Chapter 13

After making up his mind, Lin Feng’s thoughts raced: "Xiao Budian probably just encountered a small fry. Should I go back and find him, and eliminate him to prevent the Li Huo Sword Sect’s great cultivators from coming to look for trouble?"

After some thought, Lin Feng still gave up on the idea of going back to cause trouble. He had no idea if the red-robed youth was acting alone or if there were any companions nearby, so he decided not to take the risk.

Lin Feng tapped Xiao Budian’s head: "Brat, will you dare to run around recklessly again?" Xiao Budian scratched his head, embarrassed, and laughed.

Beyond the mountains, it was a vast plain. Lin Feng and his apprentice quickly arrived at Wuzhou City.

Walking down the streets of Wuzhou City, Lin Feng looked at the bustling crowds and smiled. He had been in this world for almost three months, and had been in the mountains all this time. It had been a long while since he had seen such a lively scene.

Three months... Lin Feng sighed slightly. A quarter of the mission time had already passed, and he had only completed a quarter of the mission. There was still a long way to go.

Lin Feng gathered his spirits and began asking people about the Xiao family.

Although Wuzhou City was located on the southeastern border of the Great Qin Dynasty, it was a major trade hub in the southeast. It was close to the Cangmang Mountains, where rare herbs and animal skins and bones were produced and gathered in Wuzhou City before being sold throughout the Great Qin Dynasty.

The Xiao family, from which Xiao Yan came, was a major force in Wuzhou City, controlling more than a third of the medicinal herb trade.

Of course, a local power like the Xiao family was incomparable to a behemoth like the Flowing Light Sword Sect. After Xiao Yan’s genius turned into a failure, it was no wonder that Murong Yanran, with the support of the sect, came to break off the engagement.

What Lin Feng was particularly interested in was whether anything significant had happened to the Xiao family recently and if any outsiders had approached them.

Upon hearing that Murong Yanran and her group had not yet arrived, Lin Feng was relieved, knowing he hadn’t come too late.

Ye Ge had been severely injured by the old peach tree after a fierce battle, and it would take a long time for him to recover. Murong Yanran would likely wait until Ye Ge’s injuries were mostly healed before coming to Wuzhou to break off the engagement.

At this moment, Lin Feng felt a bit anxious. If Ye Ge’s recovery took half a year or even a year, would he have to wait for him in Wuzhou City all that time?

"First, I need to find a chance to meet Xiao Yan in person and test him with the talent detector."

In Wuzhou City, Xiao Yan was already a celebrity.

He started cultivating at the age of eight, reached the fifth level of Qi Cultivation after one year, and achieved the Great Completion of Qi Cultivation at the age of twelve. Such a cultivation speed was unparalleled, not only in the Xiao family but also in Wuzhou City, and even throughout the Great Qin Dynasty.

Although the Xiao family was a cultivator family, they were just a local power in Wuzhou City, and the Dao techniques they practiced were only of third-rate quality. Xiao Yan’s remarkable achievements were already astounding, and if he practiced superior Dao techniques, his accomplishments would be even more limitless.

It was rumored that Xiao Yan’s fame even caught the attention of one of the three great holy sites, the Tai Xu Temple, which planned to send people to evaluate him and take him in as a disciple.

At that time, the young man was confident and had a bright future. Just before his thirteenth birthday, he was about to reach the Foundation Establishment stage, which many cultivators might never achieve in their lifetimes, and become a successor of a holy site, writing his own legend.

How spirited! How radiant!

But the situation took a sharp turn for the worse when Xiao Yan was twelve.

Xiao Yan, who had already reached the Great Completion of Qi Cultivation and had opened the twelve levels of meridians, suddenly lost all his magical power in a single day, and the previously opened acupoints began to close one by one.

The Great Completion of Qi Cultivation inexplicably regressed to the first level of Qi Cultivation, and Xiao Yan fell from the clouds to the bottom of the valley.

The Tai Xu Temple, which was supposed to send people to evaluate him, went silent, and the praise around him turned into sighs, and even malicious ridicule.

The entire Wuzhou City watched the former genius fall from his pedestal with pity.

After hearing Xiao Yan’s story, Xiao Budian, who was by Lin Feng’s side, looked gloomy: "He must have had a hard time."

"Yes, yes," Lin Feng responded indifferently, but his heart was boiling with excitement.

Damn, this is completely the template of a true protagonist!

It was obvious that there must be a hidden reason for Xiao Yan’s sudden transformation from a genius to a failure.

As the saying goes, there must be a low point before a high point. Without the current extreme suppression, how could there be an explosion?

And Murong Yanran’s visit to break off the engagement would be the tipping point. Once the engagement was broken, Xiao Yan would likely turn his fortunes around and embark on a golden path of great success and total dominance.

Lin Feng pondered, "There must be a reason for Xiao Yan’s transformation from a genius to a failure. This reason is often the golden finger that will help Xiao Yan rise in the future, in other words... my competitor."

Since Murong Yanran and her group had not yet arrived, Lin Feng still had time to make arrangements. He first found a place to stay in the city and settled Xiao Budian. Then, he went directly to the vicinity of the Xiao family’s mansion.

After wandering around for a few days, he neither saw Xiao Yan nor waited for Murong Yanran to arrive, which made him increasingly anxious.

Lin Feng considered going directly to the Xiao family and pretending to be a great master, taking Xiao Yan in before Murong Yanran broke off the engagement.

But there were many problems with this approach.

In a more mystical sense, without the event of breaking off the engagement, Xiao Yan’s destiny might not change.

In a more practical sense, without the event of breaking off the engagement, Xiao Yan’s desire for power would not be as urgent, and he would not be driven by the humiliation of being rejected and the anger it caused.

Unlike Xiao Budian, Xiao Yan was already a fifteen-year-old youth with basic judgment. If he were not taken in after being rejected and losing his composure, he might not be so easy to deceive.

After some thought, Lin Feng decided to wait for Murong Yanran to arrive before taking action.

Just as he was thinking, a system notification sounded in his mind: "Target detected, suitable to become the host’s personal disciple."

Lin Feng was taken aback: "Damn!" He quickly looked up and saw a black-clothed youth walking out of the Xiao family’s mansion.

The moment the black-clothed youth appeared, the street outside the mansion fell silent. Everyone’s eyes were on the black-clothed youth, and whispers began, clearly discussing him.

The youth had delicate features and a blank expression. Seeing the reactions of the people on the street, a hint of self-mockery appeared on his lips, but he continued walking forward.

Lin Feng’s gaze remained fixed on the black-clothed youth, and the system notification kept sounding in his mind.

"Talent system analysis complete. Target 2’s data as follows."

"Bone structure—>8; Insight—>9; Willpower—>9; Fortune—>8."

"Summary: The target has extremely high talent. It is recommended to take him in and teach him diligently, as he will surely become a pillar of the sect."

Lin Feng took a deep breath and smiled warmly, like the sun: "The second one!"

His eyes began to search Xiao Yan’s body. If there was a golden finger, for the sake of convenience, it would likely be a ring, bracelet, or necklace...

On his hand, nothing.

On his neck, yes, there was a string, and on the string were two rings, black and unremarkable.

Lin Feng touched his nose and laughed: "Sure enough, there are rings, and two of them. I bet there’s definitely an old man... grandpa... inside."

Wait, something seems off...

Two rings?

Damn, what’s going on?

Lin Feng’s eyes widened, and he stared blankly at the two rings hanging from Xiao Yan’s chest, swinging and clinking together with a low, crisp sound.