Tap, tap, tap!
Hurried footsteps broke the silence.
Tang Hanpei did not lift his gaze from the notebook in his hands, remaining utterly absorbed.
"My lord!" Shao Xue was excited, and that excitement crept into her voice.
Tang Hanpei shifted his gaze from the notebook to her face and smiled gently. "What is it?"
His gaze was like sunlight in early winter, warm and soft. Shao Xue's heart trembled, but she forced herself to remain composed. "Please watch this recording!"
She deftly inserted an Illusion Card into her Wrist Device. The screen that sprang up clearly displayed footage of Chen Mu at the Tiandongli District Elite Tournament.
"I see." Tang Hanpei nodded, then said with a hint of regret, "What a pity."
Shao Xue understood what he meant. She asked tentatively, "Could we make a deal with the Desert Camp? Trade for him?"
After a moment's thought, Tang Hanpei shook his head. "There's no need." He looked up and asked, "Where are we now?"
"We're two days away from the Fanasi District border," Shao Xue replied.
Tang Hanpei said nothing. He lowered his head again, staring straight at the black notebook in his hands. Suddenly, his long, pale left hand turned to its flyleaf. A sentence was written there-to my younger brother: I hope you can become a hero!
He stared at those words for a long time. Then, with a snap, he closed the notebook.
He raised his head. "Tell them to turn southeast and stay concealed."
Shao Xue cried out involuntarily, "Aren't we going to war with Bitter Solitude Temple? Southeast... ah..."
Tang Hanpei smiled. "Our target is Star Academy."
"Then Bitter Solitude Temple?"
"They're merely a diversion."
Tang Hanpei's smile remained unchanged, but this time, its early-winter warmth was gone. In its place were threads of bone-deep