Thank you Chuckalotapus for 18 GT and Pablitoe for the gift.


    =====


    "Ha-a-a!"


    In the training hall, Xie Qing was practicing his sword strikes. Each swing was filled with an aura of mystery, a testament to his rich experience and diligent training.


    Zhang Mei watched him from the balcony, sipping tea. Her eyes intently studied the man who was training bare-chested, not wanting his clothes to hinder his movements.


    She unconsciously licked her lips, which looked extremely sexy and provocative from the side. Perhaps the woman herself realized how indecent she was behaving, but whether intentionally or not, she made no attempt to restrain herself.


    Tomorrow, Xie Qing would return to his estate, which could not help but upset Zhang Mei. Therefore, it seemed that today she was in a much more extreme mood.


    Did the man sense her gaze? Well, frankly, yes. As a swordsman, all his six senses were very sharp, and even the slightest change in the air did not escape him. What to say about human gazes.


    Was he worried? Partially. As a man who had seen women, how could he not discern the emotions of his interlocutor?


    "She doesn''t even try to hide her interest… What made the eternally cold Zhang Mei be like this? I can''t understand…" sighed Xie Qing and threw the wooden training sword aside: "Women are trulyplex creatures."


    From total ignorance to burning interest. Perhaps something in Zhang Mei''s life had changed, or perhaps Xie Qing had begun to meet her requirements.


    After all, although Zhang Mei did not show it, she greatly respected Xu Mei for her strength and talent. And Xie Qing, although talented,cked the strength that made him not bright enough to catch her eye.


    However, the stage of Divine Transformation was infinitely close and infinitely far from the stage of Transcendence. Achieving this stage at such a young age made Xie Qing a monstrously talented cultivator and a shining example of a great genius, even whenpared to ancient times when geniuses were a dime a dozen.


    "If he bes a cultivator of my level, perhaps…" thought Zhang Mei.


    ***


    "Take care of yourself, Lady Zhang. It''s time for me to return home and cultivate intensively again."


    It was evening when Xie Qing stood in front of the gates of Zhang Mei''s estate and said goodbye to her, dressed in a clean, snow-white robe with long sleeves, while a elegant ck belt with dragon engravings was around his waist, to which his sword sheath was attached.


    Zhang Mei was dressed in a green dress that was very conservative and covered almost all her skin except for the neck and corbone area. Instead of her usual t shoes, she wore high heels.


    A cold wind blew, gently ruffling the woman''s hair. Xie Qing smiled at her silence.


    "During this time, I learned a lot from you, for which I am immensely grateful. Moreover, I am d that we got to know each other better," he continued, seeing that Zhang Mei did not respond. Seeing a small change on her face, he joked: "I learned that I need to order ten portions at once to satisfy your taste…"


    "Wh-what?! Ahem…" Zhang Mei initially raised her voice and blushed, hearing Xie Qing''s joke, but seeing his carefree smile, she cleared her throat and, turning her head away, muttered under her breath: "I don''t eat that much, actually…"


    Xie Qing did not respond to this and only smiled. Then, looking at her, he added.


    "In any case, thank you. Of course, this is not ourst meeting, so there is no need to be sad and miss me."


    "Pfft! Sad and miss you?!" Zhang Mei snorted and, curling her lips disdainfully, continued: "Nonsense!"


    "Haha…"


    However, the man justughed cheerfully and, seeing Zhang Mei''s annoyed face, he suddenly leaned forward and…


    "Huh?"


    There was a soft sound, something like a tongue click, and then a gentle but firm sensation.


    "Wh-what?!"


    Zhang Mei barely suppressed her bewildered cry after Xie Qing kissed her on the forehead and then hugged her. Her face turned red, and her ears twitched. She froze in ce like a statue, her arms pointing down, her posture like that of a soldier.


    When Xie Qing let her go and said goodbye, Zhang Mei still had note to her senses. She muttered something under her breath, and her beautiful and gentle face was flushed with embarrassment and happiness.


    It seemed that even the weather had changed to match her behavior – it had be warmer and morefortable.


    "He… ah…"


    Zhang Mei bit her lower lip, clearly hearing her heart singing love songs, and the previous bitterness of parting was overshadowed by iparable happiness.


    ***


    Upon returning home, Xie Qing immediately went to his room.


    "You''re back already?"


    "…yes."


    Xie Qing did not ask Xu Mei and his mother why they were suddenly in his room, as their intentions were expressed not only by their facial expressions but also by their revealing attire.


    However…


    "Let''s… not today, okay? I''m a bit tired," he said apologetically.


    It would be extremely rude of him to immediately switch to another woman after embracing another. Therefore, he was forced to refuse the two women, oveing a sense of guilt.


    "Huh? W-well…"


    Xu Mei stammered and took on a shocked expression, while Xie Meiling just shrugged and stood up, preparing to leave.


    However, Xie Qing grabbed her by the hand.


    "Let''s just sleep together. We haven''t done that in a long time."


    "Hmm? Alright."


    Xu Mei and Xie Meiling exchanged nces and then nodded to each other. They got into bed and, embracing each other, fell asleep.


    Surprisingly, these two slept very soundly, which was especially surprising for Xu Mei, who, even with Xie Qing''s help, could barely fall asleep due to her level of cultivation.


    That night was surprisingly calm, cool, and pleasant. And Zhang Mei, on the other hand, also slept well, and the next day her mood was good, and many difficult things that she could not learn for a long time became easier to master.


    The days passed joyfully and carefree, and a stable period began in Xie Qing''s life, allowing him to focus on cultivation, socializing, and having fun.


    But, as it is known, everythinges to an end, and nothingsts forever. The peace that had settled after the war was once again reced by tension.


    ***


    "An increase… in crimes, you say?"


    Xie Qing sat in a luxurious restaurant, face to face with a beautiful woman with silver hair – Yu Longfeng. She sipped her tea and, looking at Xie Qing, nodded.


    "That''s right. Kidnapping, theft, fraud, and the like. It''s also significant that there are more and more battles between cultivators, as if they have been unleashed. This is causing a lot of trouble for the guards," Yu Longfeng replied calmly, as if it were an everyday matter, and added: "Well, there have been deaths. Both on the side of the guards and the offenders."


    "What''s gotten into them?" Xie Qing raised an eyebrow.


    And Yu Longfeng, seemingly not caring about her image, simply shrugged and smirked.


    "Maybe it''s a spring re-up?"


    "If a spring re-up manifested like this, I would kill them all…" Xie Qing rolled his eyes.


    Yu Longfeng,pletely carefree, giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. She looked as if she didn''t care about the situation at all.


    Xie Qing, however, became more serious. He couldn''t understand the reason for such abrupt changes, especially since everything had been stable before. Although he didn''t want to propose any conspiracy theories, there was something off about this situation.


    "Hmm…"


    Seeing Xie Qing''s thoughtful expression, Yu Longfeng couldn''t help but ponder as well. For someone of her level, mass battles among weaklings were no more than children''s y. Therefore, her position and disdain were understandable.


    However, it could not be ruled out that if this problem was not resolved in time, it could turn into something more significant.


    "What to do..." murmured Yu Longfeng.