Chapter 279: Master's Gift, He Actually Managed to Get This?

Ning Fei and Bai Yuanche rode their horses, moving like lightning.

Bai Yuanche's archery had truly taken everyone by surprise.

Standing on the sidelines, Bai Yi and the racecourse staff were completely dumbfounded.

The staff thought to themselves that they had always considered Boss Bai to be a gentle, good-natured man. They never expected him to be this formidable.

Ning Fei was equally impressive on the other side. He fired three consecutive arrows, and not a single one missed; every shot struck the target rings.

All of this happened in a fleeting moment.

Yet within that brief span of time, every second was utterly brilliant.

Bai Yi felt as though she didn't have enough eyes to take it all in.

Was this really the Qingfeng Temple her father and brother belonged to?

Before this, she had assumed Bai Yuanche simply cultivated in peace at Qingfeng Temple, spending his days busy with nothing more than chanting scriptures and burning incense.

Looking at them now, good heavens! These two weren't Daoist priests at all—they were martial arts masters!

Having completed the archery segment, Ning Fei and Bai Yuanche faced the obstacle course ahead.

Riding Bai Long, Ning Fei cleared the obstacles with ease, galloping forward without breaking stride.

Bai Yuanche did the exact same.

By the final stretch, the distance between them was practically nonexistent. The two rode neck and neck.

Only a final, straight path remained.

The horses beneath them sensed their riders' fighting spirit and broke into an all-out sprint.

A fleeting dream of yellow millet versus Bai Long.

Either of them could take the win.

From Bai Yi's perspective, the two riders crossed the finish line at almost the exact same time.

She was too far away to see clearly who had arrived first.

Afterward, Ning Fei and Bai Yuanche leisurely trotted their horses back.

Bai Yi immediately asked, "Who won?"

The racecourse staff also looked over, equally eager to know the answer.

Who had actually won?

Bai Yuanche smiled warmly and shook his head. "Ning Fei won. At the very end, Bai Long crossed the finish line half a step ahead of Huang Liang."

"Yay! You're the best, brother!"

Bai Yi instantly beamed with joy, giggling at Ning Fei.

Ning Fei shrugged. In those final moments, Bai Long's speed really had been a step faster.

However, Bai Long was in his prime, roughly equivalent to a human in his twenties. Huang Liang was older, so his endurance simply couldn't keep up over such a long distance.

Still, this horse race was nothing more than a bit of casual entertainment between master and disciple.

If the netizens had seen this scene, there was no telling how much the internet would have exploded.

"What are your plans for the next few days?"

Bai Yuanche knew Ning Fei well. He knew his disciple wasn't one to sit idle, which prompted the question.

Ning Fei answered, "I bought another batch of tents and sleeping bags. I plan to head over to Budong Spring in a couple of days to take a look."

The Kunlun Mountains Ice-Free Spring was a famous scenic spot in the Kunlun Mountains.

The water there was magical. Its temperature remained a constant twenty degrees Celsius year-round. The spring water was cool, sweet, and rich in various vitamins essential for the human body—it was the truest sense of 'mineral water.'

"Budong Spring," Bai Yuanche mused.

"That's quite close to Kekexili."

"You're still planning to go to Kekexili, I presume?"

Hearing his master's words, Ning Fei nodded. "Yes, I plan to."

"The twenty-fourth day of the twelfth lunar month is Dust Sweeping Day. Come back then," Bai Yuanche said.

"Don't worry, Master. I'll definitely be back in time for Dust Sweeping Day."

A couple of days ago, when he went looking for the Ice Nether Flower, an avalanche had prevented him from actually reaching the mountain's summit. Ning Fei hadn't felt fully satisfied.

He had originally envisioned seeing the glacial landscapes up there.

Having endured countless years of freezing, the mountain peak was entirely covered by glaciers.

A domain formed entirely of glaciers would be like stepping into another world.

Walking inside, surrounded by translucent ice crystals... Ning Fei really wanted to see a scene like that.

The Kunlun Mountains were steeped in rumors. Aside from the Valley of Death and Budong Spring, there were even tales of alien ruins resting on its peaks.

Perhaps that avalanche had occurred simply because certain beings hadn't wanted to be disturbed.

After the avalanche, however, Ning Fei didn't plan on going back there anyway.

He had already experienced the Valley of Death. It was nothing more than high altitude, thin air, freezing climates, and ionization phenomena; there was nothing left worth revisiting.

So, his next move was to head to the Kunlun Mountains Ice-Free Spring and check it out.

Upon returning to the courtyard from the racecourse, Ning Fei first stayed outside to play with Little Dog and Little Fei.

Ning Fei noticed that Little Fei was mimicking Little Dog and had actually become enthusiastic about playing fetch with tree branches.

Whenever he threw a stick, Little Dog would run to fetch it, and Little Fei would eagerly chase right after him to do the same.

Watching this unfold, Bai Yi let out an exclamation of surprise.

"Brother, this big rooster of yours is amazing."

Ning Fei was a little amazed himself. He found two separate branches and began throwing them in different directions, keeping Little Fei and Little Dog happily busy fetching them.

The two of them were truly best buddies now.

They stuck together all day, scampering about everywhere.

When Little Fei ran, his rear end wiggled wildly in the air. It was a good thing Ning Fei had fed him plenty of high-quality poultry feed; Little Fei's physical constitution was strong enough that he didn't lag behind. Otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to keep up with Little Dog.

Afterward, Ning Fei went back inside to check on Little Fox and the Xiao Heijiu.

The Xiao Heijiu kittens were incredibly timid.

As soon as Ning Fei opened the bedroom door, he was greeted by a sight that left him completely exasperated.

The three Xiao Heijiu had been playing on the floor. Hearing the commotion at the door, they were instantly spooked. Their paws scrambled wildly against the ground like a car burning rubber, desperately trying to flee.

Once one bolted, the other two followed suit.

They slipped in place for three or four steps before finally gaining traction and darting forward, all three hiding securely beneath the cabinet.

Kittens were timid by nature, but as time passed and they grew older, they would develop their own independent personalities.

"It's me."

Ning Fei said, crouching down by the cabinet.

Hearing his voice, the three little kittens tentatively poked their heads out. Once they confirmed it was really him, they trotted back out.

"You guys really need to work on your courage."

Ning Fei scooped the kittens up, placed them on the bed, and shook his head with a helpless smile.

The three black kittens simply meowed, completely unbothered as they went back to playing with each other.

That evening, Lin Chu prepared dinner with exceptional care.

The most delicious dish was a black-bone chicken and mushroom soup stewed with cordyceps.

Kuncheng was one of the regions where cordyceps naturally grew. When spring arrived in April and May, many people would venture up the melting snowy mountains to forage for them.

Since it was winter, the cordyceps were currently buried under deep layers of snow, making them incredibly difficult to locate. Otherwise, Ning Fei would have gone up the mountain to dig for some himself.

The pot of soup featured an entire black-bone chicken stewed with goji berries, yam, ginger slices, red dates, and mushrooms. And, of course, the incredibly expensive cordyceps.

Having simmered for two hours, the rich flavors had fully infused into the broth.

Ning Fei took a sip. The chicken and cordyceps soup was savory without being overly greasy. It left a soothing warmth in his stomach, incredibly comforting in the cold weather.

"This soup is absolutely delicious," Ning Fei couldn't help but praise.

He was a great cook himself, so he could easily tell just how much care and effort had gone into making this pot of soup.

Lin Chu beamed happily.

"Have some more if you like it. This soup is very good for your health."

"Thank you, Shiniang," he said.

"There's no need to be polite with me. Just let me know whatever else you'd like to eat, and I'll make it for you tomorrow."

Watching from the side, Bai Yi muttered, "Mom, you're playing favorites."

Lin Chu shot her a dry look. "What do you mean, 'playing favorites'? When have I ever refused to buy you anything you wanted to eat?"

"Oh, true." Bai Yi giggled.

After dinner.

Bai Yuanche called Ning Fei out to the courtyard once again.

"Master, is something the matter?" Ning Fei asked.

"Nothing much. Weren't you planning to head out to Budong Spring? That car of yours is looking pretty beat up, so I reached out to an old friend and bought you a new one. The shipping company just called to say it's been delivered," Bai Yuanche said, looking at him.

"A car?" Ning Fei was slightly taken aback.

Given Ning Fei's current net worth and assets, his Wrangler Jungle Hero genuinely didn't match his financial standing anymore.

However, because the vehicle was highly practical and its performance was reliable enough, Ning Fei had never been particularly picky about what he drove.

And now, his master had actually bought him a car?

He was finally starting to feel like a wealthy heir.

"Master, what kind of car is it?" Ning Fei asked, his interest piqued.

"A Karlmann King," Bai Yuanche replied casually.

Hearing that, the surprise on Ning Fei's face deepened.

The Karlmann King was the most expensive SUV in the world, designed by a top-tier automotive engineering expert who had graduated from Huaqing University.

That expert had gone on to earn his Ph.D. in automotive engineering in Japan, effortlessly securing a position at Japan's largest firm, the Mitsubishi Corporation. Relying purely on his own brilliance, it didn't take him long to rise from a lowly clerk all the way up to the position of R&D Director.

Later, he chose to return to China to start his own business. He founded Alt Company and built an SUV that shocked the world—the Karlmann King.

Currently, the Karlmann King ranked number one among the world's top-tier SUVs, with a price tag ranging from twelve to eighteen million.

But when Ning Fei heard that his master was gifting him a Karlmann King, his shock wasn't due to the exorbitant price tag.

Rather, it was because the Karlmann King was limited to only twelve units worldwide. When it first debuted at the Dubai International Motor Show, it had been fiercely fought over by the local billionaires.

And Bai Yuanche had actually managed to get his hands on one?

"Master, is it really a Karlmann King? How did you even get it?" Ning Fei asked, incredibly curious.

Bai Yuanche's expression didn't change at all as he answered calmly.

"Years ago, while traveling through the Middle East, I got swept up in some local conflicts and ended up saving a guy. He was a decent fellow, and he's a massive tycoon now. We've stayed on fairly good terms."

Bai Yuanche made it sound so effortless.

But Ning Fei knew that hidden beneath his master's casual words were likely harrowing, earth-shattering events that ordinary people couldn't even begin to imagine.

The Middle East...

In his mind's eye, Ning Fei suddenly pictured a Daoist priest standing on a battlefield, sweeping an AK-47 across the enemy lines.

It seemed his master's days of wandering the world had been far more thrilling than his own life right now.