Chapter Thirty: Utterly Baffling

“Do you know where Huo Wu’s thing is?” Zhao Yuan asked softly.

The squire was caught off guard by Zhao Yuan’s sudden question and didn’t know how to answer for a moment. He scratched his head, pondering carefully, then finally shook his head in resignation.

“How could I know about your own belongings? Go ask someone else, or think hard about it yourself,” the squire said earnestly.

But the more he thought about it, the stranger it seemed. In the end, he simply couldn’t remember, but he refused to give up and tried to recall where his own object related to Huo Wu might be. No matter how he tried, something felt off, and eventually, he grew indignant, even furious, and began searching everywhere. He knew everyone around him had one, except for himself, which made him feel isolated that day. At that moment, Zhao Yuan was already fuming, not knowing what to do.

After exhausting every possible means, Zhao Yuan finally found Huo Wu, but he was still far from satisfied. He believed that with his own level of runic mastery, he should have found the very best, not someone merely on par with him—a fellow ninth-level adept. This realization filled him with bitterness, and he began to doubt where he’d gone wrong.

But Zhao Yuan wasn’t the only one feeling this way. After learning about Zhao Yuan’s situation, Huo Wu too was at a loss. He never imagined he would become so entangled with Zhao Yuan, and now he was just as dejected. He tried to think of ways to get along, but he still didn’t truly know what kind of person Zhao Yuan was. So, Huo Wu began to gather information about Zhao Yuan, intent on discovering more.

To his surprise, Zhao Yuan turned out to be an infamous figure—everyone around here knew his name. The moment Huo Wu heard this, he was stunned. He never expected Zhao Yuan to be that kind of person, and so he began, half-consciously, to inquire about Zhao Yuan’s background.

Although he was far from satisfied with Zhao Yuan, Huo Wu still treated him with the utmost respect. He knew that if he upset Zhao Yuan, the consequences would be severe. And so, the two men spent day after day together, but without the slightest trace of affection. Being of equal standing, they found no common ground; their conversations were cold and stilted, and in their hearts, each secretly disliked the other.

The more Zhao Yuan thought about it, the more troubled he became. He sincerely wished he could ease their strained relationship, but had no idea how to begin. This left him at a loss.

On the other hand, Huo Wu made no attempt to approach Zhao Yuan, preferring instead to rely on outside sources to learn what kind of person he truly was. Eventually, realizing the unreliability of secondhand rumors, he placed all his hopes in his own family.

Searching among his relatives for stories about Zhao Yuan, he was astonished to discover that half his family already knew Zhao Yuan. This left him utterly amazed.

“That Zhao Yuan is truly a remarkable man—not someone to be trifled with. In any case, he’s quite extraordinary,” one relative said with solemn gravity.

Huo Wu frowned at these words, and Zhao Yuan’s image immediately surfaced in his mind. He could scarcely believe that the unremarkable Zhao Yuan could be the exceptional person his family described—it was simply beyond his imagination.

He tried to recall every detail about Zhao Yuan from his own memory. At last, another family member spoke, not too fast or too slow.

“Actually, you spent some time with Zhao Yuan before, but perhaps you’ve forgotten,” that person said with a grin.

This only made Huo Wu more confused. He had no recollection of any of it, and a wave of melancholy swept through him. Still, he refused to give up and continued searching his memory for traces of Zhao Yuan.

“Now that you mention it, I do recall something about Zhao Yuan back at our house,” Huo Wu said, his eyes lighting up like a child’s who had just made a discovery.

Because Huo Wu kept bringing up the matter, the whole family began to talk about Zhao Yuan. The topic became a household discussion.

Suddenly, amidst these subtle details, Huo Wu grasped a crucial point. His mind was filled with thoughts of Zhao Yuan—how could someone so mediocre be considered his equal? The more he dwelled on it, the more frustrated he became, until finally, unable to contain his temper, he stormed to the door in search of Zhao Yuan.

When Zhao Yuan regained his composure, he had no idea why Huo Wu had come barreling in, so agitated. With confusion in his heart, he stepped forward to ask, only to find that Huo Wu had come for a fight.

This left Zhao Yuan even more exasperated. Just as he was at a loss, Huo Wu, unable to control his anger, shouted at him.

“I never imagined you’d turn out to be such a person—just a useless nobody, putting on airs here,” Huo Wu spat, his rage boiling over.

Zhao Yuan stared in bewilderment, not understanding what had just happened. He looked at Huo Wu, paused, then asked, enunciating each word:

“What’s gotten into you?”

He couldn’t fathom what had caused this, and had hoped they could get along. Instead, he found himself saddled with the label of ‘good-for-nothing.’

Just as Huo Wu was about to continue, he suddenly lunged at Zhao Yuan as if possessed, intent on giving him a beating and finding satisfaction in it. Zhao Yuan swiftly restrained him, gripping his wrist tightly, his tone turning icy.

“If you have something to say, say it clearly. Don’t come here making a scene. I don’t have time to argue with you,” Zhao Yuan said coldly, his voice devoid of any emotion.