Letting the Matter Rest

Lu Jingming had never expected this seemingly unfamiliar woman to know Jing Liu. Just as doubt rose in his heart, the blonde girl keenly noticed his gaze.

She turned her head slightly to look at Lu Jingming, a warm, faint smile appearing on her face. "You must be Lu Jingming, the City Lord of Haiyuan City and future Earl of Haiyuan, little brother? Come to think of it, we can be considered one of our own."

"And you are?" Lu Jingming frowned slightly, a thoughtful look appearing on his face.

He usually kept a low profile and rarely showed himself in public. This woman not only knew Jing Liu but also knew his identity. It seemed highly likely that she was from the Star Luo Empire, and her status within the empire was certainly not low.

"My name is Xu Jiujiu. You should have heard of me, at least to some extent." The blonde girl's lips curved upward slightly, her smile as warm and charming as the spring sun.

"Please forgive my discourtesy. So it is Her Highness the Princess." Lu Jingming immediately realized who she was and hurriedly bowed respectfully.

After all, on the surface, he was a subject of the Star Luo Empire, and the Star Luo imperial family was indeed his direct superior.

Even if he might not hold the Star Luo imperial family in particularly high regard deep down, he still understood that they deserved the proper etiquette and respect.

Seeing how Lu Jingming, despite his young age, wore such a solemn expression as he bowed, Xu Jiujiu could not help covering her mouth and laughing softly.

She suddenly found this little brother, who had firmly taken the position of City Lord at such a young age, rather interesting.

Beside them, Ma Xiaotao gave Lu Jingming a disdainful glance.

She grumbled to herself, Where did that overbearing, arrogant attitude go? She's just a princess. Does he really need to be this respectful?

Thinking of Lu Jingming's utterly unceremonious attitude toward her earlier, then seeing how deferential he was toward Xu Jiujiu now, Ma Xiaotao felt as though a huge stone were lodged in her chest, grinding her teeth in frustration.

"So it is Senior Xingyun and Her Highness the Princess." Yan Shaozhe smiled lightly.

To be honest, if Xu Jiujiu had not stepped in at just the right moment, he truly would have had to swallow his pride and yield to Jing Liu.

For the dean of Shrek Academy's Martial Soul Department, that would have been quite an embarrassing matter.

"No, no. Though this old woman is older, my strength cannot compare to Dean Yan's." The elderly woman beside Xu Jiujiu hurriedly waved her hands, her attitude extremely humble.

In the strength-respected world of Douluo Continent, one's strength often determined how Soul Masters addressed one another and the status they held.

Although she was older, her Soul Power Level had only reached Level 93 Titled Douluo, fully two levels below Yan Shaozhe's Level 95. She truly did not dare accept Yan Shaozhe's address of "Senior."

Yan Shaozhe smiled slightly and said no more. His earlier form of address had been more of a gesture of goodwill toward Xu Jiujiu.

Born into the imperial family, Xu Jiujiu had been intelligent and perceptive since childhood, with a meticulous mind. How could she fail to see the deeper meaning behind Yan Shaozhe's gesture?

Thoughtfully, she turned her gaze toward Jing Liu, gaining a deeper estimate and understanding of Jing Liu's strength.

The reason she knew something of Jing Liu and Lu Jingming was that her imperial brother often assigned her to handle imperial affairs in order to train her ability to deal with matters and her political acumen.

While reviewing various materials, she had happened upon information concerning Jing Liu and Lu Jingming.

The Star Luo Empire was vast, with experts as numerous as clouds, yet there were only a dozen or so Titled Douluo-level powerhouses in the entire empire.

As one of the empire's important major cities, a change in Haiyuan City's City Lord was naturally a major matter and would inevitably draw the imperial family's close attention.

During the investigation, the imperial family had keenly noticed that Jing Liu was highly likely to be an extraordinarily powerful Titled Douluo.

That discovery immediately made Jing Liu the focus of the imperial family's attention.

That was also why Lu Jingming had been able to smoothly take the position of City Lord of Haiyuan City at such a young age.

After all, in the imperial family's view, no matter which secluded sect Jing Liu, a Titled Douluo, came from, as long as she was not from the hostile Sun Moon Empire, she was someone the Star Luo Empire would strive to win over.

Even taking ten thousand steps back, if Jing Liu did come from the Sun Moon Empire, then so long as there was a suitable opportunity, the Star Luo Empire would not mind trying to recruit her.

After all, in this world where the strong preyed on the weak, no nation would ever complain about having too many Titled Douluo. One more powerhouse meant one more measure of security and confidence.

Yan Shaozhe's current attitude made it easy to see that in the earlier clash of auras, he had undoubtedly been at a disadvantage and suffered a loss.

Shrek Academy had always been domineering. If circumstances had not forced his hand and Xu Jiujiu had not suddenly intervened, then given Shrek Academy's usual style, even if Yan Shaozhe would not have spoken harshly, his attitude certainly would not have been this amicable.

Xu Jiujiu had recognized Jing Liu from the start. Jing Liu's appearance was distinctive and easy to identify, and in order to avoid unnecessary trouble, the imperial family had specially used Soul Guiding Crystals to record images and information on many powerhouses, lest they offend such extraordinary figures through ignorance.

This time, a Titled Douluo who might be connected to her own empire had happened to come into conflict with a Titled Douluo from Shrek Academy. Naturally, Xu Jiujiu had to step forward as a peacemaker.

After all, no matter which side suffered a loss, it would bring no benefit to the Star Luo Empire. On the contrary, if she could mediate this dispute and maneuver appropriately between them, she would certainly gain no small benefits. At the very least, she could earn the favor of one side and build connections for herself and the imperial family.

Just as now, Yan Shaozhe's change in attitude was the best proof.

"So Your Excellency is from the Star Luo Empire. This was merely a misunderstanding. It is only a Thousand-year Soul Beast; I can simply find another one. I was indeed discourteous just now."

With Xu Jiujiu's timely intervention, Yan Shaozhe conveniently had a way to step down.

He lowered himself with complete naturalness, his face filled with sincere apology.

He acted this way not merely because of the powerful strength Jing Liu had displayed. More importantly, he and Ma Xiaotao needed something from Jing Liu.

After all, in Shrek Academy's eyes, mere strength alone was not something they feared.

Yan Shaozhe's series of actions caused everyone on Xu Jiujiu's side to unconsciously look at Jing Liu with reverence.

They did not know the hidden matter of Yan Shaozhe needing something from Jing Liu. They mistakenly believed that Jing Liu's overwhelming strength had completely subdued Yan Shaozhe, causing the renowned Bright Phoenix Douluo to treat her with such respect.

As a result, their attitude toward Jing Liu became even more respectful.