To be honest, Ye Lingling really had been tricked into joining Qing Linyun back then. At the time, she was a level 79 Soul Saint.
Ye Lingling had been grievously wounded in a battle with an Evil Soul Master and was on the verge of death. She had wanted to go to Shrek Academy and seek treatment from Holy Spirit Douluo.
But by the time she reached Shrek City, she was already at death's door. It looked as though she would never make it to Holy Spirit Douluo, and as it happened, she ran into Qing Linyun.
Thus, the two of them signed a contract.
The Devil Card's redemption effect brought Ye Lingling back from the brink of death, and from then on, she stayed by Qing Linyun's side.
With the Devil Card's effect in place, Qing Linyun wasted no time and truly began to cultivate her.
First, he replaced Ye Lingling's lousy Martial Soul. In truth, her original talent had been quite good. After all, when she and Qing Linyun met,
Ye Lingling had been only twenty-three, and her Martial Soul had been a top-tier Martial Soul called the Azure Cloud Butterfly.
A level 79 Soul Saint at twenty-three-that talent was as good as it got.
Unlike that Grandmaster on the Douluo Continent, who had only just broken through to level 30 at fifty. His talent really couldn't be considered good.
Of course, even though Ye Lingling's talent was already among the very best, it still didn't measure up in Qing Linyun's eyes.
You cultivate so slowly. How can you be my right-hand woman? I'm still waiting for you to become my full-time bodyguard and protect me.
Your cultivation is so slow, and your talent is so ordinary. How can I allow that?
Qing Linyun spent two billion Federation Coins to replace Ye Lingling's Martial Soul with the Light Goddess Butterfly.
Qing Linyun poured in more money for several Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bones, two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Spirits, and some Battle Armor metal and the like.
That allowed Ye Lingling to become a Titled Douluo and a Three-Word Battle Armor Master before she turned twenty-five.
This also showed just how terrifying Qing Linyun's system was. What mattered most in the Soul Master system of the Douluo Continent? Martial Souls came first, followed by Soul Rings and Soul Bones. By the time of Douluo Dalu III: The Legend of the Dragon King, something new had been added: Battle Armor.
Qing Linyun's system was simple, too. As long as you had money and enough time to refresh the merchandise, you were certain to gather all those things.
Ye Lingling was proof of that. As long as Qing Linyun was willing to spend the time and resources to cultivate her,
the Titled Douluo level, the end of the road for many Soul Masters, would be your starting point.
"Let's go make the arrangements."
"We'll be leaving for Eastsea City right after that."
Qing Linyun tapped the table lightly with a finger, stood up, and headed outside.
At that moment, every seat along both sides of the long table in the conference room was occupied, and everyone's gaze was fixed on the sole empty chair at the head of the table.
"Get ready to report on your work."
"The boss will be here shortly."
Just then, Ye Lingling emerged silently from the shadows and spoke.
The instant her words fell, several people near the back of the table changed expression and stood up, looking at Ye Lingling with ingratiating smiles.
"Has the boss arrived? Secretary Ye, do you know why the boss summoned us this time?"
"Could something major have happened at the company?"
"Is it those beasts from the Spirit Pagoda stirring up trouble again? They've rubbed me the wrong way for ages. I'd love to give them a beating."
"Secretary Ye, is that it? Just give the word, and we'll go tear down their Spirit Pagoda with you."
There were about six or seven people who had stood up and spoken. They were men and women, and judging by their seats, all ranked fairly low among the Twelve Knights.
They had only just reached the Titled Douluo level, with the strongest no higher than level 95. Still, with Qing Linyun pouring resources into them, that was enough.
Of course, for Qing Linyun to spend resources on them, these people had all been placed on Devil Cards.
Or rather, the Twelve Knights and Qing Linyun's secretary Ye Lingling-all thirteen of them-had been placed on Devil Cards.
Qing Linyun would only invest his resources in people he could absolutely control.
Ye Lingling took note of everyone's behavior. On the surface, she merely smiled and said nothing more, but inwardly, she nodded to herself.
These people are loyal enough. Not bad, not bad.
"Heh, just the few of you? You really don't know your own limits."
Just then, a woman seated to the left of the head of the table spoke up. She lifted her eyes slightly, revealing an exquisitely beautiful face. Her purplish-red eyes were as alluring as sparkling gems.
Every gesture displayed the charm of a mature woman.
Between her fingers, a wisp of dark purple flame swayed in the breeze.
When the knights near the back who had been shouting saw who had spoken, they all fell silent and exchanged glances.
"Heh, even if they don't know their limits, they're still better than certain people who eat their fill without doing any real work."
Ye Lingling fired back without hesitation.
"Heh, who knows how certain people managed to win the boss's favor? Tsk, tsk, tsk..."
The woman to the left of the head of the table refused to back down, and the two began trading barbs in the conference room.
"Heh, that's still better than someone who throws herself at the boss. And Leng Yulai, don't forget: you're an Evil Soul Master. If the boss hadn't rescued you, you'd have died there long ago."
"Maybe the boss won't touch you because you used to be an Evil Soul Master and he thinks you're too dirty?"
"You!"
Leng Yulai was so angry she couldn't speak.
Ye Lingling merely raised her chin smugly.
"Haha, you two are arguing again? How amusing. If that little fellow Linyun finds out, I bet he'll have to teach you both a lesson again."
The "beautiful young girl" seated opposite Leng Yulai, to the right of the head of the table, suddenly spoke in a relaxed, teasing tone, while occasionally flicking the bells in her hand, making them chime.
Her joining in made the other knights in the conference room drop their heads at once.
They exchanged glances beneath lowered heads, each seeing the fear in the others' eyes.
They actually felt quite helpless. Although they were all trusted subordinates chosen by Qinglin, in truth, their importance couldn't compare to that of the first two knights.
Those were the first knight, Na Nali, and the second knight, Leng Yulai.
Although both had been Evil Soul Masters, they were already among the continent's top experts. After the boss brought them under his command, their strength advanced even further, and both became genuine Quasi-God-level experts with Four-Word Battle Armor.
As for the others, even the third and fourth knights, whose ranks were close to theirs,
were only level 98 Super Douluo. The gap between them was like an impassable chasm.
As the boss's secretary, Ye Lingling was more special still. Everyone knew perfectly well what her relationship with the boss was.
Even though she only had the strength of a level 95 Super Douluo, the others wouldn't dare refuse her whatever she said.
The first and second knights were exceptions, of course.
"Heh, Na Nali, what business is this of yours? What gives you the right to mock me? Didn't the boss reject you too?"
"Haha, little Linyun did reject me. But that's all right. I don't mind. And of course, I believe that one day he'll fall into my hands."
Na Nali was not the least bit fazed by Leng Yulai's mockery. She wasn't the sort to cling stubbornly to one idea like Leng Yulai; being rejected was nothing more than a bit of fun to her.
"It sounds like you're having a good chat."
"Let me hear it. What's the good news?"
Just then, a voice rang out unexpectedly.
When everyone heard it, their expressions changed drastically, and they stood up almost reflexively. Even Ye Lingling and the other two, who had just been trading barbs, composed themselves.
Along with the other knights, they turned toward the source of the voice and bowed.
"Greetings, boss."
"Hello, boss."