Nuoding City, western residential district!
Su Yuntao happened to be home on leave that day when he suddenly heard a knock outside his courtyard. He pushed open the door and saw a middle-aged man standing outside with a small seven-story glazed tower badge on his chest.
Su Yuntao recognized the visitor at once and wondered, Someone from the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce. What do they want with me?
Su Yuntao was only an ordinary low-ranking deacon of Spirit Hall, with neither power nor influence. He had never had any dealings with a top-tier power like the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce.
"Are you Mr. Su Yuntao? We have a shipment exclusively for you, sent by the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce in Suotuo City," the lead guard said respectfully, producing a register.
"My shipment?" Su Yuntao was puzzled, but he still nodded instinctively to confirm his identity.
After verifying the information, the guard handed Su Yuntao three exquisite, shockproof jade boxes, a sealed letter, and a cloth bag.
"The sender is Lu Yu. He noted that you are to pass them on to Lu Fei. The goods are valuable, so please sign for them and keep them safe."
Su Yuntao held the weighty jade boxes, his heart full of surprise and uncertainty.
"Lu Yu? Not a word from him for a month, and then he goes to all this trouble."
The stubborn-faced child from back then had been gone for barely more than a month, yet he could already use the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce's exclusive shipping service and send such a valuable package.
Deeply shaken, Su Yuntao hurriedly signed to confirm receipt.
After the people from the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce left, Su Yuntao held the jade boxes and letter, unable to contain his curiosity any longer. He quickly got ready and set off for Nuoding Junior Soul Master Academy.
At that moment, at Nuoding Academy's freshman training ground.
Morning sunlight fell across the field as the freshmen practiced their Soul Power in an orderly fashion and honed their basic punches and kicks.
Lu Fei was among them. Thin and weak in Soul Power, he did not stand out among the freshmen.
Ever since Lu Yu had left Nuoding City to gain experience in Suotuo City, Lu Fei had stayed at the academy and cultivated diligently, speaking little in his daily life.
During the month Xiao Chenyu had spent with Lu Fei, he had learned that Lu Fei also had an older brother with innate level-one Soul Power, and that the two brothers were commoners and orphans. Lu Fei had said nothing about their relationship with Su Yuntao.
That had given Xiao Chenyu an idea. Since they were commoners with no backing, they would be easy to control. More importantly, Lu Fei's brother had innate level-one Soul Power, making him the perfect bargaining chip for Xiao Chenyu to control Lu Fei.
As long as they controlled Lu Yu, wouldn't Lu Fei, a genius with innate level-five Soul Power, obediently do as the Xiao family told him?
Xiao Chenyu had also told his father, the city lord, about Lu Fei. His father thought Xiao Chenyu's idea was dangerous, since controlling Lu Fei that way would cause a backlash sooner or later. Instead, he discussed having another daughter with his wife and marrying her to Lu Fei, so their relationship would be more secure.
Because of that decision, Xiao Chenyu had mentioned to Lu Fei, both casually and deliberately, that as long as he and Lu Yu joined the city lord's residence, Lu Yu would certainly be given a comfortable job.
Xiao Chenyu had not rushed him over it. After all, Lu Fei would spend another six years at Nuoding Academy. Xiao Chenyu could work on him slowly, and one day he would be tempted.
While everyone was training hard, Su Yuntao came walking slowly up to the academy gates.
Dressed in a deacon's uniform exclusive to Spirit Hall, he had a neat, composed bearing and the presence of an official Soul Master. The moment he stepped onto the training ground, he drew every student's gaze.
The instructor training the students noticed Su Yuntao and hurried over. "Grandmaster Su, what brings you to the academy? Is something the matter?"
Naturally, he knew Su Yuntao. Some of the students at the academy had even had their Martial Souls awakened by him.
Su Yuntao nodded to the instructor. "Sorry to disturb you. I'm looking for someone."
Su Yuntao explained why he had come, then, paying no heed to the instructor's puzzled expression, quickly scanned the crowd. He soon spotted Lu Fei in a corner and raised a hand, calling out gently.
"Lu Fei, come here a moment."
The call was not loud, but the entire training ground fell silent in an instant.
Xiao Chenyu, who had been watching the bunch of rookies train, was especially startled. His pupils contracted, and the smile on his face froze.
"A Spirit Hall deacon?! He came all this way just to find Lu Fei?"
Xiao Chenyu had always believed Lu Fei was an orphan with no power, influence, or family to rely on, so he had been certain he could recruit and control him as he pleased.
But now, what kind of orphan was this?!
For a Spirit Hall deacon to come looking for him in person, the web of connections behind him was too complicated for Xiao Chenyu to comprehend!
Xiao Chenyu instantly overturned all his previous assumptions. His little scheme to recruit Lu Fei as an underling and keep him under his thumb vanished without a trace.
What a joke!
Anyone with ties to Spirit Hall, however slight, was far beyond what an ordinary noble's son like him could afford to provoke or control.
His ambition faded, replaced by deep apprehension and caution.
No, I have to tell my dad about this. He'll have to decide what to do. Xiao Chenyu slipped quietly out of the crowd and edged toward the academy gates.
Every student on the training ground had their eyes on Lu Fei, their faces a mixture of surprise, envy, and awe.
Lu Fei himself looked bewildered. He froze for a moment before hurrying out of the group and up to Su Yuntao. "Brother Tao, what brings you here?"
"Your brother sent some things through the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce. I'll take you home to have a look," Su Yuntao said gently, without a trace of arrogance.
At the mention of his brother, everyone present burst into an uproar.
Lu Fei had an older brother?!
And a big shot who could call on the Seven Treasure Chamber of Commerce and contact a Spirit Hall deacon at that!
The way everyone looked at Lu Fei changed completely.
Lu Fei paid no attention to their gazes. His brother, who had been gone for a month, had sent him things, and warmth filled his heart. He obediently followed Su Yuntao out of the academy.
Tang San was among the students training. Though he looked down on their crude punches and kicks, he still joined the group training so Yu Xiaogang would not be labeled as someone whose disciple looked down on everyone else.
When he heard Su Yuntao mention Lu Fei's brother, a strange light flashed in Tang San's eyes, and he turned toward Yu Xiaogang's office.
They made their way back to Su Yuntao's home.
Su Yuntao handed everything to Lu Fei and said, "These are all things your brother had sent over. Go have a look."
Lu Fei nodded, happily gathered up the things Lu Yu had sent, and returned to his room.
After closing the door, Lu Fei could hold back no longer and eagerly opened the three exquisite boxes.
Everything in the boxes was something Lu Fei had never seen before, and with each box he opened, his excitement and delight grew.
Lu Fei picked up the thin envelope beside them.
He opened it to find a single clean sheet of white paper inside, blank and without a word on it.
Lu Fei froze, his face full of confusion.
"Why did Brother send me a blank sheet of paper?"
Lu Fei turned the paper over and over. Both sides were pure white, without the slightest trace of ink or any visible content.
As he puzzled over it, his nose twitched, and he caught a faint smell of garlic.
Suddenly, something Lu Yu had said while chatting with him flashed through his mind.
-Writing in garlic juice remains hidden on the paper; warm it over a low flame, and the words will appear.
At the time, Lu Fei had thought Lu Yu was bragging. How could garlic possibly be used for writing? Though their home had been bare but for its four walls, Lu Fei still knew that garlic was a seasoning.
How could something meant to be eaten be used for writing?!