Luo Jiujiang was incredibly alert. He knew something was amiss the moment he heard Feng Xue's tone. He recalled which of the Four Elephants realms Feng Xue had originally planned to reach, and considering the intriguing timing of Feng Xue's arrival at Azure Dragon Academy, he immediately said with a serious expression, "I've lost my mind. I didn't even say hello when I saw Sister Xue earlier. I even forgot we met this morning and came to ask you about it."
This attitude was sincere, his guess accurate, and his reaction swift. However, Feng Xue, having witnessed Luo Jiujiang's talkativeness in the face of death, simply chuckled, unmoved.
Seeing he couldn't coax her, Luo Jiujiang immediately clasped his hands and bowed. He had a childhood sweetheart with a unique personality, then a master with an eccentric temperament, and now even Master Gongyi was included in his arsenal. He had already mastered the Thirty-Six Stratagems.
"Sister Xue, don't be angry with me. Qianling and I haven't seen each other in ages. Not only you, but even my master couldn't stop me." He winked pitifully at Feng Xue. "I also bought you local specialties from the Qinglong Realm. Don't you love braiding Xiaoren's hair the most? I bought her lots of colorful hairbands."
Unlike Feng Xue and Xiao Ren, who had been tossing and turning on their schedules for the past month, Luo Jiujiang had been enjoying good food, drink, and sleep at the academy, even making friends all over the place. He had developed a handsome face, rosy lips, and white teeth, and his face had even become a little rounder. Add to that his deliberately wide-eyed expression and Feng Xue couldn't contain her laughter after just one look.
"Okay, since you at least remember Xiaoren, I forgive you. Where's the hairband?"
Although Luo Jiujiang had initially feinted, at least he hadn't lied on this point. He immediately pulled out a large bunch of colorful hairbands from his storage bag, each one bearing the unique style of the Azure Dragon Realm.
Feng Xue: “…”
Feng Xue, with an indescribable expression, randomly pulled out a hairband. On the dark green hairband, a half-length dragon with bared fangs and claws was painted in bold, bright red lines. "Jiujiang, did you pick all of these yourself?"
Luo Jiujiang nodded sincerely.
"Red and green, how unexpected..." Feng Xue showed an expression as if she had a toothache, and her tone was simply puzzled: "How can a winner in life like you, who has a gay friend on the left and a childhood sweetheart on the right, have such...straight taste?"
In the past, no matter how novel the words Feng Xue used, Luo Jiujiang could always connect the context and guess and understand about 80% of it, but this time, he really didn't understand this sentence.
"Sister Xue?" He called out softly with doubt.
"It's okay." Feng Xue said perfunctorily: "The steel pipe is straight, good thing, I'm praising you."
She put all the hairbands that Luo Jiujiang gave her into the storage bag.
Judging from her expression just now, this hairband was obviously not in line with her aesthetic taste. However, although she still had a funny look on her face, she was very careful in putting away the gift, just like when Luo Jiujiang accepted the small salt mountain that Xiao Ren gave him.
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The next day, Zhen Shuangliu called Luo Jiujiang over.
Ever since he came to the academy, he had been living in Mr. Gongyi's Bamboo Studio. Several times when Luo Jiujiang came to see his master, he saw the two of them sitting across the table from each other with a pot of tea on the table. Both of them had gloomy expressions on their faces, and it was unknown what they had come up with.
This time, it was the same. Zhen Shuangliu and Master Gongyi sat together in the hall. Master Gongyi wore his usual elegant smile, but Zhen Shuangliu's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Seeing Luo Jiujiang come forward and bow, he said stiffly, "Have you been catching up?"
Luo Jiujiang said honestly: "I have already said it."
"Hmm." Zhen Shuangliu snorted, "Are you tired of it?"
The question came out of the blue, and the content was a bit awkward. Luo Jiujiang's eyes wandered for a moment, and it was Mr. Gongyi who made up for him: "Yesterday, your master and I went for a stroll together... The scenery of the peach forest on the west slope is really nice."
Luo Jiujiang: “…” You guys are so disrespectful to the elderly!
Mr. Gongyi ignored Luo Jiujiang's wide eyes and continued to smile gracefully, while Zhen Shuangliu returned his cold stare. He looked at the traitor in the hall, who was worse than a shengjian and only caused trouble, and angrily threw a jade pendant in front of him, which was caught by Luo Jiujiang.
Unlike the one he had given Luo Jiujiang on the Seventh Island, the pattern on this jade pendant was clearly deep and powerful, depicting a small, spirited snake with its head held high and its tongue out, poised to strike. Although it was carved with only a few strokes, its expression was vivid, as if it could spring forth from the jade at any moment.
"The previous one wasn't pretty enough, was it?" Zhen Shuangliu said lightly.
Luo Jiujiang: “…”
Why are the two of them arguing over this?
Zhen Shuangliu glared at Luo Jiujiang, his eyes piercing, as if to say, "I'll see where you put the jade pendant I gave you." Luo Jiujiang felt a pang of sweat running down his back at the sight of his master's gaze. He had a premonition that if he put the jade pendant around his waist, Zhen Shuangliu would pick it up and press it into his skull.
Luo Jiujiang: “…”
He had no choice but to hang the jade pendant around his neck, but he didn't tuck it into his inner clothes to place it close to his skin. Although Zhen Shuangliu looked dissatisfied, he let him go vaguely.
"You know about the Holy Land?"
"I know. Qianling told me yesterday."
Last night, Han Qianling explained to him why he had become Suzaku's envoy. Like the Seven Islands Secret Realm, the Holy Land was also a world of profound spiritual energy. However, unlike the Seven Islands Small World, the core controlling the secret realm there was held in rotation by the clan leaders of each of the seven islands. The boundary membrane of the Holy Land was unique, opening only once every century.
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