Sharing a Bed and Pillow

Old Jack was naturally beside himself with joy to have a Soul Elder acknowledge him as his grandfather.

That night, the newly formed grandfather and his two grandchildren talked for a long time, only falling sound asleep when the sky began to lighten.

Back in familiar surroundings, Qin Chao slept especially comfortably. Half awake, he stretched luxuriously, but his little hand instinctively brushed against a warm body.

"Holy shit!" Qin Chao rolled over and nearly tumbled straight off the bed. Only after seeing the youthful girl sleeping peacefully beside him did he remember what had happened the night before...

Since Old Jack's house had no spare beds, Qin Chao had reluctantly agreed-or rather, eagerly jumped at the chance-to fulfill Hu Liena's request to share a bed and pillow.

Although little Qin Chao could not do anything yet, sleeping in each other's arms and enjoying that warm, fragrant softness was still nice...

It was Hu Liena's first time sharing a bed with anyone besides her brother, and she was even more excited than Qin Chao, drawing him into a conversation about all sorts of childhood memories.

Qin Chao could not appreciate simply lying beneath a quilt and chatting. After mumbling through a brief conversation, he fell sound asleep. As for whether the little fellow had done anything improper in his dreams, that remained unknown.

He had been asleep, after all. He knew nothing!

It was still dark outside, the perfect time to go back to sleep.

Qin Chao settled into a comfortable position and carefully drew Hu Liena into his arms.

Breathing in the girl's delicate fragrance, Qin Chao still felt something was missing. Only after planting a gentle kiss on Hu Liena's cheek did he return contentedly to dreamland. The room was dim, and he never noticed the slight flutter of her eyelashes when his kiss landed...

Back in the present, Hu Liena, who had already washed and dressed, bent down gently. Looking at Qin Chao's exquisite little face, she suddenly remembered last night's kiss.

The little fellow thought he had sneaked a taste without anyone noticing, but Hu Liena had always been vigilant. In unfamiliar surroundings, how could she possibly sleep so deeply...?

The warm, soft sensation still lingered on her cheek. Hu Liena could not help smiling as she leaned farther down, stopping only when she touched Qin Chao's tender cheek.

Giving him a taste of his own medicine shouldn't count as going too far...

Old Jack witnessed everything in the bedroom through the window. Seeing Qin Chao fail to suppress a smile while pretending to sleep, a flash of pride crossed the old man's eyes.

"That little rascal really does have a touch of my old charm..."

Two days later, in the Soul Hunting Forest.

With the warrant borrowed from Chrysanthemum Douluo, Hu Liena and Qin Chao smoothly entered the Soul Hunting Forest, where soul beasts were kept in captivity.

"Qin Chao, why did you suddenly want to visit the Soul Hunting Forest? The soul beasts here are all captive, and most aren't very high-level. If you're here to train, it might not be very effective..."

Qin Chao had even requested a warrant from Chrysanthemum Douluo in advance to enter the Soul Hunting Forest. Clearly, he had a plan, but its purpose left Hu Liena scratching her head...

Naturally, Qin Chao had not come for any so-called training. His target was none other than the protagonist, Tang San.

But he obviously could not tell anyone that, not even Hu Liena. His eyes shifted slightly, and the excuse he had prepared long ago slipped from his lips.

"Teacher once said that soul beasts are animals with soul power, and the longer they live, the stronger they become. So I had a bold idea. Could we domesticate soul beasts like poultry and livestock?"

"Domesticate them?" Hu Liena's pupils contracted sharply. Clearly, Qin Chao's bold idea had shocked her.

"Soul beasts are born from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. They've always been born and nurtured by nature, so why would they willingly submit to domestication?" Although shocked, Hu Liena did not dismiss his idea as childish babble. Instead, she thought it over carefully before speaking again.

"Long ago, most poultry and livestock were wild too. But humans successfully domesticated them into the docile animals we have today. If poultry and livestock can be domesticated, why can't soul beasts?"

"Aren't they wild and difficult to tame because living in the wilderness forces them to face danger? But what if their environment no longer contained any danger?"

"We could distribute soul beasts among the villages and have the farmers carefully feed and breed them according to their habits. Their numbers would naturally keep growing, and as generation after generation passed, their temperaments would become gentler too. Perhaps one day, soul beasts could become a commercial agricultural product, just like poultry and livestock..."

"That would increase farmers' incomes and make it much easier for Soul Masters to obtain soul rings. Even wild soul beasts would have a much easier time surviving and reproducing. It would be a tremendous benefit to farmers, Soul Masters, and even soul beasts..."

"Even if soul beasts can be domesticated and raised in captivity, how would we profit from them? Most Soul Masters on the continent come from prominent families. Commoner Soul Masters are recruited into Spirit Hall, or at the very least attend a Soul Master Academy to cultivate. Whatever their circumstances, higher-level elders accompany them when they hunt soul beasts. If we can't raise the age of our soul rings, why would they pay us?"

Hu Liena's brows drew together slightly as she raised another question.

Qin Chao's smile widened. "You're mistaken, big sister. It's precisely because elders have to accompany them when they hunt soul beasts that we can sell our soul rings for a good price..."

"Hunting for soul rings has always been dangerous. No matter how powerful a Soul Master is, it's hard to guarantee they'll return from the Star Dou Forest unscathed. Take Teacher, for example. He's already a Titled Douluo, yet he still becomes extremely cautious when he enters the Star Dou Forest..."

"If even a Titled Douluo worries about danger, what about a Soul Douluo, a Soul Saint, or a Soul Emperor? They aren't merely buying soul rings suited to their disciples. They're buying safety. And we aren't merely selling soul rings either-we're selling a concept!" Qin Chao spoke passionately, explaining his plan to Hu Liena in detail.

"A concept?" Hu Liena still did not understand. "Isn't trade called trade because goods are exchanged? Can you sell something for money when there's nothing there?"

"Of course we need a product, but even fine wine fears being hidden down a deep alley. To sell well, we need marketing methods, such as selling concepts, like I just mentioned..."

"Take a flower. If it's merely a flower, perhaps few people will buy it. But what if we attach the concept of love to it? When a man buys flowers for a woman, it represents his love for her. Once we attach that concept, more people will certainly buy flowers to express their love, and the flowers' value will rise considerably..."

What Qin Chao described was one of the simplest marketing methods from his previous life. Simple though it was, it worked extremely well. Especially in Douluo's society, where marketing methods were virtually nonexistent, the power of attaching a concept was no different from an atomic bomb...

"We can attach an elder's responsibility toward the younger generation to soul rings. A soul ring suited to a Soul Master's martial soul provides an enormous boost, while hunting soul beasts is far too dangerous for novice Soul Masters. So a responsible teacher would rather spend a huge sum to secure a bright future for their disciple..."

"Once we add that value, a soul ring's selling price can no longer be measured by its intrinsic worth. Public opinion is a fearsome thing. To prove themselves, teachers and elders will compete to buy our soul rings, completing a perfect closed loop..."

"Added value?" Hu Liena's red lips parted slightly, her eyes filled with astonishment.

Although Qin Chao's idea was bold, just as he had said, if the plan could be implemented smoothly, it would be an enormous boon to everyone involved.

Obtaining high-level soul rings this way might be difficult, but ten-year and hundred-year soul rings would be easy enough.

Although the Douluo Continent had many Soul Masters, those who could cultivate to the Soul Grandmaster or even Soul Elder rank were already among the best. Under such circumstances, low-level soul beasts were actually consumed in the greatest numbers. This would both prevent indiscriminate slaughter by Soul Masters and provide farmers with a new source of profit. It could truly benefit both the country and its people...

"Little brother, sometimes I really wonder whether you're actually a child..." Hu Liena looked at Qin Chao with an odd expression. "Are you some reincarnated god? How does your mind work so quickly...?"

Not a reincarnated god. A reincarnated corporate beast of burden would be closer to the truth...

Qin Chao grumbled inwardly, but his face remained perfectly innocent. "Grandpa once said it's better to teach someone to fish than to give them a fish. Ever since I became a Soul Master, things at home have improved a lot. With my allowance, Grandpa can renovate the house and even repair the village roads. But one person's strength is ultimately far too small..."

"If I want to truly help the uncles in our village, or even all farmers, become prosperous, I have to find a new path for them. Income is a major reason Soul Masters are the most prestigious profession in this world. Naturally, their money is also the easiest to earn..."

"But this plan is still only a rough outline. To actually put it into practice, we'll have to keep refining it. That's why I wanted to visit the Soul Hunting Forest first. Only by gaining more firsthand experience can I find out whether it's feasible..."

Qin Chao's eyes shone especially brightly as he spoke about these things.

His words had not sprung from thin air. Even when he had been reading the novel, the Soul Hunting Forest had left a deep impression on him.

If the empire could raise soul beasts in captivity, why couldn't commoners?

Having come from Hua Country on Blue Star, he believed in socialism and knew that empires and nobility were dregs of the past. But on the Douluo Continent, those hierarchies were already deeply rooted. To help ordinary people who could not cultivate, the most important thing was to increase their importance and social standing...

Qin Chao had lived an unremarkable life for far too long. Now that he had the ability to change the world, why not try?

Qin Chao's words successfully persuaded Hu Liena and stirred towering waves in her heart...

She was an orphan too. If Spirit Hall had not taken her in, there was no telling what miserable life she would be living now. Naturally, she understood the weight of Qin Chao's words.

Qin Chao was only six, yet he already possessed such a profound understanding of martial souls and the world. He far surpassed many adults she had met, and even those great figures who had written books expounding their ideas.

Moreover, Qin Chao's vision reached far into the future. He was thinking not merely of himself, but of the entire continent!

He worried over the troubles of the world and sought benefits that would last through the ages. Qin Chao's undertaking could truly be called a great endeavor!

Thoughts surged through her heart, refusing to settle.

Looking at the radiant little child before her, Hu Liena felt the little deer in her heart begin to stir.

Unable to contain her feelings, Hu Liena pulled Qin Chao into her arms.

"I'll be there with you!"

Warm breath lingered beside Qin Chao's ear. Perhaps he was imagining it, but something soft seemed to brush gently against his cheek...