Chapter 48: I'm Not Playing This

Chu Tianchen did not expect that Ling Ying would actually know Ye Nishang.

Moreover, Ye Nishang turned out to be a princess!

At that moment, Ye Nishang slowly turned around. When her eyes fell upon Ling Ying, her brows instantly furrowed.

"Princess, why are you together with Chu Tianchen?"

"What did the two of you do last night..."

Before Ling Ying could finish his sentence, a murderous glint flashed through Ye Nishang's eyes, startling Ling Ying so much that his body instantly stiffened.

"Princess, this subordinate knows his wrong."

Ling Ying hurriedly dropped to his knees and said.

The next moment, Ye Nishang's figure flickered as she moved swiftly outward, vanishing from the Yuelai Inn in just a few breaths.

Ling Ying could not help but break out in a cold sweat.

It took a full three minutes before Ling Ying slowly managed to stand up, his body still trembling slightly.

"If this eldest miss's temper was even one-tenth as good as my young master's, she wouldn't still be single right now."

Ling Ying muttered guiltily, glancing behind him as he spoke.

"Young Master Tianchen, you didn't do anything to the princess, did you?"

Ling Ying continued.

"If I had done something to her, what would happen?"

Chu Tianchen asked with a playful expression.

"This is no joking matter. People really die over this."

"I admit your talent is not bad, and your dual cultivation in alchemy and martial arts can indeed be considered genius, but that is only within the small confines of the Great Gan Empire. Looking across the vast greater world, while those who dual cultivate in alchemy and martial arts are few, the princess is certainly surrounded by quite a few of them."

"Huh? Young Master Tianchen, you've reached the fourth stage of the Pulse-Connecting Realm?"

As Ling Ying was speaking, he suddenly sensed Chu Tianchen's cultivation level and his eyes widened in shock.

Just a week ago, Chu Tianchen was only at the second stage of the Pulse-Connecting Realm.

When he called Chu Tianchen a genius of dual cultivation earlier, it was merely polite flattery.

He acknowledged Chu Tianchen's talent in the dao of alchemy; after all, even Mu Ran, a tier-four alchemist, had been unable to save Tang Shisan, yet Chu Tianchen had cured him using a medicinal liquid.

This was sufficient proof of Chu Tianchen's profound mastery in alchemy.

However, he held little regard for Chu Tianchen's martial talent.

Yet he could hardly be blamed. Reaching the second stage of the Pulse-Connecting Realm at the age of nineteen was a level of talent that could only be described as garbage, even within the Great Gan Empire.

Yet in a mere week, he had jumped from the second stage to the fourth stage of the Pulse-Connecting Realm. To reiterate, while such a feat was possible in the greater world among prominent families and hegemonic forces—

Within the Great Gan Empire, someone actually managing to open two pulse wheels in a single week was absolute genius material.

Hence, Ling Ying was profoundly astonished.

He could not read Chu Tianchen at all.

If his talent was truly this terrifying, why had he remained stuck at the pulse-wheel opening stage until the age of nineteen?

Most importantly, when Chu Tianchen was treating Tang Shisan, Ling Ying had expected him to refine pills, yet he used nothing more than the most basic spiritual liquid, which defied all logic.

He did not even know whether Chu Tianchen was truly an alchemist or not.

Calling him a genius of dual cultivation earlier had been pure flattery.

Gazing at the astonished Ling Ying, Chu Tianchen wore an indifferent expression, his mind still occupied by thoughts of Ye Nishang.

"Ling Ying, how does her background rank in the greater world?"

Chu Tianchen asked.

"Young Master Tianchen, you can't possibly have fallen for the princess, have you?"

Ling Ying asked.

"Well, I suppose I have."

Chu Tianchen replied smoothly.

"Ah?"

Ling Ying said in bewilderment.

"What do you mean 'ah'? Does your young master not need treatment anymore?"

Chu Tianchen said in a deep voice.

With that, Chu Tianchen walked out of the room and entered Tang Shisan's quarters.

At that moment, Tang Shisan was sitting inside a wooden barrel filled with clear water, his complexion already having recovered by thirty percent.

Chu Tianchen's soul power extended outward, penetrating Tang Shisan's body to conduct an inspection, and a faint smile curved the corner of his mouth.

The powerful soul entity residing within the curse seal truly had not appeared again.

At this rate, Tang Shisan would fully recover within half a month.

As for completely repairing his dantian, it would indeed require a tier-five Resurrection Pill. Although he had only just advanced to a tier-one alchemist, Chu Tianchen already had a clear plan in mind.

He had promised Mu Ran to cultivate him into a tier-five alchemist within six months, and he would use this tier-five Resurrection Pill to help him achieve that breakthrough.

Following that, Chu Tianchen prepared another barrel of medicinal liquid.

"With this barrel of medicinal liquid, he should be able to wake up."

Chu Tianchen said earnestly.

"Young Master Tianchen, since you've saved my young master this time, if you ever get the chance to reach the greater world, we will definitely reward you handsomely."

Ling Ying stated.

"How handsome of a reward?"

Chu Tianchen leaned forward and asked.

Instantly, Ling Ying swallowed hard.

The last time Chu Tianchen wore that expression was when he was making outrageous demands.

"Can you take me to Ye Nishang's family to propose marriage?"

Chu Tianchen suddenly asked.

In an instant, Ling Ying nearly collapsed to the floor.

"Young Master Tianchen, you did indeed save my young master's life, but you can't drag our entire family to their deaths with you."

Ling Ying said with a deeply depressed expression.

"It seems the forces behind Ye Nishang are indeed extraordinary."

"No matter, I will definitely conquer her with my charm."

Chu Tianchen muttered under his breath.

"Huh? Young Master Tianchen, what did you say?"

Ling Ying asked.

"I said I will convince her. At her level, aren't choices a matter of freedom?"

"She is deeply infatuated with me, so what can the forces behind her possibly do? Am I right?"

Chu Tianchen said with a smile.

Hearing this, Ling Ying lowered his head, refusing to look at Chu Tianchen's expression.

In the greater world, he had seen plenty of shameless pursuers chasing after Ye Nishang, but he had never seen anyone as thick-skinned as Chu Tianchen.

To actually claim that Ye Nishang was deeply infatuated with him—someone who was considered a proud daughter of heaven even in the greater world—how could she possibly fancy him?

Yet he also could not fathom why Ye Nishang had stayed in the same room with Chu Tianchen, though he firmly refused to believe anything had happened between them.

After all, Ye Nishang had never shown favor to any man in the greater world.

Not even her own biological brother had ever touched a single finger of hers.

Presumably, Ye Nishang must have had some sort of transaction with Chu Tianchen.

"Young Master Tianchen, as your savior-debtor, let Ling Ying offer one more piece of advice: stay as far away from Princess Nishang as you possibly can."

"You and she simply do not belong to the same world."

"If one day you are fortunate enough to step into the greater world, you will understand what kind of terrifying existence that is."

Ling Ying said solemnly.

He actually quite liked Chu Tianchen's personality, but unfortunately, in their eyes, Chu Tianchen was nothing more than a frog at the bottom of a well.

Looking at Ling Ying's serious expression, Chu Tianchen could not help but remark, "Good grief."

"Ling Ying, you don't fancy me too, do you?"

"I'm not into that."

Hearing this, Ling Ying almost fainted.

"You people from the greater world don't even distinguish between men and women anymore? How terrifying."

"I'll be leaving now. After two more treatments, your young master's meridians will completely heal."

"I just hope he doesn't fall in love with me by then."

Chu Tianchen shook his head and turned to leave in a hurry.

Ling Ying stared at his retreating back, speechless to the extreme.

After leaving the Yuelai Inn, Chu Tianchen headed toward the Pill Hall.

Having spent the entire night last night making joint progress with Ye Nishang, the primordial stones he had extorted from Li Wenqing were now completely exhausted.

Though half of them had been absorbed by Ye Nishang.

He needed to go to the Pill Hall to procure some cultivation resources.

It was time to open the remaining nine pulse wheels as soon as possible.

As soon as Chu Tianchen approached the vicinity of the Pill Hall, he saw that its front gates were surrounded by several dozen people.

"Tell that old scoundrel Mu Ran to get his ass out here for this prince!"

"His medicinal pills have poisoned someone to death! Let alone being merely the head of the Pill Hall, even the dean of Cloud Sea Academy must give this prince an explanation!"

A dwarf youth clad in dragon-embroidered robes shouted sternly.

Chu Tianchen recognized the dwarf prince's identity at a glance: he was none other than Xiao Fan, the sixth son of the current Emperor, the Sixth Prince!