Yi Fan walked down from the platform. Qi Shaorong tilted his head, smiled, and said, "Qian Mian, you've actually already advanced to the seventh level. Why didn't you say so earlier, I was even a little worried about you for a moment there [1]."
"My bad, Young Master, I caused you to worry." Yi Fan said.
Chen Yuan stared at Yi Fan, and his eyes were filled with astonishment. When Yi Bing was injured previously, the Yi Family had thoroughly investigated all the fire mages in the secret dimension, but they found no leads. Looking at it now, it seems that the Yi Family had missed a person during their investigation!
"Young Master Chen, why are you looking at me like that?" Yi Fan asked.
Chen Yuan jumped from shock and quickly said, "It's nothing, I'm just surprised, Classmate Qian Mian and Classmate Qi didn't show their true strengths during the Hundred Schools Competition. It looks like Tianlan College winning first place wasn't just because of luck, but it's because you really were deserving of it."
Mu Tingxuan walked towards Qi Shaorong and said respectfully, "Greetings, Young Master. "
Qi Shaorong looked at Mu Tingxuan and said, "Tingxuan, I was just about to call you over, I didn't expect you to come over here first. Alright, let's not talk about these things any longer, I'm going to go find Liuyun to discuss some matters. The food at his place is really good, do you want to go together? "
Mu Tingxuan nodded and said, "Okay! I actually wanted to find a place to stay for some time too, so I guess I can go over to Liuyun's."
Yi Fan was a little excited and said, "You can come live with me."
"Aren't you living at the college?" Mu Tingxuan asked, confused.
"I also have a residence in the Imperial Capital." Yi Fan said.
"I think you should focus more on your studies with Principal Hu Feng at the college instead." Mu Tingxuan said coolly.
Yi Fan looked at Mu Tingxuan and said gloomily, "Well, I'll listen to you then."
Zhuang Hao looked at Mu Tingxuan and Yi Fan, and suddenly things became a little clearer to him. No wonder Qi Shaorong tried to create so many opportunities for Qian Mian to show off, Mu Tingxuan, this guy, looks really cold and indifferent, he seems to be difficult to please!
Yi Fan followed Qi Shaorong to the Luohua Pavilion. The news of Yi Fan having a dual fire and water cultivation base spread like wildfire all throughout the Imperial Capital.
"Miss, are you alright?" Xiang Yun looked at Mu Xuelan.
Mu Xuelan shook her head and said, "I'm fine."
"I never would've thought that Qian Mian, that guy, was actually a level seven mage, and has a dual fire and water cultivation. He's even not much worse than Young Master Zhuang Hao, before I had only thought that he's just Qi Shaorong's follower." Xiang Yun muttered.
"Qian Mian is really amazing."
Mu Xuelan's heart beat rapidly. Yi Bing had been injured by a fire mage inside the secret dimension previously, but they were never able to find the assailant. Qian Mian has always been hiding this secret of him knowing fire magic cultivation, so the person who harmed Yi Bing, very likely was…
But just why would Qian Mian do that?
Qi Shaoru looked at Qi Shaokang who was next to her and said, "Second Brother, I didn't expect Qian Mian to be so powerful, I seem to have underestimated him."
Qi Shaokang took a deep breath and said, "That guy isn't only powerful in terms of magic! It seems that his mind is also very deep!"
Qi Shaokang looked in the direction of Yi Chuxue and said, "Yi Chuxue doesn't look too good!" Although that girl's a little silly, she probably also had an inkling as to what's going on.
"That stupid girl, her two elder brothers were turned into wastes, yet she's still idle enough to attend the auction and tried to snatch the Xueyan flowers. It's really impudent." Qi Shaoru said disdainfully.
Qi Shaokang glanced at Qi Shaoru and said, "Alright, let's go back then."
Whether it was Qian Mian or the wood mage bought by Qian Mian, they seemed to all be related to his Fourth Brother somehow.
That Fourth Brother of his seemed to be becoming more and more unfathomable, what a pity…
Luohua Pavilion.
Zhuang Qian looked at Zhuang Hao and said, "Big Brother, Qi Shaorong, Qian Mian, and that Mu Tingxuan whom Qian Mian just bought, even Qi Heng, they all went to the inner courtyard of Luohua Pavilion. I don't know what they're talking about together, sneaking around like that. Qi Shaorong, this guy, he's really something. Everyone's so familiar with one another already, but now that they're discussing these private matters, they didn't even let Elder Brother go with them."
Zhuang Hao had on a long face, he sighed, and said desolately, "To Qi Shaorong, I am only an outsider."
Zhuang Qian scratched his head and said, "Elder Brother, don't belittle yourself! You two are connected by a contract, as long as a marriage contract is formed, Qi Shaorong naturally won't be able to run away anymore."
Zhuang Hao shook his head and said, "Qi Shaorong isn't someone who can be bound by a single contract." Someone who has cultivated both light and dark magic, spending years taking these risks and walking along the edge between life and death, definitely wouldn't be that simple of a person.
Although Qi Shaorong might sometimes seem unreliable, he's also a determined and aggressive, swift and resolute individual.
"That's true! Fourth Young Master Qi is very difficult to deal with! But Big Brother, you're very generous! You spent 400 000 to buy a pot of flowers and gave them away without even batting an eye. Elder Brother, you're so rich, don't you think you should also show some consideration towards me, your little brother, too?" Zhuang Qian said sourly [2].
Zhuang Hao looked at Zhuang Qian and said, "Keep dreaming."
Zhuang Qian: "…"
Chen Yuan held his chin and thought to himself: Chen Manwu had said that Allure Cosmetics has a total of one big boss and four small bosses. Qi Shaorong, Qian Mian, Bi Liuyun, Qi Heng, and Mu Tingxuan altogether were exactly five people!
"Brother Chen, why aren't you saying anything!" Zhuang Qian said, looking at Chen Yuan.
Chen Yuan smiled awkwardly and said, "It's nothing, I was only thinking, I seem to have seriously offended Qi Shaorong, I don't know if there's any way to make it up to him."
Zhuang Qian looked at Chen Yuan and said, "Brother Chen, Young Master Qi is very good at holding grudges, just look at my brother and you'll know."
Zhuang Hao:" … "
Luohua Pavilion's backyard.
"Tingxuan, just how did you fall into the hands of the Mohe Mercenary Corps? Did you underestimate them?" Qi Shaorong asked.
"On the surface, they're indeed a mercenary group, but I think the Mohe Mercenary Corps is only a knife in the hands of someone else." Mu Tingxuan said.
"What do you mean?"
"A lot of people have been investigating Allure Cosmetics recently, and my relationship with Allure Cosmetics was exposed." Mu Tingxuan said.
Qi Shaorong narrowed his eyes and said, "They planned very carefully [3], it seems that it's because of me that you were affected."
"Young Master, don't say that." Mu Tingxuan said.
Bi Liuyun hooked his hair and glanced at Yi Fan, saying, "Unfortunately, A-Fan killed them off too cleanly, there wasn't a single survivor left."
"It would be useless even if there were someone left, the other party did a very thorough job, the people from the mercenary group themselves probably didn't know all the details either." Mu Tingxuan said lightly.
Qi Shaorong touched his chin and said, "We don't need to know who the other person is, we just need to know whether they harbour any ambitions for Allure Cosmetics."
"Boss, if you marry Zhuang Hao, you'll have the Zhuang Family as a backer. Then Allure Cosmetics will certainly be as stable as Mount Tai." Bi Liuyun said.
Qi Shaorong looked at Bi Liuyun and said, "At present, I still haven't reached the point of needing to rely on Zhuang Hao, I'm just going to quietly observe the changes for now."
Bi Liuyun looked at Qi Shaorong and said, "With Boss's ability, even if all the Allure Cosmetics are closed down, you can still find a way to make a lot of money. Right now, our top priority is you! It's you! A-Fan, because of your actions during the fight just then, I'm afraid that the Yi Family has already taken notice of you."
Yi Fan said unconcernedly, "It's okay, it's already been a long time since the events inside the secret dimension took place. No one will bring up the old accounts of the past."
"Naturally there'll be some people who will." Bi Liuyun said.
Yi Fan: "…"
Qi Shaorong and the others talked for a long time before walking out from within Luohua Pavilion. Upon seeing Qi Shaorong come out, Zhuang Hao stood up and greeted, "You finished discussing?"
Qi Shaorong nodded and said, "We finished."
"What, Young Master Zhuang hasn't left yet?" Qi Shaorong asked.
"Young Master Zhuang, did you become engrossed by all the singing and dancing here, so you forgot to leave?" Yi Fan asked.
"Classmate Qian Mian, when you won that fight for the sake of your friend, it was really admirable, but what about that Mu guy, did he leave already?" Zhuang Hao asked.
Yi Fan: "…"
"I was waiting for you, are you done now? Are you going back to the college? I'll send you back." Zhuang Hao ignored Yi Fan and turned his head to talk to Qi Shaorong.
Qi Shaorong said to Zhuang Hao, "Young Master Zhuang, I know the way back, I won't bother you any longer."
Zhuang Qian leaned over and said, "Young Master Qi, don't be so aloof and unapproachable [4]! In case you meet any danger on the way back, my brother can save you! After all, isn't there a dangerous person right beside you currently!"
Qi Shaorong: "…"
Yi Fan: "…"
"It's getting late, let's go." Zhuang Hao pulled Qi Shaorong's hand and said.
Qi Shaorong looked at Zhuang Hao next to him and didn't object to it.
Qi Shaorong and Zhuang Hao returned to Tianlan College together. Qian Mian followed behind them, and there was some bitterness in his eyes.
"Student Qian Mian, you're finally back." Li Hong said, standing before Qian Mian.
As soon as Qian Mian returned to the college, he saw Li Hong standing at the gate of the campus, looking left and right.
"Does the Vice Principal have any comments for me?" Qian Mian asked.
"Student Qian Mian, you really know how to joke. You're so powerful, how could the Vice Principal dare to do that? Principal Lu Ming is here, he's been waiting for you for a long time."
Qi Shaorong looked at Yi Fan and said, "I thought the Yi Family would come, I didn't expect it to be Lu Ming."
Qian Mian said indifferently, "I'll go there then?"
Qi Shaorong kept pace with Qian Mian and said, "I'll go with you. "
Li Hong looked at Qian Mian, then looked at Qi Shaorong, and wanted to say something, but found that the two were already heading towards the Principal's office. Even Zhuang Hao, who had accompanied them to the college, went too.
Qian Mian pushed open the door and walked into the Principal's office. When Lu Ming saw Qian Mian, he immediately frowned.
"Disciple, you're back!" Hu Feng greeted them with a smile and said, "Qian Mian, Principal Lu Ming has some things he wants to ask you."
"Master, why didn't you shoo him away! Is it because you're not strong enough?" Qi Shaorong asked, displeased.
Hu Feng's eyes widened, looking as if he was choking on something.
Lu Ming this old guy was still present, and here Qi Shaorong was, talking about driving Lu Ming away.
Qian Mian smiled and said, "Master, Shaorong is only joking. Principal Lu Ming is a distinguished guest, how can we shoo him away? If our college just turned away Principal Lu Ming like that, wouldn't that make it seem like our Tianlan College doesn't know how to treat our guests properly? Principal Lu Ming is looking for me, you're a very busy person, if it weren't important you wouldn't have come here personally. I don't know what you want to ask me?"
"I heard that Student Qian Mian practices both water and fire magic?" Lu Ming asked.
Yi Fan shrugged and said, "There were many people watching the fight on the life-or-death platform today. I think that even the Emperor probably knows about this matter by now."
"Since Student Qian Mian is a dual water and fire mage, then when you registered for Tianlan College, why did you say you only had talent for water magic?" Lu Ming asked.
Yi Fan smiled and said, "If Principal Lu Ming wants to ask something, just ask directly, why go about it in such a roundabout way? Presumably, does Principal Lu Ming want to know if I was the one who harmed Yi Bing? Principal Lu Ming is really responsible, for the sake of a waste, you actually personally came here for a visit. Nowadays, it's really rare to see a principal as responsible as you."
Lu Ming: "…"
Hu Feng: "…"
"Since Principal Lu Ming is here, I naturally wouldn't want for you to have made this trip in vain. Yes, the person who hurt Yi Bing in the secret realm was me, it was me who destroyed his meridians with fire magic."
Lu Ming looked at Yi Fan and said, "Why did you do that?"
"Why? I did it because I wanted to, what other reasons could there be?" Yi Fan said. "If you really want a reason, well then, when there isn't enough food, a stronger fledgling in the nest will kick the weaker fledgling out of the nest to die. It's the survival of the fittest!"
Hu Feng looked at Yi Fan and said, "Disciple, what you said makes sense!" But what do fledglings have to do with this matter?
"Student Qian Mian, you being called Qian Mian, does it carry the meaning of having a thousand faces? This face of yours shouldn't be your original face." Lu Ming said.
[T/n: Qian Mian literally means "a thousand faces." Can't remember if I've mentioned that before.]
"Principal Lu Ming is very perceptive, I can't hide anything from you."
Yi Fan took off the mask on his face, and Hu Feng spat out a mouthful of tea.
"Sure enough!" Lu Ming looked at Yi Fan and said, "Even an upright and honest official will have difficulty resolving a family dispute. Since it's a matter of the Yi Family's, I won't intervene. Today, just treat it like I was never here."
Yi Fan watched Lu Ming leave, his gaze not moving at all.
Footnotes:
Worried about you: Originally it was "I sweated a lot for you", meaning he was so worried/nervous that he was sweating a lot.
Sourly: "Sour" can either mean sad, envious, or feeling bitter. In this case, Zhuang Qian is jealous of how ZH treats QSR so well.
Planned very carefully: To send out a long line to hook a big fish – to carefully plan something to make a bigger gain in the end.
Aloof and unapproachable: To keep people away at a distance of 1000 li (one li is an ancient unit of measurement, equal to 0.5 km).