To the Ye Family!

"Uncle Jian, Rongrong has grown up, and there's no one in the next generation of the sect who can shoulder the burden. Do you think we could..."

Ning Fengzhi trailed off as he looked toward Chen Xin, hoping to hear his opinion.

"This..." Chen Xin glanced at the little girl sleeping soundly beside them, his brows knitting slightly. "Rongrong is still young. There's no need to rush the matter of a guardian. This old man can protect her for a few more years."

Chen Xin naturally understood what Ning Fengzhi meant. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had always done things this way; it was not that he did not understand. But Rongrong was still too young, and he had always felt that boy was no simple character—at such a young age, he had already made it through Slaughter City. Setting aside his talent, he likely had many hidden schemes.

"That's true. I'll go talk to him first and see what kind of person this child really is. We must be cautious about this matter."

Quiet Fragrance Courtyard

As usual, Chen Chu sat meditating at the center of the formation in the courtyard. Before him sat an exquisite gift box containing the Ten Thousand Year Soul Bone Xue Ye had promised him.

It was a right leg bone from a fifteen-thousand-year Exploding Bone Azure Wolf. It had even been absorbed by someone before and carried a berserk enhancement skill. To be honest, Chen Chu was rather disappointed.

He had not expected Xue Ye to fob him off with something like this. Not only was its age too low and the soul beast's bloodline ordinary, but it had also been used by someone else, reducing its effects even further. He truly had no interest in it.

"Forget it. I'll keep it for now. It may come in handy someday."

Something was better than nothing. His Soul Power was still at rank sixty-four, but he had a feeling that rank sixty-five was not far off. Perhaps it was time to begin making plans for certain matters.

He pulled out a document from his storage ring. It contained the students' basic information, and the name written on it was Ye Lingling.

Father: Ye Qingfeng. Martial Soul: Ironclad Eagle. Rank seventy-two Soul Sage.

Mother: Ye Tang'er. Martial Soul: Nine Heart Begonia. Rank sixty-three Soul Emperor.

It seemed that the holders of the Nine Heart Begonia in this generation were mother and daughter. He had not expected her father to be a Soul Sage.

Chen Chu had arrived at the academy near the end of the term, and only about a month remained until the semester ended. By then, he might be able to accompany Ye Lingling on a trip to the Ye Family under the pretext of a home visit.

The next morning, just after class ended, Dugu Yan dragged Ye Lingling into Chen Chu's office.

"Teacher, did you need us for something?" Dugu Yan tugged her friend's hand as she bounced into the room.

"Hm? I don't recall calling for you." Chen Chu looked up, casting a surprised glance at the little poison girl before turning his gaze to Ye Lingling behind her. "Wait over there. Lingling, I need to discuss something with you."

Hearing that, Ye Lingling gently freed her hand from Dugu Yan's and took half a step forward. Her voice was low and slightly nervous. "Teacher Chen, what did you need me for?"

Chen Chu lightly tapped the edge of his desk twice with his fingertips, his gaze resting on her as he spoke directly. "I looked through the academy's student files yesterday and learned about your parents' Martial Souls. I wanted to understand a little more."

At those words, Ye Lingling's eyes shifted slightly. Even Dugu Yan, who had been pouting at the side, fell quiet.

The matters of the Nine Heart Begonia lineage were not exactly a secret in the world of soul masters, but no one would casually bring them up in front of them. That Martial Soul was simply too special. Asking the wrong question could easily seem like probing into their secrets and arouse suspicion.

"Does Teacher want to ask about the Nine Heart Begonia?" Ye Lingling raised her head to meet Chen Chu's gaze, her tone firmer than before. "If it concerns the Martial Soul's abilities, I can tell you everything I know. But there are some things about my family that I cannot speak of casually."

"I'm not asking about your Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul." Chen Chu shook his head. "I'm simply very interested in herbal medicine. I know your family has practiced medicine for generations, so I wanted to ask whether the Ye Family still accepts apprentices."

The Ye Family had many disciples. Nearly all the famous physicians on the continent had come from the Ye Family's medical halls. They also held classes and taught students, which was one reason the Ye Family received courtesy from every major force across the continent. They had something of an academic dynasty's bearing.

"Ah? Studying medicine?" Ye Lingling froze, not expecting that this was why her teacher had called for her.

"Studying medicine is certainly possible, but my mother would have to agree first. When I go home for the break, I can ask her for you."

"There's no need to make it so troublesome." Chen Chu's tone remained calm. "The semester ends next month. I want to accompany you home under the pretext of an academy teacher's home visit. You know that the academy does not have a detailed enough understanding of its students' family circumstances, especially students like you with special Martial Souls. Learning more will help us arrange more suitable cultivation plans for you in the future."

"And while I'm there, I can pay the Ye Family a visit as well. If I want to become a student, I should at least inform your mother. It would not be proper for me not to show up in person."

At those words, Ye Lingling stood rooted to the spot. Even Dugu Yan stopped muttering. A home visit? What an interesting excuse. He clearly just wanted to learn from her family, yet he was calling it a home visit. He was using this trick on Lingling today—would she be next tomorrow?

She had guessed correctly. Chen Chu felt that the home-visit method was truly brilliant. He even planned to use it on Dugu Bo. As a teacher making a home visit, Dugu Bo could not exactly turn him away at the door, could he?

"Teacher wants to visit my home?" Ye Lingling's little face turned pale, and her heart immediately felt heavy. Who would want their teacher to visit their home and meet their parents? Yet she had no way to refuse.

Ye Lingling twisted the corner of her clothes between her hands, her voice carrying a trace of reluctance. "A home visit... I understand. I'll write home first and let my parents know. It's just that my family has many rules, so I hope Teacher will be understanding when the time comes."

"I understand the rules. I won't cause your family any trouble." Chen Chu nodded, his gaze sweeping over her slightly pale face. He added, "Don't be nervous either. It's just a formality. I'll also talk to your parents about how you've been doing at the academy. As for studying medicine, I'll speak to your mother myself. I won't make things difficult for you."

At that moment, Dugu Yan suddenly cut in from the side. "Teacher Chen, why do you want to study medicine? You're such a talented soul master. Shouldn't you be focused on cultivating your soul skills and increasing your Soul Power?"

Chen Chu looked up at her, his tone even. "Can't a soul master learn some medicine? If something goes wrong while circulating Soul Power or you are injured by soul beast venom, learning a little medical knowledge can only help. Your grandfather is the renowned Poison Douluo. You should understand that better than anyone."

Dugu Yan choked on her words, pouted, and said nothing more. Her grandfather had indeed made her study such things, saying they would benefit her, but she simply disliked those tedious subjects. Besides, her grandfather himself was only half-competent at them, yet he still had the nerve to lecture her.

Seeing that the two were no longer arguing, Ye Lingling softly said, "Then I'll give Teacher an answer in a few days. If my parents have no objections, I'll leave with Teacher at the end of the month."

"Alright." Chen Chu nodded and said nothing more, simply waving his hand. "There's nothing else. Go back. Don't be late for practical combat class this afternoon."

The two answered and withdrew. The moment they left the office, Dugu Yan grabbed Ye Lingling's arm and whispered, "Lingling, don't you think Teacher Chen is a little strange? He seems to pay special attention to you all the time. He even made you class monitor. Now he suddenly says he wants to study medicine and wants to go home with you. Do you think... do you think our Lingling is just too cute, and he's got his eye on you?"