Xue Qinghe and Qian Renxue?

"Thank you, Brother Xue."

Lin Feng's eyes lit up. Without a hint of hesitation, he accepted the gift and probed his storage Soul Tool. Inside lay neatly stacked Gold Soul Coins—at least one hundred thousand of them. His eyes immediately curved into crescents with a smile.

"No wonder I felt a special kinship the moment I saw Brother Xue. As expected, Brother Xue is just like my teacher—a truly wonderful person."

Watching his lightning-fast change in demeanor at the sight of money, Flender and Xue Qinghe couldn't help but twitch their lips, shaking their heads in resignation.

After parting ways with Xue Qinghe, Flender adjusted the crystal glasses on the bridge of his nose, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes.

"Xiao Linzi, that young man's identity is far from ordinary. The carriage was engraved with a swan emblem, which is exclusive to the Heaven Dou imperial family. This person definitely has deep ties to the royal house."

"It seems he has a good relationship with your teacher, too. You might actually be able to use his status to get into Heaven Dou Royal Academy."

Lin Feng glanced at the bustling street vendors, tossing a light, airy remark over his shoulder without even turning his head.

"Hmm, actually, I never worried about getting in from the start, nor did I ever count on you to get me in."

This remark choked Flender, his face darkening instantly. He huffed and turned his head away, unwilling to engage with the sharp-tongued brat any further.

Half an hour later, Following the address left by Qian Renxue, the two passed through the clamorous, crowded downtown area and arrived at the quiet, secluded West City.

Lin Feng looked up at the minimalist yet undeniably luxurious villa before him, his eyes widening. He muttered to himself:

"If this house were sold, it would probably fetch hundreds of thousands of Gold Soul Coins."

Once they entered the main gate, he realized he had still underestimated his cheap teacher's extravagance. The space inside was immense, complete with a garden and a pond, and in the depths of the grounds lay a spacious martial arts arena paved with bluestone.

At this moment, two maids in matching dresses hurried forward and bowed in greeting.

"This servant greets the two lords. The Young Master has not yet returned to the manor; you may proceed to the main hall to have tea and wait."

Flender waved a hand and stretched, his bones popping audibly.

"I'll pass. I've been flying for days and my bones feel like they're falling apart. Just take me to a guest room."

"My lord, please, this way."

A maid immediately bowed and led the way.

Lin Feng ignored him. He looked up at the setting sun, not forgetting that today was Qian Renxue's birthday, and urged the other maid anxiously.

"Quick, quick, where is the kitchen? Take me there."

"My lord, please, this way."

The maid quickly acknowledged him and hurried to lead him toward the side courtyard.

Having just shed her prince's disguise and changed back into a simple white dress, Qian Renxue stood by a second-floor window, her gaze lowered as she watched the bustling figure in the courtyard.

A touch of tenderness slowly welled up in her usually calm, ripple-free phoenix eyes. The corners of her lips curled upward slightly as she whispered:

"Xiao Linzi..."

Having finished the final dish, Lin Feng stepped into the main hall to find Qian Renxue, dressed in her simple white gown, sitting at the head of the dining table.

Lin Feng stared at that breathtakingly beautiful face, stunned for a moment. He felt that Qian Renxue was exceptionally different today; her usual cold, distant air had faded, and she seemed to have become much gentler.

But how could his cold teacher become gentle? It must be his imagination...

He hurried over and laughed:

"My dear teacher, long time no see. You didn't expect me to suddenly appear here, did you? Is it a surprise?"

"Teacher, happy birthday!"

Although he had seen her in the guise of Xue Qinghe on the street a few days ago, the person before him now—having shed all defenses to return to being Qian Renxue—was the teacher he truly knew.

Qian Renxue looked at his sparkling eyes, warmth surging in her heart. She nodded gently, blooming into a stunning smile.

"Thank you, my good student."

"So beautiful!"

Lin Feng was dazed for a moment. Coming back to his senses, he hurriedly scratched his head and laughed.

"Teacher, you look so good when you smile. You should smile more often. As the saying goes, a smile keeps you young!"

Qian Renxue arched an eyebrow slightly and said in a soft, ethereal voice:

"Oh? Xiao Linzi, are you implying that I am old?"

"No, no, absolutely not!"

Lin Feng reacted instantly, waving his hands to brush it off.

"Teacher is forever eighteen, forever young and beautiful."

While the two chatted, the maids had already brought all the dishes to the table. The steam, carrying a fresh, savory aroma, instantly filled the entire hall.

Lin Feng quickly picked up his chopsticks, placed the most tender piece of fish into her bowl, and looked at her with anticipation.

"Teacher, hurry and taste it. See if my cooking has improved."

Qian Renxue lowered her head and took a bite of the fish. The soft, delicious flavor melted in her mouth. Her phoenix eyes brightened slightly, and she nodded.

"Hmm, your culinary skills have improved significantly. Very good."

The meal was consumed in a warm and cozy atmosphere.

Once the dishes were cleared and the maid served clear tea, Qian Renxue finally remembered the main matter at hand and spoke up:

"Xiao Linzi, you should have met Qinghe already. I am mostly occupied during the day, so if you have any urgent matters, you can go directly to the imperial palace to find Qinghe."

Upon hearing this, Lin Feng's eyes lit up. Taking the opportunity to slide down the slope, he stated the core purpose of his visit to Heaven Dou City.

"Teacher, I actually do have a favor to ask of you. I've heard that the Heaven Dou Royal Academy is one of the top Soul Master Academies on the continent and that its library contains a wealth of historical records on martial souls. I would like to go in and take a look to see if I can find any information related to my own martial soul."

Qian Renxue did not hesitate in the slightest upon hearing this and nodded directly.

"Learning more is always a good thing. This is simple; I will have Qinghe take you in tomorrow."

In Heaven Dou City, right under her nose, she finally wouldn't have to worry about this fellow running around and causing trouble, and she could keep him safely under her protection.

More importantly, with this matter tethering him, he wouldn't be in such a rush to return to Suotuo City after only two days, allowing him to stay by her side for a longer period.

Thinking that for a long time to come, she would be able to see this little fellow every day—the one who always brought warmth to her cold life—the corners of her lips couldn't help but lift slightly. Her heart felt soft, and she whispered silently to herself.

"How wonderful."

Seeing Lin Feng sitting there with a hesitant expression, as if he had something to say but was holding back, Qian Renxue set down her teacup, swept a glance at him with her clear, cold phoenix eyes, and spoke indifferently.

"If you have something to say, just say it."

Hearing this, Lin Feng sheepishly scratched the back of his head, leaned in closer, and lowered his voice a few notches.

"Teacher... um, could you perhaps invest one or two million Gold Soul Coins in me first?"

The air in the grand hall froze instantly.

The teacup Qian Renxue had just brought to her lips paused, and her hand gripping the handle trembled almost imperceptibly. She raised her eyes to look at Lin Feng, her usually calm and ripple-free phoenix eyes widening slightly.

"How... how much? One or two million?"

It wasn't that she lacked the family assets, but a full ten million Gold Soul Coins—even for her—was difficult to produce in a short amount of time.

The few million in pocket money she had saved over the years had long since been poured into the maw of this Gold-Swallowing Beast, Lin Feng, and she had very little large-scale liquid capital left in her hands.

Moreover, with Martial Soul Hall nominally in the hands of Bibi Dong, she could not bypass that woman if she wanted to mobilize such a massive sum of money.

Lin Feng also noticed her predicament and said sheepishly:

"Teacher, if it's really inconvenient... a few million will do as well."

Qian Renxue didn't say much more; she took out a storage Soul Tool and handed it directly to him, saying coldly:

"It's not that I can't produce it, it's just that the amount is too vast and will require some time. There is over 1.2 million in here; take this and use it for now."

She couldn't help but frown and ask curiously:

"Xiao Linzi, I would like to ask, exactly what kind of Godly Gear or buff requires a full ten million Gold Soul Coins to unlock?"

This was ten million Gold Soul Coins—enough to buy one or two high-quality Ten Thousand Year Soul Bones.