After returning to the Hu Yang Academy, Ling Han and Liu Yu Tong both went their own way. He had just stepped into his own courtyard when he immediately heard Liu Ru Er's nagging voice.
"As a landlord, you are really a failure. You did not even prepare food for us!" she seethed.
Ling Han could not help a strange expression appearing on his face as he asked, "Don't tell me you two don't know how to cook?"
Instantly, Liu Ru Er's almond-shaped eyes widened, and she blurted out, "How did you know?"
"I can easily tell from looks of your incompetence," Ling Han sighed. This pair of assassin sisters were really failures. They failed at assassination and did not even know how to cook. They really were the rookies of all rookies.
"Heng, who are you calling incompetent!?" Liu Ru Er asked with a defiant expression. "When I have recovered all my abilities, I will definitely give you a good thrashing!"
Ling Han could not help but laugh, and said, "Then why should I still continue to care for two enemies like you two! Ai, I've been short of money recently, and if I take advantage of the chance to provide information on two criminals, I should be able to get quite a considerable sum of money."
Liu Ru Er instantly paled and gasped in fear. "You're just scaring me!"
"Am I?" Ling Han crossed one leg over the other, an unfathomable expression on his face.
Liu Ru Er wavered. She had always been living under the protection of her elder sister and never needed to worry about the bad intentions of others. Now that she was facing Ling Han who was in his second lifetime on her own, she was naturally easily played by him.
"Come, sing a little song for me. If you sing well enough, then I'll let you off," Ling Han said, smiling.
Liu Ru Er finally understood that Ling Han was just trying to scare her and could not help patting her breasts as she said, "You're so mean!" But, she immediately raised her head and added, "All right, then I'll sing a song. But, don't think that I'm afraid of you. It's just been too long since I last sang, and I feel an itch in my throat!"
She opened her mouth and began singing. The song she sang was mellow, and would easily touch the hearts of listeners.
Ling Han nodded internally. This little girl was a bit of a ditz, but she was indeed quite a talented singer. Looks like she went into the wrong business.
"Noisy! Noisy!" Hu Niu was awakened by the song and glared in displeasure at Liu Ru Er, her ferocious nature fully out in the open.
Liu Ru Er was not very happy with her critique and said, "I have such a beautiful voice, and you actually say it's noisy! There is indeed no hint of elegance in you!"
"Heng!" Hu Niu glared at her in defiance.
The two girls glared furiously at one another, neither willing to back down. From the looks of it, they were prepared to glare at each other until the end of time.
Ling Han yawned, stood up and walked to his bedroom, intending to go to bed.
Xiu , Hu Niu immediately took a great leap and clung onto Ling Han. Then, she turned and made a silly face at Liu Ru Er.
Such a failure. She couldn't even handle a little kid.
Liu Ru Er clutched her hair in frustration. As an assassin, she couldn't even win in a staring competition with a little girl. Was she really suited to become an assassin?
***
When he awoke, there was a shade of pale white in the eastern sky. Ling Han sat up in a cross-legged position and began to cultivate.
He was deliberately waking up earlier now to cultivate at a different time from Hu Niu. This way, he would not need to run all over the place to cultivate elsewhere.
‘Not bad. I'll be able to break through to the eighth layer of Element Gathering Tier in three days.’ Ling Han smiled. What he wanted the most now was to break through to Gushing Spring Tier and peer into the secrets of the Black Tower.
By now, the sun had already risen and Ling Han woke Hu Niu up. Though the little girl looked very reluctant, she still adhered to Ling Han's request and began to cultivate. Hu Niu had such a terrifying potential—who knows, her future achievements may not be one bit beneath his.
Ling Han prepared breakfast. He was extremely depressed at this. It was fine when he had Hu Niu staying with him, but now that there were two bigger girls living with him, it was still up to him to cook. This was really unfair.
Tong, tong, tong. A knock sounded on the main door.
Who could it be?
Ling Han walked over, opened the door and discovered that his visitor was Jin Wuji.
‘Yi, why did this guy come over?’
"Brother Jin, why are you here so early?" Ling Han asked, smiling.
Jin Wuji smiled bitterly, and said, "Brother Ling, I would like to ask for your help."
"With what?" Ling Han asked, in no rush to agree to anything yet.
Jin Wuji hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Is Brother Ling able to make a reservation at the Cherishing Flower Pavilion?"
‘Yi?’
Ling Han could not help but look at Jin Wuji strangely. Had this guy struck some deal with Lady Yan? Ling Han had just received the Cherishing Flower Command yesterday and there was already someone here today to ask for his help to make a reservation at the Cherishing Flower Pavilion.
"Brother Ling, I don't know what else to do! You know a lot of people, and I'm desperate. That's why I am here to shamelessly ask for your help," Jin Wuji sighed.
Ling Han smiled, and asked, "What's going on? Why would you need a table at Cherishing Flower Pavilion?"
"If I tell you, promise me you won't laugh at me!" Jin Wuji actually blushed.
Ling Han put on a serious face, and said, "I promise I won't laugh."
Jin Wuji gathered his thoughts for a moment, then began to speak. Apparently, he met a daughter of a minor clan from the Imperial City a year ago. Her name was Jiang Fei Yan, and the two of them had fallen in love with each other. Their relationship had even reached the point that they were beginning to discuss marriage.
However, though the Jin Clan was a Great Clan in Da Yuan City, it was only considered a minor clan in the Imperial City. Moreover, those who were living in an area under the direct jurisdiction of the Emperor all had an inborn arrogance and felt a sense of superiority towards others. The Jiang Clan was thus not very satisfied with a future son-in-law like Jin Wuji and kept trying to separate the couple.
Thus, Jin Wuji kept trying to rack his brains, hoping to find some way to change the opinion the Jiang Clan had of him.
The requirements to enter the Cherishing Flower Pavilion were very high and anyone who wanted to reserve a table at the Cherishing Flower Pavilion had to at least be from a middle-class clan. Thus, displaying his ability through treating the important members of the Jiang Clan to a meal at the Cherishing Flower Pavilion was undoubtedly a very good idea.
But the problem now was that even if he had broken through to Gushing Spring Tier, the Cherishing Flower Pavilion would still ignore his request, what more now that he was still only in Element Gathering Tier.
Recently, the Jiang Clan appeared to plan on marrying Jiang Fei Yan off to the Seventh Young Master of a middle-class clan. Thus, Jin Wuji really had no idea what else he could do and so came to try his luck with Ling Han.
After all, Ling Han had just arrived at the Imperial City for a few days and had already gotten to know a disciple of Wu Song Ling, and could even possibly be an honoured guest of Grandmaster Wu. Therefore, even if Ling Han had no way to make a reservation at the Cherishing Flower Pavilion by himself, he could still go through Wu Song Lin to make the reservation.
When he heard the full story, Ling Han could not help but laugh loudly as he said, "I had never imagined that Brother Jin would actually be a romantic."
"Brother Ling, you promised you wouldn't laugh." Meanwhile, Jin Wuji was continuously sighing, distress all over his face.
Ling Han still continued to laugh. He patted Jin Wuji on his shoulder and said, "Brother Jin, I am not able to reserve a table at the Cherishing Flower Pavilion, but…"
When Jin Wuji heard his words, he looked disappointed at first. But then, he suddenly heard that meaningful pause, so his heart involuntarily started to beat wildly in excitement. "Does Brother Ling have some other way?"
"I can't reserve a regular table, but would a side courtyard be alright?" Ling Han asked, smiling.
"Pu!"
Jin Wuji instantly choked.
If one wanted to reserve a table at Cherishing Flower Pavilion, then one definitely had to have the cultivation level of Spiritual Ocean Tier and above, or be backed by a Spiritual Ocean Tier elite. For example, the members of the main branch of middle-class clans were able to make a reservation. However, they still needed to make the reservation in advance, because the business of the Cherishing Flower Pavilion was really too good. If they did not make the reservation well in advance, they would not be able to get a table.
And in the case of side courtyards, one would at least require the cultivation level of Spiritual Pedestal Tier or the backing of a Spiritual Pedestal Tier elite to be able to make a reservation for a side courtyard.
"Brother Ling, you're not joking with me, are you?" This surprise was huge, leaving Jin Wuji stuttering in his words.