Chapter 32 – The Man Behind the Name
After Zhang Zhao arrived at the East China Sea Junior Soul Instructor Academy, he faced no resistance in making his way to the office of Vice President Bai Qingshan. With his status as a royal appointee, he walked in with a natural air of confidence.
However, upon arriving, he found that Bai Qingshan wasn't in his office. After asking around, he headed straight toward the principal's office.
When he overheard the name Xiao Qiang being mentioned from within, he knew without a doubt—he had found the right place.
"Who are you?"
Zhao Yuanbu, the principal of the academy, frowned as he watched Zhang Zhao casually push open the door and step in.
Zhang Zhao didn't waste any time with small talk. He directly released his soul rings: two yellow, two purple, and one black. The five soul rings revolved around his body, a clear and unmistakable show of strength.
Upon seeing that black ten-thousand-year soul ring, Zhao Yuanbu, who had been leisurely sipping tea just moments ago, immediately stood up. The arrogance on his face melted away, replaced by a polite and cautious smile.
Even though Zhang Zhao was only a five-ring Soul King, the presence of that black ring spoke volumes. It screamed nobility, authority, and dangerous backing.
Those who could obtain a hundred-year soul ring as their first ring usually came from families with financial stability. At the very least, they were rich second-generation individuals in the eyes of ordinary people.
Those who had a thousand-year soul ring as their third ring typically hailed from small noble families, barring a few special exceptions.
But those whose fifth soul ring had reached the ten-thousand-year level… these were either direct heirs of mid-tier noble families or descendants of great noble lineages.
Even among the so-called Four Major Families of Donghai City, not a single clan leader had managed to obtain a ten-thousand-year soul ring.
As far as Zhao Yuanbu knew, only the City Lord himself—a seven-ring Soul Saint—had one. And even then, that soul ring was not his fifth. His fifth ring was only of thousand-year quality.
Thus, the black ring on Zhang Zhao's body might as well have had the words Great Noble Family carved into it.
Zhao Yuanbu knew he had to tread carefully.
"I wonder what business brings you to the East Sea Soul Instructor Academy, sir?" Zhao Yuanbu asked with a courteous bow. "I am the grandson of the Great Elder of the Zhao family, one of the Four Major Families in Donghai City. If you need assistance, I am more than willing to lend the full support of my family."
Zhang Zhao glanced at him indifferently. "I'm here to find Bai Qingshan."
Bai Qingshan? Zhao Yuanbu thought. Didn't he mention Xiao Qiang earlier? Did Xiao Qiang offend someone important? Or… did he gain the favor of someone beyond our station?
He hesitated, then glanced subtly to the side—toward Bai Qingshan himself, who was also in the room.
His gaze was deliberate. He didn't dare say aloud that this was Bai Qingshan, lest he accidentally implicate the wrong person depending on Zhang Zhao's intent. If Zhang Zhao had come to punish Bai Qingshan, claiming to be an ally could be dangerous. If he had come to reward him, missing the opportunity to speak up would be equally regrettable.
So Zhao Yuanbu played it safe—saying nothing, but letting his eyes do the talking. It was a careful art of observation and neutrality, a survival tactic passed down in small noble families for generations.
Zhang Zhao wasn't particularly clever. Had he been sharp, he wouldn't be stuck in a cushy but pointless position despite having a powerful father. But even he could understand Zhao Yuanbu's meaning from that look—and more importantly, Bai Qingshan had raised a hand, making it obvious.
"Sir, I am Bai Qingshan. May I ask why you're looking for me?" Bai Qingshan stood and spoke respectfully.
There was no room for hesitation in situations like this. If someone sought him out publicly, it was either good fortune or inevitable trouble. Either way, hiding would not help.
Zhang Zhao waved his hand, almost awkwardly. "Ah, please don't call me 'sir'—I'm Zhang Zhao. My father is Zhang Er, the Chief Censor and the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple… ah, I'm sorry, I've gotten used to introducing myself like that."
At those words, Bai Qingshan's expression shifted slightly, a glimmer of understanding flickering in his eyes. Still, he kept his voice measured.
"Young Master Zhang, might I ask what brings you to me today?"
"Oh, right! Xiao Qiang—Xiao Xiao—asked me to deliver something."
"…Sir?" Bai Qingshan and Zhao Yuanbu spoke in unison, clearly stunned.
"Little Friend Zhang… are you talking about Lord Xiao?" Bai Qingshan quickly adjusted his tone, sounding more like a senior trying to confirm a fact rather than asking a casual question.
"Yes, yes! Lord Xiao! He became a disciple of the Red Dust Hall Master recently. Truly an extraordinary talent, a shining example of our generation. My admiration for Lord Xiao is like the surging river—endless and boundless!"
Bai Qingshan: "…"
Zhao Yuanbu: "…"
Zhang Zhao's over-the-top flattery made both men raise their eyebrows slightly, but neither dared comment. After all, Zhang Zhao's strength placed him at the top among them. Whether his words were sincere or not, no one would risk calling them fake.
"So, what did Lord Xiao ask you to bring me?" Bai Qingshan asked, his tone now calm and composed. While his soul power was the weakest in the room, his demeanor had changed entirely—he now spoke like a man of status.
"He asked me to deliver something." Zhang Zhao handed over a storage-type soul guide. "This is a long-range soul guide communicator produced by Mingde Hall. Lord Xiao asked me to pass it to you and have you verify the contents."
Bai Qingshan accepted the soul guide, infused a trace of soul power, and retrieved its contents: eight bottles of elixirs and a single black card.
He wasn't yet sure of the elixirs' exact quality, but he instantly recognized the card.
Cards on the Douluo Continent came in five tiers—white, yellow, purple, black, and red.
A black card could store no less than one million gold soul coins. Anything under that value would have been issued as a purple card instead.
In other words… just the card alone represented at least a million gold soul coins.
Bai Qingshan looked down at the items on the table… then slowly turned his gaze toward the table itself.
Then he stared pointedly at Zhao Yuanbu.
His expression clearly said:
"So… do you still want to eat the table?"