Chapter Ninety-Five: The Old Man of the Zuo Family

“Hmm? So persistent in your thoughts, are you interested in her, Su Yi?” Mei Ya first blinked in surprise at his abrupt question, then laughed softly, teasing him.

“Uh... not that far,” Su Yi said with a faint inner sweat, pretending not to have noticed the surging softness beside him. “I only wanted to know who she really is.”

His curiosity was not strange at all. Since An Xiang knew Mei Ya, she could not possibly be one of those so-called humanoid clansmen. And for someone so young to possess such strength, aside from her extraordinary talent, she must surely have a considerable background as well.

From Mei Ya’s tone, the force standing behind An Xiang was probably no weaker than Mei Ya’s own family. Otherwise, how could she have met Mei Ya and earned such an admiring, self-abasing reaction? In the entire Grane Empire, there were not many powers that could be mentioned on the same level as the great Yuximan family, perhaps not even enough to count on one hand...

As Su Yi was guessing at An Xiang’s identity and wondering whether she was a member of some great aristocratic house, Mei Ya in front of him seemed unwilling to speak of the matter at length.

“Hehe, Su Yi, knowing now would not help you much anyway, so I won’t say more. When you meet her in the future, I’ll properly introduce the two of you then...”

“Oh...” Seeing that Mei Ya was unwilling to tell him, Su Yi had no choice but to nod lightly. Yet at one moment, he could not help making a rather malicious guess: could it be that Mei Ya was jealous?

He shook his head and cast that somewhat self-deceiving thought out of his mind. Mei Ya, with her keen eyes and sharp mind, seemed to notice a trace of frustration in him, and she smiled faintly before saying, “Su Yi, I’m not trying to make things difficult for you. You should know that someone like An Xiang, beautiful and strong as she is, naturally has very high standards. Ordinary people can hardly even catch her eye, and even if one has talent, without enough strength, I’m afraid it would still be difficult to win her over.”

Uh, what do you mean, win her over? Mei Ya, you’re thinking too much! Su Yi could not help but grumble inwardly... Yet for some reason, he felt as though Mei Ya had a faint tone of disparagement toward the other girl. And that disparagement did not seem born of malice, but rather of a kind of inward rivalry, a refusal to yield to the other.

Could it be that one mountain cannot contain two tigers?

Perhaps feeling that she had said a bit too much, Mei Ya covered the corner of her mouth lightly, paused, and then added, “Of course, it’s also possible there are people as easygoing as I am. But the truth of it may only become clear when you meet her, Su Yi.”

It must be that, absolutely! Su Yi cried out inwardly. The earlier words had already hinted at it, and the latter made it even clearer. He had not expected Mei Ya, usually so elegant and serene, to actually feel such a jealous sort of hostility toward another woman.

This surprised Su Yi a little, but on second thought it made sense. Mei Ya, at about twenty-three, was already at the peak of the tenth rank, and no matter how calm she appeared, someone with such talent and strength would still possess a touch of pride in her heart.

And An Xiang, at only around nineteen, was already at the peak of the sixth rank. In some sense, she undoubtedly posed a certain threat to Mei Ya, and Mei Ya probably could not help but care about that to some extent...

Thinking of these two women, who might harbor a faint hostility toward each other yet would surely address one another in intimate, sisterly tones upon meeting, Su Yi felt a chill run through him. Women really were changeable creatures...

“Ah, now that I think about it... if possible, I’d actually rather not meet a woman as formidable as An Xiang. It’s not for any special reason. The main thing is that if two people are too different, standing together will create pressure, enough to make one feel uncomfortable... Uh, of course that doesn’t include you, Mei Ya. After all, we’ve known each other for nearly three years now, so we’re already very familiar with one another,” Su Yi said slowly after some thought.

“Oh? I suspect there’s some exaggeration in that, Su Yi. When facing me, do you really feel no pressure at all?” Mei Ya’s gaze flickered, revealing a bewitching light.

Hearing this, Su Yi gave a wry smile and scratched his head. “I do... a little, still. But Mei Ya, you should know that’s not what I meant...”

“I understand. It’s only human nature, especially for a teenager like you, whose self-esteem is still so strong. But isn’t there a saying that pressure brings motivation? On this continent, only strength can earn others’ recognition and respect. And I’ve always had confidence in you. You know that, don’t you?” Mei Ya looked at Su Yi quietly as she spoke.

Su Yi’s heart suddenly trembled at those words, and his hands clenched tightly in secret. Just from Mei Ya’s trust in him and her expectations of him, he had to move forward without fear!

For a while, no one spoke. The atmosphere gradually quieted and began to feel somewhat heavy. Mei Ya seemed to realize she had made the subject a little too serious, and with a light laugh she dispersed the凝重 mood. In a brighter tone, she said, “By the way, Uncle Moben, do you know the background of that old man we encountered at the martial contest today?”

Hearing Mei Ya suddenly mention this, Su Yi also pricked up his ears quietly, curiosity stirring in him as well. He had naturally seen that old man accompanied by City Lord Chet today, and at the time he had already felt something unusual.

That old man’s identity was certainly no simple matter; otherwise, how could the lord of a city have treated him with such courtesy? And City Lord Chet had rarely introduced this man to everyone, which from another angle indirectly confirmed the point...

Su Yi’s gaze now rested on Moben, who stood nearby and had not spoken much. Although Moben was usually sparse with words, Su Yi had long felt that he was no ordinary person. That feeling had become even clearer today after Mei Ya revealed her true strength. Since Mei Ya could conceal her power, why could Moben not do the same?

And if Mei Ya’s true strength was at the peak of the tenth rank, then just how far had Moben’s real strength reached?

Even putting that aside, Moben’s ability to recognize the Xuanlong Tendons that day also showed, in another sense, that he was anything but ordinary... Heh, perhaps the one hiding deepest in Changling City is not Mei Ya, but Moben!

Upon hearing this, Moben nodded. After a brief moment of thought, as though considering his wording, he finally said, “At the honored seating area of the martial contest, he and I quietly tested each other. This man’s strength should at least be at the mid-stage of the Battle King level, and his face is very unfamiliar. He may well be a strong expert from outside the continent...”

Mid-stage Battle King?!

Su Yi heard only those four words, and his mind suddenly went blank, so much so that he barely heard the rest of Moben’s words. Such strength had already stepped into the realm of earth-tier cultivators, capable of flying through the air and gazing down upon all living things!

He had never expected that after so many surprises at the martial contest, the obscure old man surnamed Zuo would actually be a Battle King expert!

No wonder he had been unable to sense the aura of battle energy around that old man! So that was it! Only that could explain it! If such a powerhouse deliberately concealed himself, how could an ordinary person possibly see through his true strength?!

At the same time, Su Yi also grew even more suspicious and speculative about Moben’s true strength. To be able to discern the hidden aura of a Battle King expert—such a feat was not something ordinary means could accomplish!

Who exactly was this Moben?!

One had to know that once one advanced to Battle King, one could already be counted as a first-rate expert within the empire. Although there was still some distance from the empire’s top ten experts, that was already remarkably formidable. If a Battle King exerted his full power, even destroying a city like Changling would not be a difficult matter!

Such powerful Battle Kings were naturally not people ordinary folks could easily encounter, yet one had appeared here in Changling City. Thinking back to the mysterious black-robed man whose bones had been utterly reduced to dust, the expert who had robbed the Lie family, Mei Ya, who was almost a Battle King, and the inscrutable Moben, Su Yi could not help but smile wryly. Since when did experts of this level become as common as cabbage?

Today’s sixth update! First update! Flowers, favorites, and votes, please!

The update for Chapter Ninety-Five, “The Old Man Surnamed Zuo,” is complete!