Concerns and Schemes, My Kindness Only Shown to My Own

"You can't give that thing to her."

Ye Qinru's voice was soft, yet carried an unquestionable resolve.

Fang Xuan had been lowering his head, fiddling with a dried medicinal herb at hand. At her words, his movements paused, and he looked up at her.

"I thought you would agree," he said. "You have a good relationship with her."

"Precisely because we're close, you can't give it to her."

Ye Qinru walked over to him and lowered her eyes to the still-youthful face before her.

"Fang Xuan, do you know what it means to give this away?"

"It'll help her break through her shackles."

"Not just that." She shook her head. "Tang Yuehua is from the Clear Sky Sect. If she suddenly breaks through, Spirit Hall won't simply stand by. Do you think they've left her alone all these years out of mercy?"

Fang Xuan fell silent.

"It's because she's 'harmless.'"

Ye Qinru lowered her voice.

"A soul master without soul rings—no matter how noble her background, she's nothing more than decoration. But if you personally shatter that layer of 'harmlessness,' she'll become a target."

She paused, her calm gaze settling on him.

"And you'll be the one handing them the knife."

Fang Xuan set down the herb in his hand and leaned back against his chair, meeting her gaze.

He was silent for a moment. This truly was something he had not considered.

Before this, his attention had been focused almost entirely on Tang San, and he had completely overlooked Spirit Hall's side of things.

"And this matter could also implicate you."

Ye Qinru took a deep breath, her tone full of helplessness.

"If people learn that you can help others evolve their Martial Souls, not even Dugu Bo will be able to protect you."

People die for wealth, and birds die for food. That was an eternal truth.

"This isn't about guarding against Tang Yuehua. It's about guarding against everyone."

Fang Xuan remained silent for a long time.

So long that Ye Qinru thought he would not speak again, before he finally gave a soft laugh.

"You've thought things through more thoroughly than I have."

Just as Ye Qinru thought Fang Xuan would take back the Nine-Rank Immortal Ganoderma, he pushed the wooden box back toward her instead.

"Mom, keep this for now. Once I've given something away, there's no reason for me to take it back."

Ye Qinru froze. She had just begun to say something when Fang Xuan raised a hand and interrupted her.

"Mom, I understand your concerns. But some things simply can't be done right now. That doesn't mean they can never be done."

"If one day I no longer need to worry about these things, would you want me to take it out, or keep hiding it away?"

At those words, Ye Qinru's lips moved, but she did not answer.

She had her concerns, and Fang Xuan had his own thoughts.

To accept kindness without repaying it was unworthy of being human. Besides, things were meant to be used. No matter how valuable something was, keeping it stored away forever meant it could never fulfill its proper value.

"A drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring. If not for Aunt Yuehua, I might not even be standing here now, and neither you nor Lingling would have had the chance to evolve your Martial Souls."

No matter how small something was, once it triggered a chain reaction, it became extraordinarily important.

It was like the same bottle of water—drinking it when you were dying of thirst was completely different from drinking it on an ordinary day.

"I won't take it back. In my heart, it already belongs to Aunt Yuehua."

"And Mom, I'm not as easy to bully as you think. Even without the status of being Dugu Bo's disciple, trying to make a move against me wouldn't be so easy."

The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda was powerful, right? But in Fang Xuan's eyes, taking care of the other party would not be difficult at all.

Besides, it was only Martial Soul Evolution. He could completely use his own Martial Soul as an excuse.

His ability to randomly generate a special plant every seven days had long ceased to be a secret.

Wasn't it perfectly normal for all sorts of strange plants to appear? Besides, he could now be considered one of Qian Renxue's people.

Make a move against him? Qian Renxue would be the first to refuse.

Did they really think he was still that ordinary person with no backing?

Unless that crazy woman Bibi Dong personally acted, no one could do anything to him now.

Seeing Fang Xuan so certain, Ye Qinru said nothing more. After closing the wooden box again, she sighed.

"Sigh, I've caused you trouble too."

Ye Qinru knew that Fang Xuan was saying this to comfort her. She could not help recalling how she had treated him when they first met, and the guilt in her heart deepened.

"What a good child... How could I have been so muddleheaded back then?"

Whenever Ye Qinru thought of this, she felt the urge to slap herself twice.

Come to think of it, why was her son-in-law so certain that nothing would happen to him? Could it be...

At that moment, Ye Qinru suddenly remembered that Fang Xuan seemed to have been getting quite close to the royal family lately.

It seemed Emperor Xue Ye's youngest daughter, Xue Ke, was around Fang Xuan's age. Could it be that the royal family wanted to arrange a marriage with Fang Xuan?!

This was bad! Someone was trying to steal her son-in-law!

"Um, son-in-law... does the royal family perhaps have... ahem, well... that kind of..."

Seeing Ye Qinru hesitate, Fang Xuan was initially confused before instantly understanding.

She suspected he had something going on with the royal family.

"No, absolutely not. I swear, my dealings with the royal family are completely normal. It's definitely not what you think."

Good grief, his mother-in-law suspected him of selling his body. What kind of melodramatic plot was this?

"Son-in-law, don't get worked up. I'm not suspecting you of being unfaithful to Lingling. It's just that, with your talent, the royal family must surely have such thoughts. I mean, if you wanted to, you could..."

After all, she had previously agreed that Fang Xuan could take more wives. It was just that the royal family's status was special. If he married a princess, it might affect her daughter's position.

"There's no such thing, Mom. Don't overthink it. Besides, I could never marry a princess."

Why would he marry one of those? The royal family did not even have a single Title Douluo. The only person they had worth mentioning was Dugu Bo.

And Dugu Bo was still his master. Did he need to marry a princess to maintain that relationship?

If he really intended to do that, couldn't he just ask Dugu Bo for Dugu Yan's hand in marriage? That would settle everything in one step.

Of course, that was merely hypothetical. He would never actually do such a thing, and besides, Dugu Yan was not his type.

"Mom, I can't marry someone I have absolutely no feelings for. Didn't we agree before? I'll choose the person myself. If there is someone, I'll tell you."

This was too terrifying—an entirely undeserved disaster. He had to make things clear.

Otherwise, if word of this got out, would he still have any peaceful days left?

"Alright, alright, Mom misunderstood you. Don't get so worked up."

Seeing Fang Xuan bristle at her words, Ye Qinru quickly fell silent.

Yet she could not help but let her thoughts run wild.

"Is Lingling really that fierce? Look how smitten she has this son-in-law of mine—he doesn't even want a princess."

But it was fine if he did not want one. A princess was nothing special anyway, and her daughter's martial soul had evolved now.

In the future, she could have as many children as she wanted. Ye Qinru was in no hurry about such matters.

After ending that topic, the two chatted for a while longer before each going off to handle their own affairs.

Over the next few days, Fang Xuan also became busy, while Ye Lingling moved out of her home and into the residence Heaven Dou Royal Academy had prepared for Fang Xuan.

And ever since Fang Xuan arrived at the academy, Dugu Yan and Yu Tianheng often came over to visit—mooch meals.

"Does this sticky stuff really improve your complexion? I didn't study much, so don't you dare fool me."