After listening to Song Guan's introduction to Lan Lingmeng, Yu Tianheng was slightly surprised.
Lan Lingmeng was the eldest daughter of Linyin Duke's Mansion, so her background was quite good. After all, in the Heaven Dou Empire, a duke stood almost at the pinnacle of the nobility. Above him were only princes and the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire.
But throughout the Heaven Dou Empire's history, there had never been a prince with a different surname from the imperial family. In the later part of the original story, however, there was a King Lan Hao.
At present, Lan Lingmeng's father ranked below only Xue Ye and a few princes in the Heaven Dou Empire.
He could be considered a man of great power and influence.
As for her cultivation?
At eighteen, with a Soul Power Level of 37, she would certainly be considered exceptionally gifted by outsiders. But in Yu Tianheng's eyes, she was nothing special, utterly ordinary. She had not even reached rank forty at eighteen; she was just a random extra.
"By the way, you said that if I had agreed to let Lan Lingmeng show me around Heaven Dou Royal Academy this afternoon, there would have been trouble afterward. What did you mean?" Yu Tianheng asked.
Song Guan edged closer to Yu Tianheng as though by accident and lowered his voice so only the two of them could hear. "Brother Tian Heng, you don't know this, but Lan Lingmeng is unrivaled in the limelight at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and she has plenty of suitors. After all, she has status, looks, and decent talent. Who wouldn't be tempted?"
"Then were you tempted too?" Yu Tianheng suddenly asked Song Guan.
Song Guan's old face reddened. "A little, but I know my own limits. I know who I should and shouldn't get involved with. With a woman like Lan Lingmeng, I'd better keep my distance, lest I bring trouble down on myself."
"Oh? Tell me more!"
Song Guan continued, "Among Lan Lingmeng's many suitors, there's one person you have to know about. He's Lei Long, the son of Lei Zhan, a marshal of the Heaven Dou Empire. He's pursuing her with a vengeance, using his status to proclaim his affection for Lan Lingmeng everywhere. He's stirred up such a commotion at the academy that plenty of people know about it."
"He even declared that if anyone dared touch the woman he had his eye on, he'd break all four of his limbs and throw him out of the academy. If he refused to leave, Lei Long would beat him every time he saw him."
"Damn, he's that arrogant? The Education Committee doesn't do anything about it?" Yu Tianheng asked in confusion.
"Brother Tian Heng, it's not that they don't want to intervene, but that it's difficult. Lei Long's father, Lei Zhan, is an imperial marshal. I've heard that Lei Zhan was born into a military family in the Heaven Dou Empire. Influenced by his family from an early age, he showed a strong interest and exceptional talent in military strategy and Martial Soul cultivation. He joined the army when he was young, starting as a common soldier. Relying on his outstanding combat skills and command abilities, he distinguished himself in battle after battle."
"Lei Zhan first showed his edge in a border conflict with the Star Luo Empire. Facing an enemy several times the size of his own force, he calmly assessed the battlefield and made clever use of the terrain. He led his squad in a successful raid on the enemy's rear supply lines, turning the tide and making a name for himself in a single battle. Afterward, he earned a distinguished record in many more campaigns, gradually rising to become a marshal of the Heaven Dou Empire."
"He's an imperial marshal! He commands hundreds of thousands of troops and wields power that reaches the heavens. Lei Zhan himself is also a Soul Douluo-level powerhouse. With both those things combined, even Xue Ye has to show him some respect and can't deal with him lightly."
"And Lei Long is Lei Zhan's only son. With that background, he can do practically anything he wants at Heaven Dou Royal Academy, and no one dares provoke him."
"Hmph!" Yu Tianheng sneered, his face full of disdain. "I was wondering what it was. Turns out he's relying on his daddy."
"Brother Tian Heng, you'd be dead wrong to think that. Lei Long doesn't rely on his father alone to act so tyrannically at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. He's no slouch himself."
"Lei Long inherited his Martial Soul from his family. It's a top-tier Beast Martial Soul called the Saber-Toothed Tiger. They say it's on par with the White Tiger Martial Soul of the Star Luo Imperial Family."
"He's nineteen now, but his Soul Power Level is already as high as 39. Because of his top-tier Beast Martial Soul, Lei Long's combat strength is terrifying. He can easily thrash Soul Masters of the same level, so he's very famous at Heaven Dou Royal Academy. He has a whole bunch of followers, all Heaven Dou Grade students above rank thirty. And with Lei Long's talent, I believe it won't be long before he breaks through to rank forty and becomes a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor. When that happens, he'll be the strongest student at Heaven Dou Royal Academy," Song Guan explained.
After hearing this, Yu Tianheng's expression remained calm. He was unmoved and did not take Lei Long seriously in the least. Lei Long seemed powerful, but Yu Tianheng was no pushover either. He cultivated both the Martial Dao and his Martial Soul. His Martial Dao cultivation was currently at the third realm, the Sinew Refining Realm, while his Soul Master rank was thirty-one. Together, the two gave him combat strength far beyond that of an ordinary three-ring Soul Master. If it came to a fight, he could even take on a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor.
A mere Lei Long, a minor figure who had yet to become a Four-Ring Soul Ancestor, was not worth fearing in the slightest.
"All right, I understand. I'll keep an eye on Lei Long. If he doesn't come looking for trouble with me, so much the better. Well water won't disturb river water. But if he dares come after me, hmph! I'll teach him how to behave."
Song Guan made no comment. Although he didn't think Yu Tianheng was a match for Lei Long, the former's cultivation talent was terrifying. Presumably, he would definitely catch up to Lei Long in a few years, and might well be able to beat him then.
As for now, he had better endure it for the time being.
"By the way, there's a favor I hope you can do for me. If you succeed, I'll owe you one."
Song Guan's eyes immediately lit up. A favor from the young clan leader of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was worth quite a lot. More importantly, with that favor between them, they could be considered their own people.
"All right, Brother Tian Heng, tell me. If it's something I can do, I'll definitely find a way to help."
"I'm looking for someone. Her name is Dugu Yan, and her Martial Soul is the Jade Phosphorus Snake. She's around twelve, probably about the same age as me. She may or may not have come to Heaven Dou Royal Academy. She's very important to me, and I need to find her. But the academy is so big, and I've only just arrived, so finding her won't be easy. That's why I hope you can help me find her. Of course, don't search for her openly. Do it in private." Yu Tianheng looked at Song Guan, his eyes full of anticipation.
"Dugu Yan? A Jade Phosphorus Snake Martial Soul? That Martial Soul is rather unusual. All right, I'll keep an eye out for her. But what's your relationship with her, that you're so eager to find her?" Song Guan pressed curiously.
Yu Tianheng's face darkened. "Don't ask questions you shouldn't!"
"All right, all right. If you won't say, you won't say. I'm not interested in knowing anyway. But I'll keep an eye out for her. If there's any news of her at the academy, I'll let you know right away," Song Guan said, waving a hand.
Only then did Yu Tianheng's expression return to normal. "Good. Sorry for the trouble. If you really do find this woman, I'll owe you a favor."