Chapter 39: The Old Man and the Young Girl

Tian Dou City.

On the Star Dou Great Avenue, the crowd surged. As the imperial capital of the Tian Dou Empire, the lively atmosphere here far surpassed the small city of Nuoding. Almost every inch of the street was filled with people, and even moving a meter felt like threading a needle.

"Make way, make way! Hurry up!"

Suddenly, a stern and rough shout echoed from the end of the avenue, accompanied by the urgent sound of horse hooves.

Subsequently, the crowd began to stir, hastily surging to both sides. Some people were still unclear about the situation, but being pushed by the crowd, they could only follow and move to the side of the street.

Over a dozen riders galloped through the street, completely ignoring the commoners who had not yet made way on the road. If someone moved too slowly, the rider at the front would whip them with a horsewhip, creating a chaotic scene on the wide avenue.

"Blind dog eyes? Seeking death? I'll fulfill your wish and make way for me!" The knight wore the uniform of the Royal Guards, emanating a terrifying aura.

Leading the way were a dozen knights, escorting a young man who looked around twenty years old.

The young man was dressed in luxurious clothing, with a proud demeanor. He disdainfully glanced at the commoners making way, his expression carrying a hint of disgust and scorn.

To him, these commoners were no different from ants. A casual word from him could end their lives.

"Who is this? I really dislike this person, so annoying."

Beside the street, a girl who was being jostled by the crowd pouted her lips in dissatisfaction.

"Oh!"

As the person in front stepped back again, she couldn't dodge in time. Her toe was stepped on, and she yanked it back forcefully. However, the person in front suddenly loosened, causing her to lose her balance. She stumbled backward and fell into the arms of a young man behind her.

"Sorry, sorry, it wasn't intentional." The girl quickly stabilized herself and apologized to the young man behind her.

"It's okay." The young man was very friendly, smiling and shaking his head as he explained, "You must be new to Tian Dou City, right? That person is Xue Beng, the fourth prince of the Tian Dou Empire. He's usually arrogant and domineering; ordinary people dare not provoke him."

The girl blinked, sizing up the young man. She noticed his clear cheekbones and, beneath the disheveled hair, a pair of deep eyes resembling a starry sky. He wore a luxurious silk robe with gold trim, indicating a distinguished status.

"Thank you." The girl stepped back from the young man's embrace, a blush appearing on her cheeks. The warmth still lingered around her waist. She avoided making eye contact with those deep eyes.

"Hehe, young man, it seems like you're quite familiar with Tian Dou City." An old man on the side, hearing the conversation, stroked his beard and looked at the young couple with a smiling gaze.

"Not really, just arrived a few days early and already learned a lot about Tian Dou City." The young man smiled and shook his head at the old man. "Arriving in Tian Dou City, where nobles are as numerous as dogs, and soul masters are everywhere, it's natural to inquire about who can be provoked and who cannot. To avoid causing trouble with some noble in the future and ending up in a bad situation."

"Nobles as numerous as dogs? Soul masters everywhere?" The old man's hand paused as he stroked his beard, then he chuckled.

The girl beside them also giggled.

Both of them were hearing someone address nobles and soul masters in such a way for the first time. These two titles were considered prestigious and unattainable in the entire continent, something that commoners could only look up to for their entire lives.

Every commoner, when facing them, would instinctively bow down, not daring to show even the slightest disrespect, let alone making jokes about it.

Blatantly comparing nobles to dogs and subtly likening soul masters to... well, some kind of rampant animal. If anyone else had witnessed this behavior, it would be considered a blatant act of disrespect.

From this statement, it was clear that the young man didn't really care about offending so-called important people. Obviously, either the young man had an extraordinary background, or he himself was a soul master, possessing the confidence to not fear trouble.

Suddenly, the old man thought that this time was the beginning of the school season, and the young man in front of him might be...

"Young man, you seem quite young. Are you here to study in Tian Dou City?" The old man did not find the young man's words offensive. Instead, he asked kindly, "Are you perhaps entering the Royal Academy of Tian Dou?"

"No, I only have the first level of innate soul power. With a mutated martial soul, the path of a soul master won't take me far," the young man bowed respectfully, explaining, "So, my family sent me to Moon Pavilion for study and etiquette."

The young man was none other than Cheng Xiao, sent by his uncle to study at Moon Pavilion. His second soul ring was a thousand years, and until he found a reliable force to join, he chose to conceal his strength. Otherwise, being rootless, anyone would want to take a bite out of him to discover the secrets he held.

Upon hearing this, the old man sighed in regret. The girl pouted, feeling slightly disappointed. She thought she had found someone to enter school with.

"Old sir, is your granddaughter preparing to enroll in the Royal Academy of Tian Dou?" Cheng Xiao deduced some information from the old man's words.

"Yes, she is a bit lazy, but luckily, she barely met the enrollment requirements for the Royal Academy of Tian Dou," the old man chuckled.

"Grandpa!" The girl heard this and stamped her foot in a cute protest.

"Well, your granddaughter's talent is not bad," Cheng Xiao complimented casually, not taking the talk about laziness too seriously.

All elders were like this, verbally claiming their children were not good enough. If you took it seriously and agreed, it might cause resentment.

"However, the Royal Academy of Tian Dou is not inside the city. Why are you here?" Cheng Xiao asked with a hint of doubt.

"Just arrived, not familiar with the place, so I came for a stroll," the old man explained. "It doesn't matter much. We are also paying a visit to an old friend."

"Is there anything I can help you with? I've been here for quite a few days and have become familiar with Tian Dou City," Cheng Xiao offered.

Cheng Xiao wasn't particularly kind-hearted; he was just someone who wouldn't bother unless there was something in it for him.

Although they had only exchanged a few words, Cheng Xiao could analyze quite a bit. The Royal Academy of Tian Dou didn't enroll solely based on achievements; it also had certain requirements for status. Despite entering Shrek Academy as a whole, it opened its doors wide. In reality, for commoners, the Royal Academy of Tian Dou had an invisible and untouchable threshold.

Moreover, Cheng Xiao could sense from the old man's demeanor that their status was extraordinary. They didn't display the typical awkwardness of newcomers, and after hearing about Xue Beng's identity, they didn't show any envy or inferiority.

Clearly, the old man had good connections in his usual social circles, so the status of Xue Beng didn't affect them much.

Such people were worth getting to know.

"Uh..." The old man touched his beard, squinting slightly, seemingly trying to guess Cheng Xiao's intentions.