Chapter 17: Wu Tan City, the Genius Dou Fighter!
Jia Ma Empire, Wu Tan City.
Over a rugged, timeworn stone road, a horse-drawn carriage bearing the banner of Wan Yao Pharmacy creaked along steadily, carrying with it a faint herbal fragrance. It passed stretches of grassland cleared by human hands, and aside from a few trees left to shade passersby, the surrounding mountainous road was sparsely populated with vegetation.
Qingshan Town wasn't far from Wu Tan City, but due to the twisting roads, the journey required several detours, ultimately consuming a good deal of time.
The Wan Yao Pharmacy's carriage wasn't traveling alone—it trailed behind a convoy of mercenaries.
That mercenary group was called the Lionheart Mercenary Corps, led by Lin Shi, a burly middle-aged man and a 5-Star Great Fighter, who had long-standing ties with Mr. Yao.
"Thank you, Captain Lin Shi, for escorting us all the way to Wu Tan City!" Mr. Yao expressed his gratitude as the road flattened near the city gates.
Meanwhile, Jiang Lin sat at the front of the carriage, leaning against the wooden wall, reins in hand, silently watching as a turn in the path brought Wu Tan City into view. Compared to Qingshan Town, Wu Tan was at least ten times larger, bustling with people and prosperity. It was one of the main human strongholds near the Magic Beast Mountain Range. Rumor had it that powerful cultivators like Dou Spirits and Dou Kings would occasionally appear here before entering the mountains to seek treasures.
Qingshan Town, by contrast, was just a small outpost established due to the geography. Most people there were mercenaries with few local residents, and the average combat level was higher.
"Mr. Yao is too polite. I was heading to Wu Tan City on business anyway and happened to run into you all in Qingshan—just coincidence. Besides, even if you'd traveled alone, wild beasts and bandits wouldn't be able to touch you," came a hearty voice from inside the carriage.
Jiang Lin had heard that Mr. Yao was a Great Fighter himself, though no one knew how many stars. Not that it mattered—no one in Qingshan Town was foolish enough to pick a fight with someone as respected as him.
Lin Shi and his team were from Black Rock City. Qingshan sat between Black Rock and Wu Tan, and though their corps was already well-established, they rarely appeared in Qingshan. Now they were expanding their reach.
Lin Shi, a cheerful and forthright man, escorted Mr. Yao's carriage all the way to an inn in Wu Tan City before departing.
Seeing that it was still early, Mr. Yao entrusted the carriage to an old acquaintance and took Jiang Lin—dressed in simple black robes—out to explore the city.
Wu Tan's marketplace was far livelier than Qingshan's. Even as the sky darkened, people lit lanterns and prepared for the night market.
Dressed in a plain green robe, Mr. Yao strolled with Jiang Lin, stopping frequently to inquire about the prices of magical beast materials and herbs. Along the way, they overheard quite a bit of gossip.
"Did you hear? The third son of the Xiao Clan—Xiao Yan—just broke through to the Dou Fighter realm at age eleven!"
"I know, right? Started cultivating at seven, and in just four years, he became a Fighter! Most kids his age are only at the second or third Dou Qi stage!"
"You think that Xiao kid's talent ranks among the best in the Jia Ma Empire?"
"Take out the question mark—Xiao Yan is definitely among the top! If he rises to fame one day, let's hope he won't forget us!"
"Shame he's already engaged. Otherwise, I'd say my daughter had a chance…"
"You mean your daughter who's 140 cm tall and weighs 140 pounds?"
"Hey! Don't insult my little angel! Duel me!"
Hearing such chatter, Mr. Yao stopped walking, turned to Jiang Lin, and said, "A genius like that—interested in getting to know him?"
"What if he's the arrogant type?" Jiang Lin replied. "Is Mr. Yao trying to get me slapped in the face on purpose?"
He didn't seem all that interested, but what did catch his attention was that this Xiao Yan was the same age as him. Four years to reach Fighter level? Jiang Lin did a quick estimate. If his pace held steady, he could break through in just two years. And if that was enough to rank among the top talents in the empire... then he probably didn't belong to this empire's "mortal" classification anymore.
Although Jiang Lin's behavior was sometimes affected by his young body's hormones, his soul was mature. He understood one thing well: local prodigies often had that "main character energy." The only question was whether they were the passive type… or the active kind.
Passive "main characters" were fine—don't provoke them, and they'd leave you alone.
But if you triggered the wrong flag, they'd combo you like it was a scripted boss fight.
Active ones, though? You could be hiding under a blanket, and they'd still rip it off, grab your collar, and slap you three times for no reason.
Innocent bystander (clutching blanket): Why?! Why slap my face?!
Arrogant genius protagonist: Sorry. If I don't slap someone daily, I explode.
"What you're saying makes sense," Mr. Yao nodded after thinking it over.
As a seasoned traveler, even he agreed—aloof and prideful was the norm for geniuses. The rare courteous ones were the true outliers.
"In that case, the Xiao Clan has been holding banquets for the young master these days. Since we're here, let's prepare a small gift tomorrow morning and swing by to make an appearance."
As he spoke, Mr. Yao squatted down to chat with a street vendor, purchasing a few Grade 1 magic cores as casually as if he were buying vegetables.
"I didn't think Mr. Yao would be so… upfront about working social connections. Hahaha." Jiang Lin laughed at how candid he was about "going to show face."
Under the soft orange glow of the lanterns, Mr. Yao and Jiang Lin exchanged smiles. Their long shadows stretched across the lively street.
"The jianghu… is all about building face one bit at a time," Mr. Yao said with a warm smile as he turned back toward the inn.
"Besides… I think Captain Lin Shi came for the same reason."
(END CHAPTER)
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