Several hours earlier, at the Ling Mansion, the two Maids, Chunlan and Qiuyue, were reporting to Lord Ling Tianxiao and Lady Ling about what Ling Xiao had been up to lately.
Lady Ling smiled at times and looked surprised at others as she listened. When she heard that Ling Xiao had decided to duel Wulan Tuo, a Tier Nine Sword Attendant, the color drained from her face, and her eyes filled with worry.
Chunlan quickly smiled and said, "Don't worry, My Lady. The Young Master has already defeated that ungentlemanly lout, Wulan Tuo!" Speaking of the Young Master's victory, both Chunlan and Qiuyue wore proud expressions.
Chunlan then recounted the duel between Ling Xiao and Wulan Tuo in vivid detail.
When she mentioned that Ling Xiao had two second-tier Enchanted Swords, even General Ling Tianxiao was moved. 'How could that rascal be so lucky?' he thought. 'To have two girls gift him swords! That girl from the Xie Family, on the other hand, is completely blind!'
After Chunlan and Qiuyue finished their story, both General Ling Tianxiao and Lady Ling fell silent. They never imagined their son could quietly defeat a Sword Attendant four tiers higher than himself! What was even more astonishing was that a Tier Five Sword Attendant could dodge a skill unleashed by a Third-tier Enchanted Sword... It seemed a little too incredible!
Even with that Third-tier Enchanted Sword in the hands of a Tier Nine Sword Attendant, it was hard to imagine how Ling Xiao had managed to dodge it.
"Could it be that my slap knocked some sense into him?" General Ling Tianxiao muttered to himself.
"Oh, shut up!" Lady Ling shot her husband a glare. 'I haven't even settled the score with you for that, and you're already trying to take credit?' Chunlan and Qiuyue lowered their heads, looking like they wanted to laugh but didn't dare.
"What happened then? Wasn't Xiao'Er injured?" Lady Ling didn't care what sword techniques her son had mastered; she only wanted to know where he was and if he was all right. When she heard that Ling Xiao had been injured by a mysterious old man named Hai Tian, who had interfered with the duel, Lady Ling turned to Ling Tianxiao, her voice a mixture of anxiety and anger. "Husband, can just anyone come and bully our Ling Family now?"
Ling Tianxiao was also a bit surprised to hear the name Hai Tian, and a reminiscent look appeared on his face. However, he was more concerned with something Chunlan and Qiuyue had just said.
His son had told Hai Tian: "Don't you die too quickly!"
What did this mean? It meant his son had tremendous self-confidence! For someone who was once a listless, good-for-nothing, what could be more gratifying than seeing him strive forward again?
He then heard Chunlan and Qiuyue say that Ling Xiao now exercised for a long time every morning, and his physical condition was much better than before. Ling Tianxiao was deeply gratified.
"The Young Master is currently recovering at Teacher Shangguan's place, My Lady. Teacher Shangguan's concern for the Young Master seems to be..." Chunlan trailed off, her eyes darting about playfully.
But Lady Ling understood. She knew that Shangguan Yutong and her own daughter, Ling Su, were very close, but her actions toward Ling Xiao—lending him a precious Enchanted Sword, rushing forward to shield him during danger, and immediately taking him away to recuperate after his injury—went beyond mere friendship. Although she was Ling Xiao's teacher and like an older sister to Ling Su, this level of care clearly showed her special favor for Ling Xiao.
Lady Ling did not yet know that the Fine Willow Sword had already been gifted to Ling Xiao; otherwise, she would have been even more convinced that something was going on between her son and Teacher Shangguan.
Suddenly, someone outside announced that a letter had arrived, sent by order of the Third Young Master.
"Xiao'Er sent this?" Lady Ling stood up and took the letter. After reading a few lines, her elegant, crescent-like brows furrowed. She pressed a hand to her forehead and slowly sat back down, repeating, "Nonsense. That child, Xiao'Er... This... isn't this just utter nonsense!"
Seeing her husband's confused look, Lady Ling helplessly handed the letter to Ling Tianxiao. But after reading it, Ling Tianxiao burst out laughing and exclaimed, "Excellent! Excellent! Now that's my son! He's got guts! How damn satisfying! Let's see who dares say our Ling Family is three tigers and a dog now! From this day on, the Ling Family has gained another tiger!"
As it turned out, the letter from Ling Xiao clearly explained the feud between him and Wulan Tuo, analyzed Wulan Tuo's motives, and then suggested that Ling Tianxiao could use this opportunity to cause trouble for the Wulan Clan and extort some benefits. Ling Xiao even directly mentioned that the Wulan Family's weapon shop sold some good items.
In fact, Ling Xiao had stumbled upon the Wulan Family's weapon shop by chance while preparing supplies for his adventure. He had seen the high-quality Fine Iron Chain Armor and knew it would be excellent protection for the soldiers on the border. Unfortunately, the Empire's military budget was limited, and this type of armor, which started at over a hundred Gold Coins, was more often bought by the children of minor nobles to show off.
Ling Xiao had written that the Wulan Family would surely have to swallow this loss in silence. In doing so, the scandal he had brought upon his own family would be overshadowed by Ling Tianxiao going after the Wulan Clan. Ling Xiao just hadn't expected this brute of a father of his to be so savage as to take his men and smash the Wulan Clan's century-old establishment to pieces.
Finally, Ling Xiao wrote that he was going out to search for the medicinal herbs to unblock his Celestial Vein, and he told his parents not to worry. He swore he would return, and he would return stronger. Therefore, Ling Xiao pleaded in the letter that even if his father encountered that old villain Hai Tian, he should not kill him. He was to be left for Ling Xiao to take revenge with his own hands!
This was what gratified Ling Tianxiao the most. His son had truly matured, had grown up! With such intelligence, so what if he couldn't unblock his Celestial Vein? Wasn't Elder Chancellor Constant a Celestial Vein Master? And who dared to say a single bad word about him?
A man, even if his body is weak, must never lose the heart of a champion!
And so, thrilled by his son's growth, Ling Tianxiao directly led his men to empty out one of the Wulan Family's weapon shops. They took far more than just two hundred sets of high-quality Fine Iron Chain Armor; there were also high-grade weapons like refined steel swords. Of course, compared to the Fine Iron Chain Armor, those were nothing. Ling Tianxiao would certainly never admit he was robbing them, because he paid. One Silver Coin per set. For two hundred sets, he paid a grand total of two Gold Coins!
This was no small sum, mind you. Two whole Gold Coins! Enough for a common family to live comfortably for a month or two!
...
After returning the Red Flame Sword to Yisha early on, Ling Xiao bid his farewells and left. Yisha didn't think he would leave the academy just yet, since his injuries hadn't fully healed. 'I should make some nutritious food for Brother Ling Xiao and bring it to him tomorrow,' she thought.
Early the next morning, Ling Xiao got up and went out. For the price of one Silver Coin, he found an idle shop assistant and paid him to deliver a letter he had written to the General's Mansion in a few hours. Afterward, he headed straight for the inn where he was to meet Wang Chao.
Ling Xiao was handsomely dressed and good-looking, but the Fine Willow Sword in his hand, which at first glance looked like a wooden stick, cheapened his appearance. Walking through this poor district, he attracted many curious glances.
Ling Xiao paid them no mind and went straight to the inn. When he entered, he found that everyone else had already arrived. He gave an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I'm late."
"Heh, not at all, not at all!" Wang Chao stood up with a broad smile and walked over to Ling Xiao's side, then suddenly let out a small "Huh?" His brow furrowed. "Brother Ling, you're injured?" He grabbed Ling Xiao's arm. "Who hurt you?" His voice carried a frigid, vicious tone, and his expression was furious.
A warmth spread through Ling Xiao's heart. "Brother Wang, it's nothing. Just a minor injury, it's almost healed. I'll take care of it myself in the future!"
Wang Chao paused for a moment, then let go of Ling Xiao. He clapped him on the shoulder a few times and laughed heartily. "Good man! You've got spirit! I believe in you!"
Anya's gaze toward Ling Xiao was still fervent; she was extremely interested in his skill with Golden Needle healing.
Gaia still wore his usual wide, goofy grin; he seemed like the type who never had a worry in the world. The handsome Tang Ming stared at the Fine Willow Sword in Ling Xiao's hand for a few extra moments, his face twitching slightly, but he said nothing.
Wu Liang's gaze toward Ling Xiao still held a faint trace of disdain. Ling Xiao's performance that day had certainly shocked him, but Wu Liang still believed that strength decided everything. Just like Wang Chao—now that his strength was restored, he was the boss!
Wang Chao glanced at everyone, taking in their expressions, then said in a low voice, "This mission is no different from the others. We have only one principle: Unity! We don't abandon any teammate! Only then can we overcome any difficulty. We say this every time we set out. Today, we have a new brother joining us. I know you might think Brother Ling isn't strong enough and will drag us down, but I'm telling you now, I will personally look after Brother Ling! The three of you just need to protect Anya!"
Anya was taken aback and looked at Ling Xiao with a touch of envy. 'To be protected by a Demon Swordsman... the danger would be greatly reduced. What good luck!'
"Alright, since no one has any objections, let's head out now!" Wang Chao declared, leading the group out of the inn.
The six of them hired a large horse-drawn carriage and galloped down the flat, straight official road, soon leaving the majestic Imperial Capital far behind them.
By evening, they arrived at Wutan Town, a large town with a population of over one hundred thousand, located three hundred li from the Imperial Capital.
Although they had a carriage, the better part of a day's travel left everyone a bit tired. Wang Chao said, "Let's find a place to rest. We can go out for a drink later to unwind, but everyone remember: don't cause any trouble!"