The Two Girls Team Up! The Cackling Zi Yan

"Quick, help me!"

Little Fairy Doctor felt a panic rise in her heart. Not knowing what else to do, she cast a subtle, pleading look toward Xun'er.

"Brother Xiao Ting, you have the nerve to ask." Xun'er returned a reassuring look, then slanted a glance at him with a hint of playful reproach: "You were staring straight at Little Fairy Doctor's face like that; even I would be blushing if it were me."

Realizing that his distraction while writing his notes—which had essentially been him "zoning out" while looking at Little Fairy Doctor—had been misunderstood, he couldn't help but feel a bit awkward: "My apologies. I was thinking about something just now. It was rude of me."

"It's alright." Little Fairy Doctor breathed a secret sigh of relief, her jade-like hand hidden beneath the table giving Xun'er a thumbs-up: "With Sister Xun'er here, I trust Young Master Xiao Ting meant nothing by it."

"Even if Xun'er weren't here, I still wouldn't have meant anything by it," Xiao Ting immediately defended himself.

If he had meant something by it, he would have done it even with Xun'er present.

Daring to do something and actually doing it were two different things.

"Brother Xiao Ting, don't bother explaining." Xun'er suddenly stood up, speaking with a touch of jealousy: "You've never looked at me like that."

Xiao Ting's mouth twitched. He thought to himself that before his past-life wisdom had awakened, he had mostly viewed her as a little sister.

Now that their relationship was clear and he was successfully living off her support, he couldn't act like a lecher.

"Since Brother Xiao Ting has already spoken to your uncle, are we leaving for Qingshan Town now?" Not waiting for Xiao Ting to explain, Xun'er spoke again.

"It's already evening; traveling would be inconvenient." Seeing Xun'er take the initiative to change the subject, Xiao Ting naturally took the opportunity to step down: "Let's leave tomorrow morning. I also need to let Brother Yan and Yao Lao know."

He still needed to leave Xiao Zhan enough time to "accidentally" spread the news and lure the fish into the trap.

"Then I shall take my leave first," Little Fairy Doctor said as she stood up, her expression having returned to normal.

"Is Sister Little Fairy Doctor heading back to the inn?" Xun'er asked proactively. Seeing Little Fairy Doctor nod, she invited her: "I have several guest rooms in my courtyard. Why not stay with me tonight? It will be more convenient for our departure tomorrow."

"That wouldn't be very appropriate," Little Fairy Doctor said, looking troubled.

"There's nothing inappropriate about it." Xun'er smiled brightly: "I have many books in my collection that Sister Little Fairy Doctor is welcome to borrow."

"Staying at Xun'er's place is indeed more convenient," Xiao Ting added in agreement.

"Then I shall accept your kindness," Little Fairy Doctor nodded after a moment's hesitation.

"Let's go, then." Xun'er seemed to glare at Xiao Ting before leading Little Fairy Doctor away.

"This girl." Xiao Ting shook his head with a smile.

However, this incident served as a reminder.

He should try to write his notes when he is alone or when there is nothing else going on.

Although others couldn't see the notes and didn't know what he was doing, constantly "spacing out" wasn't a great look.

Unless, of course, he was witnessing something very important or very interesting.

"Boom!"

In the Black-Corner Region, within the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy, a large building was shaken to the point of collapse by a brute force.

"Little ancestor, what are you doing now?"

An old man with white hair and a white beard, dressed in black robes, spoke with a face full of helplessness, his eyes filled with affection.

If any students from the Inner Academy of Jia Nan Academy were present, they would surely be shocked to see this scene, for the man speaking was the First Elder of the Inner Academy, Su Qian, who was usually cold-eyed, rigid, and stern.

As a Dou Zong powerhouse, Su Qian was a rare existence in the Black-Corner Region, exuding a powerful sense of oppression. Yet, he was now being gentle and utterly at a loss before a young girl in a white dress who looked no older than twelve or thirteen.

But if they knew the girl, those students would find it perfectly natural.

After all, she was the number one on the Inner Academy's Strong Ranking, Zi Yan!

"I want to go out and play." The girl lifted her chin adorably, a cunning glint hidden deep within her lively eyes: "The Outer Academy of Jia Nan Academy is going to start recruiting soon, right? Give me a token, and I'll sneak into the recruitment team to wander around nearby."

"You..." Su Qian laughed helplessly and shook his head.

Recruitment was such a serious matter, yet she wanted to sneak into the team just to go out and play. One had to admit, this was very much like Zi Yan.

With Zi Yan's strength as a Dou Wang, she could have graduated long ago according to the rules of the Inner Academy.

However, as an orphan who didn't know her own origins and had nowhere to go, she had remained.

"Do you really want to go?" Su Qian confirmed with a serious tone.

"Old Man Su, are you annoying or what?" Zi Yan seemed to appear on the table in an instant, sitting with one leg crossed over the other, arms folded across her chest, turning her head away with a haughty air: "I said I want to go, so of course I'm going."

"Fine." Su Qian hesitated for a moment before not refusing: "With your strength, going out is perfectly fine. I only have one requirement: listen to the team leader."

Zi Yan was powerful, but her temperament was unstable, and she was prone to causing trouble.

"Got it, got it, hmph~" Zi Yan reached out her hand.

Su Qian didn't give her a token; instead, he sent a message to the Vice Dean of the Outer Academy, the person actually in charge of the Outer Academy, Hu Gan.

Not long after, Hu Gan, who happened to be at the Inner Academy to report on some matters, hurried over: "First Elder, you summoned me?"

"Zi Yan wants to follow the recruitment team out for a stroll. Take her to the Outer Academy and make arrangements." Su Qian returned to his stern expression: "Find a team with a steady and reliable lead instructor."

Hu Gan was no stranger to this top genius of the Inner Academy whom the First Elder had picked up; his own granddaughter, known as the "Little Demoness," didn't even compare to her.

"Yes, First Elder." Hu Gan pondered for a moment and said: "The Outer Academy instructor Ruo Lin has a gentle personality and is both principled and flexible. It would be perfect for Zi Yan to be under her."

"I don't want to." Zi Yan immediately objected; she wasn't actually going out to play: "I heard that the Northwest Continent is above the Black-Corner Region, and some areas share a direct border with it. I want to go play there, places like the Jia Ma Empire, the Chu Yun Empire, the Mu Lan Empire..."

A flash of surprise crossed Su Qian's eyes; it was obvious that Zi Yan had come prepared.

Could it be that she had recalled some childhood memories and wanted to go verify them?

Su Qian did not ask further, instead nodding toward Hu Gan.

"Hehe, little girl, then following the team led by Ruo Lin is exactly right for you." Hu Gan stroked his beard and laughed: "She is one of the instructors leading teams in the southwest region of the Northwest Continent, and the recruitment route she was assigned includes those empires you mentioned."

"Alright then, she's the one." Zi Yan nodded immediately.

With the matter settled, Su Qian spoke up: "Hu Gan still needs to hold a meeting in the Inner Academy. You wait here for a while, and when the time comes, I'll have her take you to the Outer Academy."

"Got it, go on, go on." Zi Yan flashed over to a nearby bench and lay down, raising her hand to take a fruit from her Storage Ring and stuffing it into her mouth.

"Hiss." Hu Gan's pupils constricted.

If he hadn't seen wrong, the fruit Zi Yan was eating was a Tier 5 Spirit Fruit, something needed for refining certain Tier 6 medicinal pills; eating it directly was simply too wasteful.

But seeing Su Qian's unfazed expression, he chose to pretend he hadn't seen anything.

"Ptoo! Ptoo!"

Spitting out a few fruit pits, Zi Yan stretched, her eyes staring expectantly at the Notebook Copy.

"Jie jie jie." Zi Yan let out the signature eerie laugh of the Soul Hall: "Xiao Ting, is it?"

"You seem to know me quite well; I'm coming to find you to play."