Upon learning that Ye Lingyue had become the Ghost Sect Leader in the blink of an eye, Lan Cai’er and Yan Che had very different reactions.
"Ling Yue, you’re really not cool, becoming the Sect Leader and forgetting about me. You could have at least let me be the Vice Sect Leader." Upon hearing the name Ghost Sect, Lan Cai’er also found it quite imposing and wanted to nab the position of Vice Sect Leader for herself. For original chapters go to NovєlFіre.net
"Sister, this Ghost Sect thing was just a whim of mine. If you’re interested, I can hook you up with a gig even more fun than Vice Sect Leader of the Ghost Sect." Ye Lingyue whispered mysteriously to Lan Cai’er, who burst into laughter upon hearing her words.
"If you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. It’s about time we set up a Drunk Immortal Inn in Xia Capital. I’ll go into the city tomorrow and scout around to see if there’s a suitable tavern for sale." After returning to Xia Capital, Lan Cai’er always ran into An Minxia and her crowd.
Back in Li City, An Minxia had publicly berated Ye Lingyue as a country bumpkin and schemed against Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai’er numerous times in Yunmeng Swamp.
Both women held grudges, and now with both the spiritual fruits and vegetables provided by Hong Meng Heaven and Ye Lingyue’s Rainbow Five Treasures Brew in their possession, these few secret weapons would surely let them rise to fame in Xia Capital. Then, they would undoubtedly beat An Minxia’s Immortal Inn into complete submission.
As for Yan Che, upon learning that Ye Lingyue would rigorously train those children, even to become assassins, he did not object. On the contrary, he approved of Ye Lingyue’s actions.
"Sect Leader, we have a saying in the Central Plains: ’Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day; teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ From now on, Yan Che will protect the Sect Leader. I can’t look after these children anymore. They need to learn to protect themselves." Despite appearing somewhat dim-witted, Yan Che was actually very astute.
The moment he promised to protect Ye Lingyue for life, his life ceased to be his own.
In his eyes, everything Ye Lingyue did was right.
If she asked him to kill, then that person surely deserved to die.
After winning over Yan Che, Ye Lingyue then made arrangements for each of those children. In a few days, she would individually test them to see if anyone was suitable for Martial Arts Training or even cultivating spiritual power.
When Ye Lingyue and Lan Cai’er returned to the Lan Residence with a grown man in tow, they gave General Lan and Lady Lan quite a shock.
Fortunately, both were people of great moral standing and, after learning of the tragic backgrounds of Yan Che and those orphaned Central Plains children, asked Yan Che a few questions. Once they confirmed he was a sincere person, they agreed to let him stay at the Lan Residence.
"Father, Mother, there is one more favor I must ask. Along with Yan Che, there are dozens of other children, all without household registration, unable to enter the city. My sister and I have discussed it, and we plan to employ some of them at the Drunk Immortal Inn in Xia Capital, so we need Father’s help with the household registration."
Ye Lingyue had now followed the Lan Family to the Imperial City, and both publicly and privately, she addressed the Lan couple as Father and Mother, much to their contentment.
"That’s easy to handle. Lord Zhang, who is in charge of household registration, is an old friend of mine. I’ll see him tomorrow to get dozens of household certificates. If I’m free, I can also teach them Martial Arts." General Lan readily agreed, having now gotten a good look at Yan Che.
Upon a closer look, General Lan marveled.
They say Central Plains people grow up on wolf’s milk, and this big fellow before me—what a sturdy build.
That waist, those arms—if he joined the army, he would surely be the leading charge into battle.
General Lan’s demeanor was both amusing and frustrating to Lan Cai’er and Lady Lan.
"What a pity, lad, you must be over sixteen by now. If I had discovered you years earlier, I would have personally taught you martial arts. At your current age, it’s too late to start learning Primordial Power," General Lan sighed after his examination.
In Daxia, whether one is a Martial Artist or an Alchemist, the optimal age to begin one’s enlightenment is before sixteen. Once past this age, the chances of comprehending Primordial Power and spiritual power are extremely slim.
Hearing that he couldn’t cultivate Primordial Power, Yan Che’s gaze dimmed.
He had witnessed the formidable strength of Primordial Power in his match against Lan Cai’er today and had been hopeful that upon joining the General Mansion, he would be able to study Primordial Power and better protect Ye Lingyue in the future.
Unfortunately, General Lan’s words extinguished his last sliver of hope.
Yan Che’s disappointed eyes were not lost on Ye Lingyue.
After returning to the courtyard with Ye Lingyue, she suddenly said,
"Yan Che, are you feeling very dejected because you can’t learn Primordial Power?" Ye Lingyue had noticed what was on Yan Che’s mind.
"Yan Che is just regretful that he cannot better protect the Sect Leader," said Yan Che, a straightforward person whose emotions were always clearly written on his face.
His experiences of the day had made him acutely aware of the truth that there is always someone stronger out there.
"You’re mistaken, it’s not only the martial artists who cultivate Primordial Power that are invincible. I happen to know a method that can push the body’s potential to the limit. However, for this, you must endure the immersion of at least a few hundred extreme poisons," said Ye Lingyue. This special method she referred to was a unique poison-cultivation technique recorded in the "Five Poison Treasure Record" by the Jade Hand Poison Master.
This poison-cultivation technique can force the flesh and bones to undergo a terrifying refinement process. Even masters of the Reincarnation Realm would not be a match for a poison-cultivated individual. However, this technique requires a prolonged period of three years and a refinement with no less than nine hundred and ninety-nine different poisons to finally complete.
Those who undergo the poison cultivation will possess a Poison Origin Pill unparalleled in the world. Once Yan Che has the Poison Origin Pill, his strength could even surpass that of the masters in the Reincarnation Realm.
"Sect Leader, are you saying, I could become an existence not inferior to General Lan?" Yan Che’s eyes relit with hope.
"An existence even more powerful than him. However, I cannot guarantee it right now, as I still need to collect those nine hundred and ninety-nine poisons. But during these three years, your body will grow stronger," Ye Lingyue was unsure if her plan was feasible.
However, according to the records of the Jade Hand Poison Master, the Poison Human that was casually created by the Poison Master during a moment of inspiration had astonishing strength, causing even the Hong Meng Fang Immortal to suffer a great headache upon encountering it.
"Sect Leader, Yan Che wants to be strong. As long as I can become stronger, no matter how hard or tiring it is, I am willing," Yan Che decisively proclaimed without a moment of hesitation.
"If that’s the case, I will start preparing the medicines for you from tomorrow," Ye Lingyue nodded.
Both she and Yan Che understood well that to stand their ground in Xia Capital, they both needed to become stronger. Only by becoming stronger could Ye Lingyue step by step carry out her plans and make the Hong Residence, as well as those who had wronged her and her mother, regret ever being born into this world!