Seeing the conversation gradually turn toward her, Ye Lingling furrowed her delicate brows. After a brief moment of thought, she replied in a淡 tone:
"The auction goes to the highest bidder. I have no other thoughts, and I shouldn't impose on you any further."
Ye Lingling wasn't being entirely honest. Though she was extremely reluctant to give up the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng, she also didn't want to cause the others unnecessary trouble.
This seemed to be exactly what the middle-aged man had expected. He reached up and removed his mask, revealing a gentle, handsome face. Smiling faintly at them, he said:
"I was rather presumptuous earlier. I am Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. May I ask what I should call you, young friends?"
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?
Mo Li immediately came to his senses. No wonder this scene had seemed so familiar. Ye Lingling and the others were also astonished.
Mo Li was the first to reply. "So it's Sect Master Ning. I've long admired your reputation. My name is Mo Li, and these are my companions."
Out of courtesy, Mo Li also removed his mask. After all, in front of a Soul Saint, a mask wasn't nearly as useful as one might imagine.
Ning Fengzhi's gaze fell on Mo Li. His eyes narrowed for an instant before he discreetly returned to normal. Then he looked toward Dugu Yan behind the others and said:
"This must be the granddaughter of Jade Phosphor Douluo. How has he been lately?"
Facing the sect master of one of the Upper Three Sects, Dugu Yan became noticeably more formal. "My grandfather comes and goes like a shadow. I rarely get to see him myself."
Ning Fengzhi nodded and smiled. "Now that you know who I am, can you put your minds at ease?"
He had first noticed the group at the auction because he was somewhat interested in Ye Lingling, who had been bidding.
Later, when he met Mo Li and the others, he naturally recognized Dugu Yan. That was why he had invited them over.
Dugu Yan looked at Mo Li. He understood and smiled. "Since Sect Master Ning is so welcoming, it would be rude of us to refuse."
"Wait." A sharp, clear voice came from behind them.
At the familiar sound, Mo Li's eyes lit up. He turned around and saw Liu Erlong approaching in a black dress, her face slightly darkened.
Mo Li was delighted, but also a little surprised.
"Sister Erlong, what are you doing here?"
"Dean!" Jiang Zhu exclaimed, equally delighted.
Liu Erlong gave them both a look, then turned to Ning Fengzhi. "May I ask what Sect Master Ning wants with my students?"
"Oh?" Ning Fengzhi looked at Liu Erlong.
Mo Li smiled as he introduced her. "This is our beloved dean."
"Liu Erlong of Blue Tyrant Advanced Soul Master Academy," Liu Erlong said, glaring at Mo Li before getting straight to the point.
"So you're Dean Liu. I happened to take a liking to these students of yours at the auction and sincerely wished to make their acquaintance."
At that, Liu Erlong glanced at Mo Li. He gave her a reassuring look.
Liu Erlong furrowed her delicate brows, but said nothing more.
Mo Li smiled at Ning Fengzhi and asked, "Then can we come along too?"
Ning Fengzhi's gaze moved between Mo Li and Liu Erlong. Liu Erlong wore a cool, indifferent expression, yet didn't object. He couldn't help but grow curious about their relationship.
But he showed nothing of it, merely saying warmly, "Of course. Dean Liu, please."
"I won't be joining you. Since Sect Master Ning is interested in these children, you should talk." Liu Erlong shook her head.
"Get back to the academy early," she told Mo Li and Jiang Zhu. She also nodded to Ye Lingling, whom she knew, then glanced at the others once more before turning and leaving.
Mo Li was surprised by Liu Erlong's baffling behavior, but he knew what she was like and didn't try to stop her.
Ning Fengzhi, however, watched Liu Erlong's retreating figure, lost in thought.
The group then followed Ning Fengzhi to a private room.
"This may be a little presumptuous, but I'd still like to ask: are all of you students at Blue Tyrant Academy?" Ning Fengzhi asked after they had taken their seats.
"Lingling and I attend Heaven Dou Royal Academy," Dugu Yan corrected him.
"We're friends," Mo Li added.
Ning Fengzhi nodded. That explained why, when Liu Erlong had appeared just now, only Mo Li and Jiang Zhu had seemed surprised, while Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan had barely reacted.
His gaze swept across everyone in the room before settling on Mo Li. Smiling, he said, "You young friends are truly gifted. To have reached such a Soul Power Level at your age is remarkable."
At first, he had been somewhat interested in Ye Lingling, one of the four. Now, however, he was far more intrigued by the child in front of him, Mo Li, who was only eight or nine years old.
A thought stirred in Mo Li's mind. He knew Ning Fengzhi had a skill that could detect Soul Power Levels, so he pretended to be confused.
"Sect Master Ning can tell our Soul Power Levels?"
"I happen to have a Soul Skill that can detect Soul Power. I hope you won't take offense."
Ning Fengzhi smiled faintly.
"That's all thanks to our dean's teaching," Mo Li replied with a smile.
"To have nurtured such outstanding students, Dean Liu must be an excellent teacher," Ning Fengzhi said, nodding in agreement.
"May I ask what you and Miss Jiang Zhu plan to do after graduation, young friend Mo Li?"
Instead of asking Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling, Ning Fengzhi had asked Mo Li and Jiang Zhu about their plans after graduation—and his gaze had remained fixed on Mo Li the whole time.
Ye Lingling and Dugu Yan exchanged odd looks. In their eyes, Ning Fengzhi's behavior showed a distinct lack of manners. The dean had only just left, and already he was trying to poach her students.
Though students were free to choose their own paths after graduation, they were still a long way from graduating. Wasn't he getting ahead of himself?
As Ning Fengzhi asked, his gaze remained fixed on Mo Li.
Mo Li could naturally hear the recruitment in his words and met his gaze without dodging.
"Thank you for your concern, Sect Master Ning."
Mo Li paused, then shook his head with a smile. "I've only just entered the academy. It's far too early to think about what I'll do after graduation. Besides, I think our academy is great. I have no other plans."
Seeing Mo Li politely turn him down, Jiang Zhu followed his example and gave the standard answer.
"All right."
Ning Fengzhi couldn't help feeling it was a pity. A Soul Grandmaster who wasn't even ten years old was simply too rare.
But he also knew that Blue Tyrant Academy was backed by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan, another of the Upper Three Sects.
The child might well have already caught the clan's attention. Even if Ning Fengzhi was only testing the waters, he couldn't push too far.
As his thoughts turned, a maid brought over the items he had bought at the auction.
Ning Fengzhi took out a red card and paid the bill with such casual ease that he looked as if he'd just bought a trinket.
Mo Li silently sighed. "It's good to be rich!"
"Is this the Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng?"
Everyone looked toward the jade plate. The Ice-Skin Snow-Jade Ginseng on it was icy blue from tip to root, with several long tendrils. It radiated a chill and an indescribably sweet fragrance.