Gu Yecheng said helplessly, "Miss, you should know the saying 'match made in heaven.' I… really don't deserve you. Please forget about me."
Ye Lingling still hugged him tightly from behind, refusing to let go. "If there's a way I can help you become a Soul Master, would you be with me?"
"I admit I have feelings for you, but there's no need to deceive me with such lies. Like you said just now, becoming a Soul Master isn't that easy. My spirit weapon is a sickle, and although my spirit power is still... weak, I've already given up on myself."
Gu Yecheng thought she was just caught up in a moment of passion. There's no happiness for a Soul Master and an ordinary person to be together—he grew up in a single-parent family and knew well how these factors affect life.
"I'm not lying. It's true. Although the Ye family isn't a great clan, our ancestors left behind a special legacy. If you agree, I will beg my mother to let you become a Soul Master," Ye Lingling explained earnestly.
Hearing her words, Gu Yecheng slowed his steps. A legacy? Such things only exist in powerful families or sects.
Does the Ye family really have something like that? Could she actually help him? If so, being with her might just make sense—after all, he liked her too.
But a legacy is precious. How could she just give it away to an outsider?
Gu Yecheng turned around and said, "Even if you're telling the truth and even if you agree, your mother will never allow it."
He knew Ye Lingling's mother was a very strong-willed woman. Since Ye Lingling followed her mother's surname, it was clear her mother was a typical strong woman who often clashed with her father, which eventually led to their divorce.
Sometimes, her mother even got angry with Gu Yecheng's mother. That was why he never liked those two women. But under someone else's roof, he had to keep his head down—after all, he relied on them for his wages.
"Don't worry, my mother loves me the most. I have a way to get you the legacy. Leave it to me," Ye Lingling said, looking at Gu Yecheng with deep affection. The person she had fallen for at first sight, if it were just a one-sided love, she might not have tried so hard, but she knew he liked her back. She wanted to persist for love this once.
Once he became a Soul Master, he could be with her forever—going to school together, eating together, hunting soul beasts. They wouldn't have to envy Yutian Heng and Dugu Yan anymore.
This time, Gu Yecheng did not refuse. After all, he dreamed of becoming a Soul Master. If Ye Lingling could really help him realize that dream, she might be the person he wanted to protect most besides his mother.
...
The next day, under bright morning sunshine, Gu Yecheng was already dressed in his work clothes, transplanting flowers and plants in the luxurious villa that looked like a manor. Some flowers and plants had already withered in certain areas.
Full of energy for the new day, before he finished the morning tasks, an elderly butler called him into a hall.
The butler respectfully bowed to the beautiful woman inside, then said, "Lady Ye, as you ordered, Gu Yecheng has been brought here."
"Hmm, you may leave now," the woman said, dismissing the butler, then staying alone with Gu Yecheng. Apparently, she had some secret matters to discuss. The butler dared not ask further and quickly left.
Under the piercing gaze of Lady Ye, Gu Yecheng felt uncomfortable. His palms grew sweaty, and a wave of nervousness rose.
Lady Ye was not Ye Lingling. She was a ruthless, domineering woman who never spared anyone.
After a long moment of scrutiny, Lady Ye finally spoke: "What means did you use to make Lingling... do this for you?"
"Come with me," Lady Ye shook her head and didn't continue. She motioned him to follow her as she took the lead.
Gu Yecheng was stunned because he didn't understand what Lingling had done for him. But there was no time to ponder; he hurried after her.
Lady Ye walked to a cabinet and slammed her palm hard onto a blue-and-white porcelain vase. Miraculously, the vase didn't break.
Suddenly, a rumbling sound echoed, and the cabinet slowly opened like a door.
It was a secret compartment!
Gu Yecheng was surprised. No wonder his mother wasn't allowed to clean here—the secret compartment hid a secret passage behind the cabinet.
"Stop standing there! Come over here now!" Lady Ye snapped, her temper not very good.
"Okay!" Gu Yecheng nodded hurriedly and walked forward. He couldn't understand why Lingling, who was so sweet and gentle, had such a cold mother.
They walked down a dark, narrow corridor for about a hundred steps before reaching a spacious hall.
The hall wasn't luxurious but rather plain. A red carpet ran from where they stood straight to an altar at the far end.
The altar was simply a circular platform with many exotic flowers arranged on both sides, one of which was the Nine Hearts Begonia.
"Sit cross-legged in the center of the altar," Lady Ye commanded, waving at Gu Yecheng.
"Okay," he nodded without hesitation. Although Lady Ye seemed fierce, he trusted she wouldn't harm him, especially since Lingling promised to help him.
If he really became a Soul Master, he could be with Lingling. Maybe this woman here was even his future mother-in-law.
Seeing Gu Yecheng sit cross-legged on the altar, Lady Ye moved to the offering table on the other side.
The table held incense, candles, meats, and fruits for the ritual.
But the most important was the white divine flower in the center, radiating nine points of starry light—noble and sacred.
Lady Ye lightly scratched her fingertip with her thumb, causing a small cut.
She forced out a drop of blood, lifted it with her spirit power to float in the air, then closed her eyes and began chanting an incantation in an incomprehensible language.
"Honored Flower Goddess, you are the deity of the heavens, and I am your servant. I offer my blood as a tribute and pray you grant this child the chance to awaken a spirit weapon."
As Lady Ye prayed, her tightly closed eyes suddenly snapped open.
Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh—
The drop of blood accelerated rapidly, like a triple jump, surging toward the white divine flower.
Suddenly, the noble white flower turned blood-red, as if from hell.
With the ritual complete, Gu Yecheng's illusion began to form, where he would awaken another spirit weapon.
At that moment, Lady Ye stared in surprise at the blood-stained red flower.
It was flying toward Gu Yecheng's direction! This made her view him in a whole new light, because the flower would never run toward the altar without reason.
The only explanation was... Gu Yecheng's talent had attracted the flower.
But her own daughter, Ye Lingling, had innate level nine spirit power. Such a good talent still didn't attract the flower—so why did Gu Yecheng?
Could he possibly have innate full spirit power?
"That doesn't seem likely," Lady Ye muttered. "Innate full spirit power would shine brilliantly on the test crystal ball, but Gu Yecheng's spirit weapon doesn't emit even a flicker of light."
Could his talent be the same as the Flower Goddess?
"Impossible! Absolutely impossible! He only has a useless sickle spirit weapon. How could he have the same talent as the Flower Goddess? She has innate level twenty spirit power."
Could Gu Yecheng's sickle also be innate level twenty spirit power? If so, does that mean this kid already has level twenty spirit power?
This... this is unbelievable.
(End of Chapter)
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