Chapter 278 - 113: Coming a Thousand Miles to Take the Fall, You’re Basically My Pet Kitten

"Follow me, and even if the Jade Emperor himself stands before you, you must look down on him. You cannot show any weakness in your presence..."

"Understand?" Jiang Lan said as he looked at her.

Chou’Er quickly nodded like a chick pecking at rice and replied, "I... I understand..."

Seeing this, Jiang Lan seemed to chuckle and added, "Also, the name Chou’Er is ugly. I’ll give you a new one. From now on, you will be called You’Er."

"Yes, You... You’Er..."

"I understand."

Jiang Lan nodded in satisfaction. As a member of the Ghost Race, the name You’Er was quite fitting.

You’Er was, after all, quite simple-minded. Being a little nice to her and adding a few sweet words was enough to win her over.

Judging by the massive surge of destiny flowing from his Mud Ball Palace, the third stage of the Destiny Dao Fruit was also about to ripen.

Furthermore, the Destiny Dao Fruit that had already been nurtured had now grown to the size of a baby’s fist and would ripen soon.

At this rate, he would soon possess another brand new Dao Fruit, one similar to the Destiny Dao Fruit. He was rather looking forward to what kind of innate abilities it would grant him.

The carriage sped through the long street, yet it remained perfectly steady, with no bumps felt inside.

Jiang Lan closed his eyes slightly, feigning sleep while actually inspecting the current state of the Mysterious Ancient Vine.

"Ma... Master..."

On the way to the Yunlan Platform, You’Er’s voice suddenly rang out.

"Hm?" Jiang Lan still didn’t open his eyes.

"Why... why did you... save me... in the fighting pit..." You’Er asked the biggest question that had been puzzling her.

Jiang Lan opened his eyes, looked at her, and said, "Why did I save you? Simply because I thought you were pitiful."

"It’s like walking down the street, seeing a filthy, helpless little kitten, and rescuing it on a whim."

"Oh..."

You’Er nodded, still looking bewildered.

"So, you are basically my pet kitten, understand?" Jiang Lan said.

You’Er nodded subconsciously. When she realized what he had said, a strange emotion began to stir in her heart.

’I... I’m Master’s kitten?’

...

Yunlan Platform was a famous restaurant in the Imperial Capital. The environment was serene, filled with an ethereal, immortal-like aura. With thin mist drifting about, it resembled a paradise on earth.

Jiang Lan had booked a banquet. He had just arrived when Shang Mingyu, dressed as a scholar, walked in, surrounded by a group of guards and two maids.

"Thank you for the invitation and hospitality, Young Master Jiang..."

Shang Mingyu sat down gracefully, a faint smile on her face, her voice soft, charming, and clear.

Although she wore a slightly loose robe, it couldn’t hide her slender and graceful figure. Her legs were long, straight, and perfect, and she was a head taller than the average woman.

On her way here after leaving the auction house, Shang Mingyu had ordered her subordinates to see if they could dig up any information on Jiang Lan.

She didn’t know Jiang Lan’s intentions. Usually, she preferred to act only after careful planning and consideration, never doing anything she wasn’t sure about.

Jiang Lan’s sudden invitation today had caught her completely off guard. She had no preparation and couldn’t guess his motives, so she could only brace herself and come.

Unfortunately, the subordinates sent to investigate found nothing.

They only learned that Jiang Lan had been stirring up trouble and committing all sorts of mischief in the Imperial Capital for years, a standard-issue profligate heir. But this was all common knowledge that one could hear without even trying.

Shang Mingyu wasn’t foolish enough to actually regard Jiang Lan as just a profligate heir.

"You’re quite punctual, Miss."

Jiang Lan smiled, then ordered the food to be served, not bothering to bring up why he had asked Shang Mingyu to come.

"When Young Master Jiang invites someone, how could I dare to be late?"

Shang Mingyu sat with elegant posture, exuding an air of nobility. Hearing his words, she smiled with pursed lips, her eyes curving slightly, appearing both pure and bewitching.

At this moment, she noticed You’Er beside Jiang Lan and could vaguely guess her identity. ’Is that the death-row slave from the fighting pit?’

’As expected, this woman is also extraordinary. Her fate is remarkable; she is destined for greatness.’

She discreetly activated the Ball of Grand Aspiration and faintly glimpsed a clue, which surprised her even more.

Everyone thought Jiang Lan had saved her out of kindness and compassion, but they had no idea this woman carried an immense destiny.

And this must be the real reason Jiang Lan saved her...

Shang Mingyu felt that the Jiang Lan before her was more and more unfathomable.

"I still don’t know your name, Miss. As for today at the auction, I didn’t mean to threaten you. It was a matter of expediency. I hope you won’t hold it against me."

Jiang Lan acted as if he were unaware of what Shang Mingyu was thinking.

A faint smile played on his incomparably handsome face as he raised his wine cup and toasted Shang Mingyu from a distance.

"My name is Hong Mingyue, and I come from the Overseas Kingdoms. I didn’t intend to oppose Young Master Jiang today either. It’s just that the Exotic Stone is truly important to me, so..."

Shang Mingyu hadn’t expected Jiang Lan to take the initiative to offer an olive branch and apologize for what happened at the auction.

Slightly stunned, she also raised her wine cup with her delicate hand, toasted Jiang Lan, and began to explain her actions.

"I understand what Miss Hong means. That Exotic Stone is indeed extraordinary, and I was somewhat interested in it too, but it’s not something I absolutely must have," Jiang Lan said with a smile.

’In the original story, Shang Mingyu used the alias Hong Mingyue multiple times. Hong was the royal surname of the Hong Kingdom, but it had been destroyed many years ago. Currently, within the Great Xia, the surname Hong is very common, so it wasn’t easy for her alias to arouse suspicion.’

Shang Mingyu felt a sense of relief. ’Does this mean he’s telling me he doesn’t intend to keep competing with me for it?’

"Thank you for your generosity, Young Master Jiang. Mingyue will remember this favor," she said with a slight bow of her hands.

Jiang Lan smiled. "Actually, I invited Miss Hong here because I wanted to ask if you know a lot about that Exotic Stone. Do you know what’s inside it?"

Shang Mingyu froze for a moment.

She recalled the feeling of being scrutinized at the auction. ’Jiang Lan must have sensed that there’s something special about me, which is why he’s asking this.’

"To be honest with you, Young Master Jiang, that Exotic Stone comes from the Kunlun Immortal Ruins. It contains a Tao Source, which should have a drop of an Ancient Demon Beast’s True Blood sealed within it."

"The Cultivation Technique I practice requires this item, which is why I was so desperate for it," Shang Mingyu replied, mixing truth with lies.

"So it’s True Blood? Then my perception must have been wrong. I thought it was a wisp of Divine Material left behind by some senior..." Jiang Lan said, raising an eyebrow as if in surprise.

Shang Mingyu’s heart skipped a beat, but her expression remained unchanged. ’Jiang Lan’s Perception Power is even more terrifying than I imagined. I only knew there was a wisp of Emperor’s Qi inside because of the Ball of Grand Aspiration. And Jiang Lan shouldn’t possess a Supreme Treasure like that; after all, not even the current Great Xia can forge a Ball of Grand Aspiration. Does that mean he could faintly perceive what was inside it just by relying on his powerful Perception Power?’

"Well, no matter. The Exotic Stone is in someone else’s hands now. There’s no point in asking about it anymore," Jiang Lan said, shaking his head slightly.

"Young Master Jiang is absolutely right," Shang Mingyu said, nodding in agreement.

Jiang Lan looked at her and said, "Ever since we met at the auction today, I’ve felt that you are no simple person, Miss Hong. And after interacting with you just now, I’m even more convinced. You have quite a few secrets, so many that even I find you a bit hard to read..."

"What does Young Master Jiang mean by that?"

Shang Mingyu’s heart tensed again, but her expression remained placid.

Although her senses told her that Jiang Lan’s cultivation level was very low, the pressure he exerted on her was comparable to that of a Seventh Realm expert at her same level, perhaps even greater.

"However, I’m not interested in your secrets, Miss Hong. I just want to be friends with you. Perhaps we’ll have a chance to cooperate in the future," Jiang Lan continued.

’I know that Ye Ming will go to Shang Mingyu next and offer her the Exotic Stone. During this process, Ye Ming will surely find a way to reveal some of the animosity between him and me, using it to win Shang Mingyu over as an ally. And to get that Exotic Stone, Shang Mingyu will definitely pretend to agree to Ye Ming’s proposal. She wouldn’t dare act recklessly in the Imperial Capital and do something like killing him to steal the treasure. My real purpose in inviting her here was to give her a "vaccination"—to make her understand what’s truly important. Shang Mingyu has the Ball of Grand Aspiration, so she can definitely sense that I’m special. Rather than have her waste her energy being wary of me, it’s better to be direct and let her focus on fighting Emperor Xia. After all, I can be the fisherman who reaps the rewards at any time.’

"Young Master Jiang is right. Perhaps we will have a chance to cooperate in the future..." Shang Mingyu was no fool; she quickly understood Jiang Lan’s intentions, and a smile surfaced on her face.