An Old Acquaintance and a Test

Great Ming Civilization Academy. The Multiple Divine Characters College. Several students who had just returned from watching the giant rolling sphere spotted a grime-covered figure looking around curiously. One of them called out, "Hello there. Who are you looking for? This is the civilization academy. Are you here to..." He refrained from asking if she had come to scavenge for scrap. Was she an enrolled student or someone who had snuck in from outside? Sneaking in shouldn't be that easy, even if the academy's security was relatively lax. Wu Lan held her chin high and sized him up, quickly making an assessment. *So weak!* "Are you from the Multiple Divine Characters College?" "Yes." "Do you know how to get to the Primordial Spirit Research Institute?" "The Primordial Spirit Research Institute?" The student paused, then quickly asked, "Are you here to find Su Yu?" "Yes!" The senior looked Wu Lan up and down, feeling increasingly bewildered. This Su Yu... really had an unusual palate. "*Ahem*, which establishment are you from?" "What?" "Is this some new client-acquisition gimmick your brothel came up with?" "What are you talking about?!" Wu Lan frowned at him. What was this nonsense? Was something wrong with this guy? "I am the head of the breakthrough team for the Primordial Spirit Research Institute. I'm here to find Su Yu. Do you know where he is or not? If you don't, forget it!" "Head of the breakthrough team?" The senior gave an ambiguous grin. "Right, I know where he is. If I'm not mistaken, he's over at the Manifestation Research Institute. I'll take you there. Tsk, tsk, Junior Su really is something else. Coming from the Great Xia Prefecture, his tastes are certainly unique!" Smiling, the senior led the still-bewildered Wu Lan quickly in that direction. Along the way, they ran into several other classmates. Before long, a whole crowd was escorting her, eager to watch the show! Who would have guessed! Su Yu had arrived quietly in the Great Ming Prefecture, and after staying here for just a few days, he hadn't done much of anything, yet he had already found his way to this sort of business right off the bat. Once this girl washed up, she'd probably look decent enough, right? Quite a novel kink! ... A short while later, Su Yu was forced to step outside by the clamor. At first glance, he didn't recognize Wu Lan. Only when he took in that posture, that stance, and that voice did he freeze in disbelief. Wu Lan was utterly furious, shouting, "How dare you insult me!" A longsword hovered beside her as anger flushed across her face. Even beneath layers of grime and dust, her outrage was unmistakable. Su Yu frowned slightly and spoke up. "Wu Lan? Why did you come here?" Wu Lan whipped her head around. The moment she saw Su Yu, her composure instantly shattered, and she was overwhelmed by grievances. "Su Yu! You told me to come, so I came! But the second I walked in, these bastards started insulting me!" "Huh?" Su Yu stared blankly. When had he ever asked her to come? Of course, now wasn't the time to press the issue. He turned toward the students, his brow furrowing slightly. The student who had led the way was now flushed with embarrassment and stammered, "Junior Su, it's a misunderstanding—truly a misunderstanding! We didn't mean anything by it! This junior sister arrived without introducing herself; she just said she was looking for you. We figured you had just arrived in the Great Ming Prefecture and didn't know many people..." Extremely flustered, he added, "It was just a joke, an honest-to-god joke. We apologize..." The other students were mortified as well and hastily apologized. They even felt a flicker of fear. They hadn't just provoked this Great Demon King, had they? Su Yu glanced at them, then looked back at Wu Lan. Calmly, he said, "It's fine. Just watch yourselves next time. It's best if you senior brothers keep a lid on your mouths. Careless talk invites trouble!" This was the one downside of the Great Ming Prefecture: they could twist practically anything into something scandalous. Without even asking, he could guess the gist of what had happened. The students apologized profusely and backed down. By now, Wu Lan's temper had cooled as well. She huffed and paid them no further attention. Su Yu said impassively, "Senior brothers, thank you for bringing her over. Sorry for the trouble!" "Not at all, not at all!" They quickly waved it off. Knowing he was dismissing them, none dared linger to enjoy the spectacle, and they promptly scattered. Once they were gone, Wu Lan scoffed, "A bunch of perverts! They really think I know nothing! They actually asked me how much I charge! If this were the Great Xia Civilization Academy, I would have challenged them to a duel on the spot!" She was furious! Su Yu gave a wry smile, which soon gave way to complicated emotions. "Why did you come?" "Didn't you hint for me to come?" "..." When had he ever hinted at that?! Wu Lan fumed, "Are you going to deny it? You said it yourself: the next cultivation method would be named after me! On top of that, you gave me the technique and told me to keep serving as the breakthrough team head. Wasn't that an intentional hint for me to come over?" Was he reneging now because he wanted to change the name? Was he not going to name it after her anymore? Su Yu felt an overwhelming sense of exhaustion! Did I drop any hints? You completely fabricated that in your own head, alright?! "You came all by yourself?" "Yes!" Wu Lan held her head high and said proudly, "I came completely alone! All the way from the Great Xia Prefecture to here, I slew demons and vanquished monsters—not a single one could withstand a blow!" Su Yu had so many things he wanted to say and ask. You came all by yourself, and you actually made it here alive... Are you freaking kidding me?! He sensed their surroundings, but detected no one from the Wu family. With a complicated expression, Su Yu asked, "On your way here, you didn't run into any Tengkong Realm demons?" "No, were there supposed to be Tengkong Realm demons on the road?" Of course there were! Su Yu almost blurted it out, but decided against it. Several thousand li, and she hadn't crossed paths with a single Tengkong Realm demon? He didn't believe it for a second. Someone from the Wu family must have been secretly protecting her along the way, right? "Come inside. How did you get so filthy?" "It's all your fault!" Wu Lan complained crossly, "You didn't say a word to me when you left. Only after everything blew up did I find out you had run off to the Great Ming Prefecture! I had to spend a few days handling the transfer paperwork between prefectures, and then I spent seven or eight days trekking all the way here. There was nowhere to take a bath on the road!" Seven or eight days... At this moment, Su Yu didn't know what to say. Lowering his head, he led her inside and asked in a low voice, "Where did you sleep at night?" Wu Lan grew smug. "You think I'd just sleep out in the open wilderness? Hmph, I've studied plenty of survival knowledge! Never camp near water, never light a fire at night, never eat cooked food, avoid sleeping in forests if possible, and never enter caves... Every night, I would find an open, dry space where I could run if needed..." "You slept outdoors the whole way?" "Are you stupid? If I stayed in cities, detouring back and forth, how could I make good time?" As she spoke, Wu Lan stepped into the research institute. She looked around with some surprise, glancing up toward the ceiling. "I thought you'd be living in some rundown dump here, but you're staying in a place like this? Is this yours?" "Yeah, the new Primordial Spirit Research Institute." "You bought it?" "Yes." "Did you borrow money?" "No." Wu Lan didn't press further. She glanced at the spacious ground-floor courtyard and asked curiously, "Where's the laboratory?" "Upstairs!" "Are we starting the research right now?" "..." Su Yu felt utterly drained. Research what? Nothing had even been set up yet, and she wanted to dive right into research the second she arrived? What did she even know how to research? Back at the Primordial Spirit Research Institute in Great Xia, all he had done was make her look up reference materials. Did she genuinely believe she had some kind of brilliant talent for deduction and research? A journey of several thousand li! Even when Su Yu had ridden a suanni from Great Xia to Tiandu Prefecture, it had taken several days. Wu Lan had traveled for seven or eight days, probably without taking a single break, cutting straight across the wilds, completely covered in the grime of the road. Sleeping out in the wild... Had she ever traveled so far from home alone before? In the dead of night, with wild beasts and demonic creatures howling all around her, had she been afraid? Going days and nights without washing up, had she been miserable? At that moment, countless thoughts raced through Su Yu's mind. He remained silent, unsure of what to say. "Go upstairs and take a bath. You must be hungry, right?" "A little. I didn't bring enough provisions, though I did hunt a few small monsters. They just tasted awful roasted—way too gamey, with no flavor at all..." That was because you didn't bring any seasoning! Su Yu smiled faintly. Did she really think monster meat became edible just because it was cooked? A gamey stench was completely normal. "Go get cleaned up!" "Oh..." Wu Lan acknowledged him, but quickly added, "I didn't bring any clothes!" "..." Su Yu felt helpless. "You came empty-handed?" "No, I brought my merit card and identification documents! Are you stupid? If I came empty-handed, I wouldn't have been able to pass through the checkpoints on the road." Fine, I'm the stupid one. To be lectured and looked down upon by this simpleton left Su Yu feeling thoroughly exasperated. "Alright, I'll go out and buy you a few sets of clothes..." As he spoke, he sized up Wu Lan's figure to get a rough idea of her measurements, then turned to leave, calling out over his shoulder, "Don't wander around. I haven't even figured this place out myself yet. Watch out for traps and mechanisms." "Got it!" Wu Lan showed no hesitation or reserve whatsoever, heading straight upstairs. Su Yu stepped out of the research institute. ... Outside the research institute. Su Yu rubbed his face, truly at a loss for how to process his emotions. Wu Lan had actually followed him here! It completely defied his expectations! Not only had she come, but from the sound of it, she had even officially transferred academies. The Wu family had to know about this, right? They just let her come like that? As he walked forward, Su Yu suddenly looked up. A familiar figure was standing ahead. Su Yu exhaled, walked over, and bowed slightly. "Greetings, Instructor Wu!" Wu Qi looked at him for a long time before saying calmly, "My sister has a rather blunt temperament. She lacks worldly experience, but she's stubborn. When she insisted on coming, the family was against it at first, but she refused to budge! My grandaunt nudged things along and let her come. I understand my grandaunt's intentions..." Pausing, she looked at Su Yu and continued in an even tone, "Some things cannot be forced! It's best to let nature take its course! My sister's thoughts aren't complicated; she simply felt that since she promised you, she ought to come! As for you, you might not harbor such intentions either. Since she's here, you can treat her as an extra assistant and leave it at that. There's no need to overthink it. Wu Lan does not represent the Wu family, even though the outside world has long viewed us as a pillar of support for the Multiple Divine Characters Faction because of Teacher Liu Wenyan!" "Su Yu, I don't know whether you feel a shred of gratitude or just sheer annoyance, but I only hope that you won't drag my sister into the struggles surrounding this." Su Yu said in a low voice, "I have never harbored any intention of dragging anyone down!" "I know." Wu Qi suddenly sounded somewhat helpless. "I know, but I still had to say it... Wu Lan is an idiot. She doesn't understand, but I do. You haven't given up. You still want to return to the Great Xia Prefecture—not just return, but seek vengeance, and even involve yourself in the affairs of Teacher Liu and the others... Su Yu... you must realize that what happened fifty years ago is far more complicated than you imagine!" Wu Qi was deeply apprehensive. "Some matters I can involve myself in, my grandaunt can, and other members of the Wu family can, but my sister cannot. She's too much of an idiot. She doesn't even know what she would have to face, whereas the rest of us understand..." She understood, and Wu Yuehua understood. Precisely because they understood, there was no issue with them being involved. Wu Lan, however, remained completely oblivious. Su Yu took a deep breath. "I understand. How about this: I'll find an opportunity to send her away..." Wu Qi remained silent for a moment before saying softly, "Thank you!" "It's what I should do!" Su Yu said nothing more. Wu Qi handed him a storage ring. "These are my sister's belongings. Just say we asked someone to bring them over. When she left, she didn't take anything with her, that silly girl..." Wu Qi smiled somewhat bitterly, then added, "She has never endured hardship like this since she was small. Still, it's good for her. At least it will make her realize that the outside world isn't so wonderful..." "She is very brave." Su Yu remarked softly. She truly was brave. Wu Lan had never traveled far from home before, yet she had journeyed thousands of li all on her own through the desolate wilderness. Su Yu could empathize with that underlying fear. Because he had felt that fear himself! Back then, when he had traveled south from Starfall Mountain all on his own across the empty wilderness, he too had felt lost and apprehensive. In truth, his situation had been far better—at least he had been accompanied by several demons, and he had known that Bureau Chief Hou was shadowing him from the dark. Wu Lan, on the other hand, had known nothing. Wu Qi smiled. "Because courage runs in the bones of the Wu family. She's a member of the Wu family too. As I said, she simply lacks experience; it doesn't mean she's truly an idiot!" Even though she had just called her sister an idiot, Wu Qi couldn't help defending her now. Su Yu nodded. Wu Qi smiled again. "Actually... this isn't bad! The environment in the Great Xia Prefecture has grown rather harsh, and it might not suit her. The Great Ming Prefecture is decent enough, even if it's far from home! Su Yu, I must leave right away. For the time being... please look after her for me." "I will!" Wu Qi nodded, said nothing more, and turned to leave. After walking a short distance, she suddenly looked back. "You probably won't be returning to the Great Xia Prefecture anytime soon. I hope to see you during the journey to the Xingyu Mansion!" "You will!" Su Yu smiled. "Most definitely!" Wu Qi didn't linger any further and left swiftly. Su Yu smiled. Wu Qi... was quite the fierce character. He had heard about the Xingyu Mansion for a long time now; he hoped he would have the chance to see it for himself. Would his teacher be qualified to go when the time came? ... Back at the research institute. Wu Lan had already finished washing up. She had put her filthy clothes back on, but her face was finally clean. Seeing Su Yu return, she tossed the little fur ball aside, got up, and dusted off her hands. "Su Yu, when are we going to start deducing the Divine Character Fusion Art?" "No rush." Su Yu smiled and handed her the storage ring. "Your family asked someone to deliver this. I happened to run into them outside." "Oh!" Wu Lan didn't think much of it. Taking the ring, she remarked offhandedly, "I'm not a kid anymore! I brought my merit card, so I have money to buy things myself. Why did they bother sending stuff over?" You *are* a kid! Su Yu felt powerless to retort. Without a thought for the consequences, she had trekked thousands of li completely on her own. If Wu Qi hadn't been secretly watching over her, making it here would have been nothing short of a miracle! Though he thought as much, Su Yu didn't say it aloud. Still, he cautioned her, "You were lucky. It was probably because we cleared out those demons when we headed south earlier that no Tengkong Realm beasts appeared. Under normal circumstances, you would have been eaten alive by monsters long ago!" She truly had no sense of danger! If she pulled a stunt like this again without someone guarding her from the shadows, wouldn't she be done for? "Do you take me for a fool?" Wu Lan was displeased. Su Yu stayed quiet—*aren't you?* "I brought treasures with me, I just didn't get to use them!" Wu Lan said proudly, "I just didn't run into those demons. If I had, they'd be dead meat! Before leaving, I went to my grandaunt's alchemy lab and took all of her poisons! Any demon that got close to me would have been poisoned to death!" She looked immensely proud of herself! *Did you think I was stupid?* *I brought good stuff and took precautions!* *Too bad I didn't get to use any of it on the road.* *Otherwise, I would have dragged a few Tengkong Realm monster corpses over here to show you what I'm capable of!* Su Yu chuckled. "That's good, then. But poisons take time to work. Some beasts strike in an instant, and you might not have time to use them. Don't be too careless, or it will get you killed!" "Got it!" Wu Lan responded reluctantly. *Didn't I just say I didn't run into any?* After a moment, Wu Lan said excitedly, "Su Yu, you have no idea what I did right before I left! You definitely won't believe it!" "What?" "I beat up Xia Chan..." "..." What in the world? "Isn't she from the Single Divine Character Faction? Their faction is utterly revolting!" Wu Lan said excitedly, "So before I left, I took a page from your book and ambushed Xia Chan! Right at the entrance of the City Lord Manor, I suddenly struck, knocked her unconscious, gave her a beating, and ran!" Holy crap! Su Yu stared at her blankly. Was she serious? "What's with that look?" Wu Lan grinned ear to ear. "Xia Chan was so gullible! She actually thought I wanted to shake hands with her! Even though she's in the Wanshi Realm, I knocked her out cold in one strike..." Su Yu was at a loss for words. Xia Chan probably never expected an ambush from her, either. And right at her own front door, no less! Beating up Marquis Xia's granddaughter... only someone backed by the Wu family could get away with that. Anyone else would be in serious trouble. Still, it had to be said that Xia Chan had been exceptionally careless to be ambushed by Wu Lan of all people! Did Wu Lan have combat strength? On second thought, she probably did. Peak Yangxing! Sixth stage of the Qianjun Realm! Strictly speaking, she possessed a fair bit of fighting ability. "Oh, right. Senior Sister Wu Jia wanted to leave with me too, but Director Chen wouldn't let her..." Wu Lan sighed. "Otherwise, if she had come along, our breakthrough team would have more hands on deck!" Su Yu chuckled and said, "Go change into fresh clothes. I'll take you out to eat, and we can talk more then." "Alright!" Wu Lan didn't say more and hurried upstairs. ... A short while later, Wu Lan came downstairs. She exclaimed, "Why are there women's clothes in your upstairs room? Su Yu, you pervert! You've only been in the Great Ming Prefecture for a few days, and you've already turned bad!" "..." Innocent! Su Yu was speechless. "I just took over this research institute today. I haven't even explored the whole place myself yet. Those must belong to the previous owner." Hu Xiansheng was truly something else! An old man hundreds of years old, yet indulging in romantic escapades. When he had time, he would replace everything upstairs! As they walked outside, Su Yu asked, "Have you enrolled yet?" "Yeah." "In the Single Divine Character College?" "No, the Multiple Divine Characters College," Wu Lan replied casually. "The person handling registration asked which one I wanted to join, so I said I'd join the same one as you. Anyway, I'm at the Yangxing Realm, so I can enroll in whichever I like." Well, that didn't matter much. "Where are you going to stay?" "At the research institute, of course!" "..." I need to live here too, you know? Back in the Great Xia Prefecture, Wu Lan had often stayed at the research institute toward the end, especially since everything from the villa had been moved out. But back then, there had been plenty of people living there. Su Yu had spent most of his time cultivating. Here, however, it was just the two of them. "That's not very appropriate. It's just the two of us..." "What a filthy mind!" Wu Lan scolded him, "As a researcher, you've only been here a few days and you're already dwelling on such messy nonsense! If your mind isn't pure, how can you do proper research?" "..." Holy crap! Lectured by her once again! This Wu idiot was really full of herself now. Still, he didn't push back. She had traveled thousands of li to find him; for that alone, it wouldn't feel right to snap back. Along the way, they crossed paths with several students. Seeing him walking with Wu Lan, many wore curious expressions, though no one came up to pry. They merely whispered among themselves, which Wu Lan completely ignored. She acted as though they didn't even exist! That was always her way: anyone she didn't want to see simply didn't exist. The weak didn't exist either. She possessed the ability to completely overlook people right in front of her, no matter how imposing their build. Su Yu didn't mind either. He asked around for directions to the cafeteria and said as they walked, "When you left, were my senior sister and martial uncle doing well?" "Very well! Director Chen broke through to the Shanhai Realm and became an elder!" Wu Lan smiled brightly. "And the Single Divine Character Faction suffered badly! Elder Sun was executed, and Elder Yu and Elder Li were killed! As for Elders Ma and Fang, Elder Ma was exiled to the Shanhai Camp as punishment, and now Elder Fang is returning, while Dean Zhou still hasn't exited seclusion..." She quickly continued, "Right now, the Single Divine Character Faction doesn't even have a single Shanhai left! It's a complete mess over there." Su Yu laughed. "Serves them right! But didn't you say that Elder Fang was coming back?" "He's still on the road! When I left, they said Elder Fang was returning... but travel takes time!" "Then who is running the Single Divine Character Faction right now?" "No idea. Maybe Instructor Liu Hong?" Wu Lan didn't care much about such matters and chuckled. "Who cares about them? Those people are rotten to the core! When they couldn't beat you, they actually sent Shanhai experts to assassinate you, and Sunmoon experts too! Truly shameless!" Pausing, she asked curiously, "How did you get so powerful? You can even kill Lingyun experts now!" "Innate blood essence." "Oh. So without it, could you beat a Lingyun?" "It'd be tough, unless they're the absolute weakest sort..." Wu Lan looked somewhat disheartened. "Why do you progress so fast? We both entered the academy with top-high evaluations!" She had always dreamed of giving Su Yu a beating! Su Yu felt a momentary daze, then chuckled. "My talent is just too monstrous; I can't help it." During his time in the Great Ming Prefecture, he hadn't known anyone and had barely conversed with a soul. Now that he finally had an old acquaintance around, he found himself talking much more. Meeting an old friend in a distant land—perhaps this was what it felt like. No need to wear a facade; just casual, open chatter. Wu Lan was also the very first scion of a prominent Great Xia family he had ever gotten to know, wasn't she? Wu Lan harbored none of those sentimental reflections. Having gone days without speaking, she was chattering away non-stop. "Su Yu, when are we going to deduce the Divine Character Fusion Art? And once it's complete, what name are you going to give it? It has to include 'Lan'; you promised me yourself!" "Sure!" Su Yu smiled. "Soon. Once I settle down and finish preparing, we'll start. Of course, there's no rush; we haven't reached that stage yet anyway. Even if we deduce the Divine Character Fusion Art, we have to take it slow..." "Yeah." Wu Lan acknowledged. They entered a restaurant with a remarkably pleasant ambiance. Su Yu reserved a private dining room, and watching Wu Lan wolf down her food made him stifle a laugh. "Why do you keep staring at me? Aren't you eating?" "I am." Su Yu began eating quickly as well. Her cheeks stuffed with food, Wu Lan mumbled indistinctly, "Su Yu, let me tell you: don't think you're the only capable one! I didn't come to Great Ming just to ride your coattails. I came because I have confidence!" "Right, you're very impressive!" "Of course I am!" Wu Lan said excitedly. "Let me tell you, when I left, my great-grandaunt gave me a supreme encyclopedia! It can solve any puzzle or mystery! My great-grandaunt said it's an heirloom of the Wu family, worth a fortune!" "Then that's amazing. Did your great-grandaunt exit seclusion?" "Yeah, she did! She was planning to beat Dean Zhou to a pulp for you, but he didn't come out of seclusion." "Then please thank your great-grandaunt for me!" Su Yu laughed. Beat him to a pulp? Zhou Mingren was no pushover. With that in mind, Su Yu asked, "After I left, was there any movement from the All-Races Cult or the Great Zhou Prefecture?" "I don't think so?" Wu Lan answered uncertainly, "Doesn't seem like it, though I'm not really sure. Oh, right! Head Wan was stripped of his position as head of the academy; he's only the acting head now! And I heard people say that the Quest Realm seems to have assigned a Sunmoon expert to serve as deputy head, supposedly preparing to replace Head Wan." "Really?" Su Yu was taken aback. No way, for real?! "Seems like it, but I don't know for certain. Also, Jiutian Academy is getting a Sunmoon-level head as well." "From the Single Divine Character Faction?" "Are you stupid? Obviously! The Multiple Divine Characters Faction doesn't even have any Sunmoon experts left." "..." That made sense! Even if there were any, they wouldn't be allowed to serve as head of the academy. Su Yu grew puzzled. Was this the Great Zhou Prefecture's doing, or the Quest Realm's? Did the Xia family not intervene? Or had some secret agreement been struck? After all, having executed so many experts from the Single Divine Character Faction all at once, the Xia family now needed to ease tensions. The killings had been meant as a deterrent. Once deterrence was established, they had to soften their stance. They couldn't relentlessly antagonize the Single Divine Character Faction, or it would invite endless trouble. A balance of firmness and leniency: deterring the opposition while simultaneously pacifying them. Only in this manner could they pave the way for Xia Longwu's ascension to Dao attainment. Of course, whether that would actually work remained open to debate. Wu Lan ate until her cheeks bulged. She had been starving, and the food in the Great Ming Prefecture tasted remarkably good. Chewing, she continued, "There's one more thing... Some guy from the Great Zhou Prefecture, supposedly a genius, was about to arrive in Great Xia when I left. Tons of people were gossiping about him. Along the way, he kept declaring that he was coming to cause trouble for you because your teacher killed his grandfather..." Su Yu raised an eyebrow. "Cause trouble for me? I'm not even in the Tengkong Realm! I know who you're talking about; he possesses Tengkong Realm strength. Is he really going to come to the Great Ming Prefecture just to challenge me?" "I don't know... Does the Great Ming Multiple Divine Characters Faction have any Tengkong experts?" Su Yu gave a slight start, then frowned after a moment. "Yes, they do." In that case, was it actually possible he would come to Great Ming? Wu Lan said dismissively, "He definitely will! I heard he's been challenging experts of the Multiple Divine Characters Faction everywhere along his journey, defeating countless people! All the way south from the Great Zhou Prefecture, the Multiple Divine Characters Factions in many places were beaten into seclusion by him. None of them dare utter a peep now." Su Yu's brow furrowed, but soon relaxed. "Whatever. If he doesn't come, fine. If he does... he'd better watch his step!" He wasn't afraid of the guy! At worst, he simply wouldn't accept the challenge. He was only at the Yangxing Realm, not Tengkong. If the guy had the guts, he could go find Su Yu's teacher! Wasn't Bai Feng in the Tengkong Realm? He was right there in the Vanguard Camp on the All-Heavens Battlefield—why didn't he go there?! Shan Tianhao's grandson... Shan Tianhao had been cleaved in half by Liu Wenyan's axe! Su Yu felt no pity for him. Dying like that served him right. Coming from the Great Zhou Prefecture to stir up trouble, he deserved to be killed. If anything, Su Yu still held a grudge against them. In dying, they had dragged Liu Wenyan down, getting him punished and exiled to the Vanguard Camp on the All-Heavens Battlefield. Besides, this guy was arrogantly traveling south, challenging and targeting the Multiple Divine Characters Faction at every turn—quite presumptuous! As Su Yu pondered this, a sudden commotion broke out downstairs. Pricking his ears, he heard someone shouting, "Breaking news! Head Niu is back! Not only is he back, but I heard the Quest Realm arranged for a deputy head to accompany him..." "The Quest Realm?" "Yeah!" "What for? Hasn't it been ages since anyone from the Quest Realm came to our academy?" "Who knows!" Hearing this, Su Yu's brow furrowed. What did this mean? Had this person come because of him, or was this already in motion? Just as he was thinking this over, someone else roared at the top of their lungs, "Super breaking news! That last news is already out of date! That new deputy head hasn't even assumed office yet! Just as he entered the city, he stepped on a hunting trap left by who-knows-who and had his leg snapped clean off! I heard he's heading straight back to the Quest Realm to treat his leg..." Su Yu stared in stunned disbelief! What kind of development was this? Are you freaking kidding me?! A deputy head of the academy was at least at the peak of the Shanhai Realm! And had his leg snapped off by a trap?! ... Meanwhile. At the city gates of Tiandu Prefecture. An elderly man was supporting a middle-aged man, lamenting, "It's over, it's all over! Which little scoundrel left a hunting trap here? This thing is meant for trapping Sunmoon-level great demons! It's ruined, completely ruined—this leg is beyond saving..." The middle-aged man's face was chillingly dark as he stared at his severed leg without a word. The elderly man sighed. "Pardon the poor hospitality; don't take it to heart. Old He, you really need to watch your step next time..." "Head Niu, this Tiandu Prefecture truly is a tiger's den. I've only just arrived..." Before the middle-aged man could finish speaking, a loud *bang* shattered the ground beneath them! The elderly man instantly darted away. Just as the middle-aged man tried to retreat, a protective barrier suddenly flared to life around him. With a resounding explosion, the middle-aged man shuddered violently from head to toe, and a shrill scream tore from his throat the next instant. Countless writhing insects swarmed all over his body! The elderly man hurried back, cursing loudly, "Which grandson did this? What is the meaning of this?! I've barely returned, and they're already tormenting us like this?" "Look how badly Old He is hurt! It's over! He was supposed to take office, but after this, how can he possibly serve? His injuries are far too severe... Send him back to the Quest Realm to recuperate!" Deputy Head He unleashed his willpower, attempting to crush the insects, but the moment his willpower erupted, his entire body went limp. Darkness encroached upon his vision, and he could only hear the elderly man beside him lamenting, "It's over, he's going to die! This is poison—God-Extinguishing Powder! We're finished, he's really going to die! If he dies, it'll be impossible to explain! Men, make haste! Ride at top speed and escort him back to the Quest Realm! Tell them Deputy Head He carelessly stumbled into a trap and was nearly poisoned to death! Hurry, if he dies, the Great Ming Prefecture will have to take the blame!" "Understood!" Someone responded immediately. Old He was hoisted up and vanished from the city gates in the blink of an eye. A short while later, the elderly man strolled into the City Lord Manor. Zhu Tiandao laughed and said, "Old Niu, you could have just pulled that on him along the way! Why drag him the whole journey only to set him up right inside the city? Doesn't that make me, Zhu Tiandao, look inhospitable?" Niu Baidao chuckled. "That little brat had no respect for his elders! I'm older than his father, yet he wouldn't stop chattering in my ear the entire way. I was sick to death of him! Since there was no one else on the road, it wasn't convenient for me to discipline him. What are you afraid of? Your father is King Daming; even if you killed him, it wouldn't matter!" With a frown, he added, "What is the Quest Realm playing at? Was meddling in Great Xia's affairs not enough, so now they want to stick their noses into Great Ming as well? Where is King Daming?" "He went to the All-Heavens Battlefield." Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "Who knows what they're up to. Ignore them. King Dahan is currently presiding over the Quest Realm, but he's in seclusion and might not even be handling affairs. It's likely a bunch of second- and third-generation heirs running things with too much time on their hands!" He smiled again. "It's entirely possible he came because of Su Yu. Whatever, sending him away is enough. Next time, don't pin all the blame on me. You could have just created a clone halfway and disguised it as a great demon to ambush him..." Niu Baidao said self-righteously, "Am I that sort of person? How would that make me any different from the All-Races Cult? Besides, I was right there with him; if he were ambushed, how could I explain it? It's different here in Great Ming. With the Mansion Master presiding, anyone with eyes can tell you were the one who set him up! What could he say? Would he dare cause trouble for you? I can't do that; the Quest Realm is full of descendants of the Invincibles, and I can't afford to offend them!" Zhu Tiandao was speechless. Too lazy to bicker, he said promptly, "Send a message back to the Quest Realm. Tell them this fellow carelessly blundered into a restricted area where a Sky-Swallowing Ant swarm recently appeared, and we're currently dealing with it. Demand that the Quest Realm send about ten million merit points—we need disaster relief funds! We have plenty of manpower, but lack the funds; it's going to cost a fortune!" "Mansion Master, isn't that a bit excessive?" Niu Baidao was astonished. He was actually going to extort money from them? "Not excessive at all..." Zhu Tiandao chuckled. "Tell them to send the money, and add that if they don't, the ant swarm might spread all the way to the Quest Realm or even the Great Zhou Prefecture and devour everything! Tell them the Invincibles will have to step in and solve it themselves, because we can't suppress it!" "And what if King Dahan steps in?" "Tough luck! Can't you just have someone sneak some Sky-Swallowing Ants over there?" Zhu Tiandao said exasperatedly, "It's that simple! Those people have nothing better to do than interfere with Great Ming's business—what are they thinking?! Furthermore, inform them that the Great Ming Prefecture is entering lockdown: the Great Ming Iron Cavalry is being recalled, and we're abandoning our defensive positions on the All-Heavens Battlefield! We'll just guard our own little plot of land! Let the Quest Realm arrange their own people to defend those posts! Oh, and eighty percent of the spoils from defending those positions must be handed over to us, since we're the ones who conquered them in the first place..." "They'd have to be crazy to agree to that!" Zhu Tiandao didn't care. "If they don't agree, then forget it! If they refuse, whenever danger arises in the future, scatter Sky-Swallowing Ants everywhere and claim they were sponsored by the Quest Realm! Also, tell them that I'm resigning as Mansion Master; I'm heading to the Quest Realm to run for Realm Lord! If they don't give me the position, Great Ming won't submit a single cent from now on! Furthermore, if they don't give me the post, my father will pull back to protect our homeland! Oh, and mention that the guy named He stepped on and wrecked our restriction array—we need ten million merit points to repair it, or else it can't be fixed..." Niu Baidao was utterly speechless. Demanding so much, they'd have to be mad to agree! After a moment of thought, Niu Baidao chuckled. "Your appetite is too big; I don't think that'll fly. How about this: I'll send word that if they don't pay up, we'll send Hu Xiansheng over to create a spatial black hole and swallow the Quest Realm whole. What do you think?" "..." Zhu Tiandao was struck dumb. After a long pause, he nodded. "Deal, let's do that!" "Alright, I'm taking off. That little brat was clinging to me the entire journey; I didn't even have time to take a bath and inspect the people's livelihood. I'll take my leave..." "Take it easy. You're an old sack of bones!" "Healthier than you!" The two exchanged friendly jabs before Niu Baidao took his leave. Zhu Tiandao chuckled to himself. Bored out of their minds, weren't they? Which idiot was running the Quest Realm right now, daring to meddle in his territory? Did they really think they were dealing with the Xia family? Yawning, Zhu Tiandao called out, "Someone, go tell Su Yu that someone was plotting against him, and I spent a million merit points to buy the guy off for his sake. But talking about money hurts feelings—just tell him that when he makes new breakthroughs, remember to give the Zhu family priority supply! The Zhu family isn't short on money!" "Understood!" Someone answered immediately and hurried away. Zhu Tiandao smiled broadly. A free favor was a waste not to bestow. "A test?" he muttered under his breath, finding it uninteresting. Was this a test aimed at the Great Ming Prefecture, or was it aimed at Su Yu? Or perhaps... aimed at him? He had only reached the ninth stage of the Sunmoon Realm not too long ago, with no plans for Dao attainment, so what was there to test? "Damn it all, I'm already so weak, looked down upon every single day. What's the point of testing me? I might not even beat Xia the Second! Just keep your eyes on the Xia family and the Zhou family! My old Zhu family is already having it so rough, yet you still come to probe us? Sigh, human nature just isn't what it used to be!" Zhu Tiandao shook his head back and forth. He was weak—truly! Even his father said he was weak, so who were they to claim otherwise?