Chapter 33 0035: Blinding Radiance (Third Update—Seeking Votes)

After hearing Lord Guo’s promise, the elder in red turned around and closed the door behind him.

Outside, Lord Guo let out a breath of relief, cursing inwardly: That old fox!

Nevertheless, a promise made is a promise to keep.

Compared to letting them take Chu Yun away, the Fan family had become much less significant.

The more importance the Mage Guild placed on Chu Yun, the more it proved that Chu Yun’s future status and achievements within the Mage Guild would far surpass anything the Fan family could offer.

This was the will of the Lord. Whether such a third-rate clan as the Fan family was present or not made little difference; but if the grand plans of Guanshan Territory were threatened by such insignificant players, then the Fan family deserved their fate!

Would the Mage Guild go so far as to orchestrate the destruction of the Fan family as a ploy? There was no need for that, for Lord Guo’s suspicions about the Mage Guild’s intentions toward Chu Yun had been dispelled by the Hou family’s move—Hou Manman’s approach to Chu Yun was too transparent.

Lord Guo saw straight through the Hou family’s designs. Hou Manman’s status was worthy of a marriage alliance with the continent’s elite, yet she had been sent to a second-rate academy simply to get close to a boy from the slums?

Did the Hou family look like people who made losing deals?

Lord Guo would never believe it, not in a hundred years.

Lan Feng Academy.

Chu Yun was having his meal in the cafeteria when Hou Manman, carrying her tray, sat down across from him and looked up, saying, “It seems you’re not as simple as you appear.”

Chu Yun stuffed a piece of braised meat into his mouth and chewed, not bothering to reply.

“I’m starting to believe what my mother said—you’re an exceptional person,” Hou Manman continued. “I’ve heard about what happened to the Fan family. All the core members were killed, and the young and weak were exiled. I don’t believe Lord Guo would do this just for the Mage Guild. A man should answer for his own actions. Lord Guo could have simply killed Fan Congxia to appease the Mage Guild; there was no need to wipe out the Fan family’s roots in Sentinel City.”

She fixed Chu Yun with a serious gaze. “Should I take it that even Lord Guo is protecting you? The Fan family couldn’t possibly have a grudge against Master Kurt; neither would they dare. So their target was you. Lord Guo wouldn’t destroy the whole Fan family over Master Kurt’s injury—it was because of you!”

Hearing this, Chu Yun’s mouth twitched into a faint smile. “You don’t seem as foolish as you look, either.”

Hou Manman glared at him. “Say that again! You really are hopeless at conversation.”

Chu Yun wiped his mouth. “Since you’ve already said everything, what’s left for me to talk about?”

With a satisfied air, Hou Manman said, “So I got it all right?”

Chu Yun replied, “I don’t even know the Lord of the City—would you believe that?”

“I don’t,” Hou Manman said. “You know my second uncle, so knowing the Lord shouldn’t be an issue. My second uncle thinks highly of you.”

“So, you’re planning to get close to me, even at the expense of your own happiness?” Chu Yun finally decided to speak frankly with her. “You’re an outstanding woman, someone any man would cherish. Doesn’t getting close to me feel like degrading yourself?”

“Is this the old ‘eluding to catch’ tactic?” Hou Manman smiled lightly. “You know I won’t fall for you, and I’m only approaching you because of my second uncle. So, you’re going to try to play hard to get—hoping I’ll see you differently?”

“I could deny it, but you wouldn’t believe me anyway,” Chu Yun answered. “From your analysis just now, you seem quite arrogant and confident. So I’ll admit it—yes, that’s exactly it.”

Hou Manman snorted. “I knew it. No man would ever really reject me, unless it was all a game.”

Chu Yun smiled. “As long as you’re happy.”

With both hands cupping her chin, Hou Manman looked at Chu Yun. “To be honest, I don’t really dislike you. If you truly want to pursue me, you could try joining the Hou family. I’ll see how you do. After all, I’m destined to be a pawn in a marriage alliance. I might as well choose someone I like.”

After tossing his napkin into the trash, Chu Yun picked up his tray and said, “I think I’ll stick with my tactic to the end. Goodbye.”

With that, he left.

Hou Manman, fuming, stood up and stomped her foot. “Keep playing hard to get, then! If I fall for it, I lose!”

When Chu Yun returned to his dormitory building, he saw from a distance an old man with a head of white hair standing in the corridor of his floor, gazing down at him with a commanding presence.

As he climbed the stairs and reached the corridor, the old man seemed about to leave, passing right by him.

Before unlocking his dorm room, Chu Yun couldn’t help glancing back at the white-haired man’s retreating figure.

At the turn of the corridor, the elderly man pulled a magic orb from his bag. The orb shone so brilliantly it nearly blinded him; startled, the white-haired elder hastily shoved it back inside his robe, sweating profusely and breathing hard.

This white-haired elder was none other than the man in red. As he exited the boys’ dormitory, two apprentices stood waiting for him at the door.

“Sir, is this really the young man Master Kurt said had already crossed the threshold from apprentice to mage?” one apprentice asked respectfully.

The old man had to glance back at Chu Yun’s dorm room door upstairs, lost in thought.

Not far away, the headmaster hurried over, bowing obsequiously. “Your Excellency, Red Judge, forgive me for not meeting you sooner.”

The elder waved him off. “I took a look at his room. Isn’t it a bit too spartan?”

“It is, somewhat. I’ll arrange for him to move into the elite apartments,” the headmaster replied.

The red-robed elder nodded.

At that moment, Chu Yun, having changed clothes and apparently received a call, hurried out of his room and down the stairs.

He glanced at the red-robed elder in passing, then strode away.

The two apprentices eyed Chu Yun with a trace of hostility. They were all apprentices, all of an age—so why did he get special treatment and so much attention from the Guild? They felt indignant, and frankly, Chu Yun didn’t seem to have any extraordinary aura about him.

But as Chu Yun passed by the old man, the testing orb in the elder’s pocket suddenly blazed with light, so intense it pierced right through the old man’s robe, impossible to hide.

Chu Yun, walking away with his back to them, didn’t see this, but the two apprentices’ eyes went wide, nearly blinded by the dazzling light.

The headmaster was puzzled by the glowing orb, but the two apprentices knew exactly what it meant. They used this tool every year in their tests—whether one had an affinity for magic was determined by this very orb.

Even after Chu Yun had gone far, the orb continued to emit a faint glow.

Only then did the two apprentices manage to open their eyes, their backs soaked with cold sweat.

The red-robed elder looked at the two and said, “Now do you understand why Kurt was so determined to protect him?”

Still shaken, the apprentices could only swallow nervously, lost for words.

(To be continued tomorrow!)