"Uh."
Xiao Ting felt that Ruo Ling's wording sounded a bit strange.
Of course he still had plenty of thousand-year stalactite liquid—far more than enough—but he definitely couldn't casually trade it away.
As for the saying an ordinary man is innocent, but a jade is a crime, with his six-star Dou Spirit strength and the Seven-Colored Heaven-Swallowing Python by his side, he could hardly be called ordinary. Still, he knew not to reveal all his wealth. Showing a bit of foundation to deter others from underestimating him was enough.
"Really none. If I get more later, I'll consider trading with you," Xiao Ting smoothly drew a pie in the sky for Ruo Ling.
It wasn't entirely empty talk. Instructor Ruo Ling had a good relationship with Xiao Yu and seemed reliable.
If nothing unexpected happened, she would be the Outer Academy teacher for Xun Er, the Little Fairy Doctor, and Qing Lin for quite a long time.
As long as she performed well and took good care of his women, he wouldn't mind giving her some thousand-year stalactite liquid—or even more precious spiritual liquids—later.
"Alright then." Instructor Ruo Ling wasn't too disappointed. She knew how valuable something like thousand-year stalactite liquid was. It was perfectly reasonable for Xiao Ting to prioritize his clan. She had only asked on the off chance.
Bringing this student back to Jia Nan Academy would already be a great achievement. That was enough.
"In three days, the recruitment team will head to the next stop. All students who passed the preliminary test must leave with us then. Xiao Ting, you have no issues with that, right?" Ruo Ling asked proactively.
"No problem." Xiao Ting pointed at Xiao Yu. "Instructor can just have my cousin notify me when the time comes."
As he spoke, Xiao Ting's gaze fell on some of the boys inside the tent.
The gaze of a fifteen-year-old Dou Spirit powerhouse put immense pressure on them.
Those who had been interested in Xiao Yu or thinking of pursuing Xun Er and the other girls instantly killed those unrealistic thoughts.
Trying to steal a woman from a heaven's pride who would at least become a Dou Emperor and most likely a Dou Ancestor in the future was no different from seeking death.
"Instructor Ruo Ling, I'll take Xun Er and the others with me now. See you later."
After politely bidding Ruo Ling farewell, Xiao Ting and the group left together.
The moment they returned to the clan, Xiao Yan asked curiously, "Xiao Ting, the harvest must have been pretty good, right?"
"Not much—just enough for you to take a bath," Xiao Ting didn't tell the full story.
Xiao Yan was still shocked and shook his head. "Fog grass, you're inhumanly rich."
"How am I inhuman?" Xiao Ting blinked in confusion.
"Not 'inhuman'—'rich.' I mean you're a local tycoon, an earth emperor," Xiao Yan explained, scratching his cheek.
For some reason, interacting with Xiao Ting gave him a completely different relaxed feeling compared to others. He instinctively used phrases from his previous life, just like when he was studying or with his friends back then.
"Then I really am quite the tycoon," Xiao Ting smiled faintly. "This tycoon is going to deliver some warmth to Uncle and the others."
"Who knows when I'll be back after going to Jia Nan Academy this time."
After greeting Xun Er and the girls, Xiao Ting headed to the training field in the rear courtyard to see Xiao Zhan.
On the way, he casually wrote a few lines in his Journal.
…
[In the original story, Instructor Ruo Ling—Xiao Yu's best friend and teacher—is a pretty good Outer Academy instructor at Jia Nan Academy.]
[Third Brother successfully asked her for a one-year leave, but only reported to the academy after more than two years. If not for Instructor Ruo Ling's persistence, he would have lost his qualification to study at Jia Nan Academy. Not to mention borrowing the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower for rapid cultivation, obtaining the Fallen Heart Flame, or making connections with Zi Yan, Han Yue, Ye Xin Lan, Great Elder Su Qian, Skyfire Venerable, and other crucial figures for his future development.]
[Before breaking through to Dou Grandmaster, Xun Er, the Little Fairy Doctor, and Qing Lin should stay in her class for at least half a year. She'll need to take care of them during that time. Later, I can do a simple trade with her and ask her to look after Xun Er and the others for me.]
…
The girls holding copies of the Journal: !!!
If he hadn't mentioned Su Qian and Skyfire Venerable, they would have thought all of Xiao Yan's crucial opportunities came from women.
"Han Yue, Ye Xin Lan." The moment Xun Er returned to her room and sat down, she subconsciously rubbed her brows. "Great, more people to keep an eye on."
If Big Brother Xiao Ting wanted so many women, would he even be able to handle them all in the end?
No, aside from herself, Queen Medusa, the Little Fairy Doctor, Yun Yun, and Qing Lin, Xiao Ting hadn't shown interest in any other women yet. It was she who felt that any woman mentioned in the Journal should belong to Big Brother Xiao Ting.
This wasn't Xiao Ting's fault. If anyone was to blame, it was Heavenly Silkworm Potato and Xiao Yan for encountering so many women on their growth path. Otherwise, Big Brother Xiao Ting wouldn't have mentioned them in the Journal.
For now, Xiao Ting hadn't proactively approached a single woman outside.
…
[Cao Ying]: This Ye Xin Lan sounds a bit familiar.
[Zi Yan]: Do you know her?
[Cao Ying]: No, with my soul realm, I have perfect memory. If I knew her, I wouldn't have to think about it.
[Yao Ling]: What soul realm do you even have?
[Cao Ying]: Oh my, we all know the Yao Clan is amazing. Your Yao Clan is the best. Your Yao Clan doesn't even put the Gu Clan in your eyes—too bad you almost got wiped out in the end.
[Yao Ling]: !!! Can I really not take action and kill this woman?
[Tang Huo Er]: Cough cough, I remember the Pill Tower has five major families, and one of them is surnamed Ye.
[Cao Ying]: Now that you mention it, I remember. Among the five major families of the Pill Tower, the Dan Family is undisputed number one, followed by my Cao Family. The remaining Ye Family, Bai Family, and Qiu Family are roughly equal in strength. But the Ye Family declined because they chose the wrong side back then, causing many alchemists and powerhouses in the clan to fall.
[Cao Ying]: The most talented of the Cao Family's current generation is this young miss. The Dan Family's most talented is little sister Dan Chen—her soul talent is inferior to mine, but her alchemy talent seems even stronger. The Ye Family's most talented newcomer is the granddaughter of the Great Elder, Ye Xin Lan. My mother mentioned it casually once.
[Xun Er]: Then it's probably this Ye Xin Lan. A disciple from a declining fifth major family has reason to appear at Jia Nan Academy. According to the original plot setting, she's also suitable for giving the protagonist opportunities.
[Zi Yan]: Then when we return to the Inner Academy, I'll ask around.
[Cao Ying]: Leave this to me. I remember Ye Xin Lan is about the same age as me—she probably hasn't joined Jia Nan Academy yet.
[Zi Yan]: Then it's Han Yue.
The task of confirming was taken on by the two girls.
…
Meanwhile, in the rear courtyard training field, Xiao Yan watched Yun Yun seriously instruct Xiao Zhan and the others until the session ended.
"Uncle, this is for you. It won't take long for you to break through to Dou Spirit. When Big Brother and Second Brother return, give some to them too. That way I can feel more at ease about the Xiao Family side." Xiao Ting handed a storage ring to Xiao Zhan.
Recently the clan had gathered various medicinal ingredients for him to refine second- and third-tier pills, so he had many storage rings used for transporting materials on hand.
"Xiao Ting, this is!!!"
Sensing the several large bottles of thousand-year stalactite liquid inside the ring, Xiao Zhan's eyes widened.
With these resources, the Xiao Family would soon produce several Dou Spirits and Dou Grandmaster.
"Correct, it's exactly that," Xiao Ting smiled. "I obtained it by luck."
Yun Yun: "..."
What a lucky guy. I'm triggered.
"This is too valuable!" Xiao Zhan immediately tried to refuse.
Although Xiao Ting had already broken through to Dou Spirit, he could still use the thousand-year stalactite liquid.
For the clan to rise, it all depended on Xiao Ting. Raising their own cultivations wasn't that important.
"Uncle, don't refuse. I still have enough for myself," Xiao Ting raised a hand to stop Xiao Zhan from being polite, then turned to Yun Yun. "Sect Leader Yun Yun, you might have to act as my personal maidservant for a while."
Yun Yun: ?
You mentioned this in the Journal too.
…