Opening the Door to a New World

Wang Siyuan swallowed hard, struggling to tear his gaze away from the pile of glowing Spirit Stones.

He looked at Lu Yang, his expression tense, his voice dry. "Senior Brother Lu, Li Yao's matter is nothing to you. Even without my reminder, you would have been fine. You don't need to give me these."

The pile of Spirit Stones lay quietly on the ground, each one radiating a soft spiritual light. The five thousand stones gathered together illuminated every chisel mark on the cave abode wall.

Wang Siyuan glanced at it once and then forced himself to look away.

It would be a lie to say I didn't want to take it.

He had never seen so many Spirit Stones in his entire life!

But he hoped to leave a good impression on Lu Yang.

He witnessed everything that happened yesterday. Senior Brother Lu remained calm and composed throughout. With those two protectors present, even without his prior warning, Li Yao and his gang would still have died.

Lu Yang chuckled softly at Wang Siyuan's words, but his tone carried an undeniable air of authority. "Take it if I tell you to."

To be honest, if Wang Siyuan hadn't reminded him, he really wouldn't have been in any danger.

His original plan was to take out the flying boat as soon as he left the mountain gate and leave with Lin Ying.

In that case, there would be no opportunity to deal with Li Yao in a straightforward manner.

Wang Siyuan's tip-off provided him with a legitimate opportunity to eliminate the hidden danger, saving him a lot of trouble.

Moreover, Lu Yang had already decided to invest in Wang Siyuan.

Just now, Wang Siyuan was about to sell the High-Grade Law Artifact that the sect had rewarded him with without saying a word, so he could buy medicine for his father.

That Law Artifact was the most valuable possession of an outer disciple in the Mid-stage Qi Refining.

But he said he would sell, and he did so without even hesitating.

This kid is quite filial.

In addition, his previous performance had given Lu Yang a good impression of him.

There shouldn't be any problem investing in it.

With a thought, Lu Yang pulled up the Low-Level Investment Contract in the system and selected Wang Siyuan as his target.

[The host is making a low-level investment in Wang Siyuan. The host can view the investment details.]

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow.

I can't believe I can still see the information?

This was an unexpected bonus. He opened Wang Siyuan's information panel.

[Wang Siyuan: Mid-stage Qi Refining, Mid-Grade Spirit Root, Cultivation Method: Golden Blade Sword Art, Law Technique: Fire Bullet Technique, etc. Favorability: 91, Location: Sanlidun Market, Qin Province Prefecture, Status: Moved.]

Um?

How can someone who isn't a close female friend have a favorable impression of you?

This is likely a characteristic specific to the investment target.

Unfortunately, unlike the Beauty Module, there are no favorability rewards to claim.

Wang Siyuan's favorability rating reaching 91 was something he hadn't expected.

It was probably because the Spirit Stones Lu Yang gave him were too important to him.

After all, it was money to save his father's life.

To be honest, he invested in Wang Siyuan for future returns, and as long as the favorability rating wasn't too low, it wasn't a big problem for him.

There won't be any reward anyway.

The information panel was more comprehensive than I expected, with even the specific locations clearly marked.

Seeing that Lu Yang's tone left no room for argument, Wang Siyuan fell silent.

He then took a deep breath, bent his knees, and knelt heavily on the ground.

He raised his head, his eyes red-rimmed, and said resolutely, "Thank you, Senior Brother Lu! From now on, if Senior Brother Lu has any requests, I, Wang Siyuan, will go through fire and water for you!"

These Spirit Stones were extremely important to him.

Seeing his father seriously injured and bedridden, while he was powerless to help, was an unbearable feeling for him.

With these Spirit Stones, he could not only buy the Jade Dew Pill to heal his father's injuries, but also provide a better environment for his family!

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, flipped his hand, and with a surge of Spiritual Qi, lifted Wang Siyuan up, his tone casual and gentle. "Junior Brother Wang, just take good care of your family."

At this moment, Lin Ying, who had been standing obediently beside Lu Yang with her arms linked with his, suddenly looked up and said softly, "Junior Brother Lu, I have Jade Dew Pills here."

Lu Yang's eyes lit up. He had forgotten that Senior Sister Lin was Alchemist, and she must have stock of first-tier healing pills like Jade Dew Pills.

He squeezed Lin Ying's hand, his fingertips stroking the smooth back of her hand, and chuckled, "Then let's give one bottle to Junior Brother Wang."

Lin Ying nodded obediently. "Mmm."

With a flick of her wrist, a pristine white jade bottle appeared in her palm.

The jade bottle floated up and landed steadily on the table.

Wang Ming, He Xiaoyue, and Wang Siyue all stared at the jade bottle on the table, their breathing quickening.

The jade bottle was no bigger than the palm of my hand, with a smooth and delicate surface engraved with simple patterns.

It was this small bottle of pills that drove their family to the brink of bankruptcy over the past two months.

The gentle and graceful young woman in front of him casually took it out and gave it away.

Wang Siyuan snapped out of his daze and quickly bowed deeply to Lin Ying, saying, "Thank you so much, Senior Sister Lin!"

Lin Ying smiled faintly, her arms still wrapped around Lu Yang's arm, and leaned slightly against him, her voice soft. "Junior Brother Lu is willing to help you, so thank him if you want."

For her, what Wang Siyuan and his family were like was irrelevant.

She took out the bottle of Jade Dew Pills simply because Lu Yang wanted to help this person.

Wang Siyuan immediately turned to Lu Yang and bowed deeply again, saying, "Thank you, Senior Brother Lu!"

Lu Yang chuckled and waved his hand, "Alright, we'll be going now. Junior Brother Wang, spend some time with your family, see you after the New Year."

Wang Siyuan quickly said, "Senior Brother Lu, won't you have a meal before you leave?"

No, thank you.

He Xiaoyue and the others did not try to keep them.

After all, they knew in their hearts that for this celestial being to step into their small stone house of about 30 square meters, which didn't even have a decent piece of furniture, it was already an immense honor for them.

How can we expect them to stay for a meal?

Wang Siyuan, He Xiaoyue, and Wang Siyue hurriedly and warmly saw them off, escorting Lu Yang and his group out of the cave abode.

Wang Ming also wished he could get up and see them off, but he was simply unable to move.

Outside the cave abode, Wang Da's Spiritual Qi rippled slightly, lifting Lu Yang and Lin Ying steadily. The four of them transformed into streaks of light and flew into the quietly hovering hundred-foot-long flying boat in mid-air.

Wang Siyuan, He Xiaoyue, and Wang Siyue stood at the entrance of the cave abode, looking up until the flying boat shrank into a small dot of light on the horizon and finally disappeared completely before slowly turning their gaze away.

The three looked around.

The Rogue Cultivators in the cave abode area were peeking out one by one.

Some people peeked half their faces out from under the door, some pretended to be collecting laundry at the door, and others simply stood by the roadside. Everyone looked at the family of three with complicated expressions.

Those gazes held envy, fear, and fawning.

He Xiaoyue took a deep breath, and her tired face suddenly became radiant. Her slightly hunched back also straightened up a bit.

She grabbed Wang Siyuan's hand with one hand and Wang Siyue's hand with the other, and walked briskly into the house. "Come on, let's go inside."

Upon entering the room, Wang Ming and the other two quickly instructed Wang Siyuan to put away the Spirit Stones.

Then, the three of them stared intently at Wang Siyuan. Wang Ming's voice was somewhat weak, but his tone was quite excited as he eagerly asked, "Yuan'er, what's the deal with this Young Master Lu?"

Wang Siyue was even more excited. Thinking of that handsome figure from earlier, her face flushed red. "Yes, brother, that Young Master Lu seems to be quite extraordinary!"

Wang Siyuan smiled slightly, sat down on the low stool beside the stone bed, and recounted in detail how he met Lu Yang in the sect, how he mustered up the courage to warn him that someone was ambushing him, and what happened yesterday.

As Wang Ming and the other two listened, their eyes widened and their breathing became increasingly rapid.

When they heard that Lu Yang actually had two Golden Core Realm protectors by his side, and that even the Golden Core Elder of the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect treated him with deference, the three of them had shining eyes.

He Xiaoyue clenched her hands excitedly and said solemnly, "Yuan'er, Young Master Lu has done a great favor for our family. You must serve Young Master Lu well from now on!"

Wang Siyuan nodded vigorously. "I understand, Mother."

He readily agreed, but a bitter feeling welled up inside him.

Someone like Senior Brother Lu, with Peak Golden Core cultivator as his protector, even the sect elders have to give him face...

What can I do to help him?

Once this gets out, countless people will be willing to go through fire and water for Senior Brother Lu.

On the flying boat.

The room on the top floor was mostly blocked from sunlight by pale gold gauze curtains, with only a few soft rays of light squeezing in through the gaps and falling on the large spirit wood bed.

Lu Yang pulled Lin Ying into his arms, letting her sit on his lap. He lowered his head, his nose gently brushing against the stray hairs at her temples, inhaling the faint scent of herbs and the unique warmth emanating from her.

The intimate gestures caused Lin Ying's delicate body to tremble slightly, her eyelashes fluttering like the wings of a startled butterfly.

Her pretty face flushed red, and her voice was so soft it was almost melting, carrying a pitiful plea. "Junior Brother Lu... I really can't take it anymore. Please, please don't bully me, okay?"

She was genuinely terrified. In the dozen or so hours she had spent on the airship, she had witnessed firsthand this guy's ridiculously strong physique.

If she did it again, she felt like her brain was going to turn into mush.

Lu Yang looked down at Lin Ying's pitiful appearance, with her eyes slightly red, and couldn't help but laugh out loud.

A mischievous glint flashed in his eyes. He gently traced her red lips with his fingers, then leaned close to her ear and whispered a few words.

Lin Ying's eyes widened suddenly, her pupils trembling as if an earthquake had struck, as if a door to a new world had been opened.

"This... this actually works??" Her voice trembled.

Lu Yang looked at her with burning eyes, his voice tinged with grievance. "Why don't you give it a try, Senior Sister Lin? You can't just abandon me, can you?"

Lin Ying's expression shifted constantly, so embarrassed she wished she could disappear into the ground.

After struggling for a while, she finally bit her lower lip, gave Lu Yang a coquettish glare, and then slowly lowered her head.

Lu Yang leaned against the headboard, his gaze passing over her drooping hair and looking out the window.

The airship was gliding smoothly across the sky, and outside the window was a thick blanket of white clouds, layer upon layer, stretching to the horizon.

Lu Yang looked at the Beauty Module.

Lin Ying (Favorability: 99)

A strange expression flickered across his face.

Before leaving the flying boat today, he noticed that Lin Ying's favorability rating had increased a little.

Even though I bullied her so badly, I still managed to increase her favorability.

It seems women really do need to be pampered...

He glanced down at Lin Ying, a faint sense of anticipation rising in his heart.

I've reached 99 points of favorability; just one more point is needed.

Back at the Lin Household, under the watchful eyes of her family, Lin Ying witnessed the prestige and respectability he had brought her. She wondered if his favorability rating would rise to 100.