"Senior Yan Qingshan, you're quite the schemer, easily removing yourself from the entire affair."
Xiao Xun'er was no fool. She knew that according to Yan Qingshan's plan, the Gu Clan would escalate the matter. At that point, the ambush of the Hall of Souls protectors in the Jia Ma Empire would be a minor incident and no one would deliberately pursue it.
"But this matter is more beneficial to Xiao Yan, isn't it?"
Yan Qingshan smiled calmly, not at all worried that Xiao Xun'er wouldn't agree. "I'm indifferent. Although I masterminded the ambush of the three Hall of Souls protectors, those three were just peripheral members of the Hall of Souls.
And the ones who actually took action weren't me, but Xiao Yan's master, to strike first. Both Xiao Yan and his master are the Hall of Souls' main targets. If this matter isn't handled well, I'm not the one who will suffer first!"
Xiao Xun'er couldn't help but frown at his words. She knew Yan Qingshan was hinting at her, but she really disliked this kind of veiled threat.
However, everything Yan Qingshan said was true. Compared to Yan Qingshan, who had no connection to the eight Ancient Clans, once the truth of this matter was exposed, the Hall of Souls' main target would definitely be Xiao Yan. And that was precisely what Xiao Xun'er did not want to see.
Xiao Xun'er's eyes flickered. After a moment of thought, she said, "I understand what Senior Yan Qingshan means. I will handle this matter."
As she spoke, Xiao Xun'er extended her hand, gesturing for him to give her the jade bottle containing Protector Wu. But Yan Qingshan wasn't so cooperative.
As Xiao Xun'er reached out, Yan Qingshan pulled his hand back with a smile. "Hold on, Junior Sister Xun'er. This is a Dou Ancestor-level soul form. It's quite valuable. It's not right for you to just take it with a single word, is it?"
"What do you want?"
Xiao Xun'er looked up at Yan Qingshan, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. She couldn't quite see through this man. This was the first time someone had ever made a demand of her like this. She was always the one making demands.
"I know myself well. I know I'm not worthy of Junior Sister Xun'er's eyes, and I'm a pragmatic person. I won't do something as foolish as trying to get close to a beauty by giving away a Dou Ancestor-level soul form. I want tangible benefits."
This statement made Xiao Xun'er look at him with a bit more respect. She said, a little more seriously, "What do you want?"
Yan Qingshan looked at Xiao Xun'er and said solemnly, "A Soul Technique, a technique for cultivating the soul. This kind of technique is indeed precious to ordinary powers, but with Miss Xun'er's background, I don't think it's a problem."
"Alright!"
Xiao Xun'er's eyebrows relaxed and she agreed. The next moment, Yan Qingshan directly threw the jade bottle into her hand. His decisive action surprised her. "You trust that I won't trick you?"
"Beautiful women can be deceitful, and I'm sure Junior Sister Xun'er has played a few small tricks herself, but I know that Junior Sister Xun'er is a smart girl. You won't trick me, right?"
Yan Qingshan slightly lowered his head and looked at Xiao Xun'er. He was very clear about the immense power this girl possessed and Xiao Yan's importance in her heart. "Honestly, I'm quite envious of Xiao Yan."
After saying this, Yan Qingshan turned and walked away without any hesitation. "I'll be in seclusion in the Inner Academy for a while. When you bring the item, just give it directly to Xue Lan."
"Miss!"
Yan Qingshan's back slowly disappeared into the mountain forest, and the green figure that had been hidden in the shadows of the trees reappeared.
"Inform Ying Ling to come back, and then report to the clan. I want a Soul Technique."
Xiao Xun'er gave her orders calmly. The green figure did not say anything else. After receiving the order, he vanished back into the shadows on the top of the cliff. A gentle breeze blew, and the girl looked towards the east, her clothes fluttering like an Fairy from the mortal world.
…
Jia Nan Inner Academy, just as Yan Qingshan arrived outside the pavilion, a small figure suddenly shot out of the air and landed in front of him.
"Little Yanzi, you're back!"
Yan Qingshan was originally very happy and was about to give the pretty loli in front of him a hug, but his face immediately darkened. This lively and silly person was naturally Zi Yan, the 'notorious' brute king on the Inner Academy's Strong Ranking.
"You've forgotten to be obedient so quickly. Not cute at all."
Yan Qingshan glared and pinched Zi Yan's cheek. Just as she was about to explode, he deftly lifted her and held her in his arms, easily subduing her as if he were lifting a small chick.
"Let me go! Let me go! Yan Qingshan, you big scoundrel, you're making me so mad!"
Zi Yan was naturally unwilling to be treated like this, but unfortunately, things were no longer what they used to be. With his breakthrough to Dou Emperor, Yan Qingshan's strength was now above hers. Even with her best efforts, she couldn't escape Yan Qingshan's 'demonic clutches'.
"Brother Yan, why are you bullying Senior Sister Zi Yan as soon as you get back?"
Just as Yan Qingshan and Zi Yan were making a ruckus, the door of the pavilion opened, and a figure flew out and landed beside Yan Qingshan. She held his other hand and spoke softly. The girl's long hair fell to her shoulders, and her well-tailored snow-white dress accentuated her curvy figure.
"Xian'er, I've missed you so much!"
Yan Qingshan casually put Zi Yan down, his eyes filled with the girl in front of him. He affectionately embraced her, and the two held each other close.
Zi Yan, who was standing on the side, at first covered her eyes in embarrassment. As she watched, the gaps between her fingers grew wider, and her little mouth pouted. She felt a bit unbalanced. Why did Xiao Yi Xian get a hug, but she was treated like that?
"Junior Yan Qingshan, you're back!"
A clear voice tinged with joy came from the pavilion's doorway. Han Yue, with her shiny silver hair and the aura of an immortal from the Moon Palace, politely greeted the two with a gentle call. Yan Qingshan looked up and saw that the makeup on Han Yue's face was a bit fresh, as if she had just reapplied it.
"Senior Sister Han Yue!"
Yan Qingshan nodded and smiled at Han Yue. Then, he put one arm around Xiao Yi Xian, and with his other hand, he affectionately patted Zi Yan's little head to soothe her emotions, and led them back into the pavilion.
Yan Qingshan took the few girls back to his room. It seemed that the girls living here were all meticulous and skilled with their hands. The decorations in the pavilion were warm and comfortable, making people feel very at ease as soon as they entered. Of course, 'meticulous and skilled with hands' didn't seem to apply to Zi Yan…
"Senior Sister Han Yue, how are things with Qingwang City and Beast King Valley?"
After sitting down and taking a sip of the clear tea, Yan Qingshan asked about the situation of the few powers in the Black Corner Region after he left, including the Qingshan Association in the Inner Academy, Qingwang City in the Black Corner Region, and Beast King Valley in the Magical Beast Forest.
Han Yue recounted some of the events that had happened in the Black Corner Region since he left. Overall, there were no major problems. The Black Corner Region hadn't changed much. The stalemate between the Demon Flame Valley, the Black Alliance, and the Black Emperor Sect hadn't changed, and Qingwang City's development was also going smoothly.
"This time, I went to the Jia Ma Empire and smoothed out the relationships there. Miss Ya Fei from the Mittel Clan came with me this time and is now in the Outer Academy of Jia Nan City. Next, Senior Sister Han Yue, you can hand over some of the affairs to her..."
Yan Qingshan then narrated some of the things that had happened in the Jia Ma Empire. Listening to his words, the three people present almost thought they were listening to some legendary tale.
"Junior Yan Qingshan is truly a dragon among men, planning and stirring up the winds..."
Han Yue's gaze towards Yan Qingshan, in addition to a hint of affection, now also held a sense of reverence. Girls like her had the least resistance to men with such abilities.
"Heh... Senior Sister Han Yue is joking. If there were any other way, I truly don't want to take such a risk a third time!"
Yan Qingshan let out a self-deprecating laugh, shaking his head. He leaned wearily on Xiao Yi Xian, his eyes slightly closed as he took a few deep breaths. He was a person who was afraid of death. If he didn't know that on the Dou Qi Continent, if you don't advance, you fall back, he wouldn't have risked his life twice to fight for a better future.
The trap he set in the Black Corner Region was a huge risk, especially when he decided to go to the Demon Flame Valley on a whim. If the Old Ground Demon Ghost had been even a little suspicious, he would probably be dead by now.
This trip to the Jia Ma Empire seemed to have gone smoothly, but in reality, it was like walking a tightrope between two cliffs. If anything went wrong, it would have been a bottomless abyss.
Especially during the final phase, there were five Dou Ancestors among the enemies. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, and the heavens blessed him with success. In any case, he was not willing to do something similar again.
"Xian'er, look..."
Yan Qingshan moved his head from Xiao Yi Xian's embrace, took out a scroll from his storage ring, and handed it to her. "This is my gift to you. We already have the most precious Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva. Trust me, things will get better and better."
Xiao Yi Xian took the scroll from Yan Qingshan's hand and unrolled it. Her eyes lit up as she looked at the method for condensing a Poison Core on it. A genuine sense of relief and joy made a pure and radiant smile bloom on her face.
Although she had always pretended not to care, she was actually very lost about her future. Even though Yan Qingshan had repeatedly emphasized that he would help her solve her body's problem, she always thought he was just comforting her. Although she smiled in front of him, there was a hidden worry.
But now, she saw a way to solve the problem. Her heart had a goal and was filled with hope. People aren't afraid of difficult goals; they're afraid of having no hope. Now that she had the hope of solving her problem, the burden in her heart was lifted, and she naturally felt much more at ease.
"Brother Yan, Wuwu..."
Xiao Yi Xian leaned into Yan Qingshan's arms and sobbed continuously. These were not tears of sadness but an outpouring of genuine joy.
Yan Qingshan hugged Xiao Yi Xian back. As her tears soaked his clothes, he hugged her even tighter. How could he not know the torment she was going through? But before, he didn't dare to promise her that he could definitely do anything.
Because even now, he didn't dare to say that he could control his own destiny. If he couldn't even control his own destiny, what right did he have to give hope to others?
Yan Qingshan then took another jade box from his storage ring and placed it on the table, giving it to Xiao Yi Xian. "As for the Bodhisattva Body Transformation Saliva, Xian'er, you keep it for now.
After this seclusion, if everything goes well, I plan to set off for the Central Plains. Senior Sister Han Yue, if I'm not mistaken, you're from the Central Plains, right?"