"Th-thank you..."
Lin Yan tried to thank her, but his voice trailed off.
Qian Renxue could tell he didn't know how to address her, so she simply spoke up.
"When there's no one around, call me Sister Xue'er."
"Normally, call me Your Highness, Crown Prince."
"Okay! Thank you, Sister Xue'er."
Lin Yan had handsome features and an adorable face, and Qian Renxue couldn't help feeling a little fond of him.
That was why she was much more lenient about how he addressed her.
After all, he was just a child. Having him call her "Young Mistress" every other word would make her uncomfortable, too.
"Let's go." Qian Renxue walked over to Lin Yan and reached out to ruffle his hair.
"You can stay in a guest room at the mansion tonight. Tomorrow, I'll take you to enroll at Heaven Dou Royal Academy."
"Okay!"
The secret chamber doors opened.
Bright light from outside rushed in all at once. Even at night, the Crown Prince's Mansion was still brilliantly lit.
So bright, like a person's future.
Lin Yan smiled, glanced at Qian Renxue beside him, then looked up at the full moon.
"My path as a Soul Master begins now!"
The next day.
Qian Renxue disguised herself as Xue Qinghe again and took Lin Yan to wander around the biggest merchant guild in Heaven Dou City for a long while.
During their trip, Xue Qinghe was like a girl dressing up a doll, buying Lin Yan all sorts of pretty clothes.
He even lingered for quite some time in front of a women's clothing shop.
It was clear he wanted to dress Lin Yan up as a little girl.
Fortunately, Lin Yan stood firm. He caught on to what Xue Qinghe was thinking and stopped him in time, avoiding the fate of wearing women's clothes.
In the end, Lin Yan came away with a storage ring of about twenty cubic meters, a pile of clothes, and some ordinary cultivation resources.
As for Gold Soul Coins, Xue Qinghe casually handed over a hundred thousand.
He was not at all stingy when it came to talented people.
Before long, it was noon.
After finishing their shopping for all the basic necessities, the two headed straight to Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Outside the classroom, Xue Qinghe stood surrounded by a group of academic directors. He patted Lin Yan on the shoulder and said,
"Study hard here and grow up quickly. I'll need you to assist me in the future."
"Understood, Your Highness. I'll study hard."
"Good. I still have official business to handle at the mansion. Everyone, I'm entrusting Lin Yan to you."
Xue Qinghe looked at the people around him.
Bai Baoshan, one of the three members of the Board of Education, hurried forward and warmly drew Lin Yan into his arms.
"Your Highness, you can rest assured."
"This child is the most outstanding one I've seen in recent years, both in talent and character. With Heaven Dou Royal Academy's guidance, he'll have a boundless future. He may even become the second General Ge Long of the royal family."
There was not a trace of falsehood in Bai Baoshan's smile.
Just moments ago, he, Zhi Lin, and Meng Shenji had witnessed the existence of a thousand-year first Soul Ring with their own eyes.
Add in a top-tier Martial Soul, a weapon-type Soul Skill, and the boy's calm, reserved nature, and it was clear that even without Xue Qinghe's instructions, these three old fellows would still treasure Lin Yan like a precious gem.
"Hahaha! With the three members of the Board of Education here, Qinghe truly has nothing to worry about."
"Lin Yan, remember to listen to the three members of the Board of Education. I'll be off."
"Goodbye, Your Highness."
Xue Qinghe said his final goodbyes to Lin Yan, then disappeared down the school building corridor amid the crowd surrounding him.
And so, the two parted ways.
Soon, under a director's guidance, Lin Yan arrived at the class taught by Qin Ming.
Qin Ming was teaching at the time. The director gently knocked twice on the door.
"Sorry to interrupt. This is a new student arranged by His Highness, the Crown Prince. The academy has decided that Teacher Qin Ming will teach him for now."
The director was clear and concise, summing up all the information in a single sentence.
Interrupted, Qin Ming frowned slightly as he looked at the director, then at Lin Yan.
Arranged by His Highness, the Crown Prince?
"Come in."
It was common for students to be assigned to a class at Heaven Dou Royal Academy.
Qin Ming didn't say much. He didn't want to get involved in the affairs of the nobility.
But how old was this child? And what was his relationship with the Crown Prince?
Puzzled, he looked at Lin Yan.
"Come up to the front and introduce yourself to everyone."
Lin Yan nodded, then walked up to the lectern and faced the class.
"Hello, everyone. My name is Lin Yan."
"Martial Soul: Evil Fire Demon Dragon!"
"Six years old, level sixteen, a Power Attack System Battle Spirit Master."
"I'm the Crown Prince's future personal guard. I hope we'll get along."
The boy's young but confident voice rang out, carrying clearly to every person in the room.
The moment his brief introduction ended, a wave of chatter erupted from below.
"Six years old? Level sixteen?"
"What's going on with this guy? Whose kid is he?"
"The Crown Prince's personal guard? What's his background?"
"Evil Fire Demon Dragon? Why have I never heard of this kind of Martial Soul?"
"That little boy is so handsome. I want to kiss his cute little face."
The chatter went on without end. For a moment, the classroom was as noisy as a marketplace.
Even Qin Ming, their homeroom teacher, was stunned into silence. For a long while, he couldn't react.
"This child is level sixteen? I've never seen a genius like this among the royal family's descendants. Who is he, exactly?"
He forgot to maintain order. The commotion only subsided when the year director beside him spoke up to stop it.
"Teacher Qin Ming, I'm leaving this child in your hands. He belongs to His Highness, the Crown Prince, so be sure to take good care of him."
Qin Ming emerged from his shock. He opened his mouth, then finally replied,
"Of course, Director. Please rest assured. I'll do everything I can to teach every one of my students well."
Truthfully, this was the first time Qin Ming had ever been so courteous to this director.
As a Soul Master from a common background, he had always looked down on the airs of the nobility. He had been proper but neither deferential nor deliberately rude.
But today, six-year-old Lin Yan, already level sixteen, had completely shattered his usual way of doing things.
The year director was a little surprised, but also pleased.
"All right, carry on with your lesson."
With that, he left the classroom of his own accord.
The air fell silent for a moment. Before long, Qin Ming spoke to Lin Yan.
"Go sit in the last row for now. I'll find you a new seat later."
Lin Yan obediently agreed, but just as he was about to step down from the lectern,
a girl in the class suddenly raised her right hand.
"No need to go to all that trouble, Teacher Qin Ming."
"Junior, come sit by me. There's an empty seat next to me."
Lin Yan paused, then looked at the girl.
She had purple hair and green eyes, and her delicate features carried an indescribable allure. As she beckoned Lin Yan over, she didn't hesitate to shoot him a playful wink.
The sight made him look at her with slight surprise.
Just then, a boy sitting by the window suddenly sprang to his feet.
"Dugu Yan, what are you doing?"