Chapter 40

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Chapter 40: The Foreboding of the Conflict

The exam was cut short due to the interference of the Six Great Families. Dean Kaga sent someone to fetch Mu Xiaofeng and the others from the Weapon Forest, allowing them to rest properly. Dean Kaga was aware of the situation, but he was powerless to prevent the actions of the Six Great Families. Despite their arrogance, the Six Great Families had to make sacrifices for it, and Mu Xiaofeng was uncertain how many more reprisals he might face from them in the future.

Mu Xiaofeng had been lying in bed for four whole days, during which he reflected on everything that had happened. He wanted to learn about the story of the three shadows and uncover the true nature of the Six Great Families. Feeling that he had been kept in the dark about many things, he decided to get up and ask Dean Kaga for clarification.

Just as Mu Xiaofeng was about to rise, Dean Kaga arrived to visit him. Seeing Mu Xiaofeng attempting to get up, Dean Kaga hurried over to stop him and said, “Child, your body hasn’t fully recovered yet. Where do you think you’re going?” Dean Kaga was genuinely concerned about Mu Xiaofeng’s health and had guessed that he wanted to learn about the events in the Weapon Forest.

Since Dean Kaga was there, Mu Xiaofeng took the opportunity to ask, “Dean, you must know everything that happened in the Weapon Forest. I want to understand why these things occurred and whether they are related to the Spirit Summoning Ritual.”

Dean Kaga was surprised by Mu Xiaofeng’s question. He wondered how a twelve-year-old knew about the Spirit Summoning Ritual, as it was typically known only by higher-ups.

Realizing that failing to give Mu Xiaofeng a reasonable explanation would lead him to investigate further, Dean Kaga frowned, sighed, and explained, “The Spirit Summoning Ritual occurs once every ten years and is held in the Weapon Forests of the four continents, supervised by the Six Great Families. Its purpose is to handle the remains of soldiers who died in the past decade in a special way. After processing these remains, prophecies are revealed, predicting major events for the next ten years. The Weapon Forest was originally a place to store the weapons of fallen soldiers as a form of tribute, but in reality, it is used to cover up the practice of using their remains for prophecy.”

Mu Xiaofeng seemed to understand the reason behind these events better after hearing Dean Kaga’s explanation, but many of his doubts remained unresolved. Unfortunately, Dean Kaga knew little more about the situation and was also unaware of the detailed process.

Dean Kaga told Mu Xiaofeng that only high-ranking officials knew more about these matters. In other words, the higher the position, the more information one had. The King of the Kingdom should be the one most knowledgeable about the details.

It was unlikely for Mu Xiaofeng to directly question the King. Firstly, the King was not easily accessible, and secondly, the King might not reveal the truth even if he were met. Thus, Mu Xiaofeng thought of only one solution: to find a way to enter the upper echelons of the country.

When Mu Xiaofeng shared this idea with Dean Kaga, the latter laughed heartily. Dean Kaga said, “It’s a good idea, but it’s too difficult for you. First, there hasn’t been any war recently, so how can you achieve merit and be rewarded? Secondly, being a soldier is one of the hardest paths to advancement. In a war, the soldiers at the front line are the most likely to perish, and even if the war is won, the credit is often shared by others. As a lowly soldier, how much merit can you achieve? Your generals have likely taken all the credit already.”

Dean Kaga’s words enlightened Mu Xiaofeng. He understood why his grandfather and teacher were displeased when he chose the path of a soldier. Although he didn’t regret his choice, he felt a sense of melancholy, not just for himself, but for all the soldiers who had sacrificed so much.

Seeing Mu Xiaofeng lost in thought, Dean Kaga decided to leave him to reflect. Before departing, Dean Kaga reminded Mu Xiaofeng, “Child, there will be results in due time. Be patient. And don’t forget the graduation ceremony the day after tomorrow. You’ll be leaving the academy soon.” With that, Dean Kaga left Mu Xiaofeng’s room.

With a heavy heart, Mu Xiaofeng found it hard to sleep and decided to check on the others. Zhang Wenyu’s bed was empty, indicating that he had recovered and might be off training again. Qi Bao Yi’s bed was also empty; he wondered where she had gone.

Mu Xiaofeng thought of Qiao Zi, whom he hadn’t seen for several days. Concerned for her, he went to her room. He looked up at her window, which was open, and saw a man inside the room with Qiao Zi.

Mu Xiaofeng didn’t recognize this man and suddenly felt worried. He quickly ran upstairs and pushed open Qiao Zi’s door. Inside, the stranger had a pale complexion, almost like a woman, and was wearing a mask, reminding Mu Xiaofeng of the Blood Spirit Clan.

At that moment, Qiao Zi was still asleep, and it seemed the stranger had not harmed her. Although Mu Xiaofeng felt a hint of hostility, he asked, “Who are you? Why are you here?” His tone was filled with suspicion and distrust towards the stranger.

The stranger did not turn to look at Mu Xiaofeng but kept his gaze fixed on Qiao Zi. He replied, “I am from the Blood Spirit Clan. I’m here to understand why my student used the Life Technique to save this girl. I mean no harm. I know who you are. You killed members of the Mo family, and sooner or later, they will come looking for you.”

Mu Xiaofeng realized this person was from the Six Great Families and his hostility remained unchanged. However, since this person was the teacher of the masked man who saved Qiao Zi, Mu Xiaofeng felt a tinge of gratitude. He slowly approached the stranger and, looking at the sleeping Qiao Zi, asked, “What do the Six Great Families want? If it’s revenge, they should come after me alone.”

The stranger glanced at Mu Xiaofeng and smiled, saying, “Child, you’re too naive. The Six Great Families won’t let you bear all the responsibility alone. I’m not here for revenge. My student’s wish before his death was to revitalize the Blood Spirit Clan. He was the most diligent child I’ve ever seen, but I don’t know why he sacrificed his life. I’m here seeking answers.”

With that, the stranger turned and left Qiao Zi’s room. Mu Xiaofeng knew the Six Great Families would eventually come looking for him, and he didn’t want Qiao Zi to be caught up in it. He was worried for her safety.

“The masked ritual priest saved me, didn’t he? It seems like he traded his life for mine!” Qiao Zi suddenly spoke, surprising Mu Xiaofeng. She had been awake all along and was just pretending to be asleep.

Qiao Zi opened her eyes, looked at Mu Xiaofeng, and gently touched his face. She continued, “I don’t know what the Six Great Families are, but I can tell they are very powerful. No matter what happens, I don’t want you to face it alone. I want to bear it with you.”

Mu Xiaofeng was moved by Qiao Zi’s words. He held her hand and forced a smile, saying, “Don’t worry, we’ll be fine. I’ll protect you. Next time, no matter what happens, I won’t leave you.” Mu Xiaofeng regretted leaving Qiao Zi to go to the Central Vault and had underestimated the strength of the five strange figures.

Mu Xiaofeng reassured Qiao Zi to rest and then left her room. He knew that rather than waiting for the Six Great Families to come after him, it would be better to take the initiative and find them. This would save him from having to fight first and then negotiate.

But where could he find the people of the Six Great Families? His first thought was of Yun Jie. As a teammate of the masked man, she should know how to contact the Blood Spirit Clan.

Mu Xiaofeng arrived at the Yun residence. The Yun family was a prominent family in Tiger Pass City, and their mansion was luxurious and grand. The entrance was guarded by two rows of sentinels, looking highly secure. Mu Xiaofeng asked the guards to inform Yun Jie of his visit. The guards, surprised to see Mu Xiaofeng, glanced at him curiously before entering the mansion.

Soon, the guard returned with a smile, saying, “Young Master Mu, please come in. Miss Yun has been waiting for you, and the Master of the house would also like to meet you.” The guard’s sudden enthusiasm made Mu Xiaofeng feel a bit uneasy, but he didn’t dwell on it and followed the guard into the mansion.

The Yun residence was vast. Mu Xiaofeng followed the guard for a long time but didn’t see Yun Jie or the Master of the house. In fact, there wasn’t a single person in sight. Mu Xiaofeng suddenly realized that something was wrong with the guard and threw a punch.

The guard deftly dodged the attack and turned to Mu Xiaofeng with a murderous look, saying, “As expected of someone who could kill members of the Six Great Families. I didn’t think I would reveal a flaw.” The guard seemed to have malicious intent, and Mu Xiaofeng knew he had to defeat him to uncover the truth.

“You came back after a

short while and led me around for so long, so you clearly didn’t bring me to see Yun Jie. Also, it’s strange that such a large mansion has no one around,” Mu Xiaofeng said, clenching his fists and readying himself for a fight.

Mu Xiaofeng had left in a hurry and didn’t bring his heavy sword or armor, only wearing casual clothes. However, he couldn’t understand why the Yun family would target him. He had to defeat this guard to get to the bottom of it.