NABC Chapter 15: Can the Hongchen family form a marriage alliance with the royal family?
Chapter 15: Can the Hongchen family form a marriage alliance with the royal family?
Along the way, Lin Jiayi felt he was moving at the fastest speed he had ever seen, rushing through the spacious teaching area and heading straight for the office area.
The teachers and students who were passing by all stopped and stared at Lin, who was usually stern and aloof, now sweating profusely and running wildly without any regard for his image.
Rushing to the door of his private office, Lin Jiayi pushed it open and welcomed Ye Chenxing inside.
He then leaned out halfway and looked around warily, as if guarding against a thief. After confirming that there were no strangers in the corridor, he carefully closed the door.
Turning around, Lin Jiayi's face instantly lit up with a warm, gentle smile.
He took out his top-grade spiritual tea, which he usually couldn't bear to drink, carefully poured a cup for Ye Chenxing, and gently placed it on the table in front of Ye Chenxing.
Lin Jiayi then rubbed his hands together and said with a smile:
"Young Master Ye, please sit here for a while and have some tea to quench your thirst. I suddenly remembered I have some urgent business to attend to, but I'll be right back. Remember, don't wander off!"
Looking at the sweating, beaming dean of students before him, Ye Chenxing felt a mix of amusement and exasperation, but still obediently picked up the teacup and nodded politely.
"Okay, Director Lin, you go ahead with your work. I'll wait for you here."
Seeing that Ye Chenxing had agreed, Lin Jiayi breathed a sigh of relief, turned around, opened the door again, and rushed out in a flurry, heading straight for the dean's office on the top floor.
He wasn't stupid; he certainly knew what an incredible achievement it was to discover a mutated martial soul genius with "dual extreme attributes"! Once this achievement was reported, he might become the greatest contributor in the history of the Sun and Moon.
However, Lin Jiayi was exceptionally clear-headed—he simply couldn't grasp such immense wealth!
It's better to report it to your immediate supervisor; that's a more secure way to ensure happiness.
However, Lin Jiayi, who was running frantically down the corridor, probably didn't realize something.
Such a genius is probably beyond the grasp of Jing Hongchen as well.
As Lin Jiayi's hurried footsteps faded into the distance in the depths of the corridor, an invisible yet powerful super storm, capable of overturning the entire continent's landscape, was slowly gathering above Mingdu.
......
Principal's Office
Jing Hongchen was in a great mood, sitting in his office enjoying a cup of fine tea.
A brief escape from the complexities of Mingde Hall is a rare moment of relaxation for Jing Hongchen.
Jing Hongchen sat upright behind his large mahogany desk, holding a freshly brewed cup of top-quality tea. At that moment, he was scrutinizing his grandson and granddaughter standing before him with a rather peculiar gaze.
Logically speaking, with the exceptional talent of these two siblings, both eleven-year-old Soul Masters, enrolling in school should have been a foregone conclusion, without any suspense. But their behavior after returning today was extremely strange.
Xiao Hongchen, who was always arrogant and proud like a little rooster, was now bowing his head, his face solemn, and his eyes even revealed a hint of dejection he had never seen before. Meng Hongchen, on the other hand, had slightly flushed cheeks and a wildly upturned mouth, looking overjoyed and even a little lovesick.
"What's wrong? You two are acting strangely today." Jing Hongchen put down her teacup and casually asked, "Didn't the entrance exam go well today?"
Xiao Hongchen's lips were tightly pressed together, and he remained silent. Meng Hongchen, on the other hand, her eyes lit up, and she eagerly stepped forward, uttering a startling question: "Grandpa, could our Hongchen family possibly form a marriage alliance with the royal family?"
"Pfft—cough cough cough!" Jing Hongchen spat out the mouthful of hot tea he had just taken a sip, choking and turning his old face red. He coughed repeatedly, "Meng, you, you don't scare your grandpa! Where did you get this idea? Is it you or Xiao who has taken a fancy to some royal prince?!"
"Of course it's my grandpa, and I'm serious!" Meng Hongchen pouted.
"Nonsense! Absolutely not!" Jing Hongchen caught her breath, her face hardening as she flatly refused without hesitation: "How old are you? Eleven! At such a young age, focusing on cultivation is the right path, not thinking about these romantic things!"
On the surface, he was using his age as an excuse, but what he really cared about were those two words—"royalty".
The current royal family of the Sun Moon Empire is a bottomless vortex.
Prince Xu Tianran suffered a brutal assassination attempt, resulting in the loss of both legs. Another prince also died tragically in the palace. Some say this was Xu Tianran's way of settling scores.
The entire palace is now in a state of panic, with various factions vying for power. At this critical juncture, the only way out for the Hongchen family, as the head of the Mingde Hall who controls the core lifeline of the Sun Moon Empire's soul tools, is to protect themselves and absolutely not to easily take sides! If Meng Hongchen gets involved with the royal family, the entire Mingde Hall will be passively dragged into this mess.
"Grandpa~~" Meng Hongchen tugged at Jing Hongchen's sleeve and shook it relentlessly, "He's really, really handsome! And extremely talented too, please don't reject him so quickly!"
Listening to her granddaughter's explanation, Jing Hongchen quickly went through the list of eligible young men in the royal family in her mind.
After much thought, I realized that he was either a good-for-nothing who only knew how to indulge in debauchery, or a spoiled brat who only knew how to rely on his father's legacy.
Jing Hongchen shook his head dismissively, his tone leaving no room for argument: "Don't mention this matter again."
After forcibly suppressing her granddaughter's thoughts, Jing Hongchen turned to look at her grandson, who remained silent as ever, and frowned slightly: "Xiao, what's wrong with you again? You look so dejected, this isn't like you at all."
Xiao Hongchen took a deep breath, raised his head, and his face, usually filled with pride, was now filled with mixed feelings: "Grandpa... today at the registration office, I met someone. I originally thought I was already at the limit among my peers, until I met him I realized what it means to have heavens beyond heavens and people beyond people. His talent far surpasses mine."
Upon hearing this, Jing Hongchen frowned even more deeply.
"Nonsense!"
He then slammed his hand on the table and said in a deep voice, "My grandson is undoubtedly the number one among his peers in the Sun Moon Empire! You must not underestimate yourself!"
In Jing Hongchen's view, it must be that Xiao Hongchen encountered someone who had overdrawn their talent with drugs during the test.
It should be noted that under his tutelage, the Hongchen siblings had already pushed themselves to the limit on the path of safe drug use. If someone of their age were to surpass them, in Jing Hongchen's view, it would definitely be due to the use of drugs that had overdrawn their talents.
"Laugh, don't be fooled by appearances. There are plenty of so-called geniuses in this world who rely on drugs and overdrawing their potential to force growth. Even if his soul power seems stronger than yours, it's only temporary. In terms of true martial soul foundation and future potential, how could he possibly compare to your Three-Legged Golden Toad?"
Listening to her grandfather's repetitive words of comfort, Xiao Hongchen not only didn't feel relieved, but lowered her head even further, a bitter smile appearing on her lips: "No, Grandpa... you..."