"Hahaha! Elder Lin, wait right here. I'll go bring my granddaughter over immediately."
As Xiao Lin wore a face of defeated resignation, Great Elder Su Qian let out a boisterous laugh. Xiao Lin responded by shooting the old man yet another massive eye-roll.
Just you wait. I will find a way to scam you back for this! Xiao Lin silently swore an oath.
True to his word, Xiao Lin stayed put. He was a man of principle; even though he knew he'd been tricked, he couldn't bring himself to go back on a promise. He waited in the pavilion's courtyard, but he didn't have to wait long. Within the time it takes to sip a cup of tea, Su Qian reappeared.
Following behind the Great Elder was a little girl who looked no more than eight or nine years old, her face a mask of pure reluctance. She wore white clothes and had stunning purple hair tied into a single braid that reached all the way down to her thighs. Her face was round and adorable, still holding a bit of "baby fat," though her cheeks were currently puffed out in an angry pout.
"Old Man Su, I told you, I don't need anyone watching me! How many times do I have to say it?"
The moment she stepped in, the complaints began. As she spoke, she shot a look of blatant disdain toward Xiao Lin.
Xiao Lin: "..."
Great. Not only am I a nanny, but I'm a nanny being looked down upon by the kid? He wondered if the world had gone mad. Given his status as a Dou Zong, people outside would be lining up to beg him to take their children as disciples. Yet here he was, being treated like an annoyance by a grade-schooler.
However, as Xiao Lin observed her more closely, his annoyance shifted into genuine shock.
An eight-year-old 7-Star Da Dou Shi? Are you kidding me? Even if Xiao Yan were here at this age, he'd still be struggling at the Dou Zhi Qi stage!
Sensing her cultivation, a sudden realization struck him like a bolt of lightning.
Wait... could she be...?
Based on his knowledge of the original story, the "Little Monster" of the Academy usually appeared as a thirteen or fourteen-year-old girl. But it made sense—this was thirty years before the main plot started. Since she wasn't human, but a powerful and ancient magical beast, her growth cycle was naturally much slower. In thirty years, growing from an eight-year-old to a mid-teen while reaching the Dou Wang realm was perfectly logical.
The moment he guessed her identity, Xiao Lin's resistance to babysitting vanished. He remembered now—Su Qian never had a biological granddaughter in the original story. His "special" description and the purple hair made it clear: this was the Ancient Void Dragon princess, Zi Yan.
"Great Elder, is this your granddaughter?" Xiao Lin asked, maintaining his "Traveler Lin" persona. He couldn't let on that he knew her true species, or Su Qian would be the one suspicious of him.
"That's right. Isn't she cute? Her name is Zi Yan. For the next while, I'll have to trouble you to look after her, Elder Lin." Su Qian pulled the pouting girl forward.
I knew it! Xiao Lin thought. Compared to the Zi Yan from thirty years in the future, she was simply a "miniature" version with a lower cultivation rank. Everything else—the attitude, the hair, the "special" aura—matched perfectly.
"She does indeed look like a lovely young lady," Xiao Lin replied with a warm smile. "Rest assured, Great Elder, I will take good care of her."
Su Qian beamed. He was practically weeping with joy inside at the prospect of offloading this "Little Ancestor" for a few months.
"Hmph! Don't think because you praised me that I'll let you boss me around," Zi Yan said, hands on her hips, chin tilted up at a 45-degree angle. "Those other old fogies couldn't keep an eye on me, and you won't be any different. If I want to leave, who can stop me?"
Even thirty years before the plot, Zi Yan was a "World-Mixing Demon Queen." While she couldn't win an argument against Su Qian—who treated her like his own flesh and blood—she had already decided: the moment this "Elder Lin" let his guard down, she would vanish into the mountains using her innate spatial talents. She didn't need a nanny!
Watching Su Qian's struggle with the little ancestor, it was clear that even the Great Elder of Jia Nan Academy found the task of "parenting" nearly impossible. His only hope now was that a Dou Zong like "Lin Xiao" could exert enough pressure to keep Zi Yan contained for a while.
"Zi Yan, enough. Elder Lin is taking time out of his busy cultivation schedule to look after you. You are not allowed to cause him trouble!" Su Qian's voice was stern, but the doting affection underneath was unmistakable. Having never married or had children of his own, Su Qian treated this adopted dragon girl as his true flesh and blood. This was the harshest tone he ever used with her.
Zi Yan simply curled her lip. She had long since mastered the art of reading the old man's temper; she stopped talking back, but she clearly didn't care.
With a heavy sigh, Su Qian turned to Xiao Lin and cupped his hands. "Elder Lin, I leave her in your care. She's... spirited. Please, bear with her."
"Great Elder, you're being too formal. Since I gave my word, I will fulfill my duty. Besides, children are meant to be a bit lively!" Xiao Lin replied with a smile.
Xiao Lin's attitude had undergone a 180-degree shift. He wasn't being a hypocrite; he was being a strategist. Once he realized the girl was Zi Yan, the benefits of "babysitting" became astronomical:
The Long Game: Befriending Zi Yan meant gaining an "in" with the Ancient Void Dragon tribe. Her father, Zhu Kun, is one of the three strongest beings on the continent. Even if he's currently "guarding the door" at the Ancient God's Cave, once that door opens, he's a nuclear-level ally for the Xiao Clan.
The Immediate Gain (Spatial Mastery): Xiao Lin is a 3-Star Dou Zong. To reach the Dou (Dou Zun) realm, one must transition from using spatial energy to mastering it. Human cultivators usually struggle for decades to grasp these laws.
The Cheat Code: Ancient Void Dragons are born with an innate affinity for space. It's as natural to them as breathing. Even as a Da Dou Shi, Zi Yan can slip past Elders because of this instinct. By observing and studying her, Xiao Lin could drastically shorten his path to becoming a Dou Zun.
Su Qian, you old fox, you actually brought me exactly what I needed! Xiao Lin thought. His resistance had turned into a hearty welcome.
After Su Qian hurried off to handle Academy business, Xiao Lin and Zi Yan were left alone in the courtyard, staring each other down.
"Ahem, look, Zi—"
"Tch," Zi Yan interrupted, her small nose wrinkling in disgust. "This place is boring. You're supposed to be an Academy Elder, but I can't smell a single medicinal herb. You're just a broke, 'poor-ghost' Elder!"
Xiao Lin's forehead pulsed with a visible vein. He had to remind himself three times: This is Zi Yan. She is an investment. Do not spank the Ancient Void Dragon.
"Well, my apologies then," Xiao Lin replied, choosing the path of "letting himself go" (Bailan). "Since I'm not an Alchemist, of course there's no medicinal scent. I guess I really am just a poor ghost!"
Zi Yan froze. This wasn't the script! Usually, when she called Elders "poor," they would desperately pull out rare herbs and high-tier pills to prove their status—herbs she would then "confiscate" before running away.
If he's really broke, how am I supposed to steal snacks and bolt? Her round little face clouded over with genuine distress.
"Then... do you have anything good to eat?" she asked, her persistence kicking in. No Elder is that poor.
"Nope. I'm just a plain old Array Master. I don't carry any of the stuff you're looking for."
Xiao Lin continued to play it cool. He knew Zi Yan's personality perfectly—the more he denied her, the more curious she would become. He had a plan to make this little dragon willingly help him master space, but first, he had to break her expectations.