Return to Wutan City

At this moment, inside a small courtyard at Wanyao Pavilion, Yao Wan'er was sitting in a chair, lost in thought as she gazed at the piece of soft jade in her hands.

Although she didn't know what this object was, it was enough for her to know that it had been a gift from him.

After all, given his status and strength, could the thing he gave her possibly be anything ordinary?

Taking a step back, even if it truly were something ordinary, it would still be a priceless treasure to her.

Sometimes, it isn't that the gift you give isn't liked by the other person; it might just be that she simply doesn't like you as a person.

"Wan'er, still daydreaming? Your father is quite satisfied with that little suitor of yours."

A middle-aged man in a plain white robe walked in from outside. He sat on a nearby chair, looked at his only daughter with an expression of affirmation, and then sighed.

"But his heart is not entirely with you. Do you know why that is?"

"Is it the Little Fairy Doctor?"

Yao Wan'er looked at her father, asking uncertainly.

"That is only one part of it. Men are all fickle; the core reason is that your starting point was too utilitarian... If you truly have feelings for that Ling Xiao, then go ahead and pursue him. Your father does not oppose it..."

Mr. Yao looked at his daughter before him, speaking with earnest, heartfelt advice.

Before leaving, he took one last look at the milky-white soft jade and said.

"The thing he gave you is not simple. Use it exactly as he instructed. You don't need to worry about Wanyao Pavilion for now; just focus on your cultivation."

"Understood, Father."

Yao Wan'er nodded. As she recalled the instructions he had given her, a touch of sweetness welled up in her heart.

On the other side, the whistling wind rushed past Xiao Ling's ears. For a moment, his playful spirit surged. A figure was seen diving down from high altitude, bending the canopy of the forest, and after performing a few stunts from his past life, Xiao Ling finally returned to a calm state.

To be honest, he felt fantastic right now. Having wings was great; it allowed him to break out of his cage.

However, having said that, his intimidation of the Wolf Head Mercenary Group today had not come without a price.

If he were to consume that Dou Huang Pill now, it would only grant him the peak strength of a Dou Huang for three hours.

If he were to scrape the pill powder again, he estimated he could only sustain it for half an hour or less.

After all, once the medicinal efficacy of a pill is exhausted, its potency drops significantly, though this is considered normal.

Because only a Wulou Pill could guarantee that the medicinal efficacy would not diminish after being scraped three times. Clearly, the one he traded for was not a Wulou Pill; it could only be said that not everything produced by the system is a premium product.

After a sigh of reflection, Xiao Ling continued flying toward Wutan City. His speed was comparable to a Dou Ling, and with a few flashes in the air, he vanished. It was truly worthy of being lightning-attribute wings; the speed was incredible.

As for the gains from this trip, Xiao Ling was extremely satisfied.

Aside from the rare treasures and Dou Techniques, what satisfied him most was his relationship with the Little Fairy Doctor.

Although it hadn't reached the stage of his relationship with Xiao Yu, at the very least, a preliminary connection had been established, and for him, that was enough.

But you couldn't call him lecherous; you could only say that who wouldn't like a gentle and virtuous little angel like the Little Fairy Doctor?

At this moment, Ling Ying, who had been following the entire way, revealed his form. On that fair, baby-smooth old face, a look of shock and surprise appeared. He hadn't expected the other party's performance throughout the journey to be so spectacular.

Although he didn't know what kind of fortuitous encounter the other party had obtained in that cave, he felt as though he had seen that milky-white soft jade somewhere before...

Furthermore, he quite admired the young man's decisive yet loyal and righteous character.

He had seen too many geniuses, but he disliked the personalities of most of them.

Thinking of this, Ling Ying flashed and disappeared. He intended to return early to report back to his young mistress. With that, Ling Ying's figure vanished completely.

Back at the Xiao Clan in Wutan City, Xiao Xun'er was sitting in a chair in the courtyard, lost in thought. On her delicate, porcelain-doll-like face, a look of contemplation and shyness appeared from time to time. Anyone could see that this young girl was definitely missing someone.

"--I wonder how Brother Xiao Ling is doing lately? Has he been thinking of Xun'er?"

The young girl's murmurs were filled with longing, making one want to pull her into their arms and cherish her.

At this moment, a shadow emerged from behind the girl, gradually solidifying until it revealed Ling Ying's baby-smooth old face. He looked at the young girl before him, a touch of gentleness appearing in his aged eyes, and then he bowed and said softly.

"Young Mistress, this old servant has returned."

"Elder Ling, I've told you not to be so formal." Xun'er waved her small hand, then said with an eager face: "Right, Elder Ling, tell me quickly, where did Brother Xiao Ling go... did he encounter any danger..."

Listening to the girl's rapid-fire questions, a look of helplessness appeared in Ling Ying's aged eyes. He didn't know what was so good about that brat.

It hadn't been long, yet he had already captured the little princess of their Ancient Clan.

If the boys back in the clan found out about this, wouldn't they go crazy?

Ling Ying shook his head with a wry smile, then reported everything that had happened along the way, point by point.

Upon hearing this, Xun'er first showed a look of surprise, then a hint of wariness appeared on her delicate face as she thought to herself.

"Stinky Brother Xiao Ling, bad Brother Xiao Ling, always flirting with others. I don't know who he learned that from, not learning anything good..."

"Next time... next time I won't let you hug me..."

"Big bad guy."

"Achoo..."

Xiao Ling sneezed the moment his feet touched the ground, nearly causing him to land on his backside. A look of suspicion crossed his youthful face as he muttered to himself and walked toward the city gate not far away.

"Could it be that someone is badmouthing me? I reckon it must be that fellow Mu She. It seems that once I finish handling matters here, I'll need to prepare for another trip to Qingshan Town..."

Mu She, who was currently gnawing on a steamed bun, would never have guessed that he was being targeted despite having done nothing, though one could say he had simply committed too many evil deeds in the past.

It truly lived up to the saying: it is not that retribution won't come, but that the time has not yet arrived.

Xiao Ling was walking along the familiar bluestone-paved road, and as he watched the passing mercenaries and peddlers, a flicker of gentleness flashed through his pitch-black eyes.

Along the way, Xiao Ling walked toward the Xiao Clan at a leisurely pace, while the passing crowds paid no mind to the youth in white.

After all, Xiao Ling had basically never shown his face in public in Wutan City, so it was only natural that no one recognized him.

At this moment, two young men in black on duty outside the main gate of the Xiao Clan were discussing matters regarding the marketplace.

"Those two great clans are truly despicable. Every time our Xiao Clan goes over to handle the handover, they come up with all sorts of excuses."

"Indeed. If it weren't for the fact that Young Master Xiao Ling is away, how could we allow them to be so insolent?"

Just then, the first young man in black to speak swept his gaze casually across the streets on both sides.

Suddenly, he saw a youth in white walking toward them, a gentle smile gracing the boy's youthful face.

"Young Master Xiao Ling?"