47. Too Hidden
Meixiang and the others went to Jin Academy accompanying Tian Feng and Ping Chun to enroll.
Tian Feng and Ping Chun both received token from Jin Academy adding the good reputation of the school for its best facility and education for magic practitioners, they both agreed to enroll to the academy.
Tian Ling on the other hand enrolled to the neighboring academy Xin Academy just like Meixiang's instruction.
On the whole process, people are looking on their way. The news about the mercenary tournament had long gone widespread adding the total defeat of the venerable warlock and the latest gossip in the entire Central about the powerful group possessing spiritual water.
Most of the onlookers wouldn't recognize the group if not with the purple eyed wiltt on the little girl's side. They can easily guess the little girl's identity, it's the little tycoon with peculiar hobbies of adopting powerful cultivators! The stories mainly focus on how rich she is and didn't even mention how her beauty defeated the well known fairy of the Central!
Meixiang and the others are walking on their way out from the academy when they saw three familiar faces. It's their little tour guides, Little Qin and Little Gin, and the double element summoner Shin Ai.
The three are walking side by side, Qin in the middle as Shin Ai is talking looking at Qin's way from time to time.
The others are thinking how unexpected this combination while Meixiang and Tian Ling didn't.
Tian Ling is actually thinking how their 'little' tour guides are no longer little growing rapidly while their Little Xiang isn't. Tian Ling chose to keep his thoughts for himself.
When Qin noticed eyes observing them from afar, his eyes search for those gazes and saw Meixiang's group, fixing his sight to her his knuckles tighten subconsciously.
Shin Ai have been talking to Qin to befriend him luring him to their powerhouse. She was being patient even with the two's low birth with the reason of Qin tested as a summoner. She notice the indifferent treatment of Qin to her, she wasn't offended at all as he is treating everyone the same.
When she notice the attention of Qin is no longer on her which was never in the first place, Shin Ai follows his line of sight stopping to Meixiang's group. She had no time to ponder Qin's connection to the group when the confidant of the owner of the Jin academy greets Meixiang, shock, she set aside Qin's link to Meixiang and now thinking the madman patriarch who just found his new toy to play.
The patriarch is impulsive whom doesn't care of the power behind a person he took interest to especially he is a powerful summoner. She is curious of this collision. Or would there be even a collision? Thinking carefully Headmaster Lishi was angered by the group, Shin Ai doubt if the mercenary powerhouse would shield the small mercenary against the patriarch. Although unfavored, the small mercenary is still their people, letting a group under them harmed by a mere patriarch of one of the eight great families would only give a bad reputation to the mercenary powerhouse but this is an easy matter to solve, they can reason out the madman patriarch as a summoner to accept defeat getting in good side of a summoner and dispatch the small mercenary group at the same time.
Patriarch Jin Lang is not only well known because of his identity as a summoner and as the youngest patriarch of the eight great families but also his unique collection of slaves and his brutality towards them. Once he laid his eyes to you, you are considered as good as a corpse. Shin Ai maintain her harmless demeanor but she was smirking inside looking at Meixiang now good as a dead person.
Little did the little girl playing as a wise observer and genius strategist from the sideline, her conjecture is wrong from the very first place.
When Meixiang heard her presence was requested by the patriarch of the Jin family, she agreed without having a second thought.
Jin Lang had tried to attack her little brother, naturally, she have to see him with her own eyes. She is leaving the others here alone for a year, a summoner is no match to their current ability even with the help of their warlock and shadow guards.
While the others are outside, Meixiang was escorted to a private room full of peculiar paintings. When seated, Meixiang look at the man on the opposite seat,
"Meixiang heard the patriarch seeks the little girl's audience."
Jin Lang's eyes never leaves Meixiang when she entered the room, with his usual smile he answered,
"This patriarch is glad his request was not denied."
"Naturally, Meixiang wanted an explanation of Patriarch Jin's intention of harming her little brother."
Jin Lang chuckled with the straight forwardness of the little girl. He drank his wine and then leisurely answered,
"This patriarch wonders if the young miss with ability to buy him is with the ability to keep him. That's all."
"Did this young miss have proven herself enough?"
A sudden voice rang outside the door. Jin Lang's confidant abruptly entered, he is looking at Meixiang full of hesitation before delivering the message. Jin Lang chuckled, his smile didn't deminished even after knowing his people who are instructed to harm Meixiang's people are now dead.
"It seems the patriarch is with no right to question this Meixiang if she can keep her people or not if he himself don't have this ability."
Jin Lang just chuckled, "Those are not considered my people. This patriarch needs no weak creatures." Jin Lang then lazily lean back on his chair after drinking his tea. Answering Meixiang's former question he said, "The young miss indeed proven herself once again but this patriarch only knew the word 'enough' if he have seen everything."
Meixiang smiled, "The patriarch can't afford it."
"This patriarch is now more curious."
"Too much curiosity would do no good."
"Is the little girl threatening this patriarch?"
Meixiang without any hesitation, she answered,
"Yes."
"Meixiang heard of Patriarch Jin Lang's way to deal with his matters that can be compared to a tiger. This Meixiang is too disappointed to see the tiger is with a claws of a kitten scratching a dragon's tail."
The same as the young master she met inside the White Forest but this cat is not only curious but had the gut of a tiger to test the water even knowing the water is poisonous.
"The patriarch is no idiot unlike his reputation outside. The patriarch must be wise to know when to move his fragile claws and when to stop. This Meixiang is afraid she wouldn't have the same patience and cut not only the claws but the cat's nine lives."
Jin Lang's lips are still curving. Although he is smiling, his eyes are no longer playful.
"Gan Junjie. You must know him?"
Meixiang raised his eyebrow. So it's about him.
"The 'wise' prince wanted to test the little girl's real ability using this patriarch's hands."
Jin Lang notice this but only feign ignorance. Gan Junjie deliberately mention the little girl to arouse his interest towards her. He can't tell at first who is behind the strong mental power he encountered until with Gan Junjie deliberately mentioning the little girl. Everyone knows when he was interested to someone, he will obtain it even the person he wanted is protected by one of the five powerhouses. Gan Junjie wanted to test the water using someone else paw...or
"Or had already knew the little girl's ability and wanted to clean this patriarch."
Or is fully aware the water is poisonous and wanted to use it to harm the tiger.
"Ow? It seems the crown prince look too highly of this little girl."
"The young lad overestimated himself."
"Overestimated himself and underestimated the patriarch." Meixiang continued. "But we can't deny the crown prince is a good piece to watch. Would the patriarch wanted to clean him himself?"
"This patriarch's time is too precious to move his fragile kitten's claws."
Meixiang chuckled with Jin Lang's remark. "The crown prince is a mere new born rat compared to the kitten."
Jin Lang only smirked.
Meixiang continued, "The outsiders are completely deceived by the patriarch's play underestimating his way of thinking. The patriarch's play is undeniably interesting."
Jin Lang replied while playing with his empty cup, "This play was only possible with a reason of only few are knowledgeable of a summoner's mental strength. This patriarch's play is with no excitement compared to the hidden summoner's play."
"Whatever role we are playing, this didn't leave the matter the crown prince wanted to include the both of us to his child's play."
"This Central is with no color without the role played by the crown prince. If he has no shows to perform anymore, this patriarch will clean him himself."
Meixiang can only drink her tea silently appreciating this piece. The Central is with this kind of hidden piece, too hidden that even the wise crown prince is ignorant of him.
Who is manipulating whom? Who is enjoying a show of whom? Who is a piece of whom? The wise crown prince is good in utilizing information, yes, but without a proper facts, he is no different to a puppeteer without a control to a puppet's string.
The crown prince didn't even notice he's just a mere performer to Jin Lang's eyes.
"Although this young miss is offended, the crown prince is soon to move his strings, Meixiang would spare his life this time."
"Ow? This move the young miss talking about must be towards no ordinary piece."
"If an S grade Kingdom is considered no ordinary piece then it is."
Jin Lang chuckled. "It seems the little girl accumulated information that even this patriarch didn't know."
"The crown prince is not only good in accumulating information but also in hiding them. Meixiang just had the luck and acquire it accidentally."
The two had a calm conversation although their topics are no ordinary, the two discuss like the people involved are just small matters to them.
After finishing her tea, Meixiang bids her farewell to the patriarch.
"A tea again, let it be next time. This patriarch enjoys conversing with smart people."
Meixiang just nod. Before completely leaving, her eyes took a glimpse of the paintings on the wall, her eyes are unreadable.
This piece is...too hidden.