Chapter 23: Hidden Dragons, Crouching Tigers

Xiao Yang looked at Guan Yun with curiosity and asked, "You like reading so much, so why do they call you the Martial Maniac?"

Guan Yun lifted his gaze slightly, his eyes drifting to the sky. "How can sparrows understand the ambition of a swan? They don't understand me... My true nickname is the Martial Poet. They call me a maniac only because they think I'm obsessed."

Xiao Yang understood then—the term "Martial Maniac" was not meant as a single phrase, not to say someone addicted to martial arts, but to describe someone both skilled in martial arts and a little eccentric.

He asked, "Doesn't it bother you when they call you that?"

Guan Yun smiled indifferently. "A chef and a cunning merchant—my heart, as a Martial Poet, is broad. How could I stoop to their level?"

"Who said I'm a chef? I'm a gourmet!" Jiang Shaohuang, who hadn't been bothered until now, retorted angrily, "Let me reiterate, I'm a great gourmet. Martial Maniac, if anyone else is willing to taste my dishes, I won't let you have any."

With that, Jiang Shaohuang stormed into his Spring Suite in a huff.

Duan Fei, on the other hand, wasn't the least offended by being called a cunning merchant. He grinned broadly, "There's no business without a little cunning. Call me a cunning merchant if you like, but let me clarify something to my new roommate—I am an honest man, worthy of trust."

Xiao Yang glanced at Guan Yun as if to ask: Is that true?

Guan Yun nodded. "A cunning merchant knows when to be righteous. He's not too cunning. You can be friends with him, but don't do business with him."

Xiao Yang laughed. "I think I was just sold once today."

Duan Fei scratched his head sheepishly. "The chef really wanted you to taste his food but lacked the confidence to ask. So I took a detour, said I was inviting you, and had him cook. See, not only did he agree, he was willing to pay me eighteen hundred just for that. Imagine how eager he was for you to try his cooking!"

So that's how it was. Xiao Yang nodded slightly.

Guan Yun added, "Don't believe him. This cunning merchant is obsessed with money. All for eighteen hundred, he managed to scheme both you and the chef. And the chef calls me a maniac? I think he's the real fool—making food for others and paying the merchant for it. If the body falls ill, medicine can cure it, but if the mind is broken, nothing can save it!"

Duan Fei, caught out, shot Guan Yun a look. "You call that poetry? Nonsense."

The mention of poetry made Guan Yun bristle. "Why not? If I recite it, it's poetry."

The three of them sat together in the courtyard, chatting. Xiao Yang realized that, although his three roommates were a bit eccentric and often poked fun at each other, they actually got along very well, and the atmosphere was harmonious.

Even when they teased or mocked one another, it felt warm, like friends ribbing each other, not genuine disdain.

Xiao Yang could tell that this was because none of them looked down on the others; they all regarded each other as friends. So, no matter how much they taunted each other, at heart, they all cared deeply.

After some conversation, Xiao Yang found himself blending into the atmosphere, chatting merrily with Guan Yun and Duan Fei.

Inside Jiang Shaohuang's Spring Suite, the living room had been transformed into a vast kitchen, filled with all sorts of exotic beast ingredients and rare seasonings. While the three chatted and laughed loudly in the courtyard, Jiang Shaohuang busied himself inside, sweating profusely yet beaming with joy. Clearly, he genuinely loved his profession and found far more happiness in cooking than in practicing martial arts.

After a while, Xiao Yang, now more familiar with his companions, asked, "I'm from Yuezhou. Where are you both from?"

Guan Yun replied, "We're quite close, actually. I'm from Xing City, just over a hundred kilometers from Yuezhou."

Xing City lay to the south of Yuezhou, beside the Xiang River, the capital of Xiang Province—a secondary city with a population over ten million, the closest such city to Yuezhou.

Xiao Yang was gradually coming to understand this world: its geography, martial traditions, and culture. He knew Xing City well. He'd traveled there on Earth, but here on Star Planet, with wild beasts occupying the wilderness, travel between cities was rare, so he hadn't visited.

Duan Fei chimed in, "Since you live so close to Xing City, you must know of the Guan family there?"

Xiao Yang's eyes lit up. "The top-tier martial family, the Guans?"

Duan Fei smiled. "The very same. And he's a direct descendant—how else could such a prodigy appear?"

Guan Yun's expression remained calm. "Who says only martial families produce geniuses? Look at Xiao Yang—he became a martial artist before even enrolling, and within less than a month entered the Celestial Pivot Institute and was found to have the extraordinary Five Elements Perfect Constitution. Who would dare call themselves a genius before him? Not I. And if we're talking family status, who can surpass the chef?"

Xiao Yang looked surprised. "What? Jiang Shaohuang's family surpasses the Guans of Xing City?"

Guan Yun replied coolly, "The Jiangs of Magic City—what do you think?"

Duan Fei let out a sigh. "One of the ten great martial families!"

Xiao Yang smacked his lips. "You'd never guess Jiang Shaohuang is from one of the top ten martial families."

In the martial world of Dragon Country, there were the official forces, the martial hall factions, and the family factions.

The military and the four martial universities belonged to the official forces.

The three great martial halls were the martial factions.

The family factions were the most numerous—every city had its martial families, but only those with a Grandmaster were called martial lineages.

Those with a seventh-rank Grandmaster were ordinary martial lineages.

Those with an eighth-rank Grandmaster were top-tier martial lineages.

The most illustrious of all were the ten great martial families—each with at least a ninth-rank Grandmaster.

In the whole of the Jiangnan region, there were no fewer than ten top-tier martial lineages, but only two made it into the ten great families.

The Ye family of Jiangnan City.

The Jiang family of Magic City.

As a descendant of the Jiang family of Magic City, Jiang Shaohuang was undoubtedly the most distinguished and noble among the students of Jiangnan Martial University.

Ling Dufei, from the Ling family of Magic City, was proud of his own background, thinking himself superior, but compared to Jiang Shaohuang, he was hardly worth mentioning.

In Magic City, the Jiang family was the true overlord; even the Lings, though a top martial lineage, had to step aside.

This courtyard held descendants of the Guan family from Xing City and the Jiang family from Magic City—a den of hidden dragons indeed!

Xiao Yang turned to Duan Fei. "What about you?"

Duan Fei replied, "I'm from Dianjiang City."

Xiao Yang said, "The Duan family of Dianjiang? That's a top-tier martial lineage as well!"

Duan Fei shook his head repeatedly. "There are many with the surname Duan in Dianjiang City, but only one Duan family. Like you, I'm just an ordinary citizen."

Guan Yun said, "A hero's worth isn't defined by his origins, nor is ambition limited by age. We come from all over Jiangnan, separated by wild beasts, unlikely ever to meet. Yet, because we were admitted to Jiangnan Martial University and happened to be assigned to the same courtyard, we can sit here and talk at length. That's fate. As the saying goes: 'If fate decrees, friends will meet even from a thousand miles apart—let's not speak of our backgrounds and spoil our friendship!'"