Qian Renxue's gaze flickered. She knew that the "Level 62" Bibi Dong had mentioned referred to Xiao Wu.
"Mentor, you may have remembered wrong," Qian Renxue said calmly. "According to the latest information I received, Xiao Wu's Soul Power Level is now Level 70, a Soul Saint."
"Level 70?" A hint of surprise finally appeared in Bibi Dong's eyes. She clearly remembered that Xiao Wu's level had been listed as 62 on the freshman roster. How much time had passed since then?
"Yes, Level 70," Qian Renxue confirmed. "As for the 'collusion with outside forces' Tang San and the others mentioned in their letter, I haven't found any evidence yet. However..."
"However what?"
"Those four have indeed been spending a lot of time together lately. And Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing also seem to have grown stronger. I'll need more time to investigate the details."
Bibi Dong fell silent.
Four people in one dormitory, all breaking through one after another in such a short time?
If one of them was a genius, were all four geniuses? She didn't believe in coincidences.
"I'll leave this matter to you." Bibi Dong leaned back against the window frame, once again adopting her languid pose. "Remember, I only want the facts. Don't let anyone know I asked you to investigate."
"Understood." Qian Renxue nodded and turned to leave.
"Wait." Bibi Dong called after her.
Qian Renxue stopped and looked back at her.
"Any recent developments with Hu Liena?" Bibi Dong asked, as if it were just an idle question.
Qian Renxue's eyes narrowed slightly. Hu Liena—her old rival and Bo Saixi's direct disciple.
"She's been very quiet lately," Qian Renxue replied. "She spends most of her time cultivating and training. She hasn't been getting involved much with Student Council matters, either."
"Is that so?" A meaningful smile curled Bibi Dong's lips. "Being too quiet isn't always a good thing. All right, you may go."
"Yes." Qian Renxue left the dean's office, and the door slowly closed behind her.
The corridor was empty. The setting sun streamed in through the window at the far end, casting long shadows across the floor.
Qian Renxue stood in the light and shadow, her golden hair tinted a warm orange. She lowered her gaze to the envelope in her hand, a hint of thought flickering deep in her emerald eyes.
Investigating Xiao Wu and the others was only a minor task for her.
But Bibi Dong's final words had caught her attention.
Hu Liena... Was she really as quiet as she seemed?
Qian Renxue decided to investigate Xiao Wu and the others while also taking the opportunity to "keep an eye" on her old rival.
She first went to the academy's archives and used her authority as Student Council president to pull the detailed records of the four people in Dormitory 666.
Their Soul Power Levels upon enrollment, their recent class schedules, even their spending records—all of it was laid out clearly before her.
Xiao Wu: Level 62 upon enrollment, now Level 70.
Ning Rongrong: Level 59 upon enrollment, now Level 61.
Zhu Zhuqing: Level 62 upon enrollment, current level unknown, but the record of Dai Mubai getting beaten was there.
Bai Chenxiang: Level 61 upon enrollment. The rumor that Ma Hongjun had been scared into wetting himself had already spread through half the academy.
Qian Renxue studied the information on the light screen, her brow furrowing slightly.
This was no longer "unusual." It was "uncanny."
Xiao Wu in particular had gone from Level 62 to Level 70, crossing an entire major realm. For an ordinary person, it would take two or three years of hard cultivation to accomplish that.
Qian Renxue switched off the Soul Tool and left the archives.
Night had fallen, and the campus streetlights were gradually coming on.
She didn't return to her dormitory. Instead, she headed toward the pedestrian street west of the academy.
Her instincts told her the source of the problem might not lie within the academy.
As night deepened, the pedestrian street west of the academy grew even livelier.
Orange lanterns hung beneath the eaves, illuminating the bluestone road. The aroma of grilled meat, the commotion from taverns, and the cries of vendors blended together, filling the street with the bustle of everyday life.
Qian Renxue moved through the crowd like a ghost who didn't belong.
She had changed out of her stiff Student Council uniform and into ordinary clothes.
A light gray long-sleeved jacket and dark trousers concealed her striking figure and golden hair.
She had even used a Soul Skill to change the color of her hair and eyes. Now she looked like no more than an ordinary passerby.
She strolled slowly down the street, her emerald eyes discreetly sweeping over the crowd.
She was searching—searching for the source of those "anomalies."
Just then, a figure entered her field of vision.
Hu Liena.
Qian Renxue recognized her almost at once, even though she looked completely different from usual.
Her signature short rose-gold hair gleamed alluringly beneath the lights. The curls at the ends rested on her bare shoulders, bouncing gently with every step.
She wasn't wearing her uniform. Instead, she had changed into an extremely daring, tight-fitting crop top.
The white fabric clung to her full chest, which looked ready to spill out, while the narrow waist cinched tight, creating a breathtaking curve.
Below, she wore a light purple pleated miniskirt, so short it barely covered her hips. As her waist swayed with each step, tantalizing glimpses appeared beneath the hem.
Her long, straight legs were completely exposed, her skin glowing white beneath the lights. She wore black strappy sandals, and her delicate ankles and tiny toes were painted pale pink. Her sandals tapped crisply against the bluestone road.
She wore light makeup, the corners of her eyes tilted slightly upward, making her already captivating, peach-blossom eyes even more alluring. A layer of glossy lip color made her lips look full and tempting beneath the lights.
Qian Renxue's brow furrowed without her realizing it. Was this really the Hu Liena she knew?
The woman who sweated buckets on the training grounds and argued with her mentor until she was red in the face over the finer points of a Soul Skill?
The woman who spoke sharply at Student Council meetings and clashed with her at every turn?
This outfit didn't look like something she'd wear to train, much less to handle official business.
It looked more like... she was going on a date.
An absurd thought crossed Qian Renxue's mind.
How could Hu Liena possibly be going on a date? She knew better than anyone that, for women like them, men only slowed down the speed of their swords.
But the scene before her forced her to reconsider her judgment.
Hu Liena hadn't noticed the scrutinizing gaze in the crowd. She kept her head down and hurried through the throng, heading straight for a particular destination.
Qian Renxue followed without drawing attention.
She wanted to see just what kind of man could make Hu Liena, a heaven-favored prodigy, dress like this and rush out for a rendezvous in the middle of the night.
Hu Liena stopped in front of an unassuming shop midway down the pedestrian street.
Qian Renxue raised her head and looked at the sign.
[~Happy Claw Machine~]
Five crooked characters, with two childish smiling faces drawn beside them.
This was a... claw machine shop?
Qian Renxue's mind filled with questions.
What was Hu Liena doing in a place like this? Playing claw machines?
She watched Hu Liena push open the glass door and go inside. The lights were on, and there seemed to be someone in there.
Qian Renxue didn't follow her in right away. Instead, she stopped in the shadows across the street.
She waited patiently.
About five minutes later, the glass door opened again.
Hu Liena came out, and a man followed behind her.
Qian Renxue's gaze sharpened instantly.
The man was tall and well-proportioned, dressed in an ordinary robe. He looked somewhat down on his luck. His features were plain, the kind of face that would vanish into a crowd without a trace.
Most importantly, Qian Renxue couldn't sense the slightest trace of Soul Power from him.
He was a mortal.
A thoroughly helpless, utterly ordinary mortal.
Qian Renxue's mind completely short-circuited.
She saw Hu Liena wearing a smile she'd never seen before, one that was almost ingratiating, as she spoke with the man.
The man seemed flustered. As he walked, he nearly tripped over a raised paving stone, and Hu Liena was quick enough to catch him.
That gesture shattered Qian Renxue's last remaining illusion.
This was definitely not an act.
Hu Liena, vice president of the Spirit Academy Student Council, a Level 79 Soul Saint and the direct disciple of Vice Dean Bo Saixi, was actually being so attentive to a mortal?
What on earth was happening to the world?
Qian Renxue watched the two walk away side by side, chatting and laughing as they turned into a restaurant nearby that looked rather upscale.
She took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.
There was always something fishy about anything out of the ordinary.
That man—or rather, that claw machine shop—had to be peculiar.
Qian Renxue straightened her clothes and headed toward the restaurant as well.
Tonight, she was going to solve this mystery once and for all.