Chapter 206 - 188: Testing the Waters_2

Words : 1464 Updated : Oct 13th, 2025

Chapter 206: Chapter 188: Testing the Waters_2 Ma Kong is the youngest son, and although his elder brother was supposed to be the heir, the two of them shared a close relationship. This gave Ma Kong more power than a younger brother would normally possess. Compared to Ma Kong, the information about Gao Yan wasn’t as captivating, but the strength he commanded was no less formidable. Gao Yan came from one of the poorer districts of Liluo City and attended one of the martial arts schools established by Lord Rong Liang since childhood. Gao Yan had a grand dream of lifting his family out of poverty and becoming aristocrats. Initially, other commoners mocked him, but after his talents were noticed, he became friends with the Rong twins, and others began to hope they could change their futures as well. Most of the students at the martial arts school followed any command issued by Gao Yan. Not all martial arts students reached the appropriate cultivation level to join the Royal Art Academy. For those who didn’t qualify, many had already begun integrating into ordinary civilian lives within the city. Still, they adhered to Gao Yan, who had built an incredible information network spanning the city. Some of his former classmates worked as servants in noble households, while others became carpenters or farmers, but one thing remained certain: all the information they collected made its way directly to Gao Yan. Deng Wu was regarded throughout the academy as a playful and carefree character. Rarely seen as serious, he was universally well-liked by nearly everyone who knew him. The Deng Family held Deng Wu in high regard, and this made Yan Xiaobao suspect that Deng Wu had secrets far beyond what he initially imagined. If Deng Wu had an extraordinary cultivation talent, it would explain why his family treasured him so deeply. Yet, his cultivation abilities displayed at the academy were merely above average. Clearly, this cunning nature was something Yan Xiaobao could not underestimate. Rong Ming was considered the central figure in this small group. Destined to be the next City Lord, he worked hard to fulfill this expectation. At the Royal Art Academy, he had a stellar reputation, refusing to tolerate bullying or condone nobles looking down on commoners. However, his views provoked opposition from certain nobles. As a result, a faction of young aristocrats within the school actively tried to undermine Rong Ming. Rong Xing was pragmatic. She would record every piece of information Gao Yan provided, carefully weighing its importance. Deng Wu chose to align with this group rather than any other noble faction because of her. She knew how to leverage every piece at her disposal, and to Yan Xiaobao, Rong Xing seemed to be the strongest in their team—at least as long as he didn’t factor in Deng Wu. The noble faction opposing Rong Ming was led by Deng Wu’s cousin, Deng Led. Although the two clashed frequently in their opposing groups, Deng Led never insulted Deng Wu. Luckily, Liluo City was considered a peaceful place. Despite gathering many different factions, none openly expressed dissatisfaction toward the current City Lord. Though conflicts arose among the children, they were limited to disputes between students at the Royal Art Academy, as one might expect. Last night, before classes began, Yan Xiaobao finally felt a sense of relief. It had taken all his acting skills to gather the information he needed, but he was ultimately satisfied with the results. Gazing at the star-filled night, Xu Yue couldn’t help but reflect on how much his life had changed. This new Chapter was far more exhilarating than anything he’d experienced before. "Tomorrow, we’re going to search for the medicinal medicine’s location," Lan Feng said with a grin. "We need to accelerate your training, or I won’t get revenge for my opponent dying of old age." Xu Yue woke up in his new home, allowing himself a few extra minutes of rest. The bed in this small house was evidently stuffed with feathers. Its softness was unlike anything Yan Xiaobao had ever encountered before. The blanket, woven with the finest threads, was softer than any old burlap sacks he had known that scratched and irritated his skin. After a few minutes of rest, Yan Xiaobao sighed deeply and forced himself out of the bed’s warmth. Today was an important day—his first day of class. Yan Xiaobao wondered whether Lan Feng’s explanations would surpass his own or if the academy held new discoveries about the art of cultivation. After all, everything Yan Xiaobao relied on had already existed for over four thousand years. Yan Xiaobao quickly washed his face, put on yet another set of tattered clothes, and strolled toward the nearest dining hall. Dining halls were scattered among the courtyards atop the mountain peaks, ensuring there was enough space for all the students to dine at once. The menu was always the same, but since there were multiple dining halls, none ever became overly crowded. Early that morning, Yan Xiaobao hadn’t expected anyone to be eating in the dining hall. He was surprised to find several students already having breakfast. It was Yan Xiaobao’s first time dining alone, as he usually got picked up by friends early in the morning and was forced to eat with them. As soon as the white-haired boy entered the dining hall, the student groups erupted into conversation. Most of the students openly stared at Yan Xiaobao, blatantly discussing him without hiding it. These were mainly commoner students, excited about starting their first day at the Royal Art Academy and unable to sleep, or they were those accustomed to waking up early from their younger years. Yan Xiaobao wasn’t the only one who felt this was a new beginning. Recalling past days when he had been observed by others, he noticed the looks were no longer cast by infatuated girls. Rather, the stares came from children who seemed to think he was some kind of monster. "I heard he angered Wang Julong because he was called effeminate," one male student said loudly enough for Yan Xiaobao to hear. All Yan Xiaobao could do in response was sigh as he listened to other comments about his appearance, making it clear that people had to ensure they never insult him. Yan Xiaobao passed by this group quickly, noting how their expressions turned fearful as his gaze swept across their table. Yet, as he reached the next group, more gossip reached his ears—though this time with a different tone. "This is the first time I’ve seen him in person," one student said with reverence, while another proudly declared, "I saw him before, walking with Gao Yan and his group. I heard he defeated Wang Julong, so he definitely deserves a spot among Gao Yan’s group," the student said while looking at Xu Yue, as if he were some kind of hero. Yan Xiaobao quickened his pace to move past the other students as fast as possible and grabbed his standard breakfast in an area of the dining hall where no other students were sitting. While Yan Xiaobao ate, he couldn’t hear what the other students were saying, but he could still sense the obvious gazes directed his way. "Great," Yan Xiaobao thought with a sigh. "I feel like a monkey in a zoo." To his surprise, Lan Feng responded quickly: "Get used to it," he said with a smug expression, "To achieve our goals, you look different than anyone else, and you’ll have to continually leave them with a deep impression." "Shut up," Yan Xiaobao muttered sarcastically. Because of the soul contract he had with this cursed bird, his appearance had already changed, and the soul contract remained a taboo topic for Yan Xiaobao. "If you say this again," he threatened, "I’ll refuse to eat any sweets and swear to survive without them for three years." Lan Feng gasped, quickly retreating to the Dantian Cave. Sharing a body with Yan Xiaobao meant that Lan Feng felt everything Yan Xiaobao experienced. He tasted whatever Yan Xiaobao ate and went through the same physical challenges that Yan Xiaobao endured. Over the years, Lan Feng had developed a sweet tooth, enjoying cakes and candies brought by the Rong twins during visits. The academy dining hall also offered cakes, and Lan Feng had been ecstatic seeing them all. If Lan Feng controlled his own body, they would clearly gain noticeable weight. After Lan Feng retreated into the cave, Yan Xiaobao chuckled to himself, took a piece of cake, ate quickly, returned to his courtyard, gathered what he needed for his first day of lessons, and began heading toward the academy buildings perched atop the mountain peak. ... 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Chapter 206 - 188: Testing the Waters_2

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