Chapter 43: The Guardians of the Nine Provinces

On the other side.

Once again interrupted, Pheasant’s blood pressure shot up. If it weren’t for Su Yao’s celestial beauty, which made him reluctant to lose his temper, he would have slapped the boy long ago.

Su Yao’s allure under the night sky was truly breathtaking—but none of that mattered now.

Pheasant kept his mission firmly in mind.

“Xiang Nan, I am now formally inviting you to join the Kyushu Longyuan Army!”

If he delayed any longer, who knew if a third interrupter would appear. The two members beside him were already visibly frustrated.

It was unprecedented—the captain, so deferential, and yet this boy showed no awareness at all, constantly interrupting.

The Longyuan Army, renowned and mighty, had never suffered such cold treatment!

“Join the Longyuan Army?” Xiang Nan pondered for a moment.

He wasn’t unwilling to join the Longyuan Army, but with his current strength, just barely stepping into the second tier, he feared he wouldn’t be much use.

Anyone knew the minimum recruitment standard for the Longyuan Army was at least five stars in the second tier.

With only one star in the second tier, he’d be nothing more than a rookie, perhaps even relegated to menial chores.

It was far more enjoyable and free to stay in school.

“Captain Pheasant, thank you for your offer. But I’m still a student; for now, my studies must come first,” Xiang Nan refused directly.

With his abilities, whenever he wanted to join, it would be a simple matter.

Pheasant was taken aback by Xiang Nan’s reply.

No one had ever refused the Longyuan Army.

Clearing his throat to steady himself, Pheasant wanted to give Xiang Nan one more chance.

“Ahem, I can request a special exception for you—it won’t interfere with your studies.”

After all, talents like this were rare and precious!

“No need, my mind is made up.”

Xiang Nan didn’t wish to linger on the matter; he turned away, ready to leave with Xu Ji Ya and Su Yao.

At that, Pheasant’s composure finally slipped, his expression darkening.

His two team members were utterly shocked.

The captain, usually so lofty, had humbled himself, and yet Xiang Nan remained unmoved?

“Seriously? Xiang Nan, this is a special exception from the captain! Warriors across the nation line up for a chance to join the Longyuan Army—they never get it!”

“Arrogance is hardly a virtue. Do you think the Longyuan Army lacks geniuses?”

“The captain values you; you should cherish it, not act so aloof!”

“Exactly—given your newly acquired second-tier status, the Longyuan Army would never have accepted you otherwise. Don’t be ungrateful!”

The two spoke one after another, growing more animated as Pheasant didn’t stop them.

Xiang Nan found it irritating but remained unfazed: “Arrogant and ungrateful, huh? Well, thank you for the compliments. Safe travels!”

Beside him, Xu Ji Ya was puffing with anger.

Su Yao couldn’t help herself: “Honestly, isn’t this just sour grapes? Sorry, but this ‘sour grape’ happens to be the Young Lord of our Eagle Alliance, uninterested in your dragons and phoenixes.”

Turning to Xiang Nan with a playful smile, she said, “They’re so annoying—just ignore them. Hey, give me two more of your sugar beans.”

Having discovered the wonders of the Rebirth Pill, Su Yao naturally no longer cared about the muddy transformation.

Girls would do anything for beauty—even become mud if needed.

Xiang Nan raised an eyebrow: “You think it’s as common as cabbage? That’s a rare treasure. Don’t worry, I’ll give you more when I have them.”

Su Yao replied, “You’d better not go back on your word!”

Xiang Nan laughed, “That’s hardly a big deal—you just want some candy.”

Xu Ji Ya, no longer angry, stamped her foot impatiently: “I want some too!”

Xiang Nan assured, “Everyone gets some!”

The three bantered among themselves, completely ignoring Pheasant and his team.

Pheasant, seasoned as he was, masked his disappointment with only a slight shadow on his face.

One of his teammates glanced at the nearby corpse split in two.

He snorted, “Xiang Nan, you killed that man, didn’t you? If you don’t have a good reason, the Longyuan Army has the right to take you away!”

Before Xiang Nan could reply, Su Yao stepped forward: “I killed him. I doubt you have the ability to take me away.”

As she spoke, a flicker of excitement crossed her deep feline eyes.

After consuming the Rebirth Pill, she felt her strength surge, every aspect optimized.

She had been on the verge of leveling up, and now she’d broken through to second-tier seven stars.

Just the moment to spar and test how far her second-tier seven stars, combined with her feline talent, could go.

But at that instant, footsteps rustled in the dense forest.

“What a lively scene! Captain Pheasant, what brings you all the way out to East City?”

A cool, commanding female voice echoed from the entrance, as Lone Wolf strode out in tight leather attire, her long legs carrying her with confidence.

Behind her, Li Mu and several team members escorted three barely conscious Rakshasa men in white coats.

It turned out those poisoned members of the Ghost Mound had tried to escape, only to be caught by Lone Wolf and her team.

Pheasant’s face fell immediately upon seeing Lone Wolf.

He darkened, replying with a question: “Lone Wolf, are you planning to shield the killer?”

Since Xiang Nan refused to join his squad, there was no need for politeness.

Lone Wolf laughed coldly, “You call him a killer, but to me, he’s a guardian of Kyushu!”

Pheasant’s eyes narrowed, “A guardian of Kyushu? You couldn’t make up a bigger story.”

He’d met Xiang Nan before—though talented, he was far from qualified to defend Kyushu.

Even Xiang Nan was taken aback by such a lofty title.

Lone Wolf glanced at Pheasant, her lips curled in a cold smile, “If you don’t believe it, take him away. I won’t stop you.”

Li Mu, standing nearby, grew anxious, wanting to speak, but Lone Wolf raised a hand to silence him, her sharp gaze fixed on Pheasant.

Pheasant knew Lone Wolf well—ruthless, but never one for empty boasts.

After a brief silence, Pheasant’s lips twitched: “Let’s go!”

His two teammates shot Xiang Nan vicious glares, then turned to follow Pheasant into the distance.

With Pheasant gone, Lone Wolf’s expression softened.

She handed Xiang Nan a luminous white spirit pearl: “The spirit pearl from the Armored Blaze Tiger—your trophy.”

Xiang Nan was stunned again.

The tiger’s corpse lay barely twenty meters away—when had Lone Wolf retrieved its spirit pearl, without him noticing?

Her cultivation was truly unfathomable.

She was far more adept than Pheasant.

By handing over the spirit pearl, she showcased her strength and earned Xiang Nan’s goodwill.

“Thank you,” Xiang Nan replied coolly. “And the Rakshasa corpses…”

Lone Wolf’s eyes flickered as she considered, “The Ghost Mound are enemies of Kyushu. But they have legitimate identities—killing them like this isn’t legal and could spark international trouble…”

“Uh!” Xiang Nan frowned. “Didn’t you just call me Kyushu’s guardian? If they’re enemies, I don’t care about rewards, but are you saying I’ll be punished?”

He spoke bluntly, with no hint of fear—rather, he seemed confident.

He knew that since Lone Wolf had bestowed such a title and sent Pheasant away, the matter wouldn’t turn sour.

Lone Wolf secretly rolled her eyes. She’d hoped to earn more favor, perhaps keep the incident as leverage, but Xiang Nan saw through it immediately and refused to take the bait.

Helplessly, she coughed and continued, “I’ll take the corpses back—let me handle this matter.”