Hearing Long Xiaoyao's words, Wang Lin was stunned for a moment. Then, suddenly recalling the conversation between Zhang Peng and Jing Hongchen that morning, he said in a deep voice.
"This isn't a betrothal gift, is it!?"
As he spoke, Wang Lin realized who this carving knife was intended for. It must be for Jing Hongchen's granddaughter, Meng Hongchen. She was one year older than him, her martial soul was the Vermillion Clear Ice Toad, and her attribute was Ice, which matched the attribute of this carving knife perfectly.
Mn, if it's a betrothal gift, the status matches too.
"Not necessarily. You need to put in the effort for it to work." Long Xiaoyao said faintly.
"Are you serious? I am only twelve years old now."
Wang Lin spoke. He suddenly thought that Zhang Peng must have received instructions from this old black dragon to mention the betrothal gift in front of Jing Hongchen.
"Twelve is not young. It is better to settle things early."
"Otherwise, you should take this carving knife back. Give it to me when I'm eighteen."
Wang Lin was almost speechless. This old black dragon was crazy. That Meng Hongchen was only one year older than him, just thirteen.
What kind of betrothal gift for a thirteen-year-old girl!
"Whether you want it or not isn't up to you. Take the carving knife."
Long Xiaoyao pushed the jade box back, not caring about Wang Lin's thoughts.
In his view, as the saying goes, a young man yearns for love. He had seen that Meng Hongchen once, and her appearance could be considered excellent.
Therefore, after Wang Lin, this "young man," met Meng Hongchen, he would inevitably yearn for love.
"I'm too young, Master."
Wang Lin felt very helpless. No wonder Jing Hongchen's look toward him had always been a bit strange.
Damn it, targeting someone's granddaughter on the first day of school.
He felt that Jing Hongchen making things difficult for him was deserved.
"One year difference isn't much. With this carving knife, you actually have a great chance."
As Long Xiaoyao spoke, he seemed to want to share some experience with Wang Lin, but thinking of his own situation, his mouth opened slightly, yet he didn't know what to say.
"Is this carving knife very important to Meng Hongchen?"
Clearly, Long Xiaoyao had misunderstood his meaning, but Wang Lin didn't explain and asked instead.
"Very important. This carving knife is named the Snow Toad Ice Blade, ranked eighty-sixth on the Ranking of Famous Carving Knives. It is made from the soul bone of a top-tier ice attribute soul beast, the Snow Toad, which has long been extinct. Jing Hongchen's granddaughter's martial soul is named the Vermillion Clear Ice Toad. The Snow Toad is the superior soul beast to the Vermillion Clear Ice Toad and can suppress the deadly poison dissipating from the Vermillion Clear Ice Toad martial soul."
Speaking of this, Long Xiaoyao looked at Wang Lin with some helplessness. If this carving knife could solve the martial soul problem of Jing Hongchen's granddaughter, relying on his status as a disciple, this matter would actually be secure.
But martial soul problems were not so easily solved. It was said that the Soul Master family with the Jade Phosphor Snake martial soul had been looking for a way to solve their martial soul defect for ten thousand years and had not found it to this day.
"Similar to the situation of the Jade Phosphor Snake martial soul?" Wang Lin asked. The original work didn't mention this part.
"About the same." Long Xiaoyao nodded, then said earnestly: "You should still try if there is a chance. The more identities you have, the safer you will be."
"What do you mean?" Wang Lin asked in a daze, but he already roughly understood Long Xiaoyao's meaning in his heart.
Given Long Xiaoyao's strength and his status in the Holy Spirit Cult, the only one who could threaten and harm him, Long Xiaoyao's disciple, was that old woman Ye Xishui.
So Wang Lin could understand Long Xiaoyao's worry. After all, Ye Xishui was a crazy woman. Long Xiaoyao clearly wanted him to enter the field of view of the Sun Moon Empire's high-level officials to protect his safety.
To be honest, Wang Lin didn't quite understand why Long Xiaoyao would go to such lengths for a disciple he had accepted for less than ten days.
"You will understand when you grow up and have more contact with things. Put the carving knife away properly." Long Xiaoyao shook his head and didn't explain. As he spoke, he suddenly added.
"If she really isn't willing, you cannot force it. Otherwise, this old man will break your legs then."
Long Xiaoyao was clearly not joking with this sentence; he said it extremely seriously.
"Okay, Master." Wang Lin didn't refute and said equally seriously.
He wasn't a pervert; he didn't like thirteen-year-old girls. He liked mature older sisters.
Closing the jade box, Wang Lin put it into his storage soul tool, planning to find an opportunity to sell it to Jing Hongchen or Meng Hongchen.
As for the betrothal gift, he didn't consider that matter at all.
After the small interlude.
The old and the young returned to the courtyard. Long Xiaoyao sent Wang Lin back to his room, instructing Wang Lin to pack his luggage so he could get lost tomorrow morning.
Wang Lin naturally didn't bicker with Long Xiaoyao. Of course, he didn't return to his room immediately but went to check Zhang Jian's room.
Confirming that neither Zhang Jian nor Zhang Peng was there, Wang Lin estimated that Zhang Peng was probably personally teaching Zhang Jian, so he returned to his own room.
He took out the Student Handbook and the textbook for the Basic Theory of Soul Engineers course and began to read them seriously. The Student Handbook didn't have any important information; it just introduced the academy's rules and the curriculum arrangement for students.
The Basic Theory textbook roughly introduced the ranks of Soul Engineers, types of soul tools, types of soul guide core arrays, and Soul Engineers who had made significant contributions to the development of soul tools in the history of the Sun Moon Empire.
What surprised Wang Lin was that among the introduced Soul Engineers, there were actually a few Level 1 and Level 2 Soul Engineers. The textbook praised these low-level Soul Engineers lavishly.
The contribution of these Soul Engineers to soul tools was mainly in the innovation of soul guide technology. Looking at this part of the content...
Wang Lin became interested in soul tools. At least half of the achievements of the Soul Engineers introduced in the Basic Theory textbook had nothing to do with soul tool weapons, but were about technological innovation in soul tools.
This was the reason Wang Lin became interested in soul tools. Back when he was in Star Luo City, he had used his noble status to audit the soul tool courses set up by the city's academy a few times.
Basically, they just taught how to make various soul cannons and soul tool weapons. As for other aspects of soul tools, they weren't mentioned at all.
Wang Lin naturally wouldn't be interested in that, but the Sun Moon Empire was different. This was a brand new world of soul tools.
Just like that, Wang Lin flipped through a simple textbook all afternoon. As the sky turned completely dark.
Click!
The gate of the courtyard was pushed open. Hearing the sound, Wang Lin put down the textbook and looked up from the window into the courtyard.
Zhang Peng walked in carrying Zhang Jian, who was already asleep. Seeing this, Wang Lin hurriedly put away the textbook and walked out of the room.
"Uncle Zhang, this is?" Wang Lin noticed Zhang Jian's breathing was steady and felt relieved, asking.
"Drilled him for a day; this kid is exhausted." Zhang Peng spoke. Looking at his appearance, he seemed quite satisfied with Zhang Jian.
"You accepted the disciple?"
"Mn, accepted. Zhang Jian didn't agree at first; this old man had to waste some effort." Saying this, Zhang Peng sent Zhang Jian back to his room and put him down.
"Then I'll leave Zhang Jian to you. You have to fulfill the responsibility of being a teacher well, Uncle Zhang." Wang Lin waited for Zhang Peng to come out and spoke.
"Need you to say? Go to the academy yourself tomorrow. Study hard and don't embarrass your master." Zhang Peng waved his hand and said in a deep voice.
"Understood, Uncle Zhang."
Wang Lin nodded. To be honest, he also wanted to live in the academy. Living with Long Xiaoyao, he didn't even dare to take out the Life Magic Wand, fearing that Long Xiaoyao would see through the flaws.