Chapter 4

In the vast territory of the Daxia Empire, there were various powerful factions and numerous forces. Among them, two special forces maintained an absolute neutral stance, and neither the major prefectures nor the Daxia Imperial Family would easily provoke them.

One was the Holy玄Star Academy, and the other was the Golden Dragon Treasure House.

There was no need to elaborate on the Holy玄Star Academy, which was the ultimate dream of countless young men and women in the Daxia Empire. Every year, the young talents who emerged from it were eagerly sought after by both the imperial family and various forces.

The Golden Dragon Treasure House, on the other hand, operated various services such as storage, auctions, and exchanges. Its financial strength was so formidable that it made countless forces envious, but no one dared to challenge it. The Golden Dragon Treasure House's influence was far beyond the imagination of any force in the Daxia Empire. The branch in the Daxia Empire was just one of its many branches.

The true Golden Dragon Treasure House was located in a vast and boundless area outside the Daxia Empire, and its reputation was even more prominent. The Golden Dragon Tickets issued by the Golden Dragon Treasure House were said to be exchangeable for an equivalent amount of gold wherever there were people.

As the capital city of the Tianshu Prefecture, Nanfeng City naturally had a branch of the Golden Dragon Treasure House, and it was located in the most luxurious area of the city center.

When Li Luo got off the carriage and looked at the golden and splendid building in front of him, even though it was not his first time seeing it, he still couldn't help but marvel. Just the branch in a prefecture city was so magnificent, and the financial strength of the Golden Dragon Treasure House was truly unimaginable.

Compared to such a behemoth, even the Luolan Manor seemed somewhat insignificant.

Jiang Qing'e, however, remained calm, barely glancing at it, and directly walked into the treasure house. Li Luo quickly followed.

Inside the grand treasure house, Jiang Qing'e took out a golden ticket and handed it to a servant. The servant carefully inspected it and then respectfully led the two into a VIP room.

After waiting for a moment in the VIP room, a middle-aged, plump man adorned with various gemstone rings on his fingers entered with a joyful smile.

"Ha ha, it's the young lord of the Luolan Manor and Miss Jiang who have honored us with your presence. Truly, your visit has brought great honor to our treasure house." It must be said that those who worked at the Golden Dragon Treasure House were indeed adept at handling people. Recognizing Li Luo, the man understood his current situation but showed no sign of disrespect, even placing Li Luo's name first in his greeting.

"This is Mr. Lu, the president of the Golden Dragon Treasure House in Tianshu Prefecture," Jiang Qing'e introduced, clearly recognizing him.

"Mr. Lu, please take us to retrieve our items."

After the introduction, Jiang Qing'e displayed her decisive and efficient style.

Mr. Lu smiled and nodded, leading the way. The three of them passed through several layers of security and finally descended underground.

Following Mr. Lu's guidance, they arrived at a completely sealed room with dark, smooth stone walls that resembled a mirror.

Mr. Lu placed his palm on the smooth stone wall, and it immediately began to crack, revealing a metal box made of an unknown material.

"Here is the item left by the two manor lords. To open it, the young lord must come in person and use his blood as the key," Mr. Lu said with a smile, then stepped out of the room.

Li Luo stared at the safe, momentarily lost in thought. He didn't know what his parents had left for him, but he felt that it was extremely important and might change his future.

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward, placed his palm on the safe, and felt a sharp pain as a drop of blood was drawn into the safe.

Click, click!

In the next moment, a mechanical sound came from the safe, and a faint glow appeared on its surface before it slowly split open.

As the safe opened, the contents were revealed to Li Luo.

It was a black crystal ball, extremely smooth and reflecting Li Luo's face, with a hint of mystery.

"This is..." Li Luo blinked.

"Put it away for now. Your parents said you should open it on your 17th birthday," Jiang Qing'e handed him a briefcase.

Li Luo nodded, carefully took out the black crystal ball, placed it in the briefcase, and held it tightly, his eyes slightly moist.

"What's wrong?" Jiang Qing'e asked, puzzled.

"I have a feeling that my luck is about to change, and I'm excited."

Li Luo shook the briefcase and said solemnly to Jiang Qing'e, "Wait and see, I will definitely break off the engagement!"

"..."

Jiang Qing'e ignored him and turned to leave the underground vault, knowing that Li Luo was feeling a bit agitated and needed some time to calm down.

When they emerged from the underground vault, they saw Mr. Lu waiting for them, and this time, a young girl stood beside him.

The girl wore a green robe, had a slender figure, and a very beautiful face. Her long black hair cascaded down to her slender waist, and her eyes were bright and deep. Her skin was the most striking, a snow-white and crystalline texture, as if she had truly ice-like skin and jade-like bones.

Additionally, she wore thin, silk-like gloves, and even with the gloves on, one could sense the delicate and slender fingers. If the gloves were removed, her hands would surely be a sight to behold.

In terms of appearance and demeanor, the girl was clearly superior to Tifa Qing.

However, when Li Luo saw her, his expression subtly changed, but he quickly regained his composure.

"Ha ha, this is my niece, Lu Qing'er. She is also cultivating at the Nanfeng Academy and admires Miss Jiang greatly. She insisted on coming to meet you, I hope Miss Jiang won't mind," Mr. Lu said with a smile, bowing to Jiang Qing'e.

"Nice to meet you, Senior Sister Jiang," Lu Qing'er greeted Jiang Qing'e gracefully.

Jiang Qing'e glanced at Lu Qing'er, nodded slightly, and said, "Since you are also cultivating at the Nanfeng Academy, you should be acquainted with Li Luo, right?"

Lu Qing'er glanced at Li Luo, smiled gently, and nodded, her eyes deep and meaningful, "Li Luo once guided me in physiognomy, and I have always been grateful to him. However, in the past two years, he seems to avoid me."

Li Luo immediately smiled awkwardly and laughed, "No, no, don't misunderstand. It's just that we are in different academies and rarely meet."

In his heart, he felt a bit helpless. Lu Qing'er's reputation in the Nanfeng Academy was much higher than Tifa Qing's. She was not only beautiful but also the new star of the Nanfeng Academy, even in the talent-rich First Academy, she was the top student.

When Li Luo was in the First Academy, many students had not yet opened their physiognomy palaces, and his talent in physiognomy made him a standout. Many students, including Lu Qing'er, sought his guidance.

Their relationship at the time was quite good.

However, after the incidents and Li Luo's transfer to the Second Academy, their relationship became awkward.

Of course, the main reason was that Li Luo avoided Lu Qing'er, not because he disliked her, but because it was too awkward to meet. After all, he used to be the top student in the First Academy, and now Lu Qing'er had taken his place.

Li Luo, being a proud young man, avoided Lu Qing'er to avoid the awkwardness.

He didn't expect to meet her here today.

Lu Qing'er didn't comment on Li Luo's somewhat perfunctory response but didn't say much more. Instead, she turned to Jiang Qing'e and began a light conversation.

Finally, they escorted Jiang Qing'e and Li Luo to the entrance of the treasure house.

"Ha ha, Miss Jiang, I heard that the Luolan Manor will be quite lively these next few days," Mr. Lu said with a smile, hinting at something.

Jiang Qing'e remained calm, "Mr. Lu, your information is indeed reliable."

"Ah, what a pity."

Mr. Lu sighed and then said, "If you need any cooperation in the future, feel free to come to me. The Golden Dragon Treasure House believes in harmony and prosperity."

Li Luo was a bit puzzled but didn't ask more, just following Jiang Qing'e into the carriage and leaving quickly.

Mr. Lu touched his greasy, chubby face, glanced at Lu Qing'er, and saw her eyes following the departing carriage.

"Cough."

Mr. Lu suddenly coughed and said, "Girl, you, you don't have any feelings for Li Luo, do you?"

Lu Qing'er rolled her eyes at Mr. Lu and said softly, "I just feel sorry for Li Luo. He did guide me in physiognomy, and I have always admired him. If it weren't for his empty physiognomy, he would have been my biggest rival at the Nanfeng Academy."

Mr. Lu patted his chest, relieved, and said, "That's good, that's good... Qing'er, he is already engaged. Don't bother with him. With your conditions, what young genius in the Daxia Empire wouldn't be a match for you?"

Lu Qing'er shook her head, ignoring her uncle's rambling, and turned away, leaving Mr. Lu scratching his head and smiling foolishly.