Previously on Dual Cultivator Reborn [System In The Cultivation World]...
Yohan enjoys a potent liquor while dealing with the aftermath of a confrontation. He learns the stories of three women who were deceived by an imposter using his name. Yohan promises to compensate the families of two women who were coerced into following the imposter, releasing them without harm. The third woman, Elaine, then steps forward and asks Yohan to take her as his concubine.
"My name is Elaine, please take me as your concubine!"
As soon as Elaine’s words left her lips, Yohan spewed his drink. He was completely blindsided, and her proposal was the absolute last thing he anticipated hearing in this establishment.
Lucine was equally taken aback. It was, undeniably, a sudden proposition, especially considering Yohan had only just met Elaine and knew virtually nothing about her. However, the two women flanking Elaine showed no surprise; they appeared to grasp the seriousness of her declaration.
"What are you saying..." Yohan attempted to probe the reason behind her desire to become entangled with him. The man she had been following was now deceased, and she was free to depart to wherever she hailed from.
"My lord, I realize this is sudden, but please, just hear me out. May I speak with you in private?" Before Yohan could utter another word, Elaine fixed him with a concentrated gaze. Faced with that look, Yohan fell silent, though a moment later, he gave a nod. There was an inexplicable quality about this woman that was stirring a strange restlessness within him; he felt compelled to uncover her origins and, more pressingly, the motive behind her wish to be his concubine.
"Shall I prepare a room for you?" the innkeeper, an elderly man, eagerly interjected with an excited glint in his eyes. Yohan felt a prickle of unease at the old man’s sudden enthusiasm and peculiar smile. The entire inn seemed to be observing Yohan, not excluding Elaine’s companions. He noticed the odd, almost lecherous smile on the old man's face.
'This scoundrel,' Yohan thought, inwardly cursing the innkeeper for making him appear foolish before the assembled onlookers.
'Do you wish for me to deal with him?' Lucine’s voice resonated within Yohan's mind. Yohan knitted his brows and gave a slight shake of his head. He had had quite enough for one day, his appetite and thirst completely vanished. All he desired was to depart and return to his clan. With this thought solidified, Yohan inhaled deeply.
"I am finished for today; we are departing," Yohan announced, his gaze settling on the innkeeper. Elaine panicked at his words, fearing he would leave without granting her a chance to explain.
"My lord..."
"You are coming with me!" Before she could attempt further persuasion, Yohan’s words caught her completely off guard.
A wave of relief washed over her, and she immediately lowered her head in acknowledgment, a radiant smile gracing her features as she realized he would afford her an opportunity to elaborate.
"And what about these two?" Lucine inquired from his position opposite Yohan, gesturing towards the two merchant women standing alongside Elaine.
Lucine harbored concern, as leaving them amidst a throng of mercenaries and rough individuals seemed perilous. They could easily become targets for those who had been wronged by the deceased man. Now that Yohan had ended his life, these women, his associates, would likely face repercussions, and abandoning them would be tantamount to endangering their lives.
"They are your responsibility. Bring them to the Lin clan for the time being," Yohan instructed, his eyes fixed on Lucine.
"My responsibility?" Lucine pointed a finger at his own chest, his expression utterly bewildered by Yohan's directive.
"But Master Yohan..."
"I will see you at the clan," Yohan stated. With that, he retrieved a small pouch from his spatial ring and propelled it towards the innkeeper.
The innkeeper's eyes widened with the sight of the monetary offering, yet he hesitated to accept it, mindful that he might have offended Yohan. However, after a brief deliberation, he accepted the pouch with a respectful bow.
After Yohan presented a considerable sum of silver coins – equivalent to several years of the innkeeper's earnings – he then transferred the Mad Monkey Brews into his spatial ring, contemplating their potential future utility.
"But how am I to bring these two along?" Observing Yohan's clear intention to depart with Elaine, Lucine could no longer contain his unease. He felt ill-equipped to handle ladies and worried about escorting them to the Lin clan. Securing a carriage at this late hour in a small town would be a significant challenge, and even if successful, the journey to the Lin clan would consume the entire night.
Witnessing Lucine's struggle, Yohan let out a protracted sigh, recognizing the man’s inherent slowness.
"I am certain with your cultivation base, you can manage to carry a couple of individuals. Transporting two women should be child's play, wouldn't you agree?" Yohan remarked with a roguish grin, simultaneously extending his hand in Elaine's direction.
Elaine's cheeks flushed slightly at Yohan’s gesture of offering his hand. After a moment of slight hesitation, she took his hand, and in the very next instant, the pair vanished from the inn, leaving everyone, including Lucine, utterly astonished.
The instant Yohan and Elaine disappeared from the inn, the establishment erupted into chaos. Patrons began scrambling towards the exit, desperate to vacate the premises as swiftly as possible, their sole concern being to escape unharmed.
The proprietor, displeased, inwardly cursed the patrons who had departed without settling their tab, a situation that unfolded just before Yohan and Lucine made their arrival.
Lucine, utterly dejected, remained seated, oblivious to the surrounding commotion; the chaos had no effect on him.
"Are you alright?" One of the sisters inquired, observing Lucine's apparent deep contemplation.
Lucine offered a bittersweet smile and gestured for them to accompany him. Both sisters nodded, their faces etched with embarrassment, as Yohan's earlier instruction to escort them to the Lin clan still lingered in their minds.
Concurrently, in the night sky, the silhouette of a handsome man was visible, a beautiful woman cradled in his arms as he sliced through the clouds, heading in a specific direction.
"Are you afraid of heights?" Yohan inquired, noticing Elaine tightly gripping his robe, her gaze fixed, unwilling to look down. He could distinctly feel the warmth of her breath and the tremor of nervousness coursing through her.
"This is my very first time so high above the ground... I never imagined I'd be carried by you!" she exclaimed, finally meeting Yohan's gaze. His face, illuminated by the moonlight, was captivating, his eyes profound, drawing her in.
"First time, you say..." Yohan murmured, and with those words, an unforeseen event occurred, catching Elaine completely off guard.
"What..." The single word escaped her lips, accompanied by a look of utter disbelief as she found herself plummeting towards the earth. Her body descended like a shooting star; she was astonished and bewildered, only to be met with the icy gaze of Yohan.
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"When did you learn this?" Elaine whispered as she fell. Her eyes remained locked on Yohan, who stood suspended in the air with his hands clasped, regarding her as if he were an ancient entity gazing into the vast abyss.
