"Mistress, you wish to first observe this girl?"

Chu Feng watched the girl's retreating back and asked casually.

"Indeed."

Bing Yan said unhurriedly: "As the saying goes: you may know a person's face but not their heart. Although I have been away from the Extreme Cold Villa for several hundred years, the elders within the villa more or less know that I once cultivated here.

To seek entry under my tutelage, using such a method to cater to my preferences can be considered a shortcut, can it not?"

"Indeed."

Chu Feng said with a smile: "Then I am somewhat curious as to what this girl will do next."

Bing Yan: "Then let us watch together."

"Very well."

As Chu Feng spoke, he sent a wisp of his divine sense flying toward the girl.

For existences like them, observing a junior at the Dao Foundation Realm without being discovered was an effortless matter.

If not for Bing Yan's desire to take this little girl as a disciple, they could have used their divine sense to inspect the girl's sea of consciousness and soul, seeing everything in her mind with perfect clarity.

However, doing so would harm the girl's soul and sea of consciousness.

Bing Qin flew all the way toward the interior of the Extreme Cold Villa. After landing, she hurried forward and soon arrived outside the Wind Flower Courtyard.

The moment she entered, she was blocked by an arrogant young woman.

"Lowly wretch, where have you been? Don't you know that this young lady is going to the martial arts training ground to cultivate today, to let the great figure from the Wendao Academy witness my strength?"

Bing Qin lowered her head and said softly: "This servant ate something bad last night and was delayed this morning attending to nature's call. I beg for the young lady's forgiveness."

"Hmph!"

The young woman snorted coldly: "A lowly servant is just a lowly servant. I give you a good meal, and you still manage to spoil your stomach. It is not impossible for me to forgive you. Kneel here in this courtyard. You may only stand up when I return, do you understand?"

"Yes."

After responding, Bing Qin knelt on the ground.

"Let's go."

After the young woman spoke, she led her entourage toward the martial arts training ground.

This scene was naturally witnessed by Bing Yan and Chu Feng, but neither of them intervened.

A self-inflicted injury ploy was not something they had not seen before; they would not believe her just because her experience was similar to Bing Yan's.

Moreover, the Dao cannot be directly passed down; seeking entry under their tutelage was no easy matter.

The two returned to the guest courtyard and began to drink tea and chat.

At the Extreme Cold Villa's martial arts training ground, all the direct and collateral lineage disciples of the Ice Family had gathered. Their goal was only one: to perform well in the coming days.

They hoped to be noticed by the great figure from the Wendao Academy and be accepted as a disciple.

Although they did not know what kind of being had arrived from the Wendao Academy this time, someone who required a group of clan elders and the Villa Master to personally greet them was surely an extraordinary great sage.

Inside the Extreme Cold Villa.

Bing Aogu sat on the main seat, listening to the people below report on various matters. After everyone had finished reporting, he asked again: "Where did Yan'er and the others go today?"

"Replying to the Villa Master, there was no sign of the Young Lady leaving the guest courtyard. However, a few of her disciples were seen moving about within the villa."

Bing Aogu asked another question: "Did they go to the martial arts training ground?"

"No, they were all touring the various scenic spots within our Extreme Cold Villa."

After speaking, the person did not forget to cautiously glance at the Villa Master's expression.

Seeing no change in the Villa Master's expression, he finally breathed a sigh of relief.

"You may withdraw."

Bing Aogu said faintly.

"Yes."

After responding, the person left the main hall.

Bing Aogu's gaze fell upon the crowd: "Everyone, I trust you all wish to send the disciples of your families to study under Yan'er. Do any of you have a plan?"

At these words, all the elders chose silence.

They thought to themselves: If you had not favored your concubine over your wife back then, we would not have to go through all this trouble now, sending the younger generation of our families before Bing Yan one by one for her to assess.

Now, even if we wanted to send people over, we would have no chance. Even if we were to swallow our pride, we might not even get to see Bing Yan.

The elders present were already well aware of what had happened yesterday.

Just then, an elder spoke up: "Villa Master, I believe we need not focus our attention solely on Yan'er. After all, that person's disciples are also elders of the Wendao Academy.

As long as one can become that person's grand-disciple, it will not be difficult to become a king or marquis in the future. As for becoming a great sage, that is simply too distant for those little ones."

"That is a valid point."

Bing Aogu nodded: "In that case, you may try to communicate properly with that person's few disciples."

The meeting ended abruptly. After the elders left the main hall, they began to whisper among themselves.

"Ninth Uncle, you watched Yan'er grow up. In terms of relationship within our Extreme Cold Villa, yours with Yan'er is the best. Have you considered sending a junior from the clan over?"

An elder asked with a smile.

Ninth Uncle gave him a look of disdain: "Aoxin, you want this old man to ask Yan'er's disciples if they are accepting disciples, don't you?"

"Hehe."

Bing Aoxin chuckled: "Ninth Uncle understands me best. But my relationship with Cousin Yan is average. If I were to visit, my fate might be worse than Xiaofeng's."

"The juniors of this old man are all mediocre talents; I will not dirty Yan'er's eyes. If you wish to send disciples, you should go yourselves."

After Ninth Uncle finished speaking, he swaggered off, leaving Bing Aoxin looking dejected. He watched Ninth Uncle's back and thought to himself: You old scoundrel, you won't even grant me this small favor. I refuse to believe I have no other options.

The younger generation of the Bing Family cultivated in the martial arts training ground until evening.

Not having waited for the great figure from the Wendao Academy, they returned to their separate courtyards, one by one, filled with resentment.

Wind Flower Courtyard.

Bing Yushu was full of anger today. She had cultivated for a whole day at the martial arts training ground until her hands were sore, only to be told that the great figure from the Wendao Academy had not come and would only arrive tomorrow, and that she had to rise early.

At this thought, her anger had no outlet. The moment she entered and saw the lowly servant Bing Ya, she went up and kicked her.

"Lowly servant, who told you to block the path?"

Bing Ya did not dare to talk back. In a place with such a strict hierarchy as the Extreme Cold Villa, a master needed only a single word to take the lives of servants like them.

Her mother had clearly done nothing wrong, having been forced by the Young Villa Master while he was drunk. But after giving birth to her, she was still executed by the Young Mistress. If it were not for the Bing family blood flowing in her veins, she probably would not have survived.

Thus, the thought of becoming stronger and leaving this place took root in her heart.

"This servant knows her mistake. I beg for the young lady's forgiveness."

"Hmph!"

Bing Yushu snorted coldly, feeling it was not enough to vent her anger, and said to a subordinate: "Bring me my whip."

"Yes."

A maid quickly handed over a whip.

Crack... crack... crack...

Soon, the sound of whipping echoed throughout the entire courtyard.

After a long while, Bing Xiaofeng came out. Seeing this scene, he did not tell his daughter to stop, but instead asked with a smile: "Yushu, what did this lowly wretch do to upset you?"

Bing Yushu said: "She did not comb my hair and wash me this morning, delaying my trip to the martial arts training ground. That is why I did not encounter the great figure from the Wendao Academy and failed to be accepted by those great figures. Therefore, I am punishing this lowly servant."

Bing Xiaofeng said with a smile: "Then Yushu, hit her a few more times to vent your anger. You need not be anxious. There will still be opportunities to meet those great figures over the next few days. You can perform well then."

Kneeling on the ground, Bing Ya heard these words, and a glimmer of hope actually ignited in her originally desolate eyes. A thought could not help but surface in her mind: Could it be that the person I encountered this morning was the great figure from the Wendao Academy?

This entire scene was fully observed by Chu Feng and Bing Yan in the guest courtyard...

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