Chapter 167: So That’s How It Is

Chapter 167: Chapter 167: So That’s How It Is

Song Yumeng and Lin Qingfeng worked quickly. They returned in the middle of the night.

"Here." Song Yumeng handed a box to Lu Yuan. "It was originally missing a final touch, but Qingfeng and I joined forces to speed up the process. It’s perfect now." She smiled, looking faintly proud.

"We restored the area after taking the Pill, so it’s best if you don’t go back there anytime soon," Lin Qingfeng reminded him.

"Understood!" Lu Yuan nodded without hesitation. He wasn’t stupid; he wouldn’t go near that place for at least three to six months.

"You can take this Pill now, but it would be best to wait until you reach the Sixth Grade Peak. That way, you might break through to the Fifth Grade in one fell swoop," Song Yumeng advised.

"I understand." Lu Yuan bowed to them solemnly.

"I’m leaving tomorrow. Take good care of Siyao and her brother," Lin Qingfeng urged, looking at Lu Yuan.

"Rest assured, Mr. Lin. Siyao is my fiancée, and Siheng is like a younger brother to me. I won’t let anyone bully them," Lu Yuan promised.

"Mhm." Lin Qingfeng nodded. He traced his fingers through the air, gathering a massive amount of Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi. It rapidly condensed into a green Talisman. With a clench of his fist, it shrank into a tiny speck, and with a final wave, he sent it directly into Lu Yuan’s Celestial Acupoint.

"I’ve given you a Life-taking Talisman. It can kill anyone below the Fourth Grade. It resides within your Purple Mansion, and you can activate it with a mere thought whenever needed. Under normal circumstances, it can also help you gather and filter Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi, increasing your cultivation speed."

"Thank you, Mr. Lin," Lu Yuan expressed his gratitude once more. This was a tremendous favor, equivalent to gifting him an extra life.

He also understood Lin Qingfeng’s underlying intention. Unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want Lu Yuan to use it. Keeping it to assist in his cultivation was actually better. After all, cultivating the Four Great Sacred Techniques and the Thick Earth Divine Skill consumed an immense amount of energy.

However, if his loved ones were ever in grave danger and he was still too reluctant to use it, that would be a completely different story.

"I expect your Martial Dao to have achieved minor mastery by the time I return." Lin Qingfeng patted Lu Yuan’s shoulder.

"It definitely will!" Lu Yuan was brimming with confidence.

Lin Qingfeng looked somewhat surprised. Afterward, he and Song Yumeng returned inside.

"Minor mastery of the Martial Dao..." Lu Yuan looked up at the starry sky, his emotions surging. His ambitions were far greater than that.

***

"Brother Yuan, what if I also join the Demon Suppression Bureau and become part of your squad?" Lin Siyao asked the next morning, sitting on the top of the courtyard wall.

"Huh?" Lu Yuan frowned slightly. "Why did you suddenly think of this? You’re not even fifteen yet, your body just recovered, and your cultivation isn’t high. Mrs. Lin won’t agree to it."

"But I want to join. I’ve already learned everything I need to know, and staying at home all day is so boring," Lin Siyao wheedled.

"There’s nothing we can do about that. Mrs. Lin won’t allow it," Lu Yuan said, shaking his head. "Besides, joining the Demon Suppression Bureau is very dangerous and grueling. I don’t want you to suffer and endure such hardships."

"My mother... Then why can Sister Su do it?" Lin Siyao pouted. She had just found out about this and felt rather displeased, as well as a little worried.

"Her joining is a matter for her family; we have no say in it," Lu Yuan said, shaking his head. "But you are my fiancée. You’re so beautiful and lovely. I don’t want other men looking at you. Even if they just steal an extra glance, I feel like I’m losing out."

"Brother Yuan, you’re so petty!" Lin Siyao’s face flushed with bashful joy. "I could wear a veil."

"That won’t work either. No one in the Demon Suppression Bureau wears a veil." Lu Yuan rejected the idea outright. "Unless you can shrink and fit into my pocket."

"Ah?" Lin Siyao frowned, puffing out her cheeks. Fitting into a pocket? How could that possibly be done? "So you’re saying even Ink Jade can join the Demon Suppression Bureau, but I can’t?"

"Who said Ink Jade can join? It’s a demon. If it goes in, they’ll just toss it straight into a stew," Lu Yuan replied, rolling his eyes.

HISS! HISS!

Ink Jade immediately popped its head out, flicking its tongue in protest. It wasn’t something to be eaten!

"But staying at home is really boring," Lin Siyao complained. She had already learned everything she was supposed to. The rest relied entirely on improving her cultivation. So...

"Practice your zither or play some other instruments. Wait until you reach the Seventh Grade. Things should be better once you get there." Lu Yuan felt helpless as well. Song Yumeng would never agree to it now.

If Lin Siyao possessed Seventh Grade cultivation, her divine abilities and combat prowess might also reach the Seventh Grade Peak. With Ink Jade by her side and other protective magical treasures, she would have a lot more freedom.

"The Seventh Grade... That will still take a long time. It seems I really need to work hard." Lin Siyao gritted her teeth. It was true; with her poor cultivation, going to the Demon Suppression Bureau wouldn’t just fail to help Brother Yuan, but it might even make her a burden. That was not what she wanted. It was better to wait until she reached the Seventh Grade. By then...

"You can do it!" Lu Yuan pumped his fist encouragingly.

"Hmph." Lin Siyao still seemed a bit disgruntled. "Then I can join the Demon Suppression Bureau after reaching the Seventh Grade, right?"

"That works." Lu Yuan looked at the young girl. "You’ll be more than welcome. However, by that time, I might not necessarily be taking on new recruits."

"What do you mean?" Lin Siyao asked, puzzled.

"You’ll find out when the time comes," Lu Yuan said with a smile. "Maybe I’ll have already broken through to the Sixth Grade by then."

"Hmph, you’re looking down on me, Brother Yuan!" Lin Siyao pouted. What did he mean? Did he think it would take her years to reach the Seventh Grade? She clearly knew it would take a month or two at most...

[Your Dao Companion, Su Wan, has reaped rewards in her cultivation. You receive a tenfold feedback. A reward of 300 Experience Points has been credited to your account.]

Lu Yuan glanced at his system panel and frowned. It truly had a knack for picking the perfect moments to pop up. Three hundred, then another three hundred; two hundred, then another two hundred... It was too slow and far too little!

When would the Cyan Dragon Technique finally achieve great success, and when would it reach perfection? It seemed he needed to thoroughly cultivate Su Wan so she could break through to the Seventh Grade as quickly as possible and fully unlock her Seven-Sound Mysterious Body.

Upon arriving at the Demon Suppression Bureau, Lu Yuan immediately began giving Su Wan special training. Or rather, sparring with her. He aimed to help her achieve Great Success in Organ Refinement as swiftly as possible, after which he would use his own breakthrough method to help her advance.

[The affection between you and Su Wan has heated up. Intimacy increased by 20.]

[Your Intimacy with Su Wan has reached 50. You only need an increase of 10 more to trigger the hundredfold return reward.]

Lu Yuan took a soft breath. He was only ten points away from a hundredfold feedback. In that case...

[Note: Affection is not solely about Su Wan’s feelings for you, but also your feelings for her. Given that your emotional attachment to Su Wan has remained stagnant, the relationship is progressing slowly, resulting in the slow advancement of your Martial Arts. Please pay attention to this, Host.]

Lu Yuan was suddenly enlightened. So that was it! It wasn’t just that Su Wan’s feelings were constantly changing; it was also that his own feelings remained entirely stagnant. No wonder the system had stated that Su Wan would love him twenty-five years later, yet their Intimacy level had barely budged. It turned out he was the one failing to reciprocate.

But...

"Lu Yuan, what are you looking at?" Su Wan waved her hand in front of Lu Yuan’s eyes, her face slightly flushed. Lu Yuan had been staring intently at her face. Could it be because of what happened yesterday...?

"I was thinking about how to help you unlock... that constitution of yours," Lu Yuan explained.

"Oh." The blush faded from Su Wan’s cheeks, and she looked faintly disappointed. "Have you figured it out?"

"I have." Lu Yuan nodded. "Once you achieve Great Success in Organ Refinement and Gang Qi Perfection, I’ll use the Seven Kills Zither to help you break through."

"The Seven Kills Zither? Then it will be soon?" Su Wan’s eyes immediately lit up. Great Success in Organ Refinement and Gang Qi Perfection wouldn’t be too difficult. She wasn’t far off to begin with.

If Lu Yuan could help her break through within two months—or perhaps even one—it would undoubtedly be a massive boon. Reaching the Seventh Grade at the age of sixteen would comfortably qualify her as a peerless genius. That would be fantastic. There were hardly any noble young ladies in the Jade Capital who could compare.

"I’ll do my best!"