Ye Lingling squirmed slightly in Gu Xuan's embrace, feeling a bit awkward. Even though she admired him and was now certain of his "improper" intentions toward her, the sudden shift in their relationship was hard to adjust to all at once.
Gu Xuan, having a heart full of lust but a lingering sense of restraint, reined himself in after teasing her for a moment. He feared that if he continued, he wouldn't be able to stop. Though he appreciated beauty, he had a bottom line: Dugu Yan was his first woman in this world, and he intended to save his "first time" for her.
"Let's not expose ourselves in front of Tianheng and the others for now," Gu Xuan whispered into her ear. "If you miss me, you can sneak into my room at night."
Ye Lingling couldn't help but roll her eyes. 'Sneak into your room at night? Wouldn't that be like a sheep walking into a tiger's den?'
As their relationship took on this "impure" tint, Gu Xuan took the opportunity to learn more about her past. Finding a long-awaited outlet for her emotions, Ye Lingling told him of her childhood and the tragedy that fueled her desire to break the Nine-Hearted Begonia curse.
When she was two, her father broke through to become a Soul King. However, he misjudged the age of the soul beast he was absorbing and nearly died. The Ye Family exhausted their resources to save him, but while he survived, his cultivation path was severed. For the next generation of the Nine-Hearted Begonia to awaken, one of the two existing heirs had to pass on.
Her father, unwilling to live a life of mediocrity, committed suicide when she was young to ensure that Ye Lingling could awaken the family's Martial Soul. She didn't learn the truth until she was ten, and the realization that her father had died for her sake caused her to spiral into a deep depression. Since then, her life's mission had been to find the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid.
The Ye Family had possessed Immortal Herbs in their history—and even produced a Nine-Hearted Begonia Titled Douluo who brought the family great fame—but they currently had nothing. The highest-grade herb they possessed was only fifty thousand years old, far from reaching the Immortal Grade. This was why her reaction to Gu Xuan's news had been so explosive.
That evening, Gu Xuan escorted her to meet her attendant, Uncle Niu, in Heaven Dou City. He stayed in the shadows, letting her deliver the news herself to heighten the impact. Within a week, the news reached the family.
During that week, Gu Xuan continued to flirt with her. Now that his intentions were clear, he didn't hold back, leaving Ye Lingling feeling both helpless and secretly thrilled by the "scandalous" nature of it all.
Three days after receiving the Mixed Yuan Pill, Xue Qinghe invited Gu Xuan to the gardens again. The pill had worked wonders; she had jumped from the middle of Rank 68 to Rank 69, putting her only one step away from becoming a Soul Saint.
Xue Qinghe thanked him again and began to grow noticeably closer to him. In her eyes, Gu Xuan was only thirteen—if she didn't cultivate their bond now, it would be harder to manage once her identity was revealed. She was confident in her looks, but she knew about Dugu Yan; she had once caught the two of them in a heated embrace in this very pavilion.
She didn't want to share her man, but she couldn't interfere with his current relationship yet. Instead, she tried to "guide" him, telling him he was too young to focus solely on women and that he shouldn't let such things distract him from his cultivation. Gu Xuan found this amusing, but he appreciated the advice, though he knew his willpower was strong enough to resist—mostly.
After half a month at the academy, Gu Xuan had sparred with every member of the Emperor Team, amping up their training for the upcoming Elite Tournament. He still hadn't used his Martial Soul against them; the Sword Dragon Eight Wings and his Darkgold Terrorclaw were more than enough. His Heart Separation Control had reached the "Five Aperture Dispersed Heart" level, allowing him to control five flying swords simultaneously.
He was also digesting the eight strands of the Seven Kill Sword intent left by Chen Xin. Within a week, he had fully integrated two of them. These strands acted as a shortcut for his swordsmanship, providing him with Chen Xin's years of combat experience and lethal insights.
A week later, Ye Lingling informed him that her grandmother had arrived in Heaven Dou City and wanted to meet him to discuss the Eight Petal Immortal Orchid. Gu Xuan smiled. 'That was fast.' It seemed the orchid held the same vital attraction for the Nine-Hearted Begonia as the Beautiful Silk Tulip did for the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.
The next day, in a top-tier private room on the seventh floor of the Heaven Dou Grand Hotel, Gu Xuan met Ye Lingling's grandmother, Ye Haitang.
For a moment, Gu Xuan thought he was looking at Ye Lingling's mother. Despite being seventy years old, Ye Haitang looked to be in her early forties—a graceful, noblewoman with a lingering charm.
'Is this a test for a young officer like me?' Gu Xuan thought, his eyes nearly popping out. 'Who could pass such a test?'
"The Ye Family Matriarch truly has skin like jade and bones like ice. No wonder Lingling is so beautiful; she clearly takes after you," Gu Xuan said as his very first greeting. He then bowed politely. "Junior Gu Xuan greets Senior Ye."
Ye Haitang let out a soft chuckle, her already enchanting face becoming even more alluring. "Hehe, you are Lingling's classmate. You may call me Grandma Ye."
Beside her, a burly, handsome middle-aged man studied Gu Xuan. "Truly, a hero emerges from the youth. At such a young age, you have already reached the rank of Soul Ancestor."
This was Ye Lingling's "Second Grandfather," one of Ye Haitang's two husbands, named Zhang Jinyuan. He was a Rank 86 Soul Douluo with a Martial Soul called the Lion King Armor.
"Senior praises me too much. I merely enjoy the shade provided by my elders," Gu Xuan replied humbly, yet with poise.
Even without Gu Xuan leaking soul power, Zhang Jinyuan could gauge his approximate strength, proving the old man was quite capable. Ye Lingling moved to Ye Haitang's side, hugging her arm affectionately. "Grandma, I missed you so much."
Ye Haitang stroked her granddaughter's head with a happy smile. The news Lingling sent home had given her hope for the future of their bloodline. However, looking at Gu Xuan, she knew this wouldn't be an easy problem to solve. Fortunately, she had come with plenty of sincerity.
(End of Chapter)
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