These corrupted energies were clearly the means by which the Yimo were transforming this world. According to Xiao Yan's speculation, if no outside force intervened, it wouldn't be long before the entire Tianxuan Continent would be completely converted into a Yimo-dominated land. At that point, this world would be truly beyond saving.
'Should I purify the energy inside that girl?' Xiao Yan sensed the situation within Lin Jing's body and hesitated for a moment. The energy she had absorbed through cultivation had already been tainted. Those dark substances were steadily seeping into her body through her meridians. If she continued cultivating like this and managed to break through to the Nirvana Realm, her body might truly transform into a Yimo.
After a brief hesitation, Xiao Yan chose to abandon the idea. 'Why get involved in unnecessary trouble? I have no relationship with this girl—why should I care about her life or death?' As for the resemblance between her and that white-robed woman… after observing her these past few days, he hadn't seen any suspicious behavior. Even the woman lurking within his body remained silent. It seemed more likely to be mere coincidence.
"You're the servant Jing'er recently took in?" A crisp voice suddenly rang out behind him. Xiao Yan turned to see a young girl dressed in a dark black dress standing there. At some point, she had silently approached. She appeared about the same age as Lin Jing, with a slender frame and stunning looks. Yet the icy, aloof aura she exuded seemed completely out of sync with her beautiful appearance.
Perhaps it was her striking beauty—or maybe some strange sensation emanating from her—that made Xiao Yan's gaze linger on her for a brief moment before he quickly composed himself. "And you are?"
"My name is Qing Tan." As she introduced herself, the black-dressed girl also observed the young man before her. His refined, handsome features gave off no sense of malice at first glance. 'No wonder Lin Jing chose to take him in as a servant… but just because someone looks innocent doesn't mean they are. Who knows what this kid might be hiding in his heart?'
"Greetings, Miss Qing Tan." Xiao Yan nodded before withdrawing his gaze, turning it back toward Lin Jing, who was still cultivating. However, when he heard the name, something did strike him as odd. 'Where have I heard that name before…?' He suspected the similarity to Qing Lin's name might be tricking his memory.
Qing Tan paused. 'Wait... does this guy not know who I am?'
As the owner of the Yang Yuan Mine, her status in this region was extremely lofty. Everyone in the area knew the weight her name carried. Yet this boy clearly didn't recognize her.
Xiao Yan had never seen Qing Tan before and thus didn't know her exact appearance. He only knew she was Lin Jing's aunt. He had subconsciously assumed the mine owner would be a mature woman like Ya Fei. From appearances alone, Qing Tan seemed the same age as Lin Jing—just another youthful girl.
He'd heard Qing Tan's name once or twice, but he'd been more focused on planning his escape at the time, so it never registered. When he heard the name just now, it had only felt vaguely familiar. He had never imagined that this black-dressed girl was the mine's actual owner.
Qing Tan's gaze lingered on Xiao Yan. Her expression seemed calm, but her thoughts were anything but. 'This boy… he seems rather straightforward. People like this are rare in times like these. I wonder if… he could bring happiness to Jing'er? Hmph, better keep observing for now.'
Although she was technically Lin Jing's aunt, she had raised Lin Jing since she was a child. Their bond was closer to that of mother and daughter. She genuinely cared for Lin Jing as if she were her own daughter. And as the girl grew older, Qing Tan had begun worrying about her future marriage prospects. But the men in the mine were mostly crude, unpleasant types—none of whom were worthy of her attention.
Then Xiao Yan had appeared. A boy with decent looks—and more importantly, someone who Lin Jing seemed to like. Otherwise, she wouldn't have taken him as a servant. But what kind of person was he really? And why did she feel that something was… off about him? She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but there was something unusual.
Qing Tan was clearly troubled. At this moment, she looked at Xiao Yan with the same gaze a mother-in-law might use when scrutinizing her prospective son-in-law.
Xiao Yan felt her gaze drilling into his back, and a layer of cold sweat formed on his forehead.
'What's up with this girl staring at me like that? Don't tell me… she's into me? Am I really that charming?'
He couldn't be blamed for letting his thoughts stray. In all his lives, he had interacted with many people but never once dealt with a mother-in-law figure. That role didn't exist in his network. Why? Because on the Dou Qi Continent… very few people even had mothers.
Qing Tan stared at Xiao Yan for quite a while and ultimately couldn't find anything wrong. She finally seemed to realize how odd it was to stare so long at a junior and quietly turned to leave. Once she was gone, Xiao Yan finally let out a long breath.
'Good grief. What was that about? What kind of impulse made her stare like that for so long…?'
As soon as Qing Tan left, Lin Jing—who had been cultivating nearby—hurried over and asked, "Xiao Yan, what were you talking about with my aunt? Why did she stand there for so long?"
"Nothing really, just…" Xiao Yan started to respond, then froze for a second and looked at her in surprise. "Aunt? You mean that Qing Tan girl just now is your aunt?"
"Yeah. You didn't know?" Lin Jing tilted her head in surprise.
"I've never seen her before. Honestly, I thought she was your sister," Xiao Yan replied, then added casually, "Does your aunt have a lot of Xuan Yuan Pills?"
"I heard her mention it once… she probably has a few billion or so," Lin Jing said instinctively before glancing at him curiously. "Why are you asking about that?"
Xiao Yan gave a faint smile, leaned a little closer, and said with a grin, "Miss Lin Jing, do you know what I used to do before all this?"
…
After leaving Lin Jing's residence, Qing Tan went off to attend to her duties. As the master of this mining operation, she had plenty of responsibilities—and not just for this mine alone. But just as she was walking away, a realization hit her.
'Wait… that boy…'
She couldn't sense any aura from Xiao Yan.
That shouldn't have been possible. Everything had a corresponding aura—alive or dead. Even a corpse should emit death energy. But from Xiao Yan, she sensed nothing. There was only one explanation.
'His strength… surpasses mine.'
(End of Chapter)
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