Ah Yin Takes Over

Dugu Yan was Dugu Bo's granddaughter. Perhaps he could use her to establish a connection with Dugu Bo.

Mm, after calming down from his arrogance, he became much more cautious.

Titled Douluo were immensely powerful. Though he could protect himself, it would still be rather difficult to pull tricks right under their noses.

Perhaps he could imitate the way Tang San had subdued Dugu Bo and take the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well for himself.

"Eh?! You don't seem to be a student of Heaven Dou Royal Academy. I've never seen you at the academy."

"And I noticed you didn't even use a Soul Skill in that fight. What's your cultivation? Are you a Soul Elder?"

Dugu Yan looked astonished, her eyes brimming with keen interest as she looked at Mu Zhe.

Mm, she liked dealing with powerful people most of all. Not to mention, Mu Zhe was not only strong, but ridiculously handsome as well.

"I'm indeed not from Heaven Dou Royal Academy. As for my cultivation, I was fortunate enough to have just broken through to Soul Elder."

Mu Zhe made up his mind. Perhaps he could coax Dugu Yan into his arms. When the time came, neither the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well nor Dugu Bo would be a problem.

Mm-hmm, he had merely gotten lucky and broken through to Soul Elder. Women should all like a humble man like him.

"What? A Soul Elder! You don't look that old, do you?"

Dugu Yan immediately cried out in shock, startled by Mu Zhe's words. A strange light also flickered through Ye Lingling's beautiful eyes.

Of the two of them, Dugu Yan had just broken through to Soul Elder, while Ye Lingling was at level twenty-nine.

Yet Mu Zhe looked considerably younger than them and was already a Soul Elder. They considered themselves geniuses, but they had never expected to encounter an even more monstrous genius today.

They did not suspect Mu Zhe of lying. After all, with their perception, they could not sense his strength at all. That only happened when facing someone stronger than themselves.

"Now that the conflict has been resolved, I'll be leaving first."

Mu Zhe smiled calmly and lightly shook his head. Without another word, he turned to leave.

Yet at that moment, just like Xue Beng, he began silently counting down three seconds in his heart. Three...

"Mu Zhe... please wait..."

Sure enough, Ye Lingling, who had been quietly standing to the side, could not help speaking. But after Mu Zhe turned around, she grew flustered upon meeting his gaze.

She had actually wanted to thank Mu Zhe, but she had never had any experience talking to boys and did not know how to begin.

A trace of triumph flashed through Mu Zhe's eyes. Playing hard to get. He had already piqued the two girls' interest—how could they let him leave so easily?

Dugu Yan glanced at her friend and revealed a sly smile.

Lingling, who would have thought? You usually act so cold and indifferent, like you have no interest in men, yet today you've finally caught on.

Then again, with Mu Zhe's qualities, even I'm a little tempted.

"Ahem, Mu Zhe, since you saved Lingling, we definitely have to thank you properly."

"Mm~ How about this? Have you eaten lunch yet? Why not come to my home?"

My house is quite big. Once you're tired from playing, you can sleep right away... Ahem, I'm only creating an opportunity for Lingling.

"Then I'll trouble you both."

Mu Zhe looked hesitant and pretended to consider it for a moment, but he still agreed.

Once it was settled, Dugu Yan led the way toward a quiet street. Before long, the three of them arrived before a sprawling manor.

The area surrounding the manor was very quiet, unlike the noisy commercial street from before. It was clear that its owner disliked bustle.

A plaque hung above the entrance, bearing the words "Dugu Manor."

"This is my home. Come in."

Dugu Yan gave the gatekeeper a look, and he immediately opened the gates. She then warmly led Mu Zhe and Ye Lingling into the manor.

The interior of the manor was not as luxurious as Mu Zhe had imagined. The buildings were simple, and only a few servants came and went, making the place seem rather deserted.

A thoughtful look appeared on Mu Zhe's face. "Miss Dugu, judging by your surname, could your grandfather be His Excellency the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo?"

Dugu Yan froze for a moment before revealing a proud smile. "Dugu Bo is indeed my grandfather. He is an imperial advisor of the Heaven Dou Empire. If you run into trouble in the future, you can come find me."

"Especially that Xue Beng. If he dares cause you trouble, tell me. Next time, I'll definitely break his legs."

Dugu Yan spoke boldly. Only then did she remember that she had let Xue Beng leave unscathed today, and she could not help feeling secretly annoyed.

I was really too muddleheaded at the time. Even if I couldn't break Xue Beng's legs, I could have still beaten him up.

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss Dugu, but I can deal with Xue Beng myself."

Wouldn't that be showing off? How could I rely too much on a woman's kindness? If I needed women to solve everything for me, never mind winning their favor—they'd be generous not to spit at me.

"Oh? Could your true identity also be extraordinarily noble?"

Dugu Yan looked surprised, but Mu Zhe merely shook his head. She did not press him further, though her interest in him deepened even more.

What a powerful and mysterious young man!

"You two sit in the reception hall for a while. I'll go arrange lunch."

In the end, Dugu Yan brought Mu Zhe and Ye Lingling to the reception hall, then hurried off to arrange their lunch.

What puzzled Mu Zhe, though, was that before leaving, she clenched a fist at Ye Lingling and gave her an encouraging look.

Dugu Yan: Lingling, I've given you the opportunity, so make good use of it. If you really can't manage, I'll take over!

Mu Zhe's eyes twitched slightly. Hiss? Could it be that I'm not the only one plotting something? They have designs on me too?!

Seeing Dugu Yan's little gesture, Ye Lingling shook her head helplessly. Had this girl misunderstood something? But when she saw the strange look on Mu Zhe's face, a blush spread across her pretty face.

Don't tell me Mu Zhe misunderstood something too!

This is so embarrassing!

After Dugu Yan left, the atmosphere immediately turned awkward.

Mu Zhe drew in a breath of stifling air, not knowing where to vent his complaints. If Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling had not been named characters from the original story, he would have suspected the two girls were organ harvesters.

Then his gaze met Ye Lingling's. The girl blinked her beautiful eyes and immediately became somewhat ill at ease.

"Miss Lingling, is there something you wish to say?"

In the end, Mu Zhe had no choice but to take the initiative and ask. Ever since Dugu Yan left, Ye Lingling had looked as though she wanted to speak but could not bring herself to.

Ye Lingling nodded lightly. After gathering her thoughts for a while, she slowly said, "Thank you for helping me out earlier. If you ever need healing in the future, you can come find me anytime."

She had wanted to thank Mu Zhe earlier, whether by treating him to a meal or giving him a gift.

But she had not expected Dugu Yan to invite him here. Still, that was Dugu Yan thanking Mu Zhe, so it did not count as her share.

Thus, she could only offer the thing she was best at—healing—as her thanks.

Mu Zhe nodded calmly. However, under normal circumstances, he never personally entered battle unless he was showing off.

Wouldn't this healing favor go to waste? Oh... he could use it on Ah Yin.

It was said that the Nine Heart Begonia was the strongest healing-type Martial Soul on the continent. Perhaps it could help restore Ah Yin's damaged origin.

"Then perfect. Help me take a look at this Blue Silver Grass. She was badly injured before."

Mu Zhe pulled back his sleeve, revealing Ah Yin's main body wrapped around his arm.

"This is... a Blue Silver Grass soul beast?"

Ye Lingling looked puzzled and shot Mu Zhe a strange glance.

Yet it was somewhat different from the Blue Silver Grass found everywhere. Not only was its appearance more exquisite, but it also contained a faint trace of Soul Power.

But wrapping a soul beast around one's arm was simply too strange.

"Mm, you could call her my pet."

Mu Zhe nodded, paying no attention to the girl's astonished gaze. Yet at that moment, Ah Yin's dissatisfied voice reached his ears.

When her protest proved ineffective, Ah Yin extended a sharp vine and was about to stab it into Mu Zhe's wrist, only for Mu Zhe to calmly seize it in his hand.

Seeing the interaction between Mu Zhe and the Blue Silver Grass, Ye Lingling's expression became even stranger, but she said nothing. After all, it was someone else's hobby.

She brought her hands together before her chest, and a pink begonia flower appeared between them. Its colors were vivid and its shape elegant, formed from white and pink petals.

This was Ye Lingling's Martial Soul, the Nine Heart Begonia.

Accompanied by a faint fragrance, gentle Soul Power transformed into white light and entered Ah Yin's body.

After quite some time, Ah Yin's anger faded, and she limply wrapped herself around Mu Zhe's arm. Yet guilt appeared on Ye Lingling's face.

She could sense that this Blue Silver Grass was severely depleted within, as though it had lost many things before.

But at that moment, Mu Zhe spoke. He raised his hand and took hold of Ye Lingling's delicate hand. "First, circulate your Soul Power through here, then guide it into this part of her body."

With her delicate hand held by Mu Zhe, Ye Lingling's body trembled lightly, and a blush spread across her pretty face.

Yet as though possessed, she did not pull away from Mu Zhe's hand. Instead, she followed his instructions and used a new Soul Power circulation route to activate her Soul Skill.

Suddenly, shock appeared on her face. She secretly glanced at the young man before her, her eyes trembling.

It was no wonder she was so surprised. Following Mu Zhe's method, she discovered that her healing efficiency had improved somewhat, while consuming even less Soul Power.

The Ye Clan's Nine Heart Begonia Martial Soul differed from other Martial Souls. It only ever had one effect: healing.

Moreover, it was not restricted to the circulation routes of ordinary Soul Skills and could be continuously improved.

After countless years of accumulation, generations of her ancestors had long believed they had found the most powerful way to use the Nine Heart Begonia.

Yet today, an outsider had found a more efficient method. This was enough to be recorded in the Ye Clan's history.

But as time passed, Ye Lingling's expression dimmed again. It was not because she was dissatisfied with the new method, but because she still could not heal Ah Yin.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't heal her..."

But Mu Zhe merely shook his head. "It's all right. You did your best. I will only be grateful to healers; I will never blame them."

A stir passed through Ye Lingling's heart. She wanted to continue, "And thank you as well, for the method you taught me just now..."

But Mu Zhe still gently shook his head. Instead, Ye Lingling's heart grew increasingly restless, and faint affection flowed through her beautiful eyes as she looked at him.

Mu Zhe... he truly is different from everyone else.

He is clearly so knowledgeable, yet far too humble!

Mu Zhe did not speak again, so Ye Lingling could only take out a book from her Soul Tool and quietly flip through it, trying to suppress the stirrings in her heart.

But the more she tried not to think about it, the more restless she became. In the end, she could not help secretly stealing a few glances at Mu Zhe.

Hm?

Even Mu Zhe's sleeping face is this handsome!

After quite a while, Dugu Yan finally returned leisurely to the reception hall, followed by several maids carrying dishes.

At that moment, all she saw were the two people sitting quietly in the hall, each minding their own business.

Several question marks appeared in Dugu Yan's mind.

???

I worked so hard to create an opportunity for you two, and this is how you waste it?

One had a cold personality and was reading, while the other had simply closed his eyes to rest.

Hiss!

I knew Lingling couldn't be counted on. I should have taken her place!

Dugu Yan sighed softly. "Ahem, wake up, you two."

Hearing that, Mu Zhe slowly opened his eyes. Dugu Yan sat down in front of him. "The meal is ready. Today, you'll get to taste my cooking."

Dugu Yan clapped her hands, and the maids came forward one after another, placing more than a dozen dishes on the table.

Mu Zhe took a small taste and looked somewhat surprised. "Miss Dugu, your cooking really is excellent."

It truly tasted better than the food in most restaurants throughout Heaven Dou City.

Upon hearing Mu Zhe's praise, a trace of pride appeared on Dugu Yan's face. She nodded without any modesty. "Of course."

In truth, she had only gone downstairs to create an opportunity for Ye Lingling and, incidentally, direct the kitchen.

But since Mu Zhe thought she had cooked personally, she naturally would not deny it.

Giving instructions counts as participating, doesn't it?

By then, Ye Lingling had already removed her veil. Her beautiful eyes could not help rolling. If she had not visited before, she might truly have believed it.

Not to mention that Dugu Yan's entire body was poisonous, her temperament was not the sort that could calmly cook a meal.

If anyone was going to cook, it would have to be her. Next time, she would invite Mu Zhe to her home and let him try it.

Don't misunderstand. It's not that I have any feelings for Mu Zhe. I just... want to ask him about cultivation!

But as she thought about it, a blush quietly appeared on Ye Lingling's face once more.

After eating and drinking their fill, the three sat together and chatted for a while. Suddenly, Dugu Yan's beautiful eyes widened.

"Mm?! I never expected you to be so knowledgeable about cultivation too, Mu Zhe. Then do you know how to spread poisonous mist farther and more evenly?"

Dugu Yan immediately became interested and squeezed herself down beside Mu Zhe.

"Of course. First, do this... then..."

On the surface, Mu Zhe was chatting with the two girls, but in truth, he was secretly having a private conversation with Ah Yin.

After all, his own knowledge alone was a little insufficient, especially when it came to plant-type Martial Souls.

But Ah Yin had lived for tens of thousands of years and had seen things far beyond his imagination. Combining what Ah Yin told him with what he already knew, he could deal with the two girls perfectly.

Only several hours later, when the sun was about to set, did the three finally stop their discussion. Mu Zhe rose and bid the two girls farewell.

The chilliness in Ye Lingling's beautiful eyes from when they had first met was now gone.

Her deep blue pupils held admiration, along with traces of affection that even she herself had not noticed.

Mu Zhe's knowledge of plant-type Martial Souls and healing was simply too vast. It was hard for her not to fall for him.

But the truth was, Mu Zhe did not know a damn thing about plant-type Martial Souls. Ahem, the Soul Skill techniques and plant knowledge he had spoken of just now had all been provided on the spot by Ah Yin.

Ah Yin took over. Was there a problem with that?

Ah Yin belonged to him, so Ah Yin's knowledge naturally belonged to him as well.

"Mu Zhe, can I still come ask you for guidance in the future?"

As their parting drew near, Ye Lingling felt somewhat reluctant to let him go.

Mu Zhe knew much plant knowledge that the world of soul masters did not possess. With his guidance, she could avoid many detours.

"Of course." Mu Zhe smiled and nodded lightly.

It was said that helping beautiful girls could ease the fatigue of cultivation.

He did not know whether it was true, but he was willing to try. He would just consider it a balance between work and rest.

"My courtyard is quite large, near Moonlight Pavilion on ** Street. If you have any cultivation questions, you can come find me anytime. If studying gets tiring, you can sleep right away..."

Ahem, wrong frequency.

In short, Mu Zhe meant that she was very welcome. Besides, what bad intentions could he possibly have?

Ye Lingling smiled as well and quietly memorized the address. Then Mu Zhe looked at Dugu Yan and took a letter from his clothes.

"Miss Dugu, could I trouble you to deliver this letter to your grandfather?"

This time, he was copying Tang San's trick. Dugu Bo, you wouldn't want your granddaughter to die from her Martial Soul's backlash, would you?

What?

I knew the secret of the Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, and you wanted to kill me?

But your granddaughter and I were a couple! Could you really bear to watch Dugu Yan be heartbroken?

Hiss?

You really could bear it!

Then forget it. I was done playing—I'd just raid your home instead.

"Of course, but my grandfather was rarely home, and it wasn't convenient for me to look for him. I could only give it to him once he returned."

Dugu Yan nodded lightly. Mu Zhe was her good friend, so she didn't mind helping him with such a small favor.

"It's fine. I'm not in a hurry."

With that, Mu Zhe turned and left.

After Mu Zhe left, the two girls immediately started fooling around.

"Lingling, what do you think? Isn't Mu Zhe just your type? I created an opportunity for you today—how are you going to thank me?"

A sly smile appeared on Dugu Yan's face. She wrapped an arm around Ye Lingling's arm, then launched a sneak attack and pulled off her veil.

She had noticed that, at some point, Ye Lingling's gaze toward Mu Zhe had changed. She had clearly fallen for him.

"You should stop wearing a veil from now on. Otherwise, Mu Zhe won't like you. Didn't you notice? After you took off your veil, Mu Zhe looked at you several more times."

Ye Lingling immediately rubbed her forehead helplessly. Had her sister misunderstood something?

How could someone like her deserve love?

The Nine Heart Begonia lineage was passed down through a single heir. According to her ancestors, it was a cursed Martial Soul.

Only one person from each generation could inherit it, and at most two Nine Heart Begonia Soul Masters could be alive at the same time. Only after one died could another descendant possibly appear.

In other words, she had only awakened her Martial Soul after her grandmother passed away, several years later than others her age.

She had even suspected that her grandmother had ended her own life so that Ye Lingling could awaken her Martial Soul.

So someone with a cursed Martial Soul like hers should keep her distance from men.

Yet for some inexplicable reason, a trace of disappointment rose in Ye Lingling's heart.

But before long, she remembered that the weekend was in two days. She could secretly go to Mu Zhe's house then, and her spirits lifted a little.

Yes, I have to go secretly. I can't let Yanyan know.

Yanyan, don't blame me for not bringing you. It's just that... you don't have a plant-type Martial Soul.

At that moment, Dugu Yan looked puzzled. Ye Lingling had regained her usual cool indifference. Did she actually have no feelings for Mu Zhe?

Lingling, if you don't make a move, don't blame me for stealing your man.

Ye Lingling grabbed the soft flesh at Dugu Yan's waist and gave it a light twist, taking back her veil in the process.

"I'm done fooling around. I'm going back to the academy. Are you coming with me?"

"Hey, don't! Stay at my place tonight."

Dugu Yan immediately objected. They had already arrived at her home—how could Ye Lingling go back to the academy to sleep?

Mu Zhe was tempting, sure, but Ye Lingling was tempting too!

"You're not thinking about anything bad, are you?"

Ye Lingling gave Dugu Yan a teasing look. She knew this sister of hers well, but in the end, she still yielded to Dugu Yan's enthusiasm.

Heaven Dou Imperial City, Prince's Residence. A young man stood before an elderly man, crying and complaining through snot and tears.

"Uncle, you have to help me. That man was utterly hateful. If I don't get revenge, it'll damage the imperial family's dignity."

In truth, Xue Beng did not care about the imperial family's dignity at all.

After all, pretending to be a playboy every day was the most disgraceful thing for the imperial family.

He simply could not accept that that pretty boy had dared to disrespect him. If Dugu Yan had not stepped in at the end, he would have been beaten too.

In short, he could not swallow this insult.

Shocking!

His Highness Xue Beng, Heaven Dou City's biggest wastrel, had actually been beaten up!

Damn it!

If he did not retaliate, news like that might appear tomorrow.

Xue Xing looked coldly at Xue Beng, frowning as his voice sank extremely low. "Tell me exactly what happened."

The last time Xue Beng had caused trouble was when he had tried to abduct Dugu Yan.

Fortunately, Xue Beng had been useless enough to be driven off by Dugu Yan. Otherwise, Xue Xing would not have known how to explain himself to Dugu Bo.

That incident had nearly caused a rift between him and Dugu Bo.

Now that Xue Beng had run into a wall again, Xue Xing naturally had to get to the bottom of things before standing up for him.

Beng'er, don't blame your uncle for being heartless. Your uncle isn't the biggest shot in Heaven Dou City. Your father and your elder brother are far more formidable than I am.

If I don't get a clear grasp of the situation, it won't just be you who gets crushed—I'll get crushed too!

"Today, I saw a woman on the street. I went up to speak with her peacefully..."

"Then a man showed up and knocked all my servants down without a word..."

"Then Dugu Yan came. That woman was Dugu Yan's friend."

Slap!

Just as Xue Xing was still reflecting on it, the moment he heard the name Dugu Yan, rage surged through him, and he could not help giving Xue Beng a Big Slap.

Oh, he had forgotten—Dugu Bo and Dugu Yan were also more formidable than Uncle here.

"Didn't I tell you last time not to provoke Dugu Yan? Did pigs eat your brain?"

Fire burned in Xue Xing's eyes. He truly wanted to cripple Xue Beng on the spot, but for the sake of his dream of becoming the emperor behind the throne, he held himself back.

The Heaven Dou Empire was weak now and did not even have a single Titled Douluo. It was only because he had helped Dugu Bo that Dugu Bo had become an imperial retainer.

But Dugu Bo was obsessed with his granddaughter. If upsetting Dugu Yan made him unhappy, it would undoubtedly be a disaster for the Heaven Dou Empire.

"I really didn't provoke Dugu Yan. That man wasn't with Dugu Yan." Xue Beng covered his face and said aggrievedly.

Xue Xing's eyes narrowed, his anger still unspent. "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. I can swear to heaven."

Xue Beng raised his hand and rattled off a string of names, even swearing on his father Xue Ye and his elder sister Xue Qinghe.

Only then did Xue Xing relax. Fortunately, things were not too bad.

But his words remained merciless. "Hmph. I won't help you. This is a matter between young people—solve it yourselves."

Yet when Xue Beng heard this, delight rose in his heart. He understood the meaning behind Xue Xing's words.

He already commanded some forces, and dealing with a young Soul Master would be effortless. But since Dugu Yan was involved, he had come to ask his uncle's opinion just to be safe.

Now that Xue Xing had agreed, he no longer had any reservations.

Thinking about how he would soon bring people to teach that pretty boy a lesson, Xue Beng felt a surge of pleasure.

Heh heh, what's the use of being able to fight? To survive in this world, you need power and connections!