern. Even the sometimes clueless Qu Meilan hadn’t lingered; she’d been sent out to buy supplies—Chasing Wind liked soft wool bedding for sleeping, something their home didn't stock.

“I’m alright; you’ve lost weight too!”

Mi Xue’s cheeks flushed slightly. She had indeed slimmed down a bit. During the time Zhang Yang was gone, she hardly ate properly, though she cooked plenty, most of which Qu Meilan enjoyed.

“I haven’t lost weight; I’m just healthier!”

Zhang Yang smiled faintly. His weight had indeed decreased slightly, but after reaching the Fourth Layer, controlling his weight was simple. He had deliberately kept his body mass within the most optimal range.

If the girls knew this, they would likely go mad trying to learn internal energy cultivation. Being able to freely control one's weight—that was a dream come true.

Just this one attraction could motivate them to practice internal energy cultivation with extreme diligence, perhaps even leading to the emergence of a few female masters.

“Zhang Yang, I missed you!”

Looking at Zhang Yang, Mi Xue breathed out air fragrant like orchid nectar, leaning very close as she spoke.

“Darling, I missed you too!”

Zhang Yang nodded lightly, unable to resist pulling the lovely woman before him into an embrace, and pressed his lips against her alluring cherry mouth... Far away in Siberia, a man appearing to be sixty years old held a blood-red fox in his hand, laughing triumphantly.

This man was Zhang Daofeng. Ten years prior, he had begun tracking the whereabouts of the Blood Fox, finally confirming the existence of one in Siberia. He spent several more years tracing its movements.

After tracking it relentlessly for three long years, he had finally captured the Blood Fox successfully.

With the Blood Fox’s blood, he could concoct the Blood Fox Pill, which served a critical function for him.

“Time to go back. Ten years have flown by. I wonder how Yun An is doing now, and Yang Yang!”

Zhang Daofeng murmured softly, his face clouding with a hint of melancholy and deep regret as he spoke the last names.

Taking one last look at the area he knew so well, he turned north without looking back and started walking. His speed was astonishing; in just a few blinks, he vanished, moving even faster than the speed of the Elder from the Li family.

The night passed quietly. The next morning, Zhang Yang rose early.

His expression held a slight hint of frustration. Last night, both of them had been more impulsive than usual, but unfortunately, fate was unkind—it was one of Mi Xue's days when intimacy was inconvenient.

Although there was no major breakthrough last night, the couple had made a decision.

In a few days, before the New Year, they would visit home once to discuss the engagement, to finalize the wedding arrangements completely.

This matter should have been handled personally by Zhang Keqin, but he was currently busy with work. Although Zhang Yang’s relationship with him had eased, the accumulated estrangement of so many years meant they couldn't share intimate thoughts like other fathers and sons.

For the engagement, Zhang Yang decided to handle the formalities himself, arranging for Zhang Keqin to appear on the actual day of the engagement.

Since both sets of parents had already met, this small formality was unnecessary.

Mi Xue naturally had no objections to the engagement. Her smiles had visibly increased these past few days; once at the restaurant, she seemed completely preoccupied, earning teasing from Xiao Dai and Nan Nan.

Mi Xue didn't hide her impending engagement from her two close friends. While they congratulated Mi Xue with envy, they also pondered their own futures.

Xiao Dai and Hu Xin had secretly established a relationship long ago. It was only Nan Nan and Gu Cheng who were too shy to break the final barrier, but given the current trajectory, it seemed inevitable they would end up together sooner or later.

They were still in the entrepreneurial phase, not yet graduated. Perhaps after graduation, it would be time for them to address that topic.

Hu Xin and Gu Cheng were now the CEO and Vice President, respectively, of Changjing’s largest logistics company.

That Boss Wang, after the last blow he suffered, had finally sobered up completely. After selling his shares to Zhang Yang, he curbed his former arrogance and even began practicing vegetarianism and Buddhism, completely handing over the company management to Hu Xin and Gu Cheng. He even dismissed as many of his former subordinates as he could, giving the rest to Hu Xin.

For him, the wealth accumulated previously was more than enough to live comfortably for the rest of his life.

It was fortunate he hadn't done anything rash. Zhang Yang was now completely estranged from the Huyan family and had to guard against their retaliation. He kept a tight watch on the Huyan family's secular businesses, and Boss Wang was right under his nose; if Wang made any suspicious moves, Zhang Yang would immediately snuff out the danger in its cradle. (To be continued) RQ