Chapter 037: Diligent Cultivation

After the auction concluded, aside from a few sellers and buyers still settling their transactions, most of the guests had already left the venue. The principal of Feiyang School gazed enviously and jealously at the three gold coins in Luo Yuan’s hand. “Brother Luo, your Luoyang Academy has really profited this time. A low-level Earth-grade technique sold for thirty thousand gold coins—that’s enough to cover your academy’s expenses for years!”

Luo Yuan looked at the principal of Feiyang Academy with disdain. “Hmph. I’m going to use this money to nurture my students. This year, I’ll make sure Luoyang Academy’s students stand out above all others at the Nine Academies Tournament. We will become the premier martial academy in Nine Sun City!”

With that, Luo Yuan and his son Luo Shan departed the Duobao Pavilion auction hall.

The principal of Feiyang Academy, disappointed by his lack of luck, took the one thousand gold coins he earned from auctioning a mortal-grade technique and also left the venue.

Meng Linglong and Meng Chuchu, the two sisters, walked down the bustling streets of Nine Sun City, attracting countless lascivious gazes. The elder sister, Meng Linglong, radiated beauty beyond compare, while her younger sister, Meng Chuchu, with her flushed cheeks and startled expression, was even more alluring.

As they walked, Meng Chuchu patted her chest and said, “Sister, my heart almost jumped out just now! Ten thousand gold coins! What if no one had bid any higher? What would we have done?”

“Shh! Be careful, someone might overhear!” Meng Linglong affectionately tapped Meng Chuchu’s head. “If no one had bid, I’d have had to sell you to pay our debts!”

Meng Chuchu shrank back, stuck out her adorable little tongue, and replied, “I’m not grown up yet, I’m worthless. If anyone gets sold, it should be you, Sister!”

“Oh, so you’ve learned to plot against your own sister now? Looks like I’ll have to teach you a lesson on Father’s behalf!”

As the sisters walked and chatted, Meng Linglong mused, “Chuchu, didn’t the voice that bid against Ouyang Feiyun sound a bit like Xin Lang?”

“Now that you mention it, I remember! That bidding voice was indeed similar to Xin Lang’s!” Meng Chuchu added, “No way, does he have so much money he doesn’t know what to do with it? Thirty thousand gold coins for a low-level Earth-grade technique?”

Meng Linglong furrowed her willow-shaped brows in thought. “Xin Lang is a tenth-level martial apprentice now, so he does need an Earth-grade technique to break through. But our Xuyang Academy has Earth-grade techniques too. Learning one is expensive, but just a few gold coins would suffice. The one Luoyang Academy sold wasn’t worth thirty thousand gold coins. If it were a high-level Earth-grade technique, maybe.”

The more Meng Linglong tried to understand Xin Lang, the more mysterious he seemed.

Meng Linglong said, “Chuchu, you need to keep investigating Xin Lang’s background for me.”

“Uh… still investigate?” Meng Chuchu pouted her cute lips. “Alright, I’ll try one last time! If I fail again, Sister, you’ll have to do it yourself!”

Two luxurious carriages sped past them from behind. As they reached the sisters, the second carriage suddenly stopped.

“Hey! Is that Linglong junior and Chuchu junior?” The curtain of the carriage lifted, and Ouyang Feiyun poked his head out. “Ladies, let me give you a ride!”

“Oh, please! Stop acting so familiar. None of us here are your sisters!” Meng Chuchu rolled her eyes at Ouyang Feiyun.

“Chuchu junior, my father and your esteemed father are old friends. Calling Linglong my junior isn’t inappropriate. Besides, my father has already proposed marriage to Uncle Meng. If Uncle Meng hadn’t left home and stayed away so long, I’d already be your brother-in-law!” Ouyang Feiyun said.

“Ouyang senior, Xuyang Academy is just up ahead. No need to trouble you any further,” said Meng Linglong.

She pulled her sister along, determined not to exchange another word with Ouyang Feiyun.

Meng Chuchu snorted, “If it weren’t for this playboy Ouyang Feiyun pressuring Father to arrange a marriage, Father wouldn’t have had to leave. Sister, you wouldn’t have to work so hard and shoulder such heavy burdens.”

“You were just talking about selling me! What, having second thoughts now?” Meng Linglong looked at her sister’s adorable expression and spoke with tender affection.

“Heh! You have to be sold, but definitely not to Ouyang Feiyun! He relies on his father being the city lord and has ruined countless innocent girls!” Meng Chuchu’s eyes sparkled mischievously. “I actually think Xin Lang’s not bad—he’s cool, rich, and skilled!”

Seeing her sister’s infatuated expression, Meng Linglong tapped her head lightly. “If you really like him, I’ll negotiate with Xin Lang tomorrow and sell you to him first!”

“Heehee, sure! Sell me first, then sell you!” Meng Chuchu stuck out her pink tongue.

“Principal, are you talking about my boss? Planning to sell something to him? Tell me, I’ll advise my boss!” Suddenly, a pig-faced, chubby boy blocked the sisters’ path.

“Gu Ge!”

“Ah! Xin… Xin Lang!” Meng Chuchu stared at Xin Lang in shock and embarrassment, unable to speak.

The Meng sisters, having just been talking about Xin Lang, never expected him to suddenly appear before them.

“Gu, Xin Lang, you two came to the auction too? Did you get any treasures?” Meng Linglong was the first to recover from embarrassment and probed Xin Lang and Gu.

“Yes! Did you get anything good? Show us!” Meng Chuchu, hiding her surprise, chimed in.

“We…”

Fat Gu was about to speak, but Xin Lang interrupted him. “I spent all my money on tuition. Where would I get the funds for treasures? Today I went to Duobao Pavilion just to see if Gu could help me find some work-study jobs. Otherwise, I won’t have money for food, and next month I’ll have to drop out on my own! By the way, Principal, seeing how tough things are for me, shouldn’t you waive my meal and boarding fees?”

“Hmm… let me think…” Meng Linglong pondered for a while. “Xin Lang has brought a lot of honor to our Xuyang Academy recently. I’ll discuss it with the senior staff. If there’s any good news, I’ll let you know!”

The Meng sisters and Xin Lang, along with Gu, entered Xuyang Academy together.

After the four entered the academy, a carriage stopped outside the gate. Ouyang Feiyun lifted the curtain, glanced at the massive plaque above the entrance, and snorted coldly. “Meng Linglong, sooner or later, you and this academy will belong to our Ouyang family.”

With that, he dropped the curtain and drove away.

Fat Gu, after returning to the dormitory with Xin Lang, stayed only half a minute before leaving. Having earned thirty thousand gold coins today, he took over a thousand for himself, told Xin Lang he was off to “intense training,” and dashed out of Xuyang Academy, headed straight for the Spring Pavilion.