Eternal Life: I Have the Favor System-Chapter 139 - 125: Rout (Part 2)

Even after Fan Zhibian escorted them over, he had to leave immediately.

Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde boarded the ferry, looking back at the shore. He hoped to find Yang Shaorong among the officials.

’I took first place in the South City Daoist Examination.’

’Wang Chao must have already passed the news to Yang Shaorong.’

Guo Wei was a skilled teacher.

When he was in South City for the Martial Arts Examination, Yang Shaorong had sent Wang Chao on a swift horse just to deliver his own insights on the Yan Family’s Ultimate Killing Saber Technique. Now that he was here at the Governor’s Mansion Academy to train, Yang Shaorong should at least come to see him.

Unfortunately, Chu Lingguang didn’t see Yang Shaorong among the officials there to greet them.

’Yang Shaorong is a Captain at the Governor’s Mansion, responsible for its internal and external security. He’s probably too busy with his duties to come see his junior brother.’

But just then,

Chu Lingguang spotted four familiar figures on a tall watchtower on the shore. One of them was waving energetically at him.

It was none other than Wang Chao.

The other three were his senior brothers: the eldest, Yang Shaorong; the second, Wu Feihong; and the third, Li Murong.

A Captain of the Governor’s Mansion commands three thousand soldiers.

Wu Feihong and Li Murong were both Military Generals under Yang Shaorong. After following him from South City to the Governor’s Mansion, they were promoted from Centurion to Centurion.

Among the four, Wang Chao had the lowest status. He was currently just one of Yang Shaorong’s Deputies.

The four martial brothers supported one another within the treacherous Qiling Governor’s Mansion.

"We’re too far away. I don’t think he can see us?"

Li Murong said, frowning.

They had spotted Chu Lingguang long ago, standing at the stern of the ferry he had just boarded.

The boat was now sailing toward the island compound, already three or four hundred meters from the watchtower. Li Murong worried that Chu Lingguang couldn’t see them clearly.

"No, he sees us,"

Yang Shaorong said with certainty.

He could see the smile on Chu Lingguang’s face; he was looking right at them.

"Our junior brother has already mastered Three-Star Linked Pearls. His eyes are as sharp as a tiger’s; he can see our every move,"

Yang Shaorong explained.

"After just a brief glimpse of him that day, I never would have imagined he could defeat Yan Chengdu, take first place in the South City Daoist Examination, and enter the Academy to train,"

Wu Feihong lamented.

"If we don’t work harder, our junior brother will surpass us soon,"

Li Murong said with a laugh.

"I’m ashamed,"

Wang Chao said, blushing.

"Why don’t you try the Provincial Examination again next year? Try to earn the title of Martial Arts Scholar,"

Wu Feihong said, clapping Wang Chao on the shoulder.

Of the four, Wang Chao had the lowest rank. He was only a Martial Scholar. For years, he had taken the Provincial Martial Arts Examination multiple times but had never managed to pass.

Guo Wei had even tutored him personally, but unfortunately, Wang Chao remained stuck at a bottleneck, unable to break through.

"I’ll see,"

Wang Chao sighed.

He, too, wanted to become a Martial Arts Scholar and make both Guo Wei and himself proud.

"We’ll come back for our junior brother in a month."

Seeing the boat recede into the distance, Yang Shaorong descended from the watchtower. He and his brothers then disappeared from Chu Lingguang’s view.

Chu Lingguang felt a surge of confidence.

’Here at the Qiling Governor’s Mansion, I’m not completely alone. At least I have my four senior brothers.’

"We’re here."

Just then, the boat docked, and the examinees disembarked onto the island.

At the Academy entrance stood a dozen or so young men in black training uniforms, their expressions grim. They were positioned in a formation that resembled an Arhat Array, exuding an invisible pressure that weighed down on the newcomers.

Chu Lingguang spotted Yan Chengdu on another ferry.

’As a Noble Family Disciple from the Qiling Governor’s Mansion, Yan Chengdu must know more about this Academy than I do. Yet, despite his family’s influence and his own strength, he immediately moved to the back of the crowd, not daring to draw any attention.’

Chu Lingguang, remembering Guo Wei’s advice to watch much, listen well, and speak little, immediately followed Yan Chengdu’s lead. He moved to the back of the crowd and warily observed the men in black.

Lin Longde didn’t overthink it. He had thrown his lot in with Chu Lingguang, resolved to stick with him so they couldn’t be separated. Wherever Chu Lingguang went, he would follow.

The two of them stood together at the back of the crowd.

Yan Chengdu scanned the surroundings and immediately found the pair. Although he was a Noble Family Descendant from the Qiling Governor’s Mansion, he had, after all, competed in the South City Martial Arts Examination and placed in the top three alongside Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde.

Seeing the two of them now, he nodded at them with a serious expression.

’He always used to have that gentle, refined smile, maintaining the perfect poise of a Noble Family Disciple with everyone. Mask or not, the only time I ever saw him look this serious was when we fought.’

’Does this mean something is about to happen?’

"WHOOSH!"

And just then,

the figures in the black training uniforms blurred into motion, charging at the crowd.

They were bare-handed.

A dozen or so men were attacking over fifty examinees—the top three or top ten finishers from the Daoist Examinations across the entire Qiling Governor’s Mansion region.

This sudden scene caught most people completely off guard.

The examinees standing at the front bore the brunt of it.

Some reacted quickly enough to mount a defense, but they couldn’t block more than a few moves before a single punch sent them flying into the lake.

"It’s a trap!"

"Is this the Academy’s doing?"

"Fight them!"

"HYAAH!"

The examinees were in chaos.

They hailed from all over. While some had formed small groups, they were mostly like Chu Lingguang and Lin Longde—just a few people sticking together for mutual support.

As those men charged into their midst,

it was like tigers pouncing on a flock of sheep. The examinees were thrown into disarray.

Even those who managed to draw their weapons in time were no match for the attackers’ Fist and Body Techniques. One by one, they were unable to parry and were sent flying into the lake by a punch or a kick.