Chapter 70: Time to Go to Work

Jiang Xiaotian had almost grown accustomed to being burned; every time Linger made a move, it was always his backside that suffered. He had no idea where she’d picked up this habit, but in the end, it only stopped after he begged her in tears. For Jiang Xiaotian, tonight was destined to be extraordinary. He had changed in many ways, and he had finally seen Linger’s true form.

He didn’t find her frightening or imposing—only beautiful. Especially when she soared through the air, she exuded a rare elegance, perhaps befitting her status as the eldest princess of the Dragon Clan.

This was an experience he would never forget; it was etched deep into his very bones.

Early the next morning, he set off for home.

Along the way, Yang Yuanzhen came personally to apologize, but Jiang Xiaotian ignored him completely. Coming alone to apologize, without Yang Feng even showing up, hardly demonstrated any sincerity at all. Besides, he’d never liked this chubby fellow much to begin with; at most, he was grateful for the free car repairs, but in the end, wasn’t it Yang Yuanzhen who wrecked the car in the first place?

As for the bank card, Jiang Xiaotian never got a chance to give it to his uncle. He simply couldn’t find the right opportunity.

He left without saying goodbye—sending the card now would be too much of a mockery. There would be plenty of time in the future; he could always mail it during the New Year.

Linger, on the other hand, wasn’t as excited to be home as she had been when first arriving; after all, back home, she wouldn’t enjoy the same luxurious treatment she had at the Platinum.

As for Jiang Xiaotian, he didn’t have any special attachment to Jiangzhou. The only thing he regretted was Li Xiaoqing; she’d been a decent girl, but now she’d changed for the worse. He decided to let this serve as a lesson for her, so she wouldn’t be taken advantage of by others when she stepped into society.

A few hours later, the two of them returned to Beihai. The villa was still spotless, thanks to regular cleaning.

All Jiang Xiaotian wanted now was a good rest. He hadn’t been to school in ages and decided not to bother going back this semester; he’d just retake the courses next year, since he certainly wouldn’t have the credits to graduate anyway.

He had already explained to Zhang Wei that his job often took him out of town, so his absence was understood.

Linger, returning home, immediately reverted to her homebody ways—she sent Jiang Xiaotian a list of snacks to buy, then retired to her room to watch TV.

The biggest change was that she no longer bothered to shut her door. She’d lounge around in her pajamas, her long white legs and half her back exposed, without the slightest concern.

Of course, Jiang Xiaotian didn’t dare to stare.

Not long after arriving home, Jiang Xiaotian received a call from Zhang Guodong.

Though Zhang’s words were tactful, Jiang Xiaotian still detected a trace of dissatisfaction. After all, his antics in Jiangzhou had caused quite a stir, and almost everyone in the local martial arts world now knew his name. Zhang Guodong could hardly avoid hearing of his “glorious deeds.”

“It’s about time you reported to the unit,” Zhang said. “Ahem… A lot of people aren’t happy with you; they think you’re putting on airs. They don’t realize what you’re capable of, so you’ll have to win them over yourself. Let me know when you’re on the way.” Zhang was a busy man; with that, he hung up.

Jiang Xiaotian, being conscientious, decided to rest for a few days before heading to Linhai. This time, he had no idea when he’d return, or even where he might be sent, so he planned to take Linger with him for company.

He told Linger his plan, and she agreed readily; she insisted on tagging along even when he went back to his hometown, let alone somewhere far away.

In the following days, he focused on cultivating Dragon Breath and Dragon Fist techniques. It was undeniable—the spiritual energy in Beihai was far superior to that of Jiangzhou. After just one night, Jiang Xiaotian felt his body brimming with power.

For martial artists, those below the Inner Strength level focused on physical techniques, while only those above it began to develop truly extraordinary skills. Chen Yu’s force, for example, resembled the inner energy described in martial arts novels.

But none of this was spiritual energy; only the Dragon Breath technique could absorb that. So even when facing an opponent a level above him, Jiang Xiaotian had been able to narrowly defeat Chen Yu.

If it had been Linger, it would have been much easier. Jiang Xiaotian was somewhat clumsy and didn’t know how to use his power properly—if not for his revelation at the last moment, he might have been beaten up even after resurrecting.

Late at night, Jiang Xiaotian snapped his fingers in the dark, and a small flame flickered into existence on his fingertip. At a thought, the flame grew stronger, soon enveloping his whole fist.

With a single punch, he had managed to kill Chen Yu, who was at the Inner Strength level.

Whether you had External or Internal Strength, in the face of spiritual energy, it was all useless.

His flames, though, were peculiar—Linger’s were a brilliant golden red, while his burned a ghostly blue. But then, she was a princess; how could he, an ordinary nobody, compare?

After a few days’ rest, the two packed their bags and set off.

Fortunately, Linhai wasn’t far, so Jiang Xiaotian asked Brother Long to drive them.

He had heard about what happened in Jiangzhou, but Yang Yuanzhen left no impression on him—the fat man might be a boss, but his status wasn’t all that high.

With this, Jiang Xiaotian lost interest entirely; he had no desire to associate with those people again. They were just bullies hiding behind bigger bullies. All he hoped was that Li Xiaoqing would open her eyes and stop dating Yang Feng—it was terribly embarrassing.

They chatted idly, and soon arrived in Linhai, where a special car was waiting for them. Since this was an internal government matter, outsiders weren’t allowed to participate, so Brother Long could go no further.

The driver was silent and stern, so Jiang Xiaotian didn’t bother talking. He and Linger simply watched dramas together.

When they arrived, he realized the place was nothing but wild mountains and forests—a base of some kind, bustling with people.

Zhang Guodong had been waiting at the gate for some time. He was the captain of this new batch of Falcon Squad members. Although neither Jiang Xiaotian nor Zhang himself would be the team leader, Zhang was, in truth, the most capable among them all.

“Ha, finally! I’ve been counting the days, waiting for you to arrive,” Zhang Guodong said, no longer coughing, his tone a mix of cheer and complaint.

He glanced at Linger behind Jiang Xiaotian; after a brief exchange of looks, the two nodded silently, pretending not to know each other.

“All right, let me introduce you to the others. You’ve got quite the presence—there’s a major mission on hold, and everyone’s waiting for you before they can start. Lulu only agreed to show up today, too—tsk, tsk.” Zhang complained all the way.

Jiang Xiaotian followed along, feeling somewhat awkward. He couldn’t deny it—while he’d been enjoying himself, the others had clearly been having a rough time.

“There are six people in your group: you, Lulu, and three men and one woman—all outstanding young talents. I won’t introduce you—go say hello yourself.”

Jiang Xiaotian nodded. Soon, the group arrived at a building that looked like a gymnasium.

There was a ring set up inside, and right then, a man and a woman were sparring atop it.