Pang Dun Pledges His Loyalty

At the village entrance.

A carriage stood by the roadside, ready to take Jiang Nian and the others back to Suotuo City.

Ah Yin was the last to arrive. She looked back at the village and murmured, "It's time to leave."

Even after Soul Beast Transformation, she had to grow up slowly from childhood. By human reckoning, Ah Yin was eighteen this year, and she had lived in this village for over a decade.

She knew this departure would not be temporary. She would probably find it hard to come back here again.

At the thought, she could not help feeling a little sentimental.

Qian Renxue tugged Jiang Nian's sleeve. "Teacher, what's wrong with Sister Ah Yin?"

Ah Yin turned around with a smile. "Nothing..."

"She's just being sentimental. She needs to get over it," Jiang Nian interrupted. "Are you coming or not? If you're not, our master-disciple relationship is over."

Ah Yin's mind went blank. Then she gritted her teeth and snapped, "Hey! Do you have a heart? Can't you see I'm feeling sentimental?!"

Jiang Nian turned his head. "Driver, get going, hurry!"

"Right away! Hold on tight!" The driver cracked his whip, and the horse, stung by the blow, shot forward at full speed without a moment's delay.

Clop, clop, clop...

Ah Yin watched the carriage pull away and hurriedly broke into a run, her long legs pumping. "Hey! I haven't gotten on yet! I'm still not on board!"

Qian Renxue lifted the curtain. "Teacher, aren't we waiting for Sister Ah Yin?"

"Wait for what? Have you forgotten how you trained your body before? Let her run all the way back to Suotuo City! Her body is stronger than yours, but you have to consider her current level. If you were at her level, you could suppress her with one hand."

"Oh... Master, you really have put a lot of thought into this."

The carriage raced along, with Ah Yin's shouts following close behind.

Several days later, at the gates of Suotuo City.

The carriage carrying Jiang Nian rolled slowly into the city.

Behind the carriage, Ah Yin looked perfectly fine, apart from her heavy panting.

Even Jiang Nian could not help raising an eyebrow.

It had been a journey of nearly a hundred kilometers, and aside from letting Ah Yin rest at night, he really had made her run the entire time.

Jiang Nian had originally planned to let Ah Yin onto the carriage once she could run no farther. Who would have thought the woman would be like she was pumped full of hormones and insist on running the whole way?

As he unhitched the carriage, the driver gave Ah Yin an admiring look. "Sir, this disciple of yours... she's practically superhuman!"

"Indeed."

Jiang Nian wholeheartedly agreed. Racing a carriage for a hundred kilometers was not something a human could do.

But Ah Yin was a Soul Beast, and Blue Silver Grass represented life, so it was only natural that her recovery was strong.

He just wondered what treasures he could refine from a hundred-thousand-year-old Blue Silver Emperor if he used her to make medicine.

Jiang Nian walked up to Ah Yin. "Why so quiet?"

Ah Yin ground her teeth, but forced her anger back down. "What are we doing next?"

"Back to the Spirit Hall branch. We'll rest for a few days first, then I'll take you somewhere nice."

"Oh. Lead the way."

Seeing how unconcerned Ah Yin looked, Jiang Nian asked in puzzlement, "I thought you'd be angry."

Ah Yin smiled. "Am I qualified to be angry, Master? I'm not like Senior Sister Xiao Xue'er."

As she spoke, she tilted her head, feeling a sting in her nose.

Jiang Nian knew he had not treated her fairly either. He coughed. "I'm very satisfied with your stamina. It looks like I'll have to find another way to strengthen your body."

Ah Yin let out a scoff, feeling that Jiang Nian was toying with her.

Jiang Nian took the two of them to the market again.

Ah Yin asked in confusion, "Why are you buying so much food?"

Jiang Nian gave her a strange look. "Don't you know how to cook? Of course I'm buying it for you to cook."

Cook?!

Ah Yin froze. She had spent the whole trip cursing this bastard and completely forgotten that cooking was the condition for becoming his disciple.

It was over, it was over. She was dead for sure!

With her heart in her throat, Ah Yin followed them to the Spirit Hall branch.

Pang Dun came forward with a smile. Since they had last met, he had reached level thirty-nine, all thanks to the pill Jiang Nian had rewarded him with before leaving.

Because of that, Pang Dun was now utterly respectful toward Jiang Nian.

"Your Holiness, you're back."

"Mm. Have there been any letters for Xue'er from Spirit City recently?"

At the mention of Spirit City, Qian Renxue's grip on Jiang Nian's hand unconsciously tightened, and she looked at Pang Dun expectantly.

Pang Dun smiled apologetically. "Things are busy in Spirit City. Perhaps... perhaps His Holiness the Pope forgot."

Qian Renxue lowered her head again after hearing that, but this time she was not quite so disappointed. Having her teacher was enough for her.

Pang Dun's words of comfort were full of holes. If Qian Xunji really cared about Qian Renxue, he would have found time to write a letter no matter how busy he was.

"If there aren't any, so be it. Have someone heat some water. We're going to bathe."

"I'll make the arrangements right away!"

As he turned to leave, Pang Dun hesitated. "Your Holiness, that pill you gave me last time-can it be mass-produced?"

"Yes. Why?"

"I have a friend who can help you sell those pills. I wonder if you'd be willing."

"Oh? How are you planning to sell them? How much profit will you give me?"

Pang Dun hurriedly said, "How would we dare take any of your profits? Our Pang Family will provide the materials needed for the pills, and all the profits from their sale will go to you."

Ah Yin frowned. "Are you crazy? You're providing the medicinal ingredients and the sales channels, but you won't take any profit. What are you after?"

"I'm telling you, my master is no good person. Don't be too kind to him! Ow... that hurt!"

Jiang Nian rapped Ah Yin on the head. "If there's a next time, I'll make you run another hundred kilometers!"

"So what if I have to run? Who's afraid..." Ah Yin muttered, holding her head.

The corner of Jiang Nian's mouth twitched. It seemed running really was no threat to this woman.

Pang Dun asked in puzzlement, "Your Holiness, this young lady is..."

"The cook."

"My disciple."

Ah Yin saw herself as the cook, although she did not know how to cook.

Hearing Jiang Nian call her his disciple, Ah Yin immediately said sarcastically, "Oh my, so I'm your disciple, am I? What decent person makes their disciple run from the Star Dou Great Forest to Suotuo City?"

"Stop fooling around!" Jiang Nian coughed and fixed his gaze on Pang Dun. "You want me to let your Pang Family be the sole seller of those pills?"

Seeing that his little scheme had been exposed, Pang Dun looked somewhat flustered.

A pill that could improve a Soul Master's perception of Soul Power factors was a huge source of profit in itself. If the Pang Family secured exclusive selling rights, its status in Suotuo City would surely soar.

He lowered his head. "I can't hide anything from you, Your Holiness. But rest assured, even if this brings disaster upon the Pang Family, none of them will ever know that you are the one refining the pills. I'll take that secret to my grave and won't bring you any trouble."

After spending some time together,

Pang Dun had also figured out Jiang Nian's character: easygoing, carefree, and averse to trouble.

So he had immediately given his assurance to avoid displeasing Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian was not angry when he heard this. "You know how to make a good deal. With exclusive rights to sell those pills, your Pang Family only needs one peaceful generation, and perhaps it'll be able to arm-wrestle with the Lower Four Sects someday."

"You jest, Your Holiness. How could I have such ambitions?"

"Is that so? I don't like business partners without ambition. Are you sure you have none?"

Pang Dun pondered for a long time, then dropped to one knee. "Your Holiness, the Pang Family wants to become a family like those of the Upper Three Sects!"

Jiang Nian glanced around the empty Spirit Hall. No wonder this fellow had sent everyone else away. The old rascal was quite ambitious.

Jiang Nian smiled and sat down in the archbishop's seat. "Pills alone won't be enough. The Upper Three Sects rely on their bloodlines and Martial Souls. Can you do the same?"

At that, Pang Dun's face fell. "You're right, Your Holiness. Our Pang Family only has the ordinary Gale Wolf Martial Soul. How could we become a major sect? I've made a fool of myself before you."

Jiang Nian nodded. "Your Martial Souls are indeed simple, but I have a way to improve their quality."

Improve the quality of their Martial Souls?!

Pang Dun's eyes widened, and his breathing quickened.

Jiang Nian continued, "But I have a condition as well."

"Please speak plainly, Your Holiness. Even if it costs me my life, I'll certainly meet your condition."

"Your life alone isn't enough." Jiang Nian spoke slowly. "I want you and the entire Pang Family to acknowledge my eldest disciple as your honored lord."

Pang Dun's gaze fell on Qian Renxue, and only then did he notice that she had actually reached level sixteen!

She was only six years old and had already reached level sixteen. No one on the entire Douluo Continent could compare to her.

"I'm willing!" Pang Dun did not hesitate for a moment. "From now on, the young lady will be the lord of our Pang Family!"

"You've got some resolve." Jiang Nian nodded. "From now on, Xue'er will refine Soul Condensing Pills for you. You may leave."

Pang Dun froze, his eyes full of envy as he looked at Qian Renxue.

He understood that His Holiness was building a foundation for the young lady, who was not well received in Spirit City. With a teacher like this, she was far luckier than she would have been as the eldest young lady of the Qian Family in Spirit City.

Qian Renxue did not understand what Jiang Nian was doing. She said softly, "Teacher, Xue'er doesn't know how to refine pills."

Jiang Nian stroked the tip of the girl's nose. "I'm your teacher. Naturally, I'll teach you."

Ah Yin looked at Qian Renxue, her face full of envy as well. How could anyone not covet the favor of a Titled Douluo whose strength was unfathomable?

Jiang Nian looked up at Ah Yin. "The same goes for you. As long as you're absolutely loyal to me, your master, you won't miss out on the benefits you deserve."

Ah Yin nodded, moved. "Thank you, Teacher!"

Jiang Nian smiled. "All right, take the ingredients to the kitchen. Once we've bathed, you can cook. We can try your cooking while we're at it."

Ah Yin's gratitude vanished, and she panicked.