After hearing Xiao Ning's name, Xiao Yao took Qing Lin and headed toward the crowd.
Within the crowd, a blue-clad youth of around twenty was trading vicious punches with several men around him, his eyes blazing with fury. Judging from the Battle Qi seeping from his body, he seemed to be a Battle Master. However, the four men attacking him were clearly no weaker than he was, leaving the blue-clad youth at a disadvantage. Whenever he took a punch to the face, blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.
"Don't!" Seeing blood spill from the blue-clad youth's body as he was hurt, the young girl cried out in alarm.
Just as the four men were about to kick the blue-clad youth viciously with all four feet, a wave of soul pressure enveloped them, instantly crushing them to the ground and leaving them unable to move.
Xiao Yao led Qing Lin straight into the crowd. Watching the blue-clad youth struggle to his feet with the help of the girl behind him, he chuckled. "Cousin Xiao Ning, how did you end up like this after just one year apart? Still, you've reached the One-Star Battle Master level. Looks like you've been training quite diligently at the academy."
"Cousin?" Xiao Ning hurriedly raised his head. Seeing the familiar face of the black-clad youth before him, delight appeared on his face as he called softly, "Cousin Xiao Yao, didn't you take a year's leave? Why did you come back before the year was even up?"
Joy also surfaced on Xiao Mei's face. She walked gently up to Xiao Yao, clasping her hands behind her back as she said shyly, "Cousin Xiao Yao, now that you're back, you must be planning to return to Jia Nan Academy, right? Do you need Mei'er to show