48- Xiao Se's story

Zhong Peng, with a determined look on his face, pushed his way through the tightly-packed crowd of people.

Despite being completely oblivious to the events unfolding in his room, he remained focused on reaching his destination.

Zhong Peng was filled with joy at the prospect of the upcoming hunting stage.

This would be the first time he would be fighting a qi beast, after having fought numerous battles in the underground market without ever encountering one.

Instead of feeling nervous, the battle freak was extremely excited, a broad grin unconsciously stretching across his face.

Having walked for some time, Zhong Peng found himself standing before the Zheng Imperial Clan.

The area was teeming with people, as many had already gathered at the arena.

Zhong Peng proceeded towards the designated area for the Duan Clan, where he spotted Xiao Se, Duan Xue, and Shen Hong already present.

With a smile on his face, he approached and greeted Duan Xue with a nod, before heading towards Xiao Se.

He offered a slight nod to Xiao Se and proceeded to locate a vacant spot beside him.

He settled down and assumed a vacant expression, devoid of any discernible emotions while gazing blankly into the void before him.

Xiao Se's voice suddenly broke the silence, "Ah, I can see that you have arrived quite early. I suppose you didn't want to give Elder Duanmu yet another opportunity to mock you," he remarked dryly, concluding his statement with a wry smile.

Zhong responded to Xiao Se's query with a counter-question, "You, why are you here so early? The hunting competition won't commence for another hour." He wore a smile on his face.

"I suppose it's a habit of mine. I prefer arriving early," Xiao Se replied, his face breaking into a deep, peculiar grin.

Zhong Peng responded with a nonchalant "Hmm"

A prolonged period of silence ensued between the two individuals, as Zhong Peng gazed toward Xiao Se and inquired curiously, "Tell me what knowledge do you possess concerning Zhou Shun?"

After a brief moment of silence, Xiao Se shifted his gaze towards Zhong Peng and spoke, "Are you referring to Zhou Shun who secured the third position in the previous Cloud Gathering Competition and is known for his strange smile?"

"Indeed," Zhong Peng nodded in agreement and silently added, "although I must say, you both have the same strange smile."

Xiao Se spoke with utmost seriousness, saying, "In all honesty, I must say that he surpasses his age in intelligence by far. His identity remains shrouded in mystery, and his strength is equally enigmatic." He leaned in closer to Zhong Peng and continued in a hushed tone, "Trust me when I say that he is not someone with whom you would want to provoke a conflict."

"Excuse me, but who said anything about me provoking a conflict with him?" Zhong Peng inquired with a hint of curiosity in his tone.

Xiao Se grinned widely and retorted, "The look on your face said so."

Deep inside, Zhong Peng screamed in frustration, "What expression on my face? Am I that easy to read?" He furrowed his eyebrows in annoyance.

Xiao Se paid no heed to the irritation etched on Zhong Peng's features, and instead pressed on with a grave tone, "If by chance you do happen to cross paths with him in the future, I advise you to exercise caution. Do not fall prey to his schemes. It might be best to avoid any contact with him altogether."

Zhong Peng muttered under his breath, feeling vexed as he thought to himself, "Now both Zhou Shun and Xiao Se are warning me to be cautious about the other. How ironic."

He couldn't help but feel frustrated that the two individuals who caused him such unease were the ones offering him advice.

"Why do you say that?" Zhong Peng asked with a curious tone, wanting to know more.

Xiao Se fell silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the space before him. After a while, he spoke in a subdued voice, still not meeting Zhong Peng's eyes. "I speak from experience," he began slowly. "I have fallen victim to his schemes before. You could say I was once a target of his plots."

Zhong Peng was taken aback by Xiao Se's revelation. He turned to face Xiao Se, who remained silent and still stared into space.

Realizing that Xiao Se didn't appear to want to elaborate further, Zhong Peng chose to remain quiet as well.

Zhong Peng's mind was racing with thoughts as he tried to piece together what kind of plot Zhou Shun had used on Xiao Se. "These two are truly enigmatic individuals," he thought to himself.

As Zhong Peng was lost in thought, Elder Duanmu's sudden appearance interrupted him. "Now that everyone has gathered, let us depart," proclaimed the elder in a commanding tone.

It was at this moment that Zhong Peng snapped out of his trance and glanced around.

To his surprise, he noticed that all ten contestants from the Duan clan had already gathered at the designated spot, including Shen Hong and Wu Zetian. He couldn't believe how engrossed he was in his thoughts that he failed to notice their arrival.