You're Quite Nervous, Miss

The two had been drawn over by the immense fluctuations of Soul Power.

They had thought they might be able to pick up the spoils, but instead they found Ah Yin rushing out. Even more unexpectedly, she was with Jiang Nian.

"Brother Jiang, what a coincidence," Tang Hao said with a smile.

"Not much of a coincidence." Jiang Nian took Qian Renxue's hand. "Xue'er, let's go."

Seeing that Jiang Nian had paid Ah Yin no attention, Qian Renxue finally relaxed. Someone had nearly stolen her teacher away.

Ignored once again, Tang Hao showed his displeasure and turned his gaze to the dead Flame Dragon Lizard.

A two-thousand-year-old Soul Beast?

Looks like this Jiang Nian isn't all that strong!

Tang Hao assumed Jiang Nian had hunted the Soul Beast because he needed to absorb its Soul Ring.

It made sense. There were only a few people present, and Ah Yin was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast. She didn't need to hunt for her earlier Soul Rings.

If it wasn't Ah Yin, Jiang Nian was the only possibility.

Surely a six-year-old girl couldn't absorb a two-thousand-year Soul Ring as her First Soul Ring?!

If Ah Yin hadn't been there, Tang Hao would already have made his move.

That miraculous combat technique was something he, Tang Hao, was determined to obtain!

And likewise, he, Tang Hao, would claim Ah Yin's Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring too!

Tang Hao forced a smile. "You must be joking, Brother Jiang. Our meeting was fated. Why don't we venture through the Star Dou Forest together? What do you think?"

"Not interested." Jiang Nian couldn't be bothered with him. He glanced back at Ah Yin. "Aren't you coming with me, my good disciple?"

"Huh? I... all right, Master!"

Ah Yin happily followed him. Earlier, she had simply been grasping at straws in desperation. She hadn't expected Jiang Nian to really be willing to take her along.

Looks like we didn't put this master and disciple up for the night outside the Star Dou Forest for nothing.

Tang Hao had wanted to ask her to stay, but Jiang Nian gave him no chance. As soon as Ah Yin came over, he turned and left.

"Damn it!" Tang Xiao clenched his fists. "Second Brother, I can hardly stand this anymore. A fellow who still needs to hunt for a Thousand-Year Soul Ring dares to act so arrogantly in front of us!"

Tang Hao said nothing, his expression shifting between dark and uncertain.

Jiang Nian's disregard angered him, but Ah Yin's attitude worried him even more.

Ah Yin and Jiang Nian were far too close. She had actually tugged on Jiang Nian's sleeve just now. That was highly unusual!

You dare steal my woman and my Soul Ring? Jiang Nian, you already have a way to die!

Elsewhere.

"All right, if there's nothing else, you can go back to your Star Dou Great Forest," Jiang Nian suddenly said. "Consider this repayment for putting us up before."

Ah Yin nodded, though there was something unusual in the way she looked at Jiang Nian. "Oh... all... all right. Thank you, Your Excellency."

She thought that if she could truly become this Titled Douluo's disciple, cultivating in the future might be much safer. But Jiang Nian didn't seem to have any real intention of taking her as a disciple.

Qian Renxue, on the other hand, breathed a sigh of relief.

Oh, so it was an act! I knew it. Master and I are the closest in the whole world!

At that moment, Ah Yin gathered her courage. She had to consider whether this was her one and only chance in this life to gain a Titled Douluo's protection.

"Your Excellency... I... may I follow you and cultivate with you?"

Ah Yin hadn't taken human form simply because she wanted to experience human life.

She refused to accept being a Soul Beast that could only be hunted. She wanted to become a god.

Jiang Nian stared at her. "Do you know what you're saying? You're a Soul Beast. It's already an act of mercy that I haven't killed you. Why should I take you as my disciple?"

"You should know how much trouble a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast can bring. What benefit would I get from taking you as my disciple?"

Ah Yin lowered her head, racking her brains for her good points. "I... I can heal people."

Jiang Nian remained unmoved.

"I... I can also gather information. I'm the Blue Silver Emperor. Wherever there's Blue Silver Grass, I can find out what's happened."

Jiang Nian still remained unmoved.

Ah Yin grew anxious. She hadn't expected her first attempt at mustering her courage to end in such a thorough defeat.

She gave up and blurted out everything she could think of, no longer caring whether she would regret it. "I can also wash clothes, cook, fold quilts... I have a good figure, and I'm pretty too. I can even warm your bed..."

"Mm, I agree."

"I can also... uh..." Ah Yin paused. By the time she came to her senses, Jiang Nian had already walked far ahead.

Oh no. His Excellency doesn't really want me to warm his bed, does he?

But I'm grass!

"If you don't catch up soon, I'll change my mind."

Jiang Nian's voice brought Ah Yin out of her daze, and she hurried after him.

Fine, I'll warm his bed. I'll just treat it like a mosquito bite. I'm the Blue Silver Emperor. I'll be fine the next day!

Qian Renxue pouted. "Teacher, Xue'er can warm your bed too!"

Ah Yin, who had just caught up, froze on the spot.

She glanced at the difference in height between the two. Is His Excellency really that ruthless? He'll even lay a hand on a child?!

"Warm what bed? You're more like the one leeching your master's warmth every night!" Jiang Nian tapped her on the head irritably. "I can't cook, and neither can you. We'll be coming out to cultivate plenty of times in the future. We can't eat roast meat every time, can we?"

Ah Yin's steps faltered again.

Cooking? I... I made that up!

Well, I've already made it up. At worst, I'll just learn as I go!

Jiang Nian asked, "Do you know what Tang Hao and the others are planning? It doesn't look like their reasons for following me are simple."

"Oh, that." Ah Yin relaxed a little. "The Blue Silver Grass heard them that day. The two brothers seem to want Your Excellency's combat techniques, the ones Xiao Xue'er used that day."

"Call me Senior Sister!" Qian Renxue was a little unhappy.

From now on, I'll have to share Master's love again. What if Sister Ah Yin fights me for a place in Master's bed at night?

Sister Ah Yin is so big. Xue'er will get pushed out of bed, won't she?

So that's it. Those two want Eight Extremes Collapse and Suction Palm?

Jiang Nian narrowed his eyes. "Since they've got their eyes on my things, I'll leave them a little gift when the time comes."

In truth, killing Tang Hao would be as easy as turning his hand over for Jiang Nian.

But if he killed Tang Hao, how would Qian Xunji die? He couldn't very well kill the man with his own hands, could he? After all, he was Qian Renxue's teacher now.

As for whether taking Ah Yin away would prevent Tang Hao from facing Qian Xunji, Jiang Nian had indeed considered that question.

But since he had agreed to Ah Yin's request, Jiang Nian naturally wouldn't go back on his word. He would deal with the future when it came.

In any case, leaving Tang Hao alive would at least give Bibi Dong a chance to kill Qian Xunji.

As for whether it would actually happen, Jiang Nian couldn't be bothered to worry about it.

Having learned what Tang Hao wanted, Jiang Nian put the two men out of his mind. Then he suddenly asked, "By the way, Ah Yin, what can you cook?"

"Huh? I... well... um, I can make a little bit of everything!" Ah Yin counted on her fingers in her mind, her heart leaping back into her throat just as she had begun to relax.

Let me think, what can I make? I can cook rice porridge, vegetable porridge, potato porridge...

I'm done for, I'm done for. If His Excellency finds out, he'll strip my grass stems off, won't he?

Ah Yin was in a complete panic.

But Jiang Nian nodded. "A little bit of everything? That's good. Show us what you can do when we get back to Suotuo City."

Ah Yin nodded with difficulty. "I'll be sure to satisfy you, Your Excellency."

"You're my disciple now. Just call me Master."

"Yes, Your Excellency... I mean, Master!"

Jiang Nian turned around, an odd look on his face. "You're a little nervous, miss."

"Huh? My surname isn't Zhang." Ah Yin looked up in confusion.

Wait, are you all right?

Jiang Nian rubbed the spot between his brows. Ah Yin looked so dignified; how had he not noticed she was an old hand at dirty jokes underneath?