"Brother Lu Ming... forgive my presumptuousness."
Xue Qinghe carefully chose his words before asking, "Why are the students of your academy, and even Miss Gongsun Li, whose strength is so terrifying, so... respectful toward you? One could even say they are overly enthusiastic."
This was far too unreasonable.
In the world of soul masters, strength reigned supreme.
Gongsun Li was a Six-Ring Soul Emperor, and one whose combat power was off the charts. Even against a Soul Sage or perhaps even a Soul Douluo, she might not necessarily be at a disadvantage.
Yet Lu Ming before him, though he possessed a distinctive air, had no obvious Soul Power fluctuations. He looked like nothing more than a noble young master with a bit of background.
Why would those proud geniuses treat him this way?
Lu Ming lifted the teacup from the table and took a light sip. Upon hearing this, he set it down and turned toward Xue Qinghe, an amused smile playing on his lips.
"Well..."
His long fingers lightly tapped against the stone table, his tone calm and casual.
"Maybe it's because I'm handsome."
"..."
Xue Qinghe was stunned.
She had imagined countless possible answers.
Perhaps Lu Ming was the heir of some great clan. Perhaps he had done these people a favor. Or perhaps he had concealed his strength.
But she had never imagined this answer.
Handsome?
Xue Qinghe could not help studying the young man before her closely.
She had to admit that Lu Ming was indeed blessed with exceptional looks.
Sword-like brows, starry eyes, a high nose bridge, and sharply defined features as though carved by blade and chisel. His skin was fair without appearing delicate.
His eyes in particular were as deep as an abyss. They occasionally revealed a trace of laziness, yet also carried an unhurried, self-assured confidence.
Combined with that otherworldly temperament, he truly deserved to be called one of the rarest handsome men in the world.
Even Qian Renxue, who had seen her share of handsome men, had to secretly praise him in her heart.
But...
"Just because he's handsome?"
A sense of absurdity welled up in Xue Qinghe's heart.
Could a place overflowing with experts like Jixia Academy really be this shallow?
Could those terrifyingly powerful female students all be lovestruck fools who only cared about faces?
I don't believe it.
Xue Qinghe secretly shook her head.
In Qian Renxue's eyes, appearance was certainly important, but strength and power were eternal truths.
She only admired the strong and only submitted to greater power.
If good looks alone could make these people bow their heads, then Jixia Academy's standards were far too low.
Still, there was ultimately no way to verify her guess.
Could this Lu Ming truly be nothing more than a "well-connected beneficiary" getting by in the academy through a little good looks and a few connections?
Having come to this conclusion, a faint trace of contempt flashed through Xue Qinghe's eyes, though she maintained a gentle smile on the surface.
She picked up the teapot and proactively refilled Lu Ming's cup, her movements elegant and proper.
"Brother Lu Ming, you jest. I am sure you possess extraordinary qualities."
Xue Qinghe probed, "Since Brother Lu Ming has such extensive connections within the academy, might you know the Dean of Jixia Academy?"
This was the true purpose of her visit.
To find that mysterious Dean and form an alliance with him.
Lu Ming watched the tea ripple in his cup, then gently shook his head, an appropriately reverent expression appearing on his face.
"The Dean? His Highness the Crown Prince thinks too highly of me."
He sighed, his voice full of admiration. "What sort of heaven-reaching figure is the Dean? He is like a divine dragon whose head is seen but never his tail.
"I am merely a small fry with a few connections. How could I possibly know such a great figure?"
Hearing this answer, obvious disappointment flashed through Xue Qinghe's eyes.
As expected.
This Lu Ming was merely an outsider. He had no access to the core ranks at all.
It seemed that if she wanted to meet the Dean, she would have to think of another way.
Since the lead had gone cold, Xue Qinghe did not intend to linger any longer.
She took an exquisite purse embroidered with gold thread from her robes, gently placed it on the stone table, and pushed it before Lu Ming.
"No matter what, thank you for showing me around today, Brother Lu Ming. It has truly broadened my horizons."
"This small token is simply payment for Brother Lu Ming's tea. Please accept it."
As the Crown Prince, he naturally spent generously. The purse contained at least several hundred Gold Soul Coins.
Lu Ming did not decline. He reached out and took the purse.
The instant the purse landed in his hand, his nose twitched and his brows rose slightly.
"Hmm?"
Lu Ming brought the purse closer and sniffed it, a puzzled look appearing on his face.
"Strange. Why does this purse carry such a peculiar... feminine scent?"
"And it is a rather high-grade rouge fragrance. There is even a hint of... natural body scent?"
The moment he said that, Xue Qinghe's composed expression froze.
An uncontrollable flush spread across her cheeks, the panic and embarrassment of someone whose secret had been exposed.
This purse was one of her personal belongings and was usually kept close against her chest, so it had naturally absorbed her scent.
To disguise herself as Xue Qinghe, Qian Renxue rarely used fragrances, but this faint feminine scent was impossible to completely conceal.
"Brother... Brother Lu Ming, you must be joking."
Xue Qinghe somewhat frantically raised her teacup to hide her lapse in composure, her voice tightening slightly.
"How could a man like me have a woman's scent on me? Perhaps Brother Lu Ming picked up the scent from those two young ladies earlier and mistook it."
Lu Ming watched her look like a guilty thief and secretly laughed.
Naturally, he knew it belonged to Qian Renxue, but he did not expose her.
The current Qian Renxue was like a startled little rabbit. If he pressed her too hard, it would become less fun instead.
"Oh, that makes sense."
Lu Ming casually put away the purse, looking as though he had suddenly understood. "Perhaps A Li really did get too close earlier."
Seeing that Lu Ming did not pursue the matter, Xue Qinghe finally let out a long breath, feeling a layer of cold sweat on her back.
Why was this man's nose so sensitive?
To avoid any further complications, Xue Qinghe immediately rose to her feet and cupped her hands in farewell.
"I have troubled you for long enough today. There are still official affairs in the palace that require my attention, so I shall take my leave."
A hint of regret appeared on her face as she sighed. "I had hoped to take this opportunity to meet your academy's Dean and discuss sparring exchanges between Heaven Dou Royal Academy and Jixia Academy, to strengthen the bond between our academies and perhaps even form an alliance."
"Unfortunately, we were not fated to meet today. What a pity."
With that, she offered another salute and turned to leave.
Though she had failed to meet the Dean this time, she had at least confirmed Jixia Academy's strength. The trip had not been wasted.
Just as Xue Qinghe took a step forward, Lu Ming's unhurried voice sounded from behind her.
"Actually... it's not as though there's no way."
Xue Qinghe's steps abruptly halted.
She spun around, delight bursting from her eyes as she urgently asked,
"Could it be that Brother Lu Ming has a way for me to meet the Dean?"
If she could meet the Dean directly, all her plans could be put into action ahead of schedule!
Lu Ming looked at the anticipation in her eyes, a mischievous smile curling across his lips as he dragged out his words.
"Of course... not!"
Before you continue