Ling Luochеn reached out as if to smack Yu Tianqing, but he used Flash Step to get behind her and wrapped his arms around her slender waist.
Just as the two were nestled intimately together, someone knocked on the door.
Knock, knock, knock-
"Who is it, so early in the morning?"
A little displeased, Ling Luochеn voiced her complaint.
"I'll go see."
Yu Tianqing opened the door to find a fiery red figure standing outside. Her hair was a little disheveled, and she didn't look to be in very good spirits. She had her head lowered, pondering something.
"Martial niece Xiaotao, you're here so early. Whatever it is, come inside and tell us. Are you here for Luochen?"
"Ah! Little martial uncle, mm-hmm, yes, no."
Ma Xiaotao was taken aback for a moment. She nodded, then shook her head.
She hadn't expected Yu Tianqing to be the one to open the door. Had the two of them stayed together last night?
Just then, Ling Luochеn came out of the room, though her steps were still a little unsteady:
"Didn't I tell you I wouldn't have time these next few days?"
Ling Luochеn was still miffed that her cozy morning had been interrupted, so naturally, she spoke to Ma Xiaotao with little warmth.
The moment Ma Xiaotao saw Ling Luochеn, she became even more certain of what she was thinking:
"I'm not here for you, Luochen."
"Hmm?"
Ma Xiaotao looked at Yu Tianqing. "My Evil Fire-little martial uncle, you should have a way to deal with it."
"Me?"
"After our Soul Fighting match yesterday, little martial uncle, I could tell the Evil Fire in my body had decreased by five percent. I didn't sleep well all night. I thought it over and over, and it should be because your lightning is rather special."
Ma Xiaotao kept her red eyes fixed on Yu Tianqing, and Ling Luochеn promptly turned her gaze on him as well, making him feel a little uncomfortable.
His Yang Lightning could dispel evil and bring forth light, something he had only discovered when he purified the Spirit-Devouring Carving Knife not long ago. He hadn't expected it to work on Ma Xiaotao's Evil Fire as well.
As for why there had been no feedback, perhaps the amount had been too small, just five percent, as Ma Xiaotao had said.
But if he helped her purify all of it, he could gain something from it too.
Yu Tianqing was preparing for his Seventh Soul Ring. According to his plan, he would wait until Electrolux finished developing Soul Spirits, then seek out the Snow Empress and have her take him to the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well.
There were two hundred-thousand-year-old Plant-type Soul Beasts there: the Infernal Delicate Apricot and the Octagonal Mysterious Ice Grass.
Moreover, to maintain the yin-yang balance in his body, he planned to accomplish everything in one stroke and condense two Soul Cores at the same time.
Though it was a little dangerous, the energy of the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well was sufficient.
What he needed to do now was continuously accumulate the yin-yang origin within his body, strengthening and refining it.
As he could foresee, with Ling Luochеn's cooperation, he would have no shortage of yin-attribute origin, while he needed to kill Evil Soul Masters to obtain yang-attribute origin.
He had originally planned to take on a few missions involving Evil Soul Masters, but with Ma Xiaotao, this Evil Fire generator, around, she could serve as a steady supplement.
After weighing the pros and cons, Yu Tianqing still asked a question he already knew the answer to:
"So, martial niece Xiaotao, you came to me because...?"
"Martial uncle, please... shock me again."
Huh?
The air fell silent in an instant, and the atmosphere grew a little strange.
My dear martial niece Xiaotao, do you want to listen to what you're actually saying?
Although that's about right, why does it sound so strange?
Ma Xiaotao's big red eyes were wide open, her pupils full of expectation, as though she were saying:
Martial uncle, I want you to help me cultivate!
Yu Tianqing actually wanted to give it a try himself, but after glancing at Ling Luochеn beside him, he still wasn't quite sure. He ventured a question:
"How about I give it a try?"
"No!"
It was Ling Luochеn who spoke. Her answer was firm and decisive, leaving no room for discussion.
"Ling Luochеn, what do you mean by that?!"
Ma Xiaotao's eyes widened as she glared at Ling Luochеn.
"Ma Xiaotao, when I say no, I mean no!"
Ling Luochеn didn't back down in the slightest, meeting her head-on.
"Why not? He's my martial uncle. What gives you the right to control him? I'm a junior asking my martial uncle for help with something. That's only natural. This is a matter within our own martial lineage; we don't need an outsider like you interfering."
"Heh, Ma Xiaotao, sorry, but just last night, I officially became Tianqing's woman."
"So what? You're still an outsider. Don't think that just because I called you martial aunt yesterday, you can really consider yourself my senior. I did that out of respect for my little martial uncle; it had nothing to do with you."
"Ma Xiaotao, you!!!"
Seeing that the two women looked ready to come to blows at any moment, Yu Tianqing had no choice but to step between them:
"Let it go, let it go~ It hasn't been easy for either of you~"
"Tianqing, tell me, what right does she have to refuse to acknowledge me as her martial aunt?"
Yu Tianqing naturally knew why Ma Xiaotao wouldn't acknowledge her: Ling Luochеn's strength just wasn't quite up to the mark. But there was no way he could let Ma Xiaotao say that answer aloud.
He turned around and glared at Ma Xiaotao, his tone stern:
"Ma Xiaotao, if you want me to help you purify your Evil Fire, you have to call her martial aunt today."
"Martial uncle! You're being so harsh with me. Even my master has never been this harsh with me! The bond of our martial lineage, and yet you, for the sake of a woman..."
"Ma Xiaotao, watch your attitude!"
Seeing that Ma Xiaotao was about to continue, Yu Tianqing immediately shouted to cut her off, frantically winking and raising his eyebrows to signal her.
Noticing Yu Tianqing's expression, Ma Xiaotao seemed to calm down a little:
Huh?!!
I only seem to have come here to purify some Evil Fire. How did we end up arguing?
If I call her martial aunt, I'll never have to worry about cultivating again.
That seems... worth it?
Ma Xiaotao caught on, and her eyes suddenly filled with resentment, as though she had suffered an immense injustice. Her eyes grew moist, but she held it back.
Seeing that Ma Xiaotao understood what he meant, Yu Tianqing breathed a sigh of relief, but he also had to admire her:
Women were born actresses.
Ma Xiaotao drew a breath and settled down as though accepting her fate. Her manner grew a little more respectful, and she bowed slightly to Ling Luochеn:
"Martial aunt, I'd like martial uncle to help me purify my Evil Fire. May I?"
"Hmm-"
Ling Luochеn nodded in satisfaction and gave a long "hmm." She was thoroughly pleased, as though she had won a great victory.
Seeing Ling Luochеn agree, Ma Xiaotao secretly breathed a sigh of relief before looking solemnly at Yu Tianqing:
"Little martial uncle, let's give it a try, then."
"Martial niece Xiaotao, how would you like to test it?"
At the question, Ma Xiaotao actually lowered her head, showing a rare trace of bashfulness.
After quite a while, she finally spoke haltingly:
"My Evil Fire gathers in my lower abdomen. Martial uncle, those two kicks of yours landed there yesterday too, so..."
"So, martial uncle, put your hand on my lower abdomen, then use your lightning and give it a try."
After struggling to get all that out, Ma Xiaotao seemed a little unsure of herself and added weakly:
"This is the method I came up with after thinking about it all night."