C16 Disappearing

Soong Jie stepped outside and turned to the guard. "Who else returned with Zhang Nan?"

After a moment's thought, the guard replied, "The head of Azure Academy, Murong Le."

"That makes sense, Father. It's highly unlikely that the Sawtooth Tiger failed to find Zhang Nan. My guess is that Murong Le is the one behind it," Soong Jie mused.

Soong Xingtian agreed with Soong Jie's reasoning. The idea of Zhang Nan single-handedly killing the Sawtooth Tiger seemed far-fetched.

"So, what's our next move? We failed to eliminate Zhang Nan, and on top of that, we've lost the Sawtooth Tiger our family was raising. The elders won't let this slide," Soong Xingtian remarked sternly.

Catching his father's gaze, Soong Jie responded with a resigned tone, "Alright, Father, just leave the matter to me when the time comes."

Soong Xingtian responded with an approving smile and a nod.

Back in his dormitory, Zhang Nan took out the Sawtooth Tiger's inner core and absorbed it into his body.

"The Sawtooth Tiger's inner core really is powerful. Without lifting a finger, I've already reached the Fifth Level of Foundation Building. I should be able to progress to Return to Origin within two months, but I wonder if the Hundred Yuan Exchange Competition will last that long," Zhang Nan whispered to himself.

Just then, his communicator buzzed. Seeing that it was the principal calling, Zhang Nan quickly answered.

"Hello, Principal. Did you need something?" Zhang Nan asked, puzzled.

"Come to my office," Murong Le said before abruptly ending the call.

Zhang Nan hurried to the principal's office and upon entering, noticed the principal studying a map.

Approaching, he realized it was a map of Azure Academy.

"Principal, what did you need to see me for?" Zhang Nan inquired.

Murong Le looked up at Zhang Nan and said, "Have you noticed that every time you leave, you're attacked? I'm starting to think someone might be deliberately targeting you. I've noticed a new stall set up at the school's entrance. I suspect it's there to keep an eye on you."

"Someone's watching me? But who would target me, Faang Tong?" Zhang Nan asked, puzzled.

"No, it's unlikely to be Faang Tong. The one who made a move against you is probably a local, not an outsider. The Sawtooth Tiger isn't a creature that belongs in the woods outside the city, so someone must have deliberately placed it there. In such a case, only a local could manage that. Faang Tong didn't have the Sawtooth Tiger with him when he entered the city," Murong Le explained with a sense of resignation.

After pondering for a moment, Zhang Nan said, "The only local power with a grudge against me would be the Soong family. Do they own a Sawtooth Tiger?"

Murong Le considered this and replied, "The Soong family wields considerable influence in Sunhaven. I doubt that acquiring a Sawtooth Tiger would be difficult for them. However, if it was indeed the Soong family, they would probably feel the sting of losing one for some time."

Zhang Nan nodded. Whether the Soong family felt the loss was of no concern to him; it wasn't his loss to mourn. What mattered to him was the possibility that if the Soong family was indeed behind this, it would be nearly impossible for him to leave the Azure Academy safely, given that Sunhaven was the Soong family's stronghold.

Noticing Zhang Nan's concern, Murong Le reassured him, "I understand what's on your mind, Zhang Nan. Don't worry. I'll handle negotiations with the Soong family for the time being. Stay within the academy. I'm aware you're eager to teach Murong Wan martial arts. Here's a suggestion: the academy has a Bionic Forest where you can train with Wanwan. It's a simulated environment, but it offers a wider variety of spirit animals."

Zhang Nan nodded in agreement, then inquired, "Dean, how far along is the Grand Tournament of the Hundred Academies? When will it be my turn?"

"After giving it some thought, Murong Le answered, "We're currently at round 135. It should be no more than two days now. Our tournament runs day and night, so the pace is quite rapid."

With a nod, Zhang Nan headed back to his dormitory.

The following morning, Murong Wan knocked on Zhang Nan's door.

Upon opening the door and seeing Murong Wan, Zhang Nan remarked, "Why the school uniform today? You're not wearing your usual stylish clothes?"

Zhang Nan said with a grin, "So what if I'm wearing a school uniform? Even in uniform, I'm still the best-looking one around."

Murong Wan let out a snort and replied, "Sure, you're the prettiest, but this time your school uniform is going to waste. We're not leaving campus; we're heading to our own Bionic Forest at the academy."

Zhang Nan chuckled, "What? The Bionic Forest? What are you thinking? That's a place only teachers can access. How do you plan to get in?"

Murong Wan responded with a hint of resignation, "It's okay. We can sneak in. And if we get caught, there's nothing to fear since your dad is the principal."

"Zhang Nan, I don't want to always rely on my father's name to get by, so please don't use his reputation for anything," Murong Wan said earnestly.

Zhang Nan nodded, then with a smile, he added, "Come on, lighten up. I was just kidding. The dean told me last night that he's arranged for you to train in combat skills in the Bionic Forest. The principal mentioned that someone's been keeping an eye on me, so I'm not allowed to leave the school."

Murong Wan gave Zhang Nan a skeptical look before asking, "Is that true?"

"Absolutely. If you don't believe me, go ask your father yourself," Zhang Nan replied with a hint of exasperation.

Murong Wan laughed and nodded in agreement.

They quickly made their way to the academy's Bionic Forest. The guards at the entrance initially wanted to stop them, but the head guard intervened, telling another guard, "The principal has given them permission to enter the Bionic Forest."

The guard acknowledged the order with a nod.

Upon entering the Bionic Forest, Zhang Nan was immediately captivated by the lifelike scenery—it was indistinguishable from a real forest.

As they meandered through the forest, a swift rabbit suddenly appeared before them and charged at Murong Wan, the more vulnerable of the two. Murong Wan quickly dodged. Despite its small size, the rabbit's strength was formidable, so much so that even Zhang Nan dared not face the full impact of its charge.

The nimble rabbit tensed up when it realized it had missed its target.

Zhang Nan moved to the side, an amused spectator to the unfolding drama.

Meanwhile, Murong Wan was ceaselessly evading the nimble rabbit's onslaught.

Suddenly, Murong Wan vanished into thin air.

Zhang Nan, who had been enjoying the spectacle, sprang into action at her disappearance, dashing to where she had been and frantically searching for her.

Just then, an alarm blared throughout the Bionic Forest.

"Everyone, evacuate the Bionic Forest immediately."