NOVEL WEB Chapter 93: The Old Soul Device
When Ling Yi heard the voice, he turned to look and met eyes with the other two, who shared a mutual understanding and stepped forward together.
As they approached, the middle-aged man slowed his steps, allowing the young man to meet Ling Yi's gaze first.
Among the newcomers, most faces were unfamiliar, but upon seeing the two leading the group, both Long Yin, Zhang Mufeng, and Qingqiu Xin breathed a sigh of relief.
They were acquaintances. Just two hours ago, the two had left after bringing their healed companion.
So... are they here to pay the consultation fee?
The three young men exchanged glances, the same thought crossing their minds.
Ling Yi eyed the newcomers, standing up to pour tea into two empty cups until they were seventy percent full, and smiled cheerfully, "What a coincidence, both of you—
here for a meal?
This hotel's cuisine is excellent. Today, there are even dishes made from two soul beast materials, both delicious and nourishing—"
Upon hearing Ling Yi's words and seeing him personally pour tea, the young man felt somewhat flustered, stammering, "Uh—no... actually... Mr. Ling, I'm here to pay your consultation fee, to thank you for saving my brother—"
While speaking, he looked at the teacup on the table in front of him, positioned closer to his side, feeling a bit torn between picking it up or leaving it be.
In terms of strength, he and his brother were both Two-ring Soul Masters, with the same configuration of one white and one yellow soul ring, unlike Ling Yi during the treatment. The martial souls summoned by Ling Yi shone with a bright yellow and a deep yellow ring at his feet.
When it came to status, before and after asking for medical help, the brothers had inquired about all sorts of publicly available information on Ling Yi.
Ling Yi never intended to hide anything; on the contrary, his actions inadvertently fueled the spread of his reputation.
Vice Chairman of the 【Blacksmith Association·Shuimu Duchy Branch】, Baron of the 【Shuimu Duchy】, master blacksmith, and healer who had saved thousands of lives...
In the land of 【Shuimu Duchy】, any one of these titles alone was prestigious, but combined, they placed him among the elite, making him a distinguished guest among the upper echelons of the duchy.
As for the two brothers, they were just fortunate enough to awaken their martial souls with decent aptitude and, after over twenty arduous years of cultivation, only just managed to become Two-ring Soul Masters. Their small team merely had a bit of reputation among the soul masters in the Xiaofeng Market.
"Haha~"
The middle-aged man next to him was undaunted, smiling as he took a step forward, picked up the teacup closer to him, and said to Ling Yi with a grin, "We'll have to try the delicacies made from soul beast materials here later~"
He paused and, lifting the teacup, bowed slightly towards Ling Yi with a serious expression, "I am deeply grateful for your help in treating my little sixth, Ling sir. Many thanks to you!"
As he finished speaking, the middle-aged man named Kang Zhan raised his head and drank all the tea in his cup.
The young man next to him quickly raised his teacup, imitating Ling Yi as he offered thanks and drank it all in one go.
Ling Yi, observing their actions, smiled softly and lifted his own cup, swiftly emptying its contents.
Setting down the teacup, he smiled at the two and said, "There's no need for such formalities. As a healer at heart, I naturally couldn't turn a blind eye when I encountered this situation..."
His tone, as well as his facial expression and gaze, carried a sincere warmth, commanding the respect of those around him.
In the Soul Beast Forest, where everyone battled soul beasts and contended with other soul masters, living on the edge of life and death, having someone both kindhearted and skilled in healing was certainly deserving of respect.
Feeling the admiring eyes from those around him, Ling Yi remained calm and composed.
He didn't let those admiring gazes go to his head, fully aware that true growth stemmed from improving one's own abilities.
Most of these people could only bask in success during good times, but that was sufficient.
In these times, valuable opportunities should be cherished.
Not to mention, the severe injuries of the two individuals were quite rare compared to those he had encountered in the past six months.
Ling Yi couldn't always resort to invasive techniques for treating injuries like arms and legs, could he?
Ling Yi relished the opportunity to explore the mysterious unknown territories within a person's body that no one had ventured before. Such a chance was precious and should be seized with care.
Not to mention the handsome consultation fees he would earn; even if it were free, or if he had to pay for the opportunity, Ling Yi would do it gladly.
Having a deep understanding of human nature, Ling Yi knew that it was best when people brought themselves willingly to him, seeking his help.
Those who abducted living people for private research or bought others for study always ended up reviled by all.
Ling Yi always intended to achieve his goals standing upright, gaining both fame and fortune!
Currently, everything was progressing well, aligning with his initial expectations.
The trio exchanged a few polite words, and the young man introduced himself as Yue Qing, a level 25 Iron Sword Martial Soul Warlord, a strong attack system two-ring battle soul master.
The one Ling Yi had treated before was his half-brother, Ye Luo, with a Refined Iron Dagger martial soul, level 27, and a sensitive attack system two-ring battle soul master.
The two brothers, Ye Luo and Yue Qing, had formed a team of about a dozen people at the Howling Wind Market. They were the only two battle soul masters, while the others were all one-ring soul masters, ranging from level 11 to 17 or 18.
They usually took on tasks to hunt soul rings of soul beasts less than a hundred years old and occasionally would all go out in full force to try their luck when they encountered a century-old soul beast outside the depths of the Howling Wind Gorge.
Yue Qing pursed her lips, hesitated a little, and then took a package from a middle-aged man behind her. From it, she retrieved an ornate box and placed it on the small square table in front of Ling Yi.
She opened the box, revealing a bright blue crystal ball inside.
At that moment, Ling Yi and his three companions, as well as the middle-aged Kang Zhan and his companion behind him, couldn't help but fix their gaze on the blue crystal ball that seemed so familiar to them all.
With some reluctance, Yue Qing raised her hand and gently caressed the crystal ball before pushing it, along with the box beneath, towards Ling Yi. She softly inquired, "Mr. Ling, could this suffice to cover the fee for treating my brother?"
Ling Yi looked at the blue crystal ball before him, then raised his head to look at Yue Qing. At first, he nodded noncommittally, but then, with curiosity, he asked, "Isn't this similar to the crystal ball used by the Deacon of the Spirit Hall for measuring innate soul power during our Spirit Awakening? How—?"
Yue Qing, relieved by Ling Yi's nod, responded to his question: "Sometimes, we undertake tasks issued by the sub-halls of the Spirit Hall, going to villages to awaken the spirits of children of the appropriate age.
With time, everyone in our team learned how to conduct the Spirit Awakening Ceremony.
Families in nearby towns sometimes want to hold the awakening for their children on their sixth birthday, so we purchased the tools for the ceremony, including this test crystal, and occasionally take on such jobs privately..."
Yue Qing paused, slightly embarrassed, and continued, "This time, we've given all our money to the families of our teammates who died in battle, so this is all we have to cover the fee..."
Hearing this, Ling Yi didn't ask further questions, wanting to avoid reopening old wounds and damaging Yue Qing's dignity.
Ling Yi touched the crystal ball and then retrieved a blue-gilded metal card from his waist pouch, handing it to Yue Qing: "I've accepted your payment. I also have a job I'd like to hire your team for~"
As Yue Qing accepted the card, Ling Yi continued, 'I am soon departing for "Wooden City." During my stay here, I've gathered numerous items including precious metals, soul beast materials, and several crafted weapons and armors. Transporting these by myself is rather inconvenient, so I would like to ask for your assistance in moving them to "Wooden City"…'
(End of Chapter)
