Chapter 52: The Luggage is Still in the Car

As the group was chatting away, a sudden, thunderous roar of a dragon echoed through the air. Everyone lifted their heads to see an Azure Dragon chariot whistling down from the horizon with overwhelming momentum. With a deafening boom, it landed heavily on the ground, directly shoving Chen Ziming and Zheng Hao’s carriages aside with tyrannical dominance.

Yet, no one dared to utter a word. Everyone was utterly shaken by the sheer aura radiating from the Azure Dragon chariot!

Chariots were generally graded into five tiers: Bronze, Black Iron, Silver, Gold, and Dark Gold. Platinum, Black Gold, and Sapphire chariots were essentially of the Dark Gold tier, albeit with different designs, alongside others adorned with Amethyst or Ruby. Such luxuries were reserved strictly for the ultra-wealthy.

As for the Azure Dragon chariot level, it could be said to belong to the absolute peak class of chariots within the Imperial Capital.

This was because the front of the Azure Dragon chariot was pulled by a beastly puppet infused with the remnant soul of an Azure Dragon.

Not only that, one of the scales on the Azure Dragon puppet at the front was a genuine dragon scale, radiating boundless majesty and fluttering with profound runes—it was a true Dragon’s Reverse Scale.

Even as a mere puppet beast, it projected an oppressive pressure that completely overwhelmed all other chariots.

Whose chariot on earth was this? Could they also be heading to study at the First Academy? Could it belong to some terrifying scion of a noble family?

Just as everyone's gazes converged on the vehicle, the door of the Azure Dragon chariot swung open, and Xing Haotian stepped out, clad in a magnificent military ceremonial uniform.

"General Xing!"

"Good heavens, it's General Xing Haotian!"

Exclamations broke out among the surrounding crowd. Evidently, none of them had expected that the occupant of this chariot would be Xing Haotian, a general of the Hantian Kingdom!

In person, he possessed an even more oppressive dominance than the image projected on the screens, making him look exceptionally stern and cold.

Xing Haotian swept his narrow eyes across the crowd, his gaze locking instantly onto the young man who had been acting so warmly toward Wei Zi. In a split second, an intimidating pressure erupted, making people's legs turn to jelly.

"You must be Wang Ling!" Xing Haotian said in a deep voice.

"Huh?" Chen Ziming was momentarily stunned by the question. At the same time, he felt as though Xing Haotian's gaze was like an about-to-erupt volcano capable of consuming him in an instant.

However, Xing Haotian was Chen Ziming's ultimate idol. Upon hearing his idol address him, Chen Ziming became extremely excited, his voice trembling as he replied, "General, my name isn't Wang Ling; I am Chen Ziming!"

"Chen Ziming?" Xing Haotian realized he had acted too rashly and mistaken the person. The oppressive aura in his eyes receded, replaced by a gentle warmth, akin to a comforting candlelight. "Not bad."

As for what exactly was "not bad," only Xing Haotian himself knew.

However, there were only two people on the scene who understood the significance of that name, Wang Ling.

Zhou Xiaoya’s jaw dropped in utter shock. Why would Xing Haotian know Wang Ling’s name, and why did he question Chen Ziming with such hostility? Recalling how Wei Zi had once mentioned being taken in by a military officer, could it possibly have been General Xing Haotian?!

Good grief! Had Wei Zi actually been living at General Xing's residence for the past half-month?

At this realization, Zhou Xiaoya's mouth gaped wide enough to swallow an entire egg whole!

"Wei Zi, get in the chariot. I'll take you to the First Academy. Your luggage is already inside," Xing Haotian said in a gentle tone.

Wei Zi was left speechless. She stared straight at Xing Haotian, truly wishing she could fly into a hysterical rage, screaming at him to stop clinging to her and to cease appearing before her eyes.

Yet, though she parted her lips, she found herself utterly unable to utter a single word.

When they were alone, she could throw little tantrums against him or treat him with cold sarcasm. But in front of such a massive crowd, she simply couldn't bring herself to make a scene. If word of this got out, Xing Haotian's devoted fans could drown her in their spit alone.

By then, the smooth highway of her rebirth would likely be nipped in the bud!

Despite this, Wei Zi wore a frosty expression and let out a cold huff!

In truth, even without taking Xing Haotian's Azure Dragon chariot, she hadn't planned on riding in Chen Ziming's carriage anyway. After all, she wasn't that close with Chen Ziming, nor had she ever heard of anyone encountering mortal danger in the wilderness during this season. While a Bronze chariot might be slightly more hazardous, it was still far better than incurring an unpayable favor.

As for Xing Haotian's Azure Dragon chariot, how many times hadn't she ridden in it already?

As the saying goes, a beggar doesn't feel the chill of extra lice, and a heavily indebted person stops worrying; perhaps that was the logic here!

However, she had no desire to sit alone inside the chariot with Xing Haotian, as it felt terribly awkward. Pulling Zhou Xiaoya along, she turned to Zhou's parents and said, "Uncle, Auntie, let's take this chariot!"

Zhou Xiaoya was forcefully hauled into the chariot by Wei Zi. As for Zhou Xiaoya's parents, Wei Zi had already given them a heads-up; Xing Haotian naturally and respectfully invited the bewildered couple aboard. Once they were seated inside the unimaginably luxurious interior of the vehicle, they felt as though they were waking from a dream. They were actually riding in a vehicle belonging to a general of the Hantian Kingdom—this was simply something no one would ever believe if told!

With a sharp snap, the doors of the chariot closed. Controlling the Azure Dragon chariot, Xing Haotian bypassed the city gates entirely, driving straight through the protective energy shield on the city wall.

After all, General Xing's chariot possessed special privileges.

Indeed, as he departed, every single soldier on the city walls snapped to attention and saluted the Azure Dragon chariot, showing their utmost respect and reverence for General Xing Haotian.

As for the young people witnessing this scene, their hearts were overflowing with envy!

Yet, where there was envy, jealousy naturally followed. Watching Chen Ziming, whose gaze remained fixed on the departing chariot, Zheng Hao said with a sour tone, "What are you still staring at? She's already been picked up by a much better ride. Hmph, and here I was wondering why she didn't come looking for you—turns out she's latched onto someone far more impressive. A general of the Hantian Kingdom, what terrifying influence!"

Although Zheng Hao and Chen Ziming were still young, the very fact that Zheng Hao went looking for beautiful mercenaries showed that he possessed extensive life experience and deep worldly wisdom.

Because of their backgrounds, cunning and calculating women had thrown themselves at them since childhood. Zheng Hao had seen more than enough of feminine scheming.

Seeing Wei Zi depart in the Azure Dragon chariot, the first thought that popped into Zheng Hao's mind was that Wei Zi had simply cozied up to Xing Haotian, which was why she refused to associate with them anymore and even insisted on settling her debts to maintain a clean break.

"Sigh!" Chen Ziming shook his head nearby and remarked, "Haozi, can't your perspective be a bit more positive? Stop assuming every woman has malicious intentions! Besides, are you still holding a grudge because she accidentally caused your fracture? It wasn't intentional!"

"When have I?" The moment the incident was brought up, Zheng Hao felt a sour ache in his teeth and a tremor in his legs. It was akin to ripping open an old wound, causing him to retort loudly and defensively.

"Look at that, getting all defensive now? And you claim you didn't!" Chen Ziming teased before his expression faded into a slightly bitter smile. "Haozi, the two of us have awakened our profound cores, which merely means we've cleared the very first hurdle. The path ahead will only grow more arduous. Therefore, don't go making enemies lightly. An extra friend is an extra path. To be honest, I even had cowardly thoughts back then, wondering if it might have been better never to awaken a profound core at all!"