"Come, come, come! I must have a good exchange with such an alchemy genius like you! Perhaps I’ll be able to gain some new insights!"
Yun Danqing exclaimed excitedly before grabbing Ling Feng's arm and pulling him directly into the grand hall, leaving a bunch of the younger generation members scattered in the wind.
My god, what is going on here!
Deng Yongshi watched Ling Feng and Yun Danqing's figures disappear as her eyes twitched uncontrollably with her mouth hanging wide open.
She understood the weight behind the name Yun Danqing, and such a figure actually held such high regard for Ling Feng!
For a moment, she even felt like she was dreaming!
Deng Yongshi was completely bewildered. Who exactly was her little teacher, and how many secrets was he still hiding?
Before this, Deng Yongshi only thought of Ling Feng as a relatively mature young man, but now, his image in her mind had completely overturned, becoming mysterious and towering.
Just then, Li Rong walked over while twisting her waist and biting her lip. She then asked, "Little Shi, do you know who Teacher Ling actually is?"
Li Rong's heart was in turmoil.
She had thought that her teacher, as the vice-president of the Alchemist Guild, had already overshadowed all his peers and stolen the limelight. However, with the appearance of Yun Danqing, her teacher had become a laughingstock, while Deng Yongshi's teacher had become the alchemy genius!
The flames of jealousy burned even fiercer in Li Rong's heart!
Why is it that everything good always seems to happen to Deng Yongshi!? I'm so unhappy! Absolutely unhappy!
Suppressing her inner jealousy, Li Rong forced a smile and inquired about Ling Feng from Deng Yongshi.
Deng Yongshi was stunned. It was only then that she noticed that, at some point, all of her peers from those prestigious families were eagerly looking at her with eyes filled with envy.
Those self-proclaimed teachers with some status also seemed nervous and ashamed.
He Taichong, who had previously mocked Ling Feng relentlessly, now felt utterly ashamed and probably wouldn't dare to show his face at this banquet anymore, especially in front of Yun Danqing.
"Hehe, I noticed a long time ago that that young man was extraordinary!"
"Tch, I didn't say anything earlier because I already noticed that young man's exceptional qualities. You guys who look down on others should be embarrassed now!"
Some of those guests who didn’t take part in the mockery took pleasure in the other guests’ misfortune, but their foresight was purely coincidental; they had just not had the chance to mock Ling Feng before.
As for the younger generation of the Deng family, they all crowded around Deng Yongshi to ask about Ling Feng one after another.
Suddenly, an indescribable sense of satisfaction surged in Deng Yongshi's heart. She had expected Ling Feng to embarrass her, but instead, he brought her an immense sense of pride!
Deng Yongshi burst into laughter, her face blooming with joy. Subconsciously, she straightened her chest and was unable to hide the proud expression on her little face, and exclaimed, "Hmph, there's no way I'm telling you about Teacher Ling's identity! He was specially invited by my grandfather as my teacher and has a mysterious background!"
However, as soon as Deng Yongshi finished speaking, her face began to flush slightly.
It seemed that besides knowing that Ling Feng was a student of her grandfather's old friend, she didn't know anything else about him.
Upon hearing Deng Yongshi's response, Li Rong felt increasingly irritated and asked through gritted teeth, "Then what does Teacher Ling usually like? I offended him just now, so I should apologize properly."
What does Ling Feng like?
Deng Yongshi blinked, seeming to recall that these days, besides teaching her, Ling Feng spent most of his time meditating and practicing and seemed to have no other apparent interests.
Deng Yongshi felt uneasy and said defiantly, "Hmph, why should I tell you what Teacher Ling likes!?"
With that, she quickened her pace and walked towards the grand hall ahead.
Feeling the envy and jealousy from those around her, Deng Yongshi felt delighted.
Well, considering that that annoying kid has greatly honored me today, I guess I'll be a bit nicer to him in the future. Well, just a bit!
As Ling Feng conversed with Yun Danqing, he learned that his act of kindness in refining a Malevolent Elemental Pill for Yuan Qiansheng of the Cangqiong Sect to dispel his malevolent cold qi had led Yuan Qiansheng to seek out Yun Danqing.
It was through this incident that Yun Danqing had first heard of Ling Feng's name. [1]
Before long, the family banquet officially began. Ling Feng and Yun Danqing sat at the head table, while Li Rong's teacher, He Taichong, found an excuse and left in embarrassment.
Now, it was clear who was embarrassed and who was in the limelight.
After three rounds of drinks, guests began to leave one after another. Yun Danqing repeatedly invited Ling Feng to visit the Alchemist Guild or the Cangqiong Sect in the future.
Ling Feng would naturally benefit greatly from having the opportunity to exchange ideas with such an alchemy grandmaster as Yun Danqing and had no reason to refuse.
After agreeing, Ling Feng returned to the Orchid Pavilion with Deng Yongshi.
Calculating the days, he had already spent three days at the general's mansion. It was time to bid farewell to General Deng and Deng Yongshi and return to Tianwei Academy.
Before leaving, Ling Feng planned to ask Deng Yongshi for a demonic shen's crystal core. She probably wouldn't outright refuse, right?
Back at the Orchid Pavilion, Aunt Lan had already prepared hot tea.
Seeing Deng Yongshi with a slightly tipsy and flushed face, Aunt Lan quickly served her the tea and furrowed her brow gently before saying, "Miss, you rarely drink alcohol. How did you end up today?"
"It’s because I'm happy!" Deng Yongshi looked excitedly at Ling Feng and exclaimed, "Ling Feng really stole the show today. Haha, I'm basking in his glory too!"
Aunt Lan shook her head and smiled. Although she didn't know what had happened, she hadn't seen Deng Yongshi this happy in a long time.
After drinking a cup of hot tea, Deng Yongshi sobered up from her slightly intoxicated state. She gently pressed her temples and looked at Ling Feng, leaning towards him with a smile. "Hey, I think you're not bad as my teacher after all!"
"Oh?" Ling Feng touched his nose. "Weren't you worried that I'd embarrass you?"
Deng Yongshi blushed. "Well, I can change that! Hmph, I've decided to give you a chance. If your future performance satisfies me, I might just start calling you my teacher!"
"Is that so?" Ling Feng helped Deng Yongshi sit back on her chair and smiled faintly. "Let's talk about this chance later. Actually, I should be bidding farewell to you today."
"Farewell?" Deng Yongshi stood up abruptly, her gaze fixed on Ling Feng. She gritted her teeth and asked, "Y-You're leaving?"
1. Author's note: Refer to Chapter 98: Who Is This Expert? ☜