Just Call Me Young Master

"You?!"

Xiao Yi Xian stared at him in stunned disbelief, her gaze sweeping over Lin Ran as she tried to understand what he meant.

Xiao Yi Xian acknowledged Lin Ran's strength. Everything this young man had displayed so far had nearly exceeded her imagination, but the Calamity Poison Body was such a disaster—how could Lin Ran possibly control it on his own?

"That's right. Me."

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's expression, Lin Ran smiled and flicked his finger. A wisp of crimson-gold Dou Qi suddenly emerged.

The Dou Qi resembled a candle flame, yet also a dancing sprite, swaying at Lin Ran's fingertip.

Xiao Yi Xian watched curiously as the Pure Yang Dou Qi flowed from Lin Ran's fingertip and entered her body.

Xiao Yi Xian's expression shifted slightly, but she soon noticed something unusual.

As that wisp of Dou Qi entered her body, Xiao Yi Xian felt a warm current rise within her, flowing through her meridians.

"This is..."

"Just as you feel now, and as you felt before."

Lin Ran smiled faintly. "My power can, to a certain extent, 'purify' your Poison Dou Qi. This purification will not weaken your strength. On the contrary, it can increase the intensity of your Dou Qi and even cleanse your meridians and body."

"It really does seem that way..."

Xiao Yi Xian closed her eyes and felt it carefully. She could clearly sense that wherever the wisp of Dou Qi passed, it was incomparably warm. That feeling of comfort and security had almost never appeared since her Calamity Poison Body had awakened.

Wait!

Did that mean that as long as she remained by Lin Ran's side and continued to feel Lin Ran's Dou Qi, her Calamity Poison Body could be kept within an appropriate range indefinitely, perhaps even completely "purified"?!

"It seems you've thought of it too."

A gentle smile appeared on Lin Ran's handsome face, but he said nothing more, leaving Xiao Yi Xian somewhat at a loss.

Thinking of Lin Ran's attitude and conduct toward her ever since his arrival, Xiao Yi Xian suddenly understood.

She hesitated for a moment, as though making an immensely important decision. Biting her silver teeth lightly, she bowed deeply to Lin Ran and saluted him.

"My lord, please take Xiao Yi Xian away with you."

"Oh?"

Lin Ran looked surprised. "Why do you say that?"

"My lord, you may not know this, but even setting aside the Calamity Poison Body, I can no longer live peacefully in Qingshan Town..."

Xiao Yi Xian spoke softly, roughly explaining the matters concerning the Seven-Colored Poison Scripture, Mr. Yao, and the rest.

"If I continue staying in Qingshan Town, something unpleasant will inevitably happen. The conflict between them and me is nothing, but I do not wish for our conflict to affect innocent people."

"So, my lord, please take me away. And besides..."

Xiao Yi Xian pressed her lips together, her cheeks flushing. "I see that there is no one by your side to look after you, my lord. Though my strength is humble, I can still tend to your daily needs to some extent, so..."

"Following me won't be easy. It will be exhausting."

Lin Ran gently lifted Xiao Yi Xian's chin. "Are you sure you want to follow me?"

Xiao Yi Xian shyly turned her face aside and let out a soft hum of assent.

"Then make your preparations."

"Mm-hmm!"

Xiao Yi Xian slipped free from Lin Ran's hand as though fleeing, then began bustling about the room.

Xiao Yi Xian did not actually own much. She had only a few sets of clothes, and even fewer accessories. Most of her belongings were bottles, jars, medicinal herbs, and medicines.

Nearly every one of those items carried some sort of peculiar aura—either pungent or foul and sinister. There was no need to ask what they were.

Very soon, Xiao Yi Xian had everything ready. There was not much, but it still made for several bags and bundles.

Seeing Xiao Yi Xian's awkward yet polite smile, Lin Ran raised a brow and casually tossed out a silver-white ring.

"Put them in here. There's no soul imprint on it. Just keep one for yourself."

"Th-thank you, my lord..."

Xiao Yi Xian caught the Storage Ring in a fluster.

A Storage Ring was forged from a rare material known as Storage Stone. It contained a small pocket of space that could be used to store inanimate objects, making it exceedingly convenient. However, due to the scarcity of Storage Stone, Storage Rings were extremely precious and costly.

Ordinarily, Storage Rings were divided into low, middle, and high grades. The lowest-grade Storage Rings could hold between one and ten cubic meters, though they were not very durable.

Even so, a low-grade Storage Ring cost at least one hundred thousand gold coins on the open market, and even then, they were scarce despite their price.

As for middle-grade and high-grade Storage Rings, they were rarer still. Only descendants of major clans might possess a middle-grade Storage Ring. As for high-grade Storage Rings, Xiao Yi Xian had only heard of them and had never seen one.

It was said that there were not even a few high-grade Storage Rings in the entire Jia Ma Empire!

Xiao Yi Xian cautiously used her soul force to probe its interior. In an instant, her soul force entered the Storage Ring without any obstruction.

Her inspection lasted only a moment before Xiao Yi Xian slowly withdrew her consciousness from the Storage Ring. Yet an irrepressible delight had appeared in her eyes.

There were not many things inside the Storage Ring, and none of them were particularly high-grade. They were quite ordinary.

But that ordinariness was only relative to a Dou Zong like Lin Ran. To a newcomer like Xiao Yi Xian, who had only just stepped onto the path of cultivation, this Storage Ring was practically a mobile treasury!

Medicinal herbs that were exceedingly rare outside, all kinds of cultivation methods and Dou Skill scrolls, vast amounts of money, third- and fourth-tier magical beast Magic Cores...

Most importantly, there was the enormous storage space of more than a hundred cubic meters.

This was a high-grade Storage Ring!

"Th-this is far too precious, my lord..."

"This is all I have. Surely you don't expect me to carry all this luggage for you."

Lin Ran smiled faintly. "Also, calling me 'my lord' is rather distant. My name is Lin Ran, and I come from the Central Continent. Since you have chosen to follow me, call me... Young Master from now on."

"Young... Young Master."

Xiao Yi Xian lowered her head shyly. She had never addressed anyone with such intimacy and respect before.

"Very good."

Lin Ran revealed a satisfied smile.

Because his blood energy was insufficient, Lin Ran's cultivation had stagnated. Even borrowing the Dou Qi from the Flesh Cauldron had no effect whatsoever.

But Xiao Yi Xian's Calamity Poison Body could greatly increase the intensity of Lin Ran's Dou Qi and even raise his cultivation. This disaster that others avoided at all costs was, to Lin Ran, a priceless treasure.

One man's honey was another man's poison!

After obtaining the Storage Ring, Xiao Yi Xian found several more items and stuffed them inside. Lin Ran was in no hurry and simply watched quietly as Xiao Yi Xian packed her things.

After roughly ten-odd minutes, Xiao Yi Xian finally finished packing. She looked at Lin Ran somewhat apologetically.

"Sorry, Young Master. I kept you waiting."

"Waiting isn't an issue, but how do you intend to deal with those people outside?"

"Hm?"