by Tinalynge
The man was quiet for some time as he contemplated, “We cannot steal from our customers. Our reputation is clean and we wish to keep it this way. If he truly possesses more of these legendary herbs, then it is indeed beneficial for us to befriend him and get him to sell them through us. Also, he must be quite a talented child to be able to withstand your beauty. I will go and visit him tomorrow.”
Having said that, Yong Meilin was very well aware that she was dismissed. With a deep bow, she left the office. Yong Meilin headed towards her own courtyard with mixed feelings swirling around inside of her.
For one, she wished for the young man to stay. She wished to get to know him a bit better and hear what his story was like. She wanted to hear about how the world was on the outside of the city. But at the same time, her pride told her that she was the one who had men dancing to her song. She did not follow other men like a cheap girl would.
While Yong Meilin was filled with mixed emotions, Xu Min was feeling great as he was seated within the room. His eyes closed and golden specks of light surrounded him. They enveloped him in a golden gleam, almost like a blanket.
The young boy was fully absorbed in refining the essence of the heavens and the earth. He was invested in her cultivation so much that he did not show any signs of noticing that the door to the small building had opened. A person stepped inside the room.
Looking around, the elderly man was curious as he sat down on a chair. He quickly noticed that the young man had touched almost nothing within the house. All that he had touched was the bed with which was where he was currently cultivating.
Upon closer inspection, he also noticed the sleeping snake which was asleep on his lap. The small snake instantly gave the elderly man a chill down his spine. His eyes widened in surprise and he no longer stayed within the room to observe the meditating young man. Instead, he instantly rushed outside.
As the older man left the house, Xu Min opened one eye narrowly. A smirk appeared on his face as he gently padded the sleeping snake in his lap. How could someone who has been on high alert the majority of his life not notice when someone enters his room? Even if that someone is a higher ranked warrior, Xu Min will always notice it unless he used special items to conceal his aura.
Ensuring that the old man did not enter once more, Xu Min stayed awake without cultivating for roughly an hour. The only thing he could see was the moonlight cascading down through the window. After the hour had passed, he no longer bothered wasting more time. Once more, he entered the cultivation trance and his body once more became completely relaxed as golden specks of light appeared around him.
….
“Grandpa? Why did you call for me?” Yong Meilin asked confusedly as she was standing in front of her grandfather within the room once more. She had never before been fetched by a guard from her grandfather in the middle of the night. As to why, this was something she could never imagine.
“This young man is not so ordinary as I thought,” the elderly man said with a pondering look upon his face. “He is in possession of a green snake. Green snakes are valuable and all of them are born with the strength of the Third Star. If I am guessing correctly, then this snake is at least a snake of the fourth star. It is obvious that this snake was the cause of the death of the Four-Star Warrior earlier that day.”
“But Grandpa, what does this have to do with me?” Yong Meilin asked curiously but the elderly man just shook his head and sighed deeply, “You are the one who has brought him to the Yong family. He is indeed a rare gem. He is already a Warrior of the First Star, but he is not even twenty years of age yet. He even has a green snake with him. Although I am incapable of truly determining what kind of snake he is, it is a great benefit to the young man. He is also likely to have more herbs. Your job is to make him feel comfortable. If you manage to make him fall for you then that would be even better. I have no idea where such a talented youth could have appeared from but we can use him.”
Yong Melin was stunned as she heard what her grandfather had said. After a short while, she nodded her head. She was a member of the younger generation of the Yong Clan. It was her responsibility that the Alluring Treasure Pavilion and the Hall of Champions were flourishing. If that meant that she had to spend a lot of time on this mysterious young man, then so be it.
“That was it for tonight. Tomorrow, convince the young man to enter the town with you. We cannot allow for him to leave the city just because he cannot join the Hall of Champions for a month. We need to keep him here in Ri Chu City. I am leaving him to you to take care of,” the elderly man finished. He stood up and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. The grandfather gave her a small squeeze as a way of wishing her good luck. Before he left the office, there was a stunned and confused young woman who slowly came to her senses left behind.
The only reason that she had invited Xu Min inside was because of his potential. She had seen great potential of both business and cultivation wise when it came to this young boy. After hearing her grandfather’s assessment of him, she was still thoroughly shocked.
Looking at the empty office she was standing in, Yong Meilin left the room dazed. Her brain was working in highest gear as she wondered how to change the first hand impression Xu Min had of her.She was thinking how she could con the young man to stay within the Alluring Treasure Pavilion.
Gritting her teeth, she felt as though something dangerous was approaching her from the shadows. A shiver ran down her spine and she looked towards the location where she had left Xu Min. A desire to run over and see how he was doing was pulling at her. Eventually, she forced herself back to her own home. Her heart was clearly affected.
While Yong Meilin was feeling worried, Xu Min was focused fully on cultivation. His eyes closed as he felt the essence of the heavens and the earth enter his body. He was completely unaware of the conversation which had transpired between Yong Meilin and her grandfather.
Although he had noticed the elderly man, Xu Min had no way of knowing who he was. Since he did not know the old man’s identity, the young man paid no attention towards him. Moving to the Alluring Treasure Pavilion was definitely done for the sake of protecting him. Xu Min was certain that what truly had made Yong Min assist him was the pouch filled with herbs alongside whatever the ability he had used to kill the Four-Star Warrior.
Knowing that Yong Meilin intended to use him and his abilities, Xu Min saw no reason as to why he should not use her in return. Being under the protection of the Alluring Treasure Pavilion was something which could help him greatly. No one would dare to touch him when he had such a large faction backing him.
Chapter 31 - Visiting at Home
The night was spent peacefully by Xu Min. After the elderly man had snuck into the house, nothing happened to interrupt him. He ended up spending all the night cultivating which was the way he prefered to spend the night.
Someone who did not have a comfortable night was Yong Meilin. She had been pacing around within her room and never once sat down to relax. She was feeling both uncomfortable and excited at the same time. She did not wish to follow the young man and felt even less attractive at the thought of herself being submissive. She behaved like a servant to ensure that he would stay within Ri Chu City.
Although she disliked the idea her grandfather had come up with,and the order he had given her, she was trembling with excitement when she thought about how amazing it would be. She could finally manage to flirt enough with this young man and make him fall for her. He had made her feel uncomfortable so many times and caused her face to flush red in public by announcing that she had pleasured him a previous night. To be able to twist him around her little finger was something she dearly wished to experience.
These two conflicting thoughts of the blow to her dignity and the wish to prevail were constantly at odds with each other. At some point, one of the emotions took over, but was replaced moments after. In the end, she knew that no matter how she felt about the job she had been given, it was something she had to
do. An order from her grandfather was impossible to go against, especially since she wished to prove her worth. She wished to take over the Alluring Treasure Pavilion when she grew older.
As Yong Meilin was spending her time constantly uncertain as to what her emotions truly were, her heart kept beating erratically. Eventually, the morning sun shone its rays of sunshine through her window. They called her back from her pondering of the world around her. Back to reality where it didn’t matter how she felt about it, she had to do anything in her ability to entrance the young man.
Calmed down, Yong Meilin instantly got herself under control. Her acting skills were first rate. As a servant entered through the door, the young woman looked as calm and collected as usual. Her face was adorned with a beautiful smile and she nodded in a friendly way when her breakfast was brought forward.
Eating the food, every movement was graceful. All servants within the room, even the women, were all mesmerised by her grace and entranced by her beauty. Seeing this, the smile on Yong Mei Lin's face grew ever so slightly. Suddenly however, the face of Xu Min’s wry smile appeared in her mind and she could not help but feel irritated. If he had behaved like any other person around her, she would like him much more.
Eating the rest of her food with a somewhat stiff smile on her face, Yong Meilin quickly excused herself as she saw how all the servants left her room. Within her eyes, determination shone as she went towards the cabinet where her lushest clothes were hanging. She picked up a form fitted red robe with a beautiful golden skirt. There was a golden colored embroidery of a phoenix lined around the entire robe. The golden belt fastened it to her body and showed off her alluring curves as well.
Looking at herself in a mirror, a content smile was seen on her face before she moved to another place within her room. With experienced hands, chalk powder was patted all over her face. She applied a red substance on her luscious lips to create a fuller volume. Meilin used a pencil to outline her eyes and accentuate her eyelashes.
The woman was now so stunningly beautiful that cities would go to war over her. With a satisfied smile, she did her hair in an intricate design and made it look like a blooming flower adorned with pearls made from gold.
Glancing once more at the mirror, the woman nodded her head in satisfaction as she left her house. Outside, anyone who saw her would become completely stunned. Every man had feverish eyes when glancing upon her. All the women were filled with jealousy but also an unexplainable worship.
Every glance sent her way boosted her confidence. Soon, the haughty and arrogant air around the beautiful woman returned to how it had been when Xu Min first saw her. As she walked towards the house she had left the young man, every step made her feel better and better. She quickly forgot that the young man had previously managed to completely ignore her charm. She was filled with excitement about how the young man who had caused her such worry would fall for her the moment he saw her.
The smile on her face kept increasing until she finally stood in front of the house she previously lent to the young man. She paused slightly while making her obvious grin into a mesmerising smile. Her beauty and grace shone from every move she made.
Knocking at the courtyard gate, Yong Meilin waited patiently for it to be opened for her but nothing happened. No sound could be heard from within the courtyard and no movements can be seen. After having knocked at the gate for quite a few moments, the graceful air around her started to falter. Her smile turned sour and her beautiful eyes turned dark and filled with anger.
Seeing that there was no response, the woman was both frantic and relieved. She was frantic because her job had been to ensure that the man would stay within Ri Chu City. At the same time, she felt relieved that she would not have to try and attract the young man. She felt as though the task at hand was too difficult. The fact that no one answered her call and the gate didn’t open would most likely mean that there would be no one who would be inside.
Yong Meilin stood outside and contemplated for some time. Eventually, she drew out a bundle of keys and picked out one similar to the one she had given Xu Min the previous evening. With a click of the keyhole, the gate slowly swung open which allowed for the beautiful woman to enter through.
Slipping into the courtyard, Yong Meilin looked around frantically. She thought of the anger her grandfather would show when he realised that his valued person had left town without as much as a word to anyone and that she had failed her task. Her heart quivered as she feared that this mistake would cost her the seat of the Director for the Alluring Treasure Pavilion.
The courtyard at first glance looked completely empty; however, Yong Meilin’s eyes frantically searched every part of the area. The phoenix-like eyes came to a rest upon a figure in the shadows of a large tree.
This figure was without a doubt Xu Min. His upper body was bare and it glistened with sweat as it rolled from his body. His entire weight was being held on by one finger as the body moved slowly up and down.
The air around him was filled with golden specks of light as he had entered a higher stage of cultivation. He was at a stage where his body was naturally sucking in the essence of the heavens and the earth. Without being seated in a cultivating form, he created these specks of light which entered into his body.
Yong Meilin was completely taken aback as she saw the young man working hard as his body was glistening in his own sweat. The young woman was incapable of moving away her eyes. They just widened in surprise and she was completely engrossed in watching the young man.
As it was early in the morning, the sun was low in the sky as it slowly crept further and further deeper. Yong Meilin only had the energy to move into the shades herself. Her eyes constantly glued to the man in front of her.
At first, Yong Meilin had expected that the reason he was capable of killing that Four-Star Warrior was due to the snake her grandfather had spoken about. She also thought that this boy somehow had managed to stumble across a fortune which were the snake and the legendary herbs.
Now that she looked at the young man, she noticed that every part of his body was filled with lean muscle. Although the sweat was almost raining down on his body, he still prevailed in his training. Without a doubt, he was the hardest worker whom Yong Meilin had ever seen.
Seeing the strength the young man displayed, it was now obvious that he had not used any sort of trick the night before. He had killed multiple cultivators just by grabbing their heads and slamming them against the floor.
As hours went by, the only difference in Xu Min’s training was that he switched from one finger to another. He ensured him to do push-ups on every one of his fingers before he finally jumped into the air where he gracefully landed on his legs. He turned towards Yong Meilin and a dazzling smile appeared on his face. The smile caused all the thoughts within the beautiful woman’s mind to become foggy as her heart started beating rapidly.
Lifting up his arm, a snake jumped from the tree above which he had been training. The snake climbed from the arm to the neck where it coiled itself around the warm skin. The camouflage skill was once more activated and the snake was no longer visible.
Seeing this, the woman was even more shocked. She finally saw the snake which her grandfather valued highly. In her eyes, the man was far more impressive than the juvenile snake.
“For what reason am I blessed by your presence?” he asked politely as he looked at the beautiful woman in front of her. A cheeky smile was adorning his face as he picked up a washcloth from the ground next to a bowl of water. As though no one was watching, Xu Min started to wash himself and removed the sweat. His actions causing the already stunned Yong Meilin to become even more shocked. Her face became beet red and her eyes were so wide that they almost fell from her skull. Her beautiful mouth constantly opened and closed as she tried to answer the question she had been asked.
“I…. I came to invite you to eat some lunch with me in the Flower Gardens,” she finally stuttered. Her eyes were downcast and her face red. She
had long since turned her side to him as she dared not watch. She was frightened that he would drop the rest of his clothes at any moment.
Seeing the reaction of the haughty beauty, Xu Min could not help but laugh loudly. His laughter caused the already embarrassed woman to become even more embarrassed and slightly indignant. The time it took for the young man to answer was like an eternity for the poor woman. However, Xu Min eventually smiled at her and answered.
“Sure,” he said with a casual voice. “Just give me some time to take a bath and get some clean clothes on.”
Without waiting for a reply, Xu Min turned around and went towards the building he had been given by Yong Meilin. Behind him, the beauty spent the time trying to calm herself down and ensure herself that the lunch would be just fine.
Chapter 32 - Divine Flower Garden
