Chapter Forty-Five: Clash in the Rain

Having been in this world for over four months, although Xu Wen still couldn’t conjure overwhelming strength in a short time, everything remained within his control. Each step of his growth followed a careful plan—this was the real source of the confidence that allowed Xu Wen to face all things calmly.

Among his peers, Irene was the first who seemed like an outlier—a prodigy girl with a dazzling aura and illustrious background, outshining him in every aspect, at least in terms of obvious strength. He couldn’t treat her as casually as he did Xie Zhan and the three girls.

Xu Wen hated this feeling.

For the next few days, he simply refused to leave the carriage for even a moment. When he wasn’t refining potions, he was devouring the mountain of books his “nominal grandfather” had stuffed into his storage ring, absorbing the knowledge of this world like a sponge.

But there was a small change in his cultivation environment—three unexpected guests now shared the carriage!

Claiming Xu Wen’s carriage was more spacious and comfortable, Xiang Nan forcibly decided to spend the nights there, dragging along Jin Shi and the other girl with the pretext: “We three together, to guard against a certain pervert’s night-time advances.”

Xu Wen found this equal parts ridiculous and exasperating. Attack those three little girls at night? He had no such peculiar tastes—he wasn’t obsessed with little girls.

Fortunately, the trio didn’t insist on bringing Xie Zhan in as well. Though the latter was eager to join, he was unanimously and mercilessly refused by the girls, on the grounds that he smelled of sweat after crowding in with the other men.

Xie Zhan didn’t mind. He happily dashed off to the Slan Academy camp and spent his evenings by the campfire with his old flame, enjoying himself.

After several days, Xu Wen could sense from the glances cast this way by the Slan Academy students that their hostility had lessened. Perhaps it was because he had stayed inside the carriage the entire time, never once stepping out—harmless and unthreatening, which gradually put them at ease. At the same time, sharing the luxurious carriage with three girls gave off the air of a pampered young lord, making some of them look down on him, even more convinced that their goddess would never fall for someone like him.

Thus, the journey proceeded peacefully.

Until this day...

Inside the carriage, Xu Wen suddenly noticed the light outside dimming. He lifted the curtain and saw dark clouds gathering in the distance, swiftly rolling toward them.

“Damn this weather!”

“A storm’s coming! Everyone, push on! Let’s get into town!” Marlon’s voice rang out, urging the drivers to hurry so they could reach a small town ten miles ahead and rest before the rain fell.

Xu Wen frowned slightly and called out to Uncle Ma.

“Young Master Xu, what do you need?”

Marlon urged his mount closer to the window, ever respectful—a habit even Xu Wen couldn’t change.

“We’ve been traveling for six days now. How far are we from the Imperial Capital?” Considering that the eighteen guards couldn’t all crowd into the carriage, Xu Wen refrained from directly asking why they couldn’t simply brave the rain.

“Oh, we’ve reached Maple Leaf Town. The capital is still four days away,” Marlon replied, putting Xu Wen at ease. There were nine days left before the entrance exam at Azure Cloud Academy—plenty of time. A night’s rest would be good. Even the most easygoing person would be stifled after six days cooped up in a carriage.

The pace of the convoy quickened, but they still failed to reach the town before the rain fell.

It began with a few bean-sized drops drumming on the carriage roof. In seconds, the sound grew louder and more intense, and in the blink of an eye, a torrential downpour erupted. Xu Wen hurriedly lowered the wooden panels, sealing the windows to block the rain.

But Marlon and the other guards weren’t so lucky. Soaked to the skin, they still had to look after the carts, the drivers, and the frightened horses to prevent disaster. Even so, with such a storm, the eighteen men couldn’t manage everything. Suddenly, a startled neigh split the air, and one of the rear carriages tipped over, blocking those behind.

“What happened?” Marlon demanded as he rushed over. The horse’s leg was bent at a grotesque angle, and even in the rain, it whinnied pitifully. Several Slan Academy girls averted their faces, unable to watch.

“Don’t just stand there! Get the luggage out and into another carriage! Some of you, move this one aside!” Marlon shouted, directing the chaos.

Just then—

Clip-clop! Clip-clop!

A flurry of hoofbeats approached from behind. The road was still blocked, and a group of riders charged up through the rain.

“Whoa!”

The riders stopped, hemmed in by the river on the left and a cliff on the right. There was no way through unless the overturned carriage was moved.

“Hey! What’s going on? Move it already! Don’t block the road, damn it!”

“Damn this luck!”

A group of men, trapped in the downpour, began cursing loudly.

“Bastards!” The guards of the Hortonklin family weren’t about to take such insults lying down and were about to retort, but Marlon restrained them. He glanced at the twenty-odd riders and the crests on their rain-soaked leather armor, then replied calmly from a distance:

“Gentlemen! We’re terribly sorry! As soon as the ladies have their things, we’ll move the carriage. We won’t delay you long!”

Inside the carriage, Xu Wen relaxed. Uncle Ma was indeed a seasoned traveler—when out in the world, avoiding unnecessary trouble was best.

However—

The commotion that followed infuriated the entire convoy.

“Huh?”

“There are actually some pretty girls in this shabby caravan.”

“Haha! Hey, Third—look at them, all with fine figures! Well, except the one at the back—she’s a little flat. Tsk…”

Their words were lewd and mocking. Even without looking, Xu Wen could guess that in this rain, the Slan Academy girls who’d stepped outside were drenched, their figures outlined for all to see.

“Perverts!” a girl shouted in anger.

Chaos erupted at the rear of the convoy. “What did you say!” “Bastards! Cowards for picking on girls!” “Damn you! How dare you bully students from Slan Academy?” The male students burst out of their carriages, weapons drawn.

The atmosphere on the road grew tense, sparks ready to fly.

At this point, Xu Wen could no longer remain in the carriage. He signaled the three girls to stay put, then stepped outside himself.

In the storm, the wrecked carriage divided the Slan Academy and Hortonklin family convoys. Behind it, a dozen young men stood protectively before five drenched girls, swords and blades drawn, some wreathed in faint battle aura, others summoning magic. They surrounded the twenty-odd insolent riders, their hostility unmistakable.