Getting Yao Ling Under His Thumb

Yao Ling was a good girl. She was pure.

Unlike certain young ladies from wealthy families, who went astray as children, letting some little blond punk climb into their rooms every day to grope them and take liberties.

Utterly shameless.

Not a shred of shame left.

"That's right, it's a Soul Infant Fruit. It can repair and strengthen your Origin Soul Qi, taking your soul power to the next level."

Although the Medicine Realm was vast and stocked with all manner of rare medicinal ingredients, Yao Ling had never actually consumed something as heaven-defying as a Soul Infant Fruit.

"Where did you get it?" Yao Ling took it from Fan Tian's hand and asked casually.

"Where else? From my own family. It's not like I stole it!"

"It wouldn't happen to be Ling Feng's, would it?"

Yao Ling's demeanor suddenly changed. Her sharp gaze fixed on Fan Tian's face as a peculiar soul power spread through the room.

Feeling that soul power at Spirit Realm Grand Perfection, Fan Tian was inwardly startled.

"Ling Feng? How could it be?"

The Soul Infant Fruit really had belonged to Ling Feng. Both the Spirit Clan and the Yao Clan had studied soul power extensively, and this fruit had been one of the opportunities the Spirit Clan Leader had bestowed on Ling Feng.

Fan Tian had slaughtered Ling Feng, so naturally, his belongings had fallen into Fan Tian's hands. After some thought, he had decided to give it to his future wife. He would just have to suffer a little and devour a few more bloodlines from the Ancient Races. The effect would be the same.

"This is too valuable. I can't accept it!" Yao Ling's soul perception was exceptionally keen. Seeing Fan Tian's calm expression put her at ease, but when she thought of the fruit's value, she still felt it was far too precious.

She wasn't some frivolous girl who would casually accept gifts from others.

"It's fine. You can refine pills for me as payment."

Without even looking up, Fan Tian continued eating Yao Ling's pastries.

"And I really like these pastries, too."

Yao Ling rolled her eyes. Pills were the one thing she never lacked. She hurriedly put the Soul Infant Fruit into her Storage Ring, afraid Fan Tian might change his mind. "Fine. Whatever pills you want, I'll give them to you, as long as I can manage it."

"I want three Eighth-Tier Pills that draw nine-colored pill lightning." Fan Tian thought for a moment, then tossed out the request. Surely that was asking quite a lot.

Yao Ling frowned.

"I have Eighth-Tier Pills, but they only drew five- or six-colored pill lightning. I don't have any that drew nine-colored pill lightning yet. How about this? I'll have an elder from my clan bring them over." As she spoke, Yao Ling started toward the door. Sacred Pill City was the Pill Tower's territory, protected by its barrier. She needed to leave the city before she could summon her clan's experts with a Spatial Scroll.

"Hey, hey, don't! Forget it if you don't have any! I'll ask for something else." Fan Tian hastily caught Yao Ling and brought her back to sit at the table.

He grumbled inwardly, You people from powerful families really are all alike. The slightest disagreement and you call in reinforcements. Have you no sense of public decency? Making such a racket-don't those experts need to sleep? They need to cultivate in seclusion, too!

"I want to visit the Northwest Continent in a while. Come with me, and we can exchange insights along the way. Consider that payment for this Soul Infant Fruit. What do you think?"

Yao Ling's eyes widened. "Are you sure? That's all?"

"I'm sure!"

"I'm not going."

"Why? Afraid I'll eat you?"

"Pfft, you? Don't you know my soul power is special?"

Yao Ling suddenly spoke with a playful air.

"Special? How special?"

Fan Tian was puzzled.

"I can sense other people's malice through their souls. When I examined you just now, you held no malice toward me. There was only..."

"Only what?" Fan Tian's curiosity was piqued.

A faint blush spread over Yao Ling's snowy-white face. "Nothing!"

Fan Tian was a little disappointed.

"Only admiration, right?"

"You...!" Yao Ling was both embarrassed and annoyed.

"You said last time that you came from the Northwest Continent. Was that true?"

"No," Fan Tian said bluntly.

"Why did you keep bringing up Ling Feng just now? Do you know him well?"

Yao Ling sighed softly, resting her chin in her right hand as she said slowly, "Not very well. I met him once while accompanying my clan's elders, and then he kept pestering me. He's so annoying."

"Who knows where he's gone to make trouble these past few days? He certainly isn't up to any good." Yao Ling shook her head as she spoke.

If Ling Feng hadn't helped Yao Tian before, she wouldn't even have bothered with him.

"Aren't you people from the Ancient Eight Clans supposed to be branches of the same tree, breathing as one?" Fan Tian asked casually.

Yao Ling suddenly giggled, her eyes full of mischief. "You wouldn't happen to be some prodigy the Little Pill Tower has kept hidden, would you? You certainly know a lot."

Fan Tian didn't respond.

Yao Ling was a little displeased, but she still explained. "We Ancient Races have never been branches of the same tree, breathing as one. On the contrary, competition among us is brutal."

While the two were talking, a group suddenly arrived at the medicine shop.

The man leading them had snow-white hair and a white beard. Dressed in blue robes, he wore a hostile expression, and his every movement sent ripples through the surrounding space.

Fan Tian drew a deep breath. "They came so quickly. One Half-Saint and five Dou Zun. What a lavish lineup!"

Having spent years at Sound Valley with Luo Linglong, a genuine Dou Sheng, Fan Tian was no stranger to these people's cultivation levels.

"You're that little girl from the Yao Clan?" the blue-robed elder asked, staring at Yao Ling.

"I am Ling Yi, grandfather of Ling Ruohai and Ling Ruokong. Tell me, when did you last see Ruohai and Ruokong?"

"And our Spirit Clan's young clan leader, Ling Feng. The Pill Tower's people said they often visited your medicine shop. Speak! What did you do to them?"

Yao Ling was startled by this sudden interrogation, but she was still a daughter of the Yao Clan and had seen her share of grand occasions. After steadying her breathing, she answered calmly.

"Senior Ling Yi, how would I know where Ling Feng and the others went? They did visit the shop, but so what? This is Sacred Pill City. If someone has gone missing, go ask the Pill Tower. What does it have to do with my Yao Clan?"

"Hmph, the Pill Tower? Our clan leader has already gone to visit the Little Pill Tower with a group of Dou Sheng. Apart from the Pill Tower, there's also you, a member of the Yao Clan, in Sacred Pill City. The Pill Tower is under suspicion, but I find you even more suspicious, girl."

Fine beads of sweat had already appeared on Yao Ling's forehead. Judging by this display, something had probably happened to the Spirit Clan's young clan leader. She cast a discreet glance at Fan Tian, only to see him sitting perfectly upright, his face expressionless, as though this had nothing whatsoever to do with him.

Pah, you bastard! Yao Ling had reached her verdict on Fan Tian.

"Senior Ling Yi, I don't know what happened, but if you insist on making such unreasonable accusations, do you truly think the Yao Clan has no one to stand up for it?"

Fan Tian inwardly applauded Yao Ling. A daughter of a great clan, indeed! A Dou Emperor standing up to a high-level Half-Saint and five Dou Zun without yielding an inch. Truly a wife worthy of me!

"Is that so? Your Yao Clan excels at refining medicine and places great importance on increasing soul power. Our Spirit Clan Leader specifically gave Ling Feng a Soul Infant Fruit for his cultivation. Could you have exploited those boys' affection for you, lured them out of the city, and had the Yao Clan's experts kill them?"

The blue-robed elder's face twisted with anger.

"Open your Storage Ring and let me search it. If there's nothing inside, I'll turn around and leave."

Yao Ling froze, bewildered. She opened her mouth, glanced at Fan Tian, then looked at her own Storage Ring.

Unless she remembered incorrectly, she had just put a Soul Infant Fruit into that very ring.

"You... I..."

"No... he... that..."

Seeing the previously confident Yao Ling suddenly stammering, the blue-robed elder barked, "What do you mean, 'you' and 'I'? They didn't even have time to activate their Spatial Jade Slips! How many factions in the entire Central Plains could manage that?"

"Hand over your Storage Ring."