Lord Wang Jie looked at the little girl beside Xu Ming, his heart filled with doubt.
This little girl gave off a human-like aura, but she had horns on her head and vertical pupils in her eyes. Yet, strangely, there was no trace of demonic energy on her.
"I encountered some trouble earlier, and this girl saved me," Xu Ming said, offering the explanation he had already prepared. "Perhaps she's a half-blood between humans and demons. Her human bloodline seems to be dominant, so her demonic aura is faint."
"That's certainly possible," Wang Jie nodded.
If the child was a half-blood of human and demon heritage, and further interbred with humans, it would indeed dilute the demonic aura to near nonexistence.
Without dwelling further, Wang Jie summoned a flying boat, which carried Xu Ming and his companions toward the governor of Qingyang County.
On the flying boat, through their conversations, Xu Ming learned that Yu Wenxi and the others, realizing the gravity of the situation, had gone to seek reinforcements.
They had tried to recruit an elder from a nearby academy, but the elder was unavailable, and his disciples weren't strong enough to risk their lives for such a cause. Thus, they had no choice but to let it go.
Fortunately, the governor of Qingyang County, Wang Jie, had come to their aid.
Wang Jie was a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator who had served as an official for the dynasty for five years. Though serving as a government official would deplete one's life essence, the Wu Kingdom offered generous compensation.
Wang Jie's term was ten years. Once completed, the Wu Kingdom would provide him with resources that could potentially allow him to break through, not only restoring the lost life essence but even leaving him with a surplus—assuming he succeeded in advancing.
"Where's Qingwan? How is she?"
Knowing Qingwan's personality, Xu Ming was certain she would be tirelessly searching for him.
Yu Wenxi reassured him, "Rest assured, Brother Xu, Miss Qin is safe. She's been taken away by Daoist Wang Xuan."
Miao Feng added, "When we went looking for you, we happened to encounter Daoist Wang Xuan returning with Miss Qin. It was also Daoist Wang Xuan who guided us to your location. Otherwise, we might still be searching aimlessly."
"That's a relief," Xu Ming said, finally setting aside the last of his worries.
That said, the fact that Elder Wang Xuan had arrived so quickly likely meant she had sensed something unusual about Qin Qingwan's Dao Lotus, confirming its importance to her. She had even placed a spell mark on it for protection.
"Zhuangyuan Lang (Top Scholar), I need you to recount the events in Baiwa City and what happened afterward," Wang Jie said to Xu Ming. "I must prepare an urgent memorial to send to Wudu."
"Of course," Xu Ming agreed, nodding.
He truthfully recounted everything that had transpired in the Baiwa Secret Realm and the Lava Heart Cave, including the experiments being conducted by the Black God Sect.
Naturally, Xu Ming omitted any mention of Shen Shengsheng. He couldn't risk exposing her, unsure of what consequences she might face if her identity became known.
Wang Jie, though shocked by Xu Ming's account, couldn't help but glance at the little girl beside him. He speculated whether she might be the result of some fusion experiment between humans and magical beasts.
However, Wang Jie didn't question it directly, as it was clear Xu Ming was determined to protect her.
In the end, Wang Jie instructed a healer to secretly take a drop of Shen Shengsheng's blood during her diagnosis.
Upon examining the blood, Wang Jie discovered it contained both human and demon characteristics but lacked any trace of magical beast corruption.
Xu Ming and Shen Shengsheng were assigned to a courtyard within the governor's residence.
Every day, a healer would deliver medicine to Xu Ming to aid his recovery.
In the courtyard, as Xu Ming recuperated from his injuries, he reflected on the battles he had experienced in recent days.
One thought occupied his mind—how could he merge his martial qi with his spiritual energy?
From an early stage, Xu Ming had realized that the martial qi and spiritual energy within him couldn't be used simultaneously.
For example, when he threw a punch, the power of that punch came from his physical strength and martial qi, but it couldn't incorporate spiritual energy. Similarly, when he swung his sword infused with spiritual energy, he couldn't channel martial qi into it.
At first, Xu Ming thought this was due to his low cultivation level. However, as his cultivation advanced, he discovered that the higher his realm, the more his martial qi and spiritual energy repelled each other.
It now seemed clear why most cultivators didn't pursue both body cultivation and spiritual cultivation—it wasn't just because of the immense effort required, but also because the two disciplines didn't result in a simple 1+1=2 increase in power.
Despite this, Xu Ming still aspired to master both disciplines. After all, having an additional skill was akin to having an extra path of survival, and the resilience of a martial cultivator's body was undeniably advantageous.
Meanwhile, Shen Shengsheng shared the same courtyard with Xu Ming.
Every day, Shen Shengsheng seemed unsure of what to do with herself, often sitting in the courtyard, lost in thought.
She didn't cultivate, nor did she know how to. Her happiest moments each day were when it was time to eat.
Over the past few days, Xu Ming had been trying to teach Shen Shengsheng how to speak. While she occasionally managed to utter a few words, her progress was slow and challenging.
Xu Ming also taught her to recognize words.
Shen Shengsheng's intelligence wasn't a significant issue—she was just slightly below average compared to others her age, but it wasn't too bad. The real challenge was her restlessness.
Perhaps due to her beastly nature, she found it hard to sit still for long.
Six days later, Xu Ming bid farewell to Wang Jie, the governor of Qingyang County.
Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng also needed to return to White Deer Academy to report on their mission.
"Brother Xu, during your journey across the world, if you ever have time, feel free to visit White Deer Academy as our guest," Yu Wenxi invited him warmly.
Xu Ming nodded. "After visiting Tianxuan Sect, I still need to make a trip to the Wanjian Sect. If I have time, I'll definitely come find you two for a drink."
"Haha, I'm afraid someone might not let Brother Xu drink by then," Miao Feng teased with a laugh.
Xu Ming frowned. "Hmm?"
Yu Wenxi froze for a moment. "Brother Xu, you don't know?"
"Know what?" Xu Ming asked, puzzled.
"Well…" Yu Wenxi began, only for Miao Feng to nudge him in the side with his elbow.
Miao Feng quickly bowed. "It's nothing. We'll wait for Brother Xu at the academy. Please take care on your journey."
"You too," Xu Ming replied, returning the gesture.
The four of them parted ways, heading in two different directions—Xu Ming toward Tianxuan Sect, while Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng flew back to White Deer Academy.
Once they were out of earshot, Yu Wenxi asked Miao Feng, "Why didn't you let me tell him? The talented girl from our academy has been waiting for Brother Xu for so long."
Miao Feng sighed. "Why bring it up? It looks like Brother Xu isn't aware of Miss Zhu's feelings. Besides, back in the Baiwa Secret Realm, didn't you see his relationship with that Miss Qin?"
"You think Miss Zhu is infatuated with him?" Yu Wenxi clicked his tongue. "The third-ranked beauty on the Beauty Rankings, secretly pining for a man but unable to win his heart… If word of this got out, the entire world would be jealous of Brother Xu."
Miao Feng chuckled. "The fourth-ranked princess of the Wu Kingdom is also on that list, and Brother Xu turned down her marriage proposal. What do you say to that?"
Yu Wenxi fell silent.
What was there to say? Comparing oneself to Xu Ming was simply maddening.
The fifth-ranked Qin Qingwan had an ambiguous relationship with Brother Xu, clearly with a story behind it.
The fourth-ranked Wu Kingdom princess had her proposal rejected by him.
And now, the third-ranked Zhu Cici from White Deer Academy was likely infatuated with him.
"You tell me," Yu Wenxi said, sighing with frustration. "I think I look quite similar to Brother Xu. So why doesn't Miss Qingqing like me?"
Miao Feng rolled his eyes. "Do you have the guts to face hundreds of both human and demon cultivators alone?"
Yu Wenxi: "…"
"Can you self-learn sword techniques and defeat a core disciple of the Wanjian Sect?" Miao Feng continued.
Yu Wenxi: "…"
"Can you carry an entire city on your back and step onto the Heavenly Staircase one step at a time?"
Yu Wenxi: "…"
"Can you survive the Nine Heavens Lightning Tribulation?"
Yu Wenxi: "…"
"Can you write Butterfly Loves the Flower and The Rejection of Marriage?"
Yu Wenxi hurriedly waved his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, stop. I get it. I think it makes perfect sense why Brother Xu is so admired. Let's just head back already."
Five days later, Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng returned to White Deer Academy.
The first thing they did upon their return was report to their teacher.
After hearing their report, the Jijiu (Sacrificial Wine) of White Deer Academy, Guan Yan, realized the severity of the Black God Sect's actions and immediately reported it to the academy's headmaster.
How White Deer Academy decided to handle the Black God Sect was now a matter for the institution and no longer involved Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng.
The two returned to their shared quarters to rest.
White Deer Academy had limited housing. For "Gentlemen of the Academy" like Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng, two people shared a room, while "Scholars of the Academy" shared rooms with four people. Naturally, noble guests from royalty or aristocracy were given private rooms—they were, after all, esteemed visitors, and neglecting them would be improper.
The next day, while Miao Feng was reading in their room, Yu Wenxi hurriedly walked in. "Stop reading—we have a guest."
"A guest?" Miao Feng looked up, puzzled. "Who?"
Yu Wenxi smirked, looking like he was enjoying the drama. "You'll see when you get there. But let's make this clear—if we slip up and Brother Xu blames us, we'll face it together."
Hearing this, Miao Feng immediately guessed who the visitor might be.
"Let's go," Miao Feng said, putting down his book. "As long as we don't mention Miss Qin, it should be fine."
The two went to the courtyard, where they saw a stunning woman dressed in a black gown waiting for them.
"Greetings, Senior Brothers," Zhu Cici said, placing her hands gently in front of her and bowing slightly.
"Greetings, Martial Uncle Zhu," Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng responded, returning the bow.
Zhu Cici was the personal disciple of the academy headmaster, so her seniority was quite high. Thus, Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng were required to address her as "Martial Uncle."
However, Zhu Cici had always felt that, having joined White Deer Academy later in life, she didn't deserve such a title. So she preferred to address most people as "Senior Brother" or "Senior Sister," which led to some rather awkward exchanges like this one.
"Please, don't call me 'Martial Uncle.' It feels strange," Zhu Cici said with a smile. "Just call me Cici, like everyone else."
Since they didn't interact much with Zhu Cici and also found the title awkward, Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng nodded in agreement. "Alright."
"Please, have a seat, Cici," Miao Feng said, gesturing for her to sit.
As Yu Wenxi prepared tea, he asked, "What brings you to see us, Cici?"
"Oh, it's nothing much," Zhu Cici replied with a smile. "Teacher asked me to check on you two and see if your injuries require anything for treatment."
Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng both knew that Zhu Cici's inquiry about their injuries was likely just an excuse. Her real purpose was probably to ask about Brother Xu.
"Thank you and the headmaster for your concern," Miao Feng said. "We're fine, really. We owe our safe return entirely to a certain friend."
"Oh?" Zhu Cici's eyes lit up at the mention, clearly intrigued. She decided to forgo subtlety and asked directly, "May I ask who this benefactor is?"
Yu Wenxi answered, "Speaking of him, you probably know him, Cici. He's that talented scholar from the Wu Kingdom, the one who, as a child, dedicated a poem to you—Xu Ming."
"So it's him…" Zhu Cici's cheeks flushed slightly. "How… how is he?"
As Zhu Cici asked the question, her bright eyes sparkled with emotion. The joy of hearing her beloved's name, coupled with the shy eagerness to learn more about him, was almost overflowing from her expressive gaze.
Seeing this, both Yu Wenxi and Miao Feng couldn't help but feel their hearts race.
No wonder she was ranked third on the Beauty List. Brother Xu is truly blessed.
Yu Wenxi nodded with a smile. "He's doing very well. Back in the Baiwa Secret Realm, when we were being bullied and everyone else stood by, it was Brother Xu who stepped forward to help us.
When we asked him why he helped, he said it was because he had an old acquaintance at White Deer Academy, so naturally, he couldn't just stand by."
"An old acquaintance…" Zhu Cici murmured softly, lowering her head as she repeated the words. Her delicate face was flushed with joy and shyness, as if she had already assumed she was the "old acquaintance" Xu Ming was referring to.
Miao Feng, who was standing to the side, sighed inwardly and stomped on Yu Wenxi's foot, signaling him to stop speaking nonsense.
Miao Feng knew Yu Wenxi's intent—he was trying to maintain Brother Xu's image in Zhu Cici's heart. But making up stories like this? What if something went wrong? After all, back then, Xu Ming had clearly said he helped because of Mr. Xiao.
Yu Wenxi shot Miao Feng a helpless glance as if to say, "Could you really bear to see such a devoted girl get hurt?"
Miao Feng looked again at the girl in front of him and fell silent.
Yu Wenxi pressed on. "I'm guessing the 'old acquaintance' Brother Xu mentioned must be you, Cici. If it weren't for you, we might not have received his help. Right, Miao Feng?"
"Huh? Uh… yes." Honest Miao Feng nodded, going against his conscience.
"There's no need to say such things, Senior Brothers," Zhu Cici said with a shy smile. "Perhaps the 'old acquaintance' Xu Ming mentioned wasn't referring to me. Besides, even if there wasn't any 'old acquaintance,' I believe Xu Ming would still step in to help."
"That's true," Yu Wenxi nodded. "Brother Xu really is a great person. Otherwise, Miss Qin wouldn't have—ah!"
Before Yu Wenxi could finish his sentence, Miao Feng stomped on his foot again, this time with even more force.
It was only then that Yu Wenxi realized he had said too much.
Zhu Cici tilted her head slightly, her curiosity piqued. "Miss Qin wouldn't have what? Senior Brother, are you referring to Qin Qingwan?"