Lin Ran still had over three hundred thousand Origin Points left. He might as well save them for a rainy day.
"Do you want to cultivate?" Lin Ran asked the four of them.
"Cultivate? Senior, do you mean practicing immortal arts like Xiao Lin?" Ye Qingyu could not help asking.
"More or less. After a while, I'll get you a few cultivation methods that suit you. Ye Xiwu, stop cultivating your Dao of Ruthlessness. That path doesn't suit you."
"Can I be like them too?"
"You have an innate demonic body, so you're suited to demonic cultivation methods. But the demons I'm talking about aren't the sort you imagine, destroying heaven and earth and committing every evil imaginable."
"They're demons who pursue the Great Dao, dare to love and hate, and follow only their true hearts."
"Thank you, Senior! I'm willing to cultivate!"
"Mm. These spirit pearls will be your cultivation resources from now on, except for Little Jinjin. He has no use for them."
"Huh? I've almost lost all of mine!" Li Susu and Chun Tao pulled long faces. They stopped playing cards and ran over to Lin Ran, gazing at him pleadingly.
"There's no rush. These spirit pearls are nowhere near enough. Once I find cultivation methods for you, I'll give you more spirit pearls and cultivation resources."
Only then did the two girls breathe sighs of relief. They played all day. At dinner that evening, Father Ye and Grandmother looked at Ye Qingyu and Li Susu in astonishment. When had the two of them started getting along so well?
Ever since Qingyu became head of the household, Ye Xiwu had reacted to him like a mouse spotting a cat, wishing she could hide as far away as possible.
The next day, Ye Qingyu went to the gambling house to catch Ye Zeyu. Naturally, he met Pian Ran as well. Everything that followed went as Lin Ran had expected.
Just as Li Susu and Tantai Jin were about to attack Pian Ran, Lin Ran blocked their attacks.
"Little White, you know this fox demon?"
"Yes. What sort of behavior is this, fighting and killing? If you're going to make your way in the jianghu, you need to understand human relationships and worldly affairs! Pian Ran even saved your younger brother's life."
"Huh? She saved Qingyu's life? All right, I was rash. I admit my mistake!"
"Since you're that silly boy's older sister, it's only right for you to fight on his behalf. I'll just count myself unlucky," Pian Ran said teasingly as she looked Li Susu over.
"All right, come back with us. There's something you ought to know," Lin Ran told Pian Ran.
"Since Senior has spoken, how could this humble girl refuse?"
"If you don't want to go, I won't force you. This time, we're going to retrieve something you lost."
"Something I lost?" Pian Ran murmured in confusion, then realized that Lin Ran must have meant her Love Thread.
"You have news of Jiang Rao?" Pian Ran asked excitedly.
"He's dead."
"He's dead? So it was just as I guessed." Pian Ran gave a desolate smile.
After they returned, Lin Ran had Li Susu summon Father Ye and Grandmother. Naturally, the central figure in this matter, Ye Bingchang, came as well.
"Ye Bingchang, do you admit your wrongdoing?"
"Senior, Bingchang doesn't know what she has done wrong."
"You should know who she is. You did take something of hers, after all," Lin Ran said lazily. Ye Bingchang really would not turn back until she hit the southern wall.
"Senior, Bingchang didn't do it on purpose. I was only curious about what a Love Thread looked like. I never expected it to burrow into my body after just one look."
"So? If no one discovered it, you would have simply swallowed up Pian Ran's Love Thread as though you were entitled to it? Don't say you didn't know where Pian Ran was. You'd already met her before you obtained that Love Thread."
Lin Ran could not help shaking his head. Ye Bingchang was not suited to setting foot on the immortal path. Once she possessed great power, she would become a menace.
"Senior, Bingchang admits her mistake and will accept whatever punishment you give!" Seeing that the matter had been exposed, Ye Bingchang promptly began playing pitiful.
After learning what had happened, Grandmother and Father Ye exchanged a glance and could not help sighing. They had never imagined that Bingchang, who was normally so gentle and reasonable, had long been nursing resentment.
"You have one more chance. If you still refuse to repent then, I won't show you mercy again."
With that, Lin Ran directly ended Ye Bingchang's trial and sent her back five hundred years into the future.
"Little White! Eldest Sister may have done wrong, but surely she didn't deserve to die!"
"I didn't kill her. I only sent her where she belongs. In a while, the same will happen to you!"
"Huh? That'll happen to me too?" Li Susu asked in disbelief.
"You'll understand when the time comes. Grandmother, General Ye, I'll explain everything about Ye Bingchang to you in the future. The time isn't right yet, so I can't reveal too much."
"Ah, let it be. Bingchang was indeed in the wrong. We trust you, Senior White. Over these past three years, we've long since come to think of you as family."
"Mm. Next, I'm taking Little Jinjin and Ye Xiwu to the Jing Kingdom. Tantai Minglang is unsuited to being a ruler. On this trip, I intend to choose a suitable, wise ruler for the Jing Kingdom and end the conflict between the two kingdoms."
"That would be excellent! But the King of Sheng is filled with ambition. If you only resolve the Jing Kingdom's problems, I'm afraid that won't be enough to quell the conflict."
"Then just have someone else become the King of Sheng. Xiao Lin would be a good choice! Tomorrow, we'll go to the palace first and settle Xiao Lin's accession with the King of Sheng, then head to the Jing Kingdom."
"I'll set up a grand formation around the Ye residence. As long as you don't step outside, you'll be safe," Lin Ran instructed Father Ye.
The next morning, after breakfast, Ye Xiwu boarded the carriage with Lin Ran in her arms, together with Tantai Jin. Chun Tao came along as well. The carriage drove straight in, charging into the imperial palace. The driver wore a look of shock, because he could no longer control himself!
Every guard who blocked their way fell unconscious, and the carriage stopped right outside the main entrance to the great hall.
By then, the King of Sheng and Xiao Lin had also received word: an immortal had barged into the imperial palace!
When Li Susu and Tantai Jin stepped down from the carriage, the King of Sheng flew into a rage!
"Tantai Jin, I spared your life, yet instead of clinging meekly to your miserable existence, you've learned some sorcery from who knows where and dared to barge into my palace!"
"Guards! Seize them both!"
Lin Ran leaped out of Li Susu's arms and revealed his true form in midair. The entire imperial palace shuddered.
A sacred white tiger nearly two hundred meters tall at the shoulder appeared out of nowhere. Even a mere trace of the pressure emanating from his body struck terror into everyone's hearts.
"King of Sheng, you have seven days to pass the throne to Xiao Lin. From this day forth, the Sheng Kingdom must never initiate a war! If you refuse, this Sheng Kingdom will bear the surname Ye from now on."
The King of Sheng had stopped thinking altogether. There was no helping it: the pressure emanating from Lin Ran was far too terrifying for these mortals to withstand, and this was already the result of Lin Ran reining in part of his aura.
Having finished showing off, Lin Ran slowly shrank again and jumped into Li Susu's arms.
Only then did everyone realize that the terrifying being from a moment ago was actually the little exotic beast that had always followed Ye Xiwu!
As the carriage slowly left the imperial palace, Xiao Lin hurried to help the King of Sheng up from where he had collapsed on the ground.
"Lin'er, is there anyone in your immortal sects who could subdue that white tiger?"
"Father, absolutely not. The immortal sects are in decline. Even our sect master's aura is not half as powerful as that exotic beast's."
"Then it seems this is heaven's will. Make your preparations. In three days, I will pass the throne to you." The King of Sheng gave a bitter smile, having come to terms with it.
"Yes, Father!"
Not long after Lin Ran left, another piece of news emerged from the imperial palace: the fifth prince had unfortunately passed away! Lin Ran had frightened the fifth prince to death. Naturally, Lin Ran would not spare this fifth prince, who had pestered Ye Xiwu and bullied Dandan Jin.