Chapter 280 Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground

The few young men gathered around Luo Qing couldn’t help but feel their eyes light up when they saw her smile.

Ever since Luo Qing joined Jingwu Academy, she had attracted the attention of many of the academy’s talented young men.

But in the past six months, Luo Qing had been lukewarm to everyone, and usually kept to herself.

Even the crowd of Martial Artists who trained with Luo Qing every day had rarely seen her smile.

Now, with this one smile, the beauty before them seemed capable of toppling cities.

The young Martial Artists were overjoyed, each thinking some clever remark of theirs had finally captured the beauty’s heart.

Before anyone could react, Luo Qing ignored them all. Her beautiful eyes fixed on a point in the distance, and she walked briskly toward the edge of the training grounds.

“Xiaolu, why are you back?”

Luo Qing walked up to Lu Bai, her expression a mix of disbelief, shock, and delight.

“Sister Luo.”

Lu Bai smiled and nodded. “I earned merits on the Southern Border and atoned for my crimes. Now I’m a free man, light as a feather. I had the chance to come back to the Capital City with Lord Mo and take a look around.”

Mo Tang’s gaze shifted between Lu Bai and Luo Qing. He smiled faintly and said, “For the past six months, Little Qing has come to me several times asking about you. Now that she’s seen you in person, she can finally rest easy.”

Hearing this, Luo Qing subconsciously lowered her head and said softly, “It was also because Madam Lu was worried. She’s far away in Jing State and asked me to inquire on her behalf.”

“Is my mother well?”

Lu Bai asked.

Luo Qing replied, “We last corresponded by letter three months ago. Madam Lu has been staying with the Luo Family and is in good health, so you don’t need to worry. She’s just been thinking of you, not knowing how you were faring on the border.”

Lu Bai smiled. “I’m doing fine. I wasn’t mistreated on the border.”

Luo Qing nodded, looking him up and down. “You don’t look like you’ve lost any weight. In fact, you seem a bit more muscular.”

“I’ll let you two talk. I’m heading off.”

Having delivered Lu Bai, Mo Tang took his leave.

“Come on, let’s go to my place. Tell me about what you’ve been through on the border these past six months.”

Luo Qing sensed some strange looks coming from the training grounds behind her. Not bothering to deal with them, she led Lu Bai away from the area.

“Who’s that guy? Why was Junior Sister Luo so happy to see him?”

“Never seen him. Just some pretty boy who popped up out of nowhere. Hmph!”

“I think I remember him. Six months ago, he committed a major crime and was exiled to the border. What was his name… Right, Black Hand Yama!”

The Martial Artists who could enter Jingwu Academy either had excellent natural talent or came from influential families, so they were well-informed.

Someone scoffed, “Heh… let me tell you something. Anyone in the Jianghu who gives themselves such a fierce-sounding title is usually a fraud. They have no real skill and just rely on their name to scare people.”

“It’s him! I remember now!”

“I’ve heard of him. He caused quite a stir six months ago. Marquis Jingzhong was stripped of his title and put under house arrest in the Capital City because of him.”

“Rumor has it he cut off the head of Marquis Jingzhong’s grandson, ran rampant in Jing State killing hundreds, and even a True Master Golden Core fell at his hands.”

Hearing this, everyone was shocked.

“He looks so young. How can he be that powerful? What’s his Cultivation?”

“Innate Realm.”

“Damn, you scared me. So after all that, he’s just an Innate Martial Artist, same as us. Him, kill a True Master Golden Core? Bullshit!”

Some were skeptical, while others were openly scornful.

—————–

Luo Qing was the only one from the Luo Family in the Capital City. She lived in a private residence at Jingwu Academy.

The two talked for a while, and soon it was evening.

It wasn’t proper for Lu Bai to linger there.

Luo Qing asked, “Where will you stay now that you’re back in the Capital City?”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Lu Bai said, “I’ll just find an inn in the Capital City for now. I’ll let you know where once I’m settled, Sister Luo.”

They agreed to meet and talk more tomorrow.

Just then, a knock came from the door.

“Junior Sister Luo, are you in?”

A man’s voice called from outside.

“Senior Brother Yang Feng?”

Hearing the voice, Luo Qing frowned slightly, got up, and opened the door.

A man in fitted clothes stood at the door. He had sharp eyebrows and bright eyes, a noble nose, and a handsome face. His thin lips were pressed into a slight smile.

The moment the door opened, Yang Feng first nodded and smiled at Luo Qing. Then, his gaze passed over her shoulder and landed on Lu Bai inside the room, his eyes carrying a hint of scrutiny.

“Senior Brother Yang, is something the matter?”

Luo Qing asked, her voice flat.

Yang Feng smiled faintly and said in a gentle voice, “Junior Sister Luo, I bring good news. Care to take a guess?”

“If it’s nothing, then never mind.”

Luo Qing took a step back, about to close the door.

“Hey!”

Yang Feng grew anxious and quickly blocked the door. “Dean Jiang just sent out a notice! Tomorrow, Dean Jiang himself will be leading some of our academy’s Innate Martial Artists on a hunt at the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground outside the city. You and I are both on the list, Junior Sister Luo.”

Luo Qing shook her head slightly. “I have something to do, so I won’t be going. You can give the opportunity to someone else.”

“That’s not a good idea.”

Yang Feng was taken aback for a moment, then quickly said, “Junior Sister Luo, this kind of training opportunity is rare. The other students would kill for it.”

After a pause, Yang Feng added, “Junior Sister Luo, are you worried about the dangers at the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground? Don’t be. Although this hunt is in a Tier Two hunting area, Dean Jiang is a True Master Martial Dao. With him personally leading the team, there will be absolutely no problem.”

“Besides, with me by your side, Junior Sister Luo, how could I ever let you be in any danger?”

Normally, Luo Qing would have gone without hesitation.

But Lu Bai was practically the only family she had in the Capital City, and he had only just returned today. They hadn’t even had a chance to talk properly.

“Never mind. Thank you for the kind offer, Senior Brother Yang.”

Luo Qing shook her head, not bothering to explain.

Seeing Luo Qing’s resolute attitude, Yang Feng couldn’t help but frown slightly. His gaze swept over Lu Bai, and he felt a pang of annoyance.

‘Junior Sister Luo is passing up such a great opportunity… it must be because of this man!’

An idea flashed in Yang Feng’s mind. He said, “In any case, this notice came from Dean Jiang. If you don’t go, Junior Sister Luo, it will be difficult for me to report back. It would be better if you went and told Dean Jiang yourself.”

“Fine.”

Luo Qing agreed without hesitation.

Lu Bai, who had been silent and observing coolly, now stood up and followed Luo Qing out.

The three of them walked side by side.

Lu Bai had a powerful build and a commanding stride. He was a full head taller than Yang Feng.

Yang Feng had come here intending to use this opportunity to size up Lu Bai, with the thought of a little competition in mind.

But when he glimpsed Lu Bai’s tower-like frame and recalled his reputation as Black Hand Yama, he couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated.

“Sister Luo, what’s this Cyan Mountain Hunting all about?”

Lu Bai asked.

“Outside the capital, there’s a place called the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground. It’s home to all sorts of fierce wild animals, as well as some Demon Beasts that have gained sentience through cultivation. The powerful experts of our dynasty have roughly divided it into three zones, occupied by Tier One, Tier Two, and Tier Three Demon Beasts, respectively.”

Luo Qing explained, “Jingwu Academy has a tradition where all Innate Martial Artists must go to the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground to hunt and fight Demon Beasts. It’s considered a form of training. After all, the sparring matches at the academy are always restrained. Without the baptism of blood and true life-and-death struggles, something is always lacking.”

“Some Martial Artists at the peak of Innate Perfection, who want to obtain a Demon Beast Inner Core to help them break through to the Alchemy Dao, are also usually led by the Dean to the Tier Three zone of the Cyan Mountain Hunting Ground to hunt Tier Three Demon Beasts.”