Chapter 29
Soon after they left the Luo Manor, Feng Tianlan saw a carriage slowly approach. Seeing that it was pulled by a Stage Five Demonic Wolverine, she lowered her gaze. There was only one man in South Peace City who could mount a demon wolf—Luo Yuanjie, Dean of the Blue Flame Academy, and Yunzhu’s father.
Feng Tianlan fully intended to ignore him, but the carriage stopped in front of her before she could leave. The Wolverine, as tall as her waist, shot her a fierce look from its gleaming green eyes. It snorted a muddy breath, signifying its contempt for her. Even a demonic beast scoffed at a good-for-nothing!
A deep, mellow voice emerged from the carriage. “Is that Miss Feng?”
“Yes,” Feng Tianlan replied and bowed slightly.
The curtain lifted as soon as she replied. A polite yet stern-looking middle-aged man stared into her eyes. His gaze was neither gentle nor harsh.
“Here to visit Zhu’er?” Luo Yuanjie retracted his gaze after taking a brief look at Feng Tianlan.
“Yes,” Feng Tianlan answered, maintaining her bow. As the man in front of her was Yunzhu’s father, she would not be too rude to him.
“I shall save my breath on meaningless and hypocritical words. Zhu’er will still inherit the Blue Flame Academy, even if she lacks talent and potential. In fact, it is precisely because she lacks ability that she requires powerful friends by her side. At first, I did not think much of the two of you being friends. However, it has come to the point that Zhu’er’s peers have ostracized her because of you. You are the only friend she’s had over all these years, and that bodes nothing but ill for her.
“Consider this old man selfish. For the sake of my daughter and the Academy, I’m afraid that you will have to go. Miss Feng, you better break off all contact with Zhu’er. That is the best thing that you can do for her. As for you, I will send someone to protect you. I guarantee you a lifetime of peace and security.”
No matter what, Feng Tianlan was still a little impressed by Luo Yuanjie’s words. He did not beat about the bush like a hypocrite, nor did he threaten or coerce her. He simply dissected the situation with logic and emotion. He genuinely cared for Yunzhu. He was just a kind father trying to pave the way for his daughter and could not be considered a bad man.
“Thank you, Dean Luo. While I appreciate your kind intentions, I do not wish to break up my friendship with Yunzhu over this. Tianlan has no intention of becoming disloyal and heartless. True friends in life are precious not because of how many of them you have, but because of how loyally you treat them. Since she has been willing to be the spear that protects me, I want to be the shield that protects her.”
Luo Yuanjie peered at the girl, whom he had only met a few times. It was rumored that, apart from being a good-for-nothing, she was also cowardly and useless. However, it now seemed that the true Feng Tianlan was very different from the rumors. She was as prideful and virtuous as a bamboo shoot; moreover, she had defeated the young genius maiden yesterday.
“However, your disgraced reputation from all these years has started to affect Zhu’er negatively…”
Feng Tianlan looked up at Luo Yuanjie with firm eyes. She implored him strongly, “Dean Luo, the road of life is long. How can anyone predict the future? Right up to the very second before I battled Feng Xiuyu, was there anyone who didn’t laugh at me, mocking me that I didn’t know my place? However, I turned the tides and claimed victory. Weren’t many people inspired by my fight?”
“Out of your seven-day duel agreement with the Third Feng Miss, only five days are left now. So what if you advance to become a First-stage Spiritualist? She will be a Mid-Stage Spiritualist within five days. Do not belittle the difference in prowess between a single stage. It is a huge barrier to overcome. How certain are you about your luck to narrowly defeat her by a fluke on the day of the fight?” Dean Luo replied, his tone mildly slighting. He’d never thought that Feng Tianlan’s win over Feng Xiuyu that day was inspiring in any way. Lady Luck had been kind to her, and she had narrowly won by chance. It was just a fluke.
Upon hearing the word “fluke” from Luo Yuanjie, Feng Tianlan could not help but softly laugh. “Your words ring true, Dean Luo. I was merely a Level 6 Gathering Spirit yesterday.”
Luo Yuanjie frowned slightly, but soon enough, his eyes lit up. Shocked by what he saw, he couldn’t help but exclaim, “How is it that you leveled up from a Level 6 Gathering Spirit to a First-stage Spiritualist overnight?”