"Yulin, who exactly did you get involved with in the Spirit Hall? Why are you being so secretive? Don't tell me… was it Bibi Dong?" On the way back, Beixuan kept pestering him out of curiosity, but Yulin hesitated, unwilling to answer directly.
"Of course not Bibi Dong. I've met her before—she is indeed stunning. Although she puts on an air of cold indifference, I've encountered countless women in my life, and I can see right through her hidden romantic nature at a glance. It's just a pity… she must have suffered emotional wounds in the past. If only I had met her before she was hurt, I would have surely won her over," Yulin sighed, shaking his head. It was unclear whether his regret stemmed from personal loss or a sense of sympathy for such a beautiful woman.
"Then who is it? This is important. If it's someone influential within the Spirit Hall, it could be a huge advantage for our future," Beixuan urged. He couldn't think of anyone else in the Spirit Hall it could be. Surely, it couldn't be Hu Liena or Qian Renxue? That would be an old bull preying on tender grass. Would that really help them build a good relationship with the Spirit Hall? Bibi Dong or Qian Daoliu would have him executed in no time.
"Alright, I'll tell you. Her name is Lingyuan," Yulin sighed. "But I can't guarantee that she'll help us in the future… because my relationship with her has already reached the fourth and most regrettable stage."
That was the real reason he had been reluctant to say anything. As a man who had indulged in countless romances without restraint, Yulin had a strict four-step approach when pursuing women. Usually, he would stop at the third step, and the fourth step only occurred when absolutely necessary.
Step One: Flirt and make a move.
Step Two: Successfully win her over.
Step Three: Sleep with her.
Step Four: Cut and run.
In other words, he had already slept with Lingyuan and then abandoned her.
"Lingyuan? That name sounds familiar…" Beixuan tilted his head in thought. Then, suddenly, realization struck him, and his expression changed. "Yulin, are you talking about Lingyuan Douluo, one of the nine elders of the Spirit Hall?"
Yulin nodded.
"Well, you're screwed," Beixuan said flatly. "You seduced and then dumped a Titled Douluo? You should be grateful if she doesn't burn you to ashes the next time she sees you! And you actually expect her to help us?"
He shook his head, utterly speechless. "But why did you break up with her? As far as I know, she's quite beautiful. Sure, she's a bit older, but with her unparalleled cultivation, she easily maintains the appearance of a woman in her twenties or thirties."
Beixuan recalled that his parents had once mentioned Yulin's past escapades when reminiscing about old times.
Yulin was indeed a playboy, but he had principles. When he searched for Beiluo in the human world, he had taken several wives along the way. However, after his death, Yun Wuyue ensured that those women were sent to Su Su Valley in Peach Blossom Town, where Feng Qingxue took care of them. Since their husband had passed away, it was only right that they lived among their own kind.
Normally, Yulin's approach to romance never went beyond the third step. The fact that he had cut things off at the fourth step meant there had to be a good reason.
"Sigh… That woman… she's too ruthless," Yulin sighed. "Maybe it's because she has spent too long in a position of power, but she doesn't see human lives as valuable. Once, she was ordered to exterminate a group of evil soul masters hiding in a mountain region. I decided to assist her. However, there were also many innocent people who had been captured by the evil soul masters. I followed the principle of saving the innocent first before dealing with the criminals. But she… she had a different approach.
"She started the battle with her eighth soul skill, Boiling Blood, and burned the entire mountain to ashes. Not a single person survived—evil soul masters and innocent captives alike."
"I tried to reason with her, telling her she couldn't just kill indiscriminately like that. But she wouldn't listen. In her own words, it was more efficient this way. All she cared about was bolstering the Spirit Hall's reputation for eliminating evil soul masters. To her, the ordinary people who got caught in the crossfire were nothing more than insignificant ants."
After hearing this, Beixuan finally understood why Yulin had left Lingyuan.
In truth, Yulin had probably killed more people than Lingyuan—after all, he had fought demons for hundreds of years and never hesitated in battle. He was ruthless when necessary.
But in Tianlu City, they had always abided by a single principle: being ruthless in battle is not the same as wanton slaughter.
"Well, I suppose that's a valid reason. I wouldn't want to be around a lunatic like that either," Beixuan admitted. "Unless she changes in the future, I could never accept a woman like her."
If Yulin had abandoned Lingyuan for no good reason, Beixuan—being the direct heir of the Bixie Royal Clan—would have forced Yulin to apologize. However, since she had been merciless in slaughtering the innocent and refused to change, it was best to let the matter go.
As they spoke, the two had already arrived home. Beixuan's grandfather had returned earlier that morning after selling vegetables and was now preparing a meal.
Even though Beixuan wasn't home when he arrived, the old man wasn't too worried. His grandson was always sensible—he would come back when it was time.
"Grandfather, I'm home!"
As expected, Beixuan returned before mealtime, though this time, he had brought along a burly stranger.
"Grandson, who is this?" Beihan asked, puzzled.
"Grandfather, let me introduce you. This is Uncle Yulin. He's a soul master! He was passing through our village, and when he saw me, he said I have extraordinary potential. So, he helped me awaken my martial soul early and even wants to take me out for training!" Beixuan said with a grin, sneaking a wink at Yulin.
Yulin caught on immediately. He released his spirit rings, but only four—two yellow and two purple. That was enough to impress Beihan without giving him a heart attack.
Even so, the sight of those rings stunned Beihan, and he nearly dropped to his knees. "S-Soul… Soul Ancestor! Sir Soul Ancestor, this humble old man greets you! Thank you for awakening my grandson's martial soul!"
Yulin quickly stopped him. "No need for formalities, elder. I just happened to meet Xiaoxuan and took a liking to him."
He wasn't joking. Though Beihan was just an ordinary man, he was Beixuan's acknowledged grandfather. If Beixuan ever regained his full bloodline and became the future Bixie King, he would possess both Bixie and Nightmare bloodlines. Born with the sacred Bixie Bone, he could potentially surpass even Beiluo himself.
At that time, Beihan would be brought along and given an unrivaled status—comparable to an emperor's grandfather.
As the former commander of the Imperial Guard, Yulin wouldn't dare accept a bow from someone of such future importance.
"Sir Soul Ancestor… what kind of martial soul does my grandson have? Does he have innate soul power?" Beihan asked eagerly. His biggest concern was Beixuan's future.
Though he would love for Beixuan to stay in the village with him forever, more than anything, he wanted the boy to have a bright future.
"Rest assured, elder. Xiaoxuan is extraordinarily gifted. His martial soul is called Nightmare, a rare spiritual-type soul. His innate soul power is level seven, which is already exceptional. If he trains diligently, he could easily surpass the Soul Sage level in the future."
Even this conservative answer was enough to make Beihan overjoyed. If he weren't
so poor, he might have even set off fireworks to celebrate.