Douluo Continent.
Bright City. Outer Area.
4 pm.
"I will talk to you later. Drink something sweet to soothe your anger. That's not good for your-" [Fan Lin]
"If you said anything related to my age, I will strangle you!" [Leng Yaozhu]
"Health. I was going to say health. We will do this later." [Fan Lin]
Fan Lin cut the call and looked at the figure of Qiangu Dongfeng that had appeared in front of him.
"West's remaining replantation has been started. Time for you to pay for my help. Take care of the outrage if it happens again. Bye." [Fan Lin]
Fan Lin said that and began to leave.
"Wait."
Qiangu Dongfeng caught up to him and gestured to stop.
"Need something." [Fan Lin]
"Vice President Yaozhu came to meet you. Can I ask why?" [Qiangu Dongfeng]
Qiangu Dongfeng took a look at Fan Lin's attitude and realised that he wasn't acting coyly and was more like his attitude when he challenged him, hence he got straight to the point. He knew that that's how Fan Lin preferred the conversation when he wasn't putting on a face to please the others.
"She needs me to do something. I rejected her since it's outrageous. She is still not able to accept my rejection though and had been pestering me since last night. She seems incredibly desperate." [Fan Lin]
He apathetically spoke while showing his call log of nearly 6 hours of call duration that also showed that this was the call that had just been cut and Qiangu Dongfeng was absolutely sure that he heard Leng Yaozhu's angry voice from the soul communicator that Fan Lin was talking on.
"... What were you talking about?" [Qiangu Dongfeng]
He asked after a small pause, as if contemplating something before denying it on his own.
"I can't tell you that. My appointment to the Four Word Battle Armour Blacksmith is on the line. Why don't you just ask her yourself? Maybe she will tell you. Even if she didn't, I can at least confirm her words and provide some crucial bits... for a price though. Need something else, Old Simp?" [Fan Lin]
He offered Qiangu Dongfeng a soul communicator and a bank card.
The surroundings constricted as Qiangu Dongfeng raised his hand at Fan Lin's last line but then put it down after seeing no changes in his dead calm eyes without any fear or emotions. The surroundings also returned to normal.
Qiangu looked at the devious brat and perfectly understood why Shrek was not accepting him into the Inner court. They must have celebrated his departure to the Spirit Pagoda.
"As impetuous as always. How much do you need?" [Qiangu Dongfeng]
He took the soul communicator and the bank card and pried Fan Lin's demand.
"Enough for the materials of a Four Word Battle Armour pieces. Just enough for 4 pieces." [Fan Lin]
Fan Lin calmly gave an outrageous amount.
"You specially came here just for this, didn't you?" [Qiangu Dongfeng]
Qiangu Dongfeng put two and two and easily put together the fact that Fan Lin was just fishing in troubled waters. He knew that Qiangu Dongfeng would definitely be interested in what Leng Yaozhu needed from him that she had been trying to change his mind even after he had rejected her. The call log was a deliberate show off to get Qiangu Dongfeng's mind and attention which he knew he will easily get.
Thus he was here to sell the information to fill his pockets since he will profit from Leng Yaozhu any ways, how can he leave the chance to loot a few others?
"You opportunistic leech." [Qiangu Dongfeng]
"I would prefer the term: business minded. And you can't blame me for this. Leng Yaozhu would just bring me an appointment, I have to pay for the Heavenly refinement of my alloys and then add in new materials as well as add the extorbitant fees for the creation of the Four Word Battle Armour that all the other three Rank Nine Occupationers are going to charge me as well. I am potentially bankrupted at the moment such that my earnings of entire replantation may not even cover for a fifth of the costs. I should have taken the 50% cut quietly instead of trying to show off." [Fan Lin]
"The Heavens are unfair to me! I can't even upgrade my Battle Armour even after replantating an entire continent, isn't that wild! Even my life savings had dried up after buying my land. In such a situation, I need someone's help. I will get yours. So 4 pieces it is." [Fan Lin]
Qiangu Dongfeng looked at the crocodile tears that Fan Lin was shedding and just sighed. The creation of a Four Word Battle Armour was indeed paramount to spending money like water but that didn't mean that he had to pay for Fan Lin's share of ingredients.
"I do understand your situation but I am not forking up this much. My funds are already tight with the work you have created for me." [Qiangu Dongfeng]
"I am not asking you to give me money though. You know, just some small embezzlement here, some there and you get the materials, I get the materials. That would be cheaper no? We can always use the money to slowly acquire the missing products later on. You are the President, you have authority! How can you be poorer than me?" [Fan Lin]
'You are half the reason why I am in this situation!'
"Unlike you, I have a family and I don't keep all my wealth in liquid state... Nevermind, I will see what I can do, but I hope the price matches the service." [Qiangu Dongfeng]
His voice turned cold as he give Fan Lin the cold glare. It wasn't effective as Fan Lin just shook it off in nonchalance. It's not like he didn't have any practice with cold glares.
"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for that. See you later. I hope you get the things ready." [Fan Lin]
He said and with a nod, left the Bright City at a speed that wasn't anywhere close to when he was leaving previously.
'So you really came here to specifically extort me again.'
"What could she need him for?" [Qiangu Dongfeng]
Qiangu Dongfeng began to piece out the information that he had been given by his informer, also one of Fan Lin's watchers.
Leng Yaozhu had came unannounced the previous day when Fan Lin was sleeping after his completion of replantation.
From the situation and Leng Yaozhu's questions to the watchers, Fan Lin had no idea about her arrival and neither was he prepared for it. Then she had ordered the watchers to leave and didn't leave his side till he left in the morning.
Then Fan Lin had sent his new itinerary of the reforestation, starting from the remaining areas of the west, before hopping to the East and finally North after finishing that.
And he was faithfully doing his job, starting his replantation, coming to him to get the deal and leaving immediately after he was done. Everything was as he knew him.
But the nearly 6 hours of call duration was bothering him to no avail.
"What were they even talking about for 6 hours?"
He could at least imagine Leng Yaozhu speaking for more than an hour but the same was nigh unimaginable when it came to Fan Lin.
But if it's something worthwhile then Fna Lin was indeed known to act accordingly.
"But even then what could be something you would talk about 6 hours for?"
Qiangu Dongfeng was quite bothered by it. He couldn't think of anything and he knew that Fan Lin must have known about this, that's why he had the confidence to come to him for deal. He was the only one who had the information that Qiangu Dongfeng was absolutely interested in.
He was also the one who made him interested in it to begin with.
If Qiangu Dongfeng could just guess the answer then it wouldn't be worth 4 pieces worth of Heavenly Refinement materials.
"If I could get him to be mine, then wouldn't I have the youngest Four Word Battle Armourer in history? Possibly the strongest as well!"
"Let's try one more time."
.....
"Thanks for saving us."
A middle aged man spoke while looking at the ground as they were being carried. He then looked above at the kid who had completely enveloped their car in some form of icy white blanket and was casually flying without any care.
"No problem. Why were you even swept away by the river? There was a big and broad bridge ahead anyways." [Fan Lin]
"Our brakes failed and in an attempt to avoid a cargo truck, we swirled into the river and nearly drowned."
"That's some bad luck. Where are you going?" [Fan Lin]
"Skyorder City. My child will be entering the Skyorder Star Ocean Academy soon so we are moving there in advance."
"Oh it's that time of the year already. No wait, there's like a month left." [Fan Lin]
"Indeed. All three of our children got admitted there so after some discussion with our families, we have decided to move there."
"That's praiseworthy of you to do so.
You could have taken a train trip but I understand the sentiment of going on a car trip and suddenly falling off a cliff." [Fan Lin]
"That was totally unplanned though."
"I know. It was just a joke. Whatever. Let me drop you to the Skyorder City and in return, can you record some testimonials from your family that I am not forcing you in any way to say that and that I indeed saved you there." [Fan Lin]
"Huh?"
The middle-aged man was bewildered by the strange request of their saviour. It's like meeting your idol and they ask for your AV data.
(Atrioventicular node)
"A grandma is asking me." [Fan Lin]
{I can hear you!!!}
"Ignore that. Can you please record it?" [Fan Lin]
"Aa, of, of-course we will!"
The lady, possibly the wife of the middle-aged man chimed in out of nowhere and nudged the man(her husband) out of his dilemma.
(Why was he even hesitating?)
"Thank you very much." [Fan Lin]
He passed them a camera and looked at the clear skies. He then looked at his three spirit rings and looked at the skies again.
"Hmm."
All three of his spirit rings merged and every single skill was enhanced.
[Soul Skill Fusion - Ice Jade skills]
[Ice Jade Transformation]
[Jade Death]
His two skills from the Ice Jade Scorpion fused creating a superior dual type skill : Jade Death.
[Ice Age - Jade Death : Domain skill. Hyperspeed travel in Ice terrain.]
[Feral Age - Jade Death : Ice Jade Transformation on boost]
One transportation, another Crystallokinesis but without the weakness to heat, vibration, acid and meltdown.
'Not enough.'
[Soul Skill Fusion]
[Jade Death + Superior Energy Body +Boundless Vitality + Song of the Frost Siren's + Petrosapien physique]
Fan Lin entered his Dead Calm state and quietly sat in silence while directing the fusion.
In just a few minutes, he succeeded and checked the skill.
[Speed travel in ice terrain. Ice attribute attribution. Ice Jade Transformation abilities enhanced, Ice attribute change.....]
'Hmm'
[Jade Death - Ice Age {Enhanced} : Hyper speed travel in ice terrain. Domain skill lost. Speed gain]
[Jade Death - Feral Age {Enhanced} : Crystallokinesis but better now. Enhanced creation. Ice attribute damage(will-imbued) added]
[Superior Energy Body {Ice addition} : Affinity increase with ice and spatial attribute. Retains all the previous abilities. Song of the Frost Siren's addition –
{Frost Epiphany : Damage attribute change/add/remove Frost damage. Self attack only. Active.
Passive - Healing and regeneration in ice terrain.
Passive - Strength and physique enhancement in Ice terrain.
Passive - Life restoration in ice terrain.}]
He understood the new skill's abilities and divided them into different groups for ease during the change.
"Only four other skills remained to be fused. No reason to do so."
He exited the Dead Calm state and waited for the family to finish their testimonials.
After nearly twenty minutes, they did and he turned to them.
"We will reach Skyorder City in a minute."
He said as his Battle Armour enveloped him, further enhancing his triple ring enhanced Hepta fusion skill.
Not even a few moments later, they all were in the mesosphere and then vanished before landing near the Skyorder City's gate 3 at breakneck speed but without making any noise or causing any disturbance.
Fan Lin gently put down the vehicle just a few hundred metres to one of the Skyorder City's gate and looked at them who didn't even feel any changes in their surroundings. That was speed.
"Bye."
He said and left, once again thinking that his skills were wasted on him despite him being the one who intentionally got hundred thousand year old spirit souls for himself.
{What were you doing? What did you say to them?}
"You are still angry?" [Fan Lin]
{You are asking me that? You just suddenly said that you are dropping a moon on some place and you want me to be calm!}
"It was just a joke. Fifteen minutes had passed till then, you still want to talk about it."
{You look ready to flat over a place and said that it wasn't funny with your emotionless voice! You think that's funny? Do you not know who you are?}
"Just hold for a minute. We will continue."
He checked the direction and location of the Bright City and immediately flew there.
A little over a minute later.
"Now I am on the line. Let's continue where we left."
He said to her while slowing down near the Bright City.
{*Sigh* I was saying, don't make a practical demonstration this stupid again or I won't care about anything and kill you.}
"Okay, I am sorry. I just wanted to surprise you a bit but looks like I overwhelmed you instead."
{That's not how you surprise people. Have some tact. I was horrified that you were going to destroy some place because of my words.}
"I wouldn't do that. I am pretty self-aware. You just reacted beyond what I had planned since I thought you were pretty chill with my situation and all. Who knew you were just hiding it." [Fan Lin]
{I think you should check the meaning of self-aware before deeming yourself as such. What were you going to do if someone saw you? You don't use your spiritual senses to begin with!}
"Well~ I have a past of ne—" [Fan Lin]
{Don't your dare go that way!}
"I won't. I keep my words..."
Fan Lin stopped mid-sentence as Qiangu Dongfeng appeared in front of him.
"I will talk to you later. Drink something sweet to soothe your anger. That's not
good for your-" [Fan Lin]
"If you said anything related to my age, I will strangle you!" [Leng Yaozhu]
"Health. I was going to say health. We will do this later." [Fan Lin]
He finished his conversation with her and cut the call.
Now was where it will all began.