At this moment, the entire Tian Shui Earl’s mansion was deathly silent.
Suo Ning Bing had already learned of the king’s new decree, and her heart was instantly filled with despair.
The foundation of the Suo clan was about to be destroyed in her hands. Although Lan Ling was clever, he had less than five months to study and practise martial arts. It was impossible for him to even pass the graduation grand examination, let alone rank in the top ten and obtain the Noble Warrior Medal.
Why? Why?
Tian Shui City was conquered by the ancestors of the Suo clan. It was not conferred by the royal family. Why could the royal family take it away just because they wanted to?
The Suo clan had ruled Tian Shui City for longer than the Furious Wave Kingdom had existed. If the Suo ancestors had not chosen to submit to the Zhi clan back then, how could the royal family have pacified the entire southeast?
The king of that time had held the Suo clan leader and said, “You are my benefactor. Your family will share the world with my kingdom. The glory and wealth of your family will last as long as the kingdom itself.”
Those words still rang clearly in their ears. Yet now, for the sake of Zhi Li’s strategy, the royal family had directly bared its fangs and wanted to put their benefactor to death.
Such a powerful royal family was actually bullying two widowed sisters and a weak younger brother like this. Why?
Lan Ling had just returned home when his elder sister Suo Ning Bing directly threw herself into his arms.
“Little brother, I am now filled with regret for agreeing to Jing Yu’s request. I really should not have dragged you into this. You are so outstanding, yet now you have to be buried with my Suo clan.”
At this moment, Ye Jing Yu’s eyes were also filled with regret. If she had known this would be the outcome, she would never have let Lan Ling come to impersonate Soren.
Lan Ling was simply too outstanding. Whether it was his martial talent, wisdom, or artistic attainment, all of them were one in ten thousand. He should have had an extremely bright future, yet now he had been dragged by her into the struggle between the Suo clan and the royal family and had become a sacrifice.
Lan Ling gently held his sister, patted her back, and said softly, “Sister, we may not necessarily lose Tian Shui City.”
Suo Ning Bing said, “You do not need to comfort me.”
Lan Ling said, “As long as I enter the top ten in the graduation grand examination and obtain the Noble Warrior Medal, the royal family will have no choice but to let me inherit the title and the position of master of Tian Shui City.”
Suo Ning Bing was stunned. She had not expected Lan Ling to still hold such thoughts.
To enter the top ten in the graduation grand examination, at least in the martial arts subject alone, one needed to become a second-level warrior archer.
Even the most talented person in the world would need five or six years. Yet Lan Ling had not even completed the enlightenment stage and had only four months. This was completely the talk of a madman.
Suo Ning Bing suspected that Lan Ling was so angry inside that he had lost his mind. But she could not bear to say even a single mocking or negative word.
In the less than one month they had spent together, she had already completely treated Lan Ling as family and had fully replaced her real younger brother Soren’s position.
However, Ye Jing Yu on the side spoke without any restraint and said directly, “Soren, this is completely impossible. Even the number one expert in the world, Jiang Shang, could not complete this step in three years.”
Lan Ling said, “I want to try. Even if I die, I will go all out so that I will have no regrets.”
Ye Jing Yu did not speak, but Suo Ning Bing said, “Alright, sister supports you. I still say the same thing. If the worst comes to the worst, we siblings will die together.”
Lan Ling said, “In about ten days, I will head to the kingdom’s border to carry out practical combat cultivation.”
Suo Ning Bing’s beautiful eyes trembled. That place was too dangerous. She felt extremely reluctant in her heart, but she still nodded and said, “Alright, sister supports you.”
Ye Jing Yu said, “No, you have not completed the third step of enlightenment and cannot enter practical combat training.”
Lan Ling said, “I have already completed it, but I was afraid you would think I was too monstrous, so I pretended I had not.”
With that, Lan Ling used his consciousness to command the demon star to release a strand of power, then controlled this power with his consciousness, circulated it throughout his body, and shot it directly from his fingertip.
Although this power was very weak, like a gust of wind blowing across Ye Jing Yu’s face, it proved that Lan Ling had already completed the third step of enlightenment, Dragon Force Control.
She was truly stunned. Others needed several months to complete Dragon Force Control, yet Lan Ling still only needed half a day. He really was a monster.
Perhaps after three months of practical combat cultivation, Lan Ling might really bring a surprise in the graduation grand examination.
If that happened, he would truly shock everyone’s eyes.
……
In the following ten days, Lan Ling did not return home. He ate and slept in the Yuhua Pavilion.
In the eyes of many people, he had completely given up on himself and was indulging in the land of warmth and tenderness. In reality, Lan Ling was working without sleep or rest to repay a debt. What debt?
He was drawing posters for the remaining eighteen courtesans, styling each according to their individual characteristics, and clearly laying out all the promotion methods.
Since he had earned this money, he had to take responsibility and complete the work.
Although time was extremely tight and he needed to use as much time as possible for practical combat cultivation, this was not a reason to shirk.
Therefore he rested only two or three hours each day and then worked without sleep or rest, all on drawing and writing promotion plans.
Many of the girls felt extremely heartache and said not to draw any more and to talk about it later.
But this was completely related to the interests of these women and the brothels behind them. How could he break his word and betray his trust?
For nine days and nine nights without sleep, he drew and wrote promotion plans, and finally completed the styling, promotion, and posters for the remaining nineteen courtesans of the royal city.
Then he collapsed headfirst into Yi Man Man’s soft bosom and fell into a deep sleep, not waking up.
After sleeping for a full twelve hours, Lan Ling was woken up and told that Duke Zhi Ting had summoned him.
……
“Royal brother has issued a decree severely reprimanding me and punished me with three months of house arrest. I am not allowed to step out of the Duke’s mansion.” These were Duke Zhi Ting’s first words upon seeing Lan Ling.
Lan Ling bowed and said, “I am sorry, Your Grace. Because of my matter, you have been implicated.”
Seeing that Soren remained respectful, even though he had not accomplished anything and had instead made the situation more serious, and that Soren showed not the slightest resentment, Duke Zhi Ting was greatly moved.
“The bribes that this Duke has obtained have never been returned.” Duke Zhi Ting said, “But this time I will make an exception. These three properties will be returned to you. Moreover, after you lose your title and Tian Shui City, you can come under my wing. This way your life can be preserved, and probably no one will bully you.”
With that, Duke Zhi Ting took out the deeds for the three properties and wanted to hand them back to Lan Ling.
Instantly Lan Ling retreated three steps and said, “What the Suo clan has given away is never taken back. Moreover, Your Grace has already done everything possible for my matter and has even been reprimanded by His Majesty the King. This has already made Soren feel boundless gratitude and extreme guilt.”
Duke Zhi Ting was stunned, then walked with difficulty, breathing heavily, to stand before Lan Ling. He patted his shoulder and said, “You are really very good. It is a pity that Zhi Li will not let you live. I will do my best to protect your life, but whether I can succeed or not is up to heaven. That boy Zhi Li is formidable. He is the future king.”
Lan Ling did not speak but bowed deeply once more.
……
After returning to the Earl’s mansion, Lan Ling had one last dinner with his sister.
Tomorrow he would head to the border between the Furious Wave Kingdom and the barbarian lands to carry out practical combat cultivation.
That place was the most dangerous, with countless barbarian warriors and countless wild beasts of the wilderness, yet it was also the best environment for cultivation.
Suo Ning Bing felt a million kinds of reluctance. This was her family, this was her darling. Yet for her Suo Ning Bing, he had to go to such a dangerous place.
But during the meal, Suo Ning Bing kept smiling while forcibly holding back her tears. It made Lan Ling’s heart almost break.
After the meal, Suo Ning Bing did not sleep the entire night. She packed and repacked Lan Ling’s luggage, then sat by Lan Ling’s bedside, watching him for a full night.
Lan Ling did not sleep either, but fearing his sister would worry, he pretended to be already asleep.
The next day before dawn, Lan Ling got up and formally bid farewell to his sister.
He and Ye Jing Yu both disguised themselves and secretly left through the back gate of the Earl’s mansion.
Suo Ning Bing could no longer hold back. She tightly hugged Lan Ling and suppressed her sobs as she said, “You must come back safely. If anything happens to you, I will not live either. We do not want Tian Shui City any more. We do not want the several-hundred-year foundation any more. Sister only wants you to be safe. Right now you are sister’s darling. Do you know that?”
Lan Ling immediately hugged Suo Ning Bing tightly, greedily sniffing the scent on her body, and said gently yet dominantly, “Sister, when I become strong enough, I will marry you. I want you to be my wife.”
Then he cupped Suo Ning Bing’s peerless beautiful face and kissed her lips fiercely yet gently.
It was incomparably soft and incomparably sweet, but because of his sister’s tears, it was also a little salty and bitter.
Hearing this dominant confession, Suo Ning Bing’s heart trembled violently and her mind instantly went blank.
Ye Jing Yu on the side was also stunned. She had not expected Lan Ling to be so bold.
After the kiss, Lan Ling directly leapt onto his fine horse and galloped away.
Ye Jing Yu was dazed for a moment, then said to Suo Ning Bing, “Miss, take care.”
Then she also urged her horse and chased after Lan Ling.
The two people and two horses secretly left the royal city and sped towards the southern border.
Suo Ning Bing stood in place, hands clasped together, and prayed with utmost sincerity to the heavens, “Supreme divine dragon, please protect my younger brother and let him return safely. I can give up everything. I only want him to be safe and sound.”