This camp belonged to Long Cheng, Wu Zhiguo, and Wang Chen, along with several thousand men they had each brought along. To locate Zhang Yang, they had mobilized a great number of people, and due to their relationships, everyone was camped closely together, clustered as one unit.

The armed police had begun a slow withdrawal the day before, but there had been no movement from their side yet. With so many people, a sudden departure wasn't feasible; a plan was necessary regardless.

Early in the morning, some people were already rising to start cooking. The camp was organized with divisions of labor; every cluster of people formed a squad, and each squad had designated cooks. These individuals always rose early to get busy.

“White Horse?”

A cook, busy stirring a pot, suddenly called out, his eyes fixed blankly ahead, ladle still in hand.

In front of their camp, a pure white horse had appeared at some point. Two people sat atop the white horse—a man and a woman. The girl had buried her head deep into the man's chest, clearly unwilling to show her face.

“Good morning!”

The man spoke softly. However, the white horse beneath him let out a soft neigh and flashed past them instantly, giving them no time even to exchange greetings.

“Zhui Feng, slow down!”

Zhang Yang shook his head with a hint of helplessness. Zhui Feng’s temperament hadn't changed; only Mi Xue was currently allowed to ride him, as he remained exceedingly proud toward everyone else.

“Hmph!”

Zhui Feng snorted twice through his nostrils, slightly reducing his speed before finally halting altogether.

Zhui Feng had reached the rear of the encampment, where Long Cheng, Su Zhantao, and Wu Zhiguo were staying. Wu Zhiguo was outside preparing food, assisted by Chang Feng and Li Ya.

These few had been staying together, and Wu Zhiguo had taken on the cooking duties for the past few days.

“Good morning!”

Zhang Yang dismounted, holding Mi Xue, and called out with a smile. Wu Zhiguo, Chang Feng, and the others looked up and returned the greeting cheerfully.

Wang Chen was, as usual, still enjoying a lazy sleep. Su Zhantao, meanwhile, had taken Yang Ling somewhere—after finding Zhang Yang yesterday, everyone felt a great deal of relief. Su Zhantao and Yang Ling hadn't properly spent time together in days, so they were rushing to make up for it this morning.

“Mr. Zhang, Mr. Zhang, you’re back!”

A tent flap opened, and Yan Yefei stepped out, calling out to Zhang Yang somewhat stunned.

Beside him was a woman holding Yan Yefei’s hand, looking at Zhang Yang with evident nervousness. She was wearing a veil.

In this era, it was quite unusual for women to cover their faces with a veil. Unless they belonged to one of the very few minority groups, almost no one concealed their face; doing so always implied another reason.

“Mr. Zhang, this is my beloved, Li Juan. She arrived several days ago, but you weren't here then!”

Yan Yefei quickly explained, pulling the woman beside him forward to introduce her to Zhang Yang.

The day Zhang Yang had left, Yan Yefei had summoned his wife here, confidently assuring her that someone would surely be able to cure his illness this time. Everything Zhang Yang had demonstrated had genuinely bolstered his hope.

Three days after Zhang Yang disappeared, Yan Yefei’s wife, Li Juan, arrived at the small town. Unfortunately, Zhang Yang wasn't present, so Yan Yefei settled in to wait with his wife. He just hadn't expected the wait to drag on for so long.

“Mr. Zhang, please rest for a moment!”

Yan Yefei hurried out to move chairs for Zhang Yang and Mi Xue; since it was an open-air area, many stools and chairs were scattered around.

What Yan Yefei truly wished for was for Zhang Yang to examine his wife’s condition immediately, but he knew Zhang Yang had just returned, and this moment was inappropriate, so he only managed that much.

“I’m fine. Greetings, Mrs. Yan. When did you arrive here?”

Zhang Yang took Mi Xue’s hand, stepped forward, and looked up at the veiled woman beside Yan Yefei.

The woman wore only a thin veil, yet this thin covering completely obscured her features.

It wasn't just ordinary people who felt this way; Zhang Yang did too. When he first saw the woman, Zhang Yang hadn't clearly perceived her appearance, only sensing a blur where her face should be, only managing to see her clearly after taking a more deliberate look.

“Phantom Physique?”

Zhang Yang softly uttered a few words, his expression filled with immense surprise.

This woman possessed one of the rarest cultivation physiques in the martial world—the Phantom Physique, one of the Five Great Physiques. The so-called Phantom Physique inherently possesses a nature that makes one difficult to see through.

The Phantom Physique ranks fifth among the Five Great Physiques. Though ranked last, its unique effect is considered the foremost among the five. Especially for women, possessing this physique grants significant advantages, and the resulting benefits are by no means inferior to those conferred by the other physiques.

Once a person with this physique begins cultivation, they exude an indescribable charm and allure, capable of attracting every man. There is an old saying: men are responsible for conquering the world, while women are responsible for conquering men. A woman with the Phantom Physique is inherently capable of conquering men.

Besides bewitchment, the Phantom Physique has another crucial characteristic: illusory nature. If a person with the Phantom Physique practices Qinggong (lightness skill), they will perform far better than any other type of person. Their specialized constitution not only makes their cultivation doubly effective but also grants them additional beneficial effects.

“Zhang Yang, what did you say?”

Mi Xue turned her head and asked in astonishment. She had caught snippets of what Zhang Yang muttered but hadn't heard it clearly.

“Nothing!”

Zhang Yang shook his head. Yan Yefei, at this moment, was oblivious to Zhang Yang's shock and his underlying thoughts. Seeing Zhang Yang, he felt only joy, mixed with a sliver of expectation.

Taking the hand of the woman beside him, Yan Yefei stepped forward again before quietly saying, “Mr. Zhang, she has been here for a few days. Do you have time today to look at her condition? Her illness is rather peculiar, which is why she wears the veil—please forgive us!”

As he spoke, Yan Yefei clasped his hands in a polite bow, the gesture he felt an Inner Strength practitioner should adopt. After learning Zhang Yang's identity, Yan Yefei had looked up considerable related materials. Although their Supernatural Research Association hadn't achieved concrete results, their documentation was quite comprehensive, offering at least some description of Inner Strength practitioners.

“Mr. Yan, you are too polite. Why don't we go inside to talk?”

Zhang Yang smiled slightly, glancing at Yan Yefei and then at the slightly tense, veiled woman beside him.

Even Zhang Yang hadn't expected someone with the Calamity-Evasion Physique (Du’e Physique) to be living alongside someone with the Phantom Physique. Furthermore, neither of them had cultivated any Inner Strength. These body types, in any clan or sect, would be cultivated as top-tier prodigies.

At this point, Zhang Yang understood that Yan Yefei's wife's ailment was not a genetic disease as he had initially suspected; her symptoms were entirely due to her constitution. If a person with the Phantom Physique never cultivates, they live just like a normal person. However, if they encounter someone possessing one of the other Four Great Physiques, unnatural reactions occur.

As to what kind of reactions these are, no one knows. Even Zhang Yang had only encountered references to such phenomena in ancient texts, never having witnessed a real-life example.

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