A single tear rolled down Luo Yan’s cheek as muffled sobs escaped her lips.
Her shoulders trembled faintly, for the storm of conflicting emotions sweeping through her heart had left her utterly unable to decide what she should do.
Even so, Ji Lin’s gaze did not change in the slightest.
His expression remained cold, as though her pleas and inner turmoil had failed to leave the smallest impression on him.
He reached into his robe and withdrew a small box made of polished wood.
The moment he opened it, the familiar fragrance of medicinal herbs spread throughout the room.
It was the medicinal ointment he had personally prepared for her over the past several years.
Taking a small amount onto his fingertips, he raised his hand calmly before her and said,
Take the medicine.
Half an hour later, the door to the room burst open.
Luo Yan rushed out, covering her face with both hands.
Her breathing was uneven, and she could not suppress the muffled sobs that mingled with quiet weeping, gradually fading into the distance as she hurried away from the courtyard.
Ji Lin, however, remained standing where he was without moving.
He lowered his gaze to his fingers and slowly brushed his thumb across them, as though recalling what had happened only moments before.
Then he let out a quiet breath.
Although the opportunity had presented itself, he had made no attempt to seize Luo Yan’s Yin Lotus Physique—not out of mercy, nor because of hesitation, but because he knew the time had not yet come.
Although she had endured everything that had happened, she was still an inexperienced young woman.
Unlike Xiao Yun, who was a mature woman and had previously been married, forcing Luo Yan to cross that boundary at this stage would bring him nothing but consequences that would be difficult to control and could even destroy all the plans he had carefully laid.
For that reason, he knew that acting hastily would bring far more trouble than benefit.
Instead, he chose the more rational course—gradually tightening his control over the situation until everything unfolded according to the plan he had envisioned from the very beginning.
As long as her treatment remained in his hands, she would never be able to free herself from her dependence on him, no matter how hard she tried. Read this novel at novelping.com for the best experience.
At that moment, the system’s voice echoed through Ji Lin’s mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host! As a result of your actions, Luo Yan has, for the first time, developed feelings of sexual desire toward the Host, resulting in the plundering of 2,000 Luck Points from Ye Fang.]
Two thousand points…Not bad.
Ji Lin murmured quietly.
What truly caught his attention, however, was not the number of Luck Points, but the description displayed in the system notification.
He reread the words sexual desire several times before falling into thought.
After a brief silence, he slowly nodded to himself.
It seemed perfectly reasonable.
After all, Luo Yan was not an emotionless doll, but an adolescent girl.
What had happened today was enough to awaken her natural instincts for the very first time, especially since she had never before allowed any man to approach or touch her in such a manner.
Under those circumstances, it was hardly surprising that such feelings had begun to emerge within her.
Ji Lin did not dwell on the matter for long.
He quickly pushed the thought aside, turned around, and walked calmly toward the courtyard gate.
The target awaiting him now was far more important.
Up to this point, Ye Fang had not yet discovered the Heaven-Destroying Sword Manual, which meant the opportunity still remained.
If Ji Lin acted now, he would be the first to claim that inheritance before the events of the original storyline had a chance to deviate from their intended course.
Azure Cloud City
Several hours after the snow had melted, cold water covered the city’s streets, and the sound of footsteps splashing through shallow puddles blended into the familiar bustle that filled every corner of the city.
Ji Lin walked calmly through the crowd until he reached a small tavern on the corner of the street.
Choosing a table with a clear view of the outside, he ordered several simple dishes along with a jug of mixed fruit juice before quietly turning his attention toward the narrow alley adjoining the Liu Family estate.
He was not waiting for a particular person.
According to the original storyline, that alley would witness an incident today that would alter the destinies of more than one individual.
Liu Xiaotian, the direct heir of the Liu Family, would enter the narrow passage, where a woman from the Demonic Clan had already prepared a carefully planned ambush, waiting for him within the shadows.
The battle would not last long.
It would end with Liu Xiaotian’s death inside the alley.
Afterward, his killer would gather every coin, treasure, and valuable possession he carried before leaving the scene without so much as a glance behind her.
Yet despite taking everything of value, she would leave behind a stone that appeared so utterly ordinary that anyone seeing it for the first time would never spare it a second glance.
In fact, most people would have discarded it outright, believing it to be nothing more than a worthless stone with no value whatsoever.
The truth, however, was completely different.
That seemingly insignificant stone was, in reality, the most valuable treasure Liu Xiaotian possessed.
Because of that, it would pass through the hands of numerous people, yet none of them would ever realize its true worth.
In the end, the stone would fall into Ye Fang’s hands purely by chance.
Hidden within it was the Heaven-Destroying Sword Manual, one of the greatest inheritances upon which he relied during the early stages of his cultivation journey.
With the guidance of Tang Wutong, who resided within his ring, Ye Fang would comprehend that inheritance at an astonishing speed.
He would later display its power during the entrance examination of the Sacred Heaven Sect, shocking everyone present.
From that day onward…
The first true chapter of his meteoric rise would begin.
Ji Lin leaned back in his chair before calmly lifting his glass of fruit juice and taking a slow sip, his eyes never leaving the narrow alley for even a single moment.
He was in no hurry.
He knew exactly when the right moment to make his move would arrive.