Chapter 141: Schemes

The next morning, Li Luo opened his eyes, his heart brimming with anticipation for the phase force tree at the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy.

He washed up and went downstairs.

On the second floor, he saw Student Xin Fu as focused as ever in front of his easel. This time, Li Luo set aside that childish captain's concern, and walked straight downstairs with a blank expression.

In the first-floor living room, Bai Bai Mengmeng was busy in the kitchen, her lithe figure carefully preparing breakfast.

Gazing at the girl's pure and lovely face, Li Luo sighed softly. Though beauty might be a feast for the eyes, eating this kind of thing every day was hardly sustainable.

While Li Luo was brooding, a sudden knock came at the door. He stepped forward to open it, and a familiar, breathtakingly beautiful face came into view.

"Sister Jiang Qinge?" Li Luo said, pleasantly surprised, and broke into a smile.

Jiang Jiang Qinge stood tall and graceful, her slender figure exquisitely proportioned, her legs beneath the battle skirt slim and straight, and her golden eyes radiated an indescribable charm that drew one's gaze into helpless fascination.

The morning light fell upon her pretty face and her delicate skin, as if a faint jade glow could be seen drifting across it.

At that moment, dangling from her jade-like fingers was a small pouch. Upon seeing Li Luo, she smiled and handed it over.

"These are the most famous red glutinous cakes from the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy cafeteria. They're perfect for breakfast."

Li Luo hurriedly took them, his eyes slightly misty: "Saved!"

"If you'd been any later, I'd have been tormented all over again." He subtly gestured toward the room.

Jiang Jiang Qinge glanced over and saw Bai Bai Mengmeng's petite, adorable figure. With a half-smile she said, "You're acting like someone who got a bargain and is still playing coy?"

"Try eating it once and you'll understand," Li Luo said with a mournful sigh.

Jiang Jiang Qinge didn't banter with him further, and said, "Come walk with me."

Seeing her like this, Li Luo knew she had something to say to him. He nodded, turned to give Bai Bai Mengmeng a word, and then walked out of the small building with Jiang Jiang Qinge.

In front of the small building lay a lake as clear as a mirror, wreathed in a thin mist.

On the path by the lake, trainees in devil-training suits occasionally whizzed past, and more than a few gazes inevitably landed on Li Luo walking shoulder to shoulder with Jiang Jiang Qinge.

Those gazes were saturated with intense, masculine jealousy.

After all, Jiang Jiang Qinge was now a student of the Three-Star Academy at the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy. In terms of fame, probably everyone in the academy knew her. It was said that, in terms of popularity, Jiang Jiang Qinge was by no means inferior to that senior princess who was now a Four-Star Academy student.

Li Luo was long immune to such gazes. He popped red glutinous cakes into his mouth one after another and said, "What did Sister Jiang Qinge want to say?"

Jiang Jiang Qinge's golden eyes glanced at him. After a few moments of silence, she said, "Regarding the matter of the Wang Hou battlefield, your mentor should have already told you about it, right?"

Li Luo's hand reaching into the pouch for a red glutinous cake paused. His gaze instantly grew far more complex, and he nodded lightly.

"No wonder Sister Jiang Qinge never told me before," he sighed.

"Knowing these things in advance would put no small amount of pressure on you. There was no need," Jiang Jiang Qinge said.

"It was probably more like being powerless to do anything, wasn't it," Li Luo said with a bitter smile.

"It's not just you who are powerless—even I am."

Jiang Jiang Qinge said softly, "But there's no need to be overly self-deprecating. Having a goal isn't a bad thing."

Li Luo nodded, was silent for a moment, and said, "I wonder how Father and Mother are doing now..."

"They must be fine. We don't need to worry needlessly. And rather than worrying about their safety in the Wang Hou battlefield, perhaps we ourselves should be the more cautious ones," Jiang Jiang Qinge said slowly.

Li Luo raised an eyebrow: "What do you mean?"

Jiang Jiang Qinge stepped under the shade of a tree by the lake, her gaze fixed on the lake's surface. At that moment, Li Luo felt her expression grow much colder.

"You should know how the quotas to enter the Wang Hou battlefield are chosen, right?"

"The life-and-death lots," Li Luo said.

"Marquis-level powerhouses in Great Xia aren't that numerous, but a rough count puts them at no fewer than several dozen... Yet for Master and Mistress to have drawn black lots at the same time—could that be... a little too much of a coincidence?"

In the morning, Jiang Jiang Qinge's calm voice reached Li Luo's ears, yet it made him shudder violently, his face instantly darkening.

"You mean... they were schemed against?" Li Luo said, enunciating each word.

Jiang Jiang Qinge reached out and caught a falling leaf, saying, "I have no evidence. This is merely a guess and an intuition of mine."

Li Luo said in a low voice, "But you should also know that tampering with those life-and-death lots is not something an ordinary person could pull off. Who could have that kind of power?"

Jiang Jiang Qinge was silent for a moment, then said, "If we really had to guess, there are three factions in Great Xia that possess that capability."

She glanced at Li Luo.

"The Sacred Phoenix Star Academy, the Wang Ting, and the Golden Dragon Treasure House."

Li Luo was speechless. These three factions were indeed the strongest powers in Great Xia, but if they truly had schemed against Father and Mother, what would their motive be? Was there really any need?

"I know this guess sounds utterly fantastical, so I've never spoken of it. But now that you've come to Wang Cheng and entered the Sacred Phoenix Star Academy, and are beginning to come into the view of the various factions, I have to tell you these guesses of mine. Whether or not I'm overthinking, we still need to be careful," Jiang Jiang Qinge said.

Li Luo nodded and sighed, "In the end, it all comes down to not being strong enough."

Jiang Jiang Qinge deeply agreed. If she had already been ennobled as a marquis at this point, she wouldn't have to be so constrained and could boldly investigate the things that puzzled her.

At that moment, the two of them suddenly heard footsteps approaching from one side, and both stopped talking in unison.

"Heh heh, Senior Jiang. I saw your back earlier and thought you looked familiar. Coming over to check, it really is you." A laugh rang out at the same time. Li Luo turned his head and saw a tall, strapping young man walking over with a smile.

The young man was not bad-looking, with sword-brow star-eyes. He was currently wearing a heavy devil-training suit, yet even clad in something so heavy, his expression remained composed—proof that his strength was considerable.

On the young man's robe were two stars, indicating he was a Two-Star Academy student, one level above Li Luo.

While Li Luo was sizing up this young man, the latter also turned his gaze upon him and smiled: "You must be Junior Li Luo, right? I've heard about you for quite a while."

"I'm Ye Ye Qiuding, a Two-Star Academy student."

Li Luo returned the smile and said, "Hello, Senior Ye."

"Is there something you need?" Jiang Jiang Qinge asked calmly, her gaze sweeping over this Ye Ye Qiuding.

Ye Ye Qiuding hurriedly waved his hands and said, "We just finished training and happened to be resting here. I happened to see Senior Jiang and wanted to come over and say hello. I'm not interrupting you two, am I?"

Li Luo glanced at the path behind, and indeed, under the green shade there, he saw several dozen people sitting around at leisure, all draped in devil-training suits, panting heavily, drenched in sweat.

Judging by their clothing, these people were all Two-Star Academy students.

At that moment, some of those resting students were also casting glances over to size things up, and when they saw Ye Ye Qiuding talking with Jiang Jiang Qinge, they all began chuckling quietly.

Jiang Jiang Qinge shook her head and said, "I was just delivering breakfast to Li Luo."

Ye Ye Qiuding glanced at the red glutinous cake in Li Luo's hand, a hint of envy in his voice: "This is the first time I've seen Senior Jiang buy breakfast for someone. Junior Li Luo, you're a lucky man."

"Heh heh, I won't disturb you two any longer. Senior Jiang, if you need me for any missions in the future, just say the word—I'll give it everything I've got."

He flashed Jiang Jiang Qinge an obedient little smile, then waved a hand and turned to leave with an easy, carefree air.

Li Luo watched Ye Ye Qiuding's departing figure, let out a helpless sigh, then pointed at Jiang Jiang Qinge with the hand still holding the red glutinous cake, his voice stern.

"Tell me—what's this all about now?"

"The moment I step into Sacred Mystic Star Academy, there's an old lion, a big wolfdog, a little puppy—every type under the sun, no repeats... Jiang Jiang Qinge, are you asking for a taste of house discipline?"