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"Plowing cattle and arable land?"
She blinked and asked doubtfully.
"Is this some kind of folk fable? Does it teach the principle of farmers toiling diligently?"
"Clever!"
"This story tells us that only a diligent plowing ox works tirelessly without stopping."
"Only then can that fertile arable land nurture the most abundant fruits in the coming spring..."
"Of course, this story can not only be heard, but also practiced..."
...
The morning sunlight passed through the exquisite glazed windows of the Moon Pavilion, spilling onto the mirror-smooth wooden floor, refracting a warm and soft halo.
After a night of toiling hard, Luo Nan walked down from upstairs looking refreshed.
As soon as Luo Nan sat down on the mahogany chair in the first-floor lobby and took a sip of the top-grade tea just brewed by the maid, a report came from outside the door.
"Lord Luo Nan, there is a visitor."
Luo Nan raised his eyes slightly, originally thinking that Old Poison Dugu Bo had finished packing his things and came to report with his granddaughter.
However, when the heavy doors slowly pushed open, the person who walked in was not that white-haired, thin Poison Douluo.
Walking at the very front was indeed Dugu Yan, who had just become an apprentice yesterday.
Today, the little girl had changed into a clean and neat light purple martial outfit, making her look even more cute and charming.
But holding her hand was an old woman who looked much older than Dugu Bo.
This old woman's silver hair was like snow, and her face was covered with deep gullies carved by the years.
Her body was also somewhat hunched, and she leaned on a dragon-headed crutch carved from unknown wood in her hand.
Although decrepit, an extremely gentle, kind, and bizarre aura that seemed capable of encompassing all things emanated from the old woman's body.
In the old woman's other hand, she was holding another little girl of about Dugu Yan's age.
That little girl wore a plain and elegant black long dress, her waterfall-like silver long hair hanging smoothly behind her head.
Her skin was fair to the point of being almost transparent, and her facial features were exquisitely peerless.
But in those large eyes like black gems, they revealed a coldness and loneliness that extremely mismatched her age.
She tightly grabbed the corner of the old woman's clothes, hiding half her body behind, looking somewhat timid.
The moment he saw this old woman, Luo Nan's hand holding the teacup paused abruptly, and a flash of extremely rare astonishment and pleasant surprise crossed his deep eyes.
He immediately put down the teacup, walked quickly to greet her, and said with respect in his tone: "Senior Ye! It turns out to be you!"
This old woman was not only known to Luo Nan, but he also held a deep sense of gratitude toward her.
Her compound surname was Ye, with the single given name Ci, and she was the previous generation's successor of the Nine Heart Begonia!
About eight or nine years ago, when Luo Nan had just debuted and started making a name for himself, although Luo Nan was endowed with extraordinary talent back then, his strength had not truly matured yet.
At that time, he was young and vigorous, and in order to obtain a high-quality spirit ring.
He ventured alone deep into a dangerous Spirit Beast forest and consequently encountered a terrifying Spirit Beast whose cultivation far exceeded his ability to cope.
In that battle, although Luo Nan tried his best to kill the Spirit Beast.
But he also suffered heavy injuries, his internal organs were almost displaced, his Meridians were broken inch by inch, and he lay in a pool of blood on the verge of death, with half a foot already stepping into the ghost gate.
Just when Luo Nan thought he was about to perish prematurely, Granny Ye Ci, who happened to pass by that forest, discovered him.
Luo Nan still couldn't forget that scene to this day!
A begonia flower emitting a faint pink halo and appearing extremely holy bloomed in the old woman's palm.
The petals all over the sky, like a gentle spring rain, fluttered and scattered over his battered body.
In just a moment's time, his fatal heavy injuries miraculously healed, leaving not even a trace of a scar.
The grace of saving a life is as great as the heavens.
Luo Nan had always kept this kindness firmly engraved in his heart.
"Hehe, kid Luo Nan, several years have passed since we parted, and you are now a peerless powerhouse whose name shakes the world."
"This old body of mine must thank you for still remembering me."
Looking at the heroic and spirited Luo Nan before her with an unfathomable aura, a flash of gratified smile crossed Granny Ye Ci's murky eyes.
"Senior is joking. Without your life-saving grace back then, where would Luo Nan be today?"
Luo Nan respectfully helped Granny Ye Ci to the seat of honor, and then his gaze fell upon the silver-haired, black-skirted little girl.
"Senior, this is..."
Granny Ye Ci sighed softly, pulled the little girl to her front, and stroked her silver hair full of affection:
"This is my own granddaughter, named Ye Lingling. She is also the only Nine Heart Begonia successor of our Ye family's generation."
Speaking of this, Granny Ye Ci raised her head, looking ardently at Luo Nan, and her tone became incomparably solemn:
"Luo Nan, this old woman has brazenly come to your door today because I have a favor to ask."
"If possible, I wish to leave Lingling here in your Moon Pavilion."
"In the future... I hope you can look at that meager affection from back then and take good care of her for this old woman."
As soon as these words were spoken, Tang Yuehua, who had just walked down from upstairs and happened to hear these words, as well as Luo Nan standing aside, both experienced a violent shock in their hearts.
Entrusting an orphan!
Granny Ye Ci was entrusting an orphan!
Luo Nan frowned slightly: "Senior, what on earth happened? Where are Lingling's parents?"
A trace of painful tears flashed in Granny Ye Ci's eyes, and her hand holding the crutch trembled slightly:
"Lingling's parents... five or six years ago, they went deep into the core area of the Star Dou Great Forest, and ever since... they never returned."
"This old woman inquired everywhere and even entrusted people to go inside to search for their traces, but ultimately only found their tattered clothes."
"Over the years, this old woman and Lingling have depended on each other for survival."
"However, this old woman is already nearly eighty years old this year, and my health is not very good due to saving people in my early years,"
"And now I am like a candle in the wind, and my time is approaching."
"My old bones are not worth pitying in death, but I cannot let go of Lingling!"
Granny Ye Ci tightly grabbed Luo Nan's hand, tears streaming down her old face: "The lineage of the Nine Heart Begonia has always been passed down through a single descendant per generation."
"Although this Spirit possesses Heaven-Defying healing abilities, precisely because of this, it has suffered the envy of the heavens."
"Every generation of successors is destined to have a bumpy fate and extremely easily attract the covetous desires of various factions."
"Once this old woman passes away, Lingling as a solitary and helpless little girl, guilty of holding a treasure, will definitely not be able to survive on this law of the jungle Douluo Continent!"
"This old woman has thought over and over again. Looking across the entire world, the only one who can protect Lingling and whose character is trustworthy is you."
"Luo Nan, I beg this old woman of you, take in this child!"
As she spoke, Granny Ye Ci actually made a gesture as if she were about to kneel to Luo Nan.
"Senior, you mustn't!"
Luo Nan was quick-witted with his eyes and hands, and grabbed Granny Ye Ci's arm, a soft and resilient Soul Power steadily supporting her up.
His gaze became incomparably firm, and he said decisively:
"Senior, you are killing me with this!"
"Back then you saved my life, and I, Luo Nan, owe your elder a life."
...