Within a charging carriage.
The little emperor's face was much healthier already, the blood lines receding. He seemed to be breathing easier as well.
The little emperor took a labored breath, then delight flooded his face. "So he didn't lie to me."
The First Princess was still looking quite cross. "What is this? Who gave it to you?"
"Li Luo... he saw that I was looking sickly and then gave this to me. He said it would ease things if I was feeling bad," the little emperor told her honestly.
"Sis, I didn't want to take it either, but that episode was really bad. I couldn't help it."
"Li Luo?"
She examined the bottle carefully and then poured out a drop onto her hand. She tested it. "Strange, it seems to be a watersource from water resonance power. But with an uncommon purity."
Water resonance power indeed had healing properties; this was nothing strange. But in all these years, she had hired many water resonance experts to treat the little emperor, but to no avail.
Why was Li Luo's watersource effective?
Of course, it had only eased the little emperor's pain a little. It was about as effective as the medicine that the little emperor was taking.
"No more taking unknown substances. Remember, you are the emperor of the Xia Kingdom now. We only have each other in the royal court now, sister and brother. You can't come to any harm." She stowed away the bottle.
He nodded obediently and then laid down to rest.
Only after he fell asleep did the First Princess pull out the bottle again, regarding it with glistening eyes.
"Li Luo...
"That young lord from House Luolan is something special."
...
Back at House Luolan's headquarters, there was a comfortable silence in the night.
In a tower.
Li Luo pulled out the four rare materials that he had purchased.He prepared to begin tempering them into his Acquired Resonance Godly Forging Wheel. Suddenly, he spotted a figure flitting by the window.
He smiled and pushed the window open. Jiang Qing'e was perched on a window beam, looking out at House Luolan.
The two of them shared neighboring buildings, and there was a window beam that joined them. He paused, then he flipped through the window and joined her on the beam.
He saw that she was clad in pajamas. The slightly loose-fitting top was not at all dowdy when she wore it.
She seemed to have just finished showering, and her long hair was still damp, her eyes relaxed. She looked softer than usual, having shed some of her usual heroine demeanor.
Li Luo drank it in, her figure and womanly scent. He turned to look out at the expanse of House Luolan's headquarters as well.
"Cute pajamas," he said.
There was a slightly plump swan patterned across her pajamas, a jarring contrast that ended up being cute.
She smiled softly. "The Mistress made it for me," she said with a hint of pride.
"My mother's skills are lacking indeed," Li Luo said dryly.
She put a warning hand on the back of his neck, ready to chop. "No insulting the Mistress."
Li Luo laughed. He looked up to the bright moon. "Qing'e, what's the Noble's War?"
She shuddered a little and then slumped down a bit. "You will know when you enter the Astral Sage College," she finally said. "There's no need for me to tell you now."
Li Luo accepted that. "And my parents. They're okay, right?"
She nodded firmly. "They must be alright."
"I think so too." He smiled.
She looked at him. "Don't worry," she said softly. "Even without the Master and Mistress around, I won't let anyone bully you."
"Do you think I'm a little kid?" Li Luo grumbled.
She laughed and tousled his hair. "Aww, you’re not a widdle kiddie no more."
Li Luo sulked a little, but he told her about the day's events as she continued to play with his hair.
"Oh?"
She was a little shaken by his tale. "According to what you say, the boy's bodyguard must at least be a Heavenly Dipper General... And even the Golden Dragon Bank gave him face. For President Yu Hongxi to personally declare the materials free... not even the young lords of the five Great Houses would warrant that.
"There's only one person in the whole Xia Kingdom who fits.
"It's the little emperor of the royal court."
Li Luo almost fell off the beam. "That little monkey is the little emperor?"
As the young lord of House Luolan, Li Luo was not about to fall over worshiping the royal court. Still, he was rather envious of them. Now knowing that the boy was the little emperor, his heart shrank a little.
"The old emperor has been on the decline for the last few years, but the new emperor's too young to take the throne. Affairs of the state have fallen to the regent and First Princess...
"The First Princess' name is Gong Luanyu. She's a Four Star Hall student at the Astral Sage College, and one of the strongest in the school," Jiang Qing'e said.
"How do you compare?" Li Luo asked curiously.
"The Astral Sage College is divided into four star halls. Each year, when you pass the exams, you will be promoted to the next hall. I'm currently in the Three Star Hall, one lower than the First Princess. Besides, in terms of strength, she's definitely better. Although that might not be the case in a year's time," Jiang Qing'e said with a hint of smugness.
Li Luo gave her a big thumbs up.
"Oh, and school starts in less than 10 days' time. The most important thing for newcomers will be the Choosing of the Mentors. Basically, streaming the students.
"The Astral Sage College is divided into three streams. The strongest are the Violet Vibrance mentors, followed by Gold Gleam, and finally Silver Spark mentors," she continued.
"You must remember that mentor choice is very important. The stronger one's mentor, the more resources you get. And in the Astral Sage College, the resources are unmatched in the Xia Kingdom. So you must secure a high-ranking mentor to take you under their wing."
Li Luo nodded seriously. The Astral Sage College was really something else, even sorting mentors with students. But the Violet Vibrance mentors were said to be Duke Stage experts!
"As for how to choose a mentor, you will know in time. But let me warn you. This time there are five Violet Vibrance mentors, and there is one amongst them that you should never attach to. You cannot choose him as your mentor," she said very seriously.
"Who?" Li Luo was astonished.
"That Violet Vibrance mentor is called Shen Jinxiao..." Jiang Qing'e's loathing for the person was extremely plain to see on her face.
"Why?" Li Luo asked, sensing that something was up.
"Back when I entered the Astral Sage College, he was my mentor. And then he eventually confessed his feelings to me...
"I hated that, and sought out the headmaster of the Astral Sage College to change mentors."
Li Luo's jaw dropped. "Dear Sister Qing'e, just how far do your charms extend? Even a Violet Vibrance mentor stands no chance?"
"He might be a Violet Vibrance mentor, but I was born with a 9th-grade light resonance," she said loftily. "It gives me an acute sense of a person's goodness or evil. I know that person's heart. Best keep a respectful distance. Got it?" she warned him soberly.
Li Luo nodded.
I mean, shouldn't love rivals be other excellent students? How had he managed to face off against a Violet Vibrance mentor straightaway?
This House Luolan plump swan...
Truly a terror.