Chapter 437: Getting a Free Bodyguard

Under Li Luo's sympathetic gaze, Mentor Cao Sheng entered the room with some awkwardness; his usual wild and unrestrained manner had vanished completely. Seeing him like this, Li Luo sighed inwardly—love really does make a person humble.

Fortunately, I'm just too outstanding; I really can't experience Mentor Cao Sheng's emotional journey.

In the living room on the first floor, Yu Yu Hongxi and Lv Qing'er entered the house, while Bai Bai Mengmeng, who had just finished her cultivation, came over to help host them—serving tea and water, her smile pure and lovely.

Yu Yu Hongxi nodded her thanks to Bai Bai Mengmeng, but there was a hint of scrutiny in her gaze. After Bai Bai Mengmeng turned and left, she said to Lv Qing'er in a casual tone: "That boy Li Luo certainly isn't short on romantic luck, sharing a room with such a pretty and cute young lady every day."

There was a hint of poison in her words. Of course she knew her own daughter held Li Luo in high regard. Though Yu Yu Hongxi did acknowledge Li Luo's excellence, no matter what, that boy was already engaged. Regardless of whether that engagement was a formality or born of true feelings, Yu Yu Hongxi wasn't too willing to let this boy come courting Lv Qing'er.

But young girls are always rebellious, so Yu Yu Hongxi understood that if she opposed it directly, it would not only be useless but would backfire.

So Yu Yu Hongxi could only, in daily life, drop subtle hints to caution Lv Qing'er.

Yu Yu Hongxi was so clever that her daughter, naturally, was sharp and perceptive as well. She immediately understood her meaning, but Lv Qing'er's expression didn't change at all. She merely replied in an equally quiet voice: "You're overthinking it, Mother. What teammates to choose isn't something Li Luo can decide."

Yu Yu Hongxi said: "I can tell this Bai Bai Mengmeng probably has some feelings for Li Luo too."

"Mother, there are plenty of girls in the academy who have feelings for Li Luo."

"Then this Li Luo has the makings of a fickle playboy."

"Mother, that's slander, defamation."

"Heh."

While the mother and daughter were speaking in low voices, Li Luo also welcomed Mentor Cao Sheng inside and seated him opposite Yu Yu Hongxi.

"Mentor." Lv Qing'er showed a smile.

Cao Sheng hurriedly smiled and nodded.

Yu Yu Hongxi also looked toward Cao Sheng at this moment, and under her gaze, Cao Sheng visibly straightened his back, yet his eyes darted about and he didn't dare meet Yu Yu Hongxi's eyes.

"Mentor Cao Sheng, I should thank you for looking after Qing'er during this period. I've long wanted to pay a visit, but never had the time." Yu Yu Hongxi showed a smile.

"It's nothing, it's nothing. Qing'er's talent is outstanding—she really takes after you." Cao Sheng hurriedly waved his hand.

Li Luo and Lv Qing'er exchanged a quiet glance, both seeing the odd look in each other's eyes. This was likely the first time they had seen Mentor Cao Sheng appear so nervous.

"Mentor Cao Sheng, would you like some wine?" Li Luo asked, trying to ease the atmosphere.

Cao Sheng froze, gave a dry cough, and said: "Li Luo, I'm not much of a drinker. Just bring me a cup of hot tea."

What the hell?

Li Luo was a bit dumbfounded. Mentor Cao Sheng, doesn't your conscience hurt saying that? Everyone in the academy knows you're a drunkard who loves wine more than life itself, and now you're here pretending you don't touch a drop? Are you kidding me?

Still, he obviously couldn't say that out loud, otherwise Mentor Cao Sheng would probably get embarrassed and angry and hold a grudge against him. So he could only, with a complicated expression, ask Bai Bai Mengmeng to bring Mentor Cao Sheng a cup of tea as well.

Lv Qing'er was also a little awkward. After all, she knew Mentor Cao Sheng's temperament and habits well. With him flatly denying it right in front of her, what could she say? Could she expose him on the spot? That would be too cruel.

How could she not see that Mentor Cao Sheng had come entirely for her mother? The moment Yu Yu Hongxi entered the academy, Cao Sheng probably received the news and then engineered what looked like a chance encounter.

However, that clumsy "coincidence" was so forced that even Lv Qing'er found it awkward.

After all, Lv Qing'er knew all too well Yu Yu Hongxi's shrewdness and cunning. Such a cliché encounter, in Yu Yu Hongxi's eyes, was probably as childish as watching children at play.

Fortunately, out of consideration for her, Yu Yu Hongxi didn't simply ignore Cao Sheng outright. She did engage him in some small talk, but the blandness in her words made even Lv Qing'er feel that her mother truly had no feelings whatsoever for Mentor Cao Sheng.

Yet Mentor Cao Sheng still wore a thoroughly satisfied expression.

Sometimes Lv Qing'er couldn't help wanting to tell him: Mentor, forcing it will get you nowhere. Don't hang yourself on this tree of my mother's, because even if you really did hang yourself, she wouldn't spare you a second glance.

"When are you starting?"

Just as Lv Qing'er had expected, Yu Yu Hongxi paid no attention to whether Cao Sheng loved wine or not. Instead, she turned her gaze to Li Luo and asked directly.

"Uh..."

Li Luo froze, glanced at Mentor Cao Sheng, unsure whether it was appropriate to discuss this matter in front of him.

"I've already told Mentor Cao Sheng about your refinement. When the time comes, Mentor Xixia and I, because we'll be assisting you, will most likely have no spare attention for anything else. Although the academy is considered a safe place, this kind of refinement still needs to be handled carefully, to avoid being disturbed."

"So Mentor Cao Sheng volunteered to stand guard for you outside." Yu Yu Hongxi said.

Li Luo was dumbfounded once more. A Marquis-level powerhouse standing guard—can it really be this easy to get for free?

To get Mentor Xixia and Yu Yu Hongxi to assist him, he had paid the price of two portions of "Royal Marrow," and now this Mentor Cao Sheng, with whom he normally had no dealings, had simply volunteered?

Such a pie falling from the sky left Li Luo feeling a bit dizzy for a moment.

After a good while, Li Luo finally turned his complicated gaze toward Mentor Cao Sheng and said: "Mentor Cao Sheng, you truly are a good man."

Mentor Cao Sheng showed a hearty smile, waved his hand, and said: "A small matter, no need for such formality, Li Luo. You should have told me about this earlier—would I really not have helped you?"

Li Luo put on a touched smile, but inwardly he was sighing. Mentor Cao Sheng, you can even say such barefaced lies with a straight face—do you really think I don't know your usual temperament? Back when Shen Shen Jinxiao kept clashing with me, I never saw you actually step up and back me.

It wasn't that he hadn't thought about getting closer to the other Purple-Glow Mentors, but none of them had ever given him the chance.

Still, Li Luo held no grudge about it. After all, they were Marquis-level powerhouses—top-tier existences anywhere in the Great Xia Kingdom. His identity as the young master of House Luolan House probably didn't even register in their eyes, and besides, they weren't related in any way. There was no reason for them to help him.

Mentor Cao Sheng being so easy to talk to now was entirely because Yu Yu Hongxi had brought along a targeted intelligence-lowering halo.

But no matter what, getting a Marquis-level powerhouse to stand guard for free meant today's refinement would undoubtedly go much more smoothly. So Li Luo was in quite a good mood now.

Afterward, he chatted with Yu Yu Hongxi a while longer. As the sky began to darken, Mentor Xixia finally appeared.

Mentor Xixia showed not the slightest surprise at Mentor Cao Sheng's presence here—it seemed she had long anticipated it. But she wasn't the type to enjoy gossip, so she merely exchanged simple greetings with Yu Yu Hongxi and Cao Sheng.

"Since everyone's here, let's set off."

Seeing this, Li Luo finally rose.

The refinement of the Minor Formless Divine Wheel was finally about to begin.