Chapter 103: Conversation Along the Way

Zuo Yuan's words struck Su Yi like a bolt from the blue, crashing hard into his heart. Su Yi's mind trembled, countless thoughts flashing through his head in an instant. What puzzled him most was how this elder named Zuo Yuan could know that he and Long Zhi Meng were acquainted. He had not even told Mei Ya, who had been by his side that year. How could Zuo Yuan, so far away at the Dou Qi Academy, have known about it?

Remembering that Zuo Yuan had just mentioned a student with the surname Long at the academy, Su Yi's heart stirred. Could it be...

"Ah... I do indeed know Miss Long Zhi Meng. May I ask how Senior Zuo came to know this?" Su Yi lowered his head slightly and asked respectfully.

Zuo Yuan chuckled and said, "Before I set out for the Grand Empire, Long Zhi Meng once mentioned you to me... At seventeen, already a level-ten Dou Zhe, your talent in cultivation is clearly not bad. Since I have come here, I naturally wanted to see for myself."

Su Yi was first slightly taken aback. So it had indeed been Long Zhi Meng who told Zuo Yuan in advance. But then he gave a faint, wry smile and said, "Talent and such... there is little point in speaking of it now. I imagine Miss Long Zhi Meng does not know about my present condition, does she?"

Zuo Yuan looked at Su Yi and nodded gently. "Indeed. I was also very surprised and sorry when I heard that your Dou Qi vortex had been destroyed, but when I saw you yesterday at the martial exam gathering, I was even more astonished. Though there is not the slightest trace of Dou Qi on you, you nevertheless contain considerable strength... I cannot say exactly how strong that power is, but my instinct tells me that among those contestants, none would be your match..."

Oh? Su Yi's brows rose slightly in secret. Since he cultivated not Dou Qi but Vital Energy, if he did not unleash his power, he looked no different from an ordinary, somewhat frail person. That deceptive appearance had even made Mo Ben hesitate a little when he had once seen him fighting Di Yuan. Yet he had not expected the Zuo Yuan before him to see through it at a glance.

Was this the insight of a Dou King expert? Or the hard-earned experience of a Dou Qi Academy mentor?

Seeing that Su Yi remained silent, Zuo Yuan smiled and continued, "Although you cultivate Vital Energy rather than Dou Qi, as a contestant this has never happened in the history of the world's greatest martial convention. Still, to be honest, I very much want to see just what level you will reach after three more years of devoted cultivation..."

"No precedent?" Su Yi said in some surprise. "Then wouldn't that mean I am not qualified?"

"That is not quite what I mean. Our Dou Qi Academy, together with the three great empires, has set the rule that those under thirty who cultivate Dou Qi may participate. But it never said that those who cultivate only Vital Energy cannot. After all, people like that are exceedingly rare across the entire continent. Precisely because they are rare, the occasional participant of this sort will not cause any trouble." Zuo Yuan spoke slowly.

"As for the academy, if I were to recommend you under my own name, there should not be any major issue. As for the imperial capital, I have already said I would write a letter explaining the situation. But whatever the case, the most important thing is still strength!" Zuo Yuan fixed his gaze on Su Yi and said slowly, "Once you have strength, all those questions about whether you are qualified will naturally vanish. And as a participant from the Grand Empire, when the time comes, your formidable strength will surely earn you the attention of the imperial capital."

Only then did Su Yi understand why, at the martial exam gathering, when the results were announced, the city lord of Chet had spoken to Zuo Yuan. Though Zuo Yuan was not a subject of the empire, with the status of a Dou King and a mentor of the Dou Qi Academy, the people of the imperial capital could not simply ignore his words. Thinking that Zuo Yuan had done so much merely to help him gain the right to compete, Su Yi felt deeply grateful.

"Then I thank Senior Zuo."

Zuo Yuan waved a hand lightly. "No need. Our Dou Qi Academy has always valued talented people. Though you are a contestant for the Grand Empire and may very well end up competing against the academy's own students, that is no reason for us to prevent you from taking part. Competition is what drives progress. Such narrow-minded notions are truly unacceptable..."

"But speaking of that, it is a pity that Miss Mei Ya, with all her talent and strength, did not take part in the martial convention. Still, if there are certain reasons for it, I suppose it would be improper to pry." Zuo Yuan said with a sigh.

Those words struck right at the heart of Su Yi's own thoughts. After the martial exam ended, he had indeed wanted to ask about it. But then he thought that since Mei Ya had never told him her true strength, she might not tell him the reason she chose not to compete either. And if he thought about it more simply, even after nearly three years, he still did not know why Mei Ya had come to Changling City. If he asked now, he might still learn nothing. After all, everyone has secrets of their own; until the time comes to speak of them, they will not be revealed. It was much like Su Yi's own secret of having crossed over into this world...

"Ah... Senior Zuo, the student with the surname Long whom you just said was even stronger than Miss Mei Ya, should be Miss Long Zhi Meng, yes? If that is so, then wouldn't she be the champion in the end?" Su Yi asked after some thought.

Zuo Yuan laughed softly. "By ordinary reasoning, the Dou Qi Continent is vast beyond measure, and it abounds with hidden masters. Among the younger generation, it is hard to say who will prevail. But Long Zhi Meng is an exceptionally special case..."

Special? Su Yi secretly nodded. A peak tenth-rank Dou Dragon at the age of sixteen or seventeen was indeed very special. As he thought this, he did not notice the faint, unusual note in Zuo Yuan's tone.

Glancing at Su Yi with a somewhat inscrutable smile, Zuo Yuan said, "Su Yi, the reason I am helping you so much actually has to do with Long Zhi Meng as well..."

"What?" Su Yi was momentarily puzzled.

Zuo Yuan suddenly sighed. "Mm... Actually, a year ago Long Zhi Meng came to the Grand Empire and was attacked by a group of mysterious people. You should know about that, shouldn't you?"

"This..." Su Yi could not help but say in surprise, "Senior Zuo, you know about that too?"

"When a student of ours is in trouble, the academy naturally receives some information. From what we learned later, there were experts from Long Zhi Meng's family accompanying her at the time, but they were held back by the other side's masters. And it seems there were other forces mixed in as well..." As Zuo Yuan said this, his brows knitted slightly. Then he looked at Su Yi and laughed. "But in the end, it was you who saved her."

"Since Senior Zuo already knows, please do not tease me any further." Su Yi broke out in a cold sweat after hearing this and gave a helpless, bitter smile. "With my mere level-ten Dou Zhe strength at the time, what could I have possibly done? I was only acting beyond my ability..."

"Indeed. If someone else had been in your position, nine times out of ten they would have stood by and watched, or even quietly fled for their lives. There are very few people who would risk their own lives to save another as you did!" Zuo Yuan's tone suddenly turned grave. "But precisely because such people are rare, they are all the more precious. People of loyalty and righteousness are exactly the kind of talent our Dou Qi Academy needs. After all, no one wishes to see graduates of the academy become heartless and wicked men."

Su Yi nodded silently. After a moment, he slowly asked, "By the way, earlier Senior Zuo said your business in the Grand Empire was nearly finished, and that you wanted to have a talk with me. Could it be that there is something I can help with?"

Hearing this, Zuo Yuan shook his head. "No, it is not that. In truth, the matter I came here to handle had already been settled before I arrived in Changling City. The reason I said it was nearly finished was simply because I had not yet come to see you. Now that I have met you, naturally everything is concluded."

Even so, to have a Dou King expert come personally to see him, and with such a calm and cordial attitude—whether or not Long Zhi Meng had something to do with it, this was enough to leave Su Yi feeling overwhelmed and honored.

"Speaking of which... let me ask in passing, have you seen or heard any trace of the Corpse Beetle Beast?" Zuo Yuan suddenly asked.

"The Corpse Beetle Beast?!"

Su Yi was startled and baffled at once, unable to understand why Zuo Yuan would suddenly bring up this magical beast. Though he had never seen one, he had long been familiar with its infamous name, as the culprit that had once brought about the Corpse Calamity. If possible, Su Yi did not want to encounter such a beast. He could not help but shake his head and say, "Hasn't the Corpse Beetle Beast already vanished from the continent for decades? Why would Senior Zuo mention this?"

Zuo Yuan seemed to let out a sigh, his expression turning somewhat solemn. "In fact, our Dou Qi Academy received certain intelligence suggesting that those people have been secretly breeding Corpse Beetle Beasts somewhere within the Grand Empire. That is why I was sent here to investigate. However... although I said the matter was nearly finished, in truth it was only because there had been no progress that I had no choice but to return. After all, I cannot remain here for too long..."

"Someone is secretly breeding Corpse Beetle Beasts? Who are those people?!" Su Yi exclaimed in shock, eyes wide.

Zuo Yuan suddenly gave a low chuckle, and in his tone there seemed to be the same strange note as when he had spoken of Long Zhi Meng earlier. "Those people are the very same mysterious ones who attacked Long Zhi Meng a year ago."

Su Yi drew a deep breath, forcing down the turmoil in his heart, and slowly said, "So it was them..."

"All right, there is no use in telling you more just yet. If you want to figure it out, perhaps when you see Long Zhi Meng again in the future, you can ask her and she may tell you." As Zuo Yuan finished speaking, he moved and stepped toward the entrance of the auction hall.

Su Yi could only follow beside him. After a short while, the two of them had reached the doors. Seeing that Zuo Yuan was about to leave, Su Yi did not know why, but his heart suddenly stirred, and he stepped forward to ask softly, "Senior Zuo, do you know why Miss Long Zhi Meng came to the Grand Empire a year ago?"

At Su Yi's question, Zuo Yuan frowned and said with some hesitation, "In truth, I do not know the exact details. That was her own matter after all. But I heard that the reason she came to the Grand Empire seemed to be to investigate an old affair within her family..."

Su Yi nodded. Though he still did not understand, that answer was perfectly reasonable, so he asked no further. He bowed slightly and said, "Then, Senior Zuo, may your journey go smoothly."

At this, Zuo Yuan also smiled, flicked his sleeve lightly, and turned to depart.

"In that case, I take my leave here. Su Yi, I hope to see you again at the Dou Qi Academy three years from now..."

(The third update! Everyone, bury me under your flowers and favorites!)

武道巅峰103_第一百零三章 路上谈话更新完毕！