Chapter 134. A Great Sensation
October 3.
After handing over all the supplies in the Level Three zone, Xu Yuan did not alert anyone. He went alone to the residence of Chief Overseer Zhao Yan.
By then, dusk had already deepened, and the flow of people on the streets had thinned sowhat.
Xu Yuan stood before the residence gate, took out his token, and handed it to the guard. A short while later, he was led into the inner hall.
Zhao Yan was seated behind a desk, flipping through case files. When he looked up and saw who had arrived, the file in his hand paused slightly, and a trace of surprise flashed through his eyes.
“Workshop Master Xu?”
He set the file down and looked Xu Yuan up and down, his tone carrying a hint of astonishnt. “For the past few days, people outside have all been saying sothing happened to you. I was just thinking of sending soone to investigate... and yet, you’ve returned safe and sound. Co, sit first.”
Xu Yuan cupped his hands in greeting, but he did not sit. Instead, he placed the wooden box in his hands onto the desk before Zhao Yan.
“Chief Overseer, these are so of the gains from this trip. Please have a look.”
Zhao Yan’s gaze fell on the wooden box, and a flicker of confusion passed through his eyes. He reached out and opened the lid.
Then his hand stopped.
Inside the box were three severed heads arranged neatly in a row. They had been preserved, and their faces were still clearly recognizable.
Aside from Chen Donghai and He Feng, there was also an unfamiliar face.. There was also an unfamiliar face.
Judging from the news the Bai Family had spread, this was most likely a seven-ridian martial artist.
Zhao Yan’s pupils contracted slightly. He looked up at Xu Yuan, and his gaze had already grown several degrees heavier. “This is...”
“Chen Donghai and He Feng, two Workshop Masters of the Bai Family.”
Xu Yuan’s tone was calm. “As for this one, he was a seven-ridian martial artist of the Bai Family. I still do not know his na.”
The mont the words fell, the hall sank into brief silence.
Zhao Yan stared at the three heads for a long while without speaking.
As the Chief Overseer of the Level Three zone, he naturally recognized Chen Donghai and He Feng.
These two had entrenched themselves in the Level Three zone for many years. They had fought against the Shangyang Residence countless tis and were cunning, ruthless, and extrely troubleso.
And now, they had beco nothing more than objects inside a box?
And then there was this seven-ridian fighter...
He drew in a deep breath and once again sized up the young man before him.
His face was still youthful, yet his bearing was far steadier than soone of his age ought to be.
Bandages were still wrapped around his arm, and faint traces of blood could be seen seeping through, showing that he had clearly gone through a brutal battle.
Yet even so, he stood there now, calmly reporting his achievents as though he had rely done sothing ordinary.
“Workshop Master Xu...” Zhao Yan carefully chose his words. “Could you explain the full sequence of events in detail?”
Xu Yuan nodded and gave a concise account of the battle at Kushui River.
From splitting up the escort routes, to encountering the ambush, to killing Chen Donghai and He Feng, and finally fighting that seven-ridian martial artist and killing him as well.
He spoke lightly, but Zhao Yan listened with his heart lurching in shock.
Two six-ridian Workshop Masters, one seven-ridian martial artist, and several dozen four-ridian and five-ridian martial artists... a force like that was enough to ignite a major battle in the Level Three zone.
And Xu Yuan, leading that convoy, had taken them all on.
“You broke through to the seven-ridian level?” Zhao Yan suddenly asked.
“Yes.”
Xu Yuan nodded. “A few days before departure.”
Zhao Yan fell silent for a mont, then suddenly broke into a grin.
Looking at Xu Yuan, who still remained utterly composed even now, he felt a great deal of admiration.
One reason was the young man’s intelligence and caution. The other was his talent.
Less than a month after breaking through the Sixth ridian, he had broken through again to the Seventh ridian. Talent of this kind could truly be called breathtaking.
“At the mont, the battle rits on our side have been raised sowhat. Since you’ve rendered such a great service...”
Zhao Yan pondered for a mont, then continued,
“I can make the decision on your behalf. Two six-ridian opponents and one seven-ridian opponent, three thousand battle rits in total... Rest well and recover. There should be additional rewards later as well...”
He told Xu Yuan to recuperate properly, then turned his thoughts toward spreading the news of this victory.
The truth was that this victory report would have been best publicized several days earlier, when the news of the Bai Family’s attack had first spread and people’s hearts were wavering. That would have been the perfect mont to reclaim the initiative.
Now, it was sowhat late, though it would still serve to raise morale.
But to be honest, if Xu Yuan had really sent this news back at the ti, Zhao Yan would absolutely have publicized it everywhere without the slightest hesitation.
As for Xu Yuan’s personal safety, compared to the family’s overall morale, it naturally would not have been worth ntioning.
Now that Xu Yuan had already returned to the Level Three zone and only then would the victory report begin to spread, it weakened the benefits for the Bai Family, but it was favorable to Xu Yuan.
Because here, no matter how furious the Bai Family beca, they could not possibly send higher-realm martial artists into this place to eliminate him...
Since matters had already developed into this situation, Zhao Yan naturally was not foolish enough to criticize Xu Yuan for it.
After all, this kind of thing could not be concealed. He could not possibly swallow all the credit by himself, and given Xu Yuan’s astonishing talent, it was best to maintain goodwill rather than create hostility.
Xu Yuan cupped his hands and took his leave.
When he reached the door, Zhao Yan suddenly called out to him. “Workshop Master Xu, you have rendered such a great service on this trip. Is there anything you want?”
Xu Yuan turned back, thought for a mont, and answered seriously, “I want to rest and recover from my injuries for a few days.”
Zhao Yan laughed despite himself and waved a hand.
“You, honestly. Go on.”
...
The news spread even faster than Xu Yuan had expected.
That very night, Zhao Yan submitted the battle report to the residence, along with the three severed heads.
What followed caused a huge sensation.
The matter was reported upward layer by layer. It was said that even the chief steward, after hearing of it, praised Xu Yuan highly.
Right after that, Old Liu and the others were summoned to give oral testimony for verification.
After comparing the different accounts, the full sequence of events beca clear.
Xu Yuan had issued a warning in advance, only to be ignored. Yet when the crisis ca, he had turned the tide by himself, killing three high-level martial artists of the Bai Family and preserving the most important strategic supplies.
By the next morning, this victory report had already spread throughout the Level Three zone.
The Level Three zone was in the middle of a period when hearts were filled with fear. The Bai Family had seized the montum to counterattack and had taken two streets in succession, while the morale of the Shangyang Residence had sunk low.
And the mont this victory report erged, it was like a shot in the arm, instantly lifting countless spirits.
“Have you heard? That Workshop Master Xu from Changlin Ward killed two Workshop Masters of the Bai Family and one seven-ridian fighter all by himself!”
“Seriously? Wasn’t he only at the six-ridian level?”
“What six-ridian? He broke through to the seven-ridian level long ago! You have no idea how that battle went...”
From streets and alleys to teahouses and restaurants, people were discussing this matter everywhere.
anwhile, Xu Yuan himself, as the man at the center of it all, was sitting in the inner hall of the Chief Overseer’s residence, listening to Zhao Yan describe the upheaval of the past few days.
“While you were gone, the Level Three zone turned into utter chaos.”
Zhao Yan sighed. “The Bai Family seized the montum to counterattack and captured two streets in succession. Battle Overseer Han is under considerable pressure, and manpower is tight...”
At this point, he paused and looked at Xu Yuan. “So your Changlin Ward’s fighting strength was temporarily transferred over there.”
Transferred his forces?
Xu Yuan frowned, feeling sowhat displeased.
That Battle Overseer Han’s conduct was truly rather ugly. His death had not even been confird, and yet all of his people had already been reassigned?
Although command authority on the front lines fell under the Battle Overseer’s control, this attitude of effectively assuming he was already dead was still extrely unpleasant.
“I know this matter was handled improperly.”
Zhao Yan had been watching his expression the entire ti. Seeing this, he gave a light cough. “Back then, I tried to persuade Battle Overseer Han as well. Workshop Master Xu’s whereabouts were still unknown, so doing this was rather lacking in human feeling.”
“But you know what kind of man Battle Overseer Han is. He used the Level Three zone’s critical situation to pressure . Sigh... when one stands in a certain position, one must handle that position’s affairs. I had no choice either.”
Xu Yuan found it amusing inside. If this matter had not received your approval, how would Han Li have dared to do sothing like this?
As for all that talk about pressure or no pressure, could you not say whatever you pleased after the fact?
Still, Xu Yuan was not about to embarrass him. He rely cupped his hands and said, “Chief Overseer, you are too serious.”
“The front lines are in crisis, so the larger situation must naturally co first. Once I return to the ward and make the necessary arrangents, I will take n to the front lines tomorrow. I will make the Bai Family spit back everything they swallowed, with interest!”
Zhao Yan nodded in satisfaction. His gaze swept across Xu Yuan’s wounds, and he said with a smile,
“There is no need for haste, Workshop Master Xu. You have rendered great service and suffered no small injuries. How could I send you straight back to the battlefield the mont you return? That would be far too heartless.”
“How about this? Rest quietly and recover first, and then we’ll see what arrangents the residence may have for you later.”
Xu Yuan had already expected this. He cupped his hands, then withdrew.
After coming out from the Chief Overseer’s residence, he did not pause for a single step and headed straight back to Changlin Ward.
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