Chapter 88: Mutual Flattery
Soon, Lin Yang arrived at the Faculty Committee building.
At the entrance of the building, there was a luxurious carriage; presumably, it was the Crown Prince's transport.
Lin Yang glanced at it and didn't pay it much more attention, instead following an attendant to the reception room.
The attendant gently pushed open the door and stepped aside.
Lin Yang stepped inside.
The reception room was no different from his last visit, and the three members of the Faculty Committee were sitting in their usual spots, but opposite them sat a young man in his early twenties.
The young man had a straight nose and a square jaw, with delicate features that looked quite refined; a clean, plain white robe took on an air of nobility on his frame.
He maintained a faint smile on his face, giving off a gentle, easygoing feeling like a spring breeze at first glance.
Lin Yang came to a halt and bowed slightly, "Greetings, Chief Meng, Vice-Chief Bai, and Third Seat Zhi Lin."
"Haha, Lin Yang, you've arrived."
Meng Shenji greeted him with a smile, his admiration for Lin Yang evident in his eyes, "Come, let me introduce you. This is the Crown Prince of our Heaven Dou Empire, His Highness Xue Qinghe."
Lin Yang followed suit and saluted: "Student Lin Yang greets Your Highness the Crown Prince."
"No need for such formality."
Xue Qinghe had already stood up, his gaze falling on Lin Yang. His tone was gentle and his attitude easygoing, "For a Genius to be praised so highly by all three Faculty Committee members simultaneously—seeing you today, your bearing is indeed extraordinary."
"Your Highness overpraises me."
"Eh~, don't be so distant."
Xue Qinghe waved his hand with a casual smile, "This isn't the imperial court or the palace. We are close in age; if you don't mind, just call me Big Brother Xue."
Lin Yang didn't act pretentious and nodded slightly: "Big Brother Xue."
"Good!"
The smile on Xue Qinghe's face deepened, and he then removed an exquisite and magnificent jade pendant from his waist and handed it over, "As your big brother, I didn't bring anything else today. This jade pendant is the only thing on me worth presenting, so I'll give it to you, Brother Yang, as a meeting gift."
The jade pendant was warm and delicate, but Heaven and Earth Origin Qi faintly swirled around it, showing at a glance that it was no ordinary object.
On the front of the jade pendant, the character 'Xue' was carved in a bold, flowing style.
Lin Yang looked at the jade pendant before him, a hint of hesitation appearing on his face, and he did not immediately take it.
Seeing Lin Yang's hesitation, Meng Shenji spoke up at the right moment, "Lin Yang, don't overthink it. This is a personal token from His Highness the Crown Prince, representing his recognition of you."
"With this jade pendant, as long as you are within the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire, things will be much more convenient for you. There is no other meaning."
Seeing this, Lin Yang put on a look of 'understanding,' then took the jade pendant with both hands and thanked him again, "Thank you, Your Highness the Crown Prince."
Xue Qinghe intentionally pulled a long face: "Call me Big Brother Xue."
"Yes, Big Brother Xue!"
"Hahaha, perhaps this event today will become a legendary tale in the future," Meng Shenji said with a chuckle. "Lin Yang, don't just stand there, sit!"
Lin Yang sat in the seat below Xue Qinghe.
"His Highness the Crown Prince summoned you today for no other reason than to meet our academy's most promising student."
Xue Qinghe took a sip of tea, set it down, and said casually, "I heard that Brother Yang was only eight years old when he enrolled and was already a Level 32 Soul Elder. Now that half a year has passed, you should have made further progress."
Lin Yang shook his head, "Your Highness, I am almost nine years old now, and my current Soul Power is Level 35."
As soon as these words were spoken, the air in the room froze for a moment.
Not even nine years old, and Level 35?
The gentle smile that had been on Xue Qinghe's face stiffened slightly.
She had been no better back then, and one must remember she possessed Level 20 Innate full soul power.
But what about Lin Yang?
He only had Level 5.
On the faces of Meng Shenji and the other two, a uniform expression of shock surfaced first, followed by a wave of realization.
This level of progress was the only thing worthy of the talent Lin Yang had displayed.
Watching their reactions, Lin Yang felt no ripples in his heart.
He didn't plan on hiding his strength because he was a Genius who could step into the Three-Ring Soul Elder stage at age eight; hiding too much would instead arouse suspicion.
Since that was the case, he would display it openly and generously.
Furthermore, he didn't need to worry about what Qian Renxue would do to him.
Although she was a Spirit Hall mole who had replaced the real Xue Qinghe,
she was also constrained by her identity as the Crown Prince and certainly wouldn't do anything detrimental to Lin Yang under the noses of the three Faculty Committee members.
Xue Qinghe was the Crown Prince and the future heir to the Heaven Dou Empire.
He was a student of the Heaven Dou Royal Academy, which was directly under the jurisdiction of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family, with Emperor Xue Ye himself as the Dean.
Therefore, Qian Renxue could only maintain her identity as the Heaven Dou Crown Prince by winning Lin Yang over.
Besides, to put it bluntly, Qian Renxue herself was one of those more 'pedantic' types of people.
Sent here to be a mole, she actually became a 'perfect' Crown Prince in the eyes of others, honestly and diligently.
Aside from poisoning Emperor Xue Ye and eliminating the other princes, she didn't do any actual work.
She didn't win over the ministers in court, ignored other imperial relatives, and didn't even make moves like planting confidants or seizing military power.
In the end, after over a decade of hard work, she ended up handing everything to Xue Beng on a silver platter.
If it had been someone slightly more aggressive, they would have long since shouted, "If there are eight hundred people, then eight hundred it is; those eight hundred will strike first!"
Once all the imperial family members were dead, she would be the emperor whether she wanted to be or not.
Unfortunately... she wasn't that type!
At this moment, Xue Qinghe quickly adjusted his thoughts, a gentle smile returning to his face, though his eyes held a bit more scrutiny. "Brother Yang, you've given me far too great a surprise. Even with Innate full soul power, one wouldn't reach this level of cultivation at your age."
He paused and finally asked the question he was concerned about, "I wonder how you Cultivate? Could you enlighten your elder brother?"
Lin Yang pondered slightly, then looked up and spoke in a matter-of-fact tone, "I... just keep practicing."
Xue Qinghe was stunned for a moment!
Lin Yang continued: "My former teacher told me to meditate seriously when meditating, to give my all when fighting, and to focus even when reading books."
"I..."
He blinked, his face full of sincerity, "Is there a problem with that? Doesn't every Soul Master do the same?"
Lin Yang's bluntness caused everyone else to fall silent.
After a few seconds of silence, Meng Shenji suddenly burst into loud laughter, "Well said! Soul Master cultivation should discard impetuousness, calm the mind, and focus on what is right in front of you."
"Lin Yang, I hope you can continue to adhere to your original heart and never lose yourself to momentary illusions."
Lin Yang stood up and bowed slightly, his expression full of sincerity, "This student will keep Chief Meng's teachings in mind."
At this time, Xue Qinghe also came back to his senses and shook his head with a smile, "It seems that Brother Yang's achievements today are truly not due to luck. Adhering to one's original heart is easy to say, but who can actually do it easily?"
He picked up his teacup and took a sip, his tone carrying a bit of self-deprecation, "Unfortunately, as the Crown Prince, I have too many mundane matters to attend to, and I cannot be as wholehearted as you."
Lin Yang looked up at this point and watched him seriously, "Big Brother Xue, those words are incorrect."
Xue Qinghe was slightly taken aback.
"As the Crown Prince, Big Brother Xue carries the weight of the millions upon millions of citizens of the entire Empire on your shoulders."
Lin Yang's expression was calm, but the words coming out of his mouth carried a matter-of-fact, righteous tone, "I am able to have what I have today because of the protection of the nation, so please, Big Brother Xue, do not belittle yourself."
Hearing these words, the smile on Xue Qinghe's face deepened by a few degrees, "Brother Yang's words have truly made this elder brother feel ashamed."
"It was just that I didn't think it through for a moment. Soul Masters focusing on cultivation and the Crown Prince managing state affairs—that is the natural order of things."
"Haha, indeed!"0
Loving Book So Far? Check Out 30+ Advanced Chapters At PA Treon
patreon.com/FictionOP