Devouring Soul Emperor

Fiancé!

Instantly, Chu Qingyun and Ye Qi’s eyes widened in surprise.

’This is absurd.’

Seeing their astonished faces, Qin Ya covered her mouth and giggled, her body shaking with laughter.

"Hehe, look how surprised you two are... Young Master Chu, I just meant for you to be my fiancé in name only. Don’t get any funny ideas."

"But if you perform well, I might just make it official."

Qin Ya said to Chu Qingyun, her eyes twinkling flirtatiously.

Chu Qingyun had known Qin Ya for a while now, so he simply chose to ignore her last comment.

He thought for a moment, then asked, "Is this related to those people from before?"

"Clever. As expected of the man I have my eye on. The reason I went to Flame City before was because I couldn’t stand them pestering me anymore."

"The favor I need is for you to act as my shield right now, to fend off those annoying pests. And in the future... you’ll be my backer."

As Qin Ya spoke, her expression turned more serious.

She knew that asking Chu Qingyun to be her fiancé in name only was no simple request. If he agreed, it would likely bring him endless trouble in the future.

Chu Qingyun thought for a moment and said with a wry smile, "Miss Ya, acting as your shield seems fine for now, but being your backer... isn’t that a bit much? The people behind them are Elders of your Ten Thousand Treasures Tower, experts at the Celestial Spirit Realm."

"Perhaps not right now, but with your growth rate, who knows what will happen in a year or two? Besides, from what I know, you’re flourishing in the Great Xia Dragon Guard, right? You even know the Six Great Army Commanders, so you don’t need to fear their backers."

"Young Master Chu, I know this is a lot of trouble. If you don’t want to help, I have nothing more to say. I’m just a weak woman, after all. I’ll just stay here and wait to be bullied..."

As she spoke, her pretty face, which had just been wreathed in smiles, now looked like she was on the verge of tears, as if she had been terribly wronged.

Qin Ya was actually very optimistic about Chu Qingyun’s strength and potential.

She still clearly remembered their first meeting. He was only a third-rank Martial Artist, haggling with her over a hundred thousand or so Upper Grade Primordial Stones.

But now, in just a few short months, Chu Qingyun had become a Half-Step Martial Spirit and a Gold Medal Captain in the Great Xia Dragon Guard. He had even managed to obtain two Nascent Condensation Pills.

If he continued to grow at this rate, it wouldn’t be impossible for him to become a Grand Commander of the Great Xia Dragon Guard, or even a Celestial Spirit Realm expert, in another year or two!

Seeing Qin Ya’s act, Chu Qingyun was once again left speechless.

’This woman is definitely doing this on purpose!’

"Ahem. Miss Ya, rest assured. Since I already promised you, I will definitely help," Chu Qingyun said.

Although the matter was troublesome, Qin Ya had, after all, helped him many times before. Besides, they had already made an agreement, and Chu Qingyun wasn’t the type to go back on his word.

"Wonderful! Hehe, Young Master Chu, I knew you were the best..."

Qin Ya said with a smile, throwing Chu Qingyun another flirtatious glance.

"Hmph. I bet you already spread the news before I even agreed," Chu Qingyun muttered, a sudden feeling dawning on him that he’d been played by Qin Ya ever since Flame City.

He finally understood why everyone, from Young Master Qu to Yang Qianren, Dong Mingfan, and several other young men at the Half-Step Martial Spirit realm, had been targeting him.

They had all clearly heard that Chu Qingyun was Qin Ya’s "fiancé," the biggest stumbling block in their path to pursuing her. That’s why they had acted that way.

"Hmph... I know I was wrong. How about I give you a little something sweet to make up for it?" Qin Ya said, twisting her waist to gently bump against Chu Qingyun.

This bold move made Chu Qingyun blush slightly. Ye Qi, standing opposite them, couldn’t bear to watch any longer and turned her head away, a complicated look in her eyes.

"Ahem. Miss Ya, let’s forget about the ’something sweet.’ But... about that One Yang Pill, could I trouble you to put some effort into that matter...?" Chu Qingyun said, glancing at Ye Qi.

"So greedy. You’re already eating from your bowl, but you’re still eyeing what’s in the pot..."

Qin Ya pouted, looked Ye Qi up and down, then sighed. "Follow me. I’ll take you to see my grandfather, and I’ll tell you about the Qin Family’s current situation along the way..."

On the way, Qin Ya gave Chu Qingyun a rough overview of the Qin Family’s situation.

The Ten Thousand Treasures Tower was a power in Lianshan County City second only to the Four Great Clans, but its composition was fundamentally different from theirs.

The Four Great Clans had lineages stretching back several hundred years, with the Ye, Jin, Zhou, and Xiao families forming their absolute core.

As for Qin Ya’s Qin Family, although it was nominally the core family of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower...

...the Qin Family had only risen to prominence in the last few decades. Not only did they lack a King Realm Expert to hold the fort, but they were also severely lacking in all other aspects, including the sheer number of Qin clan members.

The main strength of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower relied on a number of Celestial Spirit Realm experts who had been recruited by Qin Ya’s grandfather—the Qin Family’s Alchemist. These experts were the so-called Elders of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower.

Ordinarily, this arrangement was quite stable.

But as soon as something happened to the Alchemist, problems immediately arose. As the largest merchant house in Lianshan County, the wealth accumulated by the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower was enough to make anyone green with envy.

And Qin Ya, as the sole heir of the Qin Family, naturally became a target for everyone.

For the sake of the Ten Thousand Treasures Tower’s immense wealth, those Celestial Spirit Realm experts all dispatched their subordinates or the talented young men from their own families to frantically pursue and compete for Qin Ya.

As she finished speaking, the three of them arrived outside a quiet, secluded courtyard deep within the Qin Mansion.

There was no one around, so Qin Ya pushed the gate open and walked right in.

The courtyard wasn’t large. Inside, a single, white-haired old man, looking ancient and frail, was lying on a recliner, basking in the sun.

Seeing Qin Ya enter, the old man instantly smiled and beckoned to her. "Ya, come here. What brings you to see your grandfather at this hour..."

In front of this old man, Qin Ya lost all of her usual flirtatious charm. She became like an obedient little girl, running over to squat beside him, pointing at Chu Qingyun and Ye Qi, and saying something to him.

"I am Chu Qingyun. It is an honor to meet you, Elder Qin."

"Ye Qi, paying my respects, Mr. Qin."

Chu Qingyun and Ye Qi both bowed respectfully to the old man, showing the courtesy due from a junior.