Ye Guyi glanced at Lin Yao, looking rather doubtful. Lin Yao said to her, "My father can write you a recommendation letter for Shrek Academy. If you study there, I can ensure you safely reach a sufficiently high level. That would also help you on your path to wiping out the Evil Soul Masters."
Ye Guyi hesitated. She knew about what had happened ten thousand years ago, though not in detail. She also knew that Tang San of Shrek Academy had defeated Qian Renxue, who possessed the Six-Winged Angel Martial Soul, and shattered her divine position. That was how this bloodline had come to be.
Ye Guyi was still hesitating when Lin Yao said, "You should know that a dragon lying in a shallow pool hasn't fallen into ruin; it's simply waiting for the right moment. Even if you have a grudge against Shrek in the future, you can still use its influence to raise your cultivation. Shrek Academy is an academy, after all, not a sect. As long as you complete your studies there and pay your tuition in full, you won't owe them anything."
Ye Guyi fell silent for a moment, then nodded. "What are your terms, then? They can't be cheap, right? You can buy a recommendation letter for Shrek Academy on the black market, but I assume you don't mean one of those most ordinary ones."
Lin Yao smiled, then said to Ye Guyi, "As for payment... I'd be lying if I said I wanted nothing. But I don't want much. Let's be friends. That's all."
Ye Guyi smiled at that. She placed her fair hand over Lin Yao's hand beside her and said, "We've been friends ever since you saved me this morning. Even without that so-called recommendation letter, just for saving my life, I'd come help you whenever you needed me."
Lin Yao curled his lips into a smile, then took Ye Guyi's hand. "I know what kind of person you are. That's why I'm willing to be your friend."
The Soul Emperor gave a soft snort, then continued playing the bad cop. "By rights, an agreement like this ought to have some kind of guarantee."
Lin Yao frowned at the Soul Emperor. "Uncle Lin, Ye Guyi isn't that kind of person. I don't need a guarantee from her. Even if she deceives me someday, I'll accept it."
Lin Yao spoke with complete candor. As a transmigrator, he already knew what kind of person Ye Guyi was. But even if he hadn't, the wise men of old had taught that one should trust those one employed and not employ those one didn't trust. Lin Yao knew he was nowhere near the stature of those who had been crowned kings, but he still had the magnanimity to trust others.
Ye Guyi took Lin Yao's hand and said, "If you think I might deceive you, I can swear an oath on my Martial Soul."
Lin Yao shook his head, then said earnestly, "There's no need. I trust you."
Lin Yao knew that if he really pressured Ye Guyi into swearing on her Martial Soul, their friendship would no longer be pure. It would become nothing more than a simple debt of gratitude, and that would take all the meaning out of it.
Ye Guyi clearly hadn't expected Lin Yao to so readily reject the idea of her swearing on her Martial Soul. She looked at him with an even more conflicted expression, then quietly leaned to one side without saying a word.
The night passed without incident. Early the next morning, the Soul Emperor led Lin Yao and Ye Guyi out of the Star Dou Great Forest.
Once they were out of the Star Dou Great Forest, the Soul Emperor visibly relaxed. They returned to the inn, retrieved the carriage they had left there, and took Ye Guyi and Lin Yao back to Douling City in the Dou Ling Empire.
When they returned to Lin Mansion, Ye Guyi looked over its understated yet luxurious furnishings and couldn't help saying, "No wonder you were so confident that your father could write a recommendation letter. Turns out your family really is quite wealthy."
Lin Yao smiled, then said to Ye Guyi, "Well, since we're friends, I won't hide it from you. My confidence actually has very little to do with these resources. It's mainly because the recommendation letter wasn't written by my dad."
Ye Guyi tilted her head, looking at Lin Yao in confusion. Lin Yao slowly explained, "Shrek sent me my letter of recommendation itself. Or rather, what you call a recommendation letter is what I call an admission notice."
Ye Guyi's mouth twitched...
Afterward, Lin Yao gave Lin Xueli a brief account of Ye Guyi's situation. Lin Xueli was also very pleased with what Lin Yao had done.
"Not bad, Xiao Yao. I never would've guessed you had such a brave heart. You've got the makings of your old man in his youth." Lin Xueli laughed and patted Lin Yao on the shoulder. Soul Douluos were quite prominent figures across the Douluo Continent, even if they weren't among the very strongest.
They were still among the foremost Soul Masters. Every one of them had lived a turbulent first half of their life, and Lin Yao's actions reminded Lin Xueli of his own youthful vigor and pride.
As for the Soul Emperor's worries, Lin Xueli waved a hand and told him, "It's fine. At worst, we can dismiss the servants. The few of us old brothers all have Soul Power, and we're no weaklings. Are you afraid of dying? If you are, you can take your severance pay and leave."
The Soul Emperor wasn't afraid, of course, and none of the people in Lin Mansion who had Soul Power objected. Even those without Soul Power weren't willing to leave.
After all, Lin Xueli had spent these years working in cultural pursuits. Though he was a noble, he rarely oppressed those in his household. He hardly ever beat or berated the servants without cause, and only punished them according to the rules they had established.
Besides, the Evil Soul Masters were still just a threat that hadn't materialized. The Soul Emperor had disposed of the body so thoroughly that nothing remained. The chances of an Evil Soul Master coming after them were very low.
In fact, everyone, including the Soul Emperor, felt Lin Xueli had been a little too quick to react by suggesting that they dismiss the servants.
Still, considering that someone had previously been staking out the area beside Lin Mansion, they had strengthened the mansion's security in recent days, adding two shifts to keep watch over the surrounding area.
Fortunately, nothing happened. That Soul King-level Evil Soul Master was probably either not from the Holy Spirit Cult at all or, if he was, an insignificant nobody.
More than half a year passed in the blink of an eye. Lin Yao and Ye Guyi grew close, and the two often began sparring with their Soul Skills, experiencing their effects and helping each other get familiar with how to use them.
With nothing happening for more than half a year, Lin Yao's thoughts began to stir again.
There were still plenty of things in Douluo Continent he could get his hands on ahead of time. If he wasted three years here before entering Shrek Academy, claiming some of those resources later wouldn't be nearly so easy.
That night, Lin Yao knocked on Lin Xueli's door. The quickest way to seize resources at this stage was still money, and there was no way around Lin Xueli...
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