Interstellar Farming: I Make Potions and Climb to the Top

"That’s for us! What are you trying to do?" Tang Xue yelled anxiously, afraid that Ning Xuan wouldn’t take Min Wu in.

After leaving the Training Institute, Min Wu had recovered his ability to think and act, thanks to Tang Xue’s comfort. His sharp intuition made him terrified of Di Youlin. Afraid Tang Xue would anger Di Youlin, Min Wu quickly pulled her aside. "Little Snow, don’t provoke him."

Di Youlin didn’t react to Tang Xue’s shouting. In fact, he only responded to Ning Xuan’s words now.

Ning Xuan tossed a white porcelain vial to Tang Xue. "I have plenty more. Just take one each." It was an Elixir Pill she had recently concocted for conditioning one’s qi and blood, and she had many more on hand.

"Little Snow, you’re perfectly fine. Why are you taking a pill?" Min Wu asked, grabbing Tang Xue’s hand in confusion.

"Because this pill is poisoned," Ning Xuan said, staring at Min Wu with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Once you take my pill, you have to do as I say. Otherwise, the poison will flare up and you’ll die."

"Little Snow, we’re not taking it," Min Wu said, trying to stop Tang Xue.

"Stand up straight and put your hand down," Tang Xue ordered, her expression turning severe.

Min Wu looked at Tang Xue with a wronged expression. Seeing her stern face, he obediently stood up straight. Tang Xue took a black pill from the small porcelain vial and held it to Min Wu’s lips. "Eat it. If Ning Xuan hadn’t saved you back in the Lingxiao Secret Realm, you’d be long dead. I’ve decided to follow her from now on. When you’re with Ning Xuan, you will behave yourself. Got it?"

Tang Xue fed the pill to Min Wu. Once she saw him swallow, she popped one into her own mouth so fast that Min Wu had no time to stop her.

"No!" In a panic, Min Wu tried to pry open Tang Xue’s mouth, wanting to fish out the poison pill.

"It’s okay. As long as you behave yourself while you’re with Ning Xuan, I’ll be fine. I’ll come back for you in three months at the latest." Tang Xue pushed Min Wu’s arm down and hugged him tightly.

"I’m not going. I don’t want to leave you. I don’t want us to be apart," Min Wu said, shaking his head and looking at Tang Xue with pleading eyes.

The two male Spirit Controllers who had been accompanying Tang Xue walked over. They were Contractors she had taken on in the last two years to deal with Zhou Tianqiao. Both of their families were influential within the Wind Wolf Mercenary Corps and were secret rivals of Zhou Tianqiao.

"It’s not up to you, Little Five. I brought you out because I couldn’t bear to watch you suffer in the association. Don’t make me send you back. Be good and listen." Tang Xue pushed Min Wu away, gave Ning Xuan a brief, cupped-fist salute, and walked toward the two men.

As Tang Xue left, Min Wu looked completely crestfallen.

Yan Fuzhen had brought Yan Chong to pick up Ning Xuan and was already waiting outside the association. Knowing that Ning Xuan was bringing someone back to the Qingluan Mountain villa, he had come in a medium-sized private Flying Car. However, the moment he saw Di Youlin, Yan Fuzhen instantly went on high alert.

He shielded Ning Xuan behind him. The man, normally as gentle and refined as jade, was now like a drawn sword. Alarm bells screamed in Yan Fuzhen’s mind. He glanced around, signaling for Yan Chong to hurry and get Ning Xuan onto the Flying Car.

’He would get Ning Xuan out of here safely today, even if it cost him his life.’

"Housekeeper Yan, don’t be nervous," Ning Xuan said, raising a hand to touch the green ring on her middle finger. "This was the Elder Council’s decision. He’ll be staying with me from now on." With a SWISH, Di Youlin leaped to her side, his eyes sparkling as he gazed at her.

"Family Head, he’s very dangerous. He once..." Yan Fuzhen stopped himself, swallowing the words. Much of Di Youlin’s past was top secret. Even Yan Fuzhen only knew scattered details, not the full story.

Ning Xuan had never seen Yan Fuzhen so flustered. She gave him a reassuring look and a faint smile. "Don’t worry. I’m aware of his circumstances. We should be fine for the time being."

"Everyone, get in the car." The moment she spoke, Di Youlin swept Ning Xuan into his arms and, with a SWISH, was inside the Flying Car.

Yan Fuzhen was still uneasy, but there was nothing he could do about something Ning Xuan had already decided.

Min Wu’s heart leaped into his throat when he saw Yan Fuzhen looking at him. His intuition screamed that this was another man not to be trifled with. Under Yan Fuzhen’s gaze, Min Wu reluctantly climbed into the Flying Car and curled into a ball in a far corner.

The Flying Car returned smoothly to the Qingluan Mountain villa. As Ning Xuan disembarked, Lin Mo and Chen Nan, the two Half-beastmen, were already waiting at the main gate, having been alerted by the smart-housekeeper, 17.

After the Flying Car came to a stop, Lin Mo saw Ning Xuan descending the boarding ramp and stepped forward to offer her his hand. But before he could touch her, he was struck by an immense force. The next thing anyone knew, Lin Mo was sent flying. With a loud BANG, he slammed into the bluestone courtyard wall. The wall collapsed with a CRASH, burying Lin Mo under a pile of rubble.

Chen Nan, Nine-tailed, and Lan Xin hadn’t seen clearly what happened; one moment Lin Mo was there, the next he was flying through the air. The three of them, thinking Ning Xuan was the one who had attacked, were so frightened they immediately bowed their heads and knelt off to the side, trying to make themselves as inconspicuous as possible.

"Di Youlin, what are you doing?! Who said you could do that?" Ning Xuan demanded, looking angrily at the man who had followed her out of the vehicle.

"I just... didn’t want him to touch you," Di Youlin said, lowering his head.

Ning Xuan stared coldly at Di Youlin. "He is my Contractor. The only one who gets to lay a hand on him is me. Which hand did you use to push him?"

Di Youlin held out his right hand. Ning Xuan stroked the green ring on her middle finger and tapped it a few times. Immediately, Di Youlin’s right hand and entire arm began to tremble violently. A pained expression twisted his features as his knuckles emitted a series of sharp cracks, as if countless steel needles were coursing through his very marrow. He arched his back in agony, a low growl escaping his throat as the veins on his neck bulged.

"CRACK—"

As a second sharp crack echoed from his wrist, Di Youlin staggered and fell to one knee, large beads of sweat splattering on the stone pavers. His once jade-like hand was now covered in a web of cracks, from which red lines of blood snaked up his right arm.

"It hurts..." The broken words escaped the corner of his blood-stained lips, his exquisitely handsome face filled with a look of utter grievance.

Ning Xuan leaned down and gripped his chin. "So, you do know pain, huh? I’m warning you. Here, with me, you don’t make a move without my permission. Do you understand?

The green ring was a device that controlled the restraints placed within Di Youlin’s body. With his power, if he were to truly go berserk, the restraints wouldn’t be able to hold him completely. However, the Elder Council speculated that Di Youlin had sought out Ning Xuan on his own because the spiritual power she emitted helped him maintain his sanity and not easily lose control. This theory had greatly excited a certain someone in the Elder Council, which was why they had used a mix of threats and enticements to have Ning Xuan take Di Youlin with her.