Chapter 35: The Olive Branch of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Meanwhile, Qian Renxue returned to the Crown Prince's residence.
Inside the Crown Prince's residence, Qian Renxue slowly walked into the study. Her encounter with Ye Xuanming had been quite fruitful.
Inside the room, a dark figure quietly emerged; it was none other than She Long, the Serpent Spear Fighter.
"Young Master, since Ye Xuanming has not agreed, perhaps…" She Long made a throat-slitting gesture.
Qian Renxue raised her hand to stop her and sat down in the chair.
"Don't rush. It's normal for Ye Xuanming to not make a decision at his age. We still have time."
She picked up her teacup, took a small sip, and continued, "Besides, we shouldn't cause any unnecessary trouble right now."
She Long knelt on one knee: "Your subordinate understands."
Qian Renxue stood up, walked to the window, and looked into the distance.
"Continue to observe and refrain from making any rash moves for now. Such talent should either be put to use, or... we should wait for the right opportunity."
"But now, it's not the right time!"
...
On the other side, Dugu Bo led three young people out of the academy, preparing to return to the Ye residence.
It was already dusk, and the group walked slowly.
"Grandpa, is there really a problem with His Highness the Crown Prince?" Dugu Yan couldn't help but ask.
Dugu Bo glanced at his granddaughter:
"Yanyan, some things are not as simple as they seem on the surface. The political struggles in the Heavenly Dou Empire are more complicated than you imagine."
"But His Highness the Crown Prince seems like a very nice person," Dugu Yan pouted.
"There are plenty of people who seem nice on the surface." Dugu Bo shook his head. "I've lived for so many years and seen far too many people who are two-faced."
Ye Lingling spoke softly, "Senior Dugu is right, we'd better be careful."
Ye Xuanming walked beside him, secretly amused.
If Dugu Bo knew that the "Crown Prince" was actually a member of the Spirit Hall, I wonder what his expression would be.
As they were talking, the sound of horses' hooves came from ahead.
A magnificent carriage slowly approached, its body adorned with dragons and phoenixes, clearly indicating the owner's extraordinary status.
The carriage stopped beside the group, the curtain was lifted, and a gentle voice was heard.
"Poison Dora, what a coincidence."
Dugu Bo recognized the person who had arrived and his expression changed slightly. "Sect Leader Ning, what are you doing here?"
The person who stepped down from the carriage was Ning Fengzhi, the sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
He was tall and slender, with a refined appearance, and his every move exuded aristocratic elegance.
An old man stood behind him.
The old man wore a spotless white robe, his beard and hair were all white, and his long silver hair was neatly combed down his back. He had a simple and honest appearance, his face was as delicate as a baby's, his expression was indifferent, and his eyes seemed to be unable to see anything around him.
It is precisely the heart of the Sword Douluo.
"I happened to be passing by when I met them."
Ning Fengzhi smiled gently, his gaze lingering on Ye Xuanming for a moment.
"Is this the young friend Ye Xuanming who has recently gained fame?"
Ye Xuanming quickly bowed and said, "Greetings, Sect Leader Ning, and Senior Sword Douluo."
"No need for formalities." Ning Fengzhi waved his hand. "I have long heard of your great name. Meeting you today, I can see that you are indeed a young talent."
Chen Xin nodded beside him:
"He is indeed a promising talent. To have such skill at such a young age, he is bound to achieve great things in the future."
Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling also quickly bowed.
Ning Fengzhi was very friendly and had none of the airs of the three sect leaders.
"Poison Douluo, if you don't mind, shall we find a place to sit down and have a chat?"
Dugu Bo looked at Ye Xuanming and nodded in agreement.
The group went to a nearby teahouse and asked for a private room.
After sitting down, Ning Fengzhi took the initiative to speak: "Young friend Ye, I've heard that your martial soul is quite special?"
"It's just a mutated Blue Silver Grass," Ye Xuanming replied modestly.
"Mutant martial souls often contain enormous potential," Ning Fengzhi said with a smile. "Our Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has always enjoyed making friends with talented young people."
Dugu Bo sneered from the side: "Sect Leader Ning, just say what you have to say."
Rather than taking a roundabout approach:
"I have a daughter named Ning Rongrong, who has innate level nine soul power and is only a little over a year younger than you, young friend Ye."
He paused for a moment, then continued:
"The children are all around the same age, so they can interact more and learn from each other in the future."
Dugu Yan stared wide-eyed. What did this mean?
Ye Lingling also sensed something was amiss; Ning Fengzhi's words had a hidden meaning.
Ye Xuanming understood that Ning Fengzhi was paving the way for his daughter.
However, Ning Rongrong should still be a little witch at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School right now.
"Sect Leader Ning, you're too kind," Ye Xuanming replied politely. "If there's an opportunity, I'd be happy to get to know Miss Ning."
Ning Fengzhi nodded in satisfaction:
"Then it's settled. Rongrong has been spoiled since she was little, and she's a bit willful. I hope you'll be understanding, young friend Ye."
Chen Xin added from the side: "Rongrong is indeed a naughty girl, but her talent is really good. Her martial soul is the family heirloom Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, and her innate soul power has reached level nine."
Dugu Bo listened to their conversation, lost in thought.
The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School taking the initiative to show goodwill is no simple matter.
Clearly, Ning Fengzhi also wants to invest.
"Sect Leader Ning, what is this...?"
"Haha, Poison Douluo is overthinking it."
Ning Fengzhi laughed heartily, "I just think that young friend Ye has great potential and I just want to make a good connection with him."
Dugu Yan couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "Why does it feel like they're talking about marriage..."
Ye Lingling quickly tugged at her sleeve, signaling her not to say anything out of line.
Ning Fengzhi heard Dugu Yan's words and chuckled:
"The little girl is right, but the children are still young, and it's too early to talk about these things."
Ye Xuanming felt somewhat helpless; these important figures always liked to make decisions for the younger generation.
After chatting for a while, Ning Fengzhi got up to say goodbye.
"It was a pleasure to meet you today. I welcome you to visit the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School another day."
"Definitely, definitely," Ye Xuanming replied politely.
After Ning Fengzhi and Chen Xin left, Dugu Bo breathed a long sigh of relief.
"Xuanming, your talent is truly extraordinary," Dugu Bo exclaimed.
"Not only the Crown Prince, but even Ning Fengzhi of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School wants to befriend you. He even brought up his daughter."
He paused for a moment, then continued his analysis:
"You should know that Ning Fengzhi is a businessman through and through. Their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School was able to rise to the top three sects precisely because they are good at investing."
"In the early years, it was because they invested in Sword Douluo and Bone that there were two great Guardian Douluo, which led to the current Three Upper Sects."
Dugu Yan blinked beside her: "Doesn't that mean Xuanming is very valuable?"
"Yanzi!" Ye Lingling patted her friend helplessly.
Ye Xuanming shook his head and smiled wryly: "I'm not a commodity."
"But you are indeed very sought after." Dugu Bo said seriously, "Within a single day, both the Crown Prince and the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School took the initiative to show goodwill. Few young people receive such treatment."
Ye Xuanming spoke up:
"Senior, that's not the case. It's just that I'm the only one without any background. My only background now is you and Aunt Ye."
Upon hearing this, Dugu Bo smiled.
The group continued walking towards the Ye residence when Dugu Yan suddenly remembered something.
"By the way, Grandpa, why were you so cold to Sect Leader Ning just now?"
Dugu Bo explained:
"Although the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is one of the top three sects, they do not have any titled Douluo and can only rely on other forces. Ning Fengzhi is a very shrewd person and never makes a losing deal."
"Then his interest in Xuanming means that Xuanming will definitely be very powerful in the future?" Dugu Yan asked excitedly.
"That's for sure," Dugu Bo nodded. "But that's precisely why we need to be even more careful. The tallest tree in the forest is bound to be felled by the wind."
Ye Xuanming felt a warm current surge in his heart as he listened to Dugu Bo's words.
Although the old poison master didn't say it, he did treat him as one of his own.
Back at the Ye residence, Ye Xingyue had already prepared dinner.
"You've come back just in time, wash your hands and eat."
At the dinner table, Dugu Yan excitedly shared her experiences of the day with Ye Xingyue.
"Aunt Ye, guess who we ran into today? The sect leader of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School!"
Ye Xingyue asked in surprise, "Ning Fengzhi? What's he doing here?"
"Just passing by," Dugu Bo explained simply. "However, he was very interested in Xuanming and even mentioned his daughter."
Ye Xingyue looked at Ye Xuanming thoughtfully: "It seems that Xuanming's reputation has already spread."
"Mom, who is Ning Rongrong?" Ye Lingling asked curiously.
"The little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School has excellent talent. When Ning Rongrong awakened the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda Martial Soul, she had a level nine innate soul power, which is known to many people in Heaven Dou City."
Ye Xingyue answered.
Dugu Yan pouted: "Another rich girl, I feel like she'll be hard to get along with."
Ye Xuanming picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks: "We haven't even met the person yet, so don't jump to conclusions."
"Xuanming is right," Ye Xingyue agreed. "However, you are still young, so you don't need to think too much about these things."
After finishing dinner, Dugu Bo prepared to leave.
After seeing Dugu Bo off, the three returned to the courtyard.
Night had fallen, and the moon hung high in the sky.
Ye Xuanming sat at the stone table, pondering the events of the day.
Qian Renxue's probing and Ning Fengzhi's overtures both indicate that he has entered the sights of various forces.
Dugu Yan walked over and sat down beside him: "Xuanming, what are you thinking about?"
"Nothing much, it's just that a lot happened today."
Ye Lingling also sat down: "Indeed, the chances of encountering the Crown Prince and the Sect Master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School in one day are too small."
"Maybe it's just a coincidence," Dugu Yan said optimistically.
Ye Xuanming shook his head: "There aren't that many coincidences in the world."
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(End of this Chapter)