Of course, Ling Tian was unaware of the conversation that had taken place between his father and "The Shadow," and continued heading to his room without a care.
Inside his room, Ling Tian sat quietly, staring at the manuscript in his hands.
"Heaven's Pulse Technique..."
He muttered its name, his eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"The name sounds intriguing... I just hope it's as exciting as its name suggests."
He said while stroking his chin thoughtfully.
He began reading the technique's details, and the more he read... the more confused he became.
When he finished, he wasn't sure whether he should be happy or cry.
The Heaven's Pulse Technique was truly amazing, especially for someone with a single spiritual root. According to the technique, such a person would achieve cultivation speed equal to any ordinary cultivator, but thanks to the technique, they would possess twice the usual spiritual energy.
This alone was enough to leave Ling Tian astounded.
But the real shock came when he read about the technique's effect on those with two or more roots. The more roots one possessed, the greater the benefits became... but in return, the cultivation time became much slower.
When Ling Tian realized what this meant, he nearly cursed his cheap father right then and there.
He said, with black lines of frustration across his face:
"If this technique speaks the truth... I need five times the training time... but I'll get spiritual energy equivalent to five times as well?! What a damned bargain!"
Ling Tian didn't know what he should do. If he cultivated the Heaven's Pulse Technique, it would be impossible for him to surpass the fourth stage of Qi Condensation, especially with his condition... five spiritual roots, and not a single cultivation pill in sight.
"Damn it... as if I had a choice anyway!"
He muttered angrily, then sat down and began memorizing the technique's contents.
Seven days passed, during which he never left his room. When he had completely memorized the technique, he emerged holding the manuscript, but before returning it, he stopped before his father with a look of suspicion in his eyes.
"Father... why didn't you give this technique to the rest of the clan members? At least to the elders? I'm sure we would have become the strongest clan in the city. The Hong and Fei clans wouldn't have dared to even raise their heads!"
Ling Hao's expression didn't change. In a cold tone, he simply said:
"This is something you don't need to know right now."
Ling Tian felt there was something strange, but he didn't exhaust himself thinking about it too much. He just shrugged and headed straight to training.
---
Days passed quickly... and soon two years had gone by.
During this period, people's perception of Ling Tian changed several times.
In the first year, he trained with unprecedented diligence. Many of the city's residents noticed his increased intelligence, which removed the "fool" label that had stuck to him since childhood.
Of course, the Hong and Fei clans continued calling him "the idiot," but this didn't bother him.
Then came the second year... and here began the real change.
He stopped training completely. And began spending most of his time in... brothels.
No, he wasn't hiding it. He entered them with pride, as if entering a meditation hall!
After a year and a half, he grew tired of brothels... and began pursuing girls from other clans.
The problem? He was extremely skilled at this!
He wrote poems, gave flowers, and spoke with the tone of a passionate lover...
Soon, girls began falling for him, one after another.
Some young men in the city began to hate him intensely. Not because they hated his personality... but because he was stealing the hearts of girls they secretly admired.
Thus, a new title began spreading among the younger generation:
"The Greatest Failure in Qing He City's History!"
"What a beautiful day," said Ling Tian as he stretched his arms after leaving his room.
Then he headed outside the clan grounds. He saw young men and women training using the clan's sword arts. He watched them for a while, then sighed and thought, "Forget it, it's impossible for me to advance to mid-stage Qi Condensation. I couldn't even enter the Qi Condensation realm."
He smiled bitterly then thought, "Well, at least I have wealth and women in this life. In my previous life, I would have achieved my greatest dreams." After thinking this, Ling Tian smiled joyfully.
Soon he left the clan grounds and began walking in a certain direction.
While walking, he heard many whispers from people:
"Look, it's the failure."
"I wonder which lady he'll pursue today."
Ling Tian ignored their whispers and mockery and continued walking until he reached a tavern called Yi Ying.
"I heard the City Lord's daughter will be here today."
Ling Tian thought this, his eyes gleaming.
Ever since he saw her by chance a few days ago, he couldn't stop thinking about her and began gathering information about her.
Ling Tian entered the tavern and looked around.
From the outside, Yi Ying Tavern didn't look special—just an old wooden door and a black sign with the name written in simple golden script.
But anyone who entered would immediately feel that this place wasn't like other taverns.
The floor was clean, tables arranged orderly, no broken chairs, no old stains on the wood.
The lighting was gentle, coming from oil lanterns hanging on the walls, their light warm and steady, not harsh on the eyes.
The air inside carried a faint incense scent mixed with an unclear herbal fragrance, giving the place a strange comfort.
There was no smell of cheap alcohol or choking smoke like in other taverns.
The people here were of all types: mercenaries, merchants, and even farmers from the city's outskirts.
Despite this, the place was quiet—no one shouted, no one fought.
Everyone knew this wasn't a place to cause trouble.
At the end of the hall was a wide wooden staircase ascending quietly to the second floor.
Its steps were dark-colored and soundless, with a smooth banister carved with barely visible patterns.
Above the stairs hung a heavy black curtain, completely covering what lay beyond.
Ling Tian glanced at the first floor, then headed to the stairs and began ascending to the second floor.
The guard at the stairs gave Ling Tian a look but didn't stop him, as he was a regular customer.
When he passed through the heavy black curtain, the atmosphere changed completely.
The floor was covered with a soft dark carpet that absorbed his footsteps, and the walls were lined with polished wooden panels showcasing intricate carvings that reflected the light of golden lanterns hung at regular intervals.
The lighting here was gentle and warm, not harsh on the eyes. Small tables had candles placed on them, creating a peaceful and private atmosphere.
In the surroundings, rare perfumes mixed with distinctive incense filled the air with a luxurious fragrance.
Ling Tian looked around the second floor and finally found his target: Dong Yuan Yi.
The table in the left corner of the tavern was quieter than others, yet it drew everyone's attention without need for noise.
Dong Yuan Yi sat there, surrounded by several young men her age, most wearing elegant clothes that distinguished the children of noble families.
As for her, she was the jewel that brought them together.
Calm, not speaking much, but everyone sitting with her tried to attract her attention, even without showing it openly.
Her black hair flowed smoothly down her back, and her serene face bore no clear expression, yet no one could ignore her presence.
Her eyes held a confident look, like someone who knew exactly who they were... and where they were heading.
Some laughed, others talked about sects, treasures, or upcoming tests,
but Dong Yuan Yi only listened, sipping from her cup calmly, as if she knew most of the words spoken weren't worth a response.
Though they were all elite, anyone watching from afar would notice something strange:
Everyone looked at each other... but they all waited for what she would say.
Ling Tian approached the group and said:
"What a coincidence to meet Miss Dong here. May I sit with you?"
Without waiting for an answer, he had already sat down with them.
When the young men heard his words, their faces changed, knowing that the greatest failure in Qing He City's history had set his sights on Dong Yuan Yi.
They didn't remain silent and quickly responded:
"I heard rumors about your audacity, but I feel the rumors don't describe even a quarter of your shamelessness."
Said Fei Yun, the eldest in the group and heir of the Fei family.
Many other children of prominent clans also spoke,
but everything turned to nonsense when Dong Yuan Yi laughed and said:
"Of course you can sit."
The crowd was shocked, left with nothing but silence.
Ling Tian answered enthusiastically:
"I appreciate your kindness, Miss."
Then they began exchanging conversation, and the more they talked, the more the young men realized they had no place in the discussion,
as everything revolved around this pair.
What made matters worse was when Ling Tian began reciting poetry.
This was when they realized that Dong Yuan Yi had fallen for this scoundrel.
Though everyone hated it, they couldn't help but agree that his poetry was first-class,
and it was his greatest weapon in stealing people's hearts.
After a while, the crowd grew to hate this side of Dong Yuan Yi,
so each began finding excuses to leave,
even Fei Yun departed, his eyes seemingly having lost their usual light.
After some conversation, Dong Yuan Yi began looking around, then said in a low voice, "Young Master Ling, I have something important to discuss with you. Can we go somewhere more private?"
Ling Tian was surprised by her words but still said, "Of course."
Then he ordered the waiter to prepare a private room for them.
The private room was the most luxurious in the entire tavern, and also the most expensive.
Important meetings were usually held here.
After they entered the room, Ling Tian was about to ask what Dong Yuan Yi intended to discuss, but what shocked him was that as soon as she entered the room, she screamed at the top of her voice:
"Help! Save me!"
Before he could react, he heard the door being forcefully broken, and suddenly appeared before him...
Hong Yan.