"Push me over,"
Qian Renxue said with a slight nod, signaling Ning Rongrong.
"Yes, Your Highness," Ning Rongrong replied respectfully.
The three of them arrived at a secluded spot in the corridor. Only then did Qian Renxue turn to Ning Fengzhi and ask,
"Teacher, what's the matter?"
Ning Fengzhi's gaze was profound as he said,
"Some time ago, you tried to recruit Ye Tian. How did that go?"
Qian Renxue was puzzled as to why Ning Fengzhi was bringing this up now. However, there was no need to hide it, so she answered truthfully,
"That guy, Ye Tian, rejected me again."
"What? Even after Your Highness personally tried to recruit him, he still refused?"
Ning Rongrong exclaimed, her eyes filled with disbelief.
This Ye Tian wasn't even a soul master! How could he dare to refuse the Crown Prince of the Heaven Dou Empire? He was truly lawless!
Ning Fengzhi ignored his daughter's outburst and sighed softly.
"Indeed, when the gods close a door, they always leave a window open. Although Ye Tian has no talent for cultivation, his talents in other areas are extraordinary. His medical skills are likely unmatched across the entire Douluo Continent. Moreover, his ability to breed a new variety of Fire Spirit Chickens shows that his talent for raising spirit beasts is also exceptional. Not to mention the other initiatives we've seen in Donghai City recently."
Ning Fengzhi sighed deeply.
"Any one of the talents he possesses would be enough to leave a lasting mark on the history of the continent. I never expected such a genius to exist within the borders of the Heaven Dou Empire."
"Is Ye Tian really that remarkable?"
Ning Rongrong frowned, deep in thought after hearing her father's praise.
"Of course!" Ning Fengzhi replied with absolute certainty.
"In fact, I can confidently say that his value to the Heaven Dou Empire is comparable to that of a Limit Douluo!"
After a pause, Ning Fengzhi added,
"So, remember, you can't judge a book by its cover. You should learn to be more restrained in front of others."
"I understand, Father,"
Ning Rongrong said dejectedly. She truly hadn't expected Ye Tian to be so capable. But the facts were right in front of her. Not only had he saved her once, but he had also casually earned 16 million gold soul coins during a meal.
That amount was almost equivalent to the annual income of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. With that kind of money, raising a Titled Douluo would be a breeze.
Seeing that Ning Fengzhi had finished speaking, Qian Renxue let out a bitter laugh.
"Teacher, Ye Tian is too indifferent to fame and fortune. As you just saw, he doesn't lack money, so wealth can't sway him."
Ning Fengzhi took a deep breath.
"That's precisely what worries me the most."
After a moment of silence, Ning Fengzhi's tone became calm but firm.
"Your Highness, a talent like this—if we can't have him, we must destroy him. Whether he falls into the hands of our allies or our enemies, the blow to us would be fatal."
Hearing this, Qian Renxue was momentarily stunned. This was the first time she had heard Ning Fengzhi speak so coldly. Perhaps this was the true nature of the master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. To become the leader of one of the top three sects, one couldn't afford to be indecisive or overly compassionate.
"That seems too ruthless,"
Qian Renxue said, tactfully refusing. Although Ye Tian hadn't pledged his loyalty to her, he was already aligned with Bibi Dong and the Spirit Hall. The competition between her and her sister was an internal matter. Even if she couldn't win Ye Tian over, she couldn't let him die. After all, as Ning Fengzhi had said, Ye Tian's value to the Spirit Hall was immense.
"Your Highness, don't act like a hesitant woman,"
Ning Fengzhi said, his expression unusually grave.
"This is my sincere advice as the Crown Prince's mentor. Ye Tian must be eliminated. It's better to kill him by mistake than to let him go."
Hearing this, Qian Renxue pretended not to understand and raised her hand.
"Teacher, aren't you overstating things? No matter how talented Ye Tian is, his skills are just technical. Others can learn them too. Ye Tian is merely the first to discover these things, making him memorable. Take the Fire Spirit Chicken breeding technique, for example. Right now, only Ye Tian knows how to raise them. But what about a year from now? Or three years from now? Surely, there will be others who can figure it out."
Ning Fengzhi fell into a moment of confusion and sighed.
"Perhaps I'm being too cautious. Ye Tian might not be as important as I thought."
Qian Renxue secretly breathed a sigh of relief and smiled.
"Exactly! Besides, Ye Tian saved both Rongrong and me. How could we repay his kindness with betrayal?"
"...Indeed,"
Ning Fengzhi said, though he had initially wanted to argue that in the face of interests, such things didn't matter. But since he had already let go of his wariness toward Ye Tian, he couldn't use that to educate Xue Qinghe.
After all, Xue Qinghe was the future emperor, and an emperor needed to maintain at least a semblance of honor and righteousness.
Qian Renxue smiled and spread her hands.
"Putting all that aside, Ye Tian told me that he's deeply attached to his hometown of Donghai City and has no intention of leaving. If I ever have any problems in the future, I can always seek his advice. Even if he hasn't pledged his loyalty to me, that doesn't stop us from making use of his talents."
Hearing this, Ning Fengzhi's guard was completely lowered. He smiled and said,
"Your Highness is right. I was overcomplicating things. Ye Tian is only seventeen or eighteen years old. His mind probably isn't fully matured yet. As long as we maintain a good relationship with him, there's no need to worry about not getting what we want."
"Exactly," Qian Renxue said with a smile, though she secretly thought to herself, Don't underestimate someone based on their age. She herself was only twenty-one.
When the three of them returned to the dining room, the long table was already filled with dishes. There was food from the sky, the sea, and the land—a veritable feast. Even the usually picky Prince Xue Xing was devouring the food with gusto.
Seeing the normally elegant prince eating so messily, Qian Renxue wasn't surprised. After all, she had been staying at the villa for over a month and had already experienced the power of Ye Tian's culinary skills.
In her heart, she couldn't help but marvel, Ye Tian's talents might also include cooking.
"Has the contract been signed?"
Qian Renxue asked, her beautiful eyes calmly looking at Prince Xue Xing.
"Yes, Crown Prince Qinghe,"
Prince Xue Xing replied without looking up, his hands covered in the grease of the giant crab he was eating. He couldn't help but think that the dipping sauce for the crab was absolutely delicious. It was so good that even shoe soles would taste amazing with it. He had already decided that after the diplomatic talks were over, he would ask Ye Tian for the recipe.
(End of Chapter)
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