The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

A life-or-death battle between the Court's Jiedu Envoy and the Sect Leader of the Celestial Profound Sect. This was likely the highest-level duel to the death in a century, and everyone was eagerly awaiting the outcome.

But after that day, Bai Yuan seemed to have vanished into thin air, with no further news of him.

Everyone guessed that Bai Yuan must have gone into seclusion to prepare for the battle.

But Yang Fangyu didn't think so. He had known Bai Yuan for years and had never seen him enter seclusion.

But if Bai Yuan wasn't in seclusion, where could he have gone?

As the two were lost in thought, an old servant from the household ran in, his steps hurried.

Seeing his normally unflappable old servant in such a state, and considering the recent situation in Ling Province, Yang Fangyu frowned. "Uncle Liu, what happened?"

The old servant finally caught his breath. "Master, it's Master Bai."

Hearing the two words "Master Bai," Yang Fangyu's eyes lit up with pleasant surprise.

This old servant had been with him ever since he arrived in Huanglong Prefecture. The only person he would call "Master Bai" was, of course, Bai Yuan.

Yang Fangyu immediately strode out.

A few breaths later, he reached the courtyard gate and saw Bai Yuan standing before it at a glance.

He froze.

The Bai Yuan before him was very different from the man in his memory.

While the old Bai Yuan was never some dashingly handsome youth, he looked decent enough when dressed up. But the current Bai Yuan was a mass of bulging muscles. This was especially true given his animal skin jacket, which left his arms exposed, making him look even more ferocious.

If he hadn't recognized Bai Yuan's face, he would have mistaken him for one of the Barbarian People fleeing south.

"Ah Yuan, you..."

Seeing Bai Yuan's appearance, Yang Fangyu was truly at a loss for words.

Bai Yuan smiled faintly. "Fang Yu, long time no see."

Come to think of it, it had been a long time since he had seen Yang Fangyu.

Hearing Bai Yuan call him Fang Yu, Yang Fangyu roared with laughter and slammed a fist into Bai Yuan's chest, only for his own face to contort in pain.

'Is his chest forged from Divine Iron or something? How is it so hard?!'

He felt as if his fist had struck Divine Iron—no, something even harder.

Yang Fangyu shook his fist, staring at Bai Yuan in amazement. "You rascal, you've gotten stronger again?"

Bai Yuan replied, "Just a little."

"..."

Yang Fangyu knew Bai Yuan well, so he knew the kid was showing off again.

He looked curiously at the young boy beside Bai Yuan.

The boy's style was a carbon copy of the current Bai Yuan's—both had a wild air about them. In fact, the boy's vibe was even more authentic.

Yang Fangyu teased, "Ah Yuan, you didn't spend the last year joining the Barbarians, did you?"

To his surprise, Bai Yuan actually nodded. "How did you know?"

Yang Fangyu grew a little flustered. "Don't tell me you went to the Northern Plains."

All this time, countless major powers in Xuan Yang had been trying to find a trace of Bai Yuan, all to no avail. But if Bai Yuan had gone to the Northern Plains, then of course they couldn't find him, no matter what methods they tried.

Because Bai Yuan wasn't even in Xuan Yang to begin with.

Yang Fangyu's expression turned serious. "Come, let's talk inside."

He suddenly felt that the rest of their conversation was not suited for the front gate.

Bai Yuan nodded and led the boy, Huyan Shan, into the Yang Family residence.

As he walked, he said, "Do you have any clothes? Give me two sets."

Yang Fangyu glanced at their primitive style of dress and immediately ordered a servant to find two larger sets of clothes.

Fifteen minutes later, Bai Yuan and Huyan Shan, having changed their clothes, walked out.

Bai Yuan was fine. After all, he had lived in Xuan Yang for a long time. Although the clothes were a size too small, he still looked relatively normal.

Huyan Shan, by contrast, was a disaster to behold.

Not only was his shirt on backward, but he wasn't even wearing pants.

The corner of Bai Yuan's mouth twitched. In the end, he had no choice but to ask a Yang Family servant to help his foolish apprentice get dressed properly. Only then did the young Huyan Shan emerge, looking very awkward.

Watching this scene, Yang Fangyu's expression turned strange. "Alright you rascal, fess up. This boy isn't one of the Barbarian People, is he?"

Bai Yuan had no intention of hiding it and nodded naturally. "You're as sharp as ever, Fang Yu."

Yang Fangyu rolled his eyes. "Don't mess with me. What is your relationship with this boy?"

Although the situation between the Demon Sect and Xuan Yang had changed drastically, the Barbarian People were still unwelcome in Xuan Yang.

Bai Yuan was blunt. "My third apprentice."

Yang Fangyu had an "I knew it" expression on his face.

'A Second-Grade Official of Xuan Yang taking one of the Barbarian People as an apprentice... If word of this got out, what would people think?'

This move by Bai Yuan was truly an act of outrageous defiance.

However, Yang Fangyu made no judgment on Bai Yuan's actions.

The current Bai Yuan far surpassed him in both status and strength. He surely had his reasons for taking an apprentice, and Yang Fangyu neither needed nor was qualified to interfere.

After putting on the clothes, Bai Yuan found that the animal skin jacket from before seemed more comfortable.

'Am I gradually becoming a barbarian?'

He smiled and shook his head.

After spending a year in the Northern Plains, his disposition had indeed been unconsciously altered by the environment there.

Just then, Yan Hongxiu also came out with her son.

"Brother Bai, you're back."

Bai Yuan nodded with a smile. "Thank you for your concern, Sister-in-law."

Afterward, the young Huyan Shan was taken to the rear kitchen to eat, while Bai Yuan chatted with his two old friends about his experiences over the past year. Of course, he omitted many important details, especially the parts related to Mr. Yuan.

It wouldn't be a good thing for Yang Fangyu and Yan Hongxiu to know about Mr. Yuan right now.

When Yang Fangyu heard that Bai Yuan had traded fists with the barbarian expert Big Beard on the Cang Lake Shore, his eyes filled with yearning.

'This is how a true man should be!'

After finishing his own story, Bai Yuan finally asked curiously, "By the way, Fang Yu, what exactly happened? Why have all the troops in Dingzhou withdrawn?"

He had traveled south with his apprentice, Huyan Shan, returning to Xuan Yang from Cang Mang Mountain.

But he didn't know the way, so he just kept his head down and walked south, unexpectedly ending up in Dingzhou.

But what was vastly different from before was that the standoff between the Demon Sect and the Xuan Yang Army was nowhere to be seen.

Because of this, Bai Yuan even made a special trip to Yuquan City, but aside from a few scattered yao-guai, there was no trace of the Demon Sect's army.

This made him extremely curious.

He might have been in the Northern Plains for a while, but how could things change so drastically in just a few short months?

He was bursting with questions, which was why he hadn't even returned to the Divine Mansion Sect and had instead come straight to Yang Fangyu.

As the Vice Governor of Lingzhou, Yang Fangyu would naturally know more of the inside story.

"You really don't know?"

Yang Fangyu looked at Bai Yuan with some suspicion.

But then he remembered that Bai Yuan had been in the Northern Plains and might genuinely be completely ignorant of the situation in Xuan Yang.

He took a deep breath, his gaze turning grave. "I don't know the specifics either, but three months ago, the Demon Sect suddenly withdrew its army. And not just from Dingzhou, but from the entire Northern Territory. Grand Protector Yan and Grand General Xu have both returned to the capital."

"I heard a rumor from my family's patriarch that something major seems to have happened in the Imperial City."

"After the army withdrew, large numbers of yao-guai stranded in Dingzhou moved south, causing chaos in Ling Province. We've sent multiple requests for help to the Court, but have received no response."

Bai Yuan's brow furrowed ever deeper.

He instinctively guessed that the Demon Sect's withdrawal must be related to Mr. Yuan.

In the entire Northern Plains, only Mr. Yuan had the ability to make an army that had been locked in a bitter struggle with Xuan Yang for years retreat.

'But... why retreat?'

'And what on earth happened in the Imperial City?'

He had originally thought that all his questions would be answered after he arrived in Huanglong Prefecture, but he was met with an even greater mystery instead.

Perhaps only by meeting Master Xu Dingchun could he unravel all these mysteries.

Bai Yuan spoke up, "Fang Yu, I see your family's servants are packing luggage. Are you leaving?"

Yang Fangyu nodded. "Ling Province is in chaos. The Court has appointed me to be the vice governor in Jiangzhou."

"Congratulations."

A smile appeared on Bai Yuan's face.

He was genuinely happy for his friend.

For Yang Fangyu to become the vice governor of Jiangzhou was a glorious homecoming.

Yang Fangyu looked ashamed. "Ah Yuan, I'm sorry."

Bai Yuan was the Shuofang Jiedu Envoy, yet he was leaving at such a critical moment of chaos. He truly felt a guilty conscience.

Bai Yuan waved his hand. "Go on."

He now had the confidence to suppress the chaos of the times.