The three exchanged glances. Meng Shenji, one of the academy's instructors, narrowed his eyes, raised a hand to stroke his goatee, and slowly spoke.
"Nine Heart Begonia? Senior Ye?"
As a Soul Douluo and the strongest Healing-type Spirit Master on the continent, Ye Renxin was certainly worthy of being addressed as senior.
As he spoke, Meng Shenji released a faint wisp of spiritual power, sweeping over Naruto like a breeze.
Once his suspicions were confirmed, the hand stroking his beard froze in midair. "Child, I sensed earlier that your aura was unstable. Do you have an internal injury?"
Curious gazes turned toward him.
As for Xue Qinghe, she showed no surprise. She had learned the situation during their earlier chat in the carriage.
She had even used concern as an excuse to vigorously ruffle Naruto's hair. Truly, she had sinister intentions!
Naruto nodded firmly, then scratched his head and gave an awkward chuckle. "I was injured some time ago. I sought out quite a few Healing-type Spirit Masters, but none of them could do much. I heard Senior Ye had some ties to Heaven Dou Royal Academy, so I hoped to use this chance to get in touch."
Hearing this, the instructors couldn't help laughing.
"You certainly are straightforward..."
The one who spoke was the round-faced Bai Baoshan. After a few hearty laughs, he clasped his hands behind his back.
"That's true. We do have some ties to Senior Ye."
"Senior Ye has a healer's heart. She travels far and wide, treating the sick and saving lives, so she's not easy to find. Hardly anyone on the whole continent even knows of the Nine Heart Begonia. Trying to track her down is like fishing a needle from the sea."
At his words, Zhi Lin and Meng Shenji frowned slightly and shot Bai Baoshan a strange sidelong glance.
It seemed... they were blaming him?
Naruto couldn't guess what they meant, and didn't dare look for long. He quickly lowered his gaze.
Bai Baoshan continued, his words barely concealing his smugness. He couldn't help shaking his head with self-satisfaction. "But you're in luck. A descendant of Senior Ye is coming to study at Tiandou Academy, and she'll be staying near the academy for the next few years."
With that, Bai Baoshan pointed toward the teacher waiting outside the hall.
"Put the consultation fee on Heaven Dou Royal Academy's tab. Qin Ming, take this young man to meet the student."
"Thank you!"
Seeing the unfamiliar teacher come over, Naruto offered a sincere thanks, though he couldn't help feeling puzzled inside.
He remembered that in the original story, Tang San, who also possessed Innate Full Soul Power, had been given a hard time by the three instructors under the pretext of testing him. Yet from his own experience, Heaven Dou Royal Academy had treated him almost too well. Was the Tiandou Crown Prince's influence really that powerful?
The truth was that Naruto had a poor memory, and his long experience around all sorts of geniuses had given him the wrong impression.
After all, in the entire continent-wide advanced Soul Master academy tournament, Feng Xiaotian was the only person besides the protagonists' group with Innate Full Soul Power.
Even across the whole continent, not even Jin E, a Level 98 Super Douluo, had possessed Innate Full Soul Power.
That showed just how rare and valuable Innate Full Soul Power was.
As for Shrek Academy being given a hard time, that was purely because they were demanding too much.
Never mind how bizarre it was for Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, both members of the Star Luo Imperial Family, to join Heaven Dou Royal Academy. Accepting the Seven Shrek Monsters meant accepting every teacher and student from Shrek Academy as well, and the Seven Monsters would still have to be taught by Shrek Academy's teachers.
It was plain as day that such an unreasonable demand was trying to borrow the academy's resources to hatch their own eggs. How could the instructors fail to see that?
Even so, they had agreed to everything, merely planning to give the little monsters a show of force under the guise of a test.
They hadn't expected that the future Emperor Xue Beng would suddenly barge in and ruin the whole affair.
Naruto, who had long since forgotten the details of the original story, simply assumed Xue Qinghe's influence was incredible.
The young teacher named Qin Ming smiled at the two, then gestured for Naruto to follow and led the way.
Naruto cupped his hands toward the three instructors in farewell and turned to follow. Then he saw that Xue Qinghe hadn't come with them and was still standing where she had been. He couldn't help looking back.
The three instructors were just as puzzled.
"Your Highness, will you be joining us?"
"This junior will sit this one out. My teacher is Sect Master Ning, after all. If I went, I might only make things awkward." Xue Qinghe shook her head and explained with a helpless smile.
Only then did the three instructors understand. Several years ago, Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had already taken Ning Fengzhi as her teacher. Even if their relationship had been a convenient arrangement colored by political considerations, teacher and student they still were.
The three had no intention of explaining further. They waved away the bewildered Naruto and the guide, Qin Ming.
A moment later, the entire hall fell silent.
The three instructors slowly wiped the smiles from their faces. Then they spoke solemnly. "Your Highness, regarding Senior Ye, did you hear about her from Prince Xue Xing?"
The question seemed to come out of nowhere.
But it actually touched on the strange power structure of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family. Crown Prince Xue Qinghe had a hand in politics and appointments, while military authority had somehow fallen into the hands of Prince Xue Xing.
In the entire Heaven Dou Empire, the number of Soul Douluo truly affiliated with the imperial family could be counted on two hands.
These three instructors, who guarded Heaven Dou City, were among Prince Xue Xing's subordinates. The entire Heaven Dou Royal Academy was also under his authority.
"That wasn't it..."
Xue Qinghe shook her head frankly.
During their earlier conversation in the carriage, Naruto had casually mentioned that he wanted to go to Tiandou Academy to find the Begonia Ye Clan. Xue Qinghe had taken a sip of tea and agreed without thinking, only to suddenly realize afterward—
Where was the Begonia Ye Clan?
Xue Qinghe didn't know. The one who knew was Qian Renxue!
When she glanced up and saw that Naruto hadn't noticed a thing, Qian Renxue immediately suppressed the urge to question him, the corner of her mouth lifting almost imperceptibly.
This was getting more and more interesting. Even the Tiandou Crown Prince didn't know about it, yet this Little Ming did!
Qian Renxue couldn't help growing more curious about what Snake Lance, whom she had sent to investigate Naruto's background, would report back.
Xue Qinghe suddenly moved.
Under the puzzled gazes of the instructors, she walked to the edge of the hall, beside an ornate floor-to-ceiling window that overlooked the whole of Tiandou Academy.
That view naturally included Naruto, who had already shrunk into a tiny figure at the foot of the building.
A sly gleam of amusement flashed in her eyes.
While she thought it over, she felt the confused gazes of the others on her back. Xue Qinghe was only bluffing.
"As my reputation has grown, I've learned more and more things. Most of them are baseless rumors with no context. I never expected Senior Ye to actually come to Tiandou Academy."
At those words, the three instructors exchanged a long glance and sighed helplessly, assuming the Crown Prince and Prince Xue Xing had clashed over something again.
As imperial retainers, the three had little stake in it. Whoever came out on top wouldn't go after them, so they shrugged and let the matter drop.
Returning to the subject of the Ye family, the three instructors also stepped up to look out the window and made a request. "Your Highness, the Ye family has had a hard time. We hope you won't tell anyone."
"This junior understands. I won't say a word. But the feud between our two families has gone on for a long time, and it's truly difficult to resolve."
Xue Qinghe looked troubled. The three understood. "There's nothing to be done. The Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul is flawed by nature. How could it compare to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"
It was ridiculous, really.
The two strongest Support-type Martial Souls on the continent each had their own flaw. Only two Nine Heart Begonia Martial Souls could exist at once, while the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda could only reach the level of a Spirit Saint.
The misfortune was that the Nine Heart Begonia hadn't produced a Titled Douluo in the last five or six generations. The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had already crushed it into obscurity.
"Poor thing..."
"Yes... Lingling really is a poor child..."
Thinking of that pitiful girl, Meng Shenji shook his head with a sigh.
"Her name is Lingling?"
Xue Qinghe frowned and whipped around. "Isn't the Ye family a single-line lineage?"
Meng Shenji spread his hands, speaking casually. "Yes. We didn't expect this generation's Nine Heart Begonia to be a girl, either."
The others failed to notice the complicated emotions flickering through Xue Qinghe's eyes. They continued praising Ye Lingling, while Xue Qinghe stood with her hands behind her back. After a long silence, she suddenly spoke.
"If there's nothing else, this junior will take her leave."
With that, Xue Qinghe bid them farewell and hurried away, leaving the instructors bewildered.
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