Translator: CinderTL
"Brother Huan... you heard?" Lin Fan asked in surprise.
Though he didn't know how Huan Xi'er had overheard, he urgently cautioned, "Absolutely not! This method is unheard of, and its dangers are unpredictable. Brother Huan, you mustn't make such a rash decision."
Huan Xi'er slowly lowered his head, lost in thought, looking like a child who had done something wrong.
"My Godmother... she doesn't acknowledge me because I'm a fool. I don't want to be a fool anymore. I want to be normal."
Huan Xi'er's lips trembled, and even the hair tuft on his head seemed listless.
His Godmother was actually his birth mother—a truth Huan Xi'er had long known.
Lin Fan froze, his expression gradually darkening.
Yes, he realized. He had only considered the risks and benefits from his own perspective, never once considering Huan Xi'er's own wishes.
All because he was a fool.
Lin Fan prided himself on never treating Huan Xi'er differently, but he couldn't deceive his own heart. Deep down, he still saw Huan Xi'er as a fool—a simpleton incapable of making his own decisions, someone who needed constant care.
"I'm sorry..." Lin Fan said, feeling guilty. He patted Huan Xi'er on the shoulder. "Brother Huan, this matter might not be as simple as you think..."
Huan Xi'er looked up, a bitter smile on his face. "Lin Fan, you're a good person, my only true friend. Everyone else treats me like a fool, but you treat me like a normal person. But..."
"I want my parents to treat me like a normal person too." Huan Xi'er's voice grew softer as he stole a glance at Lin Fan's expression.
"I don't want people to always mention 'foolish son' whenever they talk about the Dragon-Taming Daoist..."
"I want to make my Godmother happy, to see her smile more often, and to ease her burdens."
Huan Xi'er's voice trembled with suppressed emotion. Others assumed he was too foolish to understand, so they spoke freely in front of him. But...
He wasn't as foolish as they thought.
Lin Fan's heart was a tangle of conflicting emotions. He didn't know whether to dissuade Huan Xi'er. Deep down, he wished for Huan Xi'er to regain his normalcy, but the risks were unpredictable.
And...
He didn't fully trust this senior.
"Senior, what are the chances of success?" Lin Fan asked, abandoning telepathic communication.
The old man in the sword pondered briefly. "I have a seventy percent chance of success."
"Only seventy percent?" Lin Fan was dissatisfied with this success rate.
"Only seventy percent?" The old man nearly laughed in exasperation. This brat had no idea how difficult the task was. If he hadn't been a sage in his previous life, with a rudimentary understanding of the Great Dao, he wouldn't even have a seventy percent chance.
Knowing that explaining this to Lin Fan would be like casting pearls before swine—the boy was merely at the Foundation Establishment Realm and couldn't comprehend such matters—the old man simplified his explanation:
"Seventy percent is quite high. If I hadn't extensively studied the divine soul, even another sage wouldn't achieve such a success rate."
Lin Fan said nothing more, turning his gaze to Huan Xi'er.
"Yes, seventy percent is quite good..." Huan Xi'er resolved to act. He refused to remain a fool any longer!
Congenital soul deficiencies were rare and notoriously difficult to cure. The Dragon-Taming Daoist had exhausted every method, even enlisting the aid of a sage from Shangyin Mountain, yet none could fully restore Huan Xi'er's mind. They had only managed to slightly cleanse his spiritual altar, preventing him from being completely idiotic.
Now that such a rare opportunity had presented itself, Huan Xi'er refused to let it slip away, regardless of the unknown risks involved.
If he missed this chance, he might never get another one in his lifetime.
The conditions were exceedingly harsh. First, he needed a sage's divine soul and extensive knowledge of divine soul techniques.
Second, the ritual had to be performed within the Hundred Saints Secret Realm or the Ghost Realm Secret Realm.
Finally, the sage's divine soul had to willingly assist him.
Even if successful, Huan Xi'er's consciousness would remain dominant, as the three souls belonged to him. The sage's divine soul could only replace the Spirit Wisdom Soul.
"Senior, please lend your aid!" Huan Xi'er declared without hesitation.
"Sigh..." Lin Fan sighed deeply, shaking his head as he handed the black sword to Huan Xi'er. His gaze lingered on the young man, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
I hope you succeed, he thought. But will you still be the same Huan Xi'er when we meet again...?
Meanwhile, within Yuan Manor, Mo Xianxian sat on a chair, the butler standing respectfully before her, his body slightly hunched in deference.
Though the butler had served in Yuan Manor for centuries and held a position far higher in Master Yuan's esteem than Mo Xianxian, he maintained an unwavering air of deference.
For he was a servant.
No matter how high his status, he remained a servant, while Mo Xianxian, despite her recent arrival, was the mistress.
If he ever forgot his place, his life would be forfeit. Master Yuan would never tolerate a servant who lorded over his master.
"Madam, you summoned me?"
The butler's aged face wore a humble smile. Though Mo Xianxian wasn't formally married into the family, he still addressed her as "Madam" out of respect.
A radiant smile bloomed on Mo Xianxian's exquisite face as she rose to help the butler to his feet and guide him to a chair. "Uncle Yuan, there's no need for such formality," she said. "You've served the master for so many years—you're practically family. I'll be relying on your guidance in the future."
Despite her words, Mo Xianxian made no effort to correct Uncle Yuan's form of address.
"Madam, you're too kind. What matter brings you to summon this old servant?" The butler refrained from excessive pleasantries; growing too close to any of the master's wives could only spell trouble.
Mo Xianxian turned and settled back into her chair, resting her chin in her palm. Her posture lacked any pretense of dignity, instead radiating a playful charm.
"I have a friend named Xu Sanyan. Would you be so kind as to 'invite' him here?" she said, emphasizing the word "invite."
Uncle Yuan understood perfectly: she meant to have him kidnapped.
"What is his cultivation level? Do we know his current location?"
"Mid Stage Dao Seeking Realm. I'm afraid I don't know where he is," Mo Xianxian replied, shaking her head.
"Rest assured, Madam. We'll have news within three days," Uncle Yuan said calmly, dismissing the matter as trivial.
"Then I thank you, Uncle Yuan."
Mo Xianxian smiled brightly, her radiant beauty momentarily stunning Uncle Yuan. He quickly lowered his gaze, not daring to linger, yet inwardly marveling,
How beautiful.
"This old one will take his leave."
"Mm."
Mo Xianxian didn't rise to see him off, her gaze fixed unwaveringly on the doorway.
Having already submitted to Yuan Manor, she might as well leverage its influence to secure as many advantages for herself as possible.
The reason she wanted Xu Sanyan "invited" here was because he possessed a treasure:
A jade slip.
Luo Changtian had previously told her that the jade slip contained a sage realm's understanding of the great dao, making it immensely valuable. Naturally, she coveted it.
Mo Xianxian casually picked up a pastry from the table, savoring its taste. A wisp of pure Soul Power flowed into her body, invigorating her spirit.
The very things she had once desperately sought were now commonplace within Yuan Manor. This was simply because Yuan Anping was the chief constable—the second most powerful man in the city!
Perhaps... this place isn't so bad after all.
Mo Xianxian leaned back in her chair, her mind inexplicably drifting back to Fang Qingge's image.
During her captivity, a part of her had secretly hoped for a heroic rescue—someone to storm Yuan Manor and whisk her away.
Alas, even after Yuan Anping had finished his business and adjusted his trousers, no savior had appeared.
(End of the Chapter)
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