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--- Chapter 296 ---
Wu Tan City - Soaring Wind Dojo.
After a few days, Rou Ling concluded the new student recruitments in Wu Tan City and promptly notified Han Yuan that they would be leaving for Jia Nan Academy the next morning.
Han Yuan perked up immediately. "Finally! I was getting bored waiting," he said with a lazy smile.
Ruo Ling giggled in amusement and replied, "I expected you to be more diligent, but for the past few days, all I've seen is you lazing around in the dojo."
"What? Are you disappointed in me, Teacher Ling?" Han Yuan feigned a pitiful expression.
Ruo Ling snorted, "Don't even try to be coy with me. Your little tricks only work on little girls, hmph!"
Leaning closer to Ruo Ling, Han Yuan asked, "Really? Teacher Ling, lying is bad, you know?"
Ruo Ling stared at his handsome face and felt a flutter in her heart. Her ears reddened slightly, but she maintained her composure and shoved Han Yuan's handsome face away. "Stop playing around, you rascal!"
"Alright, alright, no more joking," Han Yuan said, helplessly shrugging with a chuckle. "But seriously, Teacher Ling, you might know that I'm relaxing because I've been working too hard lately."
"Sometimes, working hard constantly doesn't yield good results, and you also need rest to complement growth, don't you think?"
"Just like someone trying to build muscle—training every day without rest is not training, but ruining your body."
Ruo Ling narrowed her eyes because there was some truth to what Han Yuan said. While she felt he was making excuses, she couldn't find any flaws in his argument.
"Glib-tongued," she remarked. "It seems I was right. When you arrive at the academy, I wonder how many little girls and ladies you'll charm."
'What do you mean by my charm?' Han Yuan was momentarily speechless by her comment.
He cleared his throat to hide his embarrassment and changed the topic smoothly. "Anyway, how many seedlings did you find after a few days, Teacher Ling? Surely there are a few exceptional candidates?"
Ruo Ling knew that Han Yuan was changing the topic, but chose not to call him out. "Well, besides you and your sisters, I discovered some other talents from Soaring Wind Dojo, Thunder Sword School, and, surprisingly, the Xiao Clan."
Han Yuan raised an eyebrow. "Who... Oh, it must be Xun'er."
"Oh, you know who it is?" Ruo Ling was surprised.
Han Yuan scratched his head awkwardly. "Well, if there's one talented member of the Xiao Clan I know, besides the one I defeated, it must be Xun'er. We're pretty close."
This time, it was Ruo Ling's turn to be speechless. 'What do you mean by pretty close? I take my word back—you, Playboy! All the good girls in this city are 'actually' taken by you!'
"Hmph, I'm leaving!" Ruo Ling pouted, reaching for the door.
Han Yuan watched her and gently shook his head. "Teacher Ling, you seem to forget that we're living under the same roof; you're only leaving to stay in a room a few steps from mine."
Ruo Ling flushed at Han Yuan's 'living under the same roof' words. It felt ambiguous for some reason.
Like an annoyed girlfriend or wife, she decisively left the room. "I'm not listening to your excuses anymore, you little scoundrel!"
As she walked away, Han Yuan chuckled, but soon stopped. He swept his hair back and called out, "What do you think, Yixian? My acting is pretty good, right?"
Xiao Yixian emerged from the shadow of the room with a grin. "Your skills are indeed excellent, brother. I started to doubt whether you're really a Playboy. Who in their right mind would flirt—no, seduce—a teacher he just met like that? You're too good at this!"
"I think Teacher Ling is right, you really will charm all the girls under the sky."
Han Yuan choked on air after hearing that. "Cough! Give your brother some credit. I am doing my best not to overstep her boundary."
"Also, I don't charm just anyone!" he added confidently.
"Don't slander me. I have refined taste."
Xiao Yixian rolled her eyes. "Heh, Teacher Ruo Ling is still beautiful—just the type of older sister and strict teacher you like. You definitely have your evil hands all over her soon."
"Hmph, then let's see if these evil hands can harm you." Han Yuan made a hand gesture as he playfully tickled Xiao Yixian.
"Brother, please, stop!" That night, Xiao Yixian realized her brother's evil hands were something she couldn't handle alone.
---
Ruo Ling rushed to her guest room and blocked the door with her body as she pressed her hands against her chest. She sighed, "That boy is very dangerous."
"How can he do that to a poor single woman like me?"
'Even then, I am happy that I can communicate with such a genius this way because we are not fated together. Although we currently still have some connections, we might become people from two different worlds in the future.' Ruo Ling bitterly thought to herself.
Ruo Ling knew that Jia Nan Academy was just a starter springboard for Han Yuan. With his monstrous strength, he would enter the Central Region sooner or later, making a legend for himself.
How could she, a mere Dou Grandmaster, stand beside such a bright light?
Still, Ruo Ling wasn't disappointed because this was good enough. It was shallow, but she had made a favorable impression on Han Yuan.
Han Yuan might not recognize her anymore in the future, but she at least can brag that she recruited him into the Jia Nan Academy.
"For now..." Ruo Ling stayed optimistic and then pulled out a secret letter from her pocket, which she had received from the academy.
After meeting Han Yuan and personally witnessing his monstrous talents, she has reported her findings to the Outer Court Elders.
The response is clear and short: recruit Han Yuan at all costs!
Since Han Yuan's background is 'clear' and not affiliated with any 'bad' faction, Jia Nan Academy was more than happy to accept him.
Outer Court Elders also warned Ruo Ling to take strong precautions when returning to the academy because some people might catch the news that they had recruited a super genius.
After all, their Jia Nan Academy is not without enemies. People from the Black Corner Region are still hostile and covet them to this very day.
"The fastest route to the Peace Town is through the south of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, entering the Tager Desert, and then we can travel to the border of Black Corner Region before the academy sends Gryphons to fetch us."
Ruo Ling clenched her hands tightly as she walked to the window and saw the bright moon in the starry night, determinedly, "I won't let such a genius fall!"
---
---
At the entrance of Wu Tan City, a crowd of residents had gathered to see Han Yuan off.
Among them were familiar faces, such as the butcher uncle and the herbal store lady, who interacted with Han Yuan regularly before he became a disciple of Meng Xi.
"Wow, the people in the city really love him, huh?" Xue Ni remarked as she stood in the Jia Nan Academy's caravan. Beside her, Xiao Yu gazed at the crowd with an astonished expression.
Xiao Yu smiled bitterly, "It seems the Xiao Clan and Xiao Yan are really at fault."
Xue Ni considered sharing what Xiao Yu's grandfather had said about Han Yuan spreading kindness, possibly acting out of a desire for favor, but ultimately decided against it. Instead, she spoke from the heart.
After all, she remembered Xiao Tianbe's comment, or perhaps his true feelings about Han Yuan: 'So what if it was fake? What matters is that he did it, and it made people happy!'
'Some people preach about justice and kindness but never take action themselves,' Xue Ni reflected calmly. 'At least in this chaotic world, where everything is not always black and white, Han Yuan is already a kindhearted person.'
'That is more than enough...'
"Look, Han Yuan is here!" someone pointed out on the street.
Everyone turned to see Han Yuan walking alongside Xiao Yixian and Qing Lin. He calmly greeted a few people with a smile and then waved to the rest of the crowd.
Dressed in a dark blue martial robe, Han Yuan wore an additional white-azure cloak that featured the Soaring Wind Dojo logo. He looked incredibly handsome and dashing.
Ruo Ling spotted Han Yuan and his younger sisters and smiled, "Ah, our main star is finally here. I thought you forgot."
Han Yuan responded playfully, "How could I forget after such a beautiful teacher like Teacher Ling reminded me last night?"
"Hmph, you!" Ruo Ling felt her cheeks warm.
Xiao Yu walked shyly to Ruo Ling's side and greeted Han Yuan, "M-Morning, Han Yuan."
Han Yuan smiled at Xiao Yu, "Morning, Young Lady Yu."
"Young Lady..." Xiao Yu fidgeted with her fingers. "You can just call me Xiao Yu. Being referred to as a Young Lady makes me feel awkward."
"Then, Xiao Yu," Han Yuan nodded in understanding.
"Morning, Xun'er," he said, glancing at Gu Xun'er, who had somehow appeared behind Xiao Yu.
Gu Xun'er smiled brightly, "Mm."
Observing this interaction, Ruo Ling shook her head helplessly. "Now that everyone is here, let's move on."
"Ah, before that, Teacher Ling," Han Yuan raised his hand. "Let me say something to the people of Wu Tan City first."
Ruo Ling was confused but allowed him to proceed.
Han Yuan turned to face the residents of Wu Tan City and bowed slightly to them. "I, Han Yuan, am grateful for all your assistance over the last seven years."
"Back then, my sister and I were just pitiful orphans."
"A brother from the city guard provided us with advice."
"Uncle Butcher gave us extra food."
"The Herbal Store Lady helped me obtain rare medicinal herbs for my cultivation..."
"And many others also supported my sister and me during our time in Wu Tan City."
"That's why, everyone, thank you! Thank you for helping us!"
"I won't forget this favor! Remember, if you ever face difficulties, you can reach out to the Soaring Wind Dojo for help."
The residents of Wu Tan City were 'naturally' touched by Han Yuan's words.
Some felt regret for not having formed a connection with him or helped him in the past, but they were still happy to see this sensible child rise to prominence.
They couldn't even feel jealousy toward him.
"Han Yuan, take care!" someone shouted excitedly.
"Child, be careful!"
"Live well!"
"Protect your sister well, kid!"
"I wish you good luck on your journey!"
Countless warm responses echoed at the city's entrance, leaving Ruo Ling and the others stunned.
They solemnly stared at Han Yuan's broad back, gaining a deeper insight into his character.
Han Yuan stood tall again, smiled widely, and raised his hand. "Well then, everyone, farewell! If fate allows, let's meet again in the future!"
After saying that, Han Yuan gave Ruo Ling a nod, and everyone from the Jia Nan Academy proceeded to step out of Wu Tan City under the complex gazes of countless people.
Today, Wu Tan City's residents witnessed Han Yuan soaring to the sky like a bird leaving its nest, feeling somewhat bittersweet and proud of him.
They knew that the young man was going to make a name for himself on a bigger stage soon! His name and feat shall resound throughout the Dou Qi Continent!