Chapter 4

In the great Xia Kingdom, there are various powerful factions and numerous forces. Among them, two special forces maintain an absolute neutral stance, and neither the major prefectures nor the Xia royal family would easily provoke them.

One is the Holy Profound Star Academy, and the other is the Golden Dragon Treasure House.

The Holy Profound Star Academy is the ultimate dream of countless young men and women in the Xia Kingdom. Every year, the young talents who graduate from it are eagerly sought after by both the royal family and various factions.

The Golden Dragon Treasure House, on the other hand, operates businesses such as storage, auctions, and exchanges. Its wealth is so substantial that it makes countless forces envious, yet no one has ever dared to challenge it. The Golden Dragon Treasure House's influence is far beyond the imagination of any force in the Xia Kingdom. The branch in the Xia Kingdom is merely one of its many branches.

The true Golden Dragon Treasure House is located in a vast and boundless place beyond the Xia Kingdom, where it still holds a prominent reputation. The Golden Dragon Tickets issued by the Golden Dragon Treasure House are said to be exchangeable for an equivalent amount of gold wherever there are people.

Nanfeng City, as the capital of Tianshu Prefecture, naturally has a branch of the Golden Dragon Treasure House, and it is located in the most luxurious area of the city.

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 at it. Just the branch in a prefectural city was so grand, making the wealth of the Golden Dragon Treasure House truly unimaginable.

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

Jiang Qing'e, however, remained calm, barely glancing at it as she walked straight 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, they saw a middle-aged, plump man with a bejeweled appearance and rings of various colors on his fingers walk in with a cheerful smile.

"Ha ha, it's the young lord of Luo Lan Manor and Miss Jiang who have honored us with their presence. Truly, your visit has made our treasure house shine." It must be said that those who work at the Golden Dragon Treasure House are indeed adept at socializing. Recognizing Li Luo, he understood his current situation but showed no sign of disrespect, even placing Li Luo's name first in his greeting.

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

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

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

Mr. Lü smiled and nodded, turning to lead the way. The three of them passed through several layers of security and eventually descended underground.

Following Mr. Lü, they finally arrived at a completely sealed room. The stone walls were dark and smooth, like a mirror.

Mr. Lü extended his palm and gently tapped the smooth stone wall. Immediately, the wall began to crack, and a metal box, made of an unknown metal, slowly emerged.

"Here is the item left by the two lords of your manor. To open it, the young lord must be present and use his blood as the key," Mr. Lü 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 him, but for some reason, he felt that this item was extremely important to him, possibly even changing his future.

So, he took a deep breath, stepped forward, and placed his palm on the safe. Instantly, he felt a sharp pain at his fingertips, as if a drop of blood had been drawn and absorbed into the safe.

Click, click!

In the next moment, the safe, which seemed to be a single piece, emitted a mechanical sound. Then, a faint glow appeared on its surface, and it slowly split open from the middle.

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

It was a black crystal ball, extremely smooth, reflecting Li Luo's face and exuding a mysterious aura.

"This is..." Li Luo blinked.

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

Li Luo nodded, carefully taking out the black crystal ball and placing it in the briefcase, then gripping it tightly, his eyes slightly moist.

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

"I have a feeling that I'm about to turn things around, I'm so excited."

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

"..."

Jiang Qing'e ignored him and walked out of the underground vault, knowing that Li Luo was feeling a bit agitated and needed to let off some steam.

When they emerged from the underground vault, they saw Mr. Lü waiting for them again. This time, a young girl stood beside him.

The girl wore a green robe, with a slender and graceful figure. Her appearance was extremely delicate, her black hair cascading down to her slender waist like a waterfall. Her eyes were bright and deep, and her skin was the most striking feature, a snow-white and crystalline texture, as if truly made of ice and jade.

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

In terms of beauty and demeanor, the girl was clearly a step above the previously seen Tifa Qing.

However, when Li Luo saw her, his expression subtly changed, then quickly returned to normal.

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

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

Jiang Qing'e sized up Lü Qing'er, nodded slightly, and said, "Since you are also studying at Nanfeng Academy, you should be acquainted with Li Luo, right?"

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

Li Luo immediately put on an awkward smile and laughed, "No, no, don't say that. It's just that we belong to different academies and rarely meet."

In his heart, he felt a bit helpless. Lü Qing'er's reputation at Nanfeng Academy was much higher than Tifa Qing's. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also the new star of Nanfeng Academy, ranking first even among the talented students of the First Academy.

When Li Luo was still in the First Academy, many students had not yet awakened their physiognomy palaces. His talent in physiognomy made him a standout, and many students, including Lü Qing'er, would seek 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 Lü Qing'er. It wasn't that he disliked her, but meeting her was too awkward, especially since she had taken his place as the top student in the First Academy.

Li Luo, being a proud young man, chose to avoid her to avoid the awkwardness.

He didn't expect to run into her here today.

Lü Qing'er didn't comment on Li Luo's somewhat dismissive words but didn't say much more, instead turning her attention to Jiang Qing'e and engaging in a light conversation.

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

"Ha ha, Miss Jiang, I hear that the Luo Lan Manor will be quite lively these next few days," Mr. Lü said with a smile, hinting at something.

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

"Alas, what a pity," Mr. Lü sighed, then added, "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. Lü rubbed his oily, plump face, glanced at Lü Qing'er, and saw her eyes following the departing carriage.

"Cough."

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

Lü Qing'er gave Mr. Lü a look and said softly, "I just feel sorry for Li Luo. He did teach me physiognomy, and I have always admired him. If it weren't for his empty physiognomy, he would have been my biggest rival at Nanfeng Academy."

Mr. Lü patted his chest, relieved, "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 Xia Kingdom wouldn't be a match for you?"

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