Hearing Jeff's request, Hong Yan did not answer right away.
She paused for three or four seconds before speaking with an odd expression. "Aren't you going to ask the person in question what he thinks?"
"That's easily handled," Jeff replied casually. Was she kidding? Did she think the boy was a student of Great Liang Martial Academy?
He was merely from an intermediate martial academy; transferring a student was child's play for the New Army.
As long as Grand Instructor Hong didn't stand in the way, the matter was settled!
Yet Hong Yan shook her head and enunciated every syllable. "I suggest you ask him first."
"Is there a catch?" A strange glint flashed in Grand Knight Jeff's eyes.
Normally, he wouldn't have spared a second glance for such a youth, but the group of five before him was undeniably peculiar.
A grand knight leading three knights was entirely standard.
A grand knight leading three apprentice knights and one knight was also reasonable—an expert bringing up the rear to ensure their safety.
Yet alongside these four stood a lone teenage apprentice knight, which felt utterly out of place.
At first, Jeff had assumed he was a scion from some influential clan out to gain experience.
After looking him over a couple of times, however, something felt more and more off.
He focused his senses, only to find that the boy's state... was oddly inscrutable.
That piqued his curiosity, prompting him to speak up and claim the lad.
Hong Yan did not answer; instead, she cast a glance at the youth.
Wu Youren finally spoke. "Reporting to my lord, there is no catch. It's just that my family keeps me on a very tight leash."
*He really is a clan scion?* Jeff's brow furrowed slightly. "Which family do you belong to?"
Wu Youren smiled faintly and offered no answer, his gaze calm and limpid.
Seeing this, Jeff felt a prick of irritation—did this boy think just anyone could join the New Army?
He refrained from pressing the matter further, traded a few pleasantries, and turned to leave.
Upon returning to the New Army's ranks, he called over an older knight and murmured a few instructions.
He wanted to uncover the youth's background. "...No rush for now. We can look into it once our business here is done."
Even with an immense background, if the boy died in the Guizu domain, there would be no point in investigating him anyway.
Once Grand Knight Jeff was gone, the men from Marquis Tanyong's Estate came over to visit Grand Instructor Hong.
None of the four had ever interacted with Hong Yan before, but she had just resolved a heated dispute on their behalf. Propriety and etiquette demanded they pay their respects.
Not to mention, she was an acquaintance of their instructor, making the call all the more necessary.
The burly man stated bluntly, "Many thanks to Grand Instructor Hong for speaking up on our behalf. Instructor has often mentioned you."
"He mentioned me?" Hong Yan offered a rare, faint smile. "He usually stays quiet as a clamped gourd."
"He said it when he was drunk," the burly man explained, proving he hadn't fabricated it. "We are deeply grateful for your intervention..."
"He could have handled it fine without me," Instructor Hong replied calmly. "Have you turned up any findings over the past few days?"
It would have been inappropriate to ask Grand Knight Jeff such a question, but asking the subordinates of an old acquaintance when the opportunity arose was perfectly natural.
The burly man hesitated visibly.
"Never mind," Instructor Hong waved a hand dismissively, her interest waning. "I know your estate has strict rules. Off you go."
The reason she disliked asking was that she hated being rebuffed.
Marquis Tanyong was a renowned veteran in the military, famous for charging bare-chested into battle—fierce and hot-tempered.
It was hardly surprising that those under his command dared not leak information casually.
Instructor Hong had known the four men's identities from the start and hadn't bothered to engage them until she heard Xia'erzi's name.
Now, seeing his hesitation, her mood was somewhat spoiled.
"Grand Instructor Hong, you misunderstand," the burly man said at once.
He glanced left and right, his eyes turning sharply cold with unmistakable warning.
Then he leaned forward and lowered his voice to a whisper. "Instructor is currently trapped, and the situation is precarious."
Instructor Hong did not speak. She merely looked at him, her face devoid of expression.
The burly man hesitated a moment longer and sighed. "He insists he can handle it on his own, but we are worried sick."
"Tsk." Instructor Hong caught his drift, the scar on her lower-left jaw twitching slightly. "You haven't informed the marquis?"
"The marquis... has other matters to attend to," the man answered hesitantly. "More importantly, Instructor forbade us from doing so."
"Sigh." Hong Yan let out a helpless sigh. "With that temper of his... What are you getting at?"
"The two of you... aren't you two..." The man hesitated before gritting his teeth. "Aren't you friends? Forgive my boldness!"
Hong Yan sat stone-faced for half a minute before speaking slowly. "You truly have no sense of boundaries!"
"Yes, yes, of course," the burly man nodded repeatedly. The very man who had dared to stand up to Grand Knight Jeff moments ago was now behaving with utmost humility. "Then... apologies for troubling you, Grand Instructor. Please keep this to yourself, alright?"
"Dammit all!" Hong Yan rolled her eyes at him. "Don't you know what a foul temper Xia'erzi has?
"Tell me every scrap of information you have. What a bloody nuisance!"
She truly had no desire to get involved, but now that she knew—and now that the man had asked—she couldn't simply walk away!
Knowing that Xia'erzi might well be displeased afterward, it was hardly a surprise she was cursing in frustration.
"Right away, right away!" The burly man nodded profusely, turning and dashing off in the blink of an eye. "I'll go fetch the intelligence!"
Hong Yan turned to look at the four members of her party. "You four, proceed with caution. Listen to Xiao Wu's suggestions."
"Huh?" Manna looked taken aback. "You're not taking us with you?"
"Whatever managed to trap Xia'erzi is no small ordeal," Instructor Hong said flatly. "Besides, that fellow has a rather eccentric temperament!"
Early the next morning, the burly man led the five toward the entrance of the Guizu domain.
Originally, he had wanted to bring his three companions along, but Instructor Hong told him there was no need; having him as a guide alone was enough.
Remarkably, the burly man agreed, suggesting his three companions could accompany the other four instead.
However, Instructor Hong declined once more, stating that her people would do just fine exploring on their own.
She gave no explanation, and the burly man dared not pry—he had indeed heard Instructor Xia'erzi say that Grand Knight Hong was proud and possessed a terrible temper.
To be deemed ill-tempered by Xia'erzi was a trait he had no desire to test for himself.
Mount Xuanling comprised over a dozen peaks whose tops were barely narrower than their bases, resembling bells scattered across the landscape.
The surrounding area was dotted with low hills shaped like carelessly tossed steamed buns.
The Guizu domain enveloped a small portion of Mount Xuanling and several of the surrounding hills.
A passage between two hills served as a suitable entry point, the boundary still marked by white mist.
The six entered the fog together and traveled alongside each other for over two kilometers.
As they advanced, the white mist shifted from thin to thick, and then from thick to thin again.
The two groups parted ways beside a small stream. Hong Yan and her guide headed downstream, while Wu Youren and his three companions followed the stream upward.
Instructor Hong had no fixed destination, only a general sector in mind, which she had not shared with the four.
Having reviewed the intelligence received yesterday against the materials they had brought, the four had agreed on several reconnaissance points.
As they advanced, they encountered small Guizu-corrupted animals on more than one occasion.
Even centipedes and scorpions had undergone corruption. Though not particularly formidable—easily warded off by their biguijues—they were thoroughly revolting.
Such critters almost never yielded Guizu relics, so no one took an interest in them.
As they walked, Wu Youren suddenly halted in his tracks.
Seeing this, the other three stopped as well—Grand Instructor Hong had told them to listen to Xiao Wu, after all.
Though Manna and Namuzha trusted Grand Instructor Hong and knew the youth had to possess real skill, they had never witnessed it firsthand.
Rossi was different; he immediately asked in a hushed voice, "What is it?"
"Don't look around. Use your perception," Wu Youren said in a low voice. "Watch overhead... Hmm?"
As he uttered the final syllable, he flashed a hand sign—a signal they had agreed upon earlier.
"Got it." The three nodded in unison. Xiao Wu had already pinpointed the direction, putting them in a position where they could readily advance or retreat.
They quietly adjusted their stances, guarding against the front-right. Namuzha even asked, "Do we strike?"
"It should be... here!" Before Wu Youren could finish, a dark shadow plunged from above, shooting forward with astonishing speed.
Yet against four prepared combatants, such an ambush proved futile.
Namuzha's hand moved slightly. A flash of cold steel cleaved the air, and the dark silhouette was severed in two, tumbling to the ground.
At the same time, Manna darted aside. A sizzling hiss erupted from the spot where she had just stood.
Immediately after, a faint wisp of bluish smoke rose from the soil.
Though the white mist lingered around them, Namuzha could now see the shadow clearly. "Damn, a king banded snake?"
The two halves of the snake's body, as thick as a child's arm, writhed violently on the ground. The front half was still springing upward, attempting to press the attack.
This was an exceptionally formidable venomous serpent. Once matured into a spirit, it possessed combat power comparable at least to that of a knight.
Had Wu Youren not warned them, the venom it spat would have caused Manna considerable trouble.
Yet now, the female knight showed little fright; instead, she swallowed reflexively. "This creature is a delicacy!"
Who would have guessed she was a foodie at heart?
"It's Guizu-corrupted," Rossi said flatly. "Inedible."
"I thought it was a bird of prey," Namuzha muttered under his breath. *Dammit... a snake dropping from the sky?*
Still, no one mocked him. He had unleashed only a single slash, and the blade was already resting back in its sheath after the flash of light.
Wu Youren gave him a thumbs-up. "Splendid swordsmanship, Senior!"
Such a flashy display felt somewhat superfluous, but since the man liked to show off, Wu Youren was happy to offer praise.
"Your warning was on point," Namuzha replied coolly. "We work together as a team."
"Let's see if it dropped any Guizu relic!" Rossi darted forward, delivering two more swift slashes.
The king banded snake was hacked into four pieces, writhing for another ten minutes before finally falling still.
Sure enough, a Guizu relic emerged—an elongated, grayish-white object resembling a finger bone.
Rossi gave a sharp whistle, beaming. "Good fortune right off the bat! Not bad!"
A lucky start was an auspicious omen celebrated in both Jin and Liang.
"Not bad indeed," Manna agreed with a nod. "Though a hardening stone like this is only slightly better than a resentment crystal."
Namuzha nodded as well. "The quality isn't particularly high either."
Chapter 122