Killing Ling Huan was simple, but for Ling Huan, death would have been a release—a way to escape.
What Yin Luoling wanted now was not just physical torment, but mental suffering as well.
Even though Ling Huan in his previous life had been able to lay such a cruel hand on his adoptive parents, during this period in the present life, he still cared about them.
He cared about their gazes, about their love.
And Yin Luoling’s goal was clear: to force Ling Huan to reveal his true nature, to take away his adoptive parents’ love right in front of him, and make him watch as he was isolated and marginalized in this family.
To make him watch, helpless, as everyone who once knew him turned their backs and left!
To make him completely alone, and then—
Let her do with him as she pleased!
Everything she had done to test him today was for this.
If she didn’t first uncover evidence of Ling Huan’s disguise or see his true face, and just acted rashly, wouldn’t that make her no different from the beast that Ling Huan was?
But now, Yin Luoling was stunned, completely and utterly bewildered.
The slap in the face she had anticipated, the insults, the public shoving… none of it happened.
Ling Huan’s tone had become familiar, but the feeling was different.
She looked at Ling Huan’s fierce yet strangely familiar face, and a sense of unfamiliarity welled up inside her.
“What are you standing around for!”
Ling Huan barked fiercely, “Let’s go! Come shopping with your brother! Whatever you see, just take it! Don’t save me any money!”
He shouted deliberately, loud enough for everyone to hear.
Yin Luoling was pulled along by him, stumbling so hard that she almost dropped the glazed lantern in her arms.
She let Ling Huan lead her through the crowded throng, dragging her to more and more stalls.
Spotting a stall selling sugar paintings, he slapped down a spirit stone without hesitation: “Draw! Make the biggest Phoenix for my little sister!”
“If it doesn’t look good, I’ll smash your stall! And remember my sister’s face—if she comes by again, let her eat whatever she wants, no need to pay!”
The sugar painter stared at the dazzling spirit stone, his hands trembling so much he almost burned the sugar.
Passing by the dough figurine stall, Ling Huan again threw a spirit stone with the same domineering attitude: “Make it look like my Luoling! If it doesn’t resemble her, don’t even think about making a living in Qingmu City anymore!”
The dough figurine master looked at Yin Luoling’s delicate face, so worried he tugged out a few of his own beard hairs.
But then he remembered the spirit stone, and immediately beamed, promising to do his best!
Ling Huan even went into a luxurious store selling rouge and powders.
Although it was obvious those things weren’t for an eight-year-old girl, he still slapped down another spirit stone and pointed at the brightest pink box: “This! Wrap it up for my little sister! So what if she’s a child? If she wants to wear it, she can! From now on, whenever she comes in, give her the best you have!”
The lady shopkeeper glanced at Yin Luoling’s already flawless, porcelain face, then at Ling Huan’s “I’m rich and I call the shots” swagger, and only gave a faint smile.
She didn’t say anything, just did her best to recommend and introduce the various rouges.
She even started analyzing and recommending options based on Yin Luoling’s skin.
Yin Luoling could barely see Ling Huan anymore, her arms overflowing with “spoils of war”—a giant sugar Phoenix, a dough figurine that resembled her about seventy percent, a box of gaudy rouge…
What on earth was he trying to do?
Yin Luoling stood outside the shop and didn’t go in.
Everything felt different now; no matter how she looked at it, it was like she’d gotten a domineering but foolish big brother, one who just wanted to give her everything he saw and thought of.
In her previous life, in the Martial Arts Sect, she’d met a pair of siblings while out on a group training expedition.
That brother doted on his sister, giving her whatever she wanted, and Yin Luoling had envied them so much—if only she’d had a brother like that.
But her own brother, all he ever gave her was his fists.
Yet now, she actually had a brother like this.
It all felt unreal to her.
Soon enough, she couldn’t carry any more.
The shopping trip came to a forced halt.
Both of them had their hands full of things, their mouths stuffed with snacks.
Especially Ling Huan, who had a sugar hawthorn skewer hanging from his lips, muttering about something that Yin Luoling couldn’t quite make out.
The tangy sugar hawthorn in her mouth made her frown, but there was a hint of sweetness too.
Maybe the sugar residue was just too sweet?
She stared hard at Ling Huan’s back, and even though she hated him, she had to admit that Ling Huan’s methods in this life were far more sophisticated.
With all this blatant doting and showering her with gifts, any ordinary little girl would have fallen for it by now.
But what she didn’t understand was—where did Ling Huan get so many spirit stones?
The Ling family did have spirit stones, but most of them were managed by the adoptive parents themselves…
Stealing them would be impossible.
Wait!
If Ling Huan wanted so badly to play the role of doting brother in public, she would make sure he didn’t get what he wanted!
Maybe regular folks would only want a few silver coins, fancy clothes, or pretty jewelry.
But could these things ever embarrass Ling Huan, the pampered young master?
No, only…
“Ling Huan-gege.”
Yin Luoling stopped in the middle of the crowd, her voice not loud but clear and steady, “I don’t need these things… I want spirit stones. I—I want to cultivate… I want to avenge our parents… Nothing else matters to me. I want fifty spirit stones!”
Fifty spirit stones!
The whole street was stunned!
A gasp swept through the busy crowd, which gradually turned into heavy breathing.
Fifty spirit stones!
That was more money than an ordinary person could earn in a lifetime… No, not just this life—even in the next life, or the one after that, they’d never make that much!
This was enough for a first-stage Qi Refining cultivator, after years of hard cultivation, to break through to the fifth or sixth stage and become a top-tier master!
Yin Luoling hung her head, her voice trembling ever so slightly as she tried to control her emotions.
She fought not to burst out laughing.
Just imagining Ling Huan’s furious, exasperated face made her heart race with excitement.
She’d lived for over a thousand years, yet still got excited over such petty things.
It seemed she really needed to prioritize training her mind with a proper Cultivation Technique.
Otherwise, if she managed to embarrass Ling Huan on an even grander stage someday, wouldn’t she just laugh out loud on the spot?
Ling Huan turned around, striding toward her in slow, heavy steps.
He stopped right in front of her.
To her surprise, he carefully set each item from his arms onto the ground.
Yin Luoling was a little shocked—she’d thought he’d throw the things down in a rage, but he still retained a bit of composure?
No matter, she would crush them herself.
She quickly suppressed her rising glee, put on a timid tone, lowered her head and mumbled, “S-sorry… brother… I… I asked for something you can’t do… I was too impatient… It was rude of me… After all… it’s only our first day knowing each other…”
“Can’t do it.”
Those three words, for the proud Ling Huan, were like a loud slap in the face in front of everyone.
A humiliation that trampled what little self-esteem he had left into the dirt.
Ling Huan took the things from her arms and also placed them gently on the ground.
Then, Ling Huan raised his hand.
!
It was finally coming!
Yin Luoling’s heart trembled, a surge of uncontrollable excitement coursing through her like electricity!
Her body was already tense, just waiting for Ling Huan’s slap to come.
She would go with the force of his slap, collapsing “weakly” onto the cold bluestone pavement.
In everyone else’s eyes, they would see nothing but a ten-year-old brother losing control and violently abusing his eight-year-old “frail” sister!
She knew that no one would step forward to stop it at a time like this.
But before half a day had passed, the scandal of “Young Master Ling beating his sister in public” would spread all over Qingmu City’s streets and alleys, and every word of the gossip would make its way back to their adoptive parents.
“Hmph…”
Here it comes!
Hearing that cold snort, Yin Luoling’s heart leaped with joy!
It was coming!
“So that’s all you wanted? I was wondering what it could be.”
That’s all?
A small request…?
What kind of tone was that?
Why did he sound so nonchalant, like it was nothing at all…?
Oh!
She understood now—Ling Huan was playing along?
He would agree in public, but act completely differently back at Ling Manor?
But it didn’t matter, this was still a win for her.
After all, word would reach their adoptive parents anyway.
After all, he had spent so many spirit stones in public, their adoptive parents would surely ask him about it later.
By then, they would definitely come to question her and Ling Huan.
She could still spill everything when the time came.
But then, Ling Huan didn’t say another word!
Without hesitation, Ling Huan moved his hand—
Huala!
Under the nighttime festival lights, the spirit stones that spilled from his storage ring glistened like a flood breaching a dam!
Fifty flawless lower-grade spirit stones, each radiating a blue glow, instantly piled up on the ground in a little “sand dune.”
In that moment, even the air seemed to freeze.
Everyone present—whether Yin Luoling, or the hidden Ling family experts watching from the shadows…
Their pupils contracted in shock, and they froze where they stood!
It was as if some invisible giant hand had gripped their throats!
The festival’s bustle and the distant lanterns were cut off by the brilliant light of the spirit stones.
All around, there was dead silence!
This… this… how could he have brought them out?!
How could he possibly have them?!
How could he possibly take them out!?
“Oh!”
Ling Huan suddenly slapped his forehead.
Changing his mind?
Yin Luoling’s heart soared with delight again!
“I should just store all these things! I only got them recently and totally forgot I had something so handy.”
With that, he stashed all the shopping spoils into his storage ring.
He left only the dazzling pile of spirit stones, which made Yin Luoling’s head spin.
This… this wasn’t how it was supposed to go!
This was not what she had planned at all!