Chapter 343: Misgivings

The stats for the Yun’s Soul Ring popped into Bai Yunfei’s mind the very moment he touched it.

As Bai Yunfei registered the stats, he began to look more and more surprised before his expression froze into one of rigid curiousity.

“What’s wrong, Yunfei?” Tang Xinyun asked when she saw his face.

“Ah... it’s nothing.” Snapping back to reality, Bai Yunfei shook his head to reassure her. “The change is substantially different, so it wasn’t a waste of an opportunity.” He remarked as he handed the ring back, “Xinyun, you have to keep wearing this ring. Don’t use any other ring, okay?”

Like he said, it hadn’t been a waste. It was actually quite worth it to improve the ring. It didn’t matter that the ring was still the same grade or that the spirit increase was small.

What was more important was that the +12 and +13 effects had been improved!

Before, the ring had a three percent chance to ward off spirit-based attacks, rather than the ten percent chance it had now—an increase of over three times the original percentage.

But what constituted as a spirit-based attack?

Simply put, it was an attack only Soul Kings or soul cultivators with an affinity for illusions could pull off. Attacks such as those were the stuff of nightmares to many soul cultivators!

But why?

Why would they be scared?

What do soul cultivators use to fight with?

Aside from the eyes, the primary answer would be the soulsense.

To put it frankly, the soulsense was an application of the spirit, so if there was an attack that could affect the spirit, wouldn’t that be absolutely terrifying?

Without having a stronger soulsense than the enemy, trying to defend against a spirit-based attack would only result in absolute failure.

The fact that the Yun’s Soul Ring had a ten percent chance of making the wearer immune to spirit-based attacks was very important.

It wasn’t just avoiding the effects, it meant complete immunity!

No matter how strong the opponent was, the activation of this effect meant that their spirit-based attacks wouldn’t amount to anything!!

Ten percent was by no means a meager number...

In a battle between soul cultivators, even a one percent chance could mean the difference between life or death!

And the +13 additional effect? Having one additional point of soulforce added every second meant an increase of 33.33%!

Four soulpoints were recovered every second!

By just wearing this ring, the wearer was guaranteed a never-ending supply of soulforce as long as soulforce was being used!

An effect like this could only be described as perverted.

The reason why Bai Yunfei wanted Tang Xinyun to keep wearing the ring was because it was her best guarantee of protection.

However, his good intentions were misconstrued.

Her face grew a streak of red when she heard what Bai Yunfei had said. Slipping the ring back onto her left hand, she whispered, “I’ll definitely keep wearing it. This ring is ‘mine’ now...”

“Eh? What’d you say?” Bai Yunfei didn’t manage to hear what she said since she was whispering.

“No-nothing...”

“Young miss! Young miss!! Have you readjusted yet!?”

Just then, a coarse shout erupted from outside the courtyard, startling Bai Yunfei.

No guesses were needed to know that Zhao Mancha was back.

The echoes of what Zhao Mancha had just said hadn’t even dissipated when the woman herself came crashing into the courtyard. Upon seeing Tang Xinyun sitting at the table next to Bai Yunfei, Zhao Mancha’s eyes lit up. Rushing to her side, the older woman clasped Tang Xinyun’s hands, “Young miss, how do you feel? Is your strength back to normal now?”

Tang Xinyun smiled warmly at the woman. “It is, aunty Zhao. There’s no need to feel concerned now. I feel fine again.”

“All is well then! All is well!” Turning as she spoke, Zhao Mancha cried out, “My lady! My lady! The young miss has fully recuperated! She can continue being a crafter now!”

Even Bai Yunfei felt like wiping away the imaginary tears in his mind at this touching display. Like Zhao Mancha, he was very concerned for Tang Xinyun.

The doors to the courtyard opened to reveal Chu Qingxue. She slowly walked over with Kou Tingting next to her.

Since Tang Xinyun had been busy readjusting and Bai Yunfei had been busy with the Han brothers, Kou Tingting and Chu Qingxue had gone on a walk to clear their minds.

“Mom, Tingting, you’re back.” Tang Xinyun rose from her seat to lead her mother by the hand to the table.

Even Bai Yunfei rose to greet the woman, “Auntie Xue...”

“Oh? Have your two friends already left, Yunfei?” Chu Qingxue inquired when she sat down.

Clearly, she was talking about Han Chong and Han Lin.

“Yes, they just left.”

“Mom, where did you go? Why are you only coming back now?” Tang Xinyun asked. It was strange for her mother to come back so late in the evening.

“The third lady and I went to dine with the Hua!” Kou Tingting was the first to speak, “We had to go since she invited us, so we only just got back! We brought home some food for you two too. Have either of you eaten yet?”

With a wave of her right hand, two exquisite lunch boxes appeared on the table.

The third lady?

Bai Yunfei and Tang Xinyun both took a moment to take in what they heard.

The third lady meant Hua Yueying, the third wife to Tang Xinyun’s father.

That woman had seriously invited Chu Qingxue to a meal with the Hua?

“Mom, you actually had a meal with that woman...? Did... did she make trouble for you?” Tang Xinyun couldn’t help but ask as she tightly grasped her mother’s hands.

Chu Qingxue smiled and stroked her daughter softly, “There’s no need to worry. Nothing out of the ordinary happened.”

Tang Xinyun had confessed in private that Hua Yueying was a person she would never understand since she always made trouble for her mother and her.

Why was she being so ‘friendly’ now?

Bai Yunfei only had his suspicions, but he could make a rough inference.

Since the Tang were treating Tang Xinyun and himself slightly better, was Hua Yueying... scared of something?

Maybe the Crafting School?

Her mother said it was fine, but Tang Xinyun still couldn’t help but have misgivings. “No matter what she’s planning, we have to be careful, mom. The weather’s been getting colder recently, so you should try to limit your walks to not stress your body...”

“It’s just your imagination, silly girl. My body isn’t as bad as you think it is. Your mother is still a Soul Ancestor!” Chu Qingxue calmed her daughter’s nerves with a laugh. “I’ve felt much better recently, in fact! Ever since I put on the earrings Yunfei gave me, my body’s been feeling better. The pain in my shoulder hasn’t been flaring up as often, and it doesn’t hurt as much when it does now... I really must thank Yunfei for this, haha!”

“Really? It’s working? That’s great!” Tang Xinyun exclaimed.

Turning to Bai Yunfei, she said, “Yunfei, mom says your soul armament really works! Do you have any more of them? If we can get more for my mom to wear, maybe she can be fully cured!”

“Silly girl, what are you saying? Your mother’s wounds can’t be healed like that. Those soul armaments aren’t yours to give, so don’t you think you’re making trouble for Yunfei?” Chu Qingxue rebuked her with ‘exasperation.’

“Haha, Xinyun’s right though. If they work, we should try some more. Auntie Xue, please don’t worry, I still have more of those accessories. They won’t be as strong as the one you’re wearing now, but they should still be somewhat effective...”

Bai Yunfei nodded with a smile. Scanning through his Violet Soul Ring, Bai Yunfei immediately pulled out some accessories that could increase strength. The effects of these accessories weren’t too bad or too conspicuous, so Bai Yunfei felt at ease giving them to Tang Xinyun.

But...

Would these strength increasing accessories really cure Chu Qingxue’s wounds?

As he passed the items over, a doubtful glint appeared in his eyes as though he had some misgivings about their success...