"What does she want?"
Seeing that it was Liu Erlong, Ning Rongrong's curiosity was piqued. Her eyes widened, her small mouth slightly agape, and she instinctively leaned closer to Dai Chengfeng.
Whispering softly into his ear, she asked, "Could it be that she's here to settle the score with you because she lost the auction?"
Hearing this, Dai Chengfeng shook his head but did not respond.
He didn't know why Liu Erlong had come either, but acting out of anger after losing the bid didn't seem like her style.
Thus, even Dai Chengfeng was curious.
As for Sword Elder Chen Xin and Bone Elder Gu Rong—one remained calmly resting with closed eyes, seemingly indifferent to the visitor, while the other's eyes gleamed with amusement.
However, the invisible yet overwhelming aura emanating from these two titled Douluos subtly filled the spacious private box, creating an unspoken pressure…
A silent reminder to the "intruder" of just how weighty this place was.
Not just anyone could come in and act recklessly!
On the other side, Liu Erlong took a deep breath after hearing Ning Fengzhi's words and glanced at Chen Xin and Gu Rong, the two titled Douluos.
She was fully aware of whose territory this was and what the presence of these two elders signified.
With that in mind, Liu Erlong's gaze quickly swept over the people in the private box.
Ning Fengzhi, calm and composed—she recognized him.
Gu Rong, smirking and waiting for the show to unfold—she recognized him too.
Chen Xin, sharp and imposing—she knew him as well.
Ning Fengyuan, slightly surprised but familiar as one of the core figures of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect's outer circle.
And Ning Rongrong, the little princess of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect.
And then…
There was a stranger—a youth dressed in sleek black and gold attire, lounging casually on the sofa. His features were strikingly handsome, but his demeanor exuded a chilling aloofness and an inexplicable sharpness.
Liu Erlong's gaze lingered on the unfamiliar Dai Chengfeng for just a fraction of a second before locking onto him completely.
Her beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and a strong intuition told her: It was him! The young male voice that had so calmly called out the astronomical bid of one million—it could only belong to him!
Who was he?
When did the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect produce such a person?
Why had she never seen him before? He clearly wasn't a direct descendant of the Ning family!
Had Ning Fengzhi personally instructed him to outbid her?
But judging by Ning Fengzhi's reaction, he seemed just as surprised…
Countless questions instantly flooded Liu Erlong's mind, but one central point stood out crystal clear:
He had won the Soul-Shaping Orchid!
Liu Erlong's gaze fell unreservedly on Dai Chengfeng, as if trying to pierce through him entirely, inside and out.
Dai Chengfeng naturally felt this highly intrusive gaze, but he merely raised his eyelids slightly. His deep golden-blue heterochromatic eyes remained utterly calm, even flickering with a faint, almost imperceptible disdain before casually shifting his gaze away.
His long fingers idly traced the rim of his teacup, as if the imposing principal of Lanba Academy simply didn't exist.
"Who is he?"
For a moment, Liu Erlong's curiosity about Dai Chengfeng burned intensely.
But soon, she retracted her gaze and turned toward Ning Fengzhi, offering a polite but not overly warm smile.
"Sect Leader Ning, Sword Elder, Bone Elder, Miss Rongrong…"
Liu Erlong gave a slight nod. "I apologize for the intrusion—I truly didn't mean to disturb."
As she spoke, her gaze once again brushed past Dai Chengfeng, her probing almost tangible.
"It's just… I have some unanswered questions and couldn't resist coming up to seek your guidance."
Upon hearing this, Gu Rong stroked his chin with interest, his smile widening.
Ning Fengzhi, however, remained as gentle as ever. Setting down his teacup, his voice was as soothing as a spring breeze: "Principal Liu, there's no need for such formalities. Your father and I go way back, so there's no question of being disturbed."
"You are Vice Sect Leader Yu's daughter. If you have any doubts, feel free to ask."
Liu Erlong nodded.
She knew full well that under the watchful eyes of titled Douluos, there was no room for indirect or aggressive behavior.
Thus, she stopped hiding her intentions and fixed her gaze directly on the youth lounging on the sofa, seemingly detached from everything around him.
"Sect Leader Ning, forgive my boldness."
"I wonder… who is this young man? Could he be a rising star of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect? I've never heard of him before."
Upon hearing this, Dai Chengfeng finally raised his head. His peculiar golden-blue heterochromatic eyes met Liu Erlong's curious gaze without a ripple.
He tilted his head slightly, the corners of his lips curling into an almost imperceptible arc—mocking, or perhaps purely indifferent—causing Liu Erlong's heart to inexplicably skip a beat.
"This is Young Master Dai Chengfeng. He is not a disciple of our sect but rather a close friend of Rongrong's and an esteemed guest of the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Sect."
Ning Fengzhi spoke up at the right moment, briefly explaining Dai Chengfeng's identity.
As for more details, he left them unsaid.
After all, being courteous to Liu Erlong was already a gesture of respect toward her father. There was no need to elaborate further.
"Dai Chengfeng?"
Liu Erlong frowned slightly. She felt as though the name was familiar, as if she'd heard it somewhere before, but she couldn't quite recall where.
But admitting outright that she didn't recognize him might offend someone of great importance. After all, anyone referred to as an esteemed guest by Ning Fengzhi likely carried significant weight.
"Ah, I see."
Liu Erlong feigned sudden realization and nodded slightly. "Young Master Dai Chengfeng, greetings. I am Liu Erlong, principal of Lanba Academy."
She extended her right hand.
However, Dai Chengfeng made no extra movements, not even lifting his back from the comfortable sofa. He merely gave Liu Erlong a curt nod.
"Principal Liu, greetings."
Dai Chengfeng showed no trace of a smile, let alone shaking hands in return.
After all, this woman was a friend of Yu Xiaogang, his enemy. Once she learned of his feud with Yu Xiaogang, refraining from killing him would already be a sign of her restraint.
Dai Chengfeng didn't believe that ingratiating himself to her would make her abandon Yu Xiaogang and side with him.
Thus, he considered his cold indifference to be relatively polite.
This detachment and disregard immediately froze Liu Erlong's smile. Her outstretched right hand awkwardly hovered in midair.
She could clearly sense the undisguised hostility radiating from Dai Chengfeng!
Beside them, Bone Elder Gu Rong's eyes gleamed with even more amusement, and he even let out a soft "tsk," as if enjoying the opening act of a good show.
Ning Fengzhi's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly, as if wanting to ease the tension, but ultimately he chose not to speak.
Ning Rongrong instinctively tugged at the corner of Dai Chengfeng's sleeve, her small face filled with concern and confusion.
Meanwhile, countless thoughts flashed through Liu Erlong's mind like lightning.
We've never met before; we have no grudges or grievances. Where does his hostility come from?
Could it be because of the auction earlier?
But he was the one who won the bid—I'm the loser. If anyone should be angry, it should be me!
At this moment, Liu Erlong half-wanted to leave immediately. After all, she wasn't the type to endure humiliation. But then she thought of the importance of the Soul-Shaping Orchid…
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