Noon. All instructors and students gathered at the commerce plaza to announce the testing results.
Concerning the matter of not being able to enter the Superior Compound, a certain Highness, after hearing the news, didn't even have the slightest reaction. The side of his grave and stern face displayed a curve that was a smile yet not a smile. He appeared indescribably handsome and seductively cold.
Nangong Lie, on the other hand, lamented the missed opportunity, "I heard that there were a lot more girls at the Superior Compound. I had really wanted to go and check it out a bit."
Wei Wei's expression was difficult for people to figure out. The light in her eyes were rather sombre. The teacherss even thought that she wasn't satisfied with the academy's arrangement and was just about to say something when they heard her voice clearly ask, "Couldn't
these clothes be exchanged for money?"
The teachers:.....
"Ha Ha, ha Ha ha. Ah Jue, look at these old guys' expressions. It's too funny!" Nangong Lie almost collapsed from laughing. Just how much did this young lady from the Helian family actually love money, uhm, making those teachers stunned and speechless. Interesting. Truly interesting!"
"So these are the people from the Inferior Compound. It indeed is seeing is believing." The person sitting next to Nangong Lie coldly snorted. A mocking smile was smeared on his egotistical looking handsome face. He wore an ethnic silver robe and around his waist hung ornaments which appeared more expensive compared those other people wore. When she stood to receive the awards, Wei Wei could clearly feel the waves of qi on his body. As she brushed past, she saw that person speaking in a voice without the slightest bit of warmth, "Don't think just because you've defeated those defective things from the Fine Compound that you really have no other opponent in the world. You guys are still greatly inferior!"
After having spoken, that person's sleeve floated past. His pale white robe hung down slightly and the long hair wasn't tied, or bundled. His pair of eyes seemed as if they hid goblins bringing disaster, sinking and floating, righteous yet evil.
In a moment, everybody's gaze gathered on his person. One after another, they whispered to each other. Their faces were obviously pleasantly surprised. "It's him! Yun Ling Xuan!"
"Yun Ling Xuan? My God, one of the leader's son of the great four clans?"
"I've heard that when Yun Ling Xuan was seven, he had already developed his earth attribute. Now that so many years have passed, even a chief from one of the four clans isn't sure exactly how powerful he is. Recently, he was even called to the palace by His Majesty, so that they could discuss how to manage the XiongNu barbarians."
"How come even he is at the Superior Compound. Man, this simply is not leaving us ordinary people with any chances!"
The sound of air being drawn reverberated throughout the courtyard. Almost everybody anxiously watched Yun Ling Xuan receive the award.
Wei Wei only yawned indifferently, casually sat at her own seat, and raised a hand to prop up her chin. The mole beside a corner of her eye glowed faintly.
Sitting by her side, Baili Jia Jue's slender and long fingers turned the black jade thumb ring. The glistening sunshine illuminated him and even his fingertips sparkled and shined. His expression didn't change at all, as if whoever appeared was of no concern to him.
Nangong Lie dr.a.p.ed his arm over the back of the chair, casually facing upward, his face sporting an evil smile.
The three people sat together. No matter how one looked at it, they gave others a feeling of unbridled provocation!
This made Yun Ling Xuan standing on the stage coldly narrow his eyes. The award within his hands changed shape. They really were a bunch of idiots not knowing how high the sky was and how profound the earth was. Sooner or later, there'd be a day when he would show them who's the boss!
"Look you guys, those are the three people who were victorious during the qi exam."
When Wei Wei entered the Inferior Compound's memorial temple, there were no small number of students who turned toward her and looked over. They whispered, "I heard Grandmaster even accepted her as a disciple. Wonder if she can help me make an armament."
"Make an armament?" Someone derisively laughed, "Don't even dream about it. Why don't you find out why Grandmaster accepted her. For those of us from the Inferior Compound, actually, our honor has been completely lost by her. Brown-nosing people in order to climb up. We really can't take it anymore."
Bang!
The sound from the stool echoed.
People within the memorial temple immediately heard the noise.
Wei Wei gracefully retrieved her foot. The corners of her mouth half curved as she sat in the middle of the crowd of gossiping young girls. She looked at them with a cold expression.
The young girls each only glanced at the entrance before becoming awkward beyond words. All of them turned their heads around and put on an act of grabbing the book scroll on their low desks.
Wei Wei felt that it's now peaceful and directly leaned on her low desk. In her hand were some scrap iron which seemed like toys as she played with them.
Baili Jia Jue sat next to her. After seeing those little bits of scrap iron, the light in his eyes sparkled. His fingers, which were as fair as ivory, lifted and moved over. They pressed down on Wei Wei's wrist.....
Chapter 47 - Two-Faced Highness
He feigned ignorance and asked, "What are these? They seem very interesting."
Nangong Lie's mouth stretched open, almost as if he wanted to talk...
Baili Jia Jue glanced over coldly and Nangong Lie immediately swallowed back what he was about to say. It's just that felt indignant! He was truly dissatisfied. [When you were six years old, you already played with all kinds of armaments. Now, surprisingly, you shamelessly pretend to be a newbie!? Don't tell me that you really couldn't tell what those pieces of scrap iron are used for. Countless materials for you to play with are stored within the Ghost Palace, alright? !]
He had no choice but to admit that a certain Highness was really good at acting. Within that pair of deep and profound eyes was an innocence which never existed before, so that even Wei Wei, an ace secret agent, wasn't suspicious at all as she lazily and leisurely explained, "Toys to train the hands. Just a regular armament and unfinished right now. Wait till it's finished and I'll give it to you." Having spoken thus, she paused a bit, before continuing, "This can be considered compensation for having seen your body the other day."
Nangong Lie's mouth was filled with water which he hadn't swallowed, but almost spurted back out, choked, and coughed. The way this eldest daughter of the Helian family behaved was....outrageous!
Within the capital, there wasn't a single well-bred young lady from a prestigious family who would bluntly say, "saw your body" and so on. He had no choice but to say that a certain Highness' taste was truly unique.
"I really look forward to it." Baili Jia Jue at first was stunned. After that, he slowly smiled thinly like a devil.
Nangong Lie looked on from the side and his whole body shivered. He began to calculate how many more days the Helian family's eldest daughter had left to live.
What he hadn't expected was that Ah Jue really looked as if his frame of mind was a little better than before, so much so that he even gracefully helped Wei Wei select the usable scrap metal and arranged them in order.
However, this was also not so strange. His Highness' natural disposition had always been unfathomable, such that there were times when even he couldn't tell what he was thinking.
Wei Wei raised her eyebrows as she looked at the young man's movements, then casually said, "You also heard what those people just said. Aren't you afraid the thing I make will be simply unpresentable?"
"Not afraid." His manner was as carefree as light breezes and floating clouds. A hand propped up the side of Baili Jia Jue's face. His black hair half hung down, emanating a strong aura of scholarliness.
Wei Wei's fingers paused and brought over the scrap iron in her
hand, "This thing is no good. If I encounter something suitable in the future, I'll make it again for you." Since it's someone who believed in her, she should treat him sincerely.
Baili Jia Jue had encountered countless armament experts. He naturally also knew these cold iron pieces contained imperfections, but his indolent face only appeared puzzled and disappointed.
Wei Wei knew that generally every new student who entered the academy wanted to obtain an armament that belonged only to them. However, due to the preciousness of armaments, the academy simply could not equip every new student with one. In fact, all resources were delegated to the Superior Compound.
Therefore, it's not strange at all that the young man in front of her should want to obtain an armament.
However, Wei Wei always felt that there was something strange about him...that's right, she remembered now!
"At the time I first saw you, didn't you bring a bodyguard? How is it that ultimately, you've been reduced to a condition where you can't even afford to buy a student's hat?"
Nangong Lie's shadow paused. Uh oh, it's the end of the road. Their identities were going to be unmasked!
Baili Jia Jue's gaze looked over to the distance and said in a very level tone, as if he was currently stating a fact, "I lost all of my qi energy. My family only helped me pay the academy's tuition and only sent a bodyguard as a travel companion. They haven't provided anything else."
Having heard that, Wei Wei immediately empathized with him as someone sharing the same fate as her and rather gracefully patted his shoulder, "You shouldn't feel too bad about it. In the future, they will definitely regret it!"
Looking at her actions, the corners of Nangong Lie's mouth twitched a few times.
Miss Helian, the one who's going to regret it in the future is you, alright? !
There had never been anyone who dared to pat the Third Prince's shoulder like that. Hello, hello!
"Really?" Baili Jia Jue drew back his gaze and slightly dropped his eyes. Those eyelashes were black and soft. At first glance, they simply seemed like they belonged to an innocent beautiful young boy who had just come out into the world.
Nangong Lie's expression as he looked from the side was positively conflicted. His acting. He totally knew how to act! How would he act when Retired Emperor found out!
Unexpectedly, Wei Wei then stroked his head. The corners of her mouth appeared to smile as she spontaneously said, "Don't worry, with Elder Sister here to cover for you, your position will quickly be recovered!"
After Wei Wei finished speaking, Baili Jia Jue's shoulders trembled a few times. She even thought that he was emotionally moved, so she extended her paw and stroked the top of his head a couple more times.
What she didn't know was that Baili Jia Jue, whose back was turned around, had an evil smile on his mouth that was not a smile. He almost couldn't hold back the delight that swelled up into his throat. Aah, this 'little thing', indeed, the more one looked, the more interesting she was. The more he played, the more he didn't want to resume his identity and go to the Superior Compound...
"The teacher is coming!"
Don't know who it was that yelled this announcement, but the entire memorial temple immediately quieted down. A teacher wearing a white colored sacred robe came in. He took an ancient scroll and genuinely started to define the first lesson.
Wei Wei wasn't listening. Her fingers nimbly fiddled with those scrap irons. The softest echos of very rhythmic sounds could be heard. Generally, her movements were too beautiful. That's why all of those sounds heard in one's ears also indescribably almost felt like music.
After the instructor lectured, he then clasped his hands behind his back and looked around. When his gaze reached her, the old face's entire body slumped as he asked, "What are you holding in your hand?"
Wei Wei wrapped things up with a 'pah' sound. Her expression was calm and collected as she said, "Nothing."
For a split second, the teacher thought his vision had blurred. He took a white handkerchief and wiped his eyes a couple of times, after which he looked again at Wei Wei's low table. Apart from a fine quality armament, there was nothing else.
Could it be that he really was mistaken?
The teacher gave his head a shake, grasped his fingers behind his back, and said in a soft voice, "Focus more. Don't be distracted."
Wei Wei casually 'mm hm'ed. She waited until after the teacher left, then, as if nothing happened, continued to take out the second stack of scrap iron to play with.
During class time, that teacher strolled over to Wei Wei's spot no less than three times, yet discovered nothing at all.
After class, only two people's shadows remained within the hall.
Among them, one played with the scrap iron next to the low table. The appearance on his face was indifferent. However, his eyes twinkled playfully.
Nangong Lie gasped in admiration as he stroked his chin, "A girl who didn't even have any qi, unexpectedly was able to create three armaments in the short amount of time during class. At the same time, she even frequently stuffed herself with strawberries. This is simply abnormal enough! Ah Jue, even Tu Lao, that old head, may not necessarily have reached this level, right?"
Baili Jia Jue stood up. His slender long fingers streaked across those already conceived rudimentary armaments. He thought of what 'the little thing' said as he smiled devilishly, "Indeed, not bad."
"Huh? ?" Nanong Lie followed up with, "Wait, wait, when you said not bad, did you mean the armaments or the person, hmm?"
Also, what in the world was the matter with him just now? Saying that his family only helped him pay the tuition, and only sent a guard as a travel companion. Clearly, wasn't it he, himself, who rejected having more people, finding them bothersome?
No wonder, up until now, those ministers and teachers were still impatiently waiting for a carriage sent by the royal family to come. They certainly didn't know that this person had already arrived beforehand, and much earlier at that....
Chapter 48 - Agreeing To The Consort Selection
"Ah Jue, I can't not remind you of something. You are still Dragon War Empire's prince!" Don't pretend excessively. He was getting indigestion from watching all that! Even the hairs on his body were shuddering along with him.
Baili Jia Jue took a glance at him and again recovered his previous ice-cold self-disciplined appearance, as he immediately left the hall.
Nangong Lie looked left and right, "Speaking of which. Where did that girl go? How come she still hasn't returned after so long?"
The students were taking a break outside the hall. A young girl heard Nangong Lie's words and bashfully answered, "Is the one you're asking about Helian Wei Wei?"
"Huh? You know?" Nangong Lie smiled, as smoothly as water.
The redness on her face didn't lessen as she softly said, "There were people who just saw Lord Murong's servant boy looking for her. She should have gone to the Commerce Plaza on a date. Afterall, she liked Lord Murong for so long. She may have spoken firmly in front of people, but is probably thinking of ways to reconcile in the shadows. If you want to look for her, you could go to the Commerce Plaza to take a look."
Baili Jia Jue's long and slender fingers paused and calmly listened. His face didn't have the slightest expression.
"Since they're reconciling, it's not good to disturb them." Nangong Lie turned around while looking up and smiled as he said, "See, what did I say? ! Loosening the reins in order to grasp them tighter! That girl did a good job of playing hard to get."
After having heard this, the scrap metal in Baili Jia Jue's hand slightly shifted as layers of netlike cracks covered its surface.
Nangong Lie looked at him strangely, "Ah Jue?"
"Mm." Baili Jia Jue's tone of voice responded levelly, his face appearing indifferent.
Nangong Lie touched his nose and didn't know why, but he had felt that Ah Jue just seemed to have been a bit angry.
Baili Jia Jue stopped paying attention to him and unhurriedly l
eft the compound. His long and slender figure quickly disappeared into the hazy horizon as dusk falls.
"Your Highness." When no one was around, Shadow came down from the treetop and his knee settled upon the ground.
Baili Jia Jue's eyes lightly swept past the person on bended knee. His voice was chilly, "Inform the imperial troops to wait for me at the base of the mountain."
"Yes!" Shadow paused a bit before dropping his eyes to receive the order. A bit of astonishment streaked through his eyes. During these few days, His Highness has been playing hide and seek with Retired Emperor. Now he wanted to notify the imperial troops and have them wait at the foot of the mountain.
Is he ...agreeing to the consort selection? ? ?
Sunset. People were busily flowing through the Commerce Plaza.
The servant who was dressed like a schoolboy lifted his chin slightly as he looked at Wei Wei, appearing like he was already doing her a big favor by coming to look for her, "Helian Wei Wei, my young master already said that he's going to let bygones be bygones. You should think it over carefully. If the engagement is cancelled, there won't be anymore room to turn things around."
"Are you done talking?" Wei Wei's face was cool. Her voice wasn't rushed or slow, "If you're done talking, then hurry and get the hell out of here."
This little servant certainly wasn't unfamiliar to her. That year, he followed closely by Murong Chang Feng and had always been haughty, never saluting the misses from prestigious families when he encountered them. She could even say that it's become a habit!
"You, you!" The little servant had never been angered like this before. No matter who it was, anyone who met him was polite and courteous. He represented the esteemed Noble Murong! This girl unexpectedly didn't place him in her eyes like this, when in the past she was following him everywhere to ask him to talk, wanting him to tell her news of Lord Murong. Now, she suddenly wanted him to scram!
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