Chapter 399: Trading

"Watch my lips," Jiang Luofu continued, "Scram."

Zu An was speechless. "Principal, such crude language doesn't suit your position."

Jiang Luofu stretched, showcasing her lithe figure to perfection in that moment. "Who heard it? I certainly didn't."

Zu An was speechless. He hadn't expected the woman to be so shameless. However, he also realized that her earlier comment about Shang Liuyu being her "wife" was likely just a joke between close friends. In his past life, female classmates often called each other "wife" and "husband." He had never quite understood it. For instance, if two men were to call each other "husband" and "wife," well...

Jiang Luofu tapped the table with the pencil in her hand. "Right, tell me how you escaped from the Grandmaster. Don't give me that nonsense about suddenly having a 'cosmic burst' just because you were thinking of me." Zu An's face flushed. Clearly, his teasing words to Shang Liuyu outside the door earlier had not escaped her notice. He could only give a rough account of what happened, similar to what he had told the Chu family.

Jiang Luofu fell into thought. After a moment, her crimson lips parted. "I believe I've fought with one of the Grandmasters you mentioned. At the time, I found it very strange why he would cause trouble at the school. Now that I think about it, he was probably investigating those around you."

Zu An immediately showered her with flattery. "Principal Jiang, you can actually match a Grandmaster! My admiration for you flows like an endless river, like the surging Mingyue River..."

"Alright, alright," Jiang Luofu interrupted, her face flushing. "He clearly held back that time, otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to beat him."

Zu An quickly changed his tune. "My beautiful Principal, you are truly honest, never claiming credit that isn't yours. You are a paragon among women, a model for our generation..."

He went on and on, but this time, she didn't interrupt him. Instead, she watched him with an amused expression. Eventually, he ran out of words and quickly found an excuse. "My throat's parched from all that talking. I need a drink of water first." With that, he grabbed a teacup nearby and took a large gulp.

Jiang Luofu was too late to stop him. She said with a half-smile, "Xiao Yu just drank from that cup. So, technically, you've had an indirect kiss. There are countless men in this school who'd love to kiss her, and you got it so easily."

"Uh..." Zu An froze, finally noticing a faint lipstick mark on the teacup. What surprised him even more, however, was another much brighter lipstick mark right next to it, whose color seemed to match Jiang Luofu's lip gloss. "My beautiful Principal, I'm starting to seriously question your relationship with Sister Shang."

Jiang Luofu snorted, snatching the teacup from his hand. "What an insensitive man. You just had an indirect kiss with your Principal, and *that's* your reaction."

Zu An: "..."

Ah, how enjoyable it was to tease young girls like Ji Xiaoxi and Chu Huanzhao on a regular basis, making them blush with just a few jokes. But facing an older, mature woman, he found himself the one being teased instead.

"Oh, you've already reached the fifth rank?" Jiang Luofu suddenly looked at him in surprise, having just sensed the change in his aura. "Such an extraordinary talent's cultivation speed truly is enviable." When she had first met him, he had only just begun his cultivation journey. How long had it been, and he was already at the fifth rank? Many recognized geniuses in the academy, nurtured by their families from a young age with immense resources, had only a few reaching the fifth rank by now.

"Unfortunately, I haven't awakened any elemental abilities," Zu An said with a wry smile. Earlier, Mi Li had thought he was a spirit-type, but he knew that was merely due to the "Hundred Voices" technique.

"No elemental abilities at all? How is that possible?" Jiang Luofu's playful smile vanished, and she sat up straight.

"It's true. I can't feel an affinity with any element," Zu An described his sensations.

Jiang Luofu pondered for a long time before finally saying, "Normally, everyone discovers their elemental ability right after breaking through to the fifth rank. I've never heard of a situation like yours. It's possible that because you have extraordinary talent, your cultivation path is different from others. Ordinary people can awaken at the fifth rank, but extraordinary talents might need more, perhaps even the sixth rank."

"Then what should I do?" Zu An was stunned. Shouldn't extraordinary talent quickly lead him to the peak of his life? Why did it feel like it was having the opposite effect now?

"Let nature take its course," Jiang Luofu said. "Perhaps one day you'll suddenly awaken. You know, there's always a way forward. Since extraordinary talent exists, it must also be possible to awaken."

"Only my beautiful Principal could explain 'I don't know' in such an elegant and unique way," Zu An couldn't help but retort.

Jiang Luofu's face flushed. "What do you want me to do? No one in history has ever had extraordinary talent like yours, so there's no experience to draw upon."

"Alright," Since even she didn't know, Zu An had no other options. Remembering the two fire-element secret manuals he had acquired, he quickly asked, "By the way, if I wanted to awaken a fire-elemental ability, is there any way to do that?"

"Fire element?" Jiang Luofu found it a bit strange. Chu Chuyan was ice-elemental; why would he want to awaken fire? Were they going to fight as a couple? "Generally, elemental abilities are naturally determined after breaking through to the fifth rank; you can't choose them yourself. Of course, throughout history, there have been exceptions. For instance, some truly blessed individuals can acquire skill scrolls through ancient inheritances or fortuitous encounters, directly awakening a specific element."

"However, such occurrences are extremely rare, available only to those with immense luck."

To her surprise, Zu An actually breathed a sigh of relief. "That puts my mind at ease. As long as it's possible, that's all that matters. The one thing I'm never short of is luck, ha ha ha."

Jiang Luofu was speechless, wondering where this guy got such confidence.

"Oh, and don't publicize what happened between you and those two Grandmasters this time," she added, a hint of worry in her voice. "You should know that every Grandmaster has many connections behind them, far more than you can contend with right now. I'll try to contact the Chu family to help you cover it up. I hope there won't be any further issues." She had a feeling this matter wouldn't end so easily.

Zu An couldn't help but gaze at her. "My beautiful Principal, you're so good to me, I don't know how to repay you. After thinking it over, I realize I have nothing to offer but myself."

"Get lost!"

"Understood!"

Leaving the Principal's office, Zu An's mood was noticeably lighter. Although he still didn't know how to awaken fire-elemental abilities, at least he knew it was possible, and that was good enough. Walking along the campus's tree-lined path, Zu An clearly had no interest in attending any more classes. After all, he had just been chatting freely with Grandmasters; these lessons held little meaning for him.

He decided to return to his dorm for a nap, but on the way, he encountered a striking figure. "Zheng Dan?" Gazing at the beautiful woman before him, Zu An secretly nodded. She seemed a little plumper than before, perfectly combining a maiden's shyness with a young woman's allure. No wonder the students passing by couldn't help but glance at her. Hmph, they were all lustful but cowardly. If you liked her, why not go up and talk to her? Even if they lacked his charm and probably wouldn't get anywhere, at least they could say a few words to the goddess.

"Greetings, Teacher Zu." A fleeting blush appeared on Zheng Dan's creamy complexion.

"Student Zheng, you're as polite as ever. The teacher appreciates it very much." Zu An also enjoyed this game of having one persona in public and another in private with her.

"I heard that something happened to Teacher recently. Now that we see Teacher has returned safely, all the students are completely relieved." Even if passing students overheard, Zheng Dan's words were impeccable.

"I wonder if Student Zheng was worried too?" Zu An asked with a smile.

"Of...of course." Zheng Dan's face reddened, and she glanced around nervously. "By the way, I have some arithmetic questions I'd like to ask the teacher about."

Zu An knew she wanted to speak to him privately, so he nodded. "Let's talk as we walk."

The two strolled along a shaded campus path. To others, it simply looked like Zheng Dan was holding a book and asking questions. Everyone secretly admired her. Miss Zheng was truly diligent, not only keeping up with her cultivation but also delving so deeply into arithmetic. Of course, some scions of prominent families secretly sighed, believing Miss Zheng was being held back by the Zheng clan. The Zheng family had many business matters to attend to, forcing her to dedicate much energy to minor subjects like arithmetic, otherwise, her cultivation would surely be higher.

Little did they know, their hands, close together, had secretly intertwined. They weren't discussing academic problems but rather intimately interacting under the cover of the book.

"A'Zu, I actually came to you this time to make a deal on behalf of my future father-in-law." Zheng Dan instantly blushed at his proximity, but she didn't forget the purpose of her visit.

"What kind of deal?" Zu An was taken aback.

"He wants to ask you for a bottle of spiritual medicine," Zheng Dan said, her moist eyes gazing at him steadily.