Let Me Explain, Fairy
Chapter 845 - 530: You Want to Hit Him, I Want to Help You

Chapter 845: Chapter 530: You Want to Hit Him, I Want to Help You

The conversation between the two from the Ran clan, master and disciple, was quite amusing. An old man and a young girl were putting on quite the show through the wooden door, enacting Little Red Riding Hood.

Ran Jianli, the scruffy old man, had no qualms about forgoing his Saint-like image as he tried to coax and deceive Ran Qingmo right outside, short of crying to his disciple. However, the Big Ice Lump remained unmoved.

Meanwhile, as Xu Yuan listened to the master-disciple exchange, the smile at the corner of his lips gradually faded, and a sense of vigilance rose in his heart.

He had noticed a problem.

Once Ran Qingmo made up her mind, no matter how reasonable you were, she would always manage to refute you from a new and unique angle.

And more importantly, if you tried to deceive her, she could accurately pinpoint the purpose behind your lies.

The former was manageable, but the latter was somewhat dangerous.

The master and disciple tugged back and forth through the door of the inner courtyard, and in the end, it concluded with Ran Jianli leaving and cursing as he went.

However, the curses spewing from Ran Jianli’s mouth were not directed at Ran Qingmo, for he couldn’t bear to scold his own disciple, so he directed his anger towards Xu Yinhè.

He cursed by name.

And after he finished cursing, he didn’t forget to give a kick to the snowdrift by the roadside, which sent snow flying dozens of meters high right in front of the door of the inner courtyard, hardly befitting the bearing expected of the Great Yan National Master.

As Xu Yuan watched the snow mist fall like a waterfall and was considering leaving, he suddenly realized that Ran Jianli’s actions were not just about venting frustration.

The Emperor was currently a guest at the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and with such a commotion here, it would be impossible for the Emperor not to notice with his level of cultivation. The inner courtyard of the Prime Minister’s Mansion was a restricted area off-limits to outsiders, yet Ran Jianli’s disciple had entered. How would Li Yaoxuan regard this matter?

With this thought, a hint of intrigue appeared in Xu Yuan’s eyes, and his lips unconsciously curved upwards.

Ran Jianli’s visit that morning to fetch Ran Qingmo was genuine, but putting on a show for Li Yaoxuan was also true. Once the seeds of suspicion are planted, they only grow and take root.

This old man might look rough, but he sure has his share of cunning schemes.

After pondering for a moment, Xu Yuan gently shook his head and decided not to dwell on it any longer.

His father had let Ran Qingmo into the inner courtyard last night, and it wasn’t without the intention of sending a message to the Imperial Family, especially since the Emperor’s recent actions had truly been overstepping boundaries.

However...

The Prime Minister’s Mansion on the first day of the new year was truly bustling with activity. The Emperor was there, as was the leader of the Sect Alliance—it was, in a way, a gathering of the three major powers of Da Yan Kingdom.

"..."

After the disturbance caused by Ran Jianli, Xu Yuan no longer planned on heading straight back to his courtyard to rest. Watching Ran Qingmo slowly approaching from the doorway, he asked softly,

"Your master has left, what are you planning to do now?"

Ran Qingmo stopped in front of Xu Yuan and thought for a moment:

"Cultivate... What about you?"

Fine.

That fit the stereotypical image of the Big Ice Lump perfectly.

Xu Yuan turned away and began walking deeper into the inner courtyard, casually saying,

"I plan to take a trip to the Black Prison with Xinyao."

"Black Prison..?" Ran Qingmo’s serene eyes showed a hint of surprise.

"Yes, it’s exactly what you’re thinking."

Xu Yuan pointed down at the ground, explaining, "The headquarters of the Black Prison is right beneath our feet. Do you want to come along?"

Hearing this invitation, Ran Qingmo fell silent, her eyes hesitant. She followed along for a while before finally speaking up softly,

"I’d rather not go, I’ll just go back to my room and cultivate..."

Xu Yuan looked back at her and grinned,

"If you want to go, then just go. For now, me being alive is the biggest secret of the Prime Minister’s Mansion. Whatever’s inside the Black Prison doesn’t really count. By letting you in last night, my father has already acknowledged you..."

Ran Qingmo seemed to waver at his words but then, after blinking her dark eyes, she insisted,

"I... I’ll just go back to my room and cultivate."

"Why?"

"I can’t beat your brother right now."

"Ah?"

Xu Yuan tugged at the corner of his mouth, instinctively stopping in his tracks, his mind struggling to catch up.

Ran Qingmo looked at Xu Yuan earnestly and said,

"Xu Yuan, your brother is actually very strong."

I get beaten up every day, how would I not know he’s strong?

Muttering inwardly, Xu Yuan smacked his lips, thought it over for a moment, and then spoke in a low voice,

"Why... are you thinking about defeating that guy?"

"Because when he hits you, you look like you want to hit back."

"...."

Xu Yuan was momentarily stunned before a smile spread across his heart, looking at the Big Ice Lump’s serious little face, Xu Yuan deliberately asked in a soft voice,

"So... when Xu Changge was just hitting me, why didn’t you help?"

"I can’t beat him...."

Ran Qingmo pouted, pointed to the place where Xu Yuan had just been lying on the left side, and whispered,

"If I had helped you, I would have been beaten down there too, and then... then you would have been beaten up even worse."

"....."

A twitch involuntarily appeared at the corner of Xu Yuan’s eye.

Fair’s fair, for his sake, Xu Changge wouldn’t beat up Ran Qingmo, but that Bi Wang would indeed blame Ran Qingmo’s part on him.

If Ran Qingmo had come up to help just now, in addition to that slap, he probably would have had to endure a couple of kicks to settle it.

Ran Qingmo’s black and shiny pupils held firmness as he said,

"Xu Yuan... once I break through to the Primordial, I should be able to help you."

"...."

They looked at each other in silence.

But just then, a series of "huh huh huh" light giggles quite inappropriately came from beside them.

"...."

Xu Yuan glanced at Little Four, who was trying to hold back her laughter next to him, suppressing the urge to thump her on the head, and said in a soft voice to Ran Qingmo,

"If you want to help me, the Primordial Realm might not be enough."

Ran Qingmo nodded unsurprisingly,

"I know. Your big brother is very strong. Even if I break through to the Primordial Realm, I might not be his match..."

"That’s not what I meant."

"...Ah?" Ran Qingmo’s red lips parted slightly.

Xu Yuan said gloomily,

"There’s more than one person who would beat me up."

"Someone else?" Ran Qingmo asked softly.

"Yep, my maternal uncle."

"Maternal uncle?"

Ran Qingmo murmured, her clear eyes seemingly trying to recall who Xu Yuan’s maternal uncle was.

Xu Yuan pointed directly at the sky, reminding,

"It’s the one who split the sky that night."

"..."

Ran Qingmo instinctively shrank her neck.

Xu Yuan leaned in and asked in a low voice,

"If he wants to beat me up, will you help me hit back?"

"..."

Ran Qingmo pursed her red lips, silent for a while, until in Xu Yuan’s smiling gaze, she finally said softly,

"That... might have to wait, but I will work hard on my cultivation...."

"Ku ku huhuhu~"

Laughter interrupted their conversation again, Xu Xinyao’s fair little face already turning red from restraint, but as a cold gaze swept over, the laughter abruptly stopped.

Xu Xinyao blinked and said in a quiet voice,

"What’s wrong...."

"....."

Xu Yuan glanced at this little sister without speaking.

Someone backed Xu Xinyao as she whispered,

"Third brother, what’s wrong?"

"Is there a possibility that you could go to Black Prison first and wait for me?"

"It’s okay, Xinyao can wait....."

"By the way, how much silver did Tian’an Commerce Assembly allocate for the Soul Ring R&D?" Xu Yuan suddenly approached the topic.

"..." Xu Xinyao.

Xu Yuan lifted his hand, stroking Xu Xinyao’s long hair by her temple, touching her delicate earlobe, his voice gentle,

"Xinyao, you wouldn’t want to see this sum of silver being taken by your brother for other purposes, right?"