Chapter 56: The City Governor’s Misunderstanding

All attacks collapsed instantly. None reached his body. Instead, the six were forced back several steps, their footing unsteady.

“This…”

Frustration washed over their faces.

The gap was overwhelming. Even knowing Ryan was strong, experiencing this absolute suppression firsthand crushed any remaining confidence.

Li Wujie, however, clenched his teeth. Being brushed aside like that ignited his stubbornness.

He charged again.

“Stone Shattering Fist!”

This time, his punch carried full power. The force clearly reached the level of a true nine-star Warrior.

Yet the result was unchanged.

Ryan caught the punch again, and he hadn’t moved an inch from his spot.

The fist full of power dissolved as if it had struck water, but without causing any ripples.

Li Wujie froze, staring at Ryan in disbelief, “Brother Wei…”

Li Wujie’s fist was still caught in Ryan’s palm. No matter how he struggled, he couldn’t stir even a ripple. His lips trembled, eyes reddening, and in the end, they grew watery.

The once proud little genius now looked like a defeated chick, crest drooping, spirit shattered.

No matter how outstanding his talent was, he was still only a teenager. Facing a mountain he simply could not climb, all that remained was a child’s grievance. It was like losing a game, no matter how hard he tried, until frustration finally spilled over.

“Alright.” Ryan released his hand and spoke plainly. “I’ve already seen your strength. You can’t beat me, and that’s normal. After all, my level is far higher than yours.”

His words were honest, almost cruel in their straightforwardness.

Then he turned around and added calmly, “But there’s no need to feel discouraged. With your current strength, passing the qualification test won’t be a problem. Keep working hard.”

With that, Ryan walked off the martial ground without another glance, leaving the others standing there in a daze.

Behind him, Li Wujie suddenly called out, unwilling to let it end like this. “Brother Wei… have you already reached the Exalt realm?”

Ryan heard him.

He didn’t answer.

He didn’t turn around either.

He simply raised his arm, held it high in the air, and extended his index and middle fingers, forming a silent V.

*

Time flowed on.

In the blink of an eye, it was already the day before the qualification test.

At the Western Mansion branch in Fengyue City, Wang Zongyao sat in a grand armchair, eyes closed, finally catching a brief moment of rest after days of nonstop work.

Being an examiner from the Inner House was no easy task. He had to understand the local powers, assess strengths, coordinate with the branch officials, and smooth out countless details. Even as an Upper Exalt, the burden was exhausting.

As he rested, a thought surfaced.

The qualification test is tomorrow… yet I haven’t seen Ryan these past few days.

That felt strange.

Over the last few days, Wang Zongyao had quietly confirmed Ryan’s background. Everything checked out. Ryan truly was from the Li Clan and had not exaggerated a thing. This only made Wang Zongyao value him more.

After some thought, he called out, “Uncle Shi, invite Zhu Yan over.”

“Yes.” Uncle Shi responded and left at once.

A few minutes later, he returned with a slightly plump middle-aged man.

This man was Zhu Yan, the governor of the Fengyue City branch of Western Mansion. In this city, his authority was considerable. However, compared to Wang Zongyao, he still stood a level lower. Whether in cultivation or status, he addressed Wang Zongyao as “Brother.”

“Brother Wang,” Zhu Yan said respectfully upon entering, “why have you called for me?”

Wang Zongyao spoke slowly. “Brother Zhu, on my way to Fengyue City, I encountered a young talent. His strength is outstanding, and his bearing is uncommon. He’s from the Li Clan. I’ve been tied up with official matters and haven’t had the time to visit personally, so I’d like to trouble you to invite him here for a talk.”

He spoke lightly, omitting several crucial details.

For example, this “young talent” had wiped out a group of black-clad enemies, including an Upper Exalt.

Wang Zongyao had even tried to inquire about those men, intending to quietly help Ryan resolve the trouble. But Ryan had brushed it off, clearly unwilling to say more. Wang Zongyao understood and didn’t press the issue.

“The Li Clan? A young talent?” Zhu Yan froze for a moment, then his eyes lit up in realization.

Among the Li Clan’s younger generation, there were only a few who could be called outstanding.

Li Mingtian had already grown and should not fit the description.

That left only one.

Li Wujie.

At fourteen, already a nine-star Elite.

So it’s him, Zhu Yan thought.

Without waiting for Wang Zongyao to elaborate, Zhu Yan stood up at once. “Brother Wang, I do have some dealings with the Li Clan. Since you appreciate talent and wish to meet their junior, I’ll go and bring him over personally.”

As he spoke, he turned to leave.

“Wait, Brother Zhu,” Wang Zongyao called out, slightly amused.

Zhu Yan turned back, puzzled. “What is it?”

“I haven’t even said who the young man is,” Wang Zongyao laughed.

Zhu Yan smiled confidently. “The Li Clan’s talents are few. It used to be Li Mingtian, but he is a bit older. Who else could you mean? Isn’t it obvious?”

Wang Zongyao paused, then chuckled inwardly. ’Yeah, judging by his strength, it’s obvious that it is Li Wei.’

He waved his hand. “Go ahead, then. Just remember to be polite.”

“Of course.” Zhu Yan nodded and left.

*

At the Li Clan estate, Li Gengxin had been in exceptionally good spirits these past few days. Ryan’s rise had lifted the entire family’s morale. At that moment, as he was leisurely sipping tea, a disciple rushed in.

“Patriarch! Governor Zhu requests an audience.”

“Zhu Yan?” Li Gengxin froze.

He stood up immediately. “Quickly! Invite him to the main hall and receive him with the highest courtesy!”

“Yes!” The disciple ran off.

Li Gengxin frowned slightly after the disciple left.

The qualification test was about to begin. Zhu Yan should have been busy at the branch office. Why would he suddenly come to the Li Clan?

A thought flashed through his mind.

His expression tightened. He straightened his robes, composed himself, and hurried toward the main hall.

When he arrived, Zhu Yan was already there.

“Lord Zhu,” Li Gengxin greeted him with a respectful salute.

“Patriarch Li,” Zhu Yan returned the gesture with a smile.

After the formalities, Li Gengxin asked carefully, “The qualification test is close at hand. Lord Zhu must be extremely busy. To what do I owe the honor of this visit?”

“It’s like this,” Zhu Yan said with a smile, not bothering to hide anything. “This time, I’ve come to bring good news to the Li Clan.”

“Oh?” Li Gengxin was taken aback. “How so?”

Although Zhu Yan and he both resided in Fengyue City and occasionally crossed paths, their relationship was far from close. If there truly were good news, the Li Clan would not normally be the first to hear of it. Because of this, Li Gengxin felt more puzzled than delighted, with a faint unease lingering in his heart.

Instead of answering directly, Zhu Yan asked calmly, “Brother Li, you should know that this year’s examiner for Fengyue City comes from the Inner House of Western Mansion, correct?”

“I do know,” Li Gengxin nodded. “That’s been the case for years. But what does this have to do with my Li Clan?”

Seeing Li Gengxin’s confusion, Zhu Yan laughed and said teasingly, “Brother Li, I’ve said so much already. Are you going to let me stand here the whole time?”

“Oh! Please, sit, Lord Zhu.” Li Gengxin hurriedly gestured. “Look at me, so anxious that I forgot basic courtesy. I hope Lord Zhu won’t take offense.”

After both men sat down, Zhu Yan waved his hand. “No harm done. In fact, I might be relying on your Li Clan in the future.”

Li Gengxin was even more bewildered.

Zhu Yan stopped beating around the bush. “The examiner this time is Wang Zongyao, an Inner Court official of Western Mansion, someone with considerable authority. He has taken a liking to one of your Li Clan’s juniors and personally asked me to come invite him.”

“What?” Li Gengxin froze.

Zhu Yan smiled confidently. “Who else could it be? Naturally, Li Wujie. Brother Wang said he wanted to meet the Li Clan’s young talents. Your Li Clan has two who stand out. Li Mingtian is talented, yes, but he’s already grown. So who could it be besides the third young master, Wujie?”

As he spoke, Zhu Yan felt rather pleased with his own reasoning.

Li Gengxin let out a soft “ah,” appearing to understand.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep