"Yu Yan, why did Vice Dean Jiang Jing come to see you?"
Xiao Wu, who had just returned with Bai Chenxiang from a bandit extermination mission for the Soul Master Guild, saw Vice Dean Jiang Jing leaving their residence from a distance. Curious about why the vice dean was there, she asked Yu Yan directly.
"The third request I made to the academy has finally been fulfilled. vice dean Jiang came to inform me and explain the timing for my meeting with Senior Dugu."
While pouring tea for Xiao Wu, Yu Yan informed her of the purpose behind Jiang Jing's visit.
"After four months, they finally fulfilled your request. Now can you tell me why you want to meet Dugu Bo?"
While marveling that the Exotic Beast Academy had finally completed Yu Yan's request, Xiao Wu asked the question that had been bothering her for a long time.
Before this, Xiao Wu had asked Yu Yan several times, but he always brushed her off, saying it wasn't appropriate to talk about it until it was done.
"Well... I can tell you a little bit. I want to exchange something for a treasure land from Dugu Bo—a place that will be of great benefit to us. Additionally, I want to gain Dugu Bo's friendship and assistance. I'll tell you the rest in detail after I succeed."
Being in a good mood, Yu Yan revealed a bit of information to Xiao Wu.
It was indeed Yu Yan's style not to speak of things before they were accomplished. Before securing the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, telling Xiao Wu about the benefits they could gain from it would have been nothing more than making empty promises.
"A treasure land that's of great benefit to us?"
Xiao Wu didn't understand what Yu Yan was talking about. What kind of treasure land? If Dugu Bo really had such a place, would he be willing to exchange it with Yu Yan?
"The situation is a bit complicated, but that's the gist of it. Anyway, I'll explain it to you in detail once I've secured that treasure land."
After finishing that topic, Yu Yan shifted the conversation to another matter:
"I will meet his grandfather, Dugu Bo, on Dugu Yan's birthday. Her birthday is January 24th of next year. There's no telling what might happen when facing a Titled Douluo, so Vice Dean Jiang Jing and I will go together. You should stay at the Exotic Beast Academy."
Dugu Bo was a Titled Douluo. No matter how weak people claimed he was, he was still a genuine Titled Douluo.
At present, Xiao Wu still couldn't meet with a Titled Douluo.
During this trip to Heaven Dou City, the two of them would have to be separated for a while.
"No problem, you go with the vice dean. That last trip to Dragon City exhausted me. This time, no matter what you say, I'm not going. I'm going to have a nice rest at the Exotic Beast Academy."
Knowing that she couldn't meet a Titled Douluo, Xiao Wu followed Yu Yan's lead and expressed her desire not to go to Heaven Dou City.
"Huh? If you're going to put it like that, I won't bring you a gift when I get back."
Yu Yan issued a threat of no gifts, which was super effective against Xiao Wu.
Xiao Wu grabbed Yu Yan's arm and acted cute, which was also super effective against Yu Yan, dealing a ton of damage... Time drifted along until mid-December. Yu Yan, Xiao Wu, and Bai Chenxiang were galloping across the Ice Soul Grassland when they arrived at the foot of a moderately tall mountain.
The three of them were here because they had taken on a bandit extermination mission that few people were willing to do.
This group of Bandits was one of the most cunning bandit groups on the Ice Soul Grassland.
They never robbed large merchant caravans, never took everything, never robbed the same caravan twice, never robbed powerful Spirit Masters, and they fled extremely quickly. With these traits, they had run rampant on the Ice Soul Grassland for over ten years.
Had they not provoked some ruthless people they shouldn't have this time, they might have continued to run rampant for decades more and never would have appeared on the Soul Master Guild's mission list until the day they died.
After learning about the Bandits' deeds, Yu Yan and Xiao Wu, who were quite chivalrous, took on the mission. Bai Chenxiang was the helper they recruited after losing the Bandits' trail.
The Speed Clan's combat performance was indeed mediocre, but they were unparalleled in intelligence gathering. Back then, over ninety percent of the Clear Sky Sect's intelligence was gathered by the Speed Clan.
As the granddaughter of the Speed Clan Chief, Bai Chenxiang had naturally learned some Tracking Techniques; she was certainly better at it than Yu Yan and Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Bai, are you sure those Bandits are up on this mountain?"
After tying up their rented horses, Yu Yan looked up at the mountain, which wasn't particularly tall, and turned to Bai Chenxiang in doubt.
Looking around, there was nowhere on the mountain to hide people, nor were there any signs of life. It seemed impossible for such a large group of Bandits to be hidden here.
Xiao Wu called Bai Chenxiang "Xiao Bai," and after hearing it for so long, Yu Yan had also started calling her that.
"I saw them hide inside the mountain through a Secret Passage with my own eyes. The passage has been specially treated; under normal circumstances, it's impossible to discover."
Bai Chenxiang, who was already used to being called that, answered Yu Yan's doubt and explained the Bandits' true hiding place.
"Hidden inside the mountain with a specially treated Secret Passage? No wonder Yu Yan and I searched this mountain twice and couldn't find where they were hiding." Xiao Wu clenched her fists indignantly and continued to complain, "They actually hollowed out the mountain just to hide? Couldn't they have used that effort for something productive?"
"Well..." Bai Chenxiang hesitated for a moment before voicing a doubt she hadn't quite figured out. "Yu Yan, Xiao Wu, that Secret Passage doesn't look like something Bandits could make. I seem to have seen that kind of technique somewhere before, but I can't remember exactly where."
Bai Chenxiang rubbed her temples, trying hard to recall the forgotten memory. Without any stimulation, no matter how hard she thought, she couldn't remember where she had seen it.
"Regardless of whether those Bandits made it or not, the most important thing right now is to deal with them. Xiao Wu and I are going in to exterminate them. Do you want to come inside with us or stay here?"
Among these Bandits, the one with the highest Spirit Power Level was only a Three-Ring Soul Venerable. Both Yu Yan and Xiao Wu were confident they could kill the Bandit Leader.
In the face of absolute crushing power, Yu Yan's way of thinking had become much simpler.
As for the potential dangers inside the mountain, Yu Yan had actually considered them. He felt that Bandits wouldn't likely set up highly dangerous traps in their own lair.
"I'll go in with you."
Bai Chenxiang thought about it and decided it would be safer to stay with Yu Yan and Xiao Wu. She didn't quite dare to act alone in the Bandits' territory.
Led by Bai Chenxiang, they came to a patch of ground on the mountainside that looked completely ordinary. After groping around on the ground for a while, Bai Chenxiang successfully found the switch for the entrance to the Secret Passage.
After pressing the extremely well-hidden entrance mechanism, a tunnel wide enough for one person appeared in the ground.
Yu Yan summoned his Frost Scale Armor to protect the vital parts of his body and took the lead into the tunnel to clear the way.