The dean's suite was luxurious and spacious.
By the floor-to-ceiling window, Bibi Dong lounged against a soft velvet sofa, clad only in a dark purple silk robe. Its sash was loosely tied, revealing expanses of snow-white, delicate skin and a deep cleavage.
Her long, dark purple hair spilled down her back like a waterfall, with a few playful strands falling beside her ears. They lent her alluring yet dignified face a hint of languid sensuality.
She held a cup of tea in one hand. The tea had long since gone cold, but she hadn't noticed. Her gaze rested outside the window, as if she could see through layer upon layer of buildings and into every corner of the academy.
Knock, knock, knock.
The three knocks came in a steady rhythm, neither too hard nor too soft.
Bibi Dong didn't turn around. She couldn't even be bothered to lift an eyelid. Just from the sound of the knock, she knew who it was. Across the entire Spirit Academy, only Flender, the director of academic affairs, dared to knock on her door like that—and come in without waiting for her response.
A rigid, timid man, but one who carried out his duties to the letter.
"Come in." Bibi Dong's voice was cool, touched with a weariness that was difficult to detect.
The door opened a crack, and Flender's trademark square face and black-rimmed glasses peeked inside.
He cautiously studied Bibi Dong's expression. Seeing no sign of anger, he finally bent forward and slipped in like a startled groundhog.
"D-Dean." Flender held an envelope in both hands, fine beads of sweat breaking out across his forehead.
"What is it?" Bibi Dong finally set down her teacup and sat up straight. The hem of her robe slid down with the movement, revealing the faint outline of her long, straight legs beneath the silk. Flender quickly lowered his head, not daring to look again.
"It's... it's about some... some problems with the students." Flender presented the envelope with both hands, his manner humble to the extreme.
Bibi Dong didn't take it. She merely raised her chin, signaling for him to continue.
Flender swallowed and wiped his forehead with his sleeve. Only then did he embellish and repeat the story Tang San and the others had come up with.
They had "colluded with outside forces," used "evil arts to increase their Soul Power," and "bullied innocent classmates." He told it all with such righteous indignation that you'd think he had witnessed it himself.
"This is a report jointly written by four students: Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun. We've also included photos of their injuries as evidence." Flender summed up, "They're worried those four female students have gone astray, so they risked retaliation to bring the situation to the academy's attention. We respectfully ask you to investigate, Dean!"
Bibi Dong listened without changing her expression, then reached out with slender fingers and took the envelope.
She didn't open it right away. Instead, she tapped its edge lightly with a fingertip, making a soft, "tok, tok."
The room was so quiet it was terrifying. Flender could even hear his own heart pounding.
Everyone at the academy knew Bibi Dong hated trouble.
Especially the sort of mess where students fought among themselves and dragged "outside forces" into it. Going by her usual style, she would probably toss the letter aside and leave Flender to deal with it himself.
But today, she seemed a little different.
"Colluding with outside forces... bullying classmates..." Bibi Dong repeated the eight characters, rolling them around in her mouth. The corner of her lips curved with amusement. "Those boys are pretty good at pinning labels on people."
At last, she opened the envelope and pulled out the letter and photographs.
The letter was long-winded and flowery, filled from beginning to end with lofty talk about acting for the sake of the academy and their fellow students.
The photos had also been taken very "professionally."
Bibi Dong looked through them one by one, and her expression grew a little strange.
She recalled the scene she had happened to glimpse on the sports field from her window that day.
That girl called Xiao Wu had kicked Tang San seven or eight meters away.
At the time, Bibi Dong had merely found it amusing and hadn't looked into it further. Now that she thought about it, the whole thing was riddled with oddities.
She pulled up the students' records on the Soul Tool on her desk and swiped lightly across the screen.
[Xiao Wu, Level 62 Soul Emperor.] [Tang San, Level 69 Soul Emperor.]
Level 62 against Level 69—and she had still sent him flying with one kick?
Bibi Dong's brows drew together slightly. This was no ordinary challenge against a stronger opponent. It was practically a challenge to common sense in the soul master world.
Besides, the report mentioned four people: Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Bai Chenxiang. The four of them were roommates in the same dorm.
All four had "colluded with outside forces"? All four had "suddenly grown much stronger"?
There was no way the whole world could be so full of coincidences.
Bibi Dong instinctively felt there was more to this than met the eye.
She had heard a thing or two about those boys, Tang San and the others. One was from the Clear Sky Sect, another from the Star Luo Empire; every one of them was trouble. They often caused problems at the academy, relying on their backgrounds. Their words were worth, at most, a third of what they said.
Still, there was something undeniably strange about this matter.
"I understand." Bibi Dong put the letter and photographs back into the envelope and tossed it onto the desk. "You may leave."
"Yes, Dean." Flender looked as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. He backed out with a bow and considerately closed the door behind him.
The room fell quiet again.
Bibi Dong leaned back against the sofa, her fingers unconsciously rubbing the smooth silk of her robe. Her instincts told her that those four girls were hiding a secret.
A secret that could let a Level 62 Soul Emperor send a Level 69 Soul Emperor flying with one kick.
A secret that could make a scheming boy like Tang San swallow his pride and run to complain.
She suddenly found herself a little interested in that secret.
Bibi Dong picked up the Soul Tool communicator on the desk and dialed a number.
The screen lit up, and a figure as cool as snow appeared on it.
"Qian Renxue." Bibi Dong's voice returned to its usual languid tone. "Come to my office."
When Qian Renxue arrived at the dean's office, Bibi Dong was standing by the floor-to-ceiling window with her back to her.
The afterglow of the setting sun streamed through the glass, stretching her shadow long. Her dark purple silk robe shimmered in the light, like a mysterious purple flame.
"Mentor." Qian Renxue bowed slightly, her voice cool and devoid of any unnecessary emotion.
Today she wore the standard Student Council uniform: a white jacket, a light blue shirt, and a gray plaid pleated skirt. White knee-high socks covered her slender, straight legs. Her dazzling golden hair fell over her shoulders, and her emerald-green eyes were like two unfathomable, icy pools.
Standing there, she was like a drawn sword: sharp, yet possessing an innate nobility.
Bibi Dong slowly turned around and leaned against the window frame, folding her arms across her chest. The movement made her already full bust look even more prominent, stretching the neckline of her silk robe open to reveal an expanse of dazzling white skin.
She looked Qian Renxue up and down, her gaze lingering for a moment on the perfectly neat uniform. The corner of her mouth twitched slightly, as though she wanted to say something, but in the end she held her tongue.
"There's something I need you to do." Bibi Dong's tone was perfectly even, giving no hint of her feelings.
"Please give your instructions, Mentor."
"Go investigate a few people." Bibi Dong pushed the envelope across the desk. "Room 666 of the girls' dormitory: Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Bai Chenxiang. Find out what they've been doing lately, who they've met, and whether their strength has changed."
Qian Renxue stepped forward, picked up the envelope, and took out the letter and photographs.
She skimmed them quickly. Not a ripple appeared in her emerald-green eyes. She seemed completely unmoved by the "miserable state" of Tang San and the others.
"I heard Tang San and the others got beaten up." Qian Renxue put the letter back into the envelope. "Xiao Wu did it."
"Oh?" Bibi Dong raised an eyebrow. "What do you think?"
"Tang San brought it on himself." Qian Renxue's answer was simple and direct. "He tugged Xiao Wu's braid at noon, and she beat him up in the afternoon. Fair enough."
Bibi Dong laughed at her answer, her chest rising and falling slightly. "You certainly see things clearly. But that's not the point."
She paused and met Qian Renxue's eyes. "How could a Level 62 beat a Level 69 into that state?"