Impossible, Absolutely Impossible!

A clear fist mark had been left on the steel light armor Zhao Han wore. He curled up on the ground in pain, wheezing rapidly, unable to catch his breath for a long while.

In truth,

Jiang Chuan had not even used one percent of his strength.

If he had struck with full force, he could probably have blown Zhao Han apart—literally.

Hearing the commotion, Lin Xiaowan ran out. Seeing Zhao Han lying on the ground, she looked surprised. "What happened to him?"

Jiang Chuan did not answer and turned to leave. She hurriedly called after him, "Hey, Jiang Chuan, wait! Sister Su Yao said that if you came back, you were to go find her right away!"

Jiang Chuan asked, "Where is she?"

Lin Xiaowan said, "She went out to take care of something just now. Go wait in the office first... Hey, don't leave!"

Jiang Chuan ignored her calls.

He could endure Su Lie's reprimand, because Su Lie truly meant well and had taken real action on his behalf.

But what was Su Yao?

Wait for her?

Who did she think she was? Did she deserve it?

Jiang Chuan had thought it through. He owed Captain Su Lie a favor, and he could find a chance to repay it later. There was no need to keep wasting time playing these childish games with Su Yao.

It's about time I gave my parents some idea of what's going on. If I manage to secure an admission spot at Stellar Crown Academy, there'll be no way to hide it anyway.

Jiang Chuan thought to himself.

Artisan Pavilion.

The fourth floor was furnished on an entirely different level from the floors below.

The floor was paved with black jade stone from the Southern Frontier, cool yet smooth beneath one's feet.

The display cases around the room were all made of premium red sandalwood, with every piece of equipment placed beneath its own glass cover.

Under the lights, treasure-like gleams flowed across them. Just looking at them made one feel that the price tags had more zeroes than could be counted.

Su Yao reclined on a genuine leather sofa by the window, holding a cup of freshly brewed spiritual tea. The tea was a vivid green and gave off a faint fragrance.

Across from her sat a girl in a goose-yellow dress.

Her name was Zhou Wanqing.

She was Su Yao's childhood best friend.

Her family dealt in medicinal herbs and was considered one of Tianyuan City's wealthier households.

Two young men sat nearby as well.

One was Zhou Wanqing's older brother, Zhou Chengan. The other was Li Mingyuan of the Li Family in the eastern part of the city. Both were familiar faces in Tianyuan City's circle of elites.

Several silver-grade pieces of equipment that had just been taken out of the display cases lay before them.

Their quality was exceptional.

But so were their prices.

"The attributes on these bracers are pretty good. I heard they're Elder Cheng En's latest work."

Zhou Wanqing pushed aside a pair of silver-white glowing bracers, though her real interest lay elsewhere. Turning her head, she casually asked, "Yaoyao, did your battle group recently take in a newcomer?"

Su Yao's hand paused slightly as she held her tea, her expression unchanged.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Who needs to hear it? The news has already spread throughout our circle."

Resting her chin on her hand, Zhou Wanqing's eyes shifted with an amused look. "Everyone says Captain Su plans to marry you off to his benefactor's son. What was his name again... Jiang Chuan?"

Both Zhou Chengan and Li Mingyuan looked over at once.

Su Yao was naturally beautiful and came from a prominent family. Since childhood, she had been the object of affection for many young heirs from influential families. The two men present were both among her suitors.

Su Yao's expression immediately turned cold. She set her teacup down heavily, producing a sharp clink. "What nonsense are you talking about?"

"It's not nonsense I made up. That's what everyone outside is saying."

Seeing that she was genuinely angry, Zhou Wanqing quickly wiped the smile off her face and scooted closer.

She linked her arm through Su Yao's. "I'm just worried about you. Look at you—you get this angry the moment he's mentioned. But then again, is that Jiang Chuan really that awful?"

Su Yao sneered. "He's an F-rank useless dismantler. One of his parents mines ore, and the other is a tailor. Their entire family's income combined isn't even enough for me to buy a single piece of equipment!"

"And he's full of bad habits. He refuses to obey orders and doesn't even understand the most basic rules!"

"How can someone like that be forced into the battle group?"

Zhou Chengan frowned, his tone displeased. "Uncle Su is far too loyal. Keeping someone like that in the group will only bring trouble. He has no ability, yet his airs are sky-high."

Li Mingyuan said, "How about I find someone to teach him a lesson?"

Su Yao's gaze drifted, and she was clearly tempted.

But in the end, she said, "Forget it. I'm leaving for Skywatch City next week. There's no need to waste time arguing with trash like him."

"You're going to Skywatch City?"

"Huh, at this time? Could it be that you're going to..."

Zhou Wanqing's eyes flickered as she immediately thought of something.

Zhou Chengan and Li Mingyuan were not fools either. The latter blurted out, "You got an admission spot at Stellar Crown Academy!?"

Zhou Chengan was stunned, then his tone turned somewhat bitter. "There are only five admission spots in all of Tianyuan City. Lu Zhou has one, Chen Ping has one, the Yuan Family has one, and that Imperial Censor Zhou's disciple will take one as well."

"That left only one undecided spot. I heard people had been fighting over it like mad, but I never expected it to end up in your hands."

"Uncle Su really has connections."

Li Mingyuan took a sip of tea, feeling rather bitter as well.

Once Su Yao went to Stellar Crown Academy, she would be surrounded by prodigies from all over the country. Her standards would surely rise. How could she possibly still think highly of them then?

The atmosphere grew somewhat quiet.

Without anyone noticing,

a thick barrier had already formed between Su Yao and the other three.

Su Yao made no comment. She lifted her teacup and took another sip, her gaze falling on the streets of Tianyuan City beyond the window. No one knew what she was thinking.

Just then,

clear footsteps sounded from the stairway.

The group instinctively looked up and saw a man and a woman emerge from the stairs.

The young man walking in front wore gray cloth robes and looked seventeen or eighteen. His features were decent, but his attire appeared especially plain amid the jewel-like splendor of Artisan Pavilion.

The woman following behind him was entirely different. She wore a fitted gold-and-red qipao that highlighted her slender figure and beautiful face.

It was Xing'er, who had just been promoted to sales manager.

Su Yao's gaze paused on the young man's face for a moment.

Her pupils instantly contracted.

Jiang Chuan!

She frowned reflexively and was just about to say something when she saw Xing'er not stop on the fourth floor. Instead, she led Jiang Chuan straight toward the stairs leading to the fifth floor.

The fifth floor of Artisan Pavilion was the most exclusive equipment trading venue in all of Tianyuan City.

Any customer wishing to enter the fifth floor had to possess Artisan Pavilion's highest-tier diamond membership card, which required cumulative spending of one million.

Looking across all of Tianyuan City, fewer than twenty people possessed diamond membership cards.

Every one of them was a wealthy and influential figure!

The gold membership card Su Yao held had been given to her by Su Lie, and its cumulative spending was only a little over two hundred thousand.

She had only been to the fifth floor once, and that had been when she accompanied Su Lie.

She herself was not qualified to go up there at all.

Yet now, Jiang Chuan—whom she saw as utterly worthless and from a poor family—was heading toward the fifth floor.

Su Yao froze.

Zhou Wanqing noticed the change in her expression. "What's wrong, Yaoyao? Do you know that person?"

Su Yao did not answer, because she was not entirely sure herself.

That young man's profile did look somewhat like Jiang Chuan's, but since when did he have a diamond membership card at Artisan Pavilion!?

This was impossible, absolutely impossible!

Zhou Chengan said in surprise, "Who is that young man? He looks unfamiliar, yet he actually has an Artisan Pavilion diamond membership card. Since when did someone like that appear in our circle?"

"I don't know, but anyone with a diamond membership card is either rich or influential. Maybe he's the illegitimate son of some battle group captain."

"Would an illegitimate son dare to flaunt himself so openly?"

"Maybe he's from out of town. Either way, I've never heard of anyone like him in Tianyuan City."

Su Yao's hand tightened slightly around her teacup, her knuckles turning white. She stared at the now-empty stairway, countless thoughts churning through her mind, each one leaving her with a piercing ache in her chest.