Planet Pulverizer: A Mortal's Ascent

Chapter 139: Insurance

Apart from Qin You's younger brother bringing along a nephew and a niece, there were no other outsiders at this small gathering. This was truly a family event for the Qin Family.

After exchanging pleasantries, Li Yunyan went off to chat with Li Yunyao and Lin Xiaolu, while Qin Guangming sat beside Li Pin. Qin Rouran stood nearby, preparing tea for the two. However, due to her apparent lack of experience with serving tea, she spilled quite a bit as she poured.

Seeing this, Qin Guangming took over and poured the tea for Li Pin.

"There's no need. I can do it myself," Li Pin said.

"It's alright," Qin Guangming replied with a smile. "How have you been adjusting to life in Jiang Province, Ah Pin?"

"Jiang Province is quite nice."

Li Pin had a good impression of Jiang Province, with its many skilled individuals and institutions like the Astral Hall. He was very satisfied. Had he stayed in Zanglong City, where grandmasters were the ceiling of power, he might not have manifested his Spirit Force within just two months.

"During the past month, you have been busy with the Jiang Province Martial Competition, so we didn't want to disturb you and affect your performance. But now that the competition is over, you should come and visit more often. With Yaoyao able to drive now, the journey from your home to here won't take long."

"Mom is still here, so come visit her, too. Take the chance to see your unborn nephew. Witness his growth from nothing to something, step by step."

"Yes, I'll come over once I'm finished with this busy period."

"That's good. We may not be related by blood, but I am fortunate to be with Yunyan, and this in turn created a bond between our two families. We should make an effort to stay in touch to nurture this connection," Qin Guangming said. "The Jiang Province Competition has ended. What have you been up to lately?"

"I have been integrating and organizing my experiences during the Jiang Province Competition."

Li Pin knew what Qin Guangming wanted to say, but he chose not to delve into that.

The Qin family's arrangements weren't unreasonable. Li Yunyao's loud and boisterous personality might not appeal to those who preferred quiet. After all, there would always be a difference between close and distant relationships. But it was also precisely because of this difference that they should interact accordingly.

In Li Pin's case, Li Yunyao was the one whom he found closer to him.

Qin Guangming exchanged a few more words with Li Pin. Noticing that Li Pin had no intention of addressing the main topic, he finally said, "Grandmaster Li, I hear you’ve been teaching at the Astral Hall recently. I understand you’re very popular, with all the slots filled daily.

"It seems securing a permanent position there won't be a problem for you. Becoming a formal instructor at Astral Hall is no small feat. It is an honor that not every grandmaster can have."

"I am just taking advantage of the Astral Hall's unique environment to interact with the Astral Cultivators. Once the time is right, I will resign."

"Resign?" Qin Guangming was taken aback. "I heard about your work at Astral Hall from Rouran. It seems even the Hall Master is impressed by your performance. Holding a position at Astral Hall promises a limitless future. Why would you...?"

"I am still young," Li Pin said calmly. "My time should not be wasted on pointless teaching. My true goal is to forge my Martial Will and strive to become a Martial Saint. This goal deserves all my time and effort."

Qin Guangming gasped. "Martial Saint!"

He was not an ordinary citizen. He naturally understood the implications of becoming a Martial Saint.

Granted, an Astral Cultivator's combat power was higher than a Martial Saint's, but if countries had to choose between a Martial Saint and an Astral Cultivator, more than ninety percent would choose a Martial Saint without hesitation. This highlighted the significance of a Martial Saint.

Given Li Pin's achievements, his vocal pursuit of becoming a Martial Saint was certainly not an empty statement. In the face of this goal, which might require a lifetime of effort to achieve, everything else had to take a back seat.

"Ah Pin, who would have thought that you had such ambitions! Indeed, young people should have lofty goals. Our entire family will support you unconditionally. Just let us know if you need any help. We'll do everything we can," Qin Guangming said solemnly.

"At the moment, there’s nothing I need," Li Pin replied.

He did want to buy a set of high-grade astral equipment to aid his cultivation, but such equipment cost between 100 to 800 million.

The Qin Family's Starlight Corporation might be a large-scale corporation, but it was only comparable to the Five Elements Sect and lacked some influence. It would be difficult for them to gather one billion. Even raising a fraction of that, about 400 to 500 million in cash could paralyze Starlight Corporation.

"If you need anything, let us know immediately. We're family, so don’t hesitate to ask," Qin Guangming reiterated.

Li Pin nodded slightly. "I understand."

Seeing that the conversation was going around in circles, Qin Rouran couldn't help but interject, "Li Pin, you mentioned back then that after the Jiang Province Competition, if I still want to practice martial arts, I could join you, Yaoyao, and Xiaolu."

Li Pin glanced at her. He found her straightforwardness surprising, but...

"Yes, you can. However, if you want to practice, you'll need to move to my place. I don’t have enough time to commute between two locations," Li Pin said.

"Alright, I'll move over immediately," Qin Rouran responded promptly.

"Hmm? Yaoyao can be a bit noisy. Can you handle that?" Li Pin asked, looking at her.

"I'll be coming over to your place to study under you, Mr. Li. I will be satisfied so long as you can provide me with a room. I won't ask for more. If you think it’s inconvenient for me to stay there, I can buy a place nearby or come back to my own place at night," Qin Rouran said directly.

Li Pin's words seemed to insinuate his awareness regarding a certain matter, and Qin Guangming caught on to that.

Qin Guangming turned a little awkward.

On the other hand, Li Pin looked at Qin Rouran with a peculiar light in his eyes.

Facing Li Pin's gaze, Qin Rouran did not flinch at all. Instead, she displayed an indescribable openness. Or rather... simplicity! And even a hint of naivety!

"Ah Pin, during the process of meditating on the Astral God, an Astral Cultivator must avoid excessive distractions to maintain efficiency. Thus, we consciously strive to keep Rouran's thoughts pure. If she has been rude in any way, I apologize on her behalf," Qin Guangming quickly said.

Li Pin nodded. "A childlike heart."

He had heard of this notion before. The purer one's thoughts during the meditation on the Astral God, the better. This was also why the difficulty of meditating on the Astral God increased with age due to both physiological and social factors. However...

"It's a good thing to try and maintain a child-like heart, but if not done properly, you'll end up raising a spoiled child," Li Pin remarked.

"Rest assured, Ah Pin, we pay close attention to this—"

Before Qin Guangming could finish, Qin You, having been listening to their conversation, interrupted. "This is my fault."

He approached sincerely and said, "Perhaps some of my actions have caused dissatisfaction. For that, I apologize. If you find it troubling to teach Rouran, we are fine with it. Please don’t let this minor issue affect the relationship between our families."

Qin Rouran, standing nearby, was momentarily silent. After a while, she asked, "Did I do something wrong? If I did, please let me know directly, and I will correct it."

"There is no right or wrong in this," Li Pin said, noticing that Ms. Li and Li Yunyan had also turned their attention in this direction.

Considering that Li Yunyan and his mother would eventually live in this household, Li Pin reflected for a moment and said, "I will dedicate myself to teaching Qin Rouran and helping her cultivate her strength as quickly as possible. However, I would like to ask for a favor."

"Speak," Qin You said solemnly. "We will do everything we can if it is within our capability."

"If one day..." Li Pin said calmly, "I die, please take care of them."

Qin You’s pupils dilated.

Qin Guangming immediately said, "Ah Pin, did something happen? Tell us! If we can help, we will certainly do so!"

Qin You also hesitated for a moment and added, "One of the elders in the Qin family has some connections with the Guardian Hall. If there’s something truly difficult to handle, we can find a solution together."

"I’m just preparing in advance," Li Pin explained. " Life can either be long or unexpectedly short. Aside from the potential dangers and sudden accidents that might arise during one's growth, for us martial artists, the path beyond becoming a Martial Saint is something we cannot avoid."

Qin You and Qin Guangming immediately understood what Li Pin was referring to. To become a Martial Saint and enter the realm of Astral Cultivators, one must inevitably burn themselves out, refine their qi into Spirit, and forcibly meditate on the Astral God. That step was a risky journey, with survival being far from guaranteed.

At that moment, Qin You said seriously, "Li Pin... It might be a bit late for me to say this now, considering we didn’t pay enough attention when you faced public scrutiny in Zanglong City. But now... I can assure you that your mother, Yunyan, and Yunyao will always be our family. As long as the Qin Family exists, we will not allow them to come to harm."

Li Pin nodded. "Alright, I have noted that."

He knew that training Li Yunyao and Lin Xiaolu to become Martial Saints would be challenging, but enhancing Qin Rouran's combat power beyond that of a Martial Saint was relatively easy. Therefore, he planned to focus on training Qin Rouran, which would also help ensure the safety of Li Yunyao and Lin Xiaolu.

"Prepare yourself well. In three days, I'll conduct special training for you, " Li Pin said to Qin Rouran.

Qin Rouran nodded in agreement. "Understood."

Then, she seemed to remember something and said, "Yunyao is a... very outgoing person, but I’ll try to understand her, listen to her, and get along with her."

"Alright."

With their needs addressed and misunderstandings cleared, everyone was content. After a pleasant dinner and cake, they each went their separate ways.

On the way home, Li Pin talked to Li Yunyao about Qin Rouran’s situation.

Li Yunyao seemed clearly displeased. "Ah? She’s going to live with us?"

Li Pin reassured her, "If you find living with her at the Qin family’s place uncomfortable, it’s because it’s their home ground. You’re the master here. If she does anything that bothers you, feel free to just tell her directly and have her change her habit."

"Really?" Li Yunyao perked up immediately. "Brother, do you really mean what you say?"

"Of course," Li Pin replied with a smile.

Having taught Qin Rouran before and interacted with her, he knew she was a homebody. She was always engrossed in her phone, preferring to lie down rather than sit, and disliked being bothered or asked to do things.

The best way for Li Yunyao to interact with her would be to act as though Qin Rouran wasn't there. Given Qin Rouran's personality, Li Pin expected that she would effectively remain invisible except during training and mealtimes.