Angel Round?

Everyone within earshot heard the exchange between Wu Youren and Rossi. Such a dynamic was truly an eye-opener—so the two of them were... merely partners? Fortunately, these people spent their lives on the road and knew that hearing was not believing; words like that couldn't be taken entirely at face value. "If you don't want to partner up, that has nothing to do with me," Rossi said with a chuckle, spreading his hands before turning toward the female warrior. "See? You scared the kid." "Then cancel your partnership with him," the female warrior replied, turning on her heel and walking off. "Good grief..." Rossi sighed helplessly, then looked at Wu Youren. "What do you say? Call it off?" "Fine with me," the youth from Jin nodded without hesitation, adding, "Sorry... but you really can't blame me for this." Rossi was somewhat surprised. He genuinely couldn't wrap his head around the boy's reaction. The boy might well have a special talent, but for heaven's sake, they had just run into a monkey-tiger! In mountains this vast, if one monkey-tiger appeared, a second could easily follow! If they parted ways, could an apprentice knight's meager strength keep him alive out here? Never mind encountering Guizu, and never mind the malice of fellow men—just relying on his own strength, making it out of the mountains in one piece would be a tall order. The place the boy had originally planned to visit, the so-called Rust Belt, carried its own dangers, but at least it wasn't deep in the mountains. Who gave you such confidence? Rossi raised an eyebrow. "Once we dissolve our arrangement, that lady won't have any reservations about what she does to you." "There's nothing I can do about that," Wu Youren said, his face remarkably calm. "If something really happens, it's simply because my strength is lacking." Being coerced was not the same as actively latching onto someone. If it was the former, even if the Life-and-Death Knot found out, they wouldn't have much grounds to make an issue of it—it would be purely a consequence of insufficient strength. "Alright, I won't tease you anymore," Rossi laughed. "Their destination is the same as ours." Wu Youren's eyes shifted in thought, and he asked, "They aren't from the martial academy?" "No," Rossi shook his head. "Looks like there really is something going on in Suotu." Originally, only the martial academy had dispatched people to investigate. Now that other factions were stepping in, the situation was clearly showing signs of escalating. Wu Youren nodded. "I have no objection to traveling together." He wasn't keeping his words sparse on purpose; the more he said, the more likely he was to slip up. Rossi wanted to ask him more, but seeing the youth droop his eyelids again and assume a stance training posture, he choked his words back. After a moment's thought, Rossi headed back toward the female warrior's convoy to chat with them. For now, his primary goal was securing a position at Red Pine Martial Academy. Even though that woman wasn't from the academy, she had connections to it. Rossi's coldness toward strangers was merely the vigilance expected of a knight; whenever an opportunity arose to leverage outside support, he wouldn't let it pass. Wu Youren maintained his stance for an hour before dropping out of the posture to rest. Outside the cave, the torrential downpour had tapered into light rain, but the rushing roar of water had grown louder instead. The middle-aged man from earlier sidled over again. "May I ask how to address you, little brother?" Wu Youren glanced at him and asked casually, "Something else, uncle?" Earlier, Wu Youren had demanded one silver dollar per person, spoiling the man's attempt to buy information, yet the youth's tone had actually become more polite. With his identity having gained an added layer of insurance and potential allies having appeared, he could naturally let down his guard a bit. The middle-aged man inwardly marveled as well. Untouched by joy over gain or sorrow over loss, the youth possessed an uncommonly composed temperament. Did he truly come from an impoverished family? The man began to second-guess himself, but he still asked solemnly, "I'd like to ask: are you open to investment?" "Investment?" Wu Youren was startled at first, then smiled and gave a slight shake of his head. "No, thank you." Yet the man persisted. "Would you mind telling me why?" Wu Youren felt rather helpless. Even when wealthy families snatched prospective sons-in-law from among successful exam candidates, the candidates had to actually pass the exams first, right? My status as an ability master hasn't even got a single stroke down on paper, yet you actually dare to gamble on me! He had no inherent desire to turn down angel investment, but he genuinely had no choice—his status did not permit it. Thus, he could only offer a mild response. "I don't think I have much growth potential." "We don't mind," the middle-aged man replied with conviction. "All investments carry risk." "Well, I do." Hearing this, the man was truly at a loss. "In that case... has someone already invested in you?" Wu Youren looked at him placidly, giving no reply. "At least leave a name," the middle-aged man said, settling for second best. "Since fate has brought us together." At this moment, Wu Youren truly wished he were back in Jin! He sighed and gave an emphatic shake of his head. "I dislike being tied down. In fact, I detest it." Whether it was Series A, B, C, or an angel round, where in the world was there ever a free lunch? Was that the reason? The middle-aged man raised an eyebrow. "Little brother, you misunderstand. We purely wish to build goodwill." "Let's leave it at that," Wu Youren said, having no desire to continue. With a hint of impatience, he stated, "Don't push things too far. Otherwise, I'll act as though I never met you." "Understood." Seeing that the boy had bristled, the middle-aged man finally stopped pressing. As he left, he didn't forget to add, "I am Holar of Anping Trading. Anping is an enterprise under Count Shengming." His patron is a count—no wonder a mere apprentice knight had such airs, Wu Youren thought. Seeing no response from the boy, Holar inwardly sighed. He had acted too rashly earlier. For a mere youth to be so knowledgeable, he had likely been courted by recruiters before. With Holar rebuffed, the onlookers took note as well. If even the banner of a count failed to work, there was no point in entertaining idle thoughts. Ten or so minutes later, the rain ceased, but they couldn't leave just yet. After waiting another hour or so, Rossi finally announced, "That should do it. If we don't move now, we'll really have to spend the night here." In truth, night was already falling. The safer choice would have been waiting until dawn before setting out. Flash floods took time to build up and unleash their full force. Yet he didn't want to wait any longer—not because he was worried about his academy colleagues, but simply because he didn't want to miss the opportunity. Besides, he traveled this stretch of road frequently and was familiar with the terrain. The convoy with the female warrior knew the area well too. "Then let's go together." The road was a muddy, treacherous slog; riding a motorcycle naturally left one splattered head to toe in mud. Not until the sky began to pale with dawn did they finally leave the mountain roads and arrive at the town of Suotu. The area around the town could be seen as flat, open ground, though in reality it was merely a small basin nestled in the mountains. Glancing at the sky, Rossi muttered, "Good thing we got out in time. If we had waited, more rain might have come." "More rain?" The female knight leaned her head out of a vehicle. "Weather like that is quite rare. Are you certain?" After a tempest, clear skies usually followed; the probability of back-to-back torrential storms was extremely low. "Not very certain, just showing off," Rossi replied offhandedly. "Otherwise, wouldn't rushing through the night be for nothing?... Holy shit, a distress call from Red Pine?" "We're coming too," the female knight said crisply. "We need first-hand information!" Two hours later, they arrived at the scene and saw six people stranded on a rocky outcrop amidst the floodwaters. The outcrop spanned roughly a hundred square meters, but unfortunately, the surface was rugged and uneven. Six people stood upon it, along with two tents and some supplies, but neither cars nor motorcycles. All around them roared the swollen mountain torrent, easily spanning over a hundred meters wide. "To court death to this extent, I'm genuinely impressed," Rossi muttered. "I'll contact them." The Red Pine communication wristwatches had an internal channel, and the situation was quickly clarified. The previous night, while rain had poured across the mountains, most of Suotu Town had merely been overcast. Anyone familiar with mountainous regions knew such microclimates were entirely normal. The six had encountered Guizu during the night, fighting while retreating toward higher ground. The outcrop where they now stood had been considered the high ground of the immediate vicinity. Strictly speaking, there had been nothing wrong with that judgment; the trouble was that flash floods surged in the middle of the night. The Guizu's attacks were unaffected by the floodwaters, so the skirmish dragged on until daybreak before the Guizu finally retreated. Over a hundred Guizu had besieged them, including at least three with cultivation comparable to knights, whereas only two among the six people were knights. Fortunately, daylight had broken, or the consequences would have been unimaginable. Wu Youren listened to their communication with a heart as calm as still water, until he sensed that something was amiss and turned his head to look. In truth, quite a few people were watching him. While Rossi was occupied communicating with his colleagues and had no time for him, the female warrior's convoy was different. He was seen as a potential ability master—one specialized in sensing Guizu. Even though he had turned down their recruitment, plenty of people still kept an eye on him. "That boy," someone quietly informed the female knight, "seems to have noticed something." The next moment, someone let out a cold snort. "Merely playing to the crowd. I didn't sense anything." Immediately afterward, a youth dressed in white stepped down from a vehicle. He was slightly plump, with red lips and white teeth, but his complexion was pale and sickly. Wu Youren glanced at him and paid no mind—as long as a person or object did not trigger his senses, he rarely let it distract him. Yet the youth in white seemed displeased with him, casting a chilly glare in his direction. The female warrior asked impassively, "Then did you find anything?" "No," the white-clad youth shook his head. "Everything seems completely normal to me." He then raised a finger toward Wu Youren. "Make this guy leave. He's just a fraud!" "What did he swindle you out of?" Rossi snapped, his eyes flaring wide. "Is the reputation of Red Pine Martial Academy something you can slander as you please?" "Forget it, Rossi," the female warrior said, shaking her head at him. "This boy is our prospective ability master. He has already awakened a portion of his gifts." "So what if he's a prospective ability master?" Rossi muttered resentfully. "It's not like my Red Pine lacks ability masters!" Across the vast expanse of Great Liang, there were only eight intermediate martial academies in total. Rare as ability masters were, each academy could still produce a few. He didn't wish to provoke their group, but no matter how he looked at it, the boy's words were infuriating. Rossi could easily gauge the white-clad youth's condition: his steps were unsteady, his inner breath nearly non-existent; he had likely not even crossed the threshold of an apprentice knight. Crucially, the youth's accusation not only insulted Red Pine, but also questioned Rossi's own integrity. Could he possibly swallow that?