"I understand. I'll have them go over right away," Yuan Chenyang said gravely.
Only after the figure had receded into the distance did he speak. "That wily old fox, Zhang Hongbo... I wonder what he's planning now."
'So they really are going to search us,' Su Chen thought.
The two had established a tentative foundation of trust, so Su Chen seized the opportunity. "Teacher, there's obviously something wrong with Zhou Xian. When we were leaving the academy gates, he was clearly trying to hide something."
"So eager to make a move?" Yuan Chenyang said, annoyed. "Who do you think he is? Some random grunt? He's not that easy to deal with."
His little ploy having been seen through, Su Chen didn't feel the least bit awkward. He continued, "Doesn't the City Lord have some kind of hypnotic ability?"
"The City Lord's power cannot be used lightly. It causes immense mental damage and can't be used without concrete evidence. Besides, Zhou Xian is the Minister of Internal Affairs, appointed by Ying Feng..." Yuan Chenyang shook his head, then froze, his gaze turning suspicious as he looked at the pensive Su Chen.
'Where did this devilishly clever kid come from?'
His tone shifted. "Rest assured, you're my student now. He can't use it on you lightly, either."
The words had barely left his mouth when Yuan Chenyang clearly saw the surprise in Su Chen's eyes. He couldn't help but slam his hand on the table. "Do you take me for a fool?"
"Of course not! Your insight is heaven-sent," Su Chen said hurriedly.
"Enough..." Yuan Chenyang grunted and stood up. "I'm heading out. You two can go get checked later."
Watching Yuan Chenyang leave, he turned to her. "You're giving me that look again."
Meeting Su Chen's eyes, Bai Fengxi averted her gaze and said softly, "He's a good person. You don't have to be so tense."
"We're different," Su Chen said, shaking his head. He had been the one to seek them out, so it was only natural for him to take a more humble position.
"You've finally gotten your wish," Bai Fengxi said with a sigh. The Su Chen before her now was completely different from the one she remembered.
'Then again,' she thought, 'who isn't wearing a mask? Well... except for Xiao Gezi.'
"'Surviving in the cracks, clawing my way out of death's grasp...'" Su Chen's tone was calm. Then he changed the subject. "Right, Old Bai, what did the City Lord mean when he mentioned Black Tuo and the Deceitful God Sect?"
Bai Fengxi considered this for a moment before explaining, "Black Tuo is one of the Deceitful Gods."
Before Su Chen could even ask what a "Deceitful God" was, she continued her explanation. "Deceitful Gods are powerful entities that possess unimaginable strength. By making sacrifices to them, people can gain extraordinary abilities."
"But it also gradually drives those who come into contact with them insane, to the point where they turn on their own family and friends."
'So it's just an evil cult,' Su Chen realized.
"Are they the ones responsible for the mist?" Su Chen asked after a moment's thought.
"I don't think I've ever heard that..." Bai Fengxi shook her head.
"Then when did the mist first appear?" Su Chen pressed.
"I don't know about that. It's been around for so long that everyone's just used to it now."
Su Chen nodded thoughtfully. It seemed Bai Fengxi didn't know much either.
"By the way, what are you supposed to call me now?" A mischievous glint appeared in Bai Fengxi's eyes.
"Er..." Su Chen, unabashed, immediately called out, "Senior Sister."
A strange, unreadable smile finally broke through the usual placid calm of Bai Fengxi's face. "Who told you I was Yuan Chenyang's student?"
"You're... not his student?" Su Chen was genuinely stunned.
Bai Fengxi stated with a touch of pride, "Yuan Chenyang is my senior apprentice-brother. He accepted me as a student on behalf of Teacher Dai."
"Huh?" Su Chen was truly shocked.
Watching Su Chen's reaction, the corners of Bai Fengxi's mouth curled up in a silent smile. "This is a secret. Other than you, only the City Lord knows."
......
"...A single, fatal blow..." Zhang Hongbo said, bent over and examining the wounds on the lion's corpse.
The bodies hadn't been dismembered yet, so the tiny wound on its skull was clearly visible.
"Ye-yes," Hu Xiang said nervously from behind him. "Brother Su Chen... the technique he used must be incredible. That's why he was charging up his power at the start of the attack."
"Incredible indeed..." Zhang Hongbo straightened up, a half-smile on his face. "Charging up?"
Hu Xiang kept his head down, but the next question made his blood run cold.
"During the battle, you said you would give Su Chen 'an explanation.' What kind of explanation?" Zhang Hongbo's tone was flat, but Hu Xiang felt as if he had been plunged into an icy abyss. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Old Zhao standing nearby.
'Colluding with outsiders to harm the academy's students... That's one of the City Lord's greatest taboos.'
"Th-this..." Hu Xiang's scalp went numb, and the feeling of being plunged into an icy abyss returned.
"You performed your duty in protecting him, and Su Chen's words exonerated you. You, in turn, spoke up for him. Your merits and demerits cancel each other out. This matter is now closed," Zhang Hongbo said coolly.
CLANK--
Hu Xiang immediately dropped to one knee, like a drowning man scrambling onto shore. The relief of having survived the ordeal made his voice tremble. "Th-thank you, Lord City Lord."
"Thank yourself." Zhang Hongbo walked past him, approaching Yuan Chenyang.
"This student of yours... he's really something," he said, pointing at the pile of lion corpses in admiration. "Twelve Tier One Mutant Species and fifteen ordinary ones, all killed with a single strike. The entire battle took less than ten minutes."
'He's that strong?'
Yuan Chenyang was shocked as well. He didn't know the details of the fight.
He had assumed it was a hard-fought victory achieved with the help of the City Patrol Guards. He never imagined it was all Su Chen's doing. 'Is his Profession really that powerful?'
"Su Chen's Talent is quite good. I'm taking special care to cultivate it," he said, his face unreadable.
Zhang Hongbo asked nonchalantly, "It seems to be one of the Physical Professions. What's his Talent level? Brass? Or Canyin?"
Yuan Chenyang's expression remained unchanged. "Canyin."
"A future pillar of our Southwind City..." A glint flashed in Zhang Hongbo's eyes as he sighed with emotion.
Unwilling to dwell on the topic of Su Chen, Yuan Chenyang changed the subject. "City Lord, what's to be done about Zhou Xian?"
"Deal with him?" Zhang Hongbo frowned. "Have you found any evidence?"
"No," Yuan Chenyang said, shaking his head.
Zhang Hongbo said, displeased, "If the son wasn't involved, why are you so certain the father is? What kind of father would use his own son to transport something so important?"
"I understand," Yuan Chenyang nodded, as if he had expected as much.
Zhang Hongbo sighed. "Ying Feng's envoy will be here any day now. We're colleagues. We need to help each other out."
Yuan Chenyang said nothing, then changed the subject again. "Why the sudden body search? Has something new been discovered?"
"Zhou Xian thinks that if Tang Chen was one of them, there's no guarantee there aren't other Believers in the group. He wants a thorough search," Zhang Hongbo explained briefly.
"Is that all?" Yuan Chenyang frowned.
Zhang Hongbo shot him a look. "Four months ago, we received an investigative request from Yun Lan. They lost three Space Crystals, and a lead suggested the crystals ended up here."
"Didn't we already look into that?" Yuan Chenyang was aware of the incident.
Zhang Hongbo gazed out at the bustling camp. "But what if? If they were willing to move the Holy Word Stone, why not the Space Crystals?"
...…
Long lines formed in the camp, men and women separated. Members of the Explorer Guard conducted a thorough "inspection," while other figures moved silently through the tents.
It involved stripping down and being scanned by some kind of device. Soon it was Su Chen's turn, and nothing unusual was found.
"Nothing abnormal at all?" Zhou Xian listened to the Explorer Guard's report, a muscle in his cheek twitching.
Zhang Hongbo shook his head, his voice tinged with disappointment. "Let's head back."
With everything packed up, the group set off on their return journey. Escorted by one of Southwind City's top figures, the trip back was naturally uneventful.
...
「Three days later.」
"We're finally back." Su Chen gazed at the magnificent city walls ahead as cheers erupted all around him.
The group had swelled in size, and accommodating all the students had added several days to their journey.
He hadn't been idle, though. With Yuan Chenyang's endorsement, he had been training constantly on the way back and had used up all of his Black Flame Potion.
[Molten Stone Refining Technique — Mastery: 10%]
[Sky Splitter Warrior: 36%]
Zhang Hongbo granted them a three-day leave, which sent the other students cheering as they dispersed on their own.
Hu Xiang spoke with him, promising to go back, calculate the value of the Cyan Scale Lions, and send him the money after the proper procedures were completed.
The news of the students' return immediately caused quite a stir. The patrol had been unusually short, and the fact that the City Lord himself had accompanied them back only fueled the speculation.
Many well-informed individuals immediately began making inquiries, trying to figure out exactly what had transpired.
...…
"What the hell do I even pay you for?!"
In the room, Zhou Xian's eyes were bloodshot. Zhou Zhong's body lay on a metal platform, the missing half of his head a gruesome, eye-catching detail.
"You're telling me that Su Chen is a refugee?!"
Kneeling on the floor, Qi Chuan was drenched in a cold sweat. He still had no idea what was going on. The moment he was summoned, he was met with the sight of Zhou Zhong's corpse and a furious Zhou Xian.
Zhou Xian's voice was raspy. "Qi Chuan, you have gravely disappointed me this time."
"Sir?" A jolt of fear went through Qi Chuan. He asked cautiously, "Could you please tell me... what exactly happened?"
"Su Chen killed twelve Tier One Cyan Scale Lions in under ten minutes."
"How is that possible!" Qi Chuan cried out, his face a mask of shock. "He's just a refugee! How could he possibly..."
"And you still say he's a refugee!" Zhou Xian roared, cutting him off. Crackling arcs of electricity filled the air. "He... He is Yuan Chenyang's student!"
"That old bastard must have found a clue somewhere and had Su Chen lie low within the City Patrol Guard team."
"Zhou Zhong's death... he must have had something to do with it!"
'Su Chen is Yuan Chenyang's student?'
Qi Chuan was completely bewildered. He couldn't believe the situation had changed so drastically just from a single trip outside the city.
Zhou Xian looked down at Qi Chuan, his voice cold. "I want to know everything. Everything about him. This is your last chance."
A shadow fell over Qi Chuan. Steeling himself, he replied, "Please rest assured, my lord. I will give you the answers you seek!"