With the collapse of the Ye family, their former partners instantly became the main force driving public opinion.
They created all sorts of topics, aiming both to gain traffic and to clear their own names.
As evidence of various collusions with opposing and foreign forces was exposed, even the Hongye Tang chose to remain silent in this incident, offering no support. Without backing, the fuss stirred by a few small fry couldn’t make waves and was quickly subdued.
Thus, this once prosperous and powerful family met its downfall.
However, while the tree had fallen, its roots remained. Completely eradicating them was no easy task.
Most crucially, some of these roots couldn’t be dug up…
……
A few days later.
Su Mo and the others gathered at the Beidou branch in Jiangcheng. Also assembled were young geniuses from other cities across Chuzhou Province.
Like their old acquaintance, Wen Wenwen.
She still had her simple, somewhat naive demeanor, blushing when she saw Ye Qingyi, reminded of the days when Ye Qingyi had protected her.
It was just a pity about Luo Xiu.
There were nine people in total making this trip together. Su Mo’s group made up half, while the other five included two from Jiangcheng.
Apart from Wen Wenwen, the other four didn’t know Su Mo and his friends.
This was also thanks to Beidou’s behind-the-scenes efforts to keep him out of the public eye as much as possible.
Among those four, one boy was fairly good-looking. The key was his extreme self-confidence. The moment he saw Su Mo, he was deeply captivated. And Ye Qingyi, acting quite manly, immediately asserted her dominance.
Thus, a classic movie trope unfolded…
On the train to the capital, that boy called Ye Qingyi away for a private talk.
Su Mo wasn’t worried, just quietly watched the drama unfold.
Wen Wenwen, sitting behind him, hesitated for a long time before tugging on his clothes and asking timidly, “Brother Qingyi, is she… going to be okay?”
Then she quickly added, “I’m just asking, no other meaning.”
Su Mo smiled. “It’s fine. Just watch.”
“Oh, okay.”
Not long after, the two returned. Ye Qingyi had a helpless expression, while the boy looked utterly confident, even smiling at Su Mo.
Su Mo turned his head, leaning close to Ye Qingyi’s ear to whisper, “What did he say to you?”
Ye Qingyi let out a long sigh. “He said, ‘Even if she is your girlfriend, I have the right to pursue her. Whether she agrees is her business. Whether I pursue her is mine. An outsider has no right to interfere.'”
Su Mo found this both funny and exasperating. “This kid is something else. Good thing our identities are swapped, otherwise I’d have to teach him a lesson.”
“Hmph, you’re so impressive.”
Noon.
As the broadcast sounded, the train slowly pulled into the urban area of the capital.
Passing over the bridge, Su Mo couldn’t help but glance down at the river below. This was where the Soul Immortal had hidden himself, ultimately reaping the rewards without lifting a finger. If Nangong Xuan hadn’t arrived in time, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
When they disembarked, the group kept a low profile. It wasn’t until they reached the road opposite the station exit that they found the vehicle specifically sent to pick them up.
The special car took them to the Beidou headquarters.
As soon as they got out, the inscription “National Peace and Prosperity” above the main gate immediately caught everyone’s attention. Even Su Mo and Huo Jingshuo, seeing it for the second time, were still struck by it.
They were greeted by a sister who looked quite cool, with a lollipop in her mouth and rather fashionable clothes.
The others didn’t think much of it, but Su Mo was secretly astonished.
Wasn’t this Elder Kaiyang, Nie Yun?
A Class B super, awakened ability: Force Field Control. Incredibly powerful.
She had rendered great service during the last operation to purge the Elder Council.
Nie Yun smiled when she saw him. “Hello again.”
“Hello, Elder Nie.” Despite her casual appearance, Su Mo remained relatively respectful.
Nie Yun’s right cheek bulged as she mumbled, “We’re about the same age. You can call me Yun’er. ‘Elder’ sounds too old, I don’t like it.”
“Maybe I should call you Sister Nie instead,” Su Mo said, his survival instincts kicking in. Using an intimate term like “Yun’er” would definitely lead to trouble.
Nie Yun frowned slightly but didn’t press the matter.
Just then, that boy stepped forward confidently and greeted Nie Yun, “Hello, Yun’er, I’m Liu Qiang.”
Nie Yun’s gaze immediately turned sharp. “Strangers, please address me as Elder Nie.”
Liu Qiang: “???”
Su Mo: “…”
Faced with this special treatment, Liu Qiang couldn’t help but start doubting Su Mo’s identity, secretly wondering if he had some formidable background.
They were first taken to their accommodations, which turned out to be a large common dormitory, and a mixed-gender one at that.
However, upon entering, they saw a notice board: “Removal of clothing is prohibited inside the dormitory. Any violation will be treated as misconduct.”
No removing clothes inside the dorm… well, that was a tricky rule.
But most of the talented youths gathered here were generally Class D in strength. They didn’t have high sleep requirements and could simply meditate. Thus, this place was more like a collective cultivation room.
Fortunately, changing rooms, showers, and bathrooms were quite adequate, avoiding unnecessary awkwardness.
When Su Mo’s group arrived, the dorm was already quite full, and most of the prime spots were taken.
Generally, only a few spots by the wall remained on the male side, while the situation was reversed on the female side, with the empty spots being those near the middle.
Xia Qingqing pouted and muttered, “There’s no sweetness here at all, only bitterness.”
Su Mo, Xia Qingqing, Huo Jingshuo, and Wen Wenwen all ended up near the central divider. The boys next to them, seeing how pretty each of them was, were grinning from ear to ear.
This frustrated the brothers who had arrived later and failed to secure good spots.
“Did those guys come early on purpose because they knew the situation beforehand?”
“Good spots are one thing, but their luck is just insane too. Why are all the girls who arrived late so pretty? I refuse to accept this!”
“I don’t accept it either! Look at those three: an ice-cool beauty, a little lolita, a quiet, gentle girl, and that one… delicate features but a dominant aura, wow.”
“But she looks really strong-willed.”
“I like the strong-willed type.”
Just then, Wu Heng, sitting in a corner by the wall, snorted with disdain, immediately drawing the ire of the surrounding male comrades.
“What are you laughing at?” asked the boy who liked the strong-willed type, his tone unfriendly.
Wu Heng looked at him as if he were an idiot. “You might like her, but that doesn’t mean she’d fancy you.”
That boy had a short temper and immediately challenged Wu Heng to a fight. It took a lot of effort from those around them to pull them apart.
Watching them all talk big without anyone daring to actually take action, Ye Qingyi found it amusing.
These boys are so childish…
Of course, she wasn’t the only one who thought so.
Suddenly, a stern voice sounded from outside the door. “Quiet, everyone!”
Immediately after, a middle-aged man dressed formally, with a stern face and wearing black-rimmed glasses, entered the common dorm.
He adjusted his glasses and said coldly, “When I call your name, come stand by me.”
“Ye Qingyi, Wu Heng, Zhuge Zhi, Shen Nanshu, Yang Wen…” Eleven names in total.
Just as everyone thought the list was finished, Yang Jie looked towards Ye Qingyi, who was sitting in the corner, and added:
“The last one, Su Mo!”