When Zhou Hong returned to the entrance of the Qiao family mansion, he happened to see Huo Ling'er coming out.
"Oh, you're back," Huo Ling'er greeted Zhou Hong, a hint of shyness on her face.
"Huo Ling'er, long time no see," Zhou Hong smiled slightly.
"Yes, I never expected you to be Ying'er's brother."
"I didn't expect that either. The last time I visited your family, I didn't know I was a member of the Qiao family."
Huo Ling'er nodded slightly, her eyes not daring to meet Zhou Hong's. Perhaps in her heart, Zhou Hong was someone to be looked up to.
"Why don't you dare to look me in the eye?" Zhou Hong asked with a smile, feeling a sudden urge to tease her.
"No, I don't," Huo Ling'er lifted her head and bravely met Zhou Hong's gaze, but after a few seconds, she quickly looked away.
"You're not… hating me, are you? The last time I visited your family, your grandfather offered you to me for a night. Although I didn't do it in the end, you still provided me with some special service."
Huo Ling'er's face immediately turned red.
"Senior, please don't say that. It's not good if your sister hears it," Huo Ling'er pleaded.
"Heh, are you heading home now?" Zhou Hong asked.
"Yes."
"Why isn't Qiao Ying'er seeing you off? That's very impolite."
"It's not necessary. I can go back by myself, and besides, she's also a girl, what's there to see off?"
"Let's go. Since she isn't seeing you off, I, as her elder brother, should escort you."
"Uh!" Huo Ling'er was stunned for a moment, wondering why Zhou Hong had suddenly offered to escort her.
"What? You don't want me to escort you?"
"No, no, thank you, senior."
Zhou Hong chuckled. He had already reached the entrance of his home, but he accompanied Huo Ling'er away.
They walked side by side on the main road. The Qiao family was located in a mountain valley, so they had to go through the main road to the mountain pass before they could hail a taxi or something similar. Su Dan Novel Network.
"Senior, you really didn't have to escort me. I can just hail a taxi on the road outside," Huo Ling'er said a bit shyly.
"It's fine. I also want to take a walk. I've just returned to the Qiao family and I'm not quite used to it yet."
"That's true."
"Huo Ling'er, what is your current cultivation realm?" Zhou Hong asked.
"Martial Master, Rank 62."
"Not bad. You're actually so powerful, and you're still a year or two younger than me," Zhou Hong chuckled. As expected of the capital, it was indeed not comparable to a small place like Jinshi City.
"Yes, I should be a year younger than you. I'm 19 this year."
"Then that's right, one year younger than me. To reach Martial Master Rank 62 at your age is indeed impressive."
"Senior, you're just teasing me. You're only a year older than me, yet your strength is something even my family's patriarch can't match. And you're also the supreme alchemist," Huo Ling'er said with admiration in her eyes.
"Hahaha." Zhou Hong let out a hearty laugh. He hadn't even revealed his true strength, or she would have been absolutely terrified.
"By the way, there was a very popular live stream a while ago. Do you know about it?" Zhou Hong asked deliberately.
"Are you talking about that streamer named Yao Yao? Of course, I know. My family's patriarch, elders, and everyone else have watched her live stream, that reclusive peerless expert. Even all the teachers and the dean of our Kyoto Martial Arts Academy are fans of that reclusive expert," Huo Ling'er said, a look of indescribable emotion in her eyes. After all, that reclusive peerless expert was someone even their academy's dean admired to no end, someone they would be willing to fetch shoes for if they had the chance.
"And you? Are you a fan of his?" Zhou Hong asked.
"Of course, but a reclusive expert of that level is not someone of my caliber to revere. It's probably only those at the level of our dean or top experts in Kyoto who have the right to be his fans."
"Hahaha." Zhou Hong laughed heartily, not expecting to have such a powerful group of fans.
"What are you laughing at? Could it be that you're not his fan?" Huo Ling'er asked curiously.
"Of course, I am. I also watched the live stream. He's my idol too."
"Yes, that reclusive peerless expert looks less than 30 years old, at most twenty-eight or twenty-nine. He's truly amazing."
Zhou Hong pursed his lips and said no more. Zhou Hong had no intention of revealing that this person was him for the time being, lest it bring him trouble.
"Huo Ling'er, what is your ranking on the Kyoto Earthly Rankings of geniuses? Are you stronger than Qiao Ying'er?" Zhou Hong asked again.
"Qiao Ying'er is ranked ninth, and I am ranked seventh."
"Impressive. I didn't expect your ranking to be higher than hers."
"Heh, your sister is also a genius. She'll catch up soon. If I'm not careful, I might be surpassed by her. Now that you're also an alchemist, if you could refine some spirit pills for her, she probably wouldn't need long to surpass me." Huo Ling'er looked envious. The difference between having spirit pills and not having them was simply too great.
"Haha, we can consider ourselves fated. If you want spirit pills in the future, I'll refine them for you for free. You just need to provide the materials," Zhou Hong said generously.
"Really?" Huo Ling'er was instantly excited.
"Why would I lie to you?"
"Thank you, senior. If my family knew, they would definitely be overjoyed to the point of tears."
Zhou Hong was speechless. Refining a few spirit pills was a matter of ten minutes for Zhou Hong, but it seemed like a tremendous gift to Huo Ling'er.
"Huo Ling'er, you're the famous campus belle at the Kyoto Martial Arts Academy, aren't you?" Zhou Hong asked. He looked at Huo Ling'er and saw that she was indeed very beautiful. Perhaps Zhou Hong hadn't been with a woman for these past few months, except for that streamer Yao Yao a few days ago. Therefore, Zhou Hong suddenly became more attentive to female beauty.
Huo Ling'er blushed and nodded, saying, "Ying'er and I are both campus belles at the Kyoto Martial Arts Academy. We don't have a ranking; some people think she's prettier, while others think I am. However, I have more admirers."
"Why?"
"Because I come from a lower-ranking family, which makes me more approachable."
"That's true. I remember you're from a ninth-tier family, right?"
"Yes, that's why it's my honor, and my family's honor, to be friends with Ying'er."
Zhou Hong laughed heartily. The Qiao family was a sixth-tier family, and it was indeed an honor for a young lady from a ninth-tier family to be friends with a collateral branch member of a sixth-tier family.
"Alright, I'll escort you this far. I'll visit your school another day when I have time," Zhou Hong said as he escorted Huo Ling'er to the main road outside.
"Yes, yes, thank you, senior. You should head back quickly too," Huo Ling'er nodded, her heart filled with a sense of anticipation.