Successfully Bringing Them Under His Wing

"Good!" Ming Lunyu slapped the table and rose to his feet. "One day, you'll understand just how right your choice was. Let me give you one final reassurance. Xiao Jun, summon your martial soul with me and let Clan Head Yang take a look."

Next, eight black Soul Rings rose around Ma Hongjun and Ming Lunyu.

"Well? As you can see, we're both twelve years old, at rank forty-five, and every one of our Soul Rings is a ten-thousand-year ring. With such potential, can we lead you to accomplish great things on the Douluo Continent in the future?"

Yang Wudi had already witnessed too many miracles. Even if Ming Lunyu claimed to be the reincarnation of a god, she would no longer be surprised. At the same time, she understood that she had truly encountered a benefactor.

No further declarations of loyalty were needed. Yang Wudi said directly, "Please make me your Contractor, Young Master."

Ming Lunyu was greatly satisfied with her attitude.

A bead entwined with Black and White Qi appeared, and gray currents gradually enveloped Yang Wudi's entire body.

An hour later, the great gray cocoon burst apart, and a slender, valiant White-Haired Girl quietly landed on the ground.

Yang Wudi moved her new body a little. This youthful body brimming with vitality made her heart surge, and even her state of mind seemed much younger. Only, the emptiness in a certain place left her somewhat unaccustomed.

She tried to take a step and nearly fell over.

Only then did she realize that her old clothes had vanished, replaced by an outfit similar to a Tang-style ruqun dress, though it was an altered version. The skirt was much shorter, revealing her fair, slender thighs, while a pair of aqua-blue high heels adorned her feet.

"This is..." Yang Wudi curiously inspected her clothes. She had not expected that mysterious bead martial soul to be capable of creating clothing out of thin air.

Ma Hongjun quickly approached Yang Wudi. Amid Yang Wudi's baffled expression, she first took her hand and examined it, then crouched down, removed Yang Wudi's shoes, and took a look. Mm, light-blue nail polish.

At last, she stood up, turned around, and revealed a helpless smile.

"Brother, your fetish is beyond saving."

Ming Lunyu's face reddened slightly, but he retorted with complete conviction, "All of you belong to me anyway. What's wrong with adding a few little decorations?"

Ma Hongjun hurriedly waved her hands. "It's fine, it's fine. There's nothing wrong with it. I was just teasing you."

In fact, Ma Hongjun was rather glad that Ming Lunyu had such a fetish. At least it gave her a direction for pleasing him.

"I-I've broken through rank ninety!" Yang Wudi exclaimed joyfully after sensing her condition.

With her original talent, she would have been stuck at the bottleneck of rank eighty-nine for the rest of her life. Yet with Ming Lunyu's help, she had not only broken through the rank-ninety bottleneck, but had also gained even more heaven-defying aptitude and a lifespan akin to living a second life.

"How does it feel?" Ming Lunyu asked with a smile.

"It feels like being reborn. I've never felt so relaxed before." Gratitude filled her heart. Looking at Ming Lunyu's transcendently handsome face, Yang Wudi somehow lost her head and did something even she found difficult to believe.

Unable to restrain herself, she stepped forward twice, rose onto her tiptoes, and lightly kissed Ming Lunyu on the cheek.

Ming Lunyu did not hesitate. Wasn't this the most ideal outcome for him? Contractors needed not only to be loyal to him, but ultimately to fall in love with him as well. Only then could Ming Lunyu trust them two hundred percent.

Although Yang Wudi had taken the initiative on an impulse, that did not prevent Ming Lunyu from deepening the seed in her heart.

With a sweep of his arm, Yang Wudi was pulled into his embrace.

Yang Wudi was now only one meter sixty-seven tall. She was not short among women, but compared with Ming Lunyu's one meter eighty-five frame, she was as petite as a toy.

Facing her cherry-red lips, Ming Lunyu made his move without hesitation...

Five minutes later, they separated.

A silver thread stretched between them like a magpie bridge spanning the Milky Way, hinting that their fates would henceforth be intertwined.

"Young Master!" Using the form of address she had learned from Dugu Bo, Yang Wudi broke free from Ming Lunyu's arms with a bashful face and fled to the side, her cheeks flushed red.

Yang Wudi, Yang Wudi, what suddenly came over you? It was only a change of sex—why did you do something like that?! Yang Wudi reproached herself inwardly.

"Brother, you really are a succubus," Ma Hongjun remarked emotionally.

"What succubus? Don't talk nonsense." Ming Lunyu shot Ma Hongjun a glare.

"But..." Ma Hongjun suddenly put on a pitiable expression. "There are more and more women around Brother, and you don't dote on Xiao Jun as much as before. If this keeps up, will I..."

Ming Lunyu hurriedly covered her mouth. "Don't overthink it. I can tell you plainly that in my heart, you will always be the most special one."

Ma Hongjun was not truly jealous. In the blink of an eye, she was smiling again. "Actually, I know that a man like Brother naturally attracts more women. But you have to promise Xiao Jun something—I'll always be your Empress!"

Ming Lunyu laughed. "I really don't know what to do with you."

Ma Hongjun happily raised her head and puffed out her chest. Like a proud phoenix, she looked around at the other women with swaggering triumph.

Though Tang Fu'er and Dugu Bo were somewhat unwilling to accept it, they understood that while they were also important to Ming Lunyu, neither of them could compare to Ma Hongjun in terms of their place in his heart.

Having only just joined them, Yang Wudi did not have many thoughts about this scene. Before long, however, she would realize that she had already lost a round without even knowing it.

Early the next morning, Yang Wudi sent out a signal and summoned every member of the Breaking Clan to gather in the clan hall.

At present, the Breaking Clan had a total of three hundred fifty-nine members, including the elderly, children, and women. Around one hundred of them were soul masters. Aside from Yang Wudi, a Soul Douluo, there were two elder Soul Saints, five Soul Emperors, and the rest had five rings or fewer. Almost all possessed the Soul Breaking Spear martial soul.

Once the clan members had assembled, they all quietly speculated over why the clan head had suddenly summoned everyone.

The most common guess concerned the difficulties the clan had recently faced, namely the threat posed by Earl Xiri.

At the mention of this, many clan members furrowed their brows. If even this place could no longer accommodate the Breaking Clan, then it was easy to imagine that they might not find refuge in other cities either.

Some of the more hot-blooded youths discussed whether the clan head intended to lead everyone into battle against Earl Xiri and defend the honor of the Breaking Clan.

Tap, tap.

Footsteps approached.

Realizing that the clan head was about to emerge, everyone straightened up and prepared to welcome her.

But to their surprise, the one who arrived was not the clan head, but a White-Clad Youth waving a Folding Fan, followed by four young women.

"Who is that?"

"No idea."

"Judging by his bearing, he looks like the Young Master of some noble family."

For a moment, everyone discussed the matter in confusion.

The two clan elders exchanged a glance before cautiously speaking up.

"May we ask this young master's name? Why has our clan head not appeared?"

"Good, very good. As expected of a clan bearing the name 'Breaking.' Your bearing is truly sharp, like spears standing upright." Ming Lunyu appreciatively looked over the youths of the Breaking Clan.

Then he turned toward the two clan elders and pointed at the White-Haired Girl. "Your clan head is right here."

The two clan elders' eyes widened.

The clan members below also erupted into an uproar.

"What kind of joke is this? Could you be someone sent by Earl Xiri, here specifically to humiliate the Breaking Clan?!"

Faced with those shouts, Ming Lunyu gave a disdainful smile.

"I am here on behalf of Earl Xiri to humiliate you. So what are you going to do about it?"

The two clan elders instantly summoned their Soul Breaking Spears. Fierce winds whipped their white hair wildly through the air.

"How dare vermin like you insult the Breaking Clan?!"

The other clan members also readied themselves for battle, determined to live and die with the clan!

To their surprise, Ming Lunyu laughed instead of getting angry. "Hahaha! Good! Unafraid of power and unafraid of formidable enemies—such courage has earned my recognition!"

Just as everyone was left completely confused by Ming Lunyu's reaction, Yang Wudi stepped forward.

The pressure of rank ninety burst forth in full. A dark spear radiating endless sharpness appeared, its shaft inscribed with ancient and mysterious golden patterns that seemed to contain the power to pierce the heavens.

This was the evolved form of the Soul Breaking Spear after Yang Wudi accepted the contract: the God Slaying Spear!

Its greatest feature was that every attack carried true damage that ignored fifty percent of the enemy's defense.

The suppression from the quality of her martial soul left the clan members temporarily afraid to act rashly.

"Clan members, I am Yang Wudi, clan head of the Breaking Clan! Thanks to Young Master Ming Lunyu's great kindness, I have not only broken through rank ninety, but my martial soul has also evolved as a result! The side effect is what you see before you. I have now sworn loyalty to Young Master Ming. If you are willing, then follow me and join Young Master Ming's ranks. If not, Young Master Ming has said that he will provide each of you with five hundred Gold Soul Coins so you may seek another path!"

After she finished speaking, everyone looked at one another.

One of the clan elders was the first to speak. "This... how can you prove that you are the clan head?"

Yang Wudi smiled faintly. "When I was young..."

One matter after another, things known only to Yang Wudi and the clan elders, came from her lips.

The two clan elders nodded repeatedly, and at last, they finally confirmed her identity.

"This truly is Clan Head Yang Wudi!"

When the clan elders announced it to the entire clan, everyone, though they had already sensed the truth, still found it unbelievable.

"How many of you are willing to follow Young Master Ming?" Yang Wudi asked for the second time.

"I, Yang Lu! I, Yang Shisong! We are willing to join Young Master Ming's ranks and follow his lead!"

The two clan elders were the first to state their positions. Though they still did not understand what kind of person Ming Lunyu was, they trusted their clan head completely.

After a not-too-lengthy period of thought, the other clan members also declared their loyalty one after another. Not a single person chose to leave.

The cohesion of the Breaking Clan was plain to see.

Ming Lunyu revealed a satisfied smile and immediately had the women display their strength with him.

Sure enough, after witnessing the outrageous Soul Ring configurations of Ming Lunyu and Ma Hongjun, as well as the imposing might of Tang Fu'er and Dugu Bo, the two Titled Douluo, the members of the Breaking Clan—who had originally sworn loyalty merely out of loyalty to their clan head—immediately became far more sincerely convinced by Ming Lunyu. If it could be quantified, their loyalty had risen from twenty to sixty.

On the Douluo Continent, the strong naturally earned the respect and allegiance of others. Strong people who could bring tangible benefits to their subordinates earned even more unwavering devotion.

When Ming Lunyu announced on the spot that he would provide one hundred thousand Gold Soul Coins as construction funds for the Breaking Clan after their collective relocation, nearly everyone was ready to become his diehard loyalist.

Hearing this, Yang Wudi sighed inwardly, blaming herself for ultimately being a failed clan head who had been unable to lead her people toward a better life.

"Don't worry. Now that you're following Brother, the Breaking Clan will surely prosper," Tang Fu'er said softly.

Yang Wudi looked at the young man dressed in white ahead of her, who seemed like a god beneath the morning light, and her heart filled with anticipation for the future.