The person who had come was Ye Lingling. Chen An wasn't surprised in the slightest; only Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing hadn't known she would come.
They had just finished their match, and less than half an hour had passed. For a moment, the two couldn't figure out why she had come.
They turned to look at Chen An, only to see an expression that said he'd expected this. They more or less understood what was going on.
"Greetings, Mr. Chen."
Ye Lingling spoke in a somewhat formal, archaic manner and curtsied. Who knew where all these fussy formalities came from—probably the Ye Family.
"No need for formalities. May I ask why you've come, Miss Ye?"
He was used to speaking plainly and didn't care much for etiquette. He'd never been one for that sort of thing.
At his words, Ye Lingling paused briefly, then smiled.
"I've been thinking about our conversation a few days ago, sir, and came to seek confirmation."
Before the match, Ye Lingling had only thought this would be a chance to build a connection. But after seeing Zhu Zhuqing's black Soul Ring with her own eyes and considering Chen An's identity, she began to suspect something.
Afterward, she suddenly understood. Chen An's words that day had carried a deeper meaning. But she hadn't dared to be certain. His words could mean any number of things, so she could only act on the interpretation that seemed closest to what he meant.
"I see. I do have a way to solve it, but we're neither family nor friends. Why should I help you?"
He did have a solution—in fact, more than one. The simplest was to teach Ye Lingling a cultivation method related to the origin of life, something like the Willow Deity's.
Once her life force