The Strongest Talent Tree

After some instruction from Feng Hao, Xi Yueyao quickly mastered how to use the player.

An energetic beat echoed through the quiet grove, punctuated by Xi Yueyao’s clear, bell-like laughter.

To the rhythm of the DJ’s beat, Feng Hao diligently instructed Yao Girl on her combat techniques.

Time flew by, and before they knew it, dusk was settling in.

"Oh, right," Feng Hao asked thoughtfully. "What talent did you awaken when you reached the third tier?"

Xi Yueyao pouted and mumbled, "The Concealment Completion talent. It’s not very good at all."

"Concealment Completion?" Feng Hao frowned slightly.

Concealment Completion involved maximizing the attribute growth of the concealment root system, providing a base of 10 points in Breath Concealment and 2 points in Weakness Reinforcement. Among the many types of talents, completion-type talents were fairly common.

However, considering Yao Girl’s genetic predisposition, Concealment Completion was indeed a bit redundant. No wonder she was unhappy.

"Hey, medicine-seller, do you think my Genetic Tree has grown all wrong?" Xi Yueyao asked sullenly.

"You’re only at the third tier. There will be plenty of opportunities later," Feng Hao said with a small smile. "Besides, I can help you graft talents."

"Oh, that’s right!" Xi Yueyao froze for a second, then her beautiful eyes instantly lit up with joy.

...

After taking a beaming Xi Yueyao home, Feng Hao returned to the Miao Medicine Tower alone. The sky had darkened, but it wasn’t closing time yet. That kid Miao Feng was still in the Alchemy Room, pondering what he had learned the previous night.

With nothing better to do, Feng Hao helped Shopkeeper Yang and the staff tend to the business, taking the opportunity to study a book called *Magic Energy Mechanism Theory*.

Night fell quickly. Rongcheng wasn’t as bustling as Five States City; as soon as it got dark, customer traffic would dwindle.

Just as it was about to close, an imposing and aggressive Magic Energy Flying Vehicle landed outside the door. Its rugged design could rival a war machine.

The door slid open, and two young men stepped out. The one in white was refined and handsome, while the one in black was powerfully built and imposing.

The two glanced up at the Miao Medicine Tower’s sign, their faces showing a hint of doubt.

"This should be the place the boss was talking about, right?" the sturdily built young man asked, a long saber strapped to his back and a look of confusion in his eyes.

The young man in white smiled gracefully. "There’s a [Business Terminal] and the aura of a fellow practitioner inside. This is the right place."

"Well, let’s go in, then," said the sturdy young man.

The young man in white chuckled, nodded, and stepped into the Miao Medicine Tower. His every gesture exuded an elegant, handsome aura. Each movement was like a carefully sculpted pose, each glance was electric, and even his smile seemed absolutely flawless.

The moment the two entered the Miao Medicine Tower, Feng Hao’s gaze was involuntarily drawn to the young man in white. To be honest, this was absolutely the most handsome man he had ever seen; he took handsomeness to a whole new level.

"Hm? A level thirty-one Advanced Thief?" the young man in white said, his graceful gaze landing on Feng Hao.

Feng Hao paused, clearly sensing the fluctuation of the Thief’s Mark on both of them. ’They must be experts from the Thief God Hall,’ he thought.

Shopkeeper Yang quickly came to his senses, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully. "Welcome to Rongcheng, esteemed Thieves."

"No need for such formalities, Shopkeeper. We in the Thief God Hall don’t stand on ceremony," the sturdy young man said with a hearty laugh. "Just arrange a place for us to stay."

"Please wait a moment, esteemed Thieves. I’ll have people prepare your rooms right away." Shopkeeper Yang, flustered by the honor, quickly led a group of employees upstairs to get the rooms ready.

Feng Hao sized up the pair with a strange expression. He hadn’t expected the Thief God Hall to send two of its Thieves. ’I wonder if they know my big brother, Lin Luo,’ he mused.

The young man in white seemed to notice Feng Hao’s gaze and smiled warmly. "Are you looking at us, Little Thief?"

"Er," Feng Hao said with an awkward smile. "I just didn’t expect headquarters to send two Thieves."

"Haha... Don’t be so formal, Little Thief. It’s just a name," the sturdy young man laughed as he stepped forward and clapped Feng Hao on the shoulder.

Feng Hao felt a little awkward from the pat and asked with a dry laugh, "Speaking of which, how many Thieves are there in the Thief God Hall?"

"You don’t even know that, Little Thief?" The sturdy young man looked slightly surprised, then chuckled and explained, "The Thief God Hall has always had five Thief positions, but our generation currently only has four."

Feng Hao nodded in understanding and said nothing more. The atmosphere suddenly grew awkward.

The young man in white broke the silence with a light laugh. "You’re an interesting one, Little Thief. Tell me, what’s your name?"

"Er, Feng Hao," he answered instinctively.

Hearing this, both of them froze. "Your name is Feng Hao?" they asked in surprise and disbelief.

"What, do you two know me?" Feng Hao asked, surprised.

The sturdy young man’s eyes glinted as he circled Feng Hao a few times before asking again, "So you’re the Feng Hao the boss told us about? Tsk, tsk. To earn the title of Advanced Thief at level thirty-one... you’ve definitely got some skill."

The young man in white also broke his usual calm, sizing up Feng Hao and clicking his tongue in wonder. "Not bad, not bad at all. You match the boss’s description."

Feng Hao quickly realized what was happening. It seemed his big brother, Lin Luo, had mentioned him to them.

"You two know my big brother?" Feng Hao asked tentatively.

"Of course we do!" the sturdy young man laughed heartily. "Haha, I almost forgot to introduce myself. I’m Wang Tongqian, ranked third among the Thieves. He’s Kang Shuai—and his name is no lie, he’s devastatingly handsome—ranked second among the Thieves."

The young man in white chuckled and nodded. "You’re the boss’s brother, which makes you our brother too. From now on, just call us brothers."

"Second Brother, Brother San." Feng Hao didn’t hesitate. With his connection to their big brother, Lin Luo, it wasn’t out of line to address them as such.

Kang Shuai and Wang Tongqian beamed at his words, excitedly gathering around Feng Hao. They looked him up and down, growing more and more pleased with what they saw.

"Hurry up and push to the fourth tier, little brother. The position of the Fifth Thief is all ready for you," Wang Tongqian said with a laugh.

"Er." Feng Hao was completely bewildered.

Kang Shuai smiled lightly. "Don’t listen to his nonsense. The boss thinks very highly of you, but the competition for the Fifth Thief is still fierce. When the time comes, don’t you dare disappoint your brothers."

"Alright, I’ll do my best," Feng Hao nodded, a strange feeling washing over him. To be honest, he didn’t know much about the [Thieves], but since it was something his big brother Lin Luo had set up for him, he would definitely do his best to earn it.

"As long as you’re confident, that’s all that matters." Wang Tongqian nodded in satisfaction and laughed freely. "Come on! Since it’s our first time meeting, let’s us three brothers find a place for a few drinks."

"Alright. This way, brothers, upstairs please," Feng Hao said with a laugh, shaking his head.

"There’s wine upstairs?" Wang Tongqian asked, taken aback.

Feng Hao chuckled and nodded.

"Well, that’s just perfect!" Wang Tongqian excitedly slung an arm over Feng Hao’s shoulder, and they headed upstairs, talking and laughing.

Kang Shuai gave Wang Tongqian an exasperated eye-roll and followed them with a quiet smile.

Over drinks, the three of them quickly hit it off. They talked and laughed, deep in conversation all night, not stopping until the next morning.

「The next day.」

Kang Shuai sat cross-legged to the side, gracefully dispelling the effects of the alcohol. His expression turned serious as he said, "Brother San, it’s time to get down to business."

"Haha, I got so carried away I almost forgot." Wang Tongqian smacked his forehead with a sigh and turned to Feng Hao. "Little brother, we have a mission to attend to, so we have to take our leave."

"Where are you two going?" Feng Hao asked with a frown.

Kang Shuai said seriously, "When we arrived yesterday, we received a message from the Ghost Realm. They’re apparently holding a meeting at Rongcheng Academy today. We plan to go and scout out the situation."

"Rongcheng Academy?" Feng Hao said, stunned. "But isn’t today the competition?"

"Who knows what that bunch is up to. In any case, we’ll head over and take a look," Wang Tongqian said with a sneer, clearly holding the other factions in contempt.