Chapter 112: Brother, Could It Be That You Already Have One?

The night passed without incident.

The next day, after Su Yifan finished his morning cultivation, he walked to his sister’s room.

"Knock, knock, knock..."

Soon, the door opened, and a young girl stepped out.

"Brother, you're here."

"Yes. Where is Qingqing?"

Su Yifan glanced into the room but did not see Han Qingqing.

"Qingqing was called home by her mother."

Su Meng had wanted to go back with her best friend, fearing that Qingqing's mother might still be persistent and force her into an unwanted marriage. However, Qingqing had refused, fearing it would be inconvenient for Su Meng to accompany her; after all, if such a confrontation were to happen, it could not be avoided. Left with no choice, Su Meng had to compromise.

"Brother, do you think Qingqing’s mother will see through Lin Ming?" Su Meng asked with concern.

She knew her brother’s good friend well; they had often played together as children, and they were quite close. She felt that this ruse between her best friend and Lin Ming was merely a stalling tactic that would eventually be exposed.

"Don't worry. I trust Lin Ming to handle things, and besides, the kid seems to have taken a liking to Qingqing."

When Su Yifan returned last night, his friend had been badgering him for Qingqing’s contact information. Initially, he had been reluctant to give it out, but to ensure the ruse with Qingqing’s mother remained intact, and after checking with Qingqing herself, he had finally relented.

"What? Brother Lin Ming likes Qingqing?" Su Meng’s eyes widened. They had only met once! Could it be...

"What are you thinking? Actually, Lin Ming is a pretty decent guy. If he’s sincere, there’s no harm in them being together. Besides, with me around, I certainly won't let him mess things up."

Su Yifan thought highly of his friend. If Lin Ming was truly interested, he would make sure to give him a stern warning against being a philanderer.

Su Meng paused for a moment before saying, "Brother, can’t you tell that Qingqing... that she has feelings for you?"

She hadn't wanted to bring it up, but hearing her brother talk about setting Lin Ming up with Qingqing made her fear they would all end up in an awkward position. She knew her best friend—beautiful and guileless—and she wouldn't have minded her becoming her sister-in-law. Hearing her brother speak like this, it seemed he had no such intentions, and she didn't know what to do.

"I have noticed some things, but..." Su Yifan stopped mid-sentence. He had made a vow to devote his heart to only one person in this life: his beautiful master. Moreover, he and Qingqing belonged to different worlds; he was destined to ascend and leave this world behind. Therefore, they were fated to have no future together. It was better to cut the knot now than to let everyone suffer later.

"But what?" Su Meng frowned, staring at her brother.

"Nothing. It’s just that she and I are destined to walk different paths."

Su Meng sensed the hidden meaning in his words but couldn't grasp the full extent. "Brother, don't tell me you already have someone..."

"What do you know, you little brat? Let’s not talk about this anymore." Before she could finish, Su Yifan reached out and pressed down on her head. She was clever, but this wasn't the time to tell her everything.

"Ah! Brother, I told you not to mess up my hair! I won’t grow any taller!" Su Meng stepped back in a hurry. She was already 1.7 meters tall, but she still wanted to grow more; after all, what girl wouldn't want long, slender legs?

"Alright, let’s talk business." Su Yifan composed himself. "After my examination last night, I confirmed that you do not have a spirit root."

"What? Then that means..."

"Don't be so impatient. I haven't finished. Even though you lack a spirit root, you possess a special constitution that is far rarer and more powerful."

Recalling the previous night, Su Yifan was still astonished. Aside from himself and his beautiful master, his sister was the third person he had encountered with a special constitution. His master had told him on the mountain that such people were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns. He never expected his own sister to be one of them, making him wonder if his master’s claims were true after all.

"A special constitution? What is that?" Su Meng tilted her head. Last night, her brother had only mentioned spirit roots. If it was rarer than a spirit root, did that mean her talent was extraordinary? If so, she could become as powerful as her brother and eventually protect their parents and him.

"A special constitution is one that comes with innate talents..." Seeing her eagerness, Su Yifan began to explain the details.

After listening, Su Meng’s eyes shone like lanterns, filled with excitement and shock. "So that’s what it is! Brother, I want to start cultivating immediately so I can become as powerful as you!"

"Good."

Su Yifan nodded and handed her a storage bag containing two thousand spirit stones. He was glad he had the foresight not to refine them all; they would be perfect for her cultivation. "These are called spirit stones. I will now impart the method for refining them and the breathing technique."

With that, he pressed his finger to her forehead, transmitting the "Supreme Yin Heavenly Heart Sutra" and the techniques for refining spirit stones.

Once finished, he breathed a sigh of relief and warned her, "Meng'er, you must remember: apart from me and Mom and Dad, you must never let anyone know about this, not even Qingqing." This was of the utmost importance; he could not allow any slip-ups.

"Don't worry, brother, I understand." Su Meng opened the bag, staring curiously at the spirit stones. It was her first time seeing them, and she couldn't help but feel excited.

"Go back to your room and try to cultivate. If there is anything you don't understand, come and ask me anytime."

"Okay, I'll go try it now!" Overjoyed at finally being able to cultivate, she turned and rushed back to her room.

Watching her, Su Yifan couldn't help but smile, but his expression soon turned grim. With his family now starting to cultivate, the demand for spirit stones would only increase. He only had three thousand left. This wouldn't last long, and he needed to find more quickly. But where could such a scarce resource be found?

Just then, a guard hurried over.

"Young Master, someone is here to see you."

"Who?"

"It’s the man who came two days ago, Yang Junchen."

At these words, Su Yifan’s lips curled into a faint smile. He had just been fretting over where to find spirit stones, and here was someone delivering them to his doorstep. It was like someone sending a pillow just as he was getting sleepy.

"Bring him to the living room."

"Yes, Young Master."