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-- Chapter 288 ---
"Look, those people! The recruiting caravan from the Jia Nan Academy has arrived in our city!"
Cheers erupted in Wu Tan City as soon as people in white cloaks set foot into the city's gate. This news traveled fast from mouth to mouth, finally reaching the city's major players.
In the highest floor of Soaring Wind Dojo, Han Yuan calmly gazed at the newcomers. His dim silver eyes seemed to pierce through every single individual from the Jia Nan Academy.
"They are here," A faint smile formed on Han Yuan's handsome face. "Heh, I can't wait to see what kind of surprise the Jia Nan Academy can provide me with."
Meanwhile, some people in the Jia Nan Academy suddenly shuddered as if predators were eyeing them. One person in particular is a blue-haired female teacher in an azure dress from the Jia Nan Academy, Ruo Ling.
Ruo Ling is a beautiful woman, but that's not all. She's also a seasoned 8-Star Dou Grandmaster, capable of protecting the students in this caravan throughout the Jia Ma Empire.
Yet, Ruo Ling felt the sense of dread for a split second. She has never felt like this in her entire life, even when she lived in the Central Region with her family.
A young girl in red tipped against a long-legged beauty in brown, "Is it just me, or does your city look different from what you described, Xiao Yu?"
Xiao Yu frowned, "No, the city really has changed."
"At first, I thought it was just my feeling that the city walls are bigger, but it seems the entire city is expanding.
"A few years, yet so many things have happened..."
'I wonder how that perverted brat Xiao Yan is doing now.' She thought to herself. That cousin of hers is both a headache and her secret crush.
Unknown to Xiao Yu, the genius of the Xiao Clan she admired, despite his lack of character, has fallen into depression.
Ruo Ling glanced at Xiao Yu and then said, "Xue Ni, go with Xiao Yu to her clan, and check if something has happened in Wu Tan City while she was gone."
"I will settle the others in the nearest inn."
"Also, be careful with your words. We weren't in Jia Nan Academy..."
Ruo Ling's words shook both Xiao Yu and Xue Ni. As a self-proclaimed no. 1 favorite student of Ruo Ling, Xiao Yu also knew Ruo Ling's warning was not without wisdom.
"We understood." The girls nodded solemnly.
As Xiao Yu and Xue Ni walked to the Xiao Clan compound, Ruo Ling also gathered information on her own. However, the more she digs, the more shaken she is.
Ruo Ling sat in the resting area as she studied a small pile of papers, all about one person, a rising genius of Wu Tan City named Han Yuan!
At first glance, the name didn't strike a chord with Ruo Ling, but this boy's achievement has even surpassed hers, whether it was in cultivation or even martial arts.
Ruo Ling clenched her excited hands, "Name, Han Yuan."
"Age, twelve."
"Personality, kind, dependable, righteous."
"Dou Qi's attributes, wind and lightning."
"Cultivation, estimated to be 1-Star Dou Grandmaster, or higher."
"Accomplishment: defeating countless geniuses across the Jia Ma Empire and neighboring empires. Hailed as the Right-Armed Wind King."
"Note: Have a beautiful younger sister called Han Lixian."
"To think a small place like the Jia Ma Empire could produce such a genius is not something I expected," Ruo Ling breathed heavily, trying her best to stay calm. "A twelve-year-old 1-Star Dou Grandmaster, that's just insane!"
"Even back in the academy, there aren't many who could rival Han Yuan's talent. There might be some in the inner courtyard, but that's already the cream of the crop on the continent."
"He's not a mere genius, but a monster..."
Then, Ruo Ling saw another document on the corner of the desk. It was a brief explanation of the event that happened when the Soaring Wind Dojo opened to the public years ago.
There aren't many details on the paper, but Ruo Ling caught a familiar name, no, surname.
"Xiao Clan, Xiao Yan."
Ruo Ling picked the paper with a frown on her face, "This might not be a good thing."
"I hope Xiao Yu doesn't offend him."
After saying that, Ruo Ling stood up from her seat and instructed one of her disciples to check the Soaring Wind Dojo
Even though Han Yuan joined Soaring Wind Dojo, it was unmistakable that this monster wasn't there because of the dojo, but because he admitted the Dojo Master (Meng Xi) as his teacher, which means he can still get recruited into Jia Nan Academy.
If a monster like Han Yuan joined Jia Nan Academy, Ruo Ling couldn't imagine the wave he could bring.
What Ruo Ling didn't know was that her informant was getting fed with information straight from Han Yuan himself. After all, Han Yuan has near absolute influence in Wu Tan City
Call it manipulation, but Han Yuan really wanted to give Ruo Ling a better impression.
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Meanwhile, Xiao Yu and Xue Ni arrived at the Xiao Clan with a weird look on their faces. They felt something was off about the clan compound, as if a gloomy event had happened.
"Sister!" A young man in blue waved his hand at Xiao Yu. It was Xiao Yu's own younger brother, Xiao Ning.
Xiao Yu raised her eyebrow, "Xiao Ning?"
"What happened to the clan? The atmosphere feels off."
Xiao Ning abruptly stopped upon hearing this question, and he put on a helpless yet scornful look, "It's Xiao Yan's fault..."
"Huh? What do you mean?" Xiao Yu frowned even more.
Xiao Ning glanced at Xue Ni and then at his sister, "Let's walk inside as I explained what happened in the past few years."
'Xiao Yan? Isn't that the genius cousin that Xiao Yu keeps bragging to me all these years long?' Xue Ni wondered to herself.
As the three of them walked into the clan, Xiao Ning explained to them about the recent events in Wu Tan City.
"A few years ago, Wu Tan City became famous because a wandering expert arrived and took in a disciple from our city. That disciple is not only a genius, but also a monster in martial arts." Xiao Ning said with some admiration
"When the wandering expert decided to settle in our city and founded the Soaring Wind Dojo, our clan was also invited, including Xiao Yan. At the time, Xiao Yan was at the peak of his arrogance."
Xiao Ning then gritted his teeth, "Xiao Yan being Xiao Yan is as arrogant as himself in the clan. He actually dares to look down on the founder of the Soaring Wind Dojo, a powerful Dou Grandmaster Expert!"
"Xiao Ning, Xiao Yan is still our cousin..." Xiao Yu still has some feelings for her genius cousin and decides to remind her brother of that.
Xiao Ning lashed out, "No, sister, you don't understand!"
"Xiao Yan acts rudely in other people's homes!"
"Then, the Soaring Wind Dojo Master decided to end this farce by letting Xiao Yan fight his newly accepted disciple. Who do you think will win that fight?"
"Xiao Yan-!" Xiao Yu instinctively answered.
"No, he lost!" Xiao Ning said with apparent anger. "Not only did he lose the fight, but he lost three times, three fucking times."
"He can't swallow the fight, someone was better than him, and keeps challenging the Dojo Master's disciple..."
"It was shameful!"
"He brought shame to our clan." He pressed this matter coldly.
Xiao Yu's eyes widened as her internal belief got shaken, "T-That is impossible..."
"With Xiao Yan's talent, he couldn't possibly lose to anybody."
"Talent? What talent?!" Xiao Ning laughed in indifferent amusement.
"About a month or two ago, we discovered the fact that Xiao Yan can't cultivate Dou Qi anymore. Not only that, but his proud-earned realm also regressed."
"He couldn't even defeat me now..."
"He's no longer a genius, sister, he's trash!"
"How could that be..." Xiao Yu felt her body become soft as her friend supported her from behind.
Xiao Ning shook his head wearily, "That's not even the worst thing about this whole story. Because of Xiao Yan's action, we formed a grudge with the Soaring Wind Dojo. Even though people from the Soaring Wind Dojo haven't done anything, the other clans in the city are more than happy to help suppress us."
"In recent years, our Xiao Clan's businesses have been suppressed by others cruelly. Grandpa said our clan's revenue declined sharply in the last five years, and we might have to move from Wu Tan City if this keeps going."
"Soaring Wind Dojo becomes the most powerful faction in Wu Tan City, reaching the sky-high heaven while our clan falls into hell!
"All this happened because of that trash, Xiao Yan!"
"No..." Upon hearing that last statement, Xiao Yu felt her world turn upside down and fainted on the spot.
Xiao Ning was stunned, "Sister!"