At this moment, the young man's gaze naturally shifted toward Tang San, who was standing beside Ning Fengzhi. He said warmly, "This must be Brother Tang San, whom Uncle Ning frequently mentions and speaks so highly of, right?"
Although Tang San did not know the man's exact identity, judging by his bearing and his relationship with Ning Fengzhi, he knew this was by no means an ordinary figure. He immediately cupped his hands politely and replied, "You flatter me, Your Excellency. I don't deserve such high praise."
Ning Fengzhi smiled and introduced the two to each other. "Little San, let me introduce you. This is the current Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire, His Highness Xue Qinghe."
The Crown Prince?
Tang San felt a slight chill in his heart, but his face remained calm. Maintaining a posture that was neither servile nor overbearing, he bowed slightly again, performing a more formal greeting. "So it is His Highness the Crown Prince. Please forgive my lack of manners, Tang San."
Xue Qinghe quickly took a step forward, extending a hand to support him. His smile grew warmer, and his words were filled with admiration and an unconcealed desire to recruit him. "Brother Tang, please rise. Although I was unable to witness your heroic bearing on the arena with my own eyes, I have already heard Uncle Ning praise it many times. Seeing you today, you truly live up to your reputation. You and I are similar in age, so why stick to these empty formalities? If you don't mind, just call me Big Brother Xue. Mentioning 'Crown Prince' only makes us distant."
Under Ning Fengzhi's guidance, the three took their seats. Sipping fragrant tea, they began to exchange pleasantries in an seemingly harmonious atmosphere.
The conversation naturally revolved around the tournament that had just ended, and Xue Qinghe spared no praise for Shrek Academy, especially for Tang San's performance.
However, during the conversation, both Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi keenly noticed that no matter how they steered the topic, Tang San never once took the initiative to mention his father, who was famous across the continent.
Xue Qinghe couldn't help but cast an inquiring glance at Ning Fengzhi, who also gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head, indicating that he was equally puzzled.
After a brief deliberation, Xue Qinghe decided to take the initiative.
He let out a soft sigh, his tone filled with sincere regret and admiration, as he directed the topic toward Tang Hao. "Speaking of which, Brother Tang, your honorable father, the Clear Sky Douluo, was such a matchless hero back then! Although I was young and unable to see his style at his peak, whenever I hear people mention him, I yearn for it. It's just a pity... sigh, heaven is jealous of heroic geniuses. Later on, he unexpectedly... vanished without a trace. It is truly a great loss for our entire Spirit Master community."
As he spoke, he carefully observed Tang San's reaction.
To his and Ning Fengzhi's surprise, the Tang San in the simulation reacted with astonishing calmness upon hearing this.
He merely nodded slightly, took a sip from his teacup, and replied in a polite but distant tone, "Big Brother Xue overpraises him. My father's past is like passing smoke and clouds, not worth mentioning."
He had absolutely no intention of following the topic to ask further, as if what he heard was just a distant story that had nothing to do with him.
Xue Qinghe's surprise grew even greater, leaving him with no choice but to cast an implicitly helpful glance at Ning Fengzhi again.
Ning Fengzhi sighed inwardly, knowing that some of the foreshadowing and plans they had originally envisioned would probably be difficult to achieve. Weighing his words, he asked directly, "Little San, are you... really not curious at all about your father's affairs back then, his encounters, and his later whereabouts? There may be many unknown secrets involved in this."
The Tang San in the simulation set down his teacup, looked up at Ning Fengzhi, the same indifferent smile still hanging on the corner of his mouth, and said calmly, "Uncle Ning, Big Brother Xue, I appreciate your kindness. However, concerning my father's past, everything he experienced, and the choices he made... I am already fully aware of them all. Thank you both for your concern."
'You are aware, but I am not! They clearly know important inside information, maybe even the truth about Father and Mother, so keep talking!'
Watching from the sidelines, the real Tang San almost shouted out in his consciousness, his heart filled with anxiety and helplessness.
Even with Tang San's naturally calm and collected personality, he was made somewhat unruly by his simulated self at this moment.
He longed to understand everything about his father and mother, and the scene before him was clearly an excellent opportunity, yet it was brushed aside so lightly by his simulated self.
Hearing such a definitive answer from the Tang San in the simulation, Xue Qinghe and Ning Fengzhi exchanged a highly concealed glance.
Both saw a flash of astonishment in each other's eyes, as well as a deeper level of regret and helplessness.
Since things had come to this, the two, who were well-versed in social skills, stopped lingering on this topic to avoid causing Tang San's resentment.
They smoothly shifted the conversation to other matters, and the atmosphere returned to a state of superficial harmony and enthusiasm.
After several rounds of tea, time slipped away quietly.
Seeing that the time was about right, Xue Qinghe extended an invitation to Tang San. "Brother Tang, our conversation has been very pleasant, and before we knew it, it's already close to noon. Why don't we have lunch together before you head back?"
Tang San politely declined, "Thank you for your kindness, Big Brother Xue. However, the Academy still has classes, and my partners are also waiting for news, so it's better for me to go back first."
A touch of just right regret flashed across Xue Qinghe's face, but he did not force it, showing a fully understanding attitude.
He smiled slightly and elegantly took out a palm-sized, exquisitely carved gold medallion from his robe.
On the gold medallion, the imperial emblem of the Heaven Dou Empire was faintly visible, flowing with a warm and noble luster under the light filtering in from the window.
"In that case, I won't keep you any longer." Xue Qinghe handed the gold medallion to Tang San, his tone sincere. "Take this medallion as a token. If you encounter any difficulties in Heaven Dou City or within the Empire in the future, no matter how big or small, you can come to the imperial palace to find me with this item."
Ning Fengzhi beside them also spoke at the appropriate time, saying in a gentle tone, "Little San, accept it. Qinghe is showing his sincerity, there is no other meaning."
Seeing that Ning Fengzhi also said so, Tang San knew that declining further would seem hypocritical, so he took the gold medallion with both hands.
He thanked Xue Qinghe again, "Since that's the case, Tang San will accept it with gratitude. Thank you, Big Brother Xue."
After properly putting away the gold medallion, Tang San took his leave from the two.
Ning Fengzhi and Xue Qinghe escorted him to the entrance of the teahouse together, watching that tall and straight figure disappear into the crowd on the street.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, Xue Qinghe turned to Ning Fengzhi and asked with a hint of inquiry, "Teacher, during your conversation with Tang San just now, it seemed to be mentioned that he has a master who is not Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang? I wonder what kind of expert this 'master' is, who could teach such a disciple and impart such self-created spirit abilities?"
Hearing Xue Qinghe's question, a flash of admiration and complexity couldn't help but cross Ning Fengzhi's eyes. His gaze seemed to pierce through the teahouse window, seeing that stunning and independent figure.
"Him..." Ning Fengzhi spoke slowly, a hint of emotion in his tone. "His name is Fu Shiyan. He is a person who... has never entered the sight of any major faction, yet can be called a peerless genius."
He paused slightly and looked at Xue Qinghe. "Speaking of which, this master of his is actually close to you in age, Qinghe."
Hearing this, Xue Qinghe's interest in Tang San's mysterious master grew a bit stronger.
In fact, during the meal just now, when he accidentally learned from the conversation between Ning Fengzhi and Tang San that the self-created spirit ability that amazed the entire audience was actually taught by this master, he had already taken notice.
Now hearing Ning Fengzhi say that this person's age was actually about the same as his own, he couldn't help but be even more curious.
Ning Fengzhi did not keep him in suspense and related what he knew in detail. "This year, he should be around twenty-six years old."
"His martial soul is the same as Tang San's, also Blue Silver Grass. However, according to my observation, his Blue Silver Grass seems to have undergone some extremely benign mutations, far from what ordinary Blue Silver Grass can compare to."
"This person is extraordinarily handsome, with an ethereal and detached temperament. To tell you the truth, Qinghe, when I first met him, I actually felt in a daze that he didn't seem like a person of the mortal world."
"However, compared to his appearance, his talent is what truly makes people admire, and can even be said to be... terrifying."
Hearing this, although Xue Qinghe still maintained a proper smile on his face, he didn't think much of it in his heart.
'Twenty-six years old? Only three years older than me. Terrifying talent? In this world, could there really be someone whose talent surpasses me, Qian Renxue?'
However, Ning Fengzhi's next words were like a sudden clap of thunder, causing the composure on Xue Qinghe's face to instantly freeze, and a monstrous wave rose in his heart.