"You know, the mutual admiration between powerful people, the way they're drawn to each other and eventually develop a different kind of relationship... This setup is so compelling!"
The thread had completely veered off course, turning from a serious missing-person notice into a spectacle for people to gossip over.
The person who'd started it all, Miao Guanyu, had no idea.
The moment he posted, he put away his personal terminal and got up to leave the dormitory.
His steps were steady, each stride measured with almost ruler-like precision. A sharp, keep-your-distance aura hung about him.
It would be best if he could find out about his opponent, but if he couldn't, it didn't matter.
Miao Guanyu had some confidence in himself, after all. He hadn't gotten where he was today for nothing.
Besides placing second in the Ranked Match in the East Continent, he often sparred with Martial Arts Grandmasters from Southern Martial University.
As far as combat experience went, he considered himself pretty capable among his peers.
He crossed the campus paths lined with plants unique to the south and headed straight for the Sword Arts Department's faculty building.
Miao Guanyu pushed open the door to an office at the very end of the corridor, clearly familiar with the place.
Inside, a thin old man in gray training clothes lay with his eyes closed on a bamboo rocking chair, looking perfectly at ease.
"Teacher Zhou." Miao Guanyu bowed respectfully.
The old man didn't even lift an eyelid. He merely let out a few faint syllables through his nose.
"You win?"
"I did not disappoint." Miao Guanyu's voice remained calm.
Only then did the thin old man slowly open his eyes. They seemed capable of seeing through everything.
He rose from the rocking chair and, with a flicker of movement,