73: Chapter 73 A Prodigy! Unwilling to Accept It!

Xiao Huo's personal disciple!

It further confirmed his astonishing background and potential in the field of Alchemy.

Ranked tenth among the freshmen at Modu University of Martial Arts!

This ranking held a lot of weight.

It meant he was not only an alchemy genius but also equally formidable in actual martial arts combat!

Although she appreciated Third Stage Spear Technique skills, she didn't feel too envious.

Because Wen Ning herself was also a highly-watched genius.

She also had her own pride and confidence in the cultivation of Martial Arts Skills.

But the rank of "tenth at Modu University of Martial Arts"...

...did indeed cause a slight stir in her heart.

Modu University of Martial Arts was one of the two top martial arts institutions in Xia Country.

Its internal level of competition was at a hellish level.

To stand out among thousands of genius New Students and secure the tenth spot...

...this level of strength, if placed in Modu Jiaotong University...

...would probably be enough to challenge for the top five, or even the top three!

This meant that the Qin Yan before her...

...likely had martial arts potential and combat ability on par with her own!

However, one thing left Wen Ning completely puzzled: why would someone with such outstanding spear talent and martial arts ranking not choose to become a disciple under a famous spear master...

...to further refine his martial arts, but instead chose to apprentice under alchemy grandmaster Xiao Huo?

In her view, this defied common sense.

Was it driven by personal interest? Or was there a deeper meaning?

She had pondered this question for a long time without reaching a definitive answer.

However, these doubts weren't important for the time being.

What mattered was that she needed to establish and maintain a good relationship with Qin Yan.

To her, befriending a future alchemist with a deep background and immense potential...

...was definitely a "sure-win investment."

After all, she was too poor.

And Qin Yan might very well be her shortcut to obtaining high-quality, low-cost pill resources!

On the other side of the projection, the moment Qin Yan heard Wen Ning's soft voice...

...he actually felt the slight stings of spirit pain in his mind caused by over-consuming pills being gently soothed.

"Yeah, I just finished training," Qin Yan said with a light chuckle.

Afterward, the two chatted casually about their recent lives, the atmosphere relaxed and harmonious.

Suddenly, a perfectly timed look of hesitation appeared on Wen Ning's face.

She pursed her lips slightly, her voice becoming even lower and softer, carrying a trace of imperceptible apprehension as she spoke softly:

"Qin Yan... there's something I feel I should tell you honestly.

I... after I went back, I did a little private investigation into your identity."

She looked up, cautiously observing Qin Yan's expression.

Her tone was apologetic and uneasy. "Um... you won't be mad at me, will you?"

Hearing this, a look of obvious shock flashed across Qin Yan's face.

Investigating him?

A hint of vigilance instantly rose in his heart.

He didn't understand the purpose behind Wen Ning's action.

Was it simply out of curiosity?

Or did she have other motives?

They had only met twice.

However, he didn't show much emotion on his face, his tone merely becoming a bit flatter. "Oh? Investigating me? Why?"

Wen Ning quickly explained, her eyes looking very sincere. "Don't misunderstand!

I... I was just very curious about you after hearing you were a student at Modu University of Martial Arts that day.

So I couldn't help but ask a friend to find out a bit about you."

She paused and said softly, "I know this might be a bit impolite, but I really have no ill intentions.

Can you... forgive me?"

Seeing Wen Ning's apologetic and fragile appearance, along with her honest attitude, the slight displeasure in Qin Yan's heart eased a bit.

He pondered for a moment and said, "It's fine.

Since you can tell me this honestly, it at least shows you don't have any direct hostility toward me.

I naturally won't blame you for it."

He paused and said half-jokingly, "But I am a bit curious—what did you find out?

You didn't dig up all my secrets, did you?"

Seeing that Qin Yan wasn't truly angry, Wen Ning seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, a bright smile blooming on her face once again.

She said with a hint of admiration in her tone, "Not really, I just secretly looked into your general situation.

As it turns out, you really gave me a huge surprise!"

"I didn't expect you to actually be Instructor Xiao Huo's disciple!

And the tenth-ranked New Student at Modu University of Martial Arts! That's so amazing!

I heard the competition at Modu University of Martial Arts is super intense; being able to rank tenth, you must be very strong!"

Her praise sounded sincere and heartfelt.

Combined with her gentle and moving temperament and her exquisite, flawless face, it was hard for anyone to feel repulsed.

Hearing this, Qin Yan only gave a non-committal smile and didn't respond.

In his heart, however, he secretly kept his guard up against this seemingly gentle and harmless Wen Ning.

As the saying goes, when things are unusual, there's bound to be something fishy.

For a girl with both exceptional looks and talent...

...to so proactively approach and even investigate him...

...was it really just out of curiosity and appreciation?

He had to consider whether there were other motives behind it.

After a few more casual remarks, the two ended the communication.

Watching Wen Ning's electronic projection vanish into the air, Qin Yan let out a soft breath.

He went to the bathroom, splashed his face with cold water, and after a quick wash, lay down on the bed to rest.

Meanwhile, inside a villa at Modu Jiaotong University...

Wen Ning watched Qin Yan's projection disappear before her eyes as the light screen dimmed.

She raised her hand and touched her slightly hot cheeks, her complexion becoming even more flushed.

Recalling her almost "flattering" praise just now, she actually felt a bit awkward and bashful.

During her high school years, she had always been like a star surrounded by moons.

She was the Favored Daughter of Heaven, envied and praised by everyone.

It had always been others trying to please and praise her; when had she ever proactively praised someone else like this?

Even after coming to the genius-filled Modu Jiaotong University...

...relying on the initial academic credits provided by the school and her own solid foundation...

...in the last Monthly Exam...

...she had defeated the third-ranked student of the grade with almost effortless ease, seizing the third-place throne in one go!

Had it not been for the sake of playing it safe, she might have even considered challenging for the top spot!

That battle made her the goddess in the hearts of countless Jiaotong University students once again.

She garnered countless flowers, applause, and admiration.

However, she could also clearly feel...

...that those Classmates from martial arts families with deep backgrounds...

...when looking at her, often had a hint of imperceptible playfulness in their eyes besides appreciation.

They all knew very well that in this era where resources were king...

...a genius without family support, relying only on basic school resources and their own efforts...

...could shine for a while at the beginning, but as time passed...

...and the resource gap grew larger, they would likely lose momentum.

Eventually, they would streak across like a meteor and fade into mediocrity.

"No! I will never let that happen!"

Wen Ning clenched her fists tightly, her nails almost digging into her palms.