three people in the way

Before Gao Ming reached the valley, he was blocked by three young men. One of them was a bit older, around twenty-four or twenty-five, with sword-like eyebrows, temples graced by a few strands of hair, and a pair of phoenix eyes. His upper lip featured two thin, black mustache lines, giving him an air of nobility. The only regret was the heavy arrogance in his eyes, not quite reaching the sky, but not far off.

The other two seemed to be around nineteen. One had a robust build with a baby face, and the other was a chubby guy with small eyes, round face, and a perpetual smile, resembling the Maitreya Buddha from a past life.

They should be the troublemakers from the training camp that Gao Jian mentioned. They have distinctive appearances, but Gao Ming wonders about their actual strength. Setting aside their strength for now, Gao Ming, as a rookie, has no means to compare with them. He hasn't even learned a single ability, possessing only the innate ability, but no practical skills.

Considering their ages, they have awakened their abilities for at least ten years, and their strengths should be at the Fighter level.

"You three are blocking my way. Is there something you want?" Gao Ming remained calm.

The one who spoke was the chubby guy. He first used his thick-fingered hand to touch his already hidden chin within the fat, blinked his small eyes, and said, "You must be Gao Ming, huh? Not bad looking. I heard you offended Gao Xiao. Is that true?"

People can be deceiving, and seawater can't be measured in buckets. Gao Ming now truly understands the depth of this saying. Primarily, the chubby guy's voice is too pleasant. In his previous life, Gao Ming never heard such a pleasant male voice. Of course, his voice is not like a woman's sweet tone, but it possesses a magnetic, three-dimensional quality, as if it were coming from a specially processed audio device.

He couldn't help but think that if this chubby guy were to become a singer on Earth, he would definitely be extremely popular. Other male singers would be out of a job.

"Blocking someone's path without revealing your identity is quite impolite behavior, you know!"

Gao Ming found it strange. From the tone of the chubby guy, it seemed like there was no hostility as he imagined. Was it possible he had misunderstood?

"Hey, hehe. Unique personality. I appreciate your character, fatty. Good. Let me introduce myself first. I'm Gao Pang. Do you find my name fitting for my stature? My old man had a good sense of foresight, giving me a name that suits me. Haha. So, you can call me Fatty~~~~~~"

The mature youth on the side suddenly said coldly, "Fatty, can't you be less verbose? I'm Gao Qiong." His last sentence was directed at Gao Ming, very much in line with his displayed character – arrogant and straightforward.

Fatty rolled his small eyes, looking quite annoyed. Then, he chuckled and said, "This little guy here is..."

He was about to introduce the young man with the baby face but was interrupted, "Fatty, I know how to introduce myself. Don't talk too much. I'm Gao Wa. Gao Ming. Don't call me Wa Wa, or else I'll have to use my fists~~~" After finishing his words, he stared threateningly at Fatty, but his menacing gaze looked somewhat honest and simple to others.

These three people are quite interesting!

"Blocking my path but just introducing yourselves? There should be more to it," Gao Ming said with a slowed expression, showing a cautious attitude toward strangers.

Gao Pang burst into laughter, causing his entire fat body to shake like waves rolling, a sight to behold. "Look at what you're saying! We three have absolutely no malicious intent. We just heard there's a new awakened individual of advanced age who had a conflict with that cunning Gao Xiao. We were quite interested and wanted to get to know you better. Gao Ming, you truly have courage, daring to offend even Gao Xiao. Tsk tsk, Fatty here has to admire you~~~~~" He extended a hand in front of Gao Ming, with the large thumb sticking up.

From the tone of this Fatty, Gao Ming deduced some information – these three individuals seem to have some disagreement with Gao Xiao.

Fatty was talking nonsense and continued, "Gao Ming, our encounter today could be considered fate. Anyway, your ability class should have ended for today, and there's still time. How about we go for a few drinks to build some camaraderie? Hehe, what do you think?"

Encounter? Fate? Clearly, you three were specifically waiting here. Gao Ming inwardly sneered, but he pretended to wear a somewhat reluctant expression and shook his head, saying, "Not today. I have something to attend to. Another day, I'll treat you three to some drinks."

Gao Ming is still unfamiliar with these three people. It's better to have less contact for now. Given his current situation, where he has offended not only Gao Xiao but also become involved in the conflict between Gao Xiao and Gao Jian, it's clear that the root cause of the dispute between Gao Xiao and Gao Jian is the inheritance of the family head position. Although Gao Bo has not yet officially inherited the position of the family head, it's already a foregone conclusion.

So, the biggest dispute now is about selecting the next generation's heir.

However, Gao Ming finds it strange. Gao Xiao, as the eldest grandson of the family, has the powerful backing of Gao Yu. He is practically invincible. On the other hand, Gao Jian is only a son born out of wedlock, although he is an awakened individual. His status is definitely inferior to Gao Xiao. How could he have the ability to compete with Gao Xiao for the position of family head?

Unless Gao Jian's potential is much higher than Gao Xiao's. This is possible because when choosing the heir, in addition to the principle of choosing between legitimate and illegitimate children, the family also considers the potential of their abilities. After all, in this world of abilities, strength is the most fundamental factor. A family head without strength, even if they possess other abilities, will not be able to command a group of unruly and powerful individuals.

So, even if Gao Jian is just a illegitimate child, if his psychic potential is extremely high, it is very likely to attract the attention of Gao Meng and Gao Bo, and be included in the candidate list for the successor of the patriarch.

This can deduce the reasons for the strained relationship between Gao Xiao and Gao Jian. In the conflict yesterday, my psychic ability inexplicably awakened, inadvertently getting involved in the struggle for the succession of the patriarch. This is also the reason for Gao Jian's markedly different attitudes toward me. Obviously, he also sees my value, using this opportunity to recruit me and undermine Gao Xiao.

Since these three people don't see eye to eye with Gao Xiao, it's very likely they are on Gao Jian's side. Of course, they could also belong to other forces. Gao Ming doesn't believe that the clan is an ironclad unity; apart from the influence of the patriarch, there must be other forces present.

However, Gao Ming is completely unaware of the internal situation of the clan, making it impossible to speculate.

Therefore, it's better to stay away from these people. At least, until I have the ability to protect myself, I shouldn't inexplicably get involved. Otherwise, being marked by some force wouldn't be a good thing.