Neither Li Luo nor Jiang Qing’e were particularly saddened by the rejection. It was to be expected. It was just business between schoolmates, not something worth sacrificing one’s future over.
“Senior Li Bi, the Suncreek Villa is full of potential. We’ll definitely become one of the top villas in the Xia Kingdom!” Yan Lingqing said with a final rally.
“Perhaps what you say is true,” Li Bi said with an impatient smile. “But how long will you take? In that time, I could already be training at the top.”
Yan Lingqing fell silent. Li Bi had spoken the stinging truth. Why bet on a rising star when you could already be shining with the best? Potential was a risk that she did not have to bet on.
Neither was she that close with Jiang Qing’e to do her a favor.
“I am sorry,” Li Bi said to soften the blow. “I understand that the Resonance Artificers Hall has invited the headquarters of the best villas to meet in five days’ time. They intend to let them meet the graduating artificers for networks to be established.
“Villas who are invited will not pass up on this chance to recruit the best. They will bring their top game to attract the best talents.
“If you want to make the Suncreek Villa great, it is an opportunity you should not pass up on. Every person you can recruit will be a strong boost to your ranks,” Li Bi suggested kindly.
Li Luo flinched. “Unfortunately,” he said sourly, “it seems like we haven’t been invited.”
“Cai Wei has brought no news.” Jiang Qing’e nodded.
Li Luo was a little resentful. A chance would be a fine thing, but they weren’t even going to give him one.
Li Bi paused for a moment. “Well, it’s not impossible for you to be invited.”
Li Luo perked up, smelling an opportunity. “Senior Li Bi, what do you know?”
“The invitations are decided by the high-grade artificing mentors,” Li Bi said with a knowing smile. “I understand that Mentor Chi Chan is one of them.
“She is your mentor, is she not? Go to her and beg for a favor. The Suncreek Villa should be allowed to be present, I think.”
Li Luo’s mouth was a little dry. The veiled tigress was always a difficult tackle. Especially because she was especially good at reading his mind and turning up whenever he was in a strangely compromising situation. But for the sake of the Suncreek Villa’s future… he could take a crack at it.
“I thank Senior Li Bi for your advice,” Li Luo said with a grateful smile.
“It’s nothing…” She seemed to be on the verge of adding another comment but then thought better of it.
Li Luo knew anyway. Whether they were present or not, they would recruit nobody without the ability to attract the artificers.
Still, Li Luo had a plan.
“Oh, Yan Lingqing, here to fawn and grovel for talent again?”
An unpleasant, sneering voice cut into their conversation.
Li Luo and Jiang Qing’e turned with angry faces to see a girl in green walk over with a disdainful leer on her face. Behind her, a table of students sniggered softly, evidently in the same party as her.
“Here’s a tip, Mei Xuan’er: if you keep your mouth shut, no one’s going to assume you were born without a tongue,” Yan Lingqing retorted with some acid in her tone.
The rare vehemence in her usually gentle voice made Li Luo sit up and pay attention to the girl called Mei Xuan’er. She was not bad looking, although not as pretty as Yan Lingqing. The clearest difference was her thin lips that gave her a mean look.
“Mei Xuan’er is also a member of the Resonance Artificers Hall,” Jiang Qing’e murmured to Li Luo on the side. “She graduates this year, like Li Bi. She is a fifth-grade artificer too.
“I heard from Lingqing that the two of them don’t get along. Apparently, Mei Xuan’er fancied a senior who spurned her and ended up trying to woo Lingqing… who Lingqing rejected.
“After that, Mei Xuan’er started loathing her out of jealousy and pit herself against Lingqing.”
Li Luo shook his head. That was petty.
“Keke, Yan Lingqing, stop trying to pull everyone you come across to the Suncreek Villa. I mean, it’s more of a fiery crater than anything.
“And you, Li Bi,” she continued with a facetious tone, “don’t let Yan Lingqing’s air-headed nonsense addle you. Someone of your talent has the top villas lining up around the block for you.”
Li Bi frowned slightly. “My business. Not yours.”
She was too proud to be used for such a cheap jibe. Besides, she had already made her decision.
Mei Xuan’er wasn’t fazed by this. Li Bi was just a convenient tool for her to get her taunt out against Yan Lingqing.
Indeed, her words were affecting the slim girl, who was glowering behind her silver rims.
“And this must be the young lord of House Luolan, Li Luo,” she said, turning next to him.
Li Luo barely blinked in her direction.
“Junior Li Luo, if the Suncreek Villa needs talent, you could always try asking me. If you kick Yan Lingqing out, I might even consent to go to the Suncreek Villa. How about that?”
Li Luo scratched his chin lazily. “Switching out a fourth-grade for a fifth-grade? Seems like a good trade.”
“Of course it’s a good trade,” Mei Xuan’er said, eyes alive with spiteful pleasure.
“Sorry, the Suncreek Villa has a rather unique way of hiring, you see,” Li Luo said, injecting just the right hint of apology into his tone. “For us, artificing grade is only the second most important qualification.
“For us, the most important thing is the grade of one’s looks. For example, beauties like Senior Lingqing and Senior Li Bi here are very welcome. Senior Mei, you might be quite talented, but your face is too plain. I’m sorry to say that the Suncreek Villa cannot accept you.”
“Pfft-“
A snorting laugh almost escaped Li Bi’s lips, and Yan Lingqing’s own twitched upwards as well.
Mei Xuan’er’s face froze, and she stared hatefully at Li Luo. Her looks?! It was precisely her rawest nerve, given her history with Yan Lingqing!
“Don’t worry, Senior Mei. I hear there’s some medicine with beautifying properties somewhere in the world. Perhaps you can try them. The Suncreek Villa’s doors are always open to applications,” Li Luo said encouragingly.
“F*ck you!”
Mei Xuan’er screeched at him in a most unladylike manner. “Did you think a goddess like me would really go to your hovel of a villa?! I was just using your name to humiliate Yan Lingqing! You snobbish little prick!”
Jiang Qing’e, who had been silent all this while, stood up as suddenly as the insult had spilled from Mei Xuan’er’s lips. She shot a sharp warning look at the hysterical girl, who felt a tremble of fear cut through her rage. Mei Xuan’er took a few steps backwards warily.
“Watch your words,” Jiang Qing’e said with chilling softness, “or I will return your lack of courtesy with my own.”
Mei Xuan’er seethed silently on the spot. Behind her, her companions had leaped to their feet at first, but they slowly shrank back down once they weighed their odds against Jiang Qing’e.
She was not somebody they could cross.
Mei Xuan’er knew the difference in strength as well. She swallowed her anger and stalked off, vowing to foil Yan Lingqing’s recruiting plans forever.
After chasing Mei Xuan’er away, Yan Lingqing’s face was still morose. She was not angry, but sad instead. Her efforts in recruiting all this while had not gone well, and she was feeling discouraged.
A warm hand took her own and gave it a gentle squeeze. Yan Lingqing looked up at Jiang Qing’e.
The girl of light warmed her heart, and they emptied their cups of Aphid’s Brew.
Li Bi decided it was time to leave, and rose to her feet.
“Senior Li Bi, a moment more, if you please.”
Li Bi turned back quizzically. Hadn’t she made her stance clear enough? “Senior Li Bi, as you say, the Suncreek Villa holds little interest for you now…
“But what if I told you that the Suncreek Villa’s secret watersource will continue to grow in purity. An eighth-grade watersource. Does that catch your interest?”
Not just Li Bi, but even Yan Lingqing and Jiang Qing’e stared at him in shock.