Additional chapters due to the giveaway will be posted tomorrow due to unforeseen circumstances. Apologies.


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    Minutes earlier...


    Xie Qing wearily rubbed his eyes and pulled out a cloth to wipe the sweat from his brow. Controlling Qi to apply ointment and simultaneously attempting to heal his mother''s Golden Core was no easy task, and it left him feeling immense pressure.


    If anyone else at his level tried to repeat such a venture, their Golden Core would likely be damaged. Fortunately, Xie Qing''s Qi purity was high,parable to the peak of the Core Formation.


    cing the cloth on the nightstand, Xie Qing copsed onto the bed and looked out the window, furrowing his brow. His head was pounding as countless thin red lines appeared before him, leading toward the Northern continent.


    He immediately understood that the Heavens were guiding him to fulfill a predestined mission under their watch. But this was somewhat strange.


    "Could it be... that others have experienced something simr?" the young man wondered, puzzled.


    Records of the Heavenly Oath were scarce, as few resolute individuals were willing to sacrifice themselves for a mission.


    Therefore, Xie Qing was unsure if this system was functioning correctly... yet he felt as if the Heavens were directing him to fulfill his oath. It was strange.


    "Well, I shouldn''t think too much about it. My head is pounding as it is," Xie Qingined, turning his head towards the door. There, he sensed someone''s presence: "Hm?"


    Just as he noticed, there was a knock on the door.


    "Young master, may Ie in?" a soft and mature woman''s voice asked.


    "Yu Yang? Of course,e in."


    Xie Qing got up from his seat, thinking it would be impolite to be lying on the bed when someone came to see him.


    The door opened, and Yu Yang entered. She was dressed in maid''s attire, but this time her hair was let down.


    "Wow! You look great with your hair down, actually" Xie Qing praised with a smile, then touched the ends of her hair, bringing them to his nose and inhaling: "And they smell nice too."


    "...Thank you for thepliment, young master," Yu Yang replied, averting her gaze.


    Xie Qing stepped back from her, noticing that Yu Yang seemed somewhat ufortable with his behavior. In reality, Yu Yang was simply embarrassed by such sudden closeness, as she was unustomed to Xie Qing''s dominance, who in her memory remained the same boy she loved to tease.


    And now that this boy had grown into a man and could tease her, of course, Yu Yang felt both shame and... excitement.


    "Ahem... actually, I came here to thank you," Yu Yang finally announced, regaining her usual tone. She looked at Xie Qing and said, rxing her face, allowing emotions to slip into her gentle eyes - they were filled with joy and gratitude: "You saved thedy''s life. Moreover, you took such a heavy burden upon your shoulders... I''m sure it must be very hard for you. Are you tired?"


    "Hm?"


    Xie Qing was slightly surprised by Yu Yang''s tone. He saw sincerity and attachment in her eyes, and her words: "Are you tired?", proved her concern.


    After a moment of silence, Xie Qing sighed and shook his head.


    "I''m not tired. On the contrary, I''m quite energetic. I need to take control of the Xie family, manage affairs, and live happily with my wives, together heading towards immortality. This dad has a lot of work to do," Xie Qing said with a smile, then pulled Yu Yang into his embrace.


    "Kya?!"


    Letting out a cute girlish scream, Yu Yang wrinkled her nose. She didn''t understand what had happened... and when Xie Qing''s teasing smile-filled face came into her view, she couldn''t help but blush.


    "Y-young master..." she muttered shyly.


    Xie Qing picked her up, holding her in a princess carry. For the chief maid who had forsaken her personal life for her Mistress, this was incredibly touching and romantic, causing her heart to race wildly.


    Looking at her beautiful features and soft cheeks, which had turned red, Xie Qing smiled carefreely. A sense of pride surged within him, as he had essentially avenged those years of Yu Yang''s teasing.


    "What''s the matter, are you embarrassed? Hehe, how unexpected," Xie Qing teased her, and Yu Yang turned her gaze away from shame, not wanting to meet Xie Qing''s eyes, who sat on the bed and ced the maid on hisp.


    His hand gently touched her right cheek, and as he caressed it, he made the woman turn to face him. Looking into Yu Yang''s gray eyes, which held tears of embarrassment, the young man gently kissed her eyshes.


    "Uuuuh..."


    Yu Yang let out a strange sound, closing her eyes. A vibration ran through her body, and she blushed, resembling a cute little tomato. She had nothing left to do but hide her face on Xie Qing''s chest.


    "Cute," Xie Qing mumbled, his heart nearly melting from such a scene. When you make a mature woman blush, you can already consider yourself a great man... probably.


    Gently stroking her hair, Xie Qing treated her like a hedgehog that had hidden, fearing to be eaten. His fingers ran through her hair as he fixed it, and kisses on her crown made the woman''s body tremble.


    Silence fell between them. Yu Yang was too embarrassed by being treated like a little child, and Xie Qing was lost in thought as he caressed her soft hair.


    Time passed. For half an hour, Xie Qing had been continuously stroking Yu Yang''s hair, and at one moment, he came to his senses when he felt a gentle breath on his chest. Looking down, he smiled.


    "Fell asleep? Well, she deserves a good rest. She''s suffered too much, both her and my mother," Xie Qing thought with a gentle smile, continuing to stroke her hair, because when he stopped, the woman let out a displeased sound.


    Xie Qing''s gaze turned to the window. The daylight did not reach the eternally dark slums, the cancerous growth of any civilization. His eyes could easily prate the darkness and notice the many rotten people.


    However, he did not go out and act heroically. Even if someone was being beaten in front of his eyes, helping them was not necessary.


    The cultivation world... and the world in general was too cruel. If you moved a pebble from the ground, what effect would it have on the world? That''s right, none.


    "The world is so diverse... and cruel," Xie Qing thought, suddenly delving into some philosophy.


    Feeling the gentle breath of the sleeping Yu Yang on his chest, feeling her warmth and softness... Xie Qing''s face became gentle, and his eyes filled with a dangerous hue.


    His gaze turned back to the threads, and his eyes narrowed.


    ***


    As evening approached, Yu Yang gently moaned, opening her beautiful eyes. For several seconds, she remained puzzled, not understanding why there was emptiness before her, and she felt stroking on her head. Then... memories flooded her mind. The color of her face gradually turned red, showing her embarrassment.


    "I-I... I fell asleep?! How shameful... young master must have felt awkward holding such an old woman like me in his arms," Yu Yang thought and pulled away from Xie Qing''s chest, turning her gaze upwards.


    There she noticed the young man who was gently stroking her hair. His gaze was fixed on the window, where darkness had already fallen. There was no emotion in his gaze, the muscles of his face were rxed, and his lips were tightly pressed together.


    Apathy. The absence of any emotions on the face, how unexpected, but it suited Xie Qing very well, making him more attractive.


    "He... is so handsome," Yu Yang thought, admiringly sighing.


    Although such a reaction usually belonged to men who saw her, this time she was genuinely admiring Xie Qing''s appearance. One could say a lot about how handsome, refined, and so on he was, but the description did not allow a real picture to beposed.


    Moreover, until recently, Yu Yang still saw a little boy in him, as those times left a strong impression on her. However, today Xie Qing showed that he had grown up.


    He showed how reliable his chest could be, how strong his arms could be, and how resolute his heart could be.


    Looking at Xie Qing''s manly appearance, which was the only thing that fell into Yu Yang''s field of vision.


    Unknowingly, her gaze resembled that of a girl in love. She didn''t even try to hide it. Xie Qing, feeling a staring gaze on himself, came to his senses from his thoughts and turned his head towards the woman.


    "Hm?"


    His face was painted with a gentle smile when he approached and kissed Yu Yang''s lips, who was charmedly looking at him.


    Stroking her ears with his fingers, Xie Qing whispered in her ear: "You''re so carefree, cute. What if I took advantage of you in your sleep? Or do you trust me that much?"


    "Uuuuh.."


    Yu Yang blushed,ing to her senses only after Xie Qing''s words. She looked offended at him, pouting her lips and making a strange sound. Her charming and beautiful face was filled with embarrassment.


    However, then she nodded.


    "I know I can trust you, young master," Yu Yang said through her embarrassment.


    "Oh? Your words please me greatly," Xie Qing replied, then kissed Yu Yang again, leaving her in a daze: "Here''s your reward. Did you like it?"


    "S-s-stop, d-don''t tease me, young master..." Yu Yang passively responded.


    She wanted to break free from his embrace but realized she couldn''t, so she could only "helplessly" ept this fate...


    Although, who am I kidding? She simply didn''t want to get out of his arms, it was toofortable! So much so that Yu Yang managed to fall asleep so soundly for the first time in so many years.


    An atmosphere of romance and love filled the room as Xie Qing teased Yu Yang and kissed her, making the woman''s heart fill with joy and embarrassment.


    After an hour of flirting, Yu Yang''s face took on a bright hue, and her eyes filled with tears of happiness. Xie Qing''s caresses were too powerful!


    The young manughed, looking at the state of the maid. Her satisfied face looked very cute and funny.


    Although to be honest, Xie Qing was a little tired too. After his Qi was restored, he used it again to heal Yu Yang''s Golden Core. It turned out that the core was already 97% healed, and only a little remained, but these wounds would heal themselves.


    In the end, Xie Qing still released Yu Yang from his embrace, who sat down next to him with a red face. She was burning with shame, unable to believe that a man younger than her in age had teased her like a little girl.


    Catching her breath, Yu Yang fell silent for a moment, then spoke.


    "Xie Qing, what do you feel for me?" she asked, not raising her eyes from the floor.


    "Heh, by name, yes..." Xie Qing thought, understanding that in this way Yu Yang wanted to denote their rtionship.


    He didn''t need to think much, he already knew the answer. But following a little logic, he needed to think first and then answer, otherwise, it would give the impression of someone carefree.


    For him, Yu Yang was a close person, although not a love interest. At least, that was the case until he learned that she had been protecting his mother for so many years, taking care of her.


    Even if you''re the most cold-hearted idiot who doesn''t know the word "thank you," you''ll feel touched when someone selflessly takes care of your loved one.


    Therefore, Xie Qing was very impressed and wanted to repay Yu Yang. But, of course, repaying with "love" sounded a bit strange, as Yu Yang would think that his attitude towards her was built only out of a sense of duty, which would be a burden of emotions for her.


    Therefore, Xie Qing decided to simply answer, sincerely.


    "Actually... I don''t know myself. It all depends on me and you. You should have already known that I don''t have just one beloved girl, and my dream has always been to have a harem," Xie Qing said and scratched his cheek, feeling a little awkward, revealing such a dream: "And you are a woman who is strict in such matters. So, I''m not sure if you''ll want to go with me...


    but, I''ll always be ready to wee you into my heart."


    He smiled and took her hand, gently stroking her palm. Yu Yang finally tore her gaze away from the floor and looked at the young man.


    "I will respect any decision you make. My feelings for you are attachment and endless gratitude, but there is no love or sympathy. However, that doesn''t mean it can''t change."


    Time was on everyone''s side. Perhaps not now, but in a moment in time, Xie Qing mighte to love her, and their rtionship would develop.


    Yu Yang understood this, and therefore she fell silent, contemting for a moment. Finally, she spoke.


    "I... don''t mind you having other women. As a powerful cultivator, you have every right to do so. Besides, I don''t want you to change your worldview orpromise for my sake," Yu Yang said, and then resolutely added: "In any case, I want you to give me a chance."


    "Of course," Xie Qing replied, pulling Yu Yang closer to him. He smiled: "There''s always a ce in my heart for my dear Yu Yang. Well, have you thought about how you''ll seduce me? I''m a little excited."


    "Eh-eh..."


    Yu Yang blushed when she realized that she didn''t have any ideas at all. However, Xie Qing just smiled kindly.