The Endless Promise

25. The Duel

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(Longish Chapter! 🙏)

After making sure that Yiguang was comfortable, Luoyin broke the Seal she had cast on her unborn child, which made her feel even better.

He wrote down a prescription and gave it to Xu Min. "She should drink this twice daily, and her water should be fresh from a river or spring. Also, cook her meat properly from now on, with fine spices, if possible! This is someone who lives in Sky Palace... Raw meat won't entice her in the least!"

"Understood!" Xu Min almost bowed, but caught himself.

Luoyin turned to go.

"Er, 2nd Young Master Zhang!" Xu Min stopped him. "Can I call you 'Zhang Yin'?"

It was a bold offer of friendship. "Hao! Xu Min." Luoyin responded.

"Thank you for your help with the Light tiger, and er-." He seemed hesitant. "Thank you for not letting my little Sister marry Zhang Cheng!" And he turned and ran away after that.

Luoyin drew in a breath. "How unexpected!"

"Heh! What an interesting friendship!" Yinying teased.

"You're one to talk! What about your 'friendship' with Yiguang?!" It had taken everything in his power to act like he Yinying hadn't been there in Xu Min's presence.

Yinying's face fell. "I'm still coming to terms with it... Please don't ask me anything for now."

And the two walked quietly back.

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That afternoon, Luoyin opened up the dusty and abandoned house by the Yan River.

"Not bad." An invisible Yinying said beside him, eyeing their dust and cobweb coated surroundings. "It's grand enough for a fresh start!"

Despite all the dust, debris and cobwebs, the house had a good structure.

"Let's get started!" Luoyin said.

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But after an hour, the two sat forlornly on the inner front steps; The only part they had managed to clean!

"Laoying, I just realized I haven't cleaned anything in ages."

"Heh! Didn't you say you were a young man? Clean and let the elderly rest!"

"Hmph! I'm a young man with ancient memories! I haven't needed to clean since I was being punished as a youth! That is easily almost fifty thousand years ago!"

"Hahaha, you're finally admitting your age? My age is three times that, but as a member of the beast Clan, I have no experience that can help. Why not solve it the way you used to, when your mother wasn't looking?"

Back then, he would have bribed the maids!

Luoyin looked at his hand, specifically at the Spatial Ring.

He did have three chests of Gold from Lord Xu, and though cleaning was the least of things they would need, it was a necessary start!

By the next day, the 'Yan House', as people now called it, was blossoming under Luoyin's instructions.

He had no experience in cleaning, but he had a little too much experience in 'Nest Building'!

As Bailong, he had left home early, and had built a humble home elsewhere, and then another, and another, before the heart of Caoyang.

He started from scratch each time, turning a dusty and abandoned shell, into an enviable abode.

An invisible Yinying watched as numerous men and women streamed in, carrying furniture, decorations, ornaments, flowers, and even soil to set up interior gardens!