Qian Chen, Bing Ling, and Zhang Lexuan had just left the inner court's reception hall when they received word that Ning Yuan, sect master of the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, had already left Shrek with Yan Feng. The corners of Qian Chen's lips lifted slightly. The Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's plan had officially begun.
Zhang Lexuan turned to look at the two of them and said with a smile, "Junior Brother Qian Chen, Junior Brother Bing Ling, it's just about time for the academy cafeteria to serve the afternoon meal. How about I take you there to eat first, then arrange your accommodations afterward?"
"Sure. Sorry for the trouble, Sister Lexuan. Please lead the way." Qian Chen's tone was gentle and courteous.
Zhang Lexuan nodded. "Mm, the cafeteria is in the outer court. Let's go."
Bing Ling was only fourteen, still a half-grown boy, and his temperament was a living replica of the family's Light Feather Douluo from ten thousand years ago.
His face fell on the spot, and he muttered, "Huh? That far?"
Zhang Lexuan chuckled. "It really isn't close. Every inch of land on Sea God Island is worth its weight in gold, after all. There simply isn't room to build a separate cafeteria for the inner court."
Qian Chen glanced at him. "Third Brother, stop making a fuss. Just follow Sister Lexuan."
Bing Ling sidled over, waggling his eyebrows. "Big Brother, don't be so serious! I just... just..."
"Spit it out." Qian Chen looked at his irrepressible younger brother, rather helpless.
"Didn't Bei Bei just say the cafeteria food wasn't good? I don't want to go there. Big Brother, why don't we ask Sister Lexuan to take us for braised Soul Beast meat too?"
At those words, Qian Chen's brows instantly knitted into three deep furrows, his face full of embarrassment. Bing Ling, however, turned to gaze pleadingly at Zhang Lexuan. "Sister Lexuan, can we?"
Zhang Lexuan had not expected that request. Remembering that Bing Ling had once saved her, how could she refuse? "We can, but I haven't prepared enough ingredients."
Qian Chen hurriedly smoothed things over. "All right, Bing Ling, don't trouble Sister Lexuan. We can just eat at the cafeteria."
Just then, a Silver-Blooded Dragonfish over ten years old leaped out of the lake with a splash, scattering a great spray of water. Bing Ling's eyes instantly lit up, and he pointed at the lake. "Sister Lexuan, those are Silver-Blooded Dragonfish in the lake, right? Can we catch them? Can we eat them?"
"Yes, but they're all Soul Beasts, and they're in the water. Catching them is no easy task," Zhang Lexuan explained.
"What's so hard about that?"
As soon as he spoke, Bing Ling leaped onto a rise by the lakeshore. The next instant, the Light Feather Divine Bow was already in his hand. He fixed his eyes on the water, held his breath, and focused, then drew his bow and loosed an arrow. An ice arrow shot into the water with a whoosh. In the blink of an eye, a large chunk of ice floated to the surface, with a Silver-Blooded Dragonfish at least a hundred years old frozen inside!
Bing Ling immediately leaped onto the water, pushed off it a few times to reach the floating ice, and kicked the fish-filled block straight onto the shore. Then, with a few more bounds across the water, he landed steadily back on shore.
Bing Ling had only caught the fish to satisfy his craving, but his display happened right at mealtime, with people coming and going, and instantly drew the attention of quite a few inner court students. After all, the vast majority of inner court disciples could not have fished a Silver-Blooded Dragonfish over a hundred years old out of the vast Sea God Lake as effortlessly as he had.
Just then, a girl dressed in white that outshone snow, with a cool, aloof bearing, walked up to Bing Ling and said, "Hello. May I ask if you're a senior from the inner court? My name is Ling Luochen. I'm a third-year outer court student and a reserve candidate for the next Shrek Seven Devils. I'm here on Sea God Island for training today. I have an ice-attribute Martial Soul too. If there's a chance in the future, I'd like to ask you some questions about cultivation, Senior. I hope you won't mind."
Seeing that she was a pretty girl whose attribute matched his own, Bing Ling naturally felt a sense of closeness. His face flushed, and he hurriedly nodded. "Of course!"
"That's wonderful, Senior! It's mealtime anyway. Let me treat you!" Ling Luochen's eyes lit up, and she immediately offered.
Bing Ling pointed at the Silver-Blooded Dragonfish on the ground. "No need. This is my dinner."
A trace of disappointment instantly appeared on Ling Luochen's face.
Just then, a wave of heat suddenly swept toward them. Qian Chen turned and saw a girl dressed in red, with flaming phoenix wings formed behind her, flying swiftly toward Bing Ling.
Seeing Qian Chen raise his hand to guard against her, Zhang Lexuan hurriedly stopped him. "Wait, Qian Chen. This girl is Ma Xiaotao. Like Ling Luochen, she's a member of the next Shrek Seven Devils. She's training in the inner court today."
While Zhang Lexuan was speaking, Ma Xiaotao had already flown up to Bing Ling. She was so fast that she knocked Ling Luochen aside, making her stagger and nearly fall.
"Ma Xiaotao! What are you doing, you lunatic!" Ling Luochen's face reddened with anger as she cursed on the spot.
But Ma Xiaotao ignored her entirely and leaned closer. The icy chill emanating from Bing Ling made her feel indescribably comfortable all over, and even her eyes lit up.
"My name is Ma Xiaotao, Senior." As she introduced herself, she reached out to touch Bing Ling.
Bing Ling had never encountered anything like this. A girl coming up and putting her hands on him was far scarier than Ling Luochen had been. So startled that his figure blurred, he ducked straight behind Zhang Lexuan and Qian Chen.
Ma Xiaotao did not stop at all, still calling, "Wait, Senior! I need your help with something!"
"Enough, Ma Xiaotao! Look at the way you're behaving! You aren't being controlled by your Evil Fire right now. Your mind is perfectly clear. Keep this up, and I'll throw you out of the inner court and forbid you from coming back to train!" Zhang Lexuan snapped.
Only then did Ma Xiaotao notice Zhang Lexuan was there too. She instantly wilted like an eggplant struck by frost and muttered, "Eldest Senior Sister, I didn't mean it... I just thought this icy-cool senior felt so comfortable that I wanted to get closer..."
Qian Chen lowered his voice to ask Zhang Lexuan, "Sister Lexuan, why does this Ma Xiaotao seem so spoiled and willful? And something is wrong with her presence. There's a hint of an Evil Soul Master about her. It's rather different from the bearing of a Shrek student."
Zhang Lexuan did not hide it from him. "Don't misunderstand, Qian Chen. Ma Xiaotao isn't an Evil Soul Master. Her Martial Soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix, the same as Ma Hongjun of the Shrek Seven Devils ten thousand years ago. But she's a girl, so she can't resolve her Evil Fire problem the way her ancestor did. She can only rely on the presence of other ice- or water-type Martial Souls to suppress it."
She paused, then continued, "She's also Dean Yan Shaozhe's personal disciple. Dean Yan already doted on her, and ever since her senior brother Wang Feng died in the Star Dou Great Forest half a year ago, he's spoiled her even more. That's how she developed this willful temperament."
"Actually, during those few days whenever her Evil Fire is completely suppressed, Ma Xiaotao is a very good girl. But it's been some time since she last suppressed it. It looks like Xiaotao likes Bing Ling's ice attribute even more. If possible, please ask Bing Ling to help her once. There are benefits for an ice-attribute Soul Master too. Helping suppress her Evil Fire can improve their control over the ice attribute. It's just very tiring," Zhang Lexuan explained on Ma Xiaotao's behalf.
After hearing her out, Qian Chen immediately understood the general situation and began weighing it up. How feasible would it be to win over Yan Shaozhe by helping Ma Xiaotao resolve her Evil Fire problem? But judging by Mu En's assessment and my own impressions from dealing with him, Yan Shaozhe is a petty man who forgets righteousness at the sight of profit. He's no safe bet at all. Then his thoughts shifted. I'll win Ma Xiaotao over first. With such excellent bait in hand, there'll be plenty of time to work out how to deal with Yan Shaozhe afterward. Besides, having Bing Ling suppress Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire would also greatly benefit his control over the ice attribute.
Qian Chen turned to Ma Xiaotao and asked, "Your name is Ma Xiaotao, and your Martial Soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix? You want to suppress your Evil Fire?"
Suddenly addressed by this unfamiliar senior whose presence was unfathomable, Ma Xiaotao instantly became somewhat flustered. Rubbing her little hands together, she answered softly, "Y-yes, Senior."