After clearing out the stronghold, Feng Xiaotian led his team back along the same route.
The bandits have been dealt with—the survivors have been handed over to the local government, and the bounty has been collected. The mission on the way here was to wipe out the bandits and get a reward, but the return carriage was loaded with far more than just the bandits' loot.
The journey from the southern border to Heaven Dou City was not short. The group traveled for half a month. In order to avoid attracting attention, only three carriages were prepared, which were loaded with captured supplies—account books, medicines, experimental records, and several boxes of Soul Power replenishing potions found in the stronghold.
There weren't enough carriages, so everyone took turns getting on one to rest, while the rest rode horses on either side.
Lu Hanxiao rode a horse at the outermost edge of the group. The wounds on his left arm and right shoulder, pierced by the green light threads, had already scabbed over, but he didn't want to stay in an enclosed space. Riding a horse at least allowed the wind to blow on his face, which could clear away some of the messy thoughts in his mind.
Lu Qing rode another horse beside him, not saying a word, only occasionally glancing at him.
A night wind swept down from the mountain ridge, carrying the chill of late autumn. Lu Hanxiao's clothes fluttered in the wind, but he seemed oblivious, his gaze fixed on the darkness ahead.
Jiang Lin sat in the first carriage, flipping through the account book by the silver light of his Spirit Eyes. Ji Ning put the wooden box containing the medicinal herbs into his storage ring, but his right hand remained clenched into a fist, his thumb pressed against the ring, as if afraid it would run away on its own. He leaned against the carriage wall and dozed off, his brows slightly furrowed, not completely relaxed even in his sleep.
Feng Xiaotian sat at the back of the last carriage, looking at the mountain road receding into the distance, lost in thought.
Everyone knew that when they returned to the academy, they wouldn't be getting a break, but rather facing even more problems.
Two weeks later, the team arrived at the Godwind Academy.
The gate slowly opened in the morning mist, and the gatekeeper, seeing the Godwind Academy emblem on the carriage, quickly let it pass. The crisp sound of hooves and wheels on the bluestone road carried far through the quiet campus.
Feng Qingxuan was already waiting in front of the council hall.
He didn't ask "Did you win?" or "Are you injured?"—these questions were unnecessary. His gaze swept over everyone carefully, and finally he looked at Feng Xiaotian, his voice not loud, but everyone could hear him:
" Xiaotian, come with me."
Feng Xiaotian nodded and followed his father into the council hall. The others stood there, watching them go in, and then dispersed.
Lu Hanxiao didn't go back to his dormitory. Instead, he went around to the back of the college.
There's a small grove of trees on the back hill, a place he often enjoys visiting—it's quiet, undisturbed, and the sound of the wind rustling through the leaves helps him calm down.
He stood at the edge of the woods, watching the branches swaying in the wind, and suddenly remembered his childhood. Back then, his father was still alive and would take him to a forest outside the city to practice flying, teaching him how to control the angle of Snowy Owl's wings and how to maintain balance in headwinds.
That grove looks a lot like this place.
But the person is no longer here.
Lu Qing followed behind him without making a sound.
He knew why Lu Hanxiao had come here.
" A Xiao," Lu Qing finally spoke, her voice very soft.
Lu Hanxiao did not turn around.
"Regarding your uncle's matter," Lu Qing said, "You're not alone in bearing this burden."
Lu Hanxiao's shoulders trembled slightly.
"I know." His voice was muffled, as if squeezed out from deep in his throat.
A few moments of silence followed.
"... fine."
The wind rustled through the trees. Morning light filtered through the treetops, casting long shadows on the two people.
Lu Qing stepped forward and stood beside him, watching the forest gradually brighten in the morning light.
"From now on," Lu Qing said, "No matter what they need to investigate, or who they need to target, I'll be there."
Lu Hanxiao didn't answer, but his shoulders relaxed.
Some things don't need to be said.
In the council chamber, Feng Xiaotian laid out the seized items one by one on the table.
The ledgers, experimental records, the numbered plaque, the list of medicinal materials, and the details of supplies were neatly stacked in two rows.
Feng Qingxuan sat behind his desk, picking up the account books and experimental records and flipping through them page by page. His expression remained unchanged throughout, but the speed at which he turned the pages slowed down.
His finger paused for a moment when he turned to a certain page.
Then he closed the ledger, shut his eyes, and took a deep breath.
"Three years, three hundred living people." His voice wasn't loud. "This stronghold is just one node. The people behind him control more than just this one stronghold."
Feng Xiaotian nodded. "That's what I think too."
Feng Qingxuan picked up the plaque, weighed it in his hand, and then looked at the number on it against the light.
"The material is leftover material from standard military Soul Tool, and the casting process is also based on military methods."
He put the sign down and looked at his son. "But the coding rules aren't the military system—three digits for the prefix, four digits for the middle, and two digits for the suffix; that's the coding system for internal affairs."
"What faction's internal affairs system?" Feng Xiaotian asked.
Feng Qingxuan did not answer directly, but instead took out an old document from the drawer, turned to a certain page, and pushed it over.
Feng Xiaotian looked down and saw that the document had a numbering format that was exactly the same as the one on the sign. The document was titled with five words: Internal Affairs of the Spirit Hall.
Feng Xiaotian's pupils contracted slightly.
"This was a seizure from several years ago," Feng Qingxuan said. "I haven't thrown it away."
"We can't move now." Feng Qingxuan stood up and walked to the window. "We have no evidence, only these things, which isn't enough. The Spirit Hall won't admit anything about them; they'll just say we framed them."
"When will that be?" Feng Xiaotian asked.
"When there is enough evidence," Feng Qingxuan said, " the Speed Clan is already investigating. They are checking the source of the medicinal herbs, the flow of supplies, and every name on the ledgers—one by one."
Once we've connected all the dots, once we have enough evidence, then it won't be us going after them; the whole continent will be watching how they explain themselves.
He turned to his son and said, "Leave the rest to me."
Feng Xiaotian was silent for a moment, then nodded.
He turned and walked out of the council chamber, pausing briefly at the doorway, but without looking back.
Life is going more peacefully than I expected.
Feng Xiaotian led his team in training every day. Days passed by, and no one bothered to count how many days had gone by. The events that had occurred at the stronghold were temporarily put aside, and everyone focused on preparing for battle.
Lu Hanxiao still didn't talk much, but he started appearing on the training ground. He would arrive before dawn every day and practice the Cold Wind · Wing Slash, over and over again, until the ice blades on his wings went from dull to sharp, and from sharp to dazzling.
Lu Qing remained by his side, saying little, keeping a respectful distance. He stayed with Lu Hanxiao for as long as Lu Hanxiao practiced.
Until one day, a convoy of cars arrived at the college gate.
The banners on the carriage bore the emblem of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, and the guards wore gleaming armor. Feng Qingxuan personally greeted them at the door; the arriving guest was none other than Prince Xue Xing.
Prince Xue Xing's trip had two purposes: first, to represent the royal family of the Heaven Dou Empire and personally visit several key advanced academies to encourage the participating teams and wish them glory for the empire in the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament;
Secondly, we also wanted to visit Dugu Bo —this guest elder of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family had been staying at the Godwind Academy for quite some time.
"Mr. Dugu," Prince Xue Xing greeted Dugu Bo in the reception room, his attitude polite but not obsequious, "His Majesty asked me to tell you that Yanyan is doing well at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, so you don't need to worry. We hope you can be present to oversee the competition."
Dugu Bo leaned back in his chair, legs crossed, and snorted, "I know."
Prince Xue Xing smiled but didn't reply. He turned to Feng Qingxuan and said solemnly, " Dean Feng, His Majesty asked me to convey a message—the Empire places high hopes on your academy for this competition."
Feng Qingxuan nodded slightly. " Godwind Academy will certainly do its utmost."
After Prince Xue Xing left, Dugu Bo took out a jade-green porcelain bottle from his pocket and casually tossed it to Feng Xiaotian.
"Take it."
Feng Xiaotian caught it and looked down—there was a label on the porcelain bottle with a few small words written on it: Jade Phosphorous Serpent Emperor Poison Essence.
"This is the essence of venom I've refined over the years." Dugu Bo stood up, hands behind his back, and walked towards the door without looking back. "Give this to your brother. I promised him I'd condense the venom essence, and it's almost done. Take it for research."
Feng Xiaotian was taken aback. "Senior, this is far too precious—"
"Valuable my foot." Dugu Bo didn't even turn his head, his tone impatient. "It'd just gather dust for me."
Feng Xiaotian was both amused and exasperated, but he still carefully put the porcelain bottle away.
Dugu Bo strode out of the gates of the Godwind Academy, his pace much slower than when he arrived.
Prince Xue Xing's words, though seemingly polite, were actually a reminder that the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was waiting for him to return and take charge, and he was even using Yanyan to threaten him.
But he didn't want to go back.
He looked down on those so-called "geniuses" from the Heaven Dou Royal Academy. He had also repaid most of the favors he owed Prince Xue Xing over the years.
On the contrary, it's Godwind Academy...
He glanced back at the young people training on campus. Feng Xiaotian, Lu Hanxiao, Jiang Lin... none of them were easy to deal with. More importantly, there were people here who could cure his poison.
"Let's see," Dugu Bo said softly, then turned and disappeared at the end of the street.
On the training field, Lu Hanxiao's Cold Wind · Wing Slash drew chilling arcs in the morning light. Lu Qing stood beside him, his twin scythes tucked into his waistband, ready to provide support at any moment.
Further away, Jiang Lin and Ji Ning were sparring, while Ye Qingyu's Wind Zither drifted from afar.
Feng Xiaotian stood on the sidelines, watching all of this, twirling the emerald green porcelain bottle in his palm before putting it away.
The competition.
It'll be soon.