Chapter 70: Jia Nan Academy's Enrollment
Clang!
Weapons hit the ground. The mercenaries of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group began dropping their weapons and raising their hands in surrender.
No joke—both their leader and deputy had been instantly slain. This handsome young man's strength clearly far exceeded theirs. He was now unrivaled in Qing Shan Town. Who would dare provoke someone like that unless they had a death wish?
Seeing that everyone wisely surrendered, Xiao Yuan didn't press further. After a brief sweep of his gaze, he lightly leapt into the air, and his parting words drifted on the wind:
"Members of the Blood Battle Mercenary Group will come to take over. If you're willing to work for me, stay. If not, leave—I won't pursue it."
Hearing this, the group exchanged silent glances... but not a single one left.
At dawn, as the first rays of sunlight bathed the land, the Blood Battle Mercenary Group's leader, Fei Lei, awoke from sleep and slowly opened his eyes.
He sat up—and suddenly froze.
Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a white silhouette!
An illusion? A dream?
He rubbed his eyes, then spotted Xiao Yuan calmly drinking tea at the table beside him. His heart trembled.
To sneak in completely undetected… this man's strength clearly far surpassed his own!
But since he hadn't been killed, there was still room to talk.
After a moment of thought, Fei Lei smiled and said, "May I ask what brings you here, friend? Is there something the Blood Battle Mercenary Group can do for you?"
"Heh, this visit won't trouble you, Leader Fei Lei. In fact, it should be good news for your entire mercenary group."
Xiao Yuan replied with a calm smile.
"Please, do tell."
Fei Lei's eyes sparkled as he looked at Xiao Yuan attentively.
"My name is Xiao Yuan, third young master of the Xiao Clan of Wu Tan City. Though perhaps you know me better by another name—Yuan Xiao."
Xiao Yuan spoke slowly and deliberately.
"Xiao Yuan… Wu Tan City… Yuan Xiao…"
Fei Lei's expression shifted. After a moment's thought, his eyes widened in shock and he cupped his hands respectfully. "No wonder your name seemed familiar when I saw the bounty notice! So you're Wu Tan City's 'Elegant Prince with the Jade Face'!"
Pfft!
Xiao Yuan spat out his tea.
"'Elegant Prince with the Jade Face'? Who came up with that nickname?"
He twitched slightly at the corner of his eye.
"Seems you've underestimated your fame in this region, Young Master Xiao! I'd heard of your handsome appearance, but I never expected your strength to be this formidable too."
Fei Lei replied with a warm smile, clasping his hands again.
"I'm here to expand my family's influence. The three-way standoff among Wu Tan City's major clans is over. The city now belongs entirely to the Xiao Clan. I came to propose a cooperation."
Xiao Yuan's tone became serious again.
"How do you intend to cooperate?"
Fei Lei nodded respectfully.
"I'll send someone later with the details. For now, I just need the Blood Battle Mercenary Group to become the dominant force in Qing Shan Town."
Xiao Yuan's fingers tapped lightly on the table.
Fei Lei frowned slightly. The leaders of the other two groups weren't easy to deal with...
"Mu She and Gan Mu are already dead. Just go take over the Wolf Head Mercenaries. Their storage rings are under your pillow—the contents are my greeting gift."
Xiao Yuan stood up and turned to the door.
"I have other matters and will be away for a while. When I return, I hope to see results."
He pushed open the door with a faint smile.
"Farewell, Leader Fei Lei!"
With that, Purple Cloud Wings burst from his back, and he soared into the sky.
"D-Dou Wang?!"
Fei Lei stared wide-eyed at the wings. His jaw nearly hit the floor.
But the aura Xiao Yuan emitted—though powerful—wasn't quite that of a Dou Wang… which confused him even more.
They were indeed the wings of a Dou Technique… But Fei Lei had never seen one before. He decided to stop thinking about it altogether.
"Men!"
A moment later, Fei Lei stepped outside and bellowed.
He had to see what the current state of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group was.
—
Wu Tan City. Central Plaza.
One day prior, Jia Nan Academy's enrollment team had arrived in Wu Tan City. Though stationed there, the enrollment scope covered surrounding cities as well.
So despite the plaza's vastness, it was packed shoulder to shoulder.
The air buzzed with noise as countless youths tried to squeeze inward.
Though the City Lord's guards had been deployed to maintain order, the scene remained chaotic.
Xiao Yan frowned at the sea of people and sighed in frustration.
It didn't look like he'd be able to get tested today.
Worse still, Third Brother hadn't returned yet. Although the academy would remain in Wu Tan for several days, missing the window would be troublesome.
Beside him, Xiao Yu wore a similar expression. Her brows were furrowed and her face tense.
"Forget it, I'll take you in first. If Xiao Yuan comes back later, I'll take him to see Instructor Ruo Lin."
After a moment, Xiao Yu shook her head and addressed Xiao Yan, Xun'er, Xiao Mei, and Xiao Ning.
"Follow me."
She led them to the rear of the plaza, where layers of fully armed guards stood in formation. Cold weapons gleamed under the morning sun.
Approaching alone, Xiao Yu pulled out a green badge and quietly spoke with a military officer. After a short exchange, she waved the others over.
The officer's sharp eyes scanned the group, and after a long moment, he waved his hand and shouted:
"Let them through!"
With the order, the iron wall of guards shifted with the clatter of armor, opening a path just wide enough for a person.
"Let's go."
Xiao Yu smiled and waved.
Xiao Yan was just about to step forward when he suddenly stopped, glancing over his shoulder.
Xiao Yuan hadn't arrived yet, but his voice came first—bright and familiar:
"Xiao Yu-jie, not going to wait for me?"
(END CHAPTER)
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