In a certain estate in Fengyue City.
A group of men in Black Robes stood trembling before a middle-aged man in a Golden Robe.
"How did it go?" Round Dance asked, sitting on a grand chair, appearing calm and collected.
Although Round Dance appeared unhurried on the surface, he was actually extremely anxious inside.
However, when facing Round Dance, the group of Silver Robed Martial Artists were being as cautious as humanly possible. They wouldn’t be fooled by his current relaxed facade; otherwise, their lives would be forfeit here.
"This subordinate has investigated the entire Yangsha Ancient Dao, and even searched a ten-li radius around it, but we found nothing. There’s no trace of Group Leader Feng and the others," one of the Silver Robed Martial Artists said, bracing himself.
"Useless!" Round Dance shot the Silver Robed Martial Artist a cold glance and snapped.
"Group Leader Round Dance, spare me! This subordinate has already done everything in his power. This matter is just too strange; we can’t find a single clue!" the Silver Robed Martial Artist quickly kowtowed and begged for mercy.
Just then, another Silver Robed Martial Artist stepped forward to help his comrade out. "Group Leader Round Dance, according to my knowledge, Tang Yi returned to the Tang Family a few days ago. Group Leader Feng and his men went missing while trying to intercept Tang Yi on the Yangsha Ancient Dao. I’m thinking, could this incident be related to Tang Yi? Perhaps..."
Round Dance’s eyes widened. "Perhaps what?"
"Perhaps Group Leader Feng and the others were killed by Tang Yi, or by the person backing him. Otherwise, how could we possibly not find a single trace of them?" said the Silver Robed Martial Artist.
Hearing this, Round Dance fell into thought.
The Silver Robed Martial Artist continued, "Of course, that is just this subordinate’s speculation. According to my investigation, although Tang Yi’s Talent is impressive, he is only sixteen years old. He shouldn’t have reached a level of strength to rival a Battle King, so it’s probably not him. As for the Tang Family he belongs to, their strongest member is just the Clan Leader, Tang Haotian, who is only a Battle Grandmaster. He shouldn’t be a threat to Group Leader Feng and his men either. Therefore, I surmise that there is someone else behind Tang Yi."
"Oh?" Round Dance considered this. He felt the Silver Robed Martial Artist’s analysis was sound and said, "Continue."
"Since we know there’s someone else behind Tang Yi, guessing is useless. They are hiding behind the scenes, which only increases the difficulty of our investigation. Moreover, if this hidden person could kill Group Leader Feng and the others, they can also deal with us. Rushing over to find them would only lead to unnecessary casualties," the Silver Robed Martial Artist analyzed further.
"Mm, that does make sense. Feng Hua’s strength was comparable to mine, and he brought a similar number of men. If they were truly killed without being able to put up any Resistance, then we would indeed be no match for them either." As Round Dance thought of this, his brows furrowed.
After thinking for a moment, he asked the Silver Robed Martial Artist, "Then what is your plan?"
Hearing this, the Silver Robed Martial Artist, whose analysis had been perfectly logical, thought to himself, ’This is my chance!’ He hurriedly said to Round Dance, "Group Leader Round Dance, the West Mansion’s annual qualification examination starts tomorrow. Tang Yi will be participating in it. During the exam, those people hiding behind him won’t be able to protect him."
"We just need to hide in the crowd and seize Tang Yi in one fell swoop during his examination. Then, we can use him to force the person behind him to show themselves. At that point... wouldn’t they have to submit obediently?"
"This is a plan to kill two birds with one stone. Not only can we complete our mission and capture Tang Yi, but we can also draw out the person behind him and eliminate them. Why wouldn’t we do it?"
After speaking, the Silver Robed Martial Artist wore a cunning and calculating expression, looking extremely pleased with himself.
When Round Dance heard this, he also felt it was very feasible. He said with satisfaction, "Good, very good. This plan will work. I’ll credit you for this accomplishment for now. We’ll discuss rewards based on merit when we return."
The Silver Robed Martial Artist quickly knelt and thanked him, "Thank you, Group Leader Round Dance!"
"Rise. You’ve done well," Round Dance said with a nod. Now that he had a plan, he was no longer so anxious. Instead, his gaze turned deep and sorrowful as he looked into the void.
The Silver Robed Martial Artist was tactful enough to withdraw quietly.
At that moment, Round Dance murmured, "Old Feng, even though I always argued with you... how could you just leave like that...?"
"This is agony..."
"But rest assured, the one who harmed you will not meet a good end. Soon, I will personally act and execute a Slaying Strike on him to avenge your spirit in heaven."
As he spoke, Round Dance’s sorrowful gaze turned vicious. The full aura of a Battle King erupted from him, frightening the Silver Robed Martial Artists so much that they all fell to their knees.
On this day, the sky was a clear, boundless azure without a single cloud in sight. The sun felt warm on the skin, and a cool breeze would occasionally drift by, making one feel utterly content.
On such a fine day, the people of Fengyue City would normally bring out small chairs, sit outside their doors to leisurely bask in the sun, and enjoy the cool, refreshing breeze.
But today, people were not doing that. They weren’t basking in the sun, staying at home, or going out to work.
Instead, they had put aside their affairs and gathered in the center of Fengyue City to welcome a grand event.
The West Mansion Branch’s qualification examination!
The West Mansion Branch’s qualification examination was held in Fengyue City’s Unrivaled Square.
Unrivaled Square, the center of Fengyue City, covered an area of several thousand mu and could hold tens of thousands of people.
The layout of Unrivaled Square was similar to the Tang Family’s Martial Arts Arena, but it was countless times larger. In the center was a huge combat stage, surrounded by spectator stands. To the west of the stands, there was also an elevated platform with a commanding, open view.
The spectator stands were for ordinary onlookers, while the elevated platform was reserved for people of status and Position.
At this time, Unrivaled Square was already packed to capacity. Countless spectators and Martial Artists participating in the qualification examination had come to the square to witness this grand occasion.
The West Mansion Branch’s qualification examination was a spectacular event no matter where it was held. Everyone was curious to see which young Martial Artists from their city would obtain the qualification to go to the Headquarter.
As long as one went to the Headquarter, passed the House Entrance Examination, and became a disciple of the West Mansion, it was an event that would bring glory to their ancestors in the entire Western Domain.
Furthermore, the West Mansion controlled the Western Domain. Becoming one of its members meant entering the center of power in the Western Domain. At that point, one’s status, Position, and even their Clan would rise accordingly.
Everyone also knew the yearly tradition: the West Mansion Headquarter would send an expert from the Inner Mansion to preside over all matters of the qualification examination—the Chief Examiner.
Before the qualification examination began, the Chief Examiner would give a speech. After the speech concluded, the examination would officially commence.
And at this moment, Wang Zongyao stood upon the high platform, looking down at the people of Fengyue City as he cleared his throat.

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