Lingyu City, Dongyuan Province.
A beautiful woman stood outside the city gate.
Although she was pretty, she had an impatient expression on her face.
Beside her was a young man in brocade clothes.
He carried a folding fan, handsome in appearance. Standing with the woman, they made a striking pair.
"Jiaojiao, who are you waiting for?"
The young man couldn't conceal his curiosity.
"Who else? It's my sister's friend. She asked me to help him when he came to Lingyu City."
The woman curled her lips. She clearly didn't care much.
The young man smiled. "If she's your friend, she must be a noble. Since she's here, we should help her."
"What noble? I met her when I was training in the Five Kingdoms. We were close back then, but so many years have passed. I didn't expect her to ask me for help as soon as she wrote me."
The woman frowned. She was obviously displeased.
The young man waved his hand. "I wouldn't have said anything if she was a noble, but since she's from the Five Kingdoms, it's better to distance yourself from her. They're just a poor, country place!"
"Even so, we were good friends once. If I don't help her, it'll be too heartless."
The woman waved her hand. "I'll just arrange an inn for her."
"Jiaojiao, my uncle is the governor of Lingyu City. He holds a powerful position. I think she figured out your identity and deliberately asked her brother to come and seek shelter."
The young man's name was Cheng Yan, the young master of the Cheng's Emporium in Lingyu City. He was wealthy and influential.
The woman's name was Liu Jiaojiao, and her father was the governor of Lingyu City, General Liu Wei!
They were considered a perfect match. Cheng Yan had also been pursuing Liu Jiaojiao.
"She's just like those poor relatives who assume because their uncle is powerful, they can take advantage of him. If you give them a little favor, they'll think they're invincible. You should cut her off and not get involved."
Cheng Yan seemed to be very familiar with these people.
After all, he came from a prominent family and had seen similar situations countless times since he was young.
"Fine, I won't get too involved with her."
Liu Jiaojiao agreed, then changed the subject. "By the way, Cheng Yan, I heard you mention that a genius appeared in the Five Kingdoms. He even killed Chen Lingfeng. Is that true?"
"It's true. The prodigy is from the Lihuo Sect, the same sect Su Hongyi once governed. After they were defeated by the Dongjiange Sect, Su Hongyi led his people to the Five Kingdoms and reestablished the Lihuo Sect. I didn't expect the Lihuo Sect to produce such a genius after just ten years, even Chen Lingfeng was no match for him!"
Cheng Yan's eyes flickered with fear when he mentioned this.
Chen Lingfeng was a famous figure in the Dongyuan Province.
His combat strength was formidable, and as the youngest son of Chen He, the head of the Chen family, he was greatly favored.
The original purpose of sending him to the Five Kingdoms was to give him some experience, but they never expected that he would be killed by the Lihuo Sect's genius in a competition.
"It's unbelievable that a genius of that level would emerge from such a remote place."
Liu Jiaojiao looked envious. She knew that Chen Lingfeng was a prominent figure in the Dongyuan Province and was known as one of the Four Young Masters of the Dongyuan Province.
Unexpectedly, he had fallen in the Five Kingdoms!
"It goes to show that geniuses can emerge from anywhere, even in small places!"
Cheng Yan nodded slightly in agreement.
The two continued chatting when a young man dressed in black emerged from the distance.
The young man was handsome, and the black clothes made him look even more mysterious.
His handsome face looked radiant under the sunlight.
The young man was none other than Lin Chen!
Lin Chen saw Liu Jiaojiao and Cheng Yan from afar.
He pondered for a moment, then took the initiative to approach them. He cupped his hands and said, "Excuse me, is your name Liu Jiaojiao?"
Before he came, Lin Ning'er had told him that her good friend's name was Liu Jiaojiao.
Liu Jiaojiao was from Lingyu City. Her family was apparently quite powerful. He had to visit her this time.
"You're Lin Chen?"
Liu Jiaojiao sized Lin Chen up. "Yes, I'm Liu Jiaojiao. Ning'er told me in her letter that you would be coming to Lingyu City. I've been asked to look after you. Let's go. I'll take you to find a place to stay!"
Her attitude was lukewarm, neither overly enthusiastic nor cold.
Cheng Yan stood up with a smile. "Lin Chen, right? My name is Cheng Yan. My family owns the Cheng's Emporium. We're quite influential in Lingyu City. Since you're Jiaojiao's friend, you're naturally my friend. If you encounter any problems in the city, just ask me for help!"
These words might sound friendly, but they were actually filled with ostentation.
People fear comparison, and Cheng Yan obviously understood this well. That was why he had stood up intentionally to show off in front of Liu Jiaojiao.
He was the eldest young master of Lingyu City, while the other boy was just a country bumpkin from the Five Kingdoms.
When the two were together, they would inevitably form a stark contrast. He believed that Liu Jiaojiao was well aware of this.
"Thank you, Brother Cheng."
Lin Chen nodded and casually shook Cheng Yan's hand, his demeanor very relaxed.
How could he not detect the hint of showing off in the other party's words?
However, he did not call him out on it.
Brother Chu's token was enough to protect him from any trouble in the Dongyuan Province, so he didn't need anyone's help.
In order to not disappoint his sister, Lin Chen had made a special trip to visit Liu Jiaojiao.
Even though she was indifferent towards him, Lin Chen did not mind.
The fact was that it didn't matter.
Cheng Yan sneered inwardly when he saw that Lin Chen had taken his words seriously.
As expected, he was a country bumpkin, an ignorant country bumpkin.
Ignorant people always latched on to opportunities, afraid to let them slip by.
Anyone sensible would have known that he was just being polite.
Then, Liu Jiaojiao led Lin Chen into Lingyu City.
This city was not only large but also magnificent, with towering buildings and bustling markets.
People were coming and going.
In terms of scale and grandeur, no city in the Five Kingdoms could compare.
The Dongyuan Province was truly vast and prosperous, with every city being so magnificent!
At that moment, a tall man in battle armor approached them, with a group of guards following behind him.
After seeing Liu Jiaojiao, he stomped his feet, glanced at Lin Chen, raised an eyebrow, and said with a smile, "Jiaojiao, is this your friend's brother?"