Xiao Hongchen planned to head straight back to Hongchen Mansion and practice his metal manipulation.
He'd planned to keep making Soul Tools, but some clueless, stinking rat had ruined his mood.
Still... that feeling of showing off and slapping someone in the face was pretty great.
It might have seemed clichéd from a bystander's perspective, but as the one in the middle of it, he couldn't have been more pleased.
Now he finally understood why so many protagonists liked to play the pig to eat the tiger.
If it were him... he'd put on an even bigger act.
Xiao Hongchen took a Soul Tool Motorcycle out of his storage belt.
The motorcycle had originally been a small Soul Tool Vehicle belonging to his family. During this time, he'd boldly modified it in Mingde Hall.
He'd removed the cumbersome cabin and four-wheeled chassis, then forged a lightweight titanium-alloy frame and upgraded the power core to a high-output, Level Five Soul Power engine. He'd transformed the whole vehicle into the style of a sportbike from Earth.
The body was mainly deep black, with dark gold lines stretching from the front all the way to the rear, forming a striking, streamlined shape. Its sleek frame reflected a cold gleam in the sunlight, and the Soul Power flames from the exhaust were a faint gold-red.
Riding it, Xiao Hongchen's silver-white hair streamed behind him in the wind, and he seemed to merge with the motorcycle, all sharp edges and aggressive flair.
When he roared through the mansion gates, the guards and servants all turned to look, their eyes full of amazement and shock.
Hearing the commotion, the butler, Pin Hongchen, hurried out to greet him. Seeing the wild-looking Soul Tool Motorcycle, he couldn't help but freeze for a moment, then shook his head with a wry smile.
"Young Master... your modifications are as grand as ever."
Xiao Hongchen swung off the motorcycle and patted its body, a satisfied curve lifting his lips.
"Not bad, right? It's got a lot more kick than that old, steady Soul Tool Vehicle. I'll use it whenever I go out from now on. It's fast, maneuverable, and, most importantly... it turns heads."
Pin Hongchen came over and said in a low voice, "Young Master, I have news about the girl you asked me to look into last time."
Xiao Hongchen kept walking. "Go on."
"Ye Guyi, a fourth-year student at Fire Phoenix Advanced Soul Master Academy. She only fights with Soul Tools and has never shown her Martial Soul. She's one of the academy's best students."
Xiao Hongchen's steps faltered slightly, but he kept going inside. "Got it. Give me her address. I'll figure something out myself."
Pin Hongchen acknowledged him but didn't leave. Instead, he followed him into the foyer and lowered his voice. "Young Master, there's one more thing. We've received word from the Star Luo auction house."
Xiao Hongchen glanced at him. Pin Hongchen immediately understood and said no more.
Only after the two entered the study and closed the door did Pin Hongchen continue. "The Soul-Devouring Cursed Blade. It'll be at the Starlight Auction House in one week."
Xiao Hongchen leaned back in his chair and was silent for a few seconds. "Understood. You may leave."
"Yes." Pin Hongchen bowed and withdrew.
Xiao Hongchen checked the time. It was exactly two in the afternoon. There was still plenty of time, so he might as well go meet this angel.
He rode off alone on his motorcycle, leaving Hongchen Mansion.
Fire Phoenix Advanced Soul Master Academy was in the eastern district of Ming Capital. It was surrounded by tranquil grounds, and its outer walls were mostly pale gold, with a faint air of holiness and solemnity. It was an elite academy established by the Sun Moon Empire to train female Soul Engineers. Most of its graduates joined the Fire Phoenix Soul Master Legion, one of the "Hands of the Nation."
When Xiao Hongchen arrived at the main gate of Fire Phoenix Advanced Soul Master Academy, the guards stopped him at once.
"Sorry, only women are allowed inside this academy."
Looking at the prominent sign that read "Men Keep Out," Xiao Hongchen's mouth twitched.
He had no choice but to retreat a short distance from the gate and stand by the roadside. He tried to look as if he'd just happened to be passing by, rather than as if he'd come all this way to wait for a girl.
The academy wasn't completely closed off, and students could come and go as they pleased. Young female students kept emerging in groups of two or three. The surrounding streets were crowded, and the shops seemed to be doing brisk business.
Students who went back and forth between the academy and home and nowhere else were rare. Most of the girls were dressed in youthful, fashionable outfits, enjoying their campus lives.
The female students emerging from the academy came out in groups of two or three, their gazes drawn to him as if by magnets.
A short-haired girl tugged at her friend's sleeve and lowered her voice, though he still heard her clearly. "Look over there... the silver-haired one. He's so handsome."
"He has heterochromatic eyes!"
"What's he doing outside our school? Waiting for someone?"
"Could he be waiting for his girlfriend...?"
Xiao Hongchen's ears warmed slightly.
He stared straight ahead at a tree in the distance, pretending to study the shape of its canopy.
He'd been standing there for less than two minutes, but the gazes falling on him had already made the back of his neck prickle.
In his previous life, he wouldn't have dared stand alone outside a girls' school, even if someone had killed him for it. Now he was not only standing there, but being scrutinized by a crowd of girls as if he were a rare Soul Beast.
The sheer incongruity of it all felt absurd.
"Forget it... I'll just ask. If I keep standing here, I'll look even more like an idiot."
Xiao Hongchen took a deep breath and steeled himself to approach a group of girls who'd just come out of the academy. His movements were a little stiff.
"Excuse me, do you know Ye Guyi?"
He did his best to make his voice sound natural.
The girls stared at him for a moment, then exchanged surprised looks. One of them, a girl with a shoulder-length bob, blinked curiously.
"Ye Guyi? Of course we know her. She's one of the best students in our year. What do you want with her?"
With so many people watching him, Xiao Hongchen's ears warmed slightly, but he still managed to keep his composure.
"I have something I'd like to discuss with her... Is she at the academy right now? Or do you know when she usually comes out?"
Another girl with long hair covered her mouth and giggled, looking him up and down.
"Wow, I've never seen a boy come all the way to our school just to find Ye Guyi before. Are you a friend of hers? Or... a suitor?"
Xiao Hongchen nearly choked on her words. His mouth twitched, and he was about to explain when a cool voice tinged with surprise came from nearby.
"You're looking for me?"
Xiao Hongchen whipped around and saw a golden-haired girl approaching from the direction of the academy's side gate. Her smooth golden hair shimmered with a holy glow in the sunlight, and her blue eyes were calm but wary.
Her white dress, trimmed in blue and gold, fit neatly, and her white stockings accentuated her long, straight legs, giving her an air that was both holy and fierce.
It was Ye Guyi—yes! The little angel from the manga!
She'd noticed what was going on. Her brows knit slightly as she walked over.
Xiao Hongchen forced a smile that was more or less natural and nodded to Ye Guyi.
"Ye Guyi, I have something I'd like to discuss with you in private. Would that be all right?"
Ye Guyi stopped and regarded him with a faintly amused look.
"Right now? Here?"
"Of course not here." Xiao Hongchen quickly shook his head. "Let's find somewhere quiet."
He just wanted to get out of this "hot spot" as soon as possible. He could clearly feel at least a dozen pairs of eyes watching him with interest.
"Then lead the way," Ye Guyi said calmly.
Only then did Xiao Hongchen realize that he'd just arrived and knew nothing about the surrounding area.
He could only steel himself, turn around, and lead Ye Guyi toward the bustling street beside the academy, silently praying they'd find a relatively quiet café or teahouse soon.
As they walked along the busy street, side by side, Xiao Hongchen could tell they were drawing a lot of attention—a silver-haired boy with heterochromatic eyes walking alongside a golden-haired girl with blue eyes made for a conspicuous sight.
His pace quickened without him realizing it.
"You look nervous."
Xiao Hongchen's steps faltered. He forced a calm smile.
"I'm just not used to this... that's all."
He casually pointed to a teahouse on the corner that looked fairly quiet.
"How about there? It shouldn't be too noisy."
Ye Guyi didn't object. She simply nodded and followed him.
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