The Strongest Talent Tree

Poor Barbarian Three Punches had never suffered such humiliation in his entire life—ganged up on by a mob of juniors, all level fifty or sixty. The sheer frustration was unbearable.

After the chaotic beatdown, Wang Tongqian and the others finally stopped. Dusting off their hands, they walked over to Feng Hao, laughing and chatting.

"How was that, Brother Feng?" Wang Tongqian asked with a smile. "Feeling better? Should we give him another round?"

"Uh, that’s enough, that’s enough," Feng Hao said, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

Wang Tongqian gave a faint smile, slung an arm around Feng Hao’s shoulder, and turned to the veterans. "You’ve all worked hard. You can disperse now."

"No trouble at all! It’s our honor to fight alongside a Thief," the veterans replied, all smiles.

A few of the veterans asked curiously, "By the way, are you on a mission here in Five States City? If there’s anything you need help with, just say the word."

"No mission." Wang Tongqian chuckled and shook his head, then gestured to Feng Hao. "I’m here to pick him up for the Thief candidate selection."

"The Thief candidate selection?" the veterans exclaimed, turning to stare at Feng Hao in disbelief.

"But I thought Wolf Country didn’t secure a spot for the selection this year?"

"It’s not just this year. They haven’t managed to get a spot for many years."

Wang Tongqian smirked. "Heh, it was a special approval."

The veterans’ expressions dawned with understanding. They looked at Feng Hao with renewed meaning, clicking their tongues in wonder. "Does this mean... our Wolf Country Branch Hall might actually produce a Thief?"

"Haha, that would be wonderful news!" several veterans exclaimed with a laugh.

"Don’t celebrate too early. The competition to become a Thief is fierce. Whether or not he can break through the ranks depends on this young rogue here."

At this, the dozen or so veterans all piped up with their own words of encouragement: "You’ve got to give it your all, young man!"

"Go for it, kid! The pride of our Wolf Country Branch Hall rests on your shoulders!"

"Don’t listen to their nonsense. Just relax. No pressure."

...

The crowd chattered on, leaving Feng Hao feeling both flattered and overwhelmed. He could clearly see the hope in the veterans’ eyes, and it only strengthened his resolve to compete for the title of Thief.

A few minutes later, after Wang Tongqian made some excuses, the dozen or so veterans finally dispersed.

Feng Hao had no intention of lingering. He glanced back at Barbarian Three Punches, then returned to the general store with Wang Tongqian.

Barbarian Three Punches lay stunned on the ground. Aside from his face, which remained pristine, there wasn’t an unbruised spot on his body. Passersby looked on with pity, and a few kind children even tossed him a couple of Magic Crystals. It was a truly miserable sight.

Barbarian Three Punches hadn’t passed out. He just lay there in a daze, unable to accept reality.

Before long, Man Tiaotiao and Xiyue Frost finally found their way over. When they saw Barbarian Three Punches on the ground, they were both struck dumb.

"Dad—!" Man Tiaotiao cried out, rushing to Barbarian Three Punches’s side. She clutched her head and wailed, "Oh, Dad~! You died such a miserable death!"

Xiyue Frost stood to the side, her expression strained. ’Isn’t Tiaotiao’s reaction a little exaggerated?’

Hearing his daughter’s wails, Barbarian Three Punches finally came to his senses. He grimaced in pain as he propped himself up. "Stop it, stop it," he said irritably. "Your dad’s not dead yet. Oof, HSSS!"

"Huh?" Man Tiaotiao’s crying came to a sudden stop. She looked at him through blurry, tear-filled eyes. "Dad, you’re not dead?"

"You rotten girl, do you want your dad to be dead that badly?" Barbarian Three Punches huffed.

Man Tiaotiao wiped away her tears and helped Barbarian Three Punches up, asking between sobs, "Where’s Feng Hao? Did you get him?"

Barbarian Three Punches’s legs gave out, and he nearly collapsed. "Beat him up? My ass! Your dad’s the one who got beaten to a pulp."

"How is that possible? How could that hillbilly be so strong?" Man Tiaotiao said incredulously. Xiyue Frost, intrigued, also drew closer.

Barbarian Three Punches grimaced. "You little jinx! Why didn’t you tell me sooner that kid was from the Thief God Hall? Damn it! I was halfway there when a gang of experts from the Thief God Hall ambushed me. You’ve ruined my lifelong reputation!"

"Experts from the Thief God Hall?" Man Tiaotiao asked, bewildered. "That doesn’t make sense. This just happened. How would the Thief God Hall know about it so quickly?"

"You don’t know jack squat!" Barbarian Three Punches snapped. "The Thief God Hall is fiercely loyal to its own. As long as you’re not in the middle of some godforsaken wasteland, a single distress call can bring a whole army of them running."

"Wow, the Thief God Hall is that amazing?" Man Tiaotiao said, her eyes shining with excitement.

At this, Barbarian Three Punches flew into a rage. "Amazing my ass! Just wait ’til I gather my old crew. We’ll definitely take the Thief God Hall down a notch."

Man Tiaotiao pouted dismissively and began to wonder, ’Maybe I should join the Thief God Hall...’

"Right, girl," Barbarian Three Punches said with a frown, "what’s the story with that kid, Feng Hao? Tell me everything, in detail."

"It wasn’t anything, really. I just found him annoying and wanted you to beat him up for me." Man Tiaotiao then proceeded to explain Feng Hao’s situation as she knew it.

After listening to his daughter’s story, Barbarian Three Punches felt an overwhelming urge to cry. He almost fainted from rage, especially when he learned that Feng Hao was the very same Alchemist who had concocted the perfect nutrient solution.

He had often heard people complain about their kids making their lives difficult, but at this moment, he finally understood the true meaning of the phrase on a profound level.

But as angry as he was, Barbarian Three Punches couldn’t bring himself to lose his temper with his precious daughter. He could only grit his teeth and swallow his frustration.

...

Meanwhile, Feng Hao returned to the general store to pack his things, then went to the blacksmith shop next door to bid farewell to Elder Tang.

Elder Tang was startled to hear that Feng Hao was leaving for the Thief candidate selection. He patted Feng Hao’s shoulder and said meaningfully, "I never expected to take a future Thief as my apprentice. Go on, don’t worry about things here. Just don’t forget to practice your forging."

"Uh, let’s not get ahead of ourselves," Feng Hao said wryly.

Elder Tang glanced at Wang Tongqian and chuckled. "A high-ranking Thief came to escort you personally. What’s there to worry about?"

Feng Hao froze, looking instinctively to Wang Tongqian. "Brother San, what does he mean?"

"It’s nothing," Wang Tongqian said with a mysterious smile, then turned to Elder Tang with a surprised expression. "You’re quite an extraordinary person, aren’t you, Senior?"

"Heh, you’re overthinking things, young man. I’m just an insignificant old fellow that nobody pays any mind to," Elder Tang said with a faint smile.

Wang Tongqian’s brow furrowed slightly. He bowed respectfully. "Then this junior will take Brother Feng and be on our way."

"Go on, then," Elder Tang said with a wave of his hand, turning back to his smithing.

With no further hesitation, Feng Hao gave Elder Tang a deep, final bow and departed with Wang Tongqian.

Only after the two of them had taken off in the Mansa Vehicle did Elder Tang stop his work. He stared out the window at the sky, lost in a daze.

Inside the cabin of the Mansa Vehicle, Feng Hao sat in the passenger seat, using the Stone Listening Communication system to say goodbye to Houhuiyao and the others one by one.

Wang Tongqian seemed to be having trouble with the Mansa Vehicle’s control system. He hadn’t been flying for long before he started complaining, "These commercially available vehicles really are garbage. Once we get to the Grand Hall, I’ll get you a custom job."

"No, it’s fine. I think this vehicle works great," Feng Hao said with a surprised laugh.

"That’s just because you’ve never flown a high-end one," Wang Tongqian said with a smirk. "If you’re really set on not getting a new one, you could have your Fourth Sister give it an overhaul. It’ll be completely reborn, I guarantee it."

Feng Hao blinked, his eyes wide with curiosity. "Fourth Sister knows how to modify flying vehicles?"

"That’s a given. Our number four is a genius Mechanic. For her, modifying a flying vehicle is child’s play."