Skywater Academy

"What does Young Master think?"

"If you do not wish to go, I will decline on your behalf later."

Ye Feng pondered for a moment, then smiled slightly. "Go. Why not?"

Dugu Bo raised a brow. "Young Master is certainly forthright. But this feast is unlikely to be a friendly one. The Heaven Dou Empire royal family suddenly sent an invitation; I fear their true aim lies elsewhere."

"I know."

Ye Feng smiled. "Perfect. I also want to see what attitude the royal family has toward me. Do they want to recruit me, test me, or... place a bet on me?"

Dugu Bo stroked his beard and gave him a thoughtful look. "Young Master means..."

"The Heaven Dou Empire royal family may appear to be ruled by Xue Ye, but Crown Prince Xue Qinghe and that Prince Xue Xing are no pushovers either."

Ye Feng stood and stretched lazily. "Besides, I have shown my face so many times and grown close to you. It would be strange if they could still sit still."

Dugu Bo gave a dry laugh. "Then how does Young Master intend to handle it?"

"Deal with whatever comes."

Ye Feng was no longer alone.

With Snow Empress and Dugu Bo as his trump cards, he could fully negotiate with a major power.

Perhaps he could even obtain clues regarding his second martial soul.

Come to think of it, after being away for so long, was it time to return to the academy?

Skywater City.

Ye Feng put on a conical hat, lowered its brim, and walked along Skywater City's main street toward the academy.

The streets were crowded with passersby, yet no one gave him a second glance.

Good. Keep a low profile.

Just as he reached the academy gates, two female students inside were huddled together in conversation.

One of them had sharp eyes, and caught sight of the conical-hatted figure at the entrance from the corner of her eye.

His build and gait looked increasingly familiar.

"Wait... isn't that..."

"Senior Ye Feng?"

"No way, really?"

"He's back!"

The moment the words left her mouth, Ye Feng saw two blue-and-white figures rush out from inside the gates and seize his arms from either side.

"Senior Ye Feng! You finally came back!"

"We thought something had happened to you!"

"We heard you defeated that Yu Tianheng with one punch? Is that true?"

"Ahhh, hurry up and tell us the details!"

Ye Feng's mouth twitched. Before he could say anything, hurried footsteps sounded behind him.

He turned around, and his scalp went numb.

From the corridors, stairwells, and corners, a crowd of female students in blue-and-white uniforms surged toward him.

"Ye Feng is back!"

"Where? Where?"

"At the entrance! The one wearing the conical hat!"

"Wow, it really is him!"

Ye Feng: "..."

He instinctively wanted to retreat, but his arms were held fast, there was a wall behind him, and an ever-growing crowd before him.

"Ye Feng, did you really cripple that Evil Fire Phoenix?"

"I heard you knocked Yu Tianheng of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon flat with one punch?"

"Is your fourth Soul Ring really ten thousand years old?"

The questions bombarded him like a string of firecrackers, making Ye Feng's head throb.

He took a deep breath, lifted his conical hat, and revealed a helpless smile.

"Ladies, could you ask one at a time? I only have one mouth. With so many of you, I can't answer everyone."

The crowd erupted in laughter and shrieks.

"Senior smiled! He looks even more handsome when he smiles!"

"Ahhh, I'm going to faint!"

"Senior Ye Feng, do you need a girlfriend? Look at me!"

Ye Feng: "..."

Just as he was about to find an excuse to slip away, he caught sight of an ice-blue figure standing at the edge of the crowd.

Shui Bing'er stood with her arms folded, leaning against a corridor pillar, the corner of her lips lifting almost imperceptibly.

This guy had a day when he looked this pathetic too.

Ye Feng's eyes lit up, and he hurriedly cast her a pleading look.

Shui Bing'er rolled her eyes at him, but did not immediately speak.

She simply pushed herself away from the pillar at an unhurried pace and took two steps forward.

The crowd automatically made way for her. After all, the authority of this senior sister was well established, and no one dared block her.

Shui Bing'er stopped, swept her gaze calmly over the crowd, and spoke.

"What are you all gathered here for? Don't you need to cultivate?"

Her voice was not loud, but it carried a cool intimidation. Sure enough, the crowd quieted down somewhat.

The few female students at the front froze, then instinctively took half a step back.

"Senior Sister, we were just..."

"Just what?"

Shui Bing'er said coldly, "Go train. Be careful, or I'll have the dean hold the final assessment early!"

The moment the female students heard that, their pretty faces went pale.

"The final assessment?!"

"I'm not ready yet!"

"Senior Sister, I was wrong! I'll go cultivate right now!"

"Go, go, go! Hurry!"

The crowd scattered in an instant.

Ye Feng sighed in relief, patted the wrinkled sleeve that had been tugged out of shape, and gave Shui Bing'er a thumbs-up. "You're still the one who can handle them."

Shui Bing'er folded her arms and leaned against the pillar. Her ice-blue eyes sized him up from head to toe before she slowly said, "What? You, the great busybody, were willing to return to the academy?"

Ye Feng grinned and shot back without hesitation. "You say that as if you stay at the academy every day. Bing'er, put your hand on your heart and tell me: since I joined Skywater Academy, how many days have you actually spent here?"

Shui Bing'er froze. She opened her mouth, but swallowed the words that had reached her lips.

Ye Feng spread his hands, looking utterly innocent. "See? You keep running to the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well too. We're both the same, so neither of us should criticize the other."

Shui Bing'er fell silent for two seconds, then turned her head away, the tips of her ears faintly reddening.

"...Mind your own business."

Ye Feng chuckled and stepped closer. "What, you can't argue back, so now you want to play dirty?"

Shui Bing'er turned her face away, but the blush at her ears gave her away.

After two seconds of silence, she seemed to remember something important. She lifted a hand to tuck back the hair at her temple, and some of her coolness returned to her voice.

"By the way, Director Su told you to go to her office after you returned."

"Director Su?"

Ye Feng raised a brow and stopped walking. "What does she want with me? I haven't been setting fires around the academy lately."

"She isn't calling you in to settle scores."

Shui Bing'er turned and walked into the academy, speaking without looking back. "She said she wants to form a team and wants you to take a look at the members."

"A team?"

Ye Feng quickly caught up and walked beside her. "Weren't the team members decided long ago?"

"They were, but Director Su said she wanted you to review them personally, so you would not say later that she did not respect your opinion."

Without turning back, Shui Bing'er said evenly, "After all, you are a famous figure at the academy now. Who would dare neglect you?"

"Why do I hear a barb in that?"

"You heard wrong."

The two passed through the corridor and arrived outside Director Su's office.

Shui Bing'er knocked on the door. A familiar voice sounded from inside. "Come in."

They pushed the door open and entered. Director Su sat behind her desk with a list in hand. When she saw Ye Feng enter, her eyes lit up.

"Oh, our busy man finally found the time to come back?"

Ye Feng gave an embarrassed laugh. "Director Su, listen to you. I was out gaining experience."

"Gaining experience? I think you were out causing trouble."