Chapter 24: Yan Yan Lingqing

When Li Luo was surprised that Yan Yan Lingqing came from the Sacred Mystic Star Academy, the two groups had already met face to face.

"Hehe, Young Mansion Master, the arrival of the Great Steward at Xiyang House truly makes this humble place shine." The middle-aged man named Bei Yu spoke first, his face full of sincere and enthusiastic smiles.

Compared to his enthusiasm, Yan Yan Lingqing was much colder. She merely glanced at Cai Wei, then her gaze swept over Li Luo before she stuffed her hands into her pockets, showing no intention of speaking.

"Vice President Bei Yu is being too formal. Xiyang House is an asset of the Luo Lan Mansion. The Young Mansion Master coming to inspect his own property—what is there to shine about?" Cai Wei said with a smile.

Bei Yu was taken aback, then hurriedly laughed and nodded: "I misspoke."

He lingered a while longer, chatting, then cupped his fists toward Li Luo, said he still had matters to attend to, and left directly.

Li Luo watched this scene. Clearly, this Bei Yu had already completely sided with Manager Pei Hao, so when facing him, he appeared enthusiastic on the surface but was actually carrying some wariness and distance.

That kind of enthusiasm was merely put on.

On the other hand, Yan Yan Lingqing, who had been cold and indifferent the whole time, although she hadn't paid him much attention, had at least stayed with them the whole way without making excuses to leave.

However, as Bei Yu departed, Yan Yan Lingqing's expression softened somewhat. She said to Cai Wei: "What brings Sister Cai Wei here today?"

Her voice was crisp and pleasant, like a flowing stream—cool and moving.

Cai Wei stepped forward, looped her arm through Yan Yan Lingqing's, and giggled: "I brought the Young Mansion Master to take a look around."

Both women had outstanding temperaments and looks. Standing together now, they were even more pleasing to the eye, but precisely because they were close together, a certain gap was revealed.

If Cai Wei was a surging, majestic landscape of peaks and ridges, then Yan Yan Lingqing was more like a flat, boundless grassland.

Li Luo's gaze swept past in an instant, but he was still keenly caught by Yan Yan Lingqing. She immediately lifted her snow-white chin slightly and said with a hint of disdain: "Little brother, what are you comparing?"

Li Luo blinked innocently.

Yan Yan Lingqing gave a light snort, ignored him, and pulled Cai Wei toward the inside.

Li Luo didn't mind, and followed behind with a stride.

As they entered Xiyang House and ascended a corridor bridge, standing on the bridge, one could see refining platforms several stories high on both the left and right sides.

These refining platforms were divided into many rooms. In front of each room was a transparent crystal wall, and through the crystal wall one could see a figure in a white robe busily working inside.

Transparent crystal bottles hung from the tabletops inside the house, and at this moment those white-robed figures were holding various bottles and jars, constantly compounding. Occasionally, blue light would flash from some rooms, signifying the completion of a bottle of Spiritual Water Marvelous Light.

"Sister Cai Wei, currently in this Xiyang House branch, there are two Fourth-Rank Phase Refining Masters, nine Third-Rank Phase Refining Masters, sixteen Second-Rank Phase Refining Masters, and thirty-three First-Rank Phase Refining Masters."

Li Luo observed curiously. At the same time, Yan Yan Lingqing's cool voice drifted from up ahead, which made him chuckle inwardly. Because as the Great Steward, Cai Wei must have long known all this information. The fact that Yan Yan Lingqing was repeating it now clearly meant it was for his ears.

This close friend of Jiang Jiang Qinge appeared cold on the surface, but was actually kind-hearted. Of course, he understood it was mostly out of respect for Jiang Jiang Qinge's sake.

After walking through and doing some touring, Yan Yan Lingqing brought the two of them to her workplace—her refining room.

"Sister Cai Wei coming here isn't just for a look, is it?" Once there, Yan Yan Lingqing took off her long coat, revealing simple clothes underneath that outlined a slender, graceful figure. Her gaze drifted toward the refining platform—clearly her mind had already wandered to it.

"It's because of the Young Mansion Master."

Cai Wei smiled: "He wants to learn about Phase Refining Masters."

Yan Yan Lingqing looked over in confusion and said: "Isn't he—"

She didn't finish, but the meaning was already clear: wasn't Li Luo an Empty Phase? What would he want to learn about Phase Refining Masters for?

Cai Wei gave a light pat with her small hand and said teasingly to Li Luo: "Begin your performance. Let's astonish our top student."

Li Luo was a bit speechless, but still circulated his Water Phase and displayed the blue phase power.

"Th-this is the Water Phase?"

Some surprise finally appeared on Yan Yan Lingqing's cheeks. She raised her slender jade finger to adjust her silver-framed glasses and sized up Li Luo: "You've awakened a phase?"

Li Luo nodded and said sincerely: "It's A Fifth-Rank Water Phase, so I want to come learn Phase Refining Arts and become a Phase Refining Master."

Yan Yan Lingqing's crescent-moon brows knit slightly. She said: "Your South Wind Academy is about to have its academy grand examination soon, isn't it? Shouldn't you be cultivating with all your strength right now, trying first to see if you can get into Sacred Mystic Star Academy? Sacred Mystic Star Academy has a Phase Refining Institute, and there are many good teachers there."

Li Luo smiled: "I just want to familiarize myself first."

Yan Yan Lingqing looked at Li Luo, seeming to understand something. The current Li Luo, although he had awakened a phase affinity, seemed to have done so a bit too late. With his current strength, he might not actually get into Sacred Mystic Star Academy. If that were the case, becoming a Phase Refining Master sooner would leave him other paths in the future.

"It's rare for the Young Mansion Master to have such ambition. You, our top student, just teach him a bit." Cai Wei urged from the side.

Yan Yan Lingqing gave her a somewhat helpless glance, then set down the crystal bottle in her hand and said: "You should already be familiar with some of the basic knowledge of Phase Refining Masters, right?"

Li Luo hurriedly nodded. After obtaining his Water Phase, the first thing he did was learn a great deal of the basics about Phase Refining Masters.

Yan Yan Lingqing flicked a finger, and blue phase power flew from her fingertip like a thread of water, wrapping around a bundle of books and tossing them in front of Li Luo.

"Read through all of them."

Upon hearing this, Li Luo didn't say anything, but obediently sat down at the desk and began flipping through these books on Phase Refining Masters.

"You sit for a while yourself, I still have things unfinished." Seeing that Li Luo showed no impatience, Yan Yan Lingqing gave a slight nod. After saying something to Cai Wei, she went to the workbench to attend to her own tasks.

Cai Wei stretched lazily out of boredom, then sat down nearby, resting her eyes with a light doze.

Meanwhile, in another room of Xiyang House.

"Did the Young Mansion Master and the Great Steward do anything?" Bei Yu sat in a chair, his expression flat as he asked the person before him.

"They didn't do anything, just toured around a bit, then went to Vice President Yan's workshop." The person replied.

Bei Yu nodded and said: "Keep a close eye. If they contact anyone, write it all down. The most important thing during this period is to make me the president of this branch. Once successful, I can kick Yan Yan Lingqing out. When that time comes, this Xiyang House will be under our control."

"Yes!"

Bei Yu waved his hand, dismissing the person, and a cold smile immediately surfaced on his face.

"Jiang Qing, you think finding some little girl from an academy faction can let you fight me? Let me tell you—dream on!"

"This Xiyang House, I, Bei Yu, am determined to have it!"

(End of this chapter)