Efficient as ever, Yu Yan submitted his graduation application to Balak Junior Soul Master Academy the very day after he returned to Balak City.
Sun Qian, who had already urged Yu Yan several times and oversaw student graduations, stamped the papers the instant he saw the applications from Yu Yan and Xiao Wu.
'Yu Yan, Xiao Wu, when do you plan to register at Balak Intermediate Spirit Master Academy?'
'Teacher Sun, Xiao Wu and I are going to travel a bit and see the sights elsewhere.'
Accepting the diploma Sun Qian handed over, Yu Yan sidestepped the question and changed the subject.
Had they not pushed him at every turn and made his decisions for him, he might have stayed at Balak Academy to the end.
'A trip will do you good; you'll broaden your horizons.'
Believing they would roam for a while before returning for Intermediate classes, Sun Qian smiled and followed Yu Yan's lead.
Sun Qian knew both youngsters would outshine him someday, so his tone carried a hint of ingratiation.
In truth, they already outranked him in strength.
'Mm.'
With a false smile Yu Yan chatted a while longer, then left the academy alongside the expressionless Xiao Wu.
Outside the gate, he took her straight to Yu Qingfeng's house.
He wanted to say goodbye before leaving town.
But fate refused: the door was locked, and no one answered his knocks.
A neighbor told him Yu Qingfeng and his wife had taken a guard mission with a merchant caravan and left Balak City days earlier.
Unable to wait, Yu Yan left a letter for the neighbor to pass on, and the pair set off.
'Yu Yan, what do you think those annoying people at Balak Spirit Master Academy will feel when they find out we never enrolled?'
South of the city wall, Xiao Wu grinned at the thought.
She'd never felt respected by the academy's staff.
'Let them think what they like; I never promised to join—it's all in their heads.'
Yu Yan's tone was scornful; their opinion meant as little to him as his had meant to them.
'Right, we never agreed to attend Balak Academy. Isn't that so, Wu Xue?'
Xiao Wu looked for agreement from the cat.
'Meow-meow-meow...'
Spirit Cat Wu Xue, perched on Yu Yan's shoulder, offered her own comment while gazing back at the city.
Neither human understood the feline reply,
but they happily interpreted the meows as whatever answer they wished.
Laughing, they walked on until Balak City vanished behind them.
Their destination: Suotuo City south of Balak, home of Shrek Academy.
Yu Yan had two reasons for heading there first.
One was simple curiosity—he wanted to see the real Shrek Academy and discover what drew so many applicants.
The second was to seize an Opportunity not yet belonging to Tang San: the plank crystal gold filament in Flender's shabby shop.
Once refined by special means, that filament became the Dragon Beard Needle, eighth among Tang Sect's inner Hidden Weapons.
Embedded in flesh, the needle curls into a ball as muscles contract, causing excruciating pain; in the original tale Tang San used it to give Zhao Wuji a rough time.
A weapon both easy to craft and devastatingly effective, with clear instructions for use, was too good to ignore.
Though puzzled by the detour, Xiao Wu voiced no objection;
Yu Yan always had his reasons, just as when he'd taken her to Vast Sea City the year before.
On the road to Suotuo they heard a roar like a wild beast up ahead.
'Yu Yan, what do we do?'
Happy to let him decide, Xiao Wu left the choice to him.
'Creep forward and scout first; stay quiet, Wu Xue.'
Without hesitation he opted for caution.
'Mm.'
She nodded and followed as they edged toward the sound.
From a rise they saw the scene below:
two groups locked in fierce combat, bodies already strewn across the road.
A merchant caravan fought off bandits.
It was Yu Yan's first bandit ambush on Douluo Continent.
'Look—those bandits have Spirit Grandmasters, more than one!'
Following Xiao Wu's pointing finger he spotted the enemy Grandmasters.
Two bandits, blood-red wolves for Spirits, twin yellow spirit rings declaring their rank.
The caravan had only one Grandmaster, one white and one yellow ring.
Holding out against two Two-Ring Great Soul Masters showed skill—
no,
wait.
The besieged man looked familiar.
He borrowed Xiao Wu's telescope for a closer look.
Not just familiar—it was someone he knew.
'Xiao Wu, that's Uncle Yu Qingfeng getting pounded—let's move!'
Dropping his pack, he sprinted toward the fight.
'Huh?'
With a yelp Xiao Wu raced after him.
Yu Qingfeng had helped Yu Yan obtain his first spirit ring and was Old Man Yu's son; they had to help.