Ling Xiao's record from the battle on South City Street spread like a plague.
He was once a rare genius in Meteorite City, rising like a golden sun!
He had become a useless waste overnight, falling like a comet!
Regardless of whether he had once risen to fame through glory or now been forgotten through shame, he had once again become the talk of Meteorite City.
At the Li family home in North City, Li Guangyin knelt before his father, not daring to raise his arrogant head.
The middle-aged man in the front of the main hall, with a commanding presence, was his father, Li Yuanhua, a mid-level Xuanshi, the second son of the Li family patriarch. The young man sitting to his right bore a striking resemblance to Li Guangyin. He was his half-brother, Li Guanghan, a high-level Xuanshi, considered exceptionally talented among his generation. It was believed that within a year or two, he might unleash his Xuanli and break through to the Xuanshi level. Li Yuanhua asked calmly, "Are you sure it was Ling Xiao from the Ling family who hit you today? The Ling Xiao who, along with his father, Ling Zhan, was called a 'useless father and son' who could no longer practice martial arts?"
Li Guangyin nodded repeatedly, "Dad, what I said is true. It was definitely Ling Xiao. Xiao Guizi and the others can testify for me."
Li Yuanhua turned to his eldest son and asked, "Guanghan, what do you think?"
Li Guanghan said, "I think what my second brother said is true."
"Could it be that the Ling family is using retreat as a pretext for advancement, deliberately spreading rumors that Ling Xiao can no longer practice martial arts, deliberately paralyzing everyone and making us give up our fear of Ling Xiao so that he can continue his training in peace?" Li Yuanhua speculated. Li Guanghan pondered for a moment and said, "I don't think so. While doing so would make everyone ignore Ling Xiao's existence, it would also hurt the Ling family's reputation. That's not worth the loss."
Li Yuanhua waved his hand and said, "A tree that stands out in the forest will be pushed forward by the wind. If Ling Xiao, a once-in-a-century genius, can continue to cultivate well, even a little loss of reputation won't matter. What if, what if Ling Xiao breaks through to the Spiritual Master level? How many people in Meteorite City will be able to stand up to him? That would be a significant boost for the Ling family."
"How about letting the child give him a try?" Li Guanghan asked.
"I'll discuss this with your grandfather and we'll make a final decision," Li Yuanhua pondered. Then he scolded Li Guangyin, "You useless piece of shit! You've completely disgraced the Li family. Go to the back mountains and face the wall, where you can't leave for a month."
Li Guangyin breathed a sigh of relief and said with a drooping face, "Yes, Dad."
Ling Rui's Residence. The pockmarked man, with a white bandage wrapped around his nose, was vividly recounting today's events to Ling Rui.
After listening, Ling Rui frowned and fell into deep thought. After a moment, he waved his hand for the pockmarked man to leave and then walked out.
He arrived at the east wing and knocked on the door.
"Come in..." a faint voice came from inside.
Inside sat a middle-aged man in a green robe. He had a slightly protruding forehead, a thin face, and a pair of eagle eyes that gave off a chilling feeling. He held a scroll in his hands, his expression indifferent.
"Daddy," Ling Rui bowed and greeted.
The middle-aged man before him was Ling Rui's father, Ling Chong, a peak-level intermediate-level Xuanshi. With only one more year of practice, he would surely break through to become a high-level Xuanshi.
"What's up, Rui'er?" Ling Chong asked, still poring over his book.
"I have something to report," Ling Rui said.
"Tell me about it," Ling Chong put down the book and looked Ling Rui in the eye. Next, Ling Rui reported to his father the details of Ling Xiao's previous beatings of Ma Zi and Gou Bi, as well as the beating of Li Guangyin and his group at the market today.
After listening to his son's report, Ling Chong frowned, then waved his hand, saying, "Alright, I understand. You can leave now. Don't bother Ling Xiao again before the family test."
Ling Rui responded respectfully and exited the room.
Not long after, Ling Chong exited the room and, in a flash, headed towards the family's inner courtyard.
Ling Xiao, oblivious to the others' reactions, returned home, greeted his parents, and reentered his room. Then, he began studying the "Record of Spiritual Herbs." As long as he mastered the "Record of Spiritual Herbs" and found a way to obtain some, he would not only improve his physique and increase his strength, but also make a fortune. His life would definitely be comfortable. For three consecutive days, Ling Xiao devoted two hours to reading each day, and the rest of the time to cultivating profound energy, striving to quickly break through the Twelve Meridians.
In the past three days, Ling Xiao had once again breached a meridian, bringing his total to seven. If he continued at this rate, within half a month, he would definitely have all twelve meridians opened, restoring his warrior form. Only then would he be able to absorb profound energy into his dantian and cultivate the first level of Sanfen Guiyuan Qi. With his current talent, reaching the seventh level, achieved by Xiong Ba in the past, would be no problem. The eighth and ninth levels should also be no problem.
The thought of this filled Ling Xiao with excitement. In this continent where martial arts were respected and king, he could roam freely, dominate the martial arts world, and act freely, free from the constraints of worldly rules and regulations of his previous life. He had every man's greatest dream: "to awaken and hold the reins of power, to drunkenly sleep at the lap of a beautiful woman." He believed that this was no dream! That morning, Ling Xiao finally finished reading the "Record of Spiritual Herbs." He hadn't expected his memory to become so exceptional after his time travel. He could remember 70% of this seven- to eight-centimeter-thick book after just one reading. By the time he'd read it a second time, the entire content was imprinted in his mind, indelible.
The "Record of Spiritual Herbs" was no longer useful, so Ling Xiao casually tossed it on the bedside table and prepared to begin his meditation.
There was a knock on the door, followed by his mother's voice, "Xiao'er, someone's looking for me outside."
Ling Xiao, perplexed, walked out of the room and asked, "Mom, who's looking for me?" He searched his memory. He'd been a dedicated cultivator, with few friends at all, and he couldn't imagine who would be looking for him. Meng Xiyun smiled with great satisfaction at her son's gradually strengthening health, then said, "A little girl is outside, looking for you."
"Little girl?" Ling Xiao was startled for a moment, then a pretty face appeared, and he wondered, "Could it be her?"
Ling Xiao and Meng Xiyun walked to the front door together.
They saw a girl dressed simply, standing awkwardly at the door, her hands tightly clutching a bundle. Wasn't she the woman Ling Xiao had rescued at the market a few days ago?
She had simply tied up her long, jet-black hair. Her beautiful face, like a lotus flower emerging from the water, tinged with a rosy glow, looked incredibly lively and charming. Her willow-shaped eyebrows, almond-shaped eyes, delicate nose, and red lips were all perfectly matched. Her plump breasts were like buds about to bloom, ready to open at any moment. Her slender waist, slender enough to fit in one hand, her round, perky hips, and long legs made her look even more graceful and attractive. Upon seeing Ling Xiao, the woman immediately knelt and said respectfully, "Your servant greets the young master."
Ling Xiao and Meng Xiyun were both stunned.
Ling Xiao hurried forward to help the girl up, but suddenly turned to Meng Xiyun for help.
Meng Xiyun then stepped forward to help the girl up and said, "Young lady, please stand up and talk."
The girl remained kneeling on the ground, refusing to get up.
"If you have something to say, please stand up and talk. It's not proper for you to kneel like this," Ling Xiao said unhappily. He was completely confused, completely bewildered, unable to understand what was going on with this girl.
The girl, however, listened attentively to Ling Xiao's words and replied, "Yes, young master," before slowly standing up.
"Come, let's talk inside if you have anything to say." Meng Xiyun looked the young man up and down, the bright smile on her face clearly demonstrating her immense satisfaction with the woman. She didn't feel wronged by her son's role as his wife.
Back in the hall, Meng Xiyun and Ling Xiao sat down, but the woman refused to sit down, remaining standing beside Ling Xiao. At this moment, Ling Xiao said, "Please sit down."
"I dare not," the young woman said with a slight nod.
Ling Xiao was speechless. This woman truly thought he was her servant.
"What's your name?" Ling Xiao asked.
"My name is Bai Yuxi," the young woman replied.
"Yuxi, xiaoyu er xi, is a nice name. It suits you very well," Ling Xiao praised with a chuckle. After a pause, he continued, "Miss Yuxi... Miss Yuxi, I just couldn't stand Li Guangyin's evil behavior that day, so I taught him a lesson. I didn't mean to save you, so don't take it to heart. Let's forget about that day. You don't have to be my servant anymore. Besides, the money isn't mine. If you really want to repay me, we can be good friends from now on. What do you say?"
Ling Xiao had just finished speaking when Bai Yuxi knelt down again, sobbing softly. "Yuxi has already sworn a solemn oath. Whoever helps me bury my mother will be my slave. If the young master insists on not accepting me, then... then I will repay the young master's kindness with my own death."
"What a bullshit oath, woman! I don't want you to be my slave, can't I? We can be friends, equals, chatting about everything, discussing people... discussing martial arts, good friends." Ling Xiao was speechless with the girl's stubbornness and was forced to explain. He was even about to mention "discussing life," but fortunately he corrected himself in time.
Bai Yuxi remained silent after hearing Ling Xiao's words, only to weep bitterly.
Ling Xiao had to turn to his mother again for help.
"Xiao'er, what's going on? Tell me." Meng Xiyun was confused by their relationship and was left bewildered.
So, Ling Xiao simply recounted the story. He had simply said he had casually helped Bai Yuxi, and now Bai Yuxi was fulfilling her vow to become his slave.
Ling Xiao couldn't help but wonder, "Has my personality just exploded? Any beauty would fall for me, even paying for me?"
Meng Xiyun finally understood, and soothed Bai Yuxi, "Young lady, are you really planning to follow my Xiao'er for the rest of your life?"
Bai Yuxi nodded firmly, "Yes, madam. I'm willing to be your slave for the rest of my life, working like a slave for you. I won't regret it."
"Very well, then. I'll accept you on Xiao'er's behalf. From now on, you'll be a member of our Ling family, but not a slave. You'll be my goddaughter. Are you willing?" Meng Xiyun said kindly, holding Bai Yuxi's hand.
"Goddaughter?" Ling Xiao and Bai Yuxi were both stunned.