The Strongest Talent Tree

After leaving the Ice and Snow Restaurant, Feng Hao couldn’t help but ask curiously, "Brother San, is a Thief’s identity really that influential with the officials of Mu Country?"

"Uh, this has nothing to do with being a Thief," Wang Tongqian said, letting out a helpless laugh.

"Then why?" Feng Hao grew even more curious.

Wang Tongqian smiled without speaking and simply walked on at the very front. An almost imperceptible flash of sorrow crossed his eyes.

Meanwhile, Lu Linfei, who was walking alongside them, was so shocked his jaw dropped. He couldn’t help it; Feng Hao calling him "Brother San" was just too startling.

You have to understand, Wang Tongqian was the Third Thief. The only ones who could call him a brother were other Thieves. But Feng Hao clearly wasn’t the Fourth Thief, which made the situation rather intriguing.

’Could the position of Fifth Thief have already been reserved for him? But that’s just too ridiculous, isn’t it?’ Lu Linfei’s heart pounded wildly.

’On second thought, given the strength Feng Hao just displayed, it seemed he really did have the qualifications to be pre-selected.’

At this thought, Lu Linfei was filled with mixed emotions. It wasn’t that he was particularly jealous—after all, with his level of strength, he had no chance of competing to become a Thief. Just passing the preliminary selection was already quite an achievement for him.

He truly felt sorry for that group of supremely confident top contenders. They had waited so long for this day, only to discover the position of Thief had already been decided behind the scenes. Just thinking about it was pitiful.

Of course, this was all just his speculation. Whether Feng Hao had truly been pre-selected remained to be seen.

At Lu Linfei’s enthusiastic invitation, the two of them arrived at a small, elegant, and rustic manor. This was Lu Linfei’s home.

Lu Linfei’s parents were ordinary people, and his family had been merchants for generations. His was the first generation to produce a Mage. Later, because his aptitude was considered too poor, Lu Linfei joined the Thief God Hall. Fortunately, the people of Mu Country held no particular prejudice against the Thief God Hall.

Lu Linfei’s parents were quite hospitable, entertaining them with fine wine and good food for much of the day. They became even more enthusiastic, especially after learning that both Feng Hao and his companion were members of the Thief God Hall.

After a bit of back and forth, Feng Hao and Lu Linfei became quite friendly. The venom-tongued girl, however, was rather quiet, which surprised Feng Hao.

The venom-tongued girl’s name was Ting Xiaoxue, and she was the young lady of a prominent family in Snow Cloud City. Speaking of which, their romance had been a rather rocky one. Although the Mage World championed romantic freedom, many great families still placed immense importance on matching social standing.

After all, not every clan was as reasonable as the Xiyue Clan.

"Little Sister Xue, your family is being too unreasonable, don’t you think? Brother Lu is clearly a great guy. Why do they have to stand in your way?" Feng Hao couldn’t help but ask with a frown at the dinner table.

Ting Xiaoxue retorted irritably, "What do you know? We great families place a huge emphasis on bloodlines."

"Says who? My girlfriend’s family doesn’t care about that stuff," Feng Hao said, pursing his lips.

"What kind of bloodline could a minor family possibly have? Of course they wouldn’t care about such things," Ting Xiaoxue said haughtily.

"What do you mean, ’minor family’?" Feng Hao rolled his eyes. "They have an inherited bloodline talent, for your information."

"How is that possible?" Ting Xiaoxue said with a look of disbelief. "A family with a bloodline talent would only care *more* about these things."

Lu Linfei looked at Feng Hao in surprise and gave an awkward laugh. "Well... maybe it’s because Brother Feng is just that exceptional."

"Uh, I guess that’s true," Feng Hao admitted with a helpless laugh. Even Wang Tongqian, who was sitting to the side, couldn’t help but chuckle.

’On second thought, even though my own aptitude isn’t all that great, the abilities I’ve displayed are on par with any of those geniuses. It seems that old bastard Xiyue Peak isn’t a fool at all. In fact, he’s one scheming son of a bitch.’

As they spoke, Ting Xiaoxue suddenly began to sob resentfully. "Lu Linfei, you have to live up to my expectations! Even if you can’t win the spot of Thief, you at least have to pass the preliminary selection so I can hold my head high at home!"

Lu Linfei’s eyes reddened. He pulled Ting Xiaoxue into his arms and said with unshakeable resolve, "Xiaoxue, don’t you worry. One day, I will marry you openly and honorably, with all the pomp and circumstance you deserve."

"SOB... I believe in you," Ting Xiaoxue cried, her voice breaking.

"..." Feng Hao was completely dumbfounded, as was Wang Tongqian.

’To be honest, watching this tragic scene unfold, I’m getting the strange feeling that Lu Linfei is the actual protagonist here,’ Feng Hao thought.

’The more I think about it, the more plausible it seems. Humble origins, in love with the young lady from a great clan, facing all sorts of obstacles, an underdog striving to succeed, and finally shocking the world with a single feat... it’s a textbook protagonist storyline.’

The meal ended on a tragic note, but that wasn’t even the most frustrating part. The most frustrating part was that before leaving, the two of them just had to share a passionate, loving kiss, shoving their public display of affection in everyone’s faces. It was almost enough to make Feng Hao cough up blood.

In any case, when Feng Hao returned to his guest room to rest, he found himself unconsciously thinking of Xi Yueyao.

He hadn’t felt much before, but the moment he started thinking about her, he couldn’t stop. It got to the point where he had no desire to focus on his cultivation. And so, he stayed up all night writing a love letter tens of thousands of characters long, filling it with the sappiest things he could think of. In any case, that was just her style. He planned to mail it to Xi Yueyao the next day.

Early the next morning, Wang Tongqian’s call cut short a pleasant, amorous dream. Then, after a warm send-off from Lu Linfei’s parents, the Mansa Vehicle took to the skies.

The young couple, Lu Linfei and Ting Xiaoxue, had originally planned to pilot their own flying car. However, wanting to make conversation easier, Feng Hao pulled them both into the Mansa Vehicle. The cabin was huge anyway, so a few more people were no problem.

As they passed the Snow Cloud City branch of the Thief God Hall, Feng Hao had Wang Tongqian stop for a moment. He then mailed his love letter, even spending an extra 200 points on expedited delivery to ensure it would arrive as quickly as possible.

Returning to the copilot’s seat of the Mansa, Wang Tongqian couldn’t help but ask with a laugh, "Sending a letter to Yaoyao?"

"Mhm," Feng Hao replied. He had nothing to hide.

"Haha, you know, I miss her too. Did you mention me in the letter?" Wang Tongqian teased.

"Absolutely," Feng Hao said with a nod and a smile.

"That’s good." Wang Tongqian nodded in satisfaction, then changed the subject. "Speaking of which, isn’t Yaoyao going to the Five Provinces Academy soon?"

Feng Hao nodded. "Mhm, in less than two months. I don’t know if I’ll be able to make it back in time."

Wang Tongqian considered it for a moment. "The timing should work out, more or less."

"That’s a relief," Feng Hao said with a knowing smile.

In the back seat, the young couple, Lu Linfei and Ting Xiaoxue, seemed to be arguing about something. Finally, Ting Xiaoxue turned her head away in a huff, ignoring Lu Linfei completely. Then, her eyes full of curiosity, she looked at Feng Hao. "Brother Feng, did you go to the Five Provinces Academy in Beilang Country?"

"Uh, I used to, but then I got expelled," Feng Hao said awkwardly.

"Then you must know my older cousin!" Ting Xiaoxue’s eyes twinkled, her expression clearly trying to build a connection. This made Lu Linfei’s face darken with exasperation.

Feng Hao was surprised, but also intrigued. "What’s your cousin’s name? Which department was she in? Maybe I do know her."

Ting Xiaoxue grew a little bashful. "Well... actually, my cousin graduated more than two years ago. I heard she became an instructor, but I don’t know if she’s still at the Five Provinces Academy."

"See? I told you not to ask. Your cousin graduated two years ago. How could Brother Feng possibly know her?" Lu Linfei said in a huff.

Feng Hao laughed in spite of himself. "It’s fine. I know a fair number of instructors, too. Let her finish."

Ting Xiaoxue lowered her head shyly and muttered, "My cousin’s name is Yue Linglong... Have you heard of her, Brother Feng?"

"What the—who did you just say?" Feng Hao staggered so hard he almost fell out the window.

Ting Xiaoxue was clearly startled by Feng Hao’s reaction and answered cautiously, "Yue Linglong..."

After confirming that it was indeed Yue Linglong, Feng Hao was rendered speechless. ’What a fucking coincidence!’