Insignificant Character

While moving Wang Fei was deep in thought. "This Ye Mo looks plain on the outside but a deep killing intent is concealed in his eyes, how many people did he kill for it to become this way at his age..."

In the meantime within the mass of survivors, Ma Shinfei's persistent gaze roamed on Ye Mo's back.

"Im not wrong this is the presence i felt back then in the forest. He looks like some commoner but his muscles are tough and his body is full of vitality. He must be cultivating a body refining technique. I wonder what grade it is." Ma Shinfei asked himself as he became excited.

Somewhere else in the crowd, a spear-wielding blue haired teen was in reflection.

"This boy reeks of blood, he's definitely not ordinary. This tournament is gonna be interesting." The youth smiled as expectations growed inside him.

In front of an expert eyes even the smallest subtleties were layed naked.

The birds chirped and the crickets sang as everyone arrived at Azure Water city. The participants that failed the test left for home or more accurately were chased out.

Wang Fei opened his mouth as a small cloud came out. It quickly enlarged until it was big enough to take all the candidates for the second phase.

"Kids, hop in. This is a spiritual tool, we will use this to go to the Tiger Martial institute. Previously it couldn't hold all of you as you were too numerous so take this as a special treatment for passing the first phase."

Spiritual tools existed in all kinds of shape and has varying speed but they were extremely expensive and commonly used to travel great distances.

The youths looked at it with eyes full of awe and bewilderment as they touched it. When they realized it was tangible they all jumped on and left for the institute. The cloud was soft and comfy but when flying it was so fast that some kids almost fell out.

Event though Wang Fei didn't make it fly at top speed the weakest of participants gripped the cloud with all their strenght as they desperately held out while the strongest were deeply rooted on the mass of steam enjoying the view of the city from above.

Ye Mo calmly sat as he closed his eyes, feeling the wind on his face. This kind of sensation and this feeling of freedom was novel to him. "When my cultivation reach a certain stage, i will be able to fly like that by myself all the time and i wouldn't need such tool." Ye Mo couldn't wait.

Unfortunately for him or fortunately for other kids the travel was short as they quickly arrived at destination.

The cloud landed in front of the gates as everyone jumped off before it shrank back and disappeared inside Wang Fei's mouth.

The youths looked at the gigantic Tiger Martial Institute while charming young men, refined ladies and rich-looking horse carriages were coming and going all around them. The institute was in the heart of Azure Water City where only the strongest cultivators and the wealthiest people resided.

Two guards were posted beside the gates with solemn expression. Wang Fei approached them and showed his token as the guards nodded and opened the gates.

"Follow me." Wang Fei gestured to the kids then entered the institution with the other teachers.

The youths followed behind and walked under the arch of the gate, discovering marvelous pavillons, magnificent palaces and three massive towers. Deeper inside layed an enormous pagoda that could be seen from tens of li away.

Every participants looked at the scenery with sparks in the eyes. The architecture of each building had it's own magnificent style and the structures looked more luxurious the further they walked.

"So that's where martial artists cultivate..." Only then did Ye Mo realise how awe-inspiring the institutions are. He didn't look at the palaces or the lotus ponds but at the wealth they represented and how much he would profit from this place.

There were many cultivators walking by. They looked mighty and affluent while the youngest ones seemed excited and arrogant.

Passing through some streets and bridges and after many twist and turns they arrived at the Dusk yard.

Dusk yard was a residential area for guests with castles and palaces more or less expensive.

The candidates were led to a black castle.

"This is where you will sleep tonight. The competition will take place tomorrow so rest well in order to be in top form but don't forget you're not part of the Tiger Martial institute yet so don't roam around casually." Wang Fei and the assisting teachers left with theses words.

The black castle had five floors with corridors containing countless doors on each side. Inside were small, simple rooms with a bed, a desk and no window. Inside the drawer of the desk was paper, ink and a brush.

Some weren't fond of sleeping there but they put up with it as it was just one day.

For Ye Mo instead, it was more than he ever had since his parents died. Their house had been taken from him and sold to a new family while he had been living all this time on the streets. He found his shabby shelter much later in time so having a bed and a roof was new to him.

Ye Mo closed the door of his room and sat on the bed when he discovered he couldn't feel the others presence or hear any noise.

The rooms were isolated from the outside.

"That's good news." Ye Mo rummaged through his pouches recounting what he earned. In the middle he suddenly randomly thought of this blond boy that tried to invite him in his team before the first trial.

"I didn't see him come back from the Jade Forest... Guess he died." This way Ye Mo erased him from his memories as he returned to viewing his possesions.

...

In the meantime in a courtyard of the Tiger Martial institute.

Six persons in green martial suits were waiting in a courtyard. The leading one had short white hairs and a scar ran across his left eye. He wore a green traditional robe as he stood by with a serious gaze.

Soon enough a maid arrived and asked the white-haired man to follow her. His companions weren't allowed to accompany him. They walked along the hallway when she opened a door and invited him to go in.

On the other side was Wang Fei sitting behind a desk browsing through some documents.

He entered the room as the maid closed the door behind him.

"You wanted to see me?" Wang Fei put down the papers and watched the tall man as he asked.

"Yes, sir Wang my name is Liu Zhang Yan member of the Liu clan disciplinary hall, i came here to learn what happened to my young master?" Liu Zhang Yan declared in a respectful tone.

He was the same man searching for Liu Hualing's traces in the jade forest days ago.

"What do you mean what happened, Liu Huan didn't come back from the jade forest so manifestly he died or encountered some difficulties. In any case he failed the test so it doesn't matter anymore." Wang Fei announced flatly.

The Tiger Martial institute took care of their members but as long as you weren't a part of it your well being was your own responsibility. The ones joining the recruitment knew it was dangerous, if something happened to them they didn't have the right to complain.

"This is impossible! With his strenght, joining the institution would be a piece of cake without talking of the first trial!" Liu Zhang Yan raised his voice as he lost his composure.

"That's not impossible, i admit that your young master had greater strenght among the participants but every year many youths get eliminated in this test and sometimes the strong ones fail while some weak kid succeed. Luck is a part of strenght too and it's not excluded he met a high or peak tier blood beast."

"No, i don't believe it! I want to see the report of the institutor in charge of watching the participants!" Liu Zhang Yan hastily shouted as he lost his manners. This was the heir of his clan they were talking about and their hope to prosper once again. His life and death was a matter that directly led to the survival or demise of their clan. With Liu Hualing additional disappearance, this experienced middle-aged man couldn't keep his calm anymore.

Theses words just left his mouth that he already regretted it. He looked at Wang Fei and saw his deep gaze lay on him like he was a piece of meat waiting to be cut as the temperature of the room seemed to become frigidly cold. He felt like the air was solidifying around him as a formless pressure appeared on his body.

"Maybe i should teach you some manners so you remember your place in the future." Wang Fei coldly said as he stood up.

"This is this servant fault for showing such a shameful behavior. I deeply implore for sir Wang forgiveness." Liu Zhang Yan stopped breathing as he hurriedly kowtowed.

Wang Fei was silent for a moment.

"You can leave."

Liu Zhang Yan felt the pressure disappear as if it never existed. He stood up and bowed to Wang Fei before he departed.

Wang Fei sneered. There was a teacher specialised in reconaissance that was in charge of watching the participants to make sure nothing wrong happened like a level 2 blood beast suddenly appearing or demonic cultivators showing up, but his report wasn't something an insignificant character like Liu Zhang Yan could view and even if he could, Wang Fei wouldn't have allowed such rude man to do it.

Liu Zhang Yan just exited Wang Fei courtyard with his comrades and was walking on the street when droplets of blood fell on his robe and the floor.

"Senior Zhang, are you okay ?!" A female member worriedly asked.

Liu Zhang Yan lightly touched his nose then looked at his hand when he saw his fingers smeared with blood. The middle-aged man took a sharp breath as he looked back towards Wang Fei courtyard before they hurriedly left the Tiger Martial institute.