Su Zhao had no desire to see the original three-year agreement play out again. Nalan Yanran had left a good impression on him; she was a kind-hearted girl who knew how to repay kindness. There was no need for her to bear that tangled karma. Besides, Xiao Yan had only just recovered his Dou Qi. Without Yao Lao's guidance, his chances of defeating Nalan Yanran within three years were far too slim. If things went badly, his Dao heart might even shatter.
It would be better for him to settle this karma in advance and let the two of them each walk the path they were meant to take.
Yao Lao's voice drifted through Su Zhao's mind. "You brat, you're really generous."
Su Zhao replied inwardly in a relaxed tone, "Heh heh, Old Yao, don't tell me you're feeling sorry for him? You've absorbed his Dou Qi for so long, and you can't even bear to give him this little compensation?"
"How could that be? Am I that kind of person?"
Yao Lao snorted, then resumed his teasing tone.
"But forget that Xiao Yan brat. That little girl called Nalan Yanran... tsk, tsk, tsk. You really do have plenty of romantic debts. Can't you see that she likes you?"
Without even raising his eyelids, Su Zhao circulated his cultivation technique as he replied inwardly, "Heh heh, matters of the heart must ultimately come second. For me, the most important thing right now is increasing my strength. As for everything else, it won't be too late to discuss it once I stand high enough."
"Your heart of a strong man is certainly firm."
Yao Lao nodded approvingly.
"Enough about me."
The corner of Su Zhao's mouth lifted slightly, and a trace of mischief suddenly entered his voice.
"When we return to