"Entangled?"
Jiang Qiaru nodded and explained, "She has a serious grudge against the Wang Family of Kyoto."
"The Wang Family of Kyoto?"
Su You snorted. He had no good feelings toward the Wang Family of Kyoto. In his memories from his previous life, neither Wang Xingping nor Wang Xing'an had been any good. He had even regretted that Luo Feng never thoroughly investigated this so-called first family of Huaxia Country.
"Could the Wang Family of Kyoto really reach all the way into the Training Camp?"
"Of course not. This is Extreme Martial Arts Hall territory." Jiang Qiaru shook her head with a smile.
"But the Training Camp is open to the whole world, and the Wang Family has won over several trainees there. Of course, all they can do at the Training Camp is cause trouble when Zhang Yue goes hunting."
Su You nodded slightly. The Training Camp's rules were very strict. Anyone caught attacking another trainee would be executed on the spot.
Jiang Qiaru continued, "Right now, the Wang Family's leading member in the Training Camp is named Yao Zhengang. He lives in our Kyoto Courtyard, too. His father is an Intermediate War God Level expert supported by the Wang Family.
"He's currently ranked somewhere in the forties at the Training Camp, making him the second-strongest person in our Kyoto Courtyard. He has a good chance of becoming a War God someday, too. Today is his hunting day, so he probably won't be back until after ten."
"Second? Who's first?" Su You asked with interest.
"Zhang Yue." The name Jiang Qiaru gave him was completely unexpected.
That expressionless girl was the strongest in the Kyoto Courtyard? She didn't even look as old as he was. Was her talent even greater than his?
"If she had only average talent, why would the Wang Family take her so seriously?" Jiang Qiaru said with a smile.
"Zhang Yue is only sixteen. She entered the Training Camp at the end of February, and when the rankings came out for the first time in April, she broke into the top hundred. Now she's around thirtieth.
"She should be able to enter the Elite Training Camp within a year at most. As long as nothing happens to her along the way, becoming a War God is practically guaranteed."
Su You first looked surprised, then asked in confusion, "With talent like hers, plenty of major powers would be willing to recruit her, right? They should have no trouble protecting her."
Although the Wang Family was one of the HR Alliance's nine core families, it was still far behind the Two Great Dojos, the governments of various countries, and the Military!
Jiang Qiaru sighed. "That's right. The Two Great Dojos, the governments and the Military, and even the other core families of the HR Alliance all tried to recruit her. But in the end, they all gave up."
"Why?" Su You asked quickly.
"I heard that whenever these powers tried to recruit her, she told them outright that she would take revenge on the Wang Family someday—and that it would be a fight to the death. What major power would still want to win her over after hearing that?"
"Huh? That... She sure has a personality." Su You stared blankly. Thinking back to his conversation with Zhang Yue that day, he realized it fit her style perfectly: simple and direct.
Jiang Qiaru gave a little scoff. "I think she's too stubborn. She could have sought protection from a major power first, then waited until she was strong enough to take revenge. Instead, she's put herself in this position."
Su You smiled without commenting. After they talked a little longer about the Training Camp, he returned to his own loft.
Not long after Yao Zhengang came back that evening, he stopped by Su You's loft for a visit. Although his tone was very friendly, there was still a hint of warning in it.
Early the next morning, just after breakfast, Yang Hui came to Su You's loft in the Kyoto Courtyard.
"Bring your weapons and come with me to meet your live combat instructor."
"Yes."
Su You followed Yang Hui through the Training Camp. Before long, they reached the section of buildings where the War God instructors lived and entered a villa with an antique style.
Yang Hui stepped beneath a security camera and pressed the doorbell. The villa's front door opened immediately.
The first-floor hall was empty. Yang Hui took Su You straight upstairs to the training room.
Four figures were already inside. One was a middle-aged man in a white martial arts uniform; the other three were fairly young.
The first was a Western girl with brown hair and a few freckles. The second was a tall, slender young man with blond hair. The third had slightly curly hair and dark skin. Su You could smell curry even before they got close.
"Old Xing, this is Su You. He'll be with you for next month's live combat training."
The middle-aged man nodded slightly, then looked at Su You. "I'm Xing Huaiguo. From today until the end of September, I'll be in charge of all your training."
"Teacher Xing." Su You bowed slightly.
"Mm. Stand over there for now."
"Yes." With two swords on his back, Su You took his place beside the freckled girl.
Yang Hui exchanged a few pleasantries with Xing Huaiguo, then left. Not long afterward, two more instructors arrived with two new trainees.
One was Dai Xueyang, from Northeast Base City in Huaxia Country. The other was Elena, from Moscow Base City in the Soviet Union.
After seeing off the last War God instructor, Xing Huaiguo came to stand before the six of them and spoke in a deep voice:
"For the next month or so, I'll be in charge of all six of you. I have just one requirement: follow orders. Understood?"
"Understood!" Su You and the other five shouted in unison, all speaking perfectly standard Mandarin.
In Hongning Base City, the common language was Mandarin. Hong was Chinese, and most of the experts who had helped him establish Extreme Martial Arts Hall were Chinese as well. So in the circles of high-level warriors, Mandarin was spoken most of the time.
Xing Huaiguo nodded slightly, then had the six of them introduce themselves.
The freckled girl was named Duoniya, and the tall, slender young man with blond hair was named Colin. They and the Soviet girl, Elena, were all sixteen-year-old Intermediate Warriors.
The young man who smelled of curry was named Garava, a nineteen-year-old Advanced Warrior. Dai Xueyang, from Northeast Base City, was an eighteen-year-old Advanced Warrior.
After the introductions, Xing Huaiguo began testing them one by one. Naturally, he tested them by sparring with them.
"You first!"
Xing Huaiguo pointed straight at Su You. He had the files of all six trainees. The other five all had exceptional physical abilities, like most of the geniuses recruited into the Basic Training Camp.
But improving one's footwork, punching power, and swordsmanship was difficult. At seventeen, Su You had already mastered Micro-level footwork, which clearly made him more talented than the other five.
Xing Huaiguo drew his sword from his waist and pointed it at Su You. "Attack."
"Yes." Su You drew both Baihong Swords and suddenly charged forward. His right-hand sword thrust straight at Xing Huaiguo's brow, while his left hand turned and slashed horizontally at Xing Huaiguo's legs.
Xing Huaiguo shifted his feet and swung his sword with his right hand in a strange manner.
"Clang!"
The instant their swords collided, Su You felt as if his sword had been completely deflected by his opponent. A streak of sword light raced along his right-hand blade and slashed toward his right arm.
Before you continue