Huang Xiaoman secretly sized up Ling Fei.
'This guy... he's actually grown quite a bit taller, and he's gotten much more handsome.' Huang Xiaoman mused. 'Even at the Divine Academy, there are few who can compare to him.'
At the same time, Ling Fei was also sizing up Huang Xiaoman.
"It's been two years, and you've changed a lot, you wild girl!" Ling Fei said casually, a brow cocked. "Not bad. Your legs have gotten longer, and that outfit isn't half bad either. It really shows off your waist... you're so slim. Who knew you had such a slender waist? Huh, wild girl, I never thought that after two years, you'd actually... fill out. No longer Princess Taiping, I see!"
His eyes scanned her from bottom to top as he commented appraisingly.
"You're Princess Taiping! Your whole family is Princess Taiping!" Huang Xiaoman's expression soured, and she rolled her eyes.
The mere thought of it made her completely exasperated.
Back in the day, Ling Fei had relentlessly teased her about it.
It had become a real sore spot for Huang Xiaoman.
Fortunately, in the past two years, she had developed some impressive curves and was no longer afraid of the little rascal's jokes.
"Whoa, still mad? But you really *were* Princess Taiping back then," Ling Fei sighed dramatically. He then muttered resentfully under his breath, "It's not like I've never seen it before..." Knowing how sensitive Huang Xiaoman was on the topic, however, he didn't dare say it out loud.
Otherwise, he'd be in for a sound beating from that violent maniac.
He had learned that lesson the hard way more than once!
"Say one more word and I'll beat you black and blue," Huang Xiaoman retorted, rolling her eyes and threateningly raising a hand.
She looked for all the world like she was about to lash out.
But she didn't actually make a move.
Ever since that incident, she had grown used to bickering with Ling Fei.
"Still got a sharp tongue, but your figure is pretty decent. It's just your temper that's terrible," Ling Fei murmured, glancing at Huang Xiaoman.
The young woman was tall, around 1.72 meters, and with her long, straight legs, she was a true beauty.
In particular, the heroic air about her gave Huang Xiaoman a unique kind of charisma.
The appeal of this charisma was the polar opposite of Xue Xi's gentle beauty, but it was captivating all the same.
Though Ling Fei was only sixteen, he was already 1.73 meters tall. That, combined with his handsome features, made him devastatingly attractive. As his eyes swept over her, Huang Xiaoman's heart suddenly hammered in her chest and her cheeks flushed. Clearly, she was far from the innocent girl she once was.
"Sis!" A voice suddenly cried out just as Huang Xiaoman's cheeks were turning red.
It was Huang Liang, running over to them.
Seeing his sister's expression, Huang Liang froze. 'What could my sister possibly have to talk about with Ling the sickly?' he wondered.
Then, his gaze toward Ling Fei turned hostile.
He was still holding a grudge from two months ago.
Seeing Huang Liang's expression, the teasing, frivolous look on Ling Fei's face faded.
"What are you two doing here?" Ling Fei asked coolly, an eyebrow raised.
"I heard you've made some progress these past two years, so I got curious and came to take a look. Problem?" Huang Xiaoman shot back, her brow arched and her expression sour.
"It's more like your brother is too useless." Ling Fei now understood that Huang Xiaoman had most likely been dragged here by her brother to settle a score.
"Oh, you're useful, alright. But you've gotten yourself into some serious trouble today!" Huang Xiaoman crossed her arms, her almond eyes glancing at the ice sculpture that was Qin Hong. Her brow furrowed. Using the senses of an Innate Realm expert, she was horrified to discover that Qin Hong was already dead.
The great Second Young Master of the Qin Mansion was dead.
This was enough to turn all of Longtan Town on its head!
"This is definitely a problem," Ling Fei frowned. He hadn't expected his Cold Chi True Qi to be so potent.
"You... how could you be so careless?" Huang Xiaoman's brows knitted together as she lightly poked Ling Fei on the forehead.
"I barely even attacked and they turned into ice sculptures! I had no idea that would happen!" Ling Fei dodged her finger and threw up his hands, looking frustrated himself.
"Did you just break through to the Ninth Layer of Body Tempering and manifest True Qi?" Huang Xiaoman's eyes glinted as she stared at Ling Fei.
"Yeah." Ling Fei nodded.
"No wonder. When you first manifest True Qi, you can't really control its strength yet." Huang Xiaoman frowned, then her gaze shot up to Ling Fei. "The True Qi you manifested is Cold Essence True Qi. Do you possess the Cold Essence Spirit Body?" She was incredibly curious. If it was true, it would be wonderful news!
"Cold Essence Spirit Body?" Ling Fei blinked, then said, "I guess you could say that."
Even though he and Huang Xiaoman were very close, he didn't mention the True Dragon Body Refining Technique, giving an ambiguous answer instead.
"No wonder you were able to enter Dragon Pool Valley." Huang Xiaoman nodded. "We need to go. Quickly. News that Qin Hong has been turned to ice will reach the Qin Mansion any second. They'll be enraged. A storm is coming. You need to get back to the Medical Clinic and figure out a plan with Elder Ling."
"Right." Ling Fei nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation.
With that, Huang Xiaoman and Ling Fei headed for Longtan Town together.
"Hey, Sis! Weren't you supposed to be teaching Ling the sickly a lesson?" Huang Liang yelled after them, seeing his sister running off side-by-side with Ling Fei.
He couldn't have been more frustrated.
"Teach him a lesson, my foot!" Huang Xiaoman was speechless. 'How can my idiot brother still be thinking about petty grudges at a time like this?'
「Ling's Medical Clinic.」
In the main hall, Elder Ling was seated in the host's chair.
Huang Xiaoman sat in a seat to his left.
They had already explained how Qin Hong and his men had ambushed Ling Fei.
"It wasn't just Qin Ming this time; Qin Gang was there too. He's an expert on the verge of condensing Gang Qi and breaking through to the Celestial Spirit Realm!" Huang Xiaoman said, her face filled with worry. "Uncle Ling, you must make a decision quickly. If you can't deal with Qin Gang, you have to take Ling Fei and run!" As she saw it, the Qin Mansion was too powerful, and fleeing was their only option.
"I'm afraid the Qin Clan won't let this rest," Huang Liang added from the side.
He had come along reluctantly.
Now, listening to his sister, he too was beginning to feel the gravity of the situation.
"It is of no concern." To their surprise, Elder Ling remained perfectly calm. He took a sip of tea and spoke as if it were nothing.
"No concern?" Huang Xiaoman was taken aback. Her brow furrowed. "Uncle Ling, Qin Gang is on the verge of the Celestial Spirit Realm!"
The Ninth Layer of Body Tempering was for manifesting True Qi.
The Innate Realm was for shedding one's mortal shell and sensing the Power of Heaven and Earth.
And the Celestial Spirit Realm was for Qi Refining and Gang Transformation.
An expert of that caliber could turn a single wisp of True Qi into a Divine Weapon, killing without a trace.
They were true Martial Arts powerhouses.
'This old man?' Huang Liang was stunned. He felt that Elder Ling was extraordinarily different today; his calm composure was like that of a Grandmaster.
"Haha, little girl, you needn't worry. He's just a junior. This old man doesn't even consider him a threat," Elder Ling chuckled.
He smiled, a sharp glint flashing in his aged eyes.
"But... your injuries?" Huang Xiaoman was still worried.
"They are nothing to worry about." Elder Ling waved his hand. His gaze became sharp as lightning as he stared into the Void outside the hall. "As long as I am here, no one will touch a single hair on Fei'Er's head. My son is without fault. How could I allow others to humiliate him?" His final words were thunderous, each one resonating with immense authority.
For some reason, Huang Xiaoman felt that Elder Ling had become utterly unfathomable.
The worry in her heart began to dissipate, bit by bit.
'Perhaps Elder Ling really does have a way,' she thought, and said no more.
'Adoptive Father has always been prudent. If he's this confident, he must truly be able to handle the Qin Mansion. But his injuries...' Ling Fei, standing to the side, felt his heart settle slightly, yet he couldn't help the worry that filled his face.
His adoptive father hadn't blamed him at all after learning what happened.
Instead, he was now shouldering the entire burden himself.
This moved Ling Fei beyond words.
But when he thought of his adoptive father's injuries, a deep sense of unease crept back into his heart.