BTTH : Emperor Yang

Support me at patreon for 60+ advanced chapters :

patreon.com/YaoIk

**

The next day.

The morning glow spilled across the courtyard, casting a layer of faint golden light.

The morning dew slightly dampened the stone-paved path. In the herb garden, all kinds of medicinal plants stretched out their leaves, each carrying crystal-clear dewdrops that, under the sunlight, refracted dazzling colors.

The fresh air was laced with a faint medicinal fragrance, refreshing and invigorating to the senses.

Xian'er had her long hair tied up, her sleeves and pants legs rolled up, and was barefoot in the soil, holding a small hoe in hand. Bent over, she was carefully tending the herb garden, humming a melodious little tune, her complexion rosy and glowing with vitality.

Under the eaves, Wei Yang sat at a table, occasionally yawning with a tired expression.

Beside him, Qing Lin had a mischievous smile tugging at her lips as she deftly prepared tea for Wei Yang.

Wei Yang stretched lazily. As he lowered his head, he caught sight of the smirk at the corner of Qing Lin's mouth. Immediately, his eyes narrowed, and his expression turned unfriendly.

"Qing Lin, are you getting itchy lately?" he asked suspiciously.

"Ah? Young Master, of course not," Qing Lin jumped in shock, hurriedly shaking her head and wiping the smile from her lips.

"Not, huh? Then what were you smiling at?" Wei Yang sat up straighter, trying to shake off his fatigue.

"I wasn't smiling," Qing Lin replied, face turning serious as she pouted and shook her head.

"You're still denying it? I've tolerated this long enough! Since early morning you've been grinning non-stop!" Wei Yang glared at her.

"Young Master, you must be mistaken. I really wasn't." Qing Lin stubbornly refused to admit it.

Wei Yang narrowed his eyes, a hint of menace flickering within. His hands were starting to itch.

Last night, he had let his guard down for a moment and… suffered a minor defeat. Cough, a slip-up. Though he later rallied and reclaimed his honor, Xian'er acted like she'd won some decisive, world-shaking victory, strutting around like a smug little woman.

First thing this morning, she walked around with her head high like a proud rooster.

The worst part? Wei Yang could do nothing about her for the time being. He could only silently vow to conserve his strength and bide his time until the evening, where he would launch a decisive counterattack and utterly rout her.

As the saying goes: even the best fall sometimes. A single loss was no big deal—nothing to fear!

It was perfectly understandable. Completely logical.

But Qing Lin's strange little smile was really pushing it.

How could he endure this?

What kind of attitude was that?

"Tell me—did you eavesdrop last night?" Wei Yang's gaze sharpened, now half annoyed and half embarrassed, deciding to pick a fight.

He felt it was necessary to give Qing Lin a proper lesson—remind her who the real head of this household was. If he let Xian'er's influence corrupt her too, what would become of this home?

If a man can't control his household, how can he command the world?

"N-no…" Qing Lin's face instantly turned crimson, her head lowered as she furiously shook it and mumbled.

She felt a little aggrieved. Why would I need to eavesdrop? The two of you were so loud...

"Heh…" Wei Yang laughed coldly.

Leaning back in his chair, eyes half-lidded, he stared at Qing Lin while quickly thinking about how to properly deal with this little girl.

Qing Lin kept her head down, face red, fidgeting uneasily.

Just then—

Outside the courtyard:

"Brother Wei, are you there?" Xiao Yan called out loudly from beyond the wall.

Wei Yang frowned slightly.

"I'll get the door!" Qing Lin instantly seized the chance to escape. She sprang to her feet and bolted toward the gate.

Wei Yang could only smack his lips in regret and begrudgingly lifted his teacup.

"Brother Wei."

Xiao Yan strode in, laughing heartily as he sat down at the table.

"What are you doing here so early?" Wei Yang asked lazily, slouched in his seat, looking half-awake.

"Hehe." Xiao Yan took the teacup from Qing Lin and nodded in thanks, then grinned at Wei Yang. "Brother Wei looks exhausted. You should take it easy, you know."

Wei Yang rolled his eyes.

Qing Lin turned her head away, blushing furiously.

At that moment, Yao Lao's figure also slowly drifted into view.

"Senior Yao," Qing Lin quickly poured another cup of tea.

"Mmm. Little girl, your tea-making skills are improving," Yao Lao took the tea and sipped it slowly, even giving Qing Lin a compliment.

"Hehe, thank you for the praise, Senior Yao," Qing Lin beamed, covering her mouth as she giggled.

After a few casual exchanges—

Wei Yang glanced at the master-disciple pair.

Yao Lao remained calm and composed, smiling as usual.

But Xiao Yan clearly couldn't sit still. Several times, he looked like he wanted to speak but held back.

"Go on, what do you want from me?" Wei Yang got straight to the point. "Wind and Thunder Fury Flame?"

"Yes, yes!" Xiao Yan nodded eagerly, his face full of anticipation, eyes burning with excitement as he stared at Wei Yang.

Yao Lao's hand even trembled slightly, his aged eyes narrowing with a sharp glint.

"Wind and Thunder Fury Flame—yes, it's in my possession," Wei Yang admitted bluntly.

"Hss~" Xiao Yan sharply inhaled, his breath turning heavier.

Yao Lao's face twitched, and his eyelids twitched violently.

"I suppose I was lucky," Wei Yang said with a chuckle. "Found it deep within the life-restricted zone of the Tagore Desert."

"What? There's a Wind and Thunder Fury Flame hidden deep in the Tagore Desert?" Xiao Yan was surprised.

Wind and Thunder Fury Flame. Green Lotus Core Flame.

Did this mean that, in the same era, the Tagore Desert gave birth to two different Heavenly Flames?

Even if they were only ranked eighteenth and nineteenth, that still made the place an extraordinary treasure ground.

"Indeed. Given the characteristics of the Wind and Thunder Fury Flame, the Tagore Desert has the ideal conditions to nurture it," Yao Lao nodded in agreement.

"This flame's power is comparable to a low-level Dou Zong," Wei Yang continued casually. "And its intelligence is exceptionally high—cunning, fierce, and uncontrollable. I've always worried it might someday turn on me. It's nothing like the Green Lotus Core Flame, whose spirit is like that of a newborn child…"

After giving a rough overview of the flame's situation, Wei Yang turned to Xiao Yan. "It was born and matured long before the Green Lotus Core Flame. Are you sure you can handle it?"

"Uh…" Xiao Yan's expression turned solemn.

"So it's already that intelligent…" Yao Lao stroked his beard and frowned deeply.

The master and disciple both felt the weight of the situation pressing down on them.

They didn't fear a violent Heavenly Flame. What they feared was an intelligent one.

That would be… a real problem.

Wei Yang flipped his palm, and a small jade bottle appeared in his hand. He gently set it on the table. "The Wind and Thunder Fury Flame is in here."

Upon hearing this, both Xiao Yan and Yao Lao's eyes immediately sharpened, locking onto the unremarkable bottle.

The jade bottle looked entirely ordinary, resting quietly on the table without the slightest leakage of aura.

At a glance, it appeared no different than any common storage bottle.

Who would've thought that within it was sealed one of the rarest Heavenly Flames under the heavens—a flame with power rivaling a Dou Zong expert?

However, if one listened carefully and focused their senses, they'd notice something different.

Wuuu—

Roooar—

If one concentrated hard enough, one could hear faint howling wind sounds and indistinct dragon roars echoing from within the bottle.

"Wind and Thunder Fury Flame…" Xiao Yan's eyes blazed with light, and his body trembled slightly.

"Don't be fooled by how calm it seems now," Wei Yang said flatly. "It's currently in a dormant state. But if it were awakened… tsk tsk, the scene yesterday when Xian'er fought with a sub-flame? That was nothing compared to the terror of the main body."

Xiao Yan and Yao Lao nodded lightly.

No matter how powerful a child flame might be, it would always pale in comparison to the true Heavenly Flame itself.

If this Wind and Thunder Fury Flame were released without someone to control it, it wouldn't take long before the entire Jia Ma Empire was reduced to ruins.

Yao Lao picked up the jade bottle, brought it close to his eyes, and closed them. He carefully extended his spiritual perception to probe the contents inside.

Wei Yang and Xiao Yan watched in silence.

After a moment…

Yao Lao opened his eyes, nodded with a smile, and murmured in admiration, "Just now, as I probed in secret, I nearly startled it. What a sharp sense of awareness…"

Xiao Yan rubbed his hands, barely containing his excitement. "Master, let me take a look."

Yao Lao immediately waved his hand and shook his head to stop him. "Xiao Yan, don't mess around. We're in the imperial capital, inside the Alchemist Association. If something were to go wrong…"

Hearing this, Xiao Yan could only laugh awkwardly and suppress his eagerness with some difficulty.

Yao Lao held the bottle, looked at Wei Yang, and got straight to the point. "Brat Wei, name your price."

"Two things," Wei Yang replied directly, raising two fingers.

Yao Lao inhaled lightly, face turning solemn. He was already mentally prepared to be taken advantage of. "Speak."

"First, a High-Level Xuan Grade soul cultivation technique."

"Second, a Tier 8 Spirit Imbuement Technique." Wei Yang stated calmly.

"That…" Yao Lao immediately frowned, falling into deep thought as his eyelids began twitching.

Wei Yang had struck right at his sore spot.

The Tier 8 Spirit Imbuement Technique could still be managed.

But soul cultivation techniques?

For any alchemist, those were the most sacred and secret of personal inheritances—never casually shared.

----------------------------------------------

Support me at patreon for 60+ advanced chapters :

patreon.com/YaoIk