When Dugu Lin appeared behind the three children, he had not merely been trying to intimidate them. He had also paid close attention to his surroundings. He did not believe that three gifted children from great families would be left unprotected in Sunset Forest.
That very precaution had allowed him to sense the presence of others. After all, the Jade-Scaled Snake was a top-tier seventh-grade snake martial soul, extremely sensitive to vibrations in the air.
"Haha, an old poisoner is still an old poisoner-cunning as a ghost, just as always. You certainly haven't disappointed me, old classmate."
Two people emerged from behind the large tree. The speaker was a sturdy old man, one meter ninety tall, with strands of black mixed into his graying hair. He held a smoking pipe in one hand.
"It's you, Zhu Yanfeng. You're still not dead?" Dugu Lin immediately recognized his former classmate from the Exotic Beast Academy.
Back then, Zhu Yanfeng had attended the Exotic Beast Academy rather than accompanying Chen Yu to the Sword Rain Academy, because Chen Yu's original Personal Attendant had been his older brother, Zhu Qi Feng.
He had only become Chen Yu's Personal Attendant after replacing his older brother following the last great catastrophe. His everyday words and actions made it clear that he was an "unconventional" Personal Attendant, not the kind trained for the role since childhood.
"Pah! Even if you died, I'd still be alive." Zhu Yanfeng took a puff, spat, then leisurely shot back.
The Exotic Beast Academy was the first choice for beast martial soul masters among the Chen Clan's followers.
First, the Exotic Beast Academy was not far from the Chen Clan, situated in the Silves Kingdom northwest of Fasinuo Province. Second, it was renowned across the continent. Its specialty was soul masters with