Five days later, Fang Lin received a letter from Fang Yuanqiao instead of seeing his parents arrive at Heaven Dou Academy.
It said, roughly, the following:
The chance to be treated by a Soul Saint was too precious. Fang Lin should save it for himself. Drifting through the jianghu, who could avoid getting hurt? A Healing System Soul Saint's treatment was as good as an extra life, and he shouldn't take it lightly.
Fang Lin clutched the letter and sighed, then wrote back, making a particular point of saying:
"The Soul Saint's niece is my classmate now. We've carried rocks together, so you can rest easy."
After sealing the letter, Fang Lin went to the relay station and specifically chose the faster Black Zhi Steed messenger service.
The steeds were crossbred descendants of the Black Zhi Soul Beast, adept at long-distance travel. The service cost one Gold Soul Coin per delivery, ten times the price of an ordinary messenger, but it was correspondingly faster. The letter would presumably reach Suotuo City in three days.
Another eight days passed before Fang Lin met his travel-worn father at the foot of the academy's mountain.
"You little brat, you've gotten a lot sturdier."
Fang Yuanqiao patted his son on the shoulder, laughing even as he marveled at how much had changed with time.
Compared with two years ago, Fang Lin's build and appearance had changed considerably. He had shot up in height and developed solid muscles, while the expulsion of impurities had made his skin somewhat fairer than before.
That was mainly thanks to his tempering with ice and fire half a year ago.
Fang Lin chuckled, took his father's luggage and looked into the carriage. "Huh? Where's Mom?"
"It wasn't convenient for your mother to come." His father coughed. "She's at home, resting to protect the pregnancy."
Fang Lin froze.
Soul Masters weren't necessarily more likely to conceive than ordinary people. In general, the older they were or the higher their Soul Power, the harder it was for them to conceive. Their physical condition and blood and Qi also had to be taken into account. His father's efforts over the past four or five years had come to nothing, yet unexpectedly, he had hit the jackpot now.
Once it sank in, Fang Lin silently gave his father a thumbs-up. Then he remembered that there was no one to look after his mother.
"Don't worry. I hired someone, and Auntie Zhang is keeping an eye on her," his father explained.
After settling his father in, Fang Lin went to find Qin Ming. A day later, Qin Ming brought news:
"Bring your father over tomorrow. The treatment will take place at the Begonia Studio on Heavenly View Street. It's a property of the Nine Heart Begonia Clan."
Fang Lin had assumed they would meet in the inner city and had been worrying about his father getting in and out. He hadn't expected Ye Xinhua to choose the Begonia Studio. He didn't know whether she had deliberately taken that into account or was stationed there herself.
While they waited, Fang Lin chose not to return to the academy to cultivate. Instead, he stayed with his father at a hotel at the foot of Heaven Dou Academy's mountain.
Only after seeing the third, purple Soul Ring beneath Fang Lin's feet with his own eyes did Fang Yuanqiao truly believe his son had become a three-ring Soul Elder.
"I've cultivated for nearly thirty years, and I'm still at rank twenty-nine. You surpassed me in less than half that time. Hehe, I never thought the gap between rank two and rank five Innate Soul Power would be so big."
His father's words were tinged with wistfulness, but even more so with pride.
A Soul Master's golden years of cultivation were before the age of twenty, and they determined the upper limit of their achievements for the rest of their life. If they failed to reach rank thirty before twenty, things only grew harder afterward.
Conversely, the sooner they broke through, the smoother their cultivation path would be thereafter.
Fang Lin understood this deeply. After reaching rank thirty, he had felt that his perception of the energy between heaven and earth was noticeably stronger.
Father and son also talked about Fang Lin's experiences over the past two years. Fang Lin recounted them in detail, suitably glossing over some parts, such as the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well, the Titled Douluo, and his absorption of Soul Rings beyond his level.
His father listened silently to the end, then grunted at Fang Lin.
"You little brat, I won't interfere with how you cultivate or make your way in the world before you turn twenty. But after that, it'll be time to think about taking a wife and having children, so you can leave descendants as soon as possible."
Soul Masters were rare, and even if both parents were Soul Masters, that didn't mean their children would necessarily awaken Soul Power. So being born earlier meant gaining an advantage earlier.
Fang Lin rolled his eyes a few times, and several figures instinctively flashed through his mind. Then he grinned at his father. "Dad, don't worry about that. It's still a long way off."
Early the next morning.
Fang Lin and Fang Yuanqiao rose early and accompanied Qin Ming to Heaven Dou City.
In the carriage, Fang Lin sat beside his father. When Fang Yuanqiao learned that Qin Ming was a peak-level Soul King, even his posture grew more restrained. A Soul Master of that level would basically be the city lord in Suotuo City.
Qin Ming remained gentle in his manner and naturally chatted with Fang Yuanqiao for a bit. Then each of them rested and recovered their spirits.
They made their way to the Begonia Studio. As they entered, Fang Lin noticed that although the door was open, a "Closed" sign stood beside it. Inside, Uncle Ye seemed to have been waiting for some time.
Uncle Ye was startled when he saw Fang Lin, then said with a hearty smile, "Little brother, we meet again. I didn't expect you to be the one the clan head was going to treat."
"Ahem, perhaps it's fate." Fang Lin composed his expression and responded politely.
"Shopkeeper Ye, you've got it wrong. The one receiving Clan Head Ye's treatment this time is Fang Lin's father, the gentleman beside him," Qin Ming said.
The smile on Uncle Ye's face faltered. He looked Fang Yuanqiao over, a hint of puzzlement in his eyes.
His behavior left Fang Yuanqiao somewhat confused, but he couldn't very well ask, so he looked questioningly at Fang Lin.
Fang Lin ignored his father's puzzled gaze and got straight to the point. "Shopkeeper, where is the clan head? We shouldn't keep her waiting."
Uncle Ye nodded, then turned and fumbled around behind the counter. A hidden door opened in the wall.
"Little brother, come in with me. The clan head is through the door at the back."
Beyond the hidden door was a spacious room, with another door at the far end. The smell of medicinal herbs filled the air, and all kinds of cabinets lined the walls. The first room looked like the Begonia Studio's storeroom.
Through the door at the back was a room decorated in understated elegance. A woman in white robes sat there. She appeared to be Ye Xinhua.
Her hair was blue, like Ye Lingling's, but she wore a white veil over her face. A middle-aged man sat beside her, dressed in a blue martial outfit, with an ordinary appearance.
After Qin Ming stepped forward and spoke with her for a while, Ye Xinhua addressed Fang Lin. "Come here."
As Fang Lin stepped forward, white Soul Power surged from Ye Xinhua. It felt like a gentle breeze brushing his face, and at the same time, the Soul Power in his body began circulating involuntarily.
"Your foundation is indeed stable. There's nothing wrong, so I can treat your father without worry."
Fang Lin was momentarily stunned, then understood. He bowed slightly and thanked her. "Many thanks, Clan Head."
He didn't know why Ye Xinhua had done that, but he truly felt as though bathed in a spring breeze. Her bearing also perfectly matched his image of a physician with miraculous hands, and he couldn't help thinking:
I've heard so much gossip that I imagined her as a wicked queen. I really shouldn't have.
Everything afterward went smoothly as well. Fang Lin had seen the Nine Heart Begonia's healing ability in Ye Lingling. All its Soul Skills had only one ability: area healing. Only their healing effects differed, and those also depended on the Soul Master's Soul Power and control.
The Nine Heart Begonia bloomed in Ye Xinhua's hand, and seven Soul Rings rose beneath her feet: yellow, yellow, purple, purple, black, black, black.
As a fist-sized cluster of white flowers landed on Fang Yuanqiao, rich life energy gradually made up for the old injuries in his body. When the light faded, his complexion was noticeably rosier, and he looked several years younger.
"Thank you, Soul Saint." Fang Yuanqiao bowed somewhat excitedly.
Ye Xinhua smiled faintly. "It's nothing. You have a good son." Then he looked at Fang Lin, a faint smile still on his face.
"Ye Lingling is also at Heaven Dou Academy. Do you happen to know her?"
Huh? Fang Lin's eyes widened slightly, and he instinctively glanced at Qin Ming.
Didn't he say not to mention it? Why did she bring it up herself?
Qin Ming looked slightly startled as well and said nothing for a moment.
The atmosphere seemed to freeze for an instant. Only Fang Lin's father had no idea what was going on. Frowning, he nudged Fang Lin. "The Soul Saint asked you a question."