"I'm truly sorry, City Lord. I already know what happened. My idiot of a husband was too rude last night and caused you trouble!" As soon as Wei Qianqian saw Lu Jingming, she hurried forward, her face full of sincere apology.
Her blue hair flowed like a silky waterfall, her whole demeanor vibrant and youthful—she looked barely over twenty, making it hard to imagine she was the mother of two children.
As she spoke, she shot a fierce glare at Lan Yu, who was standing awkwardly to the side.
"It's all right, Sister Wei. It was just a misunderstanding. I didn't take it to heart," Lu Jingming replied politely.
From Wei Qianqian's introduction, Lu Jingming learned of her identity.
Looking at her signature blue hair, Lu Jingming guessed that Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo most likely inherited their martial souls from her.
Moreover, this seemingly young mother exuded a faint aura of power, even stronger than her husband's—obviously, she was also a formidable Soul Sage, and of a high level at that.
When Lu Jingming affectionately called her "Sister Wei," Wei Qianqian's face bloomed with joy, her gaze toward him becoming even softer.
White hair, red eyes, stunning looks, extraordinary talent, noble status, and only two years older than her daughters—Lu Jingming had all these advantages, making Wei Qianqian more and more satisfied the longer she looked. Her gaze was exactly that of a mother-in-law admiring her son-in-law.
This made Lan Yu extremely jealous, a hint of displeasure appearing on his face.
But before he could say anything, his wife shot him a sharp glare, instantly making him fall silent like a defeated rooster, obediently standing aside without a word.
"No matter what, we were out of line last night. Please accept our apology. If the Lan family can be of any help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask." As Wei Qianqian spoke, she handed over a beautifully wrapped gift box.
After a moment's thought, Lu Jingming accepted it.
He knew that only by accepting this apology could the Lan family truly relax, trusting that he wouldn't hold a grudge over last night's incident.
Seeing Lu Jingming accept the gift so readily, Wei Qianqian's face lit up with delight, her smile growing even brighter.
After a brief chat, Wei Qianqian took her leave.
The two little girls, who had been standing quietly like quails until now, finally dared to speak.
"Big brother, goodbye," Lan Susu and Lan Luoluo said in crisp, bell-like voices.
"Mm, goodbye." Lu Jingming smiled at them.
He found it amusing—these two little ones were just as afraid of their mother as their father was.
…
On the busiest street in Shrek City, a refined three-story building stood quietly.
On the rooftop signboard, the two characters "Jade Chamber" gleamed, exuding their unique charm under the sunlight.
Ningguang stood atop Jade Chamber, her posture elegant as she played with a delicate pipe. Her gaze swept casually over the bustling crowd below, finally settling in the direction of Shrek Academy.
She slowly extended her hand, as if trying to grasp the entire Shrek Academy in her palm, controlling everything.
"You merchants are all so greedy," a crisp voice suddenly broke the silence.
It came from a petite Herta automaton quietly standing nearby. Its joint seams clearly showed it wasn't human, but a finely crafted puppet.
Ningguang wasn't offended. The corners of her lips curled into a faint, carefree smile. "Isn't Lady Herta the same? I crave money and wealth, while what you seek is endless knowledge."
The Herta automaton was unsurprised by this answer, replying calmly, "I suppose you're not wrong."
To Herta, unknown knowledge was irresistibly attractive, like a magnet.
But once the unknown became known, her interest quickly faded.
After a short silence, the Herta automaton spoke again: "For that little guy's sake, I'll leave this puppet here. If you need anything, you can contact me through it. Whether I respond or not, though, depends on my mood."
As soon as she finished, the automaton suddenly powered down, becoming lifeless and motionless, as if it had never spoken.
"So willful," Ningguang shook her head helplessly, sighing inwardly.
Herta's personality was truly unpredictable. If Ningguang weren't about to take over Haiyuan City's finances and provide endless funding for Herta's experiments, Herta would probably ignore her completely.
In all of Haiyuan City, only Lu Jingming could see Herta's true self and have deep conversations with her.
Even figures like Jingliu rarely had the chance to meet Herta.
Still, Herta wasn't completely inscrutable. When needed, she would appear on her own, just like this time, actively seeking out Ningguang, who was about to become Haiyuan City's treasurer.
After all, her costly experiments would rely on Ningguang for funding in the future.
…
Meanwhile, on the other side of Haiyuan City, Juzi stood at the city gate, looking back at the city one last time.
Her eyes shone with determination. She knew she wouldn't return here for a long time.
"According to the intel, the Sun-Moon Empire's new crown prince, Xu Tianran, will soon arrive at the border. I don't have much time left."
Juzi murmured. She had changed into plain clothes and wore black-rimmed glasses, hiding most of her outstanding features.
Her mission from the Wuchang Division was to infiltrate Xu Tianran's side and gain his absolute trust.
If necessary, she was even to sacrifice her own life to protect Xu Tianran.
She didn't know why such an important mission was given to a twelve-year-old girl, but to gain the power to kill the White Tiger Duke and overthrow the Sun-Moon Empire's upper echelons, she accepted.
She subconsciously touched the spot between her brows, where her trump card was hidden—a Level 9 soul tool, the Spirit Locust Pearl.
This soul tool had only one function but was incredibly powerful: at the moment her body died, it could instantly transfer her soul back to Haiyuan City.
And as long as she returned, Lu Jingming could use the white flower with the power of creation to rebuild her body.
So, Juzi wasn't afraid of being discarded as a pawn. After all, the value of her Level 9 soul tool was far greater than her current life.
This was also her greatest card in earning Xu Tianran's trust—she really could risk her life to protect him.