Life and Death are Fated, Wealth and Honor are Bestowed by Heaven: Ma Hongjun's Willful Degradation

"Are you leaving after just one night again this time?"

On the sofa, Wen Ruan tilted her snow-white neck, her eyes filled with both disappointment and reluctance.

Clearly, the brief reunion brought her not only joy and excitement but also the sorrow of an impending separation.

"What? Can't bear to see me go?"

Lin Yan looked at the young girl's slightly aggrieved expression and said with a smile.

"I won't be leaving for a while."

"Really?"

Hearing this, Wen Ruan looked up, her eyes instantly lighting up.

"Of course it's real."

"The Crown Prince doesn't need me for the time being, so he gave me a long vacation."

"That's wonderful~"

"You have no idea, I was already planning to go to Heaven Dou City to find you."

"Wuwuwu~ We can finally be together properly for a while."

Receiving a positive answer, Wen Ruan hugged Lin Yan excitedly, tears even welling up in the corners of her eyes.

For the past six years.

Although Lin Yan would come back to visit Wen Ruan every so often, he basically had to leave after staying for one or two nights each time.

There was no help for it; time was too tight.

The journey between Suotuo City and Heaven Dou City alone took nearly a week, meaning a round trip took half a month.

With such a long time, Qian Renxue was worried about Lin Yan's safety on one hand, and on the other, she truly did not want Lin Yan and Wen Ruan to have too much contact.

Over time, this had fostered a sense of insecurity in Wen Ruan.

Now that Lin Yan had suddenly said he could stay with her for a long time in the future, how could she not be excited?

"What do you want to eat? Let's go to Suotuo City and have a good time for a couple of days."

Seeing the girl so happy, Lin Yan couldn't help but curl his lips into a smile.

Once Wen Ruan learned that Lin Yan could be with her for a long, long time, the gloom in her heart was swept away.

She said excitedly.

"I want to eat hot pot, I want to eat barbecue, and I also want to..."

Halfway through her sentence, the girl suddenly stopped abruptly.

"Hmph~ Didn't you just say I was getting fat?"

Wen Ruan feigned anger as she looked at Lin Yan, her slightly chubby, pretty face looking incredibly cute.

Such a scene made Lin Yan feel a bit distracted.

"You're quite the grudge-holder."

Lin Yan cupped the girl's cheeks and kissed those thin lips.

"Mmm~"

Caught off guard, the girl let out a muffled sound.

By the time she reacted, she discovered that a pair of large hands had already begun to wander over her body.

Wen Ruan did not refuse; on the contrary, she leaned into it.

After all, the two had been together for six years, and they were long accustomed to such things.

Moreover, the days and nights of waiting had caused Wen Ruan to accumulate a great deal of desire...

Inside the room, the sound of their breathing gradually grew heavier. Lin Yan reached into her white dress, skillfully helping Wen Ruan undo her shoulder straps.

The soft flesh at her chest instantly lost its support and fell naturally.

Wen Ruan was also frantically helping Lin Yan remove his coat.

However, just as the two were about to take the next step, a series of urgent shouts suddenly came from outside the door.

"Lin Yan! Lin Yan!"

Startled by the sound, Wen Ruan quickly pulled away, voluntarily separating from Lin Yan.

Lin Yan frowned.

"Tsk~"

"It must be Ma Hongjun."

A hint of impatience appeared in his eyes.

Judging by the voice, the person outside was nine times out of ten Ma Hongjun.

I never expected this guy to show up so suddenly, and to be shouting outside like that, no less.

Wen Ruan retreated to the bedroom from the sofa, looking bashful as she spoke to Lin Yan.

"Go and see what he wants, don't let him keep yelling out there."

Lin Yan quickly understood the young girl's hint, immediately straightening his clothes before walking toward the door.

Pushing the door open, a fatty wearing a red jacket came into view.

"Holy crap, you really are back."

"I thought Boss Dai was lying to me."

Before Lin Yan could even speak, Ma Hongjun greeted him enthusiastically, looking exactly like someone reuniting with a long-lost friend.

Just like that, the words Lin Yan had been about to say were choked back.

After all, one doesn't hit a person who is smiling at them.

However, he soon thought of another way to send Ma Hongjun packing.

Lin Yan put on a smile and spoke slowly.

"Long time no see. What level are you now?"

"..."

Sure enough, upon hearing this question, Ma Hongjun's expression stiffened instantly.

It was the same look a child gets during the New Year when they are having fun, only for a relative to suddenly ask: "What did you get on your final exams?"

Ma Hongjun looked awkward.

"Can you not ask that the moment we meet?"

Lin Yan frowned slightly.

"Still not at level 30?"

"I'm almost there! Hehe~"

Receiving this confirmation, Lin Yan's brow furrowed even tighter.

Regarding Ma Hongjun, he had given the other party quite a bit of help over the years, purely out of the consideration that they were from the same village.

Although he hadn't directly helped him solve the issue with his Evil Fire, Dugu Bo's herb garden contained some high-quality medicinal herbs that also possessed the ability to purify Soul Power.

It could be said that based on the resources Lin Yan had provided him, this guy should have had no problem reaching the level of a Soul Elder, or even a low-level Soul Ancestor by now.

Yet, here he was, not even at level 30...

"So, how is your Evil Fire?"

"Don't even mention it, it's the same as always."

Ma Hongjun looked dejected.

"That damn Evil Fire; if I don't vent it, my whole body aches, and even if I do vent it, it doesn't last very long."

"Right, how many days are you staying this time? Why don't we go out for a meal tonight?"

The cat was out of the bag!

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up the moment he mentioned dining out, all his previous awkwardness and lack of confidence vanishing.

Lin Yan quickly realized that the other party was once again treating him as a source of "easy money" that refreshed itself every so often.

His tightly furrowed brow relaxed, and Lin Yan nodded.

"Fine."

"Since there are new students enrolling, go tell Dean Flender. I'll treat everyone to a meal in Suotuo City tonight."

"You got it!"

Having received the news, Ma Hongjun didn't even bother with further pleasantries, immediately running off with a satisfied grin.

Lin Yan watched his retreating back and sighed to himself.

"Some people really are just mud that can't be propped up onto a wall!"

"Sigh~"

Just like in the original story, Ma Hongjun's personality hadn't been affected by Lin Yan in the slightest.

Even though Lin Yan had given him so many resources, he remained that same "grass chicken" who hung around brothels.

Recalling the memories of his past life, everyone used to say, "In the end, the Phoenix became a god, but lost the Swift and lost his soul."

Everyone secretly lamented what a pity it was for the couple, Ma Hongjun and Bai Chenxiang.

Little did they know, Ma Hongjun had never taken cultivation to heart since he was a child.

Without the Cockscomb Phoenix Sunflower or the inner core of the Ten Headed Fierce Yang Serpent, he might not have even managed to become a second-tier god in the end.

Originally, Lin Yan had felt a bit guilty, thinking that because he possessed the Evil Fire Demon Dragon martial soul, he would steal the opportunities meant for Ma Hongjun in the original story and leave him to live a life of mediocrity.

It seemed he had been overthinking things after all.

Given Ma Hongjun's current temperament, it would be a waste to give him anything of value.

Watching Ma Hongjun's figure recede into the distance, the last trace of sympathy in Lin Yan's eyes vanished completely before he shut the door.

"Life and death are fated; wealth and honor are in the hands of Heaven!"

He would no longer provide any further assistance to Ma Hongjun.

ps: The author has been organizing his thoughts over the past two days, which is why there has only been one update per day for the last three days.

Now that the plot is sorted, the regular schedule of two updates per day will resume.

For those who enjoy this book, please click the "urge for updates" button and cast your free recommendation votes.