Little Princess Vina

"Kid, you're really putting me in a difficult position!"

The old man sighed.

The two treasures were clearly right before his eyes, and their value was bound to rise in the future, yet he could hardly acquire either one. That was even more painful than losing money.

"Fine, fine, this old man admits defeat. Who told you that you suit my tastes, kid? But your asking price of twenty million isn't something I can decide on my own. I need to report it to my employer."

"I need to take this Laser Gun back for my employer to inspect. May I borrow it for a moment?"

Lin Ran replied with a smile, "Of course."

The old man laughed heartily. "Kid, aren't you afraid I'll pocket this weapon worth twenty million?"

Lin Ran smiled and shook his head. "I trust Old Liu's character."

The old man chuckled. "You really trust this old man's character?"

Lin Ran's mouth twitched, and he added, "I also trust the royal family's reputation. If Old Liu wanted to steal this Laser Gun, wouldn't it be better to kill me and silence me? Why go about it this way?"

"You see things quite clearly, kid. Wait here for a while. If there's anything you want to eat or drink, have the attendants bring it up. I'll be back soon."

The old man gave Lin Ran an approving look, put away the Laser Gun, and left the VIP Room.

He did not leave directly, instead heading to the bottom level of the Auction House.

This place was completely unlike the bustle upstairs. It carried an air of grim hostility. The people passing through did not speak to one another, all wore masks, and hurried along.

This was an intelligence-gathering stronghold.

"Your Excellency." Seeing the old man arrive, a guard in a black mask stepped forward.

The old man said, "Go. Do a basic investigation into that kid's background, then send the report to the palace."

"Yes."

After giving his instructions, the old man flew toward the imperial palace.

He could still decide on a transaction worth twenty million Gold Soul Coins, but adding a genius with Innate Full Soul Power changed things.

If such a genius were properly nurtured, the empire would inevitably gain another Titled Douluo in the future—perhaps even an expert at the Super Douluo level. He had to notify Your Majesty.

Before long, he arrived at the imperial palace.

"My dear minister, what brings you to me?" Verus, the emperor of the Heaven Dou Empire, asked gently.

The old man presented the Laser Gun and explained everything that had happened.

The Heaven Soul Emperor fiddled with the weapon in his hands with great interest. "You say this weapon has a range of ten kilometers and is difficult to defend against? Come, let's test it."

Thus, the two tested it once more, and the Heaven Soul Emperor immediately found himself unable to put down the Laser Gun.

His cultivation was not high—only that of a Soul Saint—and he had long neglected combat. Yet this Laser Gun could allow him to defeat a Soul Douluo. Naturally, he liked it immensely.

When they returned to the Political Affairs Hall, Lin Ran's background report had already been placed on the table.

"Lin Ran, came from the Star Luo Empire. Traveling with him was a woman named Huo Yun'er. They are not mother and son."

"His background is fairly clean."

The Heaven Soul Emperor pondered for a moment, then looked at the Laser Gun before him. "This weapon is worth twenty million. In that case, my dear minister, don't make things difficult for the kid anymore. Twenty million it is. As for the kid himself, what do you think of his character?"

The old man said with feeling, "It's rare to find a kid so suited to my tastes. Unfortunately, he has a Body Martial Soul. This time, I'll definitely squeeze something out of that old bastard Du Busi."

The Heaven Soul Emperor fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "Then it seems the kid's character still requires further consideration."

The old man: "..."

The Heaven Soul Emperor asked again, "How do you think this kid compares to Long Aotian of the Body Sect?"

After thinking for a while, the old man said, "In terms of talent, both possess Innate Full Soul Power. Long Aotian's martial soul is skin, which is among the best of the Body Martial Souls. This kid's blood martial soul is even better. More importantly, the secret techniques of the Body Sect focus on cultivating qi and blood, making them incomparably suited to this kid's martial soul. Therefore, I believe the kid's talent surpasses Long Aotian's."

"Furthermore, in terms of conduct, according to little Vina, Long Aotian is obsessed with battle and cultivation and neglects worldly matters. This kid, however, is mature beyond his years and clever in dealing with people."

"No matter how you look at it, the kid is better than Long Aotian."

The Heaven Soul Emperor lightly tapped the table as he contemplated this inwardly.

If such a genius were brought into the Body Sect immediately, he would have nothing to do with the royal family at all. Yet they could not stop him from joining...

After a moment, having come up with a solution that would satisfy both sides, he said, "How about this? Little Vina returned from cultivating at the Body Sect yesterday and will be staying in the palace for half a year. They are both geniuses and should get along well. Take little Vina to meet the kid. When she returns to the Body Sect half a year from now, it won't be too late for the kid to join as well."

"As for these six months—don't you like this kid very much, my dear minister? You may not be able to take him as a disciple, but you can still give him some guidance."

Lin Ran waited for roughly two and a half hours before the door to the VIP Room opened.

The old man returned, but this time, he had a little tail behind him.

She was a little girl who looked no older than eight or nine. Hiding behind the old man, she revealed only half her small face, her beautiful large eyes studying him curiously.

The old man said with a chuckle, "Kid, did you wait long? Come, let me introduce you. This is my employer's daughter, Princess Vina. You two are about the same age, so you should get along."

As he spoke, the old man stepped aside, revealing Princess Vina behind him.

She wore a pale yellow dress, with a head of dark hair draped behind her. Though her features were still youthful, she already possessed breathtaking beauty. She merely looked somewhat delicate and frail.

Without the old man blocking her, she stood there at a loss.

"Greetings, Your Highness. My name is Lin Ran."

Lin Ran took the initiative to greet her.

Princess Vina stammered, "H-hello. Just call me Vina."

Lin Ran found it somewhat strange.

So this was Princess Vina? She possessed Twin Martial Souls, one of which was the Body Martial Soul, Brain. Why did she seem like such a socially anxious little girl when she was young?

Thinking of her original fate and comparing it to this little girl, who was somewhat socially anxious but whose eyes were filled with curiosity about the world, Lin Ran could not help but feel regret.

In the Original Work, the Heaven Dou Empire fell, and Du Busi, the Sect Master of the Body Sect, died by self-destruction. Later on, her fiancé, Long Aotian, also died for her. The two of them were truly a pair of ill-fated lovers.

In this life, he hoped her fate could change.

Feeling a little embarrassed under Lin Ran's gaze, Vina hid behind the old man again. Only half her little face peeked out as she watched Lin Ran. Whenever their eyes met, she shyly looked away.

Seeing that the two had gotten acquainted, the old man said with a chuckle:

"Alright, kid, stop staring. We should discuss business. The proprietor agreed to your request. There are twenty million in this card. Keep it safe, and don't lose it."

As he spoke, he pushed a Black Card toward Lin Ran.

Lin Ran did not take it and pushed the card back.

"Old Liu, I'd also like to buy one ton of Deep Sea Jade Silver from you. Just deduct the money directly from the card."

Deep Sea Jade Silver was precisely the cheapest rare metal that met the system's requirements. One gram cost ten Gold Soul Coins.

"What does a kid like you need so much Deep Sea Jade Silver for?" the old man asked curiously.

Lin Ran gave the explanation he had prepared long ago.

"Of course, it's for investment."

"Investment?" The old man was intrigued.

Lin Ran nodded, speaking with confidence. "Think about it. Soul Tools are developing faster and faster, and they require more and more rare metals. Naturally, rare metals will rise in value in the future. If war breaks out, rare metals, as strategic resources, may even skyrocket in value. That's the first point. Second, Deep Sea Jade Silver has to be mined from the seabed. Its mining difficulty ensures that its price will never be low."

"Something with a guaranteed floor and a huge chance of soaring in value—wouldn't that make it one of the best investment products? Storage Soul Tools are another example. Buying things like these means profit."