"Too."
Qing Linyun thought for a moment and found a way to save face for himself.
"I'm only Level 78 now, and my physical body has barely reached the level of Limit Douluo. How could I possibly be qualified to wield the Dragon God's weapon? I'll think about it when I become a god."
Qing Linyun indeed thought so; he couldn't handle fusing the divine artifact for the time being.
He returned the two guns to the Sea of Consciousness.
The Silver Dragon Spear sat quietly beside the Golden Dragon Spear, one gold and one silver, facing each other from afar.
Qing Linyun leaned against the wall in the corridor, and the corners of her mouth slowly turned up.
Gu Yue, that girl.
Until you see my Silver Dragon Spear again.
Just wait until you fail at managing your facial expressions.
Shrek City, Spirit Pagoda Headquarters.
The deputy tower master's office is on the middle floor of the tower, a full twenty floors away from Qiangu Dongfeng's office at the top.
Leng Yaozhu's office, like her, was clean and tidy.
A phoenix spreading its wings hangs on the wall, a stack of files is neatly arranged on the table, and a meticulously trimmed pothos sits on the windowsill.
She was reviewing the financial statements of the Phoenix Clan's various branches for this quarter.
Then there was a knock on the office door three times.
"Come in."
The person who pushed open the door was Qiangu Dongfeng's secretary, a middle-aged man wearing gold-rimmed glasses.
"Deputy Tower Master Leng."
The secretary bowed slightly. "The tower master requests your presence."
Leng Yaozhu didn't even look up.
What's wrong with him now?
Her voice was soft, but everyone could hear the aloofness in it.
The secretary sighed inwardly.
He had experienced this scenario far too many times. Whenever the Tower Master wanted to see the Deputy Tower Master, he, as the secretary, had to act as the intermediary. Whenever the Deputy Tower Master didn't want to see the Tower Master, he had to smooth things over.
Being caught in the middle is difficult.
"The tower master said it was about the Heaven-Supporting Pillar."
The secretary tried his best to make his tone sound businesslike, but his eyes kept glancing at Leng Yaozhu Yaozhu's stunningly beautiful face, a hint of fear in them.
"There are also new developments in Soul Spirit Technology, and..."
He paused for a moment.
"And your closed-door disciple in Eastsea City."
Leng Yaozhu stopped flipping through the reports.
She finally raised her head.
His Phoenix Martial Soul, narrowed slightly as his gaze fell on the secretary's face.
What happened to Gu Yue?
"Nothing."
"The Tower Master simply wanted to discuss Gu Yue's situation in Eastsea City. After all, Qing Linyun is currently teaching there, and the Tower Master feels..."
What happened to Qing Linyun?
Leng Yaozhu's tone turned colder.
The secretary felt the temperature in the office drop a few degrees.
He knew that Leng Yaozhu's attitude towards Qing Linyun was subtle.
On one hand, that kid is a core disciple of the Sea God Pavilion, a genius personally mentored by Yun Ming.
On the other hand, the Heaven-Supporting Pillar has taken a large share of the Spirit Pagoda's Soul Spirit business. Leng Yaozhu's attitude towards Qing Linyun has always been businesslike and distant.
But when it comes to Gu Yue, the nature of the matter changes.
Gu Yue was Leng Yaozhu's last disciple.
That was two years ago.
At that time, a reclusive family suddenly appeared from the side of the Soul Beast and took the initiative to contact the Spirit Pagoda, proposing a formal cooperation to jointly carry out the Soul Spirit Project.
The representative sent by that family was Gu Yue, a girl who looked to be about fifteen or sixteen years old. Her talent in Soul Power was unbelievable, and she was said to be the family heir.
Leng Yaozhu immediately sensed that this matter was not simple.
A reclusive family suddenly appeared wanting to cooperate with the Spirit Pagoda; there's a lot more to this than meets the eye. But they've adopted a very humble attitude, and the terms of cooperation are agreeable, so she can't just refuse outright.
Later, the young girl expressed her desire to become her disciple, saying she wanted to learn Soul Spirit Technology systematically from her, which could also be seen as a way for the reclusive family to establish a deep relationship with the Spirit Pagoda.
Leng Yaozhu hesitated for a moment, then agreed.
She wasn't without her suspicions.
A reclusive family of unknown origin, an heir with outrageously good talent—this whole thing seems a bit suspicious no matter how you look at it.
But she had been in the Spirit Pagoda for hundreds of years and had seen all sorts of demons and monsters. Since the other party was willing to reveal his identity as the heir of his family to become her disciple, it meant that he had no ill intentions, at least in the short term.
If she really had some ulterior motive, how could she, as her master, not keep an eye on her?
Now, the Qiangu Dongfeng mentions the Gu Yue.
Leng Yaozhu's first reaction was not joy, but vigilance.
What is that old man up to?
Did he discover that Gu Yue's identity was problematic?
"What does he want to talk about with Gu Yue?"
The secretary forced herself to speak.
"The Tower Master said it was just a casual chat. Gu Yue is all alone in Eastsea City, and as the Tower Master of the Spirit Pagoda Tower, it's only right that he inquires about the situation of his subordinate disciple."
"Care."
Leng Yaozhu repeated the word, a cold smile curling at the corner of her lips.
"When has he, Qiangu Dongfeng, ever cared about my disciple? He's only concerned with his own own desires."
The secretary didn't dare to respond.
Leng Yaozhu stood up and walked to the window.
You can see the direction of the office at the top of the tower from the window.
She had worked with Qiangu Dongfeng for over a century. She knew better than anyone what that person was thinking.
It's just that I like her.
I've liked it for over a century, and I've followed it for over a century.
Now they want to connect through Gu Yue.
"That old bastard."
Leng Yaozhu cursed inwardly.
She wasn't unaware of Qiangu Dongfeng's intentions. She simply had absolutely no interest in that man.
Back then, she and her younger sister Leng Yulai both liked Yun Ming. In the end, Yun Ming didn't choose either of them. Her sister turned evil and betrayed the family, while she took over the Phoenix Clan alone and climbed step by step to the position of Deputy Tower Master.
In these past few centuries, what hasn't she experienced, what kind of man hasn't she seen?
She couldn't even be bothered to look at Qiangu Dongfeng's self-righteous, seemingly affectionate but actually overly controlling behavior.
but.
The secretary just mentioned the Heaven-Supporting Pillar and Soul Spirit Technology.
This is official business.
If she doesn't even discuss official matters with Qiangu Dongfeng because of personal grudges, it won't sound good if word gets out.
Although the Phoenix Clan wields considerable power within the Spirit Pagoda, they cannot afford to go too far.
Moreover, she had never been sure about the background of Gu Yue's reclusive family. If Qiangu Dongfeng really found out something, she would need to know in advance.
Leng Yaozhu remained silent for a while.
"OK."
She turned around.
I'm going to see him.
The secretary breathed a sigh of relief.
"I will report back to the Tower Master immediately."
"But."
Leng Yaozhu added a sentence.
"Let me make this clear from the start. If he dares to utter a single word against Gu Yue, I'm leaving right now."
The secretary nodded repeatedly.
The office at the top of the tower.
Qiangu Dongfeng stood in front of the French windows, his back to the door.
He had specially changed into a new ceremonial robe for the tower master today, and his hair was neatly combed. When he heard footsteps, he turned around abruptly.
"Yuan Zhu."
He opened his arms.
The hugging motion was already in place.
Leng Yaozhu pushed the door open and saw his action; her brows furrowed instantly.
She took half a step back.
"The Eternal Tower Master."
Her voice was as cold as ice.
"What's the matter? Sit down and talk."
The outstretched arms of the Qiangu Dongfeng froze in mid-air.
It lasted for about three seconds.
Then he slowly lowered his arm, his expression changing from anticipation to embarrassment, and then from embarrassment to a forced smile.
"Yaozhu, look at you, after all these years, you're still so distant."
Leng Yaozhu didn't respond to him.
She walked to the opposite desk, pulled out a chair, and sat down, her back ramrod straight.
"Speak. What is it?"
Qiangu Dongfeng looked at her icy face and his lips twitched.
He slowly walked back to his chair and sat down.
The secretary tactfully withdrew and gently closed the door behind her.
Only the two of them remained in the office.
Qiangu Dongfeng looked at Leng Yaozhu sitting opposite him, and that bittersweet feeling welled up in his heart again.
It's been hundreds of years.
He pursued this woman for hundreds of years.
She wouldn't even give him a hug.
There's a saying on Blue Planet: "A warm-hearted man lines up after a dog."
That's exactly the point.
If Leng Yaozhu knew what Qiangu Dongfeng was thinking, she would definitely say, "I won't give it to you even if I sew it up myself."