Chapter 360: The Changing Thunder Beast Juveniles
Chapter 360: Chapter 360: The Changing Thunder Beast Juveniles
"You don’t support me?" A flicker of hurt crossed Ying Yaoshi’s otherwise stern face.
"Lan Xin has a Half-beastman bloodline. No matter how much you train and temper him, he can’t take your place. You’re just using him as a conscript, a stand-in. Why are you in such a hurry?" Ning Xuan couldn’t help but say.
If Ying Yaoshi were to break through to the SSS-level and become a Transcendent, his lifespan could exceed a thousand years. Even at the SSS-level, living for 600 to 800 years wouldn’t be a problem. Therefore, his political career was set to be very long. He was not even a hundred years old yet and was at the peak of his power. When he talked about retiring, he didn’t really mean it. He just wanted to find a few capable assistants so he could free himself up and have more personal liberty.
"You’re so good to all of them, but you just brush me off. The only reason I’m willing to support and train Lan Xin is because he’s one of your people," Ying Yaoshi said, his face full of resentment.
"Alright, alright. I know you’re good to me. I’ll come see you as soon as I have free time, okay?" Ning Xuan found this side of Ying Yaoshi hard to resist.
"You said it, so you have to remember. Your military service term includes a leave period. Why don’t you use that holiday to come see me?" Ying Yaoshi immediately seized the opportunity to make a demand.
"Don’t you think you’re pushing it? I already spent a month with you. Don’t even think about me coming over again for the next two years. When Lan Xin’s leave is over, I’ll have him go back and help you. That’s all. Goodbye." With that, Ning Xuan ended the video call.
Ying Yaoshi watched as the projection shut down and Ning Xuan’s image vanished before his eyes. He reached out, placing his hand where the projection had been, unwilling to pull it back. His hand moved up and down, as if tracing the girl’s silhouette in the empty air.
After a long moment, he sighed deeply and chuckled with self-deprecation. ’Why was I born decades before Ning Xuan?’ He was at an age and status where, even if he were her only Contractor, the time she could spend by his side would be very limited. And to make matters worse, she had so many other Contractors around her, every one of them younger and more charming than him.
"Marshal, Dean Gu Qingkong of Starry Sky Academy is requesting a video call," Leng Yue came to report.
"Taking turns, are they?" A sarcastic smile touched Ying Yaoshi’s lips.
"Do they take me for a fool? They want me to force Ning Xuan to grant the position of main husband, even to drive away her other Contractors. And if she refuses, I’m supposed to cut ties with her. They must have run out of other ideas, haven’t they?" Ying Yaoshi sneered.
Although Ying Yaoshi’s feelings for Ning Xuan had never changed, being lobbied in turns by those cunning old foxes these past few days had caused his resentment toward her to build up considerably. Ning Xuan had noticed it right away during their video call.
"General Ying, should I accept the call?" Leng Yue asked.
"Accept it. Let’s go see what Dean Gu has to say." To prevent Ning Xuan from falling into an even more dangerous situation, Ying Yaoshi had no choice but to play along with them.
"Marshal Ying, I know you would never betray Ning Xuan. Your relationship with her and Yu Mingche isn’t as bad as they imagine."
"I’m calling you today to tell you that while I, Gu Qingkong, became the dean of Starry Sky Academy through my own efforts, the Gu Family’s foundation is weak. We are not among the Seven Great Families. The children of the Gu Family are willing to undergo womb transplant surgery, all for the chance to bear an outstanding bloodline."
"As long as you can help me get the people chosen by the Gu Family into Ning Xuan’s villa, I am willing to form an alliance with you and act as your inside man. If a conflict truly breaks out, I will secretly stand on your side. Of course, if you can convince Ning Xuan to accept someone from my Gu Family, I will bring Starry Sky Academy to openly stand with you and Ning Xuan, to advance and retreat together." Gu Qingkong said with a serious expression, dressed in a prim, frog-buttoned formal suit.
Clearly, this was not a spur-of-the-moment idea; he had prepared these words long ago.
"Dean Gu, you overestimate me. Yu Mingche has already taken full control of Ning Xuan’s villa. I had arranged some people inside before, but most of them have now been either detained or transferred away. You shouldn’t be coming to me for this, Dean Gu. You should go to Yu Mingche. He’s the one Ning Xuan truly trusts, the one she cherishes most." Ying Yaoshi put on an expression of lonely forbearance, tinged with hidden grief and indignation.
"General Ying, why sell yourself short? If you hadn’t secretly pulled some strings and sent so many experts to protect Ning Xuan, she would have been carved up and divided long ago. Between you and Yu Mingche, our Gu Family is definitely on your side. If you help me, you’ll gain a powerful ally." Gu Qingkong tried to persuade him earnestly. He didn’t believe for a second that Ying Yaoshi had no one by Ning Xuan’s side. To say nothing of others, Yan Fuzhen was personally groomed by Ying Yaoshi; there was no way he would betray him.
As for Yu Mingche, he was deeply favored by Ning Xuan and would naturally not defy her will or do anything to displease her.
However, it wasn’t impossible to maneuver. Perhaps he could send someone to make contact with Yu Mingche and sound him out. After all, if Ying Yaoshi and Yu Mingche were at odds, who wouldn’t want an extra ally?
Ning Xuan watched the six white furballs tumbling around the living room. Lan Xin was teasing them with a ball of yarn, and he seemed to be having a great time watching them chase it back and forth.
These six furballs were the infant Thunder Beasts that Ning Xuan had brought back from S12 Resource Star. In their infantile state, the Thunder Beasts were very affectionate toward Ning Xuan, who possessed Thunder Attribute Energy. However, once they evolved, they would become extremely aggressive, even cannibalizing their own kind under certain circumstances to complete their evolution.
After leaving the environment saturated with Thunder Energy, the infant Thunder Beasts had been listless for a period of time, their auras gradually weakening. Ning Xuan had once thought they were going to die. Later, she fed the Thunder Beasts the Thunder Energy from her own Cultivation, which was how she saved all six of them.
Ever since they had consumed Ning Xuan’s energy, the Thunder Beasts’ fur had gradually changed color, turning a snowy white.
Furthermore, Ning Xuan discovered that after feeding them for a while, the Thunder Beasts could already understand and obey her commands. She didn’t need to say a word; a single thought was enough to make the Thunder Beasts act on her orders.
Ning Xuan didn’t know if the Thunder Beasts would undergo other changes if they encountered a thunder-filled environment again and reabsorbed natural Thunder Energy. But for now, these Thunder Beasts could already be considered her Spiritual Beasts.
"Lan Xin, Ying Yaoshi wants you to return to the army," Ning Xuan said suddenly to Lan Xin.
"Yes, ma’am." Lan Xin subconsciously stood up, his posture ramrod straight as he answered respectfully.
"I refused his request for you to return to the army. Take this time to rest and recover from your injuries," Ning Xuan continued.