Lin Yan finally let out a long breath.
Though the move was risky, the odds of success were high!
That was right. Ever since he guessed that Ning Fengzhi would probably send more powerful assassins after Wen Ruan, Lin Yan had been thinking of a way to counter him.
After turning it over and over in his mind, he could come up with only two reliable methods.
One was to send Wen Ruan to the Crown Prince's Mansion in Heaven Dou City, where Qian Renxue could protect her.
The other was to use Tang Hao to protect himself, and thereby protect Wen Ruan.
The first option was the safest, but then he would be separated from Wen Ruan. And Wen Ruan might not be happy living at the Crown Prince's Mansion. Given her timid, self-conscious nature, it was inevitable that, over time, it would affect their relationship.
As for the second...
As long as he made Tang Hao believe Lin Yan was valuable, Tang Hao would protect him when enemies from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect came.
What was more, if the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect dared to send a Soul Douluo or stronger, Tang Hao would even fight them to the death over the "Xiao Wu" Soul Ring!
That was Lin Yan's plan.
If all went well, and Ning Fengzhi sent one of the Sword and Bone Douluo, both sides would suffer heavy losses!
By then... Lin Yan would have the situation entirely under his control.
Returning to the present, Lin Yan held Wen Ruan tightly beneath the covers and spoke softly.
"It's all right now. I'll always protect you."
"As long as I'm here, no one can hurt you."
The next day.
At the entrance to Shrek Academy.
Just as in the original timeline, Zhao Wuji was leading this Spirit Hunting Operation. Aside from the addition of Lin Yan and Wen Ruan, nothing else had changed.
"On this trip to the Star Dou Forest, you must follow Teacher Zhao Wuji's lead. Under no circumstances are you to disobey his orders."
"In an emergency, Lin Yan also has some authority to issue commands. The rest of you, don't act on impulse. Understood?"
Flender faced the group, his tone more grave than ever.
After all, this group included "the third prince of the Star Luo Empire and his fiancée," "the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect," "Tang Hao's son," and "the future Guardian General of the Heaven Dou Empire"!
If anything happened to any of them, even ten heads wouldn't be enough for him to lose.
Flender turned to Zhao Wuji for one last word.
"Your lives are at stake. Make sure you know what matters most."
What he meant was: if danger arose, save whoever had the most powerful backing!
Zhao Wuji nodded. When he answered Flender, there wasn't a trace of his usual playful grin.
After a long round of further instructions, the group finally set off for the Star Dou Forest.
On the way, Lin Yan walked up beside Tang San and spoke without bothering to lower his voice.
"Tang San!"
"I've studied your Blue Silver Grass carefully. You're level twenty-nine now. Once you reach level thirty, absorbing a life-attribute Soul Ring will help with your Martial Soul's slow cultivation."
As he spoke, Lin Yan glanced at a patch of grass nearby, as though someone there were watching him.
Then Lin Yan added, "If you manage to break through on this trip, I recommend absorbing a thousand-year Solitary Bamboo Soul Ring."
Tang San looked puzzled.
He couldn't understand why Lin Yan was telling him any of this.
Just a few days ago, Lin Yan had been deeply hostile toward him. At the dinner table, the guy had even made him lose face.
But yesterday, Lin Yan had suddenly said there was something wrong with his Blue Silver Grass, and today he had come over to tell him to absorb a Solitary Bamboo Soul Ring.
"What's with you? Who asked for your advice?"
Tang San eyed him suspiciously.
"My teacher is a renowned theoretical master in the world of Soul Masters. There can't be anything wrong with the cultivation path he's planned for me..."
"..."
"Anyway, I'm not taking your advice."
Xiao Wu chimed in.
"Exactly! What gives you the right to interfere with Xiao San's choice of Soul Ring? You're arrogant and full of yourself. You really think you're somebody, don't you?"
"Don't think you can order people around just because you're a little strong."
Xiao Wu glared at Lin Yan like a mother hen shielding her chick, afraid he'd so much as lay a finger on Tang San.
Lin Yan simply nodded.
"Fine. You know what I recommend now."
With that, he went back to Wen Ruan.
The whole exchange had gone so smoothly that Tang San and Xiao Wu both stared after him, stunned.
"W-what?"
"Did he just come over to tell me that? He isn't going to press the point, or lecture me, or pick a fight?"
"Is this guy always this weird?"
Tang San was utterly bewildered. He had no idea what Lin Yan was thinking.
It wasn't that Tang San was slow on the uptake. Lin Yan hadn't been speaking to him at all. He had been speaking to Tang Hao, hidden nearby.
It was enough to let Tang Hao know that Lin Yan had already chosen a Soul Beast for Tang San.
Lin Yan soon returned to Wen Ruan's side, and the two chatted and laughed, their affection for one another plain to see.
From the look of it, Tang San's refusal and Xiao Wu's hostility hadn't affected him in the slightest.
That only left Tang San and Xiao Wu more confused...
Before long, Ning Rongrong suddenly sidled up beside Lin Yan.
Unlike the ease she'd shown around him over the past couple of days, the young woman now looked at him with a hint of shyness in her eyes.
"Lin Yan, thank you for yesterday."
"Um... when we get back from this Spirit Hunting Operation, could I treat you to a meal?"
Lin Yan glanced at Ning Rongrong, and the first person who came to mind was that old fox, Ning Fengzhi.
He turned her down at once.
"No thanks. I have a girlfriend."
Ning Rongrong froze at Lin Yan's rejection.
It seemed the young woman had never considered that things might turn out this way.
"Why? Why does he seem like a completely different person? He wasn't like this last night!"
Ning Rongrong was devastated!
She truly couldn't understand it. Lin Yan had been so patient with Tang San and Xiao Wu just now. Why was he suddenly treating her like this...
"Did I do something wrong? No..."
"It's Wen Ruan!"
"Wen Ruan must have made Lin Yan treat me this way."
Realizing this, Ning Rongrong whipped around to look at Wen Ruan, her eyes filled with undisguised jealousy.
"Damn it! She's just a commoner Soul Master, yet she dares to steal my man and ruin my Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's plans."
"One day, I'll have Sword Grandpa kill you!"
Wen Ruan noticed Ning Rongrong's gaze. After meeting her eyes for a moment, she quickly looked away and shrank back.
It made her look like she was the mistress...
Lin Yan was at a loss for words when he saw this, but he didn't say anything more.
As for Ning Rongrong...
He hadn't minded getting along with her before. If things went well between them, even becoming a couple wouldn't have been out of the question.
It wasn't that Lin Yan was conceited. In recent years, both Ning Fengzhi and Qian Renxue really had entertained the idea.
After all, given Lin Yan and Ning Rongrong's positions, it was only natural to make some sacrifices for their respective factions.
Even Qian Renxue had been prepared to use Lin Yan's looks to her advantage.
But after the Soul Saint assassin incident, Lin Yan had changed his mind completely!
Absolutely not!
Leaving aside the fact that he already hated that old fox, Ning Fengzhi, Lin Yan could never get along with Ning Rongrong after seeing the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's attitude toward Wen Ruan.
If Ning Fengzhi really sent powerful fighters to assassinate Wen Ruan one day, then Lin Yan and Ning Rongrong would have no choice but to stand on opposite sides!