Chapter 70: "Your Fiancée Is Gorgeous, Brother—You Lucky Man!"
When Jiang Lin walked out of the Miteer Auction House, he had three new Dou Techniques and several rare tier-three magical beast materials added to his Whitebone Ring—all gifted by Master Guni, not a single coin spent.
"Master Guni may look old and frail, but he's got guts," Jiang Lin mused as he stood on the bustling streets of Wutan City, fingers fidgeting inside his sleeve, feeling for the Whitebone Ring.
The three Dou Techniques were:
Yellow-Tier Low-Rank – Blow
Yellow-Tier Low-Rank – Inhale
Yellow-Tier Mid-Rank – Water Flow Impact
Yes, they sounded incredibly mundane—almost hilariously so for the mystical world of Dou Qi. But to most people, plain and practical was the true norm. At least to Jiang Lin, these carefully chosen Dou Techniques were far more valuable than the so-called tier-three materials Guni had given him.
"Flame Fist, Burst Step, Blow, Inhale, Water Flow Impact… I wonder if I can synthesize a Dou Qi-powered turbocharger?" Just imagining himself in full armor, deploying sci-fi wings from his back, and blasting forward with combined energy and physical propulsion filled Jiang Lin with a rush of excitement. He couldn't wait to get back and start tinkering.
But just as he excitedly headed for the city gates to call Eagle-bro and fly back into the Magical Beast Mountains, a lavish procession caught his eye.
Out of habit, Jiang Lin stepped to the roadside and looked up, just as the curtain of a beautifully adorned carriage—draped in cloud patterns and floating veils—was gently lifted by a delicate snow-pale hand. Through the small gap, Jiang Lin caught a glimpse of a veiled, strikingly beautiful face.
Glossy black hair fell perfectly against Nalan Yanran's fair earlobes. Lost in thought, she carefully peeked out from the green curtain, her eyes filled with hesitation. She had come here in secret, and just thinking of the consequences waiting for her back home made her eyes cloud over slightly—but soon, determination returned to her gaze.
She, Nalan Yanran, was no one's inferior! She would never bow to archaic traditions or societal expectations!
Hmph! Her cheeks puffed in defiance as she steeled herself.
But then… her face froze. She spotted a nosy guy on the street, bending down and craning his neck to peek inside the carriage!
Their eyes met briefly. Nalan Yanran's composure cracked as she quickly closed the curtain with an irritated snort.
At the same time, Jiang Lin finally managed to read the flag fluttering beside the carriage.
Yunlan Sect.
Nalan Clan.
"The Nalan Clan heiress!"
"The one who was engaged to Xiao Yan from the Xiao family?"
Before the carriage had even gone far, the all-knowing gossipers near Jiang Lin were already whispering about her, confirming the identity of the beautiful girl who had glared at him.
As people around him praised the Nalan Clan's power and Nalan Yanran's beauty, Jiang Lin reached the city gate, paused, and pulled out pen and paper. He always carried writing tools in case inspiration struck.
This time, however, it wasn't for recording an invention—it was to write Xiao Yan a letter.
If Jiang Lin's spirit sense hadn't failed him, the ring on Xiao Yan that gave off a cold and scorching sensation likely housed a soul. He hadn't recognized it at first, mistaking it for a valuable item—but the faint sentience told him otherwise. Given the continent's many "grandpa-in-a-ring" stories, Jiang Lin understood exactly what he was dealing with.
It seemed Xiao Yan's "ring grandpa" had awakened—so naturally, Jiang Lin's interest was piqued.
After writing a quick letter, Jiang Lin tore a few pages and folded them into a neat envelope, writing on the front:
To Brother Xiao Yan—Personal and Confidential
He scanned the area and, as luck would have it, spotted a kid from the Xiao Clan.
"Xiao Ning, right? Take this to Brother Xiao Yan. Next time I visit the Xiao Clan, I'll bring you a little toy," Jiang Lin said, handing over the envelope to a wide-eyed and reluctant Xiao Ning before hurrying off.
Xiao Ning glanced at the letter, then at the disappearing figure of Jiang Lin, his lips twitching in annoyance. But in the end, the lure of one of Jiang Lin's "toys" won him over.
Jiang Lin's "toys" usually referred to unique tier-one Dou Artifacts.
Like:
– A light tube that glowed using Dou Qi at night… or even without Dou Qi in daylight.
– A dagger that unleashed a thunderous lion's roar upon Dou Qi activation.
Weird, quirky, but undeniably fun—Xiao Ning couldn't resist. And though he was still salty about Xiao Yan hogging Xiao Xun'er's attention, he had already sworn to complete this glorious and noble task with absolute dedication!
SKREEE!
Moments later, a majestic blue-purple-winged eagle took to the sky and vanished into the distance.
Back at the Xiao estate, Nalan Yanran had entered—only to leave shortly after, storming out with several Yunlan Sect disciples, visibly upset.
As Xiao Ning arrived at the estate, he happened to cross paths with a cold-faced Nalan Yanran. He stepped aside awkwardly, and once she was gone, he rushed excitedly toward the main hall, shouting:
"Xiao Yan! Jiang Lin sent you a letter! Jiang Lin sent you a letter!"
Xiao Ning was already grinning, imagining what kind of toy he might get. After all, only Xiao Xun'er had ever received one of Jiang Lin's toys before. Now that he had one too, didn't that mean he was in the same league as her?
Youthful joy is so simple. And a young boy's emotions are ever-shifting.
Inside the Xiao Clan's main hall, where several elders sat with grim expressions, Xiao Ning's cheery voice brought an instant chill. He stopped grinning.
"Oh? Jiang Lin sent you a letter now of all times? How curious," Xiao Xun'er said with a sweet smile as she gazed at Xiao Yan, who sat quietly after the earlier confrontation. "Brother Xiao Yan, go on, open it. Jiang Lin is quite the schemer—I'm sure this is his way of swooping in with some comforting words."
Xiao Yan smiled bitterly, then accepted the letter. Seeing the words "To Brother Xiao Yan—Personal and Confidential" made his nose sting slightly.
At a time when he was most lost and had just made his bold declaration, Jiang Lin's letter had arrived exactly when he needed it.
Suppressing the lump in his throat, Xiao Yan opened the envelope.
His face instantly darkened.
"Ran into your fiancée. She's really pretty. You're a lucky man, brother! I've got my eye on you!"
(END CHAPTER)
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