"Dean Hongchen, aren't you busy at the Academy these days?"
Under ordinary circumstances, Kong Deming might have exchanged a few pleasantries with Jing Hongchen.
But he had serious business to attend to now and could not be bothered to play along.
"Busy? How could I not be? Especially with the Continental Elite Academy Soul Master Tournament about to begin. I'm so busy my feet barely touch the ground."
Jing Hongchen poured out his woes without stopping.
Then he looked at Qin Xiao and said, "Elder Kong, you probably don't know this yet, but this boy is our Academy's trump card. Whether we secure a good ranking in this Soul Master Tournament depends entirely on him."
At those words, Kong Deming felt certain.
That settled it.
Jing Hongchen had indeed come for Qin Xiao.
"Qin Xiao is so young, and his cultivation has only just passed rank twenty. What help could he possibly offer in the tournament?"
"I think he should focus on cultivating properly and leave the tournament for next time."
Kong Deming said calmly, "As it happens, I have some free time lately. This boy shows promise, so let him enter the Imperial Palace. I'll instruct him personally."
"Well..."
Jing Hongchen's pupils abruptly contracted.
Paper could not wrap up fire forever, after all.
Kong Deming had come straight out to snatch the boy away.
But...
He wanted to take his chances.
After all, a promising youngster like Qin Xiao was truly hard to find.
Besides...
Even if he could not take Qin Xiao as his disciple, he felt he ought to buy Meng Hongchen some time.
If Qin Xiao and Meng Hongchen ended up together, that would count as saving the country by a roundabout route.
So, when all was said and done, he had to keep Qin Xiao