Explosive News

"Of course," Lin Jiayi said. "I trust Kong Bo. Just finish the testing and paperwork, and you can enroll."

Kong Bo then replied, "Understood, Director Lin. That was the only reason I came today. Since there's nothing else, I'll be heading back."

Qing Yuan and Su Ning were both thirteen, so they weren't in the same grade as Kong Bo. However, when lunchtime arrived, Kong Bo would eat with Gu Long'er, Qing Yuan, and Su Ning. After the meal, he would often have his arms around two of the girls or rest his head on one of their laps while they read the newspaper, or sometimes Zi Ji would read to them. Kong Bo made no effort to hide these actions, so naturally, others saw them. Such intimate behavior made it clear that the relationship between Qing Yuan, Su Ning, and Kong Bo was far from ordinary.

As for Gu Long'er, her relationship with Kong Bo had long been an open secret. Gu Long'er was the niece of the Evil Emperor, and Kong Bo was his disciple. In the past, Gu Long'er had always eaten with Kong Bo and would often act spoiled toward him; given their connection, this was perfectly normal.

But what about Qing Yuan and Su Ning? Where did they come from? People were bound to ask, either prying for information from Gu Long'er or from Kong Bo himself.

Kong Bo's explanation was always quite tactful. "Brother Chao Yong, my great-grandfather feels I shouldn't spend every waking moment on cultivation. Having two beautiful, considerate young ladies to look after me is quite nice, and I'm certainly no saint myself. Sister Qing Yuan and Sister Su Ning have great talent and will become excellent soul masters, so they naturally require some resources for their development."

As for Gu Long'er, the little lioness was much more direct. "My Kong Bo just found himself two little wives. Both sisters are very beautiful, and I like them a lot. Now I'll have someone to play with at school."

When these two accounts were combined, it became explosive news: "Kong Bo has taken two little wives!"

And who was Kong Bo? He was the only great-grandson of Kong Deming, and among the younger generation of the Sun Moon Empire, his status was second only to Xu Tianran. Beyond his illustrious background, Kong Bo was well-liked by the ladies and possessed top-tier talent as a soul master.

More importantly, his rank as a soul master was closely mirrored by his rank as a soul tutor. Less than two months after reaching the Great Soul Master level, Kong Bo had taken the certification exam for a second-rank soul tutor and passed. The only other person to show such aptitude was a young Kong Deming, proving that Kong Bo was not only gifted in soul device construction but also remarkably diligent. With so many virtues combined, he was the quintessential "diamond bachelor."

Those looking to curry favor, unable to reach Kong Deming, Kong Bo's father Kong Yi, or his mother Ye Fanghua, tried to approach Kong Bo. But Kong Bo rarely came to the academy, and when he did, he would leave with his bag in hand by the afternoon. While at school, he spent his time drawing various diagrams or writing things no one else could understand, with titles like "Enhancement Agent" or "Nine Oxen Pulling the Coffin."

(As for why it was Nine Oxen Pulling the Coffin instead of the Nine Dragons Pulling the Coffin from the real world—dragons were symbols of the emperor. Using that name would be inviting trouble for the Xu Family.)

Yet, this little guy had suddenly found himself two wives. Wow, how many people would have killed for that opportunity? Even the Dean of Academic Affairs, Lin Jiayi, couldn't help but sigh to himself, thinking that if his own daughter were a few years younger, she might have caught Kong Bo's eye.

Meng Hongchen's reaction was particularly interesting. After school, she went straight to Jing Hongchen to complain. "Great-grandfather, Little Brother Kong Bo is being a bad influence. He's already taken little wives! Ask my brother; it's true. You have to talk to Elder Kong about this."

"Child, do you think I didn't know?" Jing Hongchen said. "Kong Bo brought those two girls to me himself to handle their enrollment applications. I just didn't realize that was the nature of their relationship. I asked Elder Kong about it later, and he was already aware."

"Ah, Elder Kong knows?" Xiao Hongchen was shocked. "Kong Bo did this, and the Elder... he actually approved?"

"He did," Jing Hongchen said. "I can understand how Hall Master Kong feels. Kong Bo is a talented child, and it wouldn't be good for him to just stare at paper and diagrams all day like he used to. Now, he finally seems a bit more human. Mengmeng, isn't that what you used to say?"

At this, Jing Hongchen and Xiao Hongchen turned in unison to look at Meng Hongchen, for she had indeed said exactly that in the past.

"I... I did think Little Brother Kong Bo was a bit... dull, always buried in design diagrams. But who would have thought he'd take little wives at such a young age?" Meng Hongchen grew flustered. "Of course, I'm not his real sister, so he can do what he wants, but why couldn't he choose someone he could trust?"

The subtext of Meng Hongchen's words was clear: If you were going to choose someone, Kong Bo, why didn't you choose me? Kong Bo was indeed the type of person Meng Hongchen liked.

Jing Hongchen was no fool; he understood exactly what his great-granddaughter meant. He was also deeply shocked. Their Mingde Hall was not allowed to interfere in the internal affairs of the royal family, so their family had never intermarried with them. But children grow up, and Jing Hongchen, who doted on his precious great-granddaughter, had been hoping to find her a reliable husband—he had actually wanted Kong Bo to marry her. In his eyes, the old Kong Bo had been nothing more than a top-tier "test-taker" who knew nothing but soul device design.

And yet, here he was, bringing two wives to school. It left Jing Hongchen stunned. Could it be that the most dangerous hunters always appear as prey?

The three of them were only discussing their own family matters, but one had to remember that the Sun Moon Royal Soul Master Academy was a royal institution. Any movement within the school reached the royal family immediately—which meant Xu Tianran knew right away.

When Xu Tianran saw the letter delivered by the messenger and read that "Kong Bo has taken two girls as wives," his eyes widened. He rubbed them, thinking he had been reading too much and his vision was blurring. He stared at the letter again, but the words remained the same.

"Hmm?" Xu Tianran looked up at the messenger and asked, "I have never been stingy with my rewards to you. Are you trying to deceive me with such a story?"