Are Your Parents Home?

Qian Xunji leaned against the wall, his gaze locked onto a young girl in the alleyway.

The girl wore a deep blue dress and a black veil, emerging from a medical clinic all by herself. She radiated an aura that warned others to keep their distance; she was none other than the current successor of the Nine-Heart Begonia, Ye Lingling.

Qian Xunji straightened his robes and stepped forward to meet her, stopping politely a meter away and bowing slightly.

"Pardon the intrusion, young lady." Qian Xunji's voice was warm and magnetic.

"Might I ask if you could help me arrange a meeting with your guardian?"

Ye Lingling stopped and looked at the masked man with a hint of wariness. As a member of the Nine-Heart Begonia family, she was accustomed to all sorts of people seeking medical help, some of whom would stop at nothing to obtain treatment.

However, when she looked directly into the man's eyes, she faltered for a moment.

Although he wore a mask, the aura emanating from him was exceptionally peaceful and warm, like the sun on a winter's day, making one feel inexplicably at ease. This light attribute, etched into his very bones, was the subtle influence of the Six-Winged Angel martial soul. Even though Qian Xunji was intentionally restraining it, it still made people feel as though they were bathed in a spring breeze.

Ye Lingling hesitated. The Nine-Heart Begonia was passed down through a single line and possessed heaven-defying healing abilities, which brought many troubles; she rarely accepted outside patients. But she was unsure of this man's strength and intentions, so she could only agree for now. Besides, he seemed quite radiant...

"My grandfather is coming to pick me up today. You can wait here for a while."

"Many thanks." Qian Xunji smiled and stepped aside to wait quietly.

About the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a discreet black carriage pulled up at the mouth of the alley. An elderly man with a full head of silver hair and a vigorous spirit stepped out; it was the current head of the Ye family, Ye Tianxin.

"Grandfather." Ye Lingling walked forward and pointed toward Qian Xunji not far away.

"This gentleman says he wishes to see you."

Ye Tianxin followed his granddaughter's gaze, and his originally cloudy eyes narrowed sharply.

As a veteran Spirit Douluo, he could not see through Qian Xunji's specific cultivation level.

"What business does Your Excellency have with this old man?" Ye Tianxin asked in a deep voice, shielding Ye Lingling behind him.

"Old Ye, shall we speak elsewhere?" Qian Xunji made a "please" gesture, pointing toward a high-end restaurant at the corner of the street.

Ye Tianxin pondered for a moment, knowing that if a powerhouse of this level truly wanted to use force, he would be unable to stop him. Rather than standing in a stalemate on the street, it was better to see what the other party wanted. He instructed the coachman to look after Ye Lingling and followed Qian Xunji into a private room on the top floor of the restaurant.

Once the door closed, Qian Xunji casually set up a sound-dampening barrier and slowly removed the silver mask from his face.

When that handsome and highly recognizable face was revealed, Ye Tianxin's entire body jolted. His pupils contracted, and he took two steps back, his finger trembling as he pointed at Qian Xunji:

"You... you are... Qian Xunji?"

This was the famous man currently wanted by the entire continent by the Haotian Hall and expelled from the Angel Sect!

Qian Xunji gave a bitter smile and pulled out a chair to sit down: "Old Ye, there is no need to be nervous. As you can see, I am nothing more than a stray dog with unhealed, severe injuries. I have come this time to implore you to use the Nine-Heart Begonia to help me repair the shattered meridians within my body."

Ye Tianxin took several deep breaths to barely suppress the shock in his heart. He sat down opposite Qian Xunji, his brows locked in a long silence.

The rules of the Nine-Heart Begonia were rigid, but people were flexible. Once discovered by the Haotian Hall, the Ye family would face total annihilation.

However, this was also a massive opportunity.

Ye Tianxin picked up the cold tea on the table, took a sip, and stared intensely at Qian Xunji: "Your Excellency, this old man can help you, but I have one condition."

"Please speak, Old Ye." Qian Xunji's expression was calm.

"The situation on the continent has been turbulent these past few years." Ye Tianxin sighed, a trace of exhaustion crossing his aged face. "The sect master of the Seven Treasure Overlord Pagoda Sect, Yu Fengzhi, has been increasingly frequent in his attempts to recruit our Ye family. Although their sect's martial soul has an innate limitation that prevents them from breaking through level 79, they can trap spirit beasts inside their pagodas to summon them for battle. They desperately need our Nine-Heart Begonia's area-of-effect healing ability to support their army of summoned beasts."

"I have refused several times, but those two in their sect—Gu Xin, who plays with bone swords, and Chen Rong, whose martial soul is the Seven Kill Dragon—are both level 95 Super Douluo, and they are becoming increasingly overbearing. Our Ye family is weak and isolated; we cannot hold out for much longer."

Ye Tianxin stared fixedly into Qian Xunji's eyes and said, word by word: "I want your promise that if it becomes necessary in the future, when the Seven Treasure Overlord Pagoda Sect or other forces try to use force, you, Qian Xunji, must stand up to protect my Ye family!"

One healing session in exchange for the protection of the youngest Title Douluo.

Qian Xunji smiled.

He extended his right hand, hovering in mid-air, his deep eyes flashing with the confidence and dominance of one who looks down upon the world: "Deal."

The two hands clasped tightly together.

Over the next month, Qian Xunji resided in a secret villa belonging to the Ye family.

Every noon, Ye Tianxin would exhaust his strength to activate the Nine-Heart Begonia martial soul. The pink petals, filled with ultimate vitality, nourished the broken and withered meridians in Qian Xunji's body like spring rain. Combined with the self-healing ability of Qian Xunji's own Six-Winged Angel martial soul, his body, which had been declared a death sentence, was being reborn at an incredible speed.

A month later, As the final petal of the Nine-Heart Begonia merged into Qian Xunji's chest, he snapped his eyes open. A blinding golden light erupted from his pupils, and the temperature of the entire villa spiked instantly.

The long-lost peak power had finally returned!

The golden holy light receded like a receding tide.

Level 95!

Qian Xunji let out a long breath, feeling the majestic spirit power surging through his body without any obstruction. A satisfied curve tugged at the corner of his mouth; his meridians were not only fully repaired but, having been broken and then rebuilt, were even tougher than before.

"Many thanks, Old Ye." Qian Xunji stood up, straightened his robes, and bowed solemnly to the visibly exhausted Ye Tianxin.

Ye Tianxin wiped the sweat from his forehead and waved his hand: "Taking money to resolve disasters for others, that is all. Your Excellency, remember the agreement between us."

"Rest assured, I, Qian Xunji, keep my word." Qian Xunji smiled slightly and put the silver half-mask back on. "Stay here, Old Ye. We shall meet again."

After leaving Tiandou City, Qian Xunji did not rush back to Nuoding City to see Qian San. His son's development was already on the right track; with the contingencies he had left behind and Qian San's maturity from two lifetimes, nothing major would go wrong.

Now, he needed to handle an important matter concerning the future of the grand strategy.

He was going to find his father, Qian Daoliu.