Although Shui Liuli's tone was reproachful,a barely perceptible concern lurked deep in her eyes.
Shui Bing'er, as the team leader, was the first to lower her head, her voice soft yet clear: "I'm sorry, Mom/Teacher, we were just worried about you because of the commotion."
The other girls nodded hastily like chicks pecking at rice, their eyes timid, like a flock of frightened birds.
Looking at them, Shui Liuli felt both warmth and heartache.
She sighed softly, her tone softening considerably: "Alright, but you mustn't be so reckless next time! If anything happens to you, then I..."
She hesitated, finally letting out a helpless sigh.
Then, she turned and walked towards Dongfang Jing, her gaze filled with undisguised admiration as she carefully examined him: "Young man, you're quite skilled. The body and the evidence are here; the city guards will handle it. However, being questioned by them will be troublesome. Why don't you travel with us for a while?"
Dongfang Jing glanced at his sister in his arms, who was clearly frightened but trying to appear calm.
She glanced again at the gradually gathering crowd in the distance, nodded, and politely replied, "Thank you for your trouble, senior."
Shui Liuli smiled slightly, gestured in a direction, and led them away quickly.
The girls from Tianshui Academy immediately surrounded Dongfang Yao with curiosity, their expressions showing affection for her obedient and adorable appearance.
They whispered to her, slightly easing the tense atmosphere from before.
Along the way, however,Shui Liuli's gaze mostly lingered on Dongfang Jing.
Her scrutiny and curiosity were almost undisguised.
Her gaze lingered on his mask for a moment, then suddenly, without warning, she attacked!
Her slender fingers moved like lightning, reaching straight for the edge of the mask!
However, Dongfang Jing's reaction was far beyond that of ordinary people; almost instinctively, he slightly tilted his head, perfectly avoiding her fingers.
"What is the meaning of this, Senior?" He didn't stop walking, his voice coming through the mask, carrying a hint of wariness.
Shui Liuli's hand paused in mid-air, then she chuckled and withdrew it.
Her beautiful eyes showed even greater surprise: "Your reaction is really fast! I'm just really curious, what does a genius who can instantly kill a Soul Venerable and easily escape from the encirclement of the Soul Sect look like? And which hidden sect or great family nurtured this treasure?"
Although her tone was teasing, her inquisitiveness was obvious.
Dongfang Jing was silent for a moment, then sighed softly.
He knew that if Shui Liuli had used her Soul Skill just now, he would have had no chance to dodge it.
Sensing that the other party had no ill intentions,he raised his hand and gently tapped the edge of the mask, slowly removing it.
He shrugged calmly, his tone indifferent: "Senior, you misunderstand. I am not from a noble family, nor do I belong to any sect. I've only gained this meager strength because I'm luckier than most."
"As for concealing my appearance, it's simply because the outside world is fraught with danger, and wearing a mask makes things easier."
His voice was calm, yet it commanded unquestionable respect.
Seeing the mysterious young man finally reveal his true face,the girls from Tianshui Academy, who had been surrounding Dongfang Yao, immediately abandoned her and,unable to contain their curiosity, crowded around.
When they saw the noticeably youthful face, the girls gasped in unison.
"My God!"
"So young!"
"Looks much younger than Yue'er!"
Xue Wu, Gu Qingbo, Yu Hairou, Shen Liuyu, Qiu Ruoshui, and others exclaimed in unison.
Even Shui Liuli, who had expected this, couldn't hide her shock. Her beautiful face was filled with disbelief, and she blurted out, "How old are you this year?"
"Seven years old."
"Seven!" Shui Liuli's voice suddenly rose.
She steadied herself, her eyes burning with fervor, and immediately pressed, "Which academy are you attending now? Why don't you transfer to our Tianshui Academy! We also have an affiliated junior soul master academy in Tianshui, and these girls are studying there!"
She pointed to the curious girls behind her.
Upon hearing this, Dongfang Jing seemed to have several invisible question marks appearing above his head: "Senior, I'm male, and my martial soul isn't water or ice attribute."
Shui Liuli waved her hand excitedly, saying without any concern, "What does martial soul attribute matter when we can receive a genius like you? What's wrong with making an exception this time!"
Her eyes shone brightly, as if she could already see the bright future of the academy.
However, she paused slightly.
Her gaze swept over Dongfang Jing, settling on the crucial question.
Her tone became slightly teasing, half-jokingly saying,
"As for gender... well... little brother, why don't you consider it? I happen to know a highly skilled healing-type Soul Master who has considerable expertise in, well... 'gender adjustment.' I can introduce you to him. Guaranteed painless, safe, and without any side effects! That way, you can legitimately come to our academy~"
Her words were, of course, purely a joke.
Tianshui Academy only accepted female students; this was an unshakeable rule since its founding, a bottom line and characteristic ingrained in the academy's very being, not a trivial matter.
It was impossible for it to be truly changed for any genius.
Shui Liuli was simply too shocked by the huge contrast between his age and strength,and on a whim, used this method to express her inner amazement and...a trace of unfulfilled regret.
"..."
Dongfang Jing's cheek twitched slightly,speechless at this Soul Emperor's unconventional thinking.
He quickly put his mask back on, as if only then could he gain some sense of security,and clearly refused, "Ahem, thank you for your 'kindness,' senior. I appreciate the sentiment, but it's really unnecessary."
Soon, the group reached a relatively safe street corner.
Dongfang Jing stopped and solemnly thanked Shui Liuli again, "Thank you for your help tonight, senior. I will remember it forever."
Shui Liuli waved her hand casually, seemingly unconcerned, "It was nothing. Eliminating the corrupt and restoring peace to the city is simply my duty."
She looked at Dongfang Jing, her gaze becoming somewhat distant, and added in a low voice,"No need for thanks. If we meet again in the Soul Master Competition, I hope you will show some mercy to my group of good-for-nothing girls."
Dongfang Jing was slightly taken aback upon hearing this,then nodded without saying anything more.
He simply tightened his grip on his sister's hand, turned around, and quietly disappeared into the night.
Shui Liuli stood there, watching the direction he had left, her beautiful eyes sparkling, lost in thought.
As night deepened,the path leading to Tianshui Academy became much quieter, save for the light footsteps of the students and occasional whispers.
Shui Bing'er slowed her pace, waiting for her mother to approach before speaking softly.
Though young, she thought more deeply and further than her peers.
Her mother, as a Soul Emperor, usually upheld justice, but would never easily fight to the death with a Soul Sect team for a stranger.
Her decisive action tonight must have a deeper meaning.
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(End of Chapter)