Don't Investigate Him Yet

As the hour of the pig approached, the streets near Greenwood Ward had already grown much quieter.

Following the location on the note, Lu Yuan made his way to the back alley. He circled the area once more to make sure there was nothing unusual behind him before stopping at a weathered wooden door. Someone inside soon received him and led him into an inconspicuous room at the back.

Only one lamp was lit in the room. Qian Renxue had already arrived, still wearing Xue Qinghe's appearance, though she had changed into an ordinary-colored robe. Seeing Lu Yuan enter, she did not ask about how he had made contact. Only after the person responsible for receiving him had left did she speak. "What happened?"

"Someone at the Royal Academy kept watching you today."

Lu Yuan did not jump to a conclusion. Instead, he recounted everything he had seen at the training grounds. The middle-aged man in gray had been there since the sparring began and had turned his attention toward Xue Qinghe several times. In particular, when she left, the man's gaze had followed her again.

Qian Renxue's expression immediately grew more serious. "Gray clothes, around forty, standing behind the Academy Teachers on the north side?"

Lu Yuan thought back. "More or less."

"That should have been Cheng Lan."

It was the first time Lu Yuan had heard that name, so he asked directly, "Who is he?"

"One of Prince Xue Xing's Residence's men. He is not truly one of the core figures, but he has followed Xue Xing for many years. He usually handles matters for the prince's residence that cannot be brought into the open. He has been to the Royal Academy before as well, though not often."

Lu Yuan quickly caught the key point. "So it is not strange in itself that he appeared there today."

"At the very least, we cannot decide he is investigating me based on that alone."

Qian Renxue had spent years in Tiangou and knew something of Prince Xue Xing's usual methods. He had always kept an eye on the movements of several princes. Cheng Lan appearing at the Royal Academy now and then did not prove anything. What truly mattered was why he had repeatedly observed Xue Qinghe at this particular time.

Lu Yuan considered it. "Should we look into what he has been doing recently?"

"No."

Qian Renxue answered swiftly, and Lu Yuan looked up at her.

"Since Cheng Lan dared to appear openly at the Royal Academy today, it at least means there is nothing suspicious about his public movements. You have only just arrived in Tiangou, and you drew attention at the academy today. If someone suddenly starts asking about Cheng Lan now, Xue Xing's side may notice you first."

She picked up her teacup but did not drink immediately. "Your greatest advantage right now is not that you can defeat Qin Yue at rank 28. It is that no one in Heaven Dou City knows that you and I knew each other before."

Lu Yuan quickly understood what she meant.

He had come from Spirit City and joined the exchange at the Royal Academy with Spirit Hall. Defeating two Young Spirit Masters had perfectly reasonable explanations on the surface. As long as he did not deliberately approach Xue Qinghe, no one would easily connect the two of them.

"So we just watch for now?"

"Yes." Qian Renxue set down her teacup. "Three days from now, the Royal Academy will hold a practical assessment at the Royal Hunting Grounds Outside the City. The plan was delivered to the royal family yesterday, and Spirit Hall will also send Young Spirit Masters to participate."

At the mention of the Royal Hunting Grounds, Lu Yuan immediately became interested. "How does the assessment work?"

"Teams of three will remain in the outer region of the hunting grounds for three days and two nights. They must return to the entrance before the hour of the monkey on the third afternoon. The high-level Spirit Beasts inside have already been cleared out. Most of those remaining are between one or two hundred years old and around four hundred years old. Different numbers of bronze tokens have been placed throughout the hunting grounds. Some are hidden in ordinary areas, while others are placed within the activity ranges of Spirit Beasts. The harder a token's location is to reach, the more tokens there usually are. In the end, teams will be ranked by the total number of bronze tokens they bring back. The team that returns with the most wins."

Lu Yuan understood as soon as she finished. This assessment was completely different from arena sparring. Three days and two nights was not a short time. Beyond direct combat, they would have to plan their own routes, conserve Soul Power, judge the ranges of Spirit Beast activity, and even discuss who would keep watch at night. If even one of the three could not cooperate properly, the following two days would become much more troublesome.

"What if they go over the time limit?"

"All the bronze tokens in their possession will be invalidated."

Lu Yuan's brow twitched slightly. "That is pretty harsh."

Qian Renxue glanced at him. "The Royal Hunting Grounds are not a place for people to play around."

Lu Yuan smiled and asked about something more practical. "Are there rewards?"

"You asked about that first?"

"We cannot work for three days for nothing."

"The first-place team will each receive cultivation resources and soul coins. Second and third place will receive rewards as well, just less."

The rewards were not extravagant, but they were already far more generous than ordinary practical training within an academy. What truly interested Lu Yuan was not the few soul coins. He had experienced genuine wilderness combat in the North Hunting Forest before, but since arriving in Tiangou, he had not yet had the chance to see what level the Royal Academy's Young Spirit Masters were at once they entered the forest. Three days would be enough to reveal quite a lot.

Qian Renxue seemed to have guessed his thoughts. "Spirit Hall has not finalized its candidates yet, but since you defeated Qin Yue today, you will most likely be included."

"What about the Royal Academy?"

"Qin Yue will participate. Gu Yan should go as well."

Lu Yuan was not surprised. Gu Yan aside, Qin Yue truly was strong. After suffering from Shock Edge for the first time during the day, he had quickly begun adjusting his fighting style. That alone made him stronger than many Young Spirit Masters who only knew how to clash head-on. In the wilderness, the Iron-Backed Battle Ape's skill at withstanding direct attacks might make it even more suited to this assessment than arena matches.

Thinking of that, he asked another question. "How will the teams be assigned?"

"By a unified lottery. This time, the different groups will not form their own teams. Once Spirit Hall and Royal Academy participants arrive at the Royal Hunting Grounds, they will draw lots together. Those assigned to the same group will be teammates. They will act together for three days, and their results will be based on the bronze tokens the entire team brings back."

Lu Yuan nodded. "In other words, if I draw people I do not know, I still have to stay with them for three days."

"That is part of the assessment." Qian Renxue looked at him. "Once you are outside, no one can guarantee that the people standing beside you will be familiar faces."

Lu Yuan thought that made sense. Compared to arranging the teams in advance, this truly tested temporary cooperation more.

After discussing the assessment, he shifted the topic back to Cheng Lan. "You want to see whether he appears again three days from now?"

"If he was merely keeping an eye on royal movements for Xue Xing today, he may not go to the hunting grounds three days from now. But if he still appears, and his attention remains on Xue Qinghe, then it will be worth looking into further."

Qian Renxue did not ask Lu Yuan to deliberately follow Cheng Lan, nor did she need him to approach the man. Once they reached the Royal Hunting Grounds, he only needed to participate in the assessment normally. If Cheng Lan appeared, it would be enough to casually note whom he contacted and where he directed his attention.

After Lu Yuan committed this to memory, the two did not continue discussing Cheng Lan. Only then did Qian Renxue recall the sparring match from earlier that day and ask, "When you defeated Qin Yue today, did you use your Second Soul Skill?"

"Shock Edge."

Lu Yuan briefly explained its effect. As long as the Piercing Spear made contact with a target, it could unleash a burst of force at the point of contact.

Qian Renxue quickly understood what made the Soul Skill truly troublesome. "No wonder Qin Yue was unwilling to touch your spear afterward."

"He reacted quickly. After suffering once, he started defending against it."

"He still lost in the end."

Lu Yuan looked at her. "Were you not there the whole time?"

Qian Renxue lifted her cup, still wearing Xue Qinghe's gentle, composed expression. "Xue Qinghe saw it. Qian Renxue still had to hear you tell it yourself."

Lu Yuan smiled but said nothing further.

After chatting a while longer, they ended their meeting. Qian Renxue left first. Only after the person responsible for receiving him confirmed that there was nothing unusual outside did Lu Yuan return to Spirit Hall through another alley.

The next morning, just after Lu Yuan finished cultivating, Deacon Zhao came to find him.

"The practical assessment at the Royal Hunting Grounds is three days from now. Spirit Hall has already registered you."

Lu Yuan was not surprised. Taking the assessment arrangements Deacon Zhao handed him, he casually asked, "How many people are going?"

"Three have been decided for now, but we will not be forming our own team this time. Everyone participating will draw lots together after arriving at the Royal Hunting Grounds. Teams of three will remain inside for three days and two nights."

Lu Yuan lowered his gaze to the gathering time and location written on the paper. "So I might end up assigned with people from the Royal Academy?"

"Of course." Deacon Zhao clearly did not think that was a problem. "This is supposed to be practical exchange. If every group just sticks together, how is that any different from training behind closed doors?"

Lu Yuan thought that made sense, so he folded the paper and put it away.

Before leaving, Deacon Zhao reminded him, "The Royal Hunting Grounds are different from sparring at the academy. Although the outer region has been cleared in advance, Spirit Beasts are not wooden targets. Anything can happen over three days and two nights. Stay alert once you enter, and do not drain your Soul Power too badly over a few bronze tokens."

"Understood."

Lu Yuan answered, then asked as though casually, "Will people from the royal family be there too?"

"Of course."

"What about Prince Xue Xing?"

Deacon Zhao thought for a moment before answering, "He may not come himself, but Prince Xue Xing's Residence should send people along."

Lu Yuan nodded and did not ask anything further.