Chapter 50: Ambush
On the second day of the finals, Su Hao no longer paid attention to the matches. Instead, he focused on optimizing the “Radar” function. For example, he added a green ring for familiar friends, a gray one for strangers, and marked enemies in blood-red.
After several days of integration, the network formed by his perception runes gradually began to show its utility. Not only did his basic perception range expand to two hundred meters, but he also mastered the control of the “Radar.” He could control the flow of blood qi within the runes along a certain path to enhance his perception range. With his current strength, he could extend his perception to a maximum of one thousand meters, although the farther it was, the fuzzier the perception.
Once Su Hao stopped actively controlling the blood qi, his perception range reverted to the basic two hundred meters.
“I made the right choice; this is a life-saving skill! With this, my survival ability will greatly improve!”
However, Su Hao couldn’t help but covet the beast patterns stored on the third floor of the Lingyun Library. He wanted to collect them all into his system for research. But there was always an elderly man guarding the place, making it impossible for him to sneak in unnoticed. Moreover, he didn’t want to clash with the academy’s staff.
The reason he coveted other runes was that he had always had a question: why could runes produce such extraordinary effects? What secrets lay hidden in their complex structures?
Until he unraveled this mystery, he felt an itch in his heart that couldn’t be scratched.
Currently, even though he possessed a perception rune, he couldn’t extract useful information from the complex patterns.
“I need to collect more runes. With enough sample data, I’m sure I can decipher the mysteries hidden within.”
Su Hao firmly believed that even if runes were mysterious, they would follow some rules and laws of the universe. Special effects wouldn’t just appear without reason. As long as he kept learning and accumulating knowledge, he would eventually unlock these mysteries.
Su Hao first checked his remaining funds: 2 gold coin and 35 silver coin.
Then, he left the academy and strolled through the streets and alleys of Lingyun Town.
Thinking about Wu Yuntian’s old, tattered clothes, which leaked cold air every winter, he decided to buy him two sets of clothes: one for summer and one for winter. He chose the best quality, spending a total of 20 silver coin.
Afterward, he bought a bedding set, costing him another 10 silver coin.
He also went to a weapons shop and purchased maintenance oils and repair tools for weapons and armor, spending 35 silver coin.
Finally, he stocked up on cooking spices and salt, plus a barrel of fruit wine, spending another 10 silver coin.
In total, he spent 75 silver coin.
When he returned to the Martial Artist Academy with the huge bundle on his back, it was nearly three times the size of his body.
…
The next day, after Su Hao packed everything neatly, he met Fatty and He Qingqing outside He Qingqing’s dormitory. When they saw the enormous bundle on Su Hao’s back, both Fatty and He Qingqing were stunned.
Fatty, with a look of astonishment, asked, “Xiangwu, what’s in that package? Are you moving house or something?”
Fatty and He Qingqing’s packages weren’t small, but in comparison to Su Hao’s, they seemed insignificant.
He Qingqing chimed in, “Xiangwu, is that package heavy? I don’t have much stuff, so let me help you carry some.”
Su Hao adjusted the weight on his back, then smiled and said, “No need. It’s just some household items for my father. This weight is nothing.”
Indeed, the weight of the package was insignificant to Su Hao. He could even run several laps around Lingyun Town while carrying it without breaking a sweat.
Fatty immediately felt troubled, saying, “I forgot to bring a gift for my dad. What should I do?”
He Qingqing also lamented, “I forgot too…”
Su Hao reassured them, “It’s okay; these are just household items, not gifts. Let’s go!”
The three of them gathered at the academy’s entrance and immediately spotted He Jianyong and Old Li waiting outside. Both of them were smiling and waving enthusiastically.
However, Su Hao was surprised to find a familiar figure.
“Father?”
It was Wu Yuntian, and Su Hao hadn’t expected him to come.
“Dad!”
He Qingqing cheered and rushed toward He Jianyong, grabbing his arm. He looked at her grown-up daughter, and He Jianyong, filled with affection, couldn’t help but sigh. She had grown so much and become more reserved. If this had been a few years ago, she would have rushed over and jumped on his neck.
He Jianyong took He Qingqing’s package and said, “Qingqing has grown taller!”
Fatty, on the other hand, seemed much more bashful. He walked proudly to Old Li’s side and said, “Dad, can you tell what’s different about me?”
Old Li patted Fatty’s head and took his package, laughing as he scolded, “What else could it be? You’re still your old man’s son!”
Fatty became anxious, “Can’t you see it? I’m already an intermediate-level ordinary warrior!”
Then he received another tap on the head from his father.
Su Hao, on the other hand, appeared relatively calm.
With a delighted expression, he approached Wu Yuntian and asked, “Father, has this past year been smooth for you?”
Wu Yuntian looked at his son’s unchanged expression, carefully examined Su Hao, who stood before him with a spirited demeanor, and nodded in satisfaction. “Not bad.”
He reached out to take the enormous package on Su Hao’s back.
Su Hao quickly stepped aside and said, “No need, I can handle it myself. It’s just some bedding, not heavy.”
Wu Yuntian nodded in agreement.
He Qingqing saw that Su Hao could carry his own package, so how could she let her father help her? She immediately snatched her package from He Jianyong, saying, “Dad, give me my package back; I can carry it myself!”
Fatty, feeling a bit embarrassed, scratched his head and said, “Dad, I’ll handle mine too!”
Su Hao was speechless. Even carrying a package could turn into a competition for humans.
He Jianyong looked at his empty hands, exchanged a glance with Old Li and Wu Yuntian, and shook his head. “Let’s go!”
The six of them left through the city gate, taking a final look at the towering city walls. They didn’t linger and followed the small path toward Chashan Outpost.
As they gradually moved away from Lingyun Town, the three warriors became more alert, guarding against any potential sudden attacks by wild beasts. Although this area was still within Lingyun Town’s jurisdiction, elite-level ferocious beasts occasionally roamed nearby, preying on unsuspecting commoners who had no chance of survival.
Suddenly, Su Hao frowned. The “Radar” displayed ten unfamiliar blood auras about 200 meters ahead, positioned on both sides of the road, unmoving.
No, it wasn’t entirely unfamiliar; two of them were familiar to him.
“Father?”
It was Dan Sui, the intermediate-level ordinary warrior, and the other was a passerby he had encountered outside the academy, a high-level elite warrior.
They were here for him!
A month ago, he had humiliated Dan Sui, a third-level student. Now, it was inevitable that they had come for revenge, and it seemed they intended to ambush him in the wilderness.
Su Hao quickly checked the information of the other eight people; they were all high-level elite warriors.
“What should I do?” Su Hao slowed down, contemplating a strategy.
If he were alone, he could charge in and defeat them easily, but now he had two companions, Fatty and He Qingqing, who had no self-defense abilities. This complicated matters.
Under an ambush by high-level elite warriors, they had no chance of survival.
For him to fight and kill was not a problem, but he also needed to ensure the safety of Fatty and He Qingqing. With his current combat experience, he couldn’t guarantee a flawless victory while looking after both of them.
Wu Yuntian noticed Su Hao’s unusual expression and turned to ask, “What’s wrong, Xiangwu?”
