The Emperor's Domineering Favor, the Evil Consort's Unparalleled Reign

So, the man surnamed Zhao wasn't kindly taking Yao Fan in at all; he was after Yao Fan's talent and wanted his son to inherit Yao Fan's abilities.

I've heard that his son possesses mind control abilities and is a promising candidate for learning spiritual arts. If he were to absorb Yao Fan's mind control abilities and pupil power through some method, then this person's future cultivation would definitely be considerable. That Zhao fellow's plan is truly shrewd.

It's just a pity for Yao Fan, who was kept in the dark and still regarded them as kind-hearted people.

"Thank you, Sister Yao. Please keep this spirit book safe and don't lose it. You should rest well. Brother Bicheng and I won't bother you any longer." Ying Li smiled, tucked the beginner-level spirit book into Yao Fan's blanket, patted his arm, and then gave Yi Bicheng a wink.

The other party understood and followed Ying Li out.

Once inside Ying Li's room, Yi Bicheng asked, "Is there something wrong with that beginner-level spirit book? I noticed you seemed a bit suspicious earlier. Is there something strange about Yao Fan?"

Yi Bicheng also doubted who Yao Fan had learned his amazing skills from, but he couldn't come up with any clues no matter how hard he thought about it. He did have a strange idea, but Yao Fan's hometown was Laoyue Town in Feng'an State, a small place that didn't seem like a place of outstanding people and resources.

Ying Li made a shushing gesture, and with his right hand set up a thick barrier in the room to make sure no one could hear their conversation. Then he said to Yi Bicheng, "Brother Bicheng, I am an outsider, so please bear with me if I say anything harsh. If I say anything wrong, please don't be angry."

Yi Bicheng was even more confused after hearing this, but seeing Ying Li's serious expression, she said, "Is there something wrong with Yao Fan? Just tell me. I thought she was acting strangely just now. If it involves other people in Tianfu, don't be afraid. I can still say a few words in Tianfu to help Yao Fan take more responsibility."

Ying Li listened to Yi Bicheng's sincerity and then explained in detail: "The beginner-level spirit book that Sister Yao showed me earlier was fake. She is not a potential spirit master at all. The Yellow-Robed Spirit Master of Tianfu, who is Sister Yao's master, never sincerely accepted Sister Yao as his disciple."

Yi Bicheng's expression turned somewhat grim. "You said Yao Fan isn't a potential spiritualist, then what about her mind control ability? And the beginner-level spiritual book is fake, which means Master Zhao never treated Yao Fan as a disciple at all. What were his intentions?!"

Ying Li stared into Yi Bicheng's eyes without answering. Suddenly, Yi Bicheng thought of something and felt a chill in his heart. "A pupil master?" He really didn't want to associate a pupil master with Yao Fan. The other party was in the prime of his life. How could he be that short-lived pupil master? Impossible.

Ying Li nodded. "Brother Bicheng is right. Yao Fan has the physique of a Pupil Power Master. It is said that Pupil Power Masters have weak mental control abilities. When fighting an enemy, they can detect the opponent's spiritual cultivation level in advance, but they cannot set up spiritual arrays. Their unique pupil power can condense the spirit of heaven and earth and control all spiritual guides. It is an ultimate existence between a spiritual master and a Pupil Power Master. They are usually defined by the world as Pupil Power Masters, and they do not live past the age of thirty."

“I heard in Tianfu that Master Zhao is aloof but kind-hearted and always ready to help. Perhaps he saw Yao Fan’s constitution but didn’t want to hurt him, so he used this fake spiritual book to make him believe that he was a potential spiritual master. That way, it’s better than knowing that he won’t live past thirty.” Yi Bicheng said with some doubt. Even he himself believed the truth of what he said, but he didn’t know how to deduce it.

Ying Li shook his head. "If that's the case, why not help Yao Fan find a way to prolong her life instead of simply hiding it? As far as I know, the lifespan of a Pupil Power Master is limited, but if their cultivation is extremely high, they can still extend their life. Look at Yao Fan now, her spiritual power is mediocre, only becoming extremely powerful when it erupts. In this situation, she can only die sooner; there will be no miracle. Moreover, Yao Fan just said that Master Zhao forbids her from associating with her senior brother, saying it's not beneficial to her cultivation. Which master doesn't want his disciples to be united and friendly, to learn from each other? Why insist on separating the two of them? Perhaps he's considering passing Yao Fan's Pupil Power to his son, but he's afraid that the two of them will develop feelings for each other, and his son won't be able to do it!"

Ying Li's last few words were extremely harsh. If this were true, Yao Fan was indeed quite pitiful. He had a special constitution, was unloved by his parents, uncared for by his brothers, and ultimately his parents died tragically before his eyes. Even the master who rescued him from the sea of ​​fire wanted to kill him!

"In that case, what about Yao Fan..." Yi Bicheng frowned. He couldn't help but feel sorry for Yao Fan. How could such a young and beautiful woman be trapped in such a quagmire? It was so unfair and unjust.

“These are all just our speculations. Yao Fan is from Tianfu, and her cultivation will definitely reach its peak within the next ten years due to the manifestation of her Pupil Power Master physique. At that time, she will be a great help to Tianfu. Once this physique is unleashed, even the current Yellow-Clad Spiritual Masters will not be able to stop her. Such a talent must not be harmed by others. Moreover, Yao Fan is kind-hearted, and neither you nor I want her to be endlessly harmed like this for the rest of her life.” Ying Li sighed and said.

Yao Fan's situation was actually even worse than his own. At least he had a family, while Yao Fan's family constantly tried to kill him; it would have been better if they had none at all. Now that Yao Fan's parents were dead, it was somewhat easier for him, at least no one would stab him in the back anymore. But as for Yao Fan's three older brothers, they would just have to take it one step at a time.

“If that’s the case, let’s take it one step at a time. We must not let Yao Fan be tripped up by anyone,” Yi Bicheng said. Yao Fan was, after all, his friend. And if Master Zhao was such a person, it was time for him to think about how to tell his father about the shameful things that this Zhao had done. Their Tianfu was famous in the Spirit Realm for its fairness and integrity. How could they have such a disciple in their household? It was truly despicable.

"Hmph, I'm telling you, you're all just bored. What happens to Yao Fan is none of your business. Whether she dies or lives, it's none of your concern. Everyone has their own destiny, and no one can escape it. Yao Fan won't live past twenty-five at most." Nan Chuan muttered to himself as he overheard Ying Li and Yi Bicheng's conversation within the Bone Ring. However, his voice was too soft, and he didn't intend for Ying Li to know his purpose. In the end, he smiled helplessly and said no more.

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the door. Ying Li and Yi Bicheng's expressions changed simultaneously, and they stopped talking, listening to the sounds outside.

"Sir, the person you're looking for is on the second floor."

"Thank you, thank you very much."

The waiter's voice came from inside, as if he were leading someone in the right direction. Upon hearing this, Yi Bicheng's expression changed slightly.

"It's Master Zhao."

He whispered something, and neither of them spoke. Outside, Master Zhao's expression changed. When he passed Ying Li's room, he sensed a thick layer of spiritual energy inside and became suspicious. However, considering that the competition between spiritual masters and their apprentices in Feng'an Kingdom was coming up in a few days, and that there was a faint mental control ability on this spiritual energy barrier, he only changed his expression briefly before quickly leaving and heading towards Yao Fan's room.

"Fan'er! How did you get so badly injured? Let your master take a look!" Zhao Lei looked at Yao Fan, who was lying on the bed with a pale face and casually flipping through a beginner-level spiritual book, and said with a worried expression.

Yao Fan looked bewildered as she recalled the tragic deaths she and her parents had just witnessed before her eyes. Her heart was filled with anguish. She was flipping through a spiritual book to distract herself. She wasn't good at expressing her emotions, so spacing out became the most effective way to heal in such situations. When she heard a familiar voice, she looked up blankly and immediately burst into tears when she saw who it was.

"Master!" Yao Fan threw the beginner's spiritual book aside, quickly got out of bed and rushed into Zhao Lei's arms, tears streaming down his face.

Master Zhao was tall and imposing, dressed in a brown robe, exuding an air of otherworldly elegance. However, his eyes were slightly long with drooping eyelids, giving him an unapproachable and solemn air upon closer inspection. He gently patted Yao Fan, who had rushed into his arms, and said, "Master has given you two Qilin Pearls. Don't cry yet. Tell Master what happened."

Yao Fan didn't want to talk about Ying Li and the old mansion's affairs, as saying too much would probably cause trouble for Ying Li and Yi Bicheng. He only said that he was framed by his parents, encountered bad people, and was almost killed. In the end, Yi Bicheng appeared and saved him, but his parents died in front of him.

The more Yao Fan talked, the more upset he became. He wiped his red eyes with the back of his hand, sat on the stool and looked at his master across from him. Another wave of grievances rose up, and he kept sobbing.

Zhao Lei's expression changed drastically upon hearing that Yao Fan had almost been beaten to death. He knew what kind of villains Yao Fan's parents were, but he never expected them to try to kill his own child again and again. Even tigers don't eat their cubs! Clenching his right hand tightly, Zhao Lei thought of Yi Bicheng nearby and advised, "Fan'er, Master is here. Master will stand up for you from now on. Don't cry. You said earlier that the young master was also nearby. What is his purpose here?"

Yao Fan wiped away his tears, and a chill ran down his spine when he thought of Yi Bicheng and Ying Li together. "It seems that the young master has recently found someone he likes. She is currently on the second floor next door. I will accompany my master to see the young master later."

Zhao Lei understood immediately. Thinking of the spiritual energy fluctuations just now, he realized that it was probably his young master and his new sweetheart. He nodded and was about to say something when he heard a knocking sound that gradually became faster.

"I heard that Master Zhao is here, so I came to pay my respects." A voice called out from outside the door. Zhao Lei turned to look at Yao Fan, a slight smile playing on his lips. For some reason, Yao Fan suddenly stopped sobbing. There seemed to be a hint of coldness in Master Zhao's smile.

But in the blink of an eye, everything returned to normal, as if nothing had happened. Yao Fan rubbed her eyes and looked again. She saw Zhao Lei open the door, and Yi Bicheng and Ying Li were standing outside. Zhao Lei smiled amicably, and Yi Bicheng and Ying Li responded politely. But for some reason, when Yao Fan looked at the three people facing each other, she felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her from head to toe. She suddenly sneezed, feeling extremely cold to the bone.