Chapter Ninety: The Overly Familiar Lu Yuan

Thank you, everyone. The discussion area was much livelier today; many names that had never appeared before surfaced at last.

By the time Xu Wen and the others returned to that town, it was already packed to overflowing.

More than ten thousand city guards had replaced the town’s original handful of garrison soldiers and academy students from Azure Cloud Academy, taking control of the four city gates. On the walls, many adventurers in bright armor and fresh mail had also joined them.

After entering the town, the gate guards let Xu Wen’s group pass without delay. A man who looked like a commander rode up to greet them.

“Xuan City Commander Lu Yuan. Are you the young brothers Xu Wen and He Chen?”

Surrounded by a group of capable soldiers, Xu Wen and He Chen stood out at once.

“I am Xu Wen. Greetings, General.”

“He Chen.”

Though they were surprised to find these people suddenly appearing in the town, neither dared be negligent. They hurriedly dismounted and cupped their fists in salute.

Lu Yuan laughed heartily as he dismounted as well, then glanced slightly in surprise at Zhang Ke beside them.

“And this one is…”

“Zhang Ke of the Western City Clan. I have been ordered by Prince Rong to assist in the defense of the town.” Zhang Ke recognized at a glance that the commander before him was also a seven-star swordmaster, and returned the salute.

“So it is Brother Zhang…”

Lu Yuan nodded, showing no surprise at Prince Rong’s arrangements.

Seeing the puzzlement in the three men’s eyes, he explained.

It turned out that after the Azure Cloud Signal appeared, Xuan City, only a little over twenty miles away, had immediately dispatched twenty thousand city guards to come reinforce this side, while also sending advance scouts to nearby Musi City to gather intelligence.

The scouts entered the city at dawn and happened to meet Prince Rong. By then, they had already received orders to return to the town ahead of Xu Wen and the others and deliver the prince’s command.

They were to gather their forces and rendezvous near Musi City as soon as Xu Wen and the others arrived.

“Then what about all these adventurers? Where did they come from?” Xu Wen asked, glancing at the streets packed shoulder to shoulder with adventurers.

By rights, the Azure Cloud Signal was something only a few high-ranking officers in the army could decipher. With the military situation still unclear, the army should not have rashly drawn so many adventurers into the battlefield.

Lu Yuan’s answer was completely beyond everyone’s expectations.

There were actually two summoned beasts kept by noble houses in the town: cat-owls. After Heren Quan had left, one of the young heirs rode a cat-owl to Xuan City and reported the detailed situation in the imperial capital.

And so, every family had sent out its experts, while some adventurer bands and mercenary groups had also mobilized their men to enter the town.

By now, the news had spread rapidly with Xuan City as its center, and more troops were still arriving from other towns. The stream of people was continuous, and many of the students from Azure Cloud Academy had also begun leaving the town now that the rear had become safer.

“Gone?” Xu Wen and He Chen exchanged a look, understanding at once.

No wonder there were no Azure Cloud Academy students to be seen in town. Still, that was for the best. Far away from the battlefield, and with events unfolding as they were, word of the imperial capital’s siege would spread even faster. If the necromancer saw the tide turning and tried to break out in this direction, it would help avoid unnecessary losses.

“If Young Brother Xu plans to leave, there happens to be another flying beast in town,” Lu Yuan said, understanding Heren Quan’s instructions. “I can arrange for you to return to your clan. Even if this matter settles down, Azure Cloud Academy will probably find it hard to recover within half a year…”

He Chen was a native of the imperial capital, so there was naturally no reason for him to leave.

“Then I’ll trouble the General.”

Xu Wen nodded in agreement, then took leave of Zhang Ke and He Chen.

Following Lu Yuan to the flying-beast station he mentioned, Xu Wen paused at the entrance and looked with mild surprise at the Western City Clan emblem on the storefront, thinking with some emotion that he really did seem to have quite a bond with that clan.

“Someone! Arrange a cat-owl for my brother. Count it as requisitioned by the city guard!” As expected of a commander, Lu Yuan’s decisive tone on the battlefield carried over even to the Western City Clan.

“General, the last flying beast has already been booked for Xuan City. If you’re taking the same route, there are two places left…” the clerk said with a forced smile as he came forward, only to be glared back into silence by Lu Yuan before he could finish.

“Same route my foot. Did you not hear what I said? Requisition it!”

Lu Yuan had long since learned of Xu Wen’s background and talents through stories circulating in the town, and he paid no mind to the clerk’s excuses or pained expression as he strode familiarly into the inner courtyard.

Xu Wen could hardly fail to see the reason behind Lu Yuan’s enthusiasm. He followed with a wry smile and did not refuse. After all, he was not the villain here; why not enjoy the benefit for once?

Once they entered the inner courtyard, Xu Wen’s eyes lit up.

A flying beast more than ten feet tall, with a face like an owl’s, stood docilely in the courtyard. It plucked a piece of fruit from a large basket in front of it and lifted its neck to eat with obvious relish.

Nearby, three adventurers and one female adventurer stood there with sour expressions. The woman held a bright red fruit in her hands, but no matter how long she presented it, the cat-owl would not even glance at her.

“Where is the shopkeeper?” Lu Yuan asked.

At that moment, a very ordinary-looking face emerged from behind the cat-owl, giving Xu Wen a headache at first sight. The shopkeeper was actually a beast tamer?

Yet Lu Yuan had no intention of wasting words.

“Enough nonsense. I’ve received an order from Prince Rong and I’m leaving immediately. Hurry up and send my brother to Blackwater City.”

As soon as he said this, the expressions of the adventurers standing beside the cat-owl turned ugly, but looking at Lu Yuan’s uniform, they dared not speak up.

“Blackwater City?” The shopkeeper had already climbed down from the cat-owl, and at the words, he could not help but blink, then looked toward Xu Wen.

“I’m truly sorry, General… I’m not familiar with the route to Blackwater City. How about I send him first to your territory, and once he’s there I’ll find someone who knows the way to take the young brother onward?”

Xu Wen smiled.

What an artfully slippery shopkeeper. He had deftly refused Lu Yuan’s demand to monopolize the cat-owl, taken care not to slight the other customers, and yet avoided provoking Lu Yuan into anger.

By mentioning Lu Yuan’s territory, he naturally meant Xuan City, which also gave Lu Yuan ample face in front of Xu Wen and let him step down smoothly.

“That works too. Brother Xu, take this. Once you reach Xuan City, if this fellow dares to fail in arranging things properly for you, just use this to dispatch the city guards. My men will know what to do.”

A pitch-black token was pressed into Xu Wen’s hand, leaving him between laughter and tears.

The Western City Clan’s conduct was actually quite decent, and since Lu Yuan himself was giving the instructions here, was there really any need to act so distrustful of the other side?

But the shopkeeper did not dare complain. He only kept a bitter smile on his face and promised he would take good care of Xu Wen.

The four adventurers stood in the courtyard, looking curiously at the shy, silent youth beside Lu Yuan, privately guessing what kind of person he could possibly be to make a commander like Lu Yuan so warm and generous.

Farewells looming, Lu Yuan grasped Xu Wen’s hand with unusual fervor, speaking in a tone so reluctant it was almost as though he might shed a few crocodile tears.

After leaving, Xu Wen was still somewhat dazed in the courtyard, as if he truly had become close friends with Lu Yuan over many years.