Ye Lingling's Mother's Plan

Meanwhile, Ye Lingling, who also lived in Heaven Dou City, had returned home.

Compared with the Dugu Family, the Ye Family was considerably more modest, though it was still clearly a noble household.

After all, though the Ye Family possessed the Nine Heart Begonia, the unrivaled number-one healing-type Martial Soul under heaven, it had only one descendant in each generation and few family members. It was therefore difficult to expand the family's influence. Unlike the Dugu Family, it had no Titled Douluo like Dugu Bo to rely on, and rashly expanding its holdings would only invite covetous gazes from monsters and demons of every sort.

The Ye Family had simply maintained a middling scale, and its life was stable and secure.

"Young miss, you're back."

As soon as Ye Lingling entered, an elderly woman sweeping the courtyard noticed her.

"Aunt Jing, where's my mother?"

Guo Jing was a longtime member of the household who had practically watched Ye Lingling grow up, and Ye Lingling's mother trusted her a great deal.

At Ye Lingling's question, she smiled. "The family head should be in the main hall right now. You can go straight there, young miss. Now that you're back, I'll have the kitchen prepare a few more dishes."

With that, she went straight to the kitchen.

Ye Lingling continued on and pushed open the door to the main hall.

Ye Qingxian was sitting by the window, leafing through an old book. When she saw her daughter enter, she immediately closed it and looked her up and down. Her face lit up at first, but then she immediately frowned.

"Lingling, come here."

Ye Lingling obediently walked over and sat down in front of her mother.

Ye Qingxian leaned closer to examine her face, reached out and took her by the chin, turning her face first to the left and then to the right.

"Mother..."

"Why does your complexion look so much better?" Ye Qingxian let go, her voice plainly puzzled. "I remember you were still pale as paper before you left. It's only been a few days, and now you have such a rosy complexion. Since when did going Soul Hunting improve your health?"

Ye Lingling had never been particularly healthy. She might not have been so frail that a gust of wind would knock her over, but she could still be called delicate.

Before Ye Lingling could speak, Ye Qingxian added, "Don't tell me you ate and slept well. You're my own daughter. Don't I know your constitution?"

Ye Lingling fell silent for a moment, then spoke. "Mother, I got my Third Soul Ring."

"Third Soul Ring?" Ye Qingxian was startled at first, but then felt something was wrong. "Wasn't your Third Soul Ring the whole reason you went out this time? What does that have to do with your health?"

Although a Soul Master's physical condition would improve after obtaining a Soul Ring and advancing, Ye Lingling's situation was rather unusual. At least, obtaining her first two Soul Rings had not caused any great change in her body.

This Third Soul Ring did not seem likely to have done much either.

"Where did your Third Soul Ring come from?"

"From a Spirit-Concentrating Tranquil Heart Orchid."

The book in Ye Qingxian's hand nearly fell to the floor.

"What did you say? A Spirit-Concentrating Tranquil Heart Orchid? You tried the method in the ancient records?"

"Mm." Ye Lingling nodded gently.

Ye Qingxian took a deep breath and set the book on the table. "Tell me what happened, from beginning to end."

As far as she knew, her daughter had always been fairly steady and would never rashly attempt something so uncertain.

(At this time, people on the Douluo Continent regarded Soul Beasts as Soul Beasts. Who had ever heard of eating a Soul Beast to obtain a Soul Ring?)

Ye Lingling held nothing back and told her mother everything she had experienced this time.

She began with entering the Star Dou Great Forest, then encountering the Rift Ruins Earth Dragon and nearly being ambushed, being saved by Lin Qingchen, and later coming across the Spirit-Concentrating Tranquil Heart Orchid...

Finally, she described how she had dug out the core of the Spirit-Concentrating Tranquil Heart Orchid and swallowed it according to the method in the ancient book passed down through the family. When she woke up, she had not only gained her Third Soul Ring, but her health had also improved considerably.

After listening, Ye Qingxian fell silent for quite a while.

Of course, it was not really her daughter's situation that had silenced her. After all, however risky it had been, Ye Lingling's health had genuinely improved, and she ought to have been happy.

What had silenced her was that her daughter had encountered danger on one trip out and been saved by someone, and that person even seemed to be an unparalleled genius.

Ye Qingxian immediately had a bad feeling about this. And from what she had just observed, her daughter seemed...

In short, things did not look promising.

"Is that Lin Qingchen you mentioned really such a genius? He broke through to level thirty at only ten years old?"

"Mm."

Ye Lingling nodded, then added quietly, "And his Second Soul Ring is a thousand-year ring."

"Hmm?"

Ye Qingxian fell silent again, then said, "If you told me he was some Titled Douluo's grandson, I might be more inclined to believe it. But you say he's a commoner?"

"That's definitely right. And when he talked about his parents being gone, I'm sure I couldn't have been mistaken about that faint sadness," Ye Lingling hurriedly said.

Hiss-

Ye Qingxian glanced at her daughter and sucked in a breath of cold air.

It's over!

Though Ye Lingling's tone had barely changed as she said it, Ye Qingxian could hear the meaning behind her words: "He and I are the same kind of person."

That was right. Ye Lingling's father had also passed away long ago, and Ye Qingxian had raised their daughter all these years.

Ye Qingxian had only been suspicious before, and a sliver of hope had remained in her heart. But as soon as Ye Lingling said those words, she knew at once that her daughter was probably truly smitten.

She did not point it out, merely sighing softly.

"What you did with the Spirit-Concentrating Tranquil Heart Orchid was far too risky. The book passed down from our ancestors does describe that method, but no one has tried it all these years. It's always been conjecture, and no one knows whether something might go wrong."

"Our ancestors wouldn't lead their descendants into a pit," Ye Lingling argued.

"Your ancestors never expected to have a descendant like you, who'd dare to try things at random in the Star Dou Great Forest." Ye Qingxian shook her head, then changed the subject. "But let's put that aside for now. As for Lin Qingchen, find an opportunity to bring him home."

Ye Lingling instantly raised her head.

"What are you nervous about? I ought to thank him in person, shouldn't I?" Ye Qingxian gave her an exasperated look. "You're my only daughter. If he hadn't stepped in to save you, you'd be gone. If I don't thank him for that kindness, I'm afraid I won't even be able to sleep at night."

"Mother, he really didn't..."

"None of that. I said I'm inviting him, and that's that." Ye Qingxian waved a hand. "If you're too shy and embarrassed to ask him, then I'll do it. Go back and tell him I'm inviting him to a meal to thank him for saving my daughter, all right?"

Of course, though that was what she said, Ye Qingxian naturally had other thoughts in mind.

After all, if Lin Qingchen really was a young genius, as Ye Lingling said, and was the only one left in his family, then she could indeed try to bring him and her daughter together.