"What, you have a problem with that?" An Jing turned his head and glanced at her.
"No... I wouldn't dare!"
Zhu Zhuqing started in fright and hurriedly shook her head and waved her hands, a trace of unease flashing across her pale little face.
"It's just... this is my first time leaving the Star Luo Empire and coming to Heaven Dou City. I'm unfamiliar with the distribution of powers here, and I really don't know exactly where His Eminence the Poison Douluo's residence is..."
"That was my oversight. I forgot you're an outsider too."
An Jing raised an eyebrow but did not blame her.
Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The various pieces of intelligence she had read in the Zhu Family's secret records flashed through her mind, and she hastily added:
"Senior, although I don't know where His Eminence the Poison Douluo lives, I've heard that he dotes on his granddaughter.
"And his granddaughter, Dugu Yan, is supposedly studying at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy just outside Heaven Dou City.
"If you want to meet His Eminence the Poison Douluo, perhaps... you could start with his granddaughter."
At this suggestion, the corners of An Jing's mouth curled into a faint, satisfied smile.
"You're quick-witted. That's a good approach."
The backlash from the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Poison in Dugu Bo's body was severe. For most of his life, to suppress the poison and stay alive,
he had spent the vast majority of his time holed up at the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well in the Sunset Forest, cultivating in seclusion and soaking in its hot springs. His residence in Heaven Dou City was probably an empty shell; visiting it would likely mean coming up empty-handed.
But Dugu Yan was different.
That old poisoner was notorious for shielding his own and fiercely protecting his granddaughter. As long as An Jing followed the vine to the melon at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy and got hold of Dugu Yan as his lead,
he would not even need to scour mountains and plains for the old poisoner. The man would eagerly deliver himself right to An Jing's doorstep for a beating.
It would save both time and effort.
Having earned An Jing's approval, Zhu Zhuqing dared not delay. She immediately approached the city guards on patrol to ask for directions.
With her breathtakingly beautiful, icy features and the cool bearing bred into the bones of a Star Luo noble, the guards, normally so high and mighty, answered practically every question and shared everything they knew without giving her the slightest trouble.
Before long, Zhu Zhuqing hurried back and bowed as she reported:
"Senior, I've found out.
"The Heaven Dou Royal Academy isn't inside the city. It lies in a royal mountain range a dozen or so li southeast of Heaven Dou City, nestled between mountains and water in an excellent location."
"Outside the city?"
An Jing turned, his deep gaze passing beneath the arch of the city gate toward the southeastern horizon. "In that case, let's go. We'll pay the Heaven Dou Royal Academy a visit."
The Heaven Dou Royal Advanced Academy.
The entire academy lay among the most picturesque mountains on the outskirts of Heaven Dou City, nestled between mountains and water on a grand scale.
Its enormous, white-jade-carved gates stood dozens of meters tall, adorned with a resplendent golden eagle relief of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
Inside, pavilions and towers stood packed together like scales on a fish and teeth on a comb, half-hidden amid lush woods. Everywhere exuded the extravagance and imposing grandeur unique to a leading empire.
One look at that magnificent entrance and the arrangement within made it clear that anyone studying here was either imperial kin or a direct descendant of one of the continent's greatest families.
An Jing and Zhu Zhuqing arrived outside the gates just as classes ended for the day.
Students in neatly tailored uniforms bearing the Heaven Dou royals' golden embroidery streamed out in groups of three or five, talking and laughing.
The once-quiet entrance soon became bustling and noisy.
An Jing and Zhu Zhuqing, leaning beside the white marble railing outside the gates, inevitably became the focus of every gaze.
An Jing's striking, neatly kept white hair and sharply defined profile, paired with his sleek, distinctive combat outfit with its futuristic industrial feel,
gave him a sharp aura utterly unlike that of the empire's nobles, instantly capturing the hearts of quite a few noble girls nearby.
Yet when those excited girls caught sight of the cat-eared girl beside An Jing, with her icy beauty and leather clothing outlining her astonishingly voluptuous figure,
the admiration in their eyes immediately turned into shame at their own inferiority and apprehension. One after another, they withdrew their gazes in disappointment and hurried away.
"Senior, aren't we going inside to look for her directly?" Zhu Zhuqing tilted her head slightly and asked softly.
Security at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy was tight, its gates guarded by Soul Master Knights directly under the imperial family. Given their identities, forcing their way in would likely invite no shortage of trouble.
"There's no need to make it so complicated."
An Jing casually tucked both hands into his trouser pockets, an unhurried smile curving his lips. "Our target has already come out on her own."
Following An Jing's calm gaze, Zhu Zhuqing saw two girls walking side by side from the depths of the tree-lined path.
The girl on the left had neat, short, dark-purple hair. Her spirited features carried a hint of innate arrogance, and an unusual jade-green sheen glimmered faintly in her eyes.
Beside her walked a slender girl with soft, long, aqua-blue hair draped over her shoulders. A thin black veil covered her face, lending her a cold, lonely air.
Even without a systematic scan, An Jing recognized them at a glance.
Dugu Yan, vice-captain of the Heaven Dou Royal Team, and Ye Lingling, the sole heir of the Nine Heart Begonia Family.
"Yanyan, look up ahead!"
The normally quiet Ye Lingling suddenly gave her friend's sleeve a gentle tug.
She gestured with her eyes toward the white-haired young man standing out like a crane among chickens at the academy gates. A rare note of teasing entered her cool voice, usually as still as an ancient well.
"He's extremely handsome, and his bearing is so cold and distinctive. Could he be some young noble lord who's just returned to Heaven Dou City, heard your famous name, and come here especially to court you?"
"His looks certainly leave nothing to complain about. He's far better than those crooked melons and split dates at the academy who spend all day putting on airs."
Dugu Yan raised an eyebrow and sized An Jing up. Although a flash of admiration crossed her beautiful eyes, it quickly turned into the boredom and indifference so commonplace in noble circles.
"But men like him only pretend they're interested in me. What they really have their eyes on is the Titled Douluo grandfather behind me.
"Haven't enough opportunists used that excuse to sidle up to me over the years?
"Boring."
"Hey, Yanyan... he really does seem to be coming toward us."
Ye Lingling pressed her lips together beneath her black veil. Her eyes fixed on the approaching white-haired young man as she gave a quiet warning.
Before her words had faded, An Jing had stopped two steps in front of the girls.
Only at such close range did Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling suddenly sense a suffocating, invisible pressure.
Although the young man before them leaked not the slightest ripple of Soul Power, his eyes, deep as an icy abyss, and his utterly composed bearing
were like a towering, immovable mountain. In an instant, they crushed the pride ingrained in both girls as gifted students, making even their breathing catch involuntarily.
An Jing looked down at the purple-haired girl before him, his voice flat and utterly unruffled.
"You're Dugu Yan?"
Meanwhile, on the bluestone avenue inside the academy gates, a tall, slender young man with short black hair standing upright like steel needles came striding over.
An overbearing air radiated from his features, and the lightning emblem of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was embroidered on the chest of his uniform. He was none other than Yu Tianheng, captain of the Heaven Dou Royal Team.
He had been excitedly planning to invite Dugu Yan to dinner at the finest restaurant in the city after classes,
and take the opportunity to practice their Martial Soul coordination. But the moment he stepped through the inner gate,
he looked up to see some white-haired brat who had appeared out of nowhere brazenly blocking Dugu Yan's path and "chatting her up"!
Worse still, that white-haired brat looked arrogant, yet Dugu Yan stood frozen in place instead of lashing out with her whip to drive him away!
Boom!
Blazing jealousy and fury instantly exploded in Yu Tianheng's chest, and his eyes all but spat fire.
Who at the Heaven Dou Royal Academy did not know that Dugu Yan was the woman he, Yu Tianheng, had claimed for himself?
Some nobody of unknown origins, dressed in bizarre clothes, actually dared steal his girl right in front of him?
He was practically carrying a lantern into a latrine-looking for death!
"Where did this arrogant fool come from? You think you're worthy of addressing Yanyan by name?!"
Before you continue