The Blacksmith Association

In the afternoon, Leng Xiaoyue stood at the entrance to an upscale residential complex, an odd look on her face.

She watched a stretch sports car and the extended armored RV behind it roll to a stop, then saw Li Qingyue step out of the car without a hint of hurry.

Such a display held no interest for Leng Xiaoyue.

Even the two bodyguards deliberately flaunting their auras stirred nothing in her.

She might only handle Leng Yaozhu's daily affairs, but what kind of person was Leng Yaozhu?

She was a Level 98 Super Douluo, distinguished beyond measure in both identity and standing.

How could someone entrusted with managing such a person's daily affairs be weak?

And beyond her own strength, she had seen grander sights than these local families could imagine.

Leng Xiaoyue had ridden in a black Mecha herself. Why would she be impressed by a so-called extended protection vehicle?

Such a vehicle might count as luxurious in an ordinary person's world, but in the world of Soul Masters, it probably cost only a little more than an ordinary white Mecha.

In fact, the money spent building one might not even buy a white Mecha.

The materials they used were different, and their value was worlds apart.

So Leng Xiaoyue remained unmoved by it all.

After the butler respectfully saw them off, Li Qingyue and Na'er each nodded to him in return.

Seeing the two of them return, Leng Xiaoyue asked no questions.

She was Li Qingyue's guardian in name, but in practice, he seemed more like hers.

Leng Xiaoyue would never dare meddle in his affairs.

After all, for all the boy before her looked gentle and frail, he was calculating and ruthless beneath the surface.

She did not know Li Qingyue all that well yet, but she had already seen enough to know better than to pry.

Still, looking at the gentle expression and breathtaking face of the boy before her, she could not help feeling helpless.

"It wouldn't have been so bad if you'd been home earlier."

"It's already two thirty. We have to meet Mu Chen at three."

"We need to go straight there now. Since I'm coming with you, we'll have to bring Na'er too."

Helplessness tinged Leng Xiaoyue's voice.

Li Qingyue did not mind. He merely nodded calmly.

One thing he had to admit: Leng Xiaoyue was good at cooking, but there was still a clear gap between her and a professional chef.

Put another way, the food she made usually did not satisfy him.

But the Cola Chicken Wings and the other dishes prepared by the Xie Family's chefs at lunch had been exceptionally delicious and memorable.

Na'er, meanwhile, looked entirely content, unconcerned with such details.

She gently rubbed her slightly rounded belly, her eyes full of satisfaction and ease.

Without question, Na'er had been the happiest person that day.

At lunch, she had swept through the food like a gale scattering clouds, eating sixteen bowls of rice in one sitting.

Her astonishing appetite had given the Xie Family's chefs quite a fright.

She had not wasted a morsel of the remaining food, either. She had eaten it all.

Everyone present had been stunned by how much she could eat.

But no one said anything about it.

Xie's Mother did not mind at all. She even warmly invited Li Qingyue and the others back for another meal the next day.

After all, Li Qingyue had saved her life, and to her, her life was unique and beyond price.

Besides, money was the one thing someone like Xie's Mother did not lack.

After the two of them finished a brief conversation, Leng Xiaoyue got into the somewhat battered car.

She started it and drove Li Qingyue and Na'er straight toward the Blacksmith Association.

When it came to keeping a low profile, Leng Xiaoyue never did things halfway.

Or rather, she had faithfully followed Leng Yaozhu's instructions to stay inconspicuous.

As they drove, Leng Xiaoyue glanced at the two sitting side by side in the back seat through the rearview mirror and sighed softly.

"To avoid drawing the Federation's attention, the Qiangu Family won't send anyone especially powerful to investigate cities like ours—satellite cities, or even medium-to-large ones."

"A truly powerful expert appearing in a place like this would stick out like a sore thumb."

"But Eastsea City's Spirit Pagoda branch falls under Her Majesty the Heavenly Phoenix, so someone will definitely come to investigate."

"You two need to be careful."

"Especially you, Li Qingyue. Don't use those two abilities unless you have to."

"They're mainly here to confirm the Phoenix Martial Soul."

"As long as you don't show your Phoenix Martial Soul, there shouldn't be much trouble under normal circumstances."

Leng Xiaoyue's expression was especially serious as she spoke.

Her younger brother was still in Leng Yaozhu's hands. If she wanted to keep him alive, her first priority was protecting Li Qingyue.

Unlike anyone else, Leng Xiaoyue had no selfish motive to hide. She genuinely wanted Li Qingyue to survive.

Only while he lived would she and her brother have a way to live.

Li Qingyue merely smiled at her warning and said nothing.

I'm a Support Soul Master now. If they want to investigate, they should be looking for Power Attack System Soul Masters.

What could a Power Attack System Phoenix Martial Soul possibly have to do with a Support Soul Master like me?

With that thought, Li Qingyue grew calmer still.

The car continued on, finally pulling up before a massive high-rise a little over half an hour later.

The building housing the Blacksmith Association ranked among Eastsea City's taller structures.

Compared with the Spirit Pagoda branch and the Tang Sect branch farther out, the Blacksmith Association was clearly larger overall.

It also stood squarely in the city center, in a prime location.

Though it could not match the Spirit Pagoda branch in height, it stood a little taller than the Tang Sect branch.

And in Eastsea City, this Blacksmith Association branch was anything but weak. It was remarkably strong.

After all, Level 8 Blacksmith Mu Chen presided over it.

In an ordinary Blacksmith Association branch, a Level 6 Blacksmith would already qualify to serve as the city's president.

There were fewer than twenty Level 8 Blacksmiths on the entire continent.

Level 7 Blacksmiths were scarce as well.

Thus, outside the major cities, most Blacksmith Association presidents were Level 6 or Level 7 Blacksmiths. That was the usual standard.

With Level 8 Blacksmith Mu Chen at its helm, Eastsea City's Blacksmith Association was exceptionally powerful.

The car stopped at the entrance, and Leng Xiaoyue got out first.

Li Qingyue and Na'er followed her into the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association.

The interior of the Eastsea City Blacksmith Association was spacious.

Unlike the ancient, imposing style of the Spirit Pagoda and the Tang Sect, this place was thoroughly modern.

Modern equipment and Forging Tables stood in neat, orderly rows.

The three had barely entered when a young man with a pleasant face hurried over to greet them.

His gaze swept over the three of them. Then he smiled at Leng Xiaoyue.

"Hello, all three of you. I'm Yang Wenhao, Master Mu's disciple."

"You must be the people Master Mu is expecting today. Please follow me, and I'll take you to see him on the top floor."

Yang Wenhao sounded quite certain.

Mu Chen had said earlier that a strikingly beautiful young man would arrive today.

Mu Chen had not said just how beautiful, but after waiting all afternoon, Yang Wenhao had fixed on Li Qingyue almost at first sight.

The boy before him was simply too beautiful, almost absurdly so.

He had been certain at once that this was the young man Master Mu was waiting for.

Seeing how sure the young man was, Leng Xiaoyue raised an eyebrow.

No portrait of Li Qingyue had ever circulated outside. By rights, Mu Chen should not have known him so well.

Still, Leng Xiaoyue did not ask. She assumed Yang Wenhao had some special way of recognizing him, nodded lightly, and led Li Qingyue and Na'er after him toward the upper floors.