Chapter 324 - Dog And His Owner
"What?! Xiao Wen said that whoever defeats her can marry her?!" Saber Devil yelled as he threw the wine away before raising the man in front of him by his shirt. He was drowning his sadness in wine when suddenly such good news came to him.
"Y-yes, Milord." The Rat nodded hurriedly, confirming the fake story he just related to one of the five Devils. He already expected such a reaction from him.
"How sure are you? If the information is fake, I will kill you." Saber Devil asked while glaring at Rat. The news was just too hard to believe. He never recalled Xiao Wen even saying stuff even remotely similar to that.
"Yes, Milord. I overheard Xiao Wen's talk with her friend. Everything is true but there is a catch." Rat said clearly, getting more confident after seeing that Saber Devil liked Xiao Wen.
"What catch? Talk." Saber Devil responded right away with interest and Rat naturally explained with a slight smile, "The catch is another man that already defeated her yesterday. Xiao Wen immediately fell in love with him after that. Milord would have to defeat both Xiao Wen but also her new man to show that Milord is stronger. Unfortunately, that man is very strong even though he even didn't reach Saint Stage."
"What? Someone below a Saint Stage defeated her? Does he also have one of the top ten Fate Spirits?" Saber Devil quickly asked surprised, hitting the mark right away.
"Yes. If Milord can defeat him and acquire two top ten abilities, Xiao Wen wouldn't be able to resist herself. I have more information about him, including his abilities which I can share if Milord wants to proceed with the plan. Aside from that, I already reserved a slot for Xiao Wen Challenge. Everything is prepared."
With so many details already prepared by Rat, Saber Devil got suspicious for a second and asked, "It seems like you really want me to fight that guy? Do you have a grudge against him?"
"No, no! I just want to get on Milord's good side. If Milord can remember me and share some of your greatness, I would be already satisfied." Rat replied honestly.
"Alright, let's do this. You really lifted my mood. A woman would naturally be better to vent my frustration." Saber Devil finally agreed, a smiled finally appearing on his lips before letting Rat drop to the ground while ordering, "Tell me everything you know."
...….
Back in the Capital in the Tang Family territory.
Xuefeng knew there was much more to be done in the Tang Family raid but he did not have time for that at the moment. What's more, seeing Taizong's methods and how much blood he absorbed to reach the state he was in, the whole Tang Family Palace should be a mess with corpses piled all around.
He was not scared of that but it didn't mean he liked such gore. If there was a chance to avoid it, he definitely would do it while also taking Xiao Wen and Yi with him so they did not need to see that.
Not only did he had many new plans for the future crowding his mind, but also one issue that he was the most concerned about, his strength. If people looked from the side, they would naturally think he was a powerful cultivator but deep down he knew this wasn't his own strength. Of course, one would argue that Drakos could be considered as his strength but he didn't feel like he could command him anytime so Xuefeng wouldn't say so.
Only if it was the power he could generate on his own, would he count it. Both Ling and Ming had an unbreakable connection established with him so he could say they were his weapons but Drakos was different, acting independently all the time.
Would Xuefeng defeat Pio without Drakos? That was debatable but Xuefeng was only sure he could either escape or tie with him while completely defeating him was another issue. How can Xuefeng protect his lovers while not being able to defeat his enemies? What if Drakos decide to leave one day and he is met with an opponent he can't beat? Only by becoming strong himself while also improving his women's strength can they live together without worry.
'I am this close to getting Spirit Saint but we can't end on that. I need to cultivate faster…' Xuefeng thought deeply, setting goals in his mind, planning for a rapid improvement very soon. He already reached peak Spirit Emperor stage thanks to the tribulation but he needed more.
With how domineering in business Xuefeng became, Xiao Feng, didn't have anything to say, knowing that the whole Tang Family's treasures were in Xuefeng's hands and followed after the youngling as the one flew up to Xiao Wen in the sky. The moment they got closer, Xiao Wen dove into Xuefeng's arms, only realising that Yi would be a problem when Xuefeng already caught them.
"Xuefeng…""Xuefeng!" Both of them called out to him, one excitedly while the other embarrassedly. On one side Yi wanted him to touch her but she was still not used to such intimacy. Fortunately, she had a great teacher who showed her how it's done.
Xiao Wen quickly reached forward and wrapped her arm around Xuefeng's neck before kissing him deeply. Normally, everyone would look at Xuefeng with jealousy while seeing such a scene but after witnessing Xuefeng's prowess, they understood that he was worthy of having two beauties in his arms trying to win his favour.
"You took me here so I can take part in the battle but you handled everything by yourself. How are you going to compensate it to me?" Xiao Wen whispered as she pulled slightly away, their noses touching gently.
At the same time, Yi was held by Xuefeng across her waist and pressed tightly against him so she doesn't fall. He didn't push her away so she also embraced him, holding onto his back while supporting her head on his shoulder. Even if she didn't receive any kisses, just one hug was enough to satisfy her.
Xuefeng gave Xiao Wen the respect she deserves and didn't do anything lewd as he would do in private, giving her a smile and a return kiss, before replying, "We will talk about that when we settle everything. You definitely won't be disappointed."
Hearing those words, she could already imagine what they would be doing tonight and she naturally couldn't wait for that.
Xiao Feng didn't want to look at them, so he simply turned away, using the bits of command he still had, "Elder Yang, hope you can clean everything before daylight. I give you full authority."
Elder Yang naturally accepted the mission with a smile as he nodded, "Yes, Master!"
Just then when Xuefeng was about to move, proposing flying back to Xiao Family palace, Little Ming called out in his mind to warn him, 'Xuefeng, someone is coming from the north. Two people, one Monarch and one peak Sage.'
Xuefeng frowned, not exactly happy to have his plans delayed and looked towards the north to confirm it. Naturally, he couldn't see or feel anything which further increased his satisfaction from having the girls around.
"Wen, can you take Yi and stand behind me?" Xuefeng asked, his tone not sounding like he was expecting a different answer than yes.
"Hmm?" Xiao Wen was a bit taken aback but she still compiled without asking questions, knowing that Xuefeng would rarely talk like that without reason.
Elder Yang was just about to go and start the clean-up when suddenly, two white figures appeared in the sky, approaching them from the north. Both Elder Yang and Xiao Feng turned around to them before frowning almost at the same time as they recognized the person coming.
"Why did it take you so long to come? You knew about our families war for weeks and only after we defeated them, you suddenly come as if nothing happened?" Xiao Feng asked sternly, glaring at the middle-aged man in his fifties. The man wore a white robe, which was embellished with many golden ornaments, giving him a look of royalty. The crystal crown on his head was a nice addition which confirmed Xuefeng's initial guesses.
The Royal Family finally came. Xuefeng was wondering why the Royal Family was this quiet inside the Central Region but now he knew they were just waiting for the right moment to strike.
The two men finally arrived, hovering a few tens of meters away from them and the older said with a smiled, "Calm down Xiao Feng. I come in peace. Do you see any guards around me? I came to negotiate something." As the ruler of the whole Royal Family, the man kept his composure but the younger version of him that looked like his son couldn't.
He glared and every cultivator who watched from afar and shouted angrily, "My father, the Ruler of this Realm came in front of you yet you bastards still don't bow your heads?!"
Hearing his words, many of them paled, knowing exactly who the person with the crystal crown was and some even lowered their heads unconsciously but Xuefeng raised her hand at that very moment, calling out sternly, "Don't listen to him."
'Damn, what an arrogant brat. Slap him hard for me!' Drakos also cursed in his mind, but Xuefeng already had such a plan, not liking the newcomers' attitude.
Xuefeng didn't give the dog time to bark more as he looked at his owner, calling out with a glare, "If one goes out with a dog for a walk, he better make sure to put a nice leash on him in case he start barking. I don't care what you came here for but if that's the way you want to negotiate it, then you can scram back home."
Royal Family? Ruler of the Realm? Xuefeng didn't care. He would say the same to anyone else if they behaved like idiots. It was already mercy that his sword wasn't on his dog's head.
Chapter 325 - What Will Happen If I Kill Him?
"Oooof…" When everyone heard Xuefeng's words, they momentarily sucked in their breaths. One needed extreme courage to talk like this to the current ruler of the whole Realm. What's worse, he called one of his sons a dog while glaring at him. Could one get more ballsy than that?
Even Xiao Feng was surprised by that but then he laughed out loud, not able to hold his laughter, "Hahaha, well said! Zhen Bai, you should keep your son in check before someone accidentally teaches him a painful lesson."
There was always a silent rivalry between the three top families in the Capital Region, namely Xiao, Tang and Zhen Families. Even though Xiao Family had the strongest cultivators, it was Zhen Family who had the most authority in the Capital just from the fact of being a Royal Family.
Normally, Royal Family would try to cut the wings of other families to stay the strongest but it was too late now. If the fight between them started, Royal Family would definitely win if they used the help of all four regions but the cost would be too enormous. This would only ruin both families while allowing the third one to step on their corpses to replace them.
Now that one of them was out of the picture, Xiao Feng already expected that Royal Family would make their moves after Tang Family's demise but he didn't think they would act so fast.
Although the prince was grown up and mature, he was raised up with a golden spoon so he was extremely arrogant. The moment he heard someone calling him a dog, he naturally flipped off, his face turning all red and he wanted to bash Xuefeng with curses but Xuefeng didn't let him talk as he continued, "Our men only bow to their wives, their parents and their Master. I would like to know when did Xiao Family get a new master? Or is it that you want to start a war by undermining Xiao Family Master's Authority?"
The moment the war was mentioned, all cultivators released their pressure while taking out their weapons, aiming it towards the prince. Xuefeng wasn't different as he also pulled out his Black Flames Slayer, making his body burn with black and gold coloured flames. Prince's face turned pale just as quick as it got red by anger. After all, there were hundreds of cultivators versus the two of them. They were already at a disadvantage from the start.
Even though all that happened, Zhen Bai remained calm. His profound gaze piercing through Xuefeng as if he tried to figure out from where he got all that courage to lead everyone. With just one glance he noticed the golden wings as well as the flames with hints of gold in them and it quickly gave him some ideas. As a Ruler, he naturally knew about Fate Organisation, personally having multiple members infiltrating it on his orders.
"Father—" When his son tried to reach for his help, Zhen Bai quickly cut him off and denied him any, saying sternly, "If you got the audacity to call all those great cultivators bastards, you better also have the power to back it up. I'm not going to clean up after your mess. You deal with it."
"B-but—" Having his biggest supported leave him, the Prince froze and stuttered as he tried to negotiate but his father ignored him, calling out to Xiao Feng instead while shrugging, "I have so many sons that it's hard to raise them all properly. I'm already fortunate to have at least one decent son. I'm coming here on his behalf to nego—"
Unfortunately, Xuefeng wasn't willing to let it go just like that. Seeing that Zhen Bai skillfully dodged the issue while skipping to the topic, he stopped him saying with confidence, "You don't seem to understand the severity of the situation. Your son offended our cultivators until he apologize and pays for his sins, there won't be any negotiations. We don't negotiate with people who curse at our men."
When Xiao Family Cultivators heard those words, many of them quickly turned into Xuefeng's fans in a blink of an eye and many were touched. He was fighting the Ruler of the Realm because they were offended by his son. How lucky they would be to have such a future master who cares for them so much, daring to confront anyone in their steed.
This time, Zhen Bai didn't ignore the white-haired young man in front of him. He already let it slide once but this was the second time he got disturbed. Seeing that Xiao Feng only smiled, allowing him to go on a rampage meant that he did have a say in Xiao Family.
He didn't exactly have an idea who Xuefeng was but looking at the way Xiao Wen looked at him, there was a high chance he was Xiao Feng's future son-in-law. This would explain why Xiao Feng just let him talk and speak on his behalf.
'Already preparing a successor, huh?' Zhen Bai thought before asking Xuefeng with a serious gaze, "You must be Xiao Wen's future husband, right?" He didn't respond to Xuefeng's demand, trying to change the subject but that didn't end just like he expected.
Xuefeng did not joke around anymore and called out to the many cultivators gathered around them, "If that Prince does not apologize in the next ten second, kill him."
All of them acknowledged the order quickly, preparing themselves to attack while calling out, "Yes, Young master!"
This naturally made the Ruler of the Realm furious but after so many years of ruling, he mastered his self-control and didn't show his anger outside. There was basically no advantages in arguing and his goal for this trip would be ruined right away.
It was pretty obvious that even though he scolded his son, he tried to defend him by switching to another subject. It wasn't possible anymore so he slapped his son at the back of his head and ordered, "Apologise, now."
Even though the Prince wasn't the smartest guy, upon seeing the stern gaze of his father, it was obvious that it was in his best interest to give in. He looked around at everyone and said reluctantly, "I apologize for my rude remark."
Zhen Bai nodded, accepting such an apology and looked at Xuefeng, asking with a fake smile, "Is that enough? Can we proceed with the matter I came here for or is young master still not satisfied?"
"Are you all satisfied?" Instead of replying, Xuefeng asked his cultivators first as they were the ones being cursed at earlier.
For them, just the sheer fact that Xuefeng managed to get the arrogant Prince to apologise was a success so most of them nodded in confirmation, "Yes, Young Master!"
Knowing that it was enough for them, Xuefeng didn't pursue the issue further and looked at Xiao Feng without saying anything. He already disliked this so-called Ruler and didn't want to have anything to do with him.
It was Xiao Feng who took over the lead after the matter was resolved and asked hurriedly, "What do you want? I don't have time so just say it right here." He was still yet to get anything from Xuefeng and he wanted to quickly take a look at the loot Xuefeng held.
Zhen Bai didn't get angry at him and got to the point, knowing the atmosphere was tense, "You should know about the rule in the Capital that you signed which states that every land that loses its owner belongs to the Royal Family. After Tang Family ceased to exist, this Palace naturally should belong to the Royal Family."
A frown appeared on Xiao Feng's face as he quickly countered, "So you came here to claim what Xiao Family earned with blood and many deaths?"
Zhen Bai shook his head and explained further, "No. I came with a proposition. We both need to one day leave this Realm but our children and family will stay. With Tang Family over, we can form a friendship through marriage so our children can rule this world even without us around. Let this Palace be a marriage gift to Princess Tianshi from my oldest son. What do you think?"
When Xuefeng heard that marriage proposal, be immediately burst out in laughter, hidden anger mixed in it, "Hahahaha! So you want to take away my wife and give it to your son? Are you serious or just trying to be funny?" He hated arranged marriages to the core even back on Earth. He would never let anyone be forced to marry without love involved, just to act as a bargaining chip.
"Huh?" Zhen Bai didn't expect that, glancing at Xiao Wen and quickly adapted, changing his offer, "I guess it was Tianshi that got lucky with finding her love then. Congratulations. I thought it was the other way around. How about Princess Wen then? That would be perfect as my eldest son was more attracted to Princess Wen. He would definitely treat her with the respect and love she deserves."
Both Xuefeng and Xiao Wen immediately surrounded themselves in a murderous aura. Even in Xiao Wen's presence, Zhen Bai didn't ask for her permission which triggered both of them. It was okay if he didn't know that Xiao Wen was also Xuefeng's woman but disrespecting her like that in front of everyone was not something Xuefeng would allow.
The burning flames on his body increased their intensity as he asked Xiao Feng with a chilling expression on his face, "What will happen if I kill him?"
Chapter 326 - Princess Ling
Zhen Bai's face darkened when he heard such cocky words from Xuefeng's lips and everyone surrounding them this time had the look of horror on their faces. Did he really have the guts to kill the Ruler of the Realm? Wouldn't that create real chaos in the whole world?
Xiao Feng scratched his head, not that surprised about Xuefeng's reaction. He already spent enough time with him to figure out his character. If someone had any thoughts of going for his women, he didn't hesitate to go on a rampage which Xiao Feng kind of respected but this time the opponent was just too big.
Even though he believed that Xuefeng could defeat Zhen Bai if he used that dragon claw skill this still wasn't something they could do right now.
Xiao Feng could only reply with the truth as he knew that Xuefeng would understand, "If you kill him, the whole Royal System will naturally be in shambles and the real power struggle will start. All the Princes will start fighting for the rights to the throne and many people would die in the process. Basically, the whole capital will turn into a mess that we can't be bothered to deal with, but the decision lies in your hands."
Those words actually surprised Zhen Bai as he looked back at Xuefeng, feeling the need to reevaluate him. Based on Xiao Feng's words, Xuefeng was sure to have the upper hand against him in a fight if one were to break down. Did that mean that a Spirit Emperor had the power to rival a Spirit Monarch?
Suddenly, a realisation came to Zhen Bai as he thought of a certain organisation and thought, 'Is he also one of them, having the power of Fate? If that is so, it would make perfect sense why Xiao Feng supports him so much and even gives his daughters up to him…'
Zhen Bai did a quick calculation in his mind and calmed down, deciding not to fan the flames between them as he apologised for now, "I'm sorry, my apologies. I should have expected that Young Master would take a fancy to both of the Xiao family Princesses. After all, they are the pearls of the Capital—"
Unfortunately for him, Xuefeng was already pissed off by the whole situation and bashed him right away, not caring about Zhen Bai's status, "Shut up! Xiao Wen is right here and you didn't even look at her when you proposed your bullshit marriage! What do you think they are?! Toys?! I hate parents who use their kids as bargaining chips for their own benefits without even asking for their opinion! You better get lost before I lose my temper and kill you. If you disrespect my wife once again, I won't care about the chaos and get rid of the whole Royal Family."
His sword was extended towards Zhen Bai, acting as a warning that Xuefeng wouldn't hesitate to attack if the answer he hears is not what he wanted.
His speech made the whole area as silent as a mouse while everyone waited to hear Zhen Bai's reply. After all, it was the first time when someone threatened to kill the Ruler of the Realm and actually had the upper hand in the situation.
Everyone aside from the Royal Family members saw how Xuefeng destroyed Tang Family Palace's barrier with just one strike. Not many Monarch Stage cultivators could replicate such a feat and definitely not Zhen Bai who was known to be weaker than Xiao Feng. If Xuefeng repeated the same attack on the current Ruler, the battle would end as quickly as it started.
'Haha! That's my boy! If I were you, I would kill him a long time ago but I will forgive you this time.' Drakos laughed, definitely liking the current style of Xuefeng but Ling countered that and scolded, 'Drakos, stop giving him such ideas! Xuefeng, just follow your heart. You are doing great right now.'
'Haha, I'm just saying! I'm already satisfied with this scene.' Drakos only shrugged her scolding away and continued to observe, definitely hoping for more action.
Inside Ling's space, Little Ming was sitting on Ling's lap with her blushed as she commented to herself, "Xuefeng is so handsome when he gets serious…"
"Mhmm…" Ling confirmed it with a nod, her face also flushed. She found Xuefeng really manly every time he protected his women and she couldn't help but imagine herself in Xiao Wen's place, having Xuefeng fight in her stead before embracing her after a won battle.
Little Ming hugged Ling and asked curiously, "Ling, did you and Xuefeng cultivate together already…?"
"Of course not…" Ling denied right away, turning redder but then she added, "But it will happen soon…" She was actually looking forward to it as more time passed. She even had a feeling it would happen today, knowing that Xuefeng was really close to a Saint stage.
"Congratulations…" Little Ming was naturally happy for her, but at the same time, she would also want some more intimacy with him. Fortunately, she wasn't someone who would get jealous over others success but rather work hard to reach her own goals.
"I will also work hard for that…" Little Ming stated, informing Ling of her decision to compete with her but Ling only smiled and patted her head. She was already sharing Xuefeng with many others so adding one more didn't make a difference. Knowing Little Ming's current stage, it was only advantageous for Xuefeng so she didn't mind that.
The situation outside was about to peak but Little Ming couldn't help but ask curiously, "Ling, why didn't you use the Fate Stones you have in hand to push your stage and slowly build up your Fate Qi to become a Fate Law like you used to be? Don't you want to learn about your identity?"
Ling quickly shook her head and declined, "Not yet… I don't want to trouble my mind with that right now. My focus is only on Xuefeng. I will find the right time in the near future…"
"But—" Little Ming tried to convince her but Ling didn't let her, assuring her, "I know. Don't worry, I know what I'm doing. We don't have enough Fate Stones anyway. We will talk about that in the future. I know my identity is somewhat special so it will definitely change my relationship with Xuefeng… I don't want that to happen."
"I understand, Princess Ling—" Little Ming nodded with a smirk but then Ling suddenly started tickling her on the side of her belly which forced Little Ming to give in and apologise, already knowing her fault, "Haha, I'm sorry, I won't anymore!"
Ling didn't stop her assault as she warned playfully, "If you call me Princess one more time, I will kick you out. I'm Ling."
"Yes, Ling!" Only after hearing Little Ming's confirmation did Ling stop and hugged the soft pink hoodie before continuing to watch how the situation would play out outside.
...….
Zhen Bai already realised that the more he stays here, the more his reputation would suffer as Xuefeng was clearly not willing to cooperate so he said calmly while turning around to leave, "I guess we don't have anything to negotiate anymore. We will take our leave. I will send someone to claim the Palace tomorrow morning."
All of his plans failed but if he acted rashly, he would only lose. Xuefeng was already aiming his sword at him, nothing else could be done than leaving, trying to keep the last bits of respect.
Xuefeng only snickered to that and called out, "He better come with a strong bodyguard or at least a thousand else only his head will return back. The Palace belongs to me. If you want to take it away, you better be prepared for war. Xiao Family is not one you can bully."
Zhen Bai paused hearing him but didn't say anything, flying away without turning back. There were no words left to say as Xuefeng was already set against him. Losing one battle doesn't necessarily mean losing the war. Only calm strategizing will let him win in the end.
The many cultivators who were dumbfounded after seeing Zhen Bai just leave, slowly started waking up.
"Did I just see what I just saw? The Ruler of the Realm got chased away by our Young Master? Can someone pinch me?"
"No need. It actually happened. Long Live Young Master!"
"Long Live Young Master!"
Xuefeng only sheathed his sword, cancelling his flames and took Xiao Wen's hand before saying cooly, "We are leaving. We have much more important matters at hand."
"You are aware of what you just potentially caused?" Xiao Feng asked with a smile, making sure that Xuefeng knew all the possible outcomes of his fight with Zhen Bai.
"I know. There is a potential war incoming but I already settled it. He won't dare to attack the Xiao Family. I already have someone who will make sure that Zhen Bai doesn't have any ideas." Xuefeng nodded and called out loudly as they flew back towards Xiao Family Palace.
"And that certain someone is?" Xiao Feng asked curiously, not knowing Xuefeng had other forces as a back-up.
Xuefeng only smiled and looked at the place in the sky where Liena was standing and said mysteriously, "They are watching from the shadows now and listening to us so they know what to do. Only with that can their sins be reduced so they won't hesitate to act. Trust me."
Xiao Feng glanced at the spot where Xuefeng was looking but he obviously didn't spot anyone and could only shrug, agreeing, "Alright."
Chapter 327 - Loot&Dispute
The golden-robed youth watched Xuefeng's back who was becoming more distant the more they waited and asked unsure, "Milady… I think he talked about us there…"
Liena rolled her eyes at the obvious statement and flew after Zhen Bai as she said sternly, "No shit. It's obvious that he talked about us… Let's go. We need to catch up with them." In her mind, she already calculated that the benefits she gets from Zhen Bai and Xuefeng's value were incomparable. She basically needed Xuefeng but she could survive without Zhen Bai.
"Are we not following Xuefeng anymore?" The golden-robbed youth asked, worried that Xuefeng would escape them. He also knew Xuefeng was much more important to them compared to the Ruler of the Realm.
"Didn't you hear Xuefeng? If we want to decrease our sins, we can only go and settle this matter for him. It seems like he blames Tianshi's injuries on us so arguing won't do us any good and we can only adapt. After we finish with them, we will find Xuefeng in Xiao Family Palace. We've still yet to talk to him." Liena explained her plan, already thinking of how to approach Xuefeng.
The Golden-robed youth could only follow after her but still asked on the way, "What if he escapes? He knows we are after him thanks to Drakos so he might try to leave now."
"Don't worry. He is not scared of us anymore. With the power that Drakos provides him, Xuefeng can easily face against us now. We can't fight him. Remember, it's we who need him, not the other way around." Liena assured him and they both disappeared from their spots, chasing after Zhen Bai.
When that happened, a smile appeared on Xuefeng's face and he squeezed Xiao Wen's hand as he flew without worry about the Royal Family anymore.
...….
"Father! Are you going to let this slide? They embarrassed us in front of all those peop—" Zhen Bai's son called out to his father right after they gained some distance but before he finished, his face was smacked across with his father's hand.
Slap.
Zhen Bai glared at his son and scolded angrily, "They didn't do shit! You embarrassed yourself first with your dirty mouth. I took you with me cause you begged me for a week but you've ruined everything. If not for the fact that this white-haired kid already claimed the two Princesses and the negotiations would fail anyway, I would beat you up and leave you half-dead, letting your mother come and pick you up later."
The moment Zhen Bai mentioned his mother like that, the Prince naturally got offended but didn't dare to speak up. As the son of a concubine, he didn't have too many rights for the throne but he still enjoyed his life. He thought that this trip will deepen the ties with his father but it backfired horribly.
Zhen Bai flew quietly, thinking of what he should do now. There were many paths ahead of them but all of them led to many deaths and blood. Xuefeng already offended him so he had to make a stance else he would turn into a laughing stock as he knew Xiao Family members would make sure to tell everyone about it in the Capital.
He happened to glance at this useless son of his and asked, thinking of finding some inspiration, "If you were in my place, what would you do right now?"
"Huh?" The Prince was confused at first but then his eyes brightened and he quickly said, "We can't let them have their way and insult us like that so we naturally have to act. That white-haired brat, although strong, should be punished. I would find his family and lock them down. Unless he surrenders, they would be executed for taking part in the conspiracy against the Royal Family. Looking at the way he protects his women, he wouldn't risk their wellbeing by attacking us."
Zhen Bai wasn't surprised with such a solution as he also thought about it but he knew it was impossible for now. He had to hold himself back until he checks Xuefeng's background with his Fate Organisation spies. If Xuefeng had too much of a back-up, they could only swallow all the offences.
Just as he wanted to comment on that to his son, they heard a female voice coming from the void right in front of them, "That's actually a nice plan. Too bad it's impossible."
They momentarily stopped and Zhen Bai's face froze as if he recalled something and he immediately bowed down his head as he called out weakly, "Milady…" He reacted instantly because he remembered that voice. After meeting her for the first time, he never forgot it. His son was dumbfounded at first but he quickly followed his footsteps.
At that very moment, two people wearing golden robes appeared right in front of them out of thin air. Liena didn't have time to waste so she went straight into the topic, "You will leave the white-haired boy alone and you won't find trouble with Xiao family or anyone related to him. Are we clear?"
"Milady… With all due respect but isn't it too late already? He is going against the Royal Family—" Zhen Bai found this surprising and tried to dispute with her but he was cut right away as she asked coldly, "Do you want Zhen Family to lose the reign of this Realm? I think my words were clear."
As a Ruler, he couldn't just give up so easily and he asked back, trying to play the pity card to learn to get more information, "Milady, can I at least receive some reason? Royal Family will become a laughing stock in the whole Capital if I don't take any action…"
It wasn't hard for Liena to see what he wanted but at the same time, he at least deserved some explanation so she gave him one, "He is very important to me. Is that enough? He is more valuable to me than the Royal Family is so if you bother him, I will remove you all. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Milady… I will take a step back and won't interfere in the boy's matters anymore… How about the Xiao Family then?" Zhen Bai asked one last question to be sure how to proceed.
Liena didn't care about anyone other than Xuefeng and Yi right now but still had to respect their feelings so she ordered, "Same. Leave them be. They are important to him for the time being. With the way he is advancing, he will leave this Realm in a few years. After that, you can do whatever you want."
This time Zhen Bai's eyes finally brightened as that was actually some good news and bowed deeper, expressing his gratitude, "Thank you, Milady. I will act accordingly." He didn't need to keep such position for long as Liena disappeared right after hearing that.
Zhen Bai could feel that his son would like to ask some questions but he stopped him before they left his mouth as he said, "Forget about it. The less you know the better. You only need to know to never trouble that boy else both you and the royal family will be doomed. Let's go back to the Palace and warn everyone."
...….
As they flew in the air, Xuefeng finally had time to consult in his mind, 'Ling, did you count the loot already? How much did we get?' He took more than five rings from the dead Taizong and he knew they were filled with goods.
Ling swiftly reported their status, 'There are about a thousand pill boxes with rare pills that we have yet to segregate and only about two hundred Artefacts ranging from Rank 5 to Rank 9. There seems to be only three of the highest Rank and the rest varies. I think the Pills are the most valuable from there but they are mostly healing pills which are useless as you have me. We are separating the pills with Little Ming into ones you can sell and others that you can actually use.'
Xuefeng was a bit surprised as he expected much more and quickly found himself a reason, 'Hmm, it seems like there are still many left in the Tang Family Palace. I don't believe such a big Family only had this much artefacts and pills… How about Spirit Stones? We can use them to exchange for Fate Stones.'
Fortunately this time Ling had good news and even giggled before informing, 'Hehe, there is about one whole ring filled with high-tiered Spirit Stones. We didn't count them all yet but I think there are at least a few billion of them there. Will tell you about it later.'
'Haha, big Families for sure are rich! Thank you Ling.' Xuefeng laughed after hearing the number and seeing they were about to land in the palace, he reminded her about his plans, 'By the way, I will visit you tonight. I wish to breakthrough before tomorrow.'
He didn't give her a chance to reject as if it was natural for them to perform such actions but Ling didn't get angry or shy anymore and simply accepted it with a smile on her face, not bothered by Little Ming's giggle, 'Alright, I will be waiting…'
Chapter 328 - Negotiations
"Thank you Xuefeng… I know you did it for me." Xiao Wen called out as she jumped into Xuefeng's arms the moment their feet touched the ground, this time without Yi accompanying her.
Xuefeng only smiled and kissed her, not bothered by Xiao Feng's presence, "You are already mine. I will not let anyone disrespect you. I don't care if they are the Emperor, the Ruler of the Realm or a God himself. I will fight them until I can't anymore."
This made Xiao Wen warm in her heart and she returned the kiss with passion, saying lovingly, "Mhmm, I know. This is why I chose you."
For a second, Xiao Feng didn't recognize his daughter, almost feeling like someone just replaced her with another human. Where was the cold and domineering Xiao Wen? All he could see was a gentle girl in love. He rolled his eyes at them and called out to Xuefeng, "Alright, you two love birds, follow me to my office. I already asked my wife to bring the Artefacts you wanted. She already returned from her own mission."
"Mission?" Xuefeng asked curiously, not often getting to meet the girls' mother.
Xiao Wen knew her mother well so she asked with a grin, "Did mother go on a killing spree?"
Xiao Feng only nodded proudly as he explained, "Yes, she already hunted down all Tang Family members who were searching for Tianshi. There were many so it took her longer."
"Huh? This fast?" Xuefeng asked confused, knowing that not much time passed since he came here but Mrs Xiao already finished off many groups of cultivators by herself.
"Hehe, my mother is much stronger than you think. She is just hiding her—" Xiao Wen giggled as she tried to introduce her mother's strength when Xuefeng suddenly stopped moving and walked back towards the entrance. Only then did the rest notice that Yi stayed behind.
Xuefeng approached Yi who daydreamed while looking in front of herself with an empty gaze and asked her, "Yi? What are you doing? Is something wrong? Why are you not following us?"
The moment she heard his voice, her blank gaze recovered and she quickly responded, "No, no, no… I'm feeling fine. I was just talking to..."
Before she could finish, Xuefeng covered her mouth to stop her from talking further and said with a smile, "Yi, you are no longer a normal person. You need to take care of your secrets. Don't tell anyone about such stuff. Also, you are going back with us tonight so you better stay close to me or we will leave you behind."
Seeing his gentle smile and feeling his warm hand, Yi returned the smile after he let go of her. She let him grab her hand and allowed him to lead her wherever he wanted as she promised, "Alright, I will be careful."
"Good girl." Xuefeng nodded satisfied, only releasing her hand when they caught up to the rest and switched to holding Xiao Wen's but Yi didn't mind that, knowing she was still just his friend. Right now she could only dream of anything else.
The moment they reached Xiao Feng's office, he sat in his office chair and asked, "Xuefeng, tell me. How is it that one moment you say that you don't want to take over the family but the next you do exactly that?"
This question caught Xuefeng off-guard as he admitted with a laugh, "Haha, actually, it didn't feel that bad. If I didn't plan to leave this Realm soon, I would really consider setting up my own clan but I can't take that responsibility. I just wanted to know how it feels."
There happened to be a chance to test out his leadership skills and it turned out he was successful on the first try. Xiao Feng couldn't say anything about that as he also thought Xuefeng wasn't that half-bad and switched to another topic, "Hmm, alright. About the Tang Family Palace… You said you want it?"
Xuefeng already knew this question would fall so he answered prepared, "Yes. I thought of moving my Clan to the Capital here. The Spirit Essence in the air is much better here. I will settle it with my father after I come back tomorrow. Hope you can help with the moving."
Xuefeng didn't tell that to anyone yet as he just thought about it so not only Xiao Feng but also Xiao Wen was shocked as she asked, thinking this was a great idea, "Huh? You want to move the entire Liu Clan here?"
"That's right. Not only that, but I also want all the buildings and medical shops together with all alchemists belonging to the old Tang Family, making Liu Clan the second powerhouse in this world. What do you think?" Xuefeng asked after presenting them with his ambitious project.
Xiao Feng's eyelid twitched when he heard that but then Xuefeng added, "Of course, that would put Xiao Family at a loss, so we can change the earlier agreement between us. This time I only want the Storage Artefacts and you can keep the Spirit Stones. I know that there are still a lot of riches left in the Tang Family's treasury so you can have all that. I will also give you back more than half of the high ranked pills that I got from killing Taizong. All the low ranked pills should still be in the treasury."
Only then did Xiao Feng calmed down a bit, turning into his thinking mode. He knew that it was enough to cover his losses. Getting Liu Xiaobei here wasn't that bad of an idea as they could work together to overshadow Royal Family and fully take control over the whole Central Region.
Before Xiao Feng spoke, Xuefeng added more, "I also hope you can help my father settle in the Capital and take control over everything. I believe he should handle it but additional support is always welcomed."
Just as he said so, the doors opened and a female voice resounded in the room, "Of course we will help. Our families are going to become in-laws very soon, right? There is no need to be polite with each other."
When they turned around, they saw Mrs Xiao walking into the office with a smile planted on her face. She already heard of Xuefeng's feats so she was really proud of their daughters for sniping such a man.
"Actually that's incorrect. Both Tianshi and Xiao Wen are already my wives. No one can change that. We don't need any ceremony or anyone else's recognition. It will be nice if our parents can give their blessings but even without that, nothing can stop us." Xuefeng corrected his mother-in-law and looked at Xiao Wen, asking to confirm it, "Right, Wen?"
She didn't hesitate for too long and nodded right away, confirming in a soft giggle, "Mhmm, that's correct. I am Xuefeng's wife and he is my husband, hehe." She was actually waiting for him to say that, officially acknowledging her as his wife.
Mrs Xiao wasn't mad about it and actually found that commendable, cementing the two families ties right away, "Interesting. This only means we are already a family then. Even a stronger reason to help."
She looked at her husband and he proposed after a quick thought, "Alright. I can lend you my main warship to help with the transport. It allows us to bring anyone in and out of the Capital. Normally you need permission from the Royal Family to bring any strangers in but it doesn't really apply to us."
"That's actually perfect." The solution Xiao Feng proposed was much better than moving everyone by himself with the Holy Land so Xuefeng couldn't be more than thankful. He took off one of his rings that Ling prepared and threw it towards him while saying, "I already separated the goods I don't need and kept the rest for myself. Also, there is something special inside that you wanted."
He asked Ling and Little Ming to create some basic facts about Fate Holders that they could share before including the slip inside the ring. The moment Xiao Feng got his hands on it, he immediately started reading it, ignoring everything around him.
"Here. I also brought what you wanted." Mrs Xiao also had something for him but instead of throwing it, she passed it directly before rubbing his cheeks as she asked curiously, "I don't know why you need so many Storage Artefacts but hopefully we have a lot of manufacturers. Why don't you share your plans to mom?"
"I'm sorry but I can't. This information is only available to my women." Xuefeng could only shrugged as he rejected, giving his reason but he didn't think that Mrs Xiao would suddenly smile cheekily and ask, "Huh? Is that a proposal?"
Xuefeng for a second imagined Xiao Feng's face that he would have after learning that even his wife was taken by him which actually made him laugh but he also rejected it, even though he would love to see that expression, "Haha, as much as I appreciate Mrs Xiao's beauty, I'm afraid I can not. I don't want to steal all women from your husband's life. I'm not so cruel, hehe."
Xiao Wen pouted to that and scolded, "Mom! What are you saying?!"
Mrs Xiao rubbed Xuefeng's cheeks and said playfully, "Hehe, I'm just playing. I also don't want to steal my girl's man. I hope you can take care of them. I guess I will stick with my own then. He finally loves me plenty so I will let you go."
She checked if her husband heard anything but he didn't even react to her teasings which made her snicker, "Tsk, he is not even listening now. What did you gave him?"
"Something very valuable. Mrs Xiao should also take a look." Xuefeng didn't reveal anything and curiosity ate Mrs Xiao up right away, forcing her to see for herself.
Xuefeng knew they would be busy for a while so he decided to leave for now, dropping her a message, "I still need to make a breakthrough to the Saint Stage so we will take our leave now. I will come pick up the warship before our departure."
Mrs Xiao poked her husband in the head but he didn't react at all which made her sigh and walk back to them as she replied, "Alright, I guess I will prepare it for you as Feng doesn't seem like he can at the moment. You can use our rooftop by the way if you want to breakthrough. Xiao Wen will show you around."
As she walked past them, it was the first time she looked at Yi from the moment she entered but she didn't comment on her presence, clearly showing her stance. It would be strange if she was happy when her daughter's competition increased.
Xuefeng was already ready to counter Mrs Xiao's arguments but seeing her not commenting it, he simply patted Yi on the head and pulled them both out of the office.
Chapter 329 - Lava Rock&Heart Lock
The moment Xuefeng got pulled inside the rooftop and his eyes were uncovered, he couldn't help but cry out in fascination, "Whoa, it's like a Planetarium!" He looked into the sky and saw a giant copula filled with stars, feeling as if he went back to his days on earth where they would visit the Planetarium to learn about planets and stars.
It was a momentary slip but Xiao Wen quickly caught him on that, asking, "Planetarium? What is that?"
"Oh, don't mind me. I just name places where you can watch stars as such." Xuefeng replied as if it was nothing, not thinking of a better method to cover his mistake. Xiao Wen didn't have a reason to doubt him and actually adopted the name, saying, "It's a nice name. Let's call this place Planetarium."
She hugged into his arm and pulled him to the middle of the room as she explained, "This is the place where I would go through all of my breakthroughs. It has an array built into the floor and ceiling that helps gather all Spirit Essence from the air and the Spirit Stones that you insert into the array. There is almost a million high-tiered Spirit Stones already inside so it should be enough for you. After you sit down in the middle, all Spirit Essence will be concentrated in one place. All you need to do is absorb and turn into Spirit Qi."
Xuefeng looked around, studying the patterns on the floor and saw a small rock column next to the central spot with a small cavity in the middle. He didn't need to ask as Xiao Wen noticed his gaze and explained further, pulling out a small black crystal in the same shape as a cavity, "This is the place where you insert a special token that activates the array. Only my father and I have it as only two were made. Here you go."
Xiao Wen didn't hesitate to give it to him with a gentle smile, even though she knew it was priceless. Yi who was watching from the side looked at that scene and finally understood that Xiao Wen was already wholeheartedly devoted to him. She wondered for a second, 'Am I also fully committed to my love in my heart?'
Her heart would throb whenever she looked at him and whenever her eyes closed, the first person that came into her mind was him. Did that mean she was in love? Yi didn't know, but if she didn't try, would she find out the truth?
Xuefeng researched the black crystal in his hands but didn't feel anything special from it. Xiao Wen smiled as if she expected it and said as she grazed his fingers with her own, "It's called Lava Rock as you can only find it in the middle of a volcano. It's really rare as there were only two pieces found that were bigger than a fist. Our family managed to get one of those pieces and father created this array. It acts as a catalyst to activate the array but there is one more special ability that it has."
Yi's eyes widened when she heard it, not expecting Xiao Wen to actually try and test it. The two were already together, loving each other but Xiao Wen still decided to go for a test. Yi looked for reasons against it but then she realised that she would also do the same. Which girl in love wouldn't the moment they get such an opportunity.
"What is it?" Xuefeng asked curiously, looking into her eyes. He noticed her gaze falling down onto the stone and he also stared down at it. She was sure of her feelings so she didn't hesitate to touch the black crystal, wrapping her hand together with his, placing the black crystal in the middle of their palms.
The crystal which was black as coal just a moment ago suddenly shone with red light, slightly burning their palms but Xiao Wen did not let go of his hand. Although it hurt her, joy was filling her heart and she felt like the happiest person.
Xuefeng did not feel much pain but he still did not understand what was going on so he looked at her with confusion. She also moved her head to look into his eyes and their gazes interlocked.
The red light only got brighter the more time passed but Xiao Wen didn't avert her gaze away and unfolded the mystery, "Instead of a Lava Rock, I named it a Love Rock… The moment two people that love each other grab onto it together, it will shine with a bright red light, just like the one you just saw..."
As she spoke, the red light suddenly disappeared and Xiao Wen leaned over, kissing his lips deeply. She knew Xuefeng wouldn't be satisfied with that so she sealed his lips before he said anything and continued right after pulling away, "I didn't do it to test if you love me as I already know that."
"Then why?" Xuefeng asked back calmly, knowing she had an explanation prepared. He naturally would not like if his wife had any doubts about his feelings. He didn't hide anything from them and expected the same.
"Look at your palm." Xiao Wen said as she opened their hands, pulling out the black crystal out. He was surprised to see there was still a red burn mark left on his palm even after it was healed by Ling. Before he could comment, Xiao Wen extended her palm and showed the same burn on her own palm.
"You probably tried to get rid of it out of instinct, right?" Xiao Wen asked with a smile, leaning on his chest as she hugged him. She already knew him well so she didn't need his confirmation and answered his questions, "Some time ago, my parents happened to discover this special ability as they grabbed the crystal at the same time during my mother's breakthrough. The crystal also turned bright red and started burned their fingers. My father wanted to let go of it but my mother found something special about it and wrapped their hands together just like we did."
She tied their hands together once again, their marks matching as their palms touched and continued narrating, "Afterwards, it turned out a connection formed between them. They researched it and found out that my mother had some strange energy stored inside of her heart which turned out to be really explosive. It had a direct link from my father's heart into hers but my father didn't have any foreign energy in his body."
Xuefeng didn't like the way this was going and asked, "Don't tell me that it's a similar kind of connection that I have between Yiren?"
Xiao Wen shook her head and clarified, "It is similar but not exactly. This is a love mark between the two devoted lovers. The Love Rock shows the affection of two people but also signs a pact between them as a side effect of it. Unfortunately, it's not equal to both parties. Once the stronger party loses their life, their lover will also follow the same path but if the weaker party dies, nothing will happen to the other lover."
"What? Please, tell me you are joking…" Xuefeng didn't want to believe what she just said, holding onto her face while hoping that everything was just a joke, but Xiao Wen held onto his hands before saying with a giggle, finding him really cute, "Don't you think your Fate Spirit would already tell you if something was threatening your life? Mine, on the other side, is already losing his mind, hehe."
Hearing that, Xuefeng immediately connected the dots and quickly scolded her angrily, "Xiao Wen! This is serious! Why would you do that?! The last thing I want to worry about before my death is that you will also die after me. How does it work? Can we get remove it?"
He placed his hand on Xiao Wen's chest, trying to check it for himself but she pushed it away as she explained, "You can't get rid of it. Only when you die will the link sever and the energy around my heart would detonate."
Hugging him, she asked, "Can you feel my heart through our connection? You will know that I'm fine."
Ba-dum. Ba-dum.
Just as she said so, Xuefeng finally heard another heartbeat in his mind. Just like she said, the connection between them was different compared to the one he had with Yiren. All he could feel was a clear and healthy heartbeat without any distraction from her emotions.
Right then, her heart was beating extremely fast as if it was trying to escape from her chest and she commented, "Can you feel how fast it is beating? Its like that because I'm worried... I'm worried that there will be one day when you disappear from my life and I don't want that. Once you are gone, I want to follow after you. I would be fine if I never met you but now I don't even want to imagine my life without you. Please, don't force me to live such a life."
Xuefeng didn't know what to think about the whole situation. He didn't like it at all but how could he get mad at her when she spoke such words, filled with love for him.
He had thoughts of asking Ling and Little Ming for help but as if reading his mind, Xiao Wen stopped him before that happened while saying determined, "Even if you find a method to safely sever our connection, I don't want it. If I wished for that, I wouldn't even start it. I know you are worried about me so I can tell you one secret method to stop all this from happening."
"What is it?" Xuefeng asked eagerly, only to see her look up at him and embrace his neck as she said with a loving smile, "If you want me to stay alive, you cannot die. No matter what you do or who you are against in a battle, you have to always come back to us. Do you hear me?"
Xiao Wen did not give him a chance to reply to her as she pressed her lips against his and did not let go of them for a long time. If her potential sacrifice could help him overcome future hardship and give him the motivation to push forward for her sake, she would happily do it again.
As she finally let go of his lips, he didn't argue anymore, promising her determined, "I will never leave my wives. Not now or any time in the future. In your place, I would rather be more worried that I won't let you go. I told you already. Once you become mine, there is no going back. I'm so stubborn that even if you want me to die, I won't. I can promise you that."
Chapter 330 - Cry&Deny
"Alright… I hope you can remember your promise…" Xiao Wen smiled as she kissed him deeply for the second time before hugging into his arms, not willing to let go of him.
Fortunately, Xuefeng wasn't even planning to let go of her as he tightened the embrace and asked playfully as he caressed her back, "How do you want me to Cultivate now after all of this…?"
"Well… I don't mind we you can just hold me like this forever, haha…" Xiao Wen proposed happily, thinking this would be a nice dream but she knew this couldn't continue with their busy schedule and added, "Too bad we can't waste time like that. Who knows how long your breakthrough will take. We need to return by morning so you better hurry."
Xiao Wen reluctantly let go of him but he swiftly reclaimed her into his arms and sucking on her lips greedily as if he wanted to rip them off, keeping them for himself before pulling slightly away while saying in a gentle scolding, "Don't you dare say that ever again. If I could I would hug and kiss you for days without a break until our arms get numb or lips turn dry. It was never a waste of time and never will. Remember that."
Xiao Wen stared at him and he observed her, keeping their gaze connected until finally, she laughed to herself. For some reason, her eyes started watering even though a wide smile was on her face, not willing to leave her face.
Xuefeng gazed at her with a warm smile and she laughed while crying for the first time in her life, apologizing for wetting his shirt, "I'm sorry... I'm just so happy right now. I can't describe it… They just fall on their own."
She tried to wipe them away but Xuefeng took her hands away and placed her head right on his chest while saying with understanding, "You don't need to. I know. I'm also the happiest I have been so far. My life with you girls is amazing and I couldn't ask for more."
Xuefeng felt her tight hug and smiled, knowing exactly how she felt. He kept caressing her cheek with his thumb while wiping her happy tears away when he heard her chuckle as she said, "Heh, I never would have thought that the first time I cry is because of happiness. I'm truly fortunate. Thank you."
She shamelessly hugged him for a little while more, before asking as a sudden thought entered her mind, "You will cultivate with your Spirit, right…?" Xiao Wen already somehow knew the answer that he will give her but she couldn't help but still ask. She wanted him to tell her himself but she knew he wouldn't do so.
Xuefeng knew that such a question would pass one day so he wasn't surprised and nodded, not hiding it from her, "Yes. You know that this is the best method to increase cultivation speed. I want to try it at least once to see my results." Hiding it from Xiao Wen would be not fair to Ling as she was also his woman.
As if she expected such an answer, Xiao Wen attacked him with the already prepared question, asking as she booped his nose, "So can I also do it with my Spirit then? He has been bugging me about it for a while, you know?"
Xiao Wen smiled playfully at him as she waited for his reaction but contrary to her expectations, he didn't stutter or wait with his reply and relayed what he honestly thought, saying straightforwardly as he held onto her chin, "No. I will find other ways for you to cultivate faster. Even if he is a Spirit, Lang is still another guy. I'm selfish and you are mine, no one else can touch you. Did you hear me, Lang?"
Xuefeng already considered Ling as his lover, another person instead of just a spirit like most Fate Holders. There was no difference for him between Lang and another guy in the real world.
Xiao Wen already knew he will react like that but hearing his warning, she couldn't help but feel warm inside her and laughed, "Haha, he heard you. Don't worry, I'm only yours," before adding in a whisper as she leaned over to his ear, "Only if you want to touch me…"
Trying to give him some motivation, she said playfully, "If you can surpass my stage with this single breakthrough, I will give you a reward…"
Xuefeng thought for a moment and this actually was close to his expectations for this breakthrough but still kept his cool to surprise Xiao Wen later, "Aren't you a Spirit Sage? Hmm, not impossible… What reward?" She didn't know how fast his absorption will be if he activates all aces up his sleeve.
"Heh, you will learn after we come back." Xiao Wen gave him a teasing peck and kept it mysterious.
She didn't wait for his reply and pulled away, this time definitely, her tear stains evaporating as if the fire burned under her skin before saying, "Alright, let's start with your training. I can't let us drag it for too long. I will also cultivate with you. Hopefully, it will be a beneficial night for us."
"You can also cultivate alongside me?" Xuefeng asked, pleasantly surprised. He thought it will be just him but if he could actually improve his and the girls' stage at the same time, it would be perfect.
Xiao Wen nodded and explained seriously, "Yes. Aside from the main, central spot in the array, there are two more side spots where the essence also gathers. Although the quantity is lower, it still has decent usage. The more Spirit Essence the array gathers, the better the effects. If everything goes, as usual, I should reach halfway the stage."
Clap.
"That's great. I like it. The three of us can cultivate together then. Yi?" Xuefeng clasped his hands together, enjoying this idea a lot and turned around to call for Yi.
He thought that she already sensed his plans as she was already up to them but instead of halting her movements, she ran straight into his arms, almost knocking him to the ground.
This made Xuefeng confused and he asked as he grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her away, "Yi, is something wrong?"
He would never expect that she would shrug his hands away and cry out while looking into his eyes, "I think I like you!"
Xuefeng blinked a few times and smiled at such a friendly confession, reaching out to pat her head as he said, "Oh, I like you too. I value our friendshi—" Unfortunately, this was not what Yi wanted to hear and before he could finish his sentence, Yi grabbed his hand by his wrist and cried out even louder, her silver hair vibrating as the voice resounded throughout the rooftop, "I don't just like you! I really like you!"
As if influenced by her, Xuefeng also raised his voice as he shouted back, repeating his message, "I like you too!"
"Not that like!" Yi shouted back, trying to outshout herself, already frustrated that Xuefeng still didn't read her thoughts.
Xuefeng cried again, asking while acting confused, "What Like?!"
Xiao Wen looked at both of them and shook her head, not surprised by Yi's confession. As a woman who was in love, she already noticed that Yi's behaviour around Xuefeng was weird and somewhat familiar. She realised it was because she was the same, a girl in love. She didn't say anything and just observed, knowing that it wasn't her decision to make.
...….
A moment ago, when Yi was standing to the side, watching Xuefeng and Xiao Wen's confession of love, she suddenly imagined herself in Xiao Wen's place, hugging into her crush's chest only to be hit with a realisation that Xuefeng didn't even know about her feelings which made her heart and head hurt.
'But will that make a difference? Will he give us a chance? What if he rejects me? His heart already belongs to so many women…' Yi thought, her head hurting from all the questions she wanted answers for.
Just then, she heard a voice of that woman that kept talking to her earlier in her mind advise her, 'If you keep it to yourself for any longer, it will start to hurt more. You have to tell him. Go.'
'I can't… He is with Xiao Wen… Hugging and kissing her… How can I disturb them… Ahh, it hurts...' Yi rejected but then aside from the pain in her chest, she also felt dizzy as if she just spun for minutes.
'Your emotions are unstable. You need to calm down else darkness will consume you once again. Here, he let go of her. This is your chance. Go hug him and tell him how you feel. Release it. Don't keep it in yourself. You will feel much better afterwards.' Yi's Spirit said, seeing that Xuefeng already let go of Xiao Wen.
When Yi saw it, for some reason, her legs moved and she found herself running towards him, her target being his back which she wanted to hug so badly. Even when Xuefeng turned around, she didn't stop, entering into his arms before feeling his warmth for a few seconds until he pulled her away.
Looking into his eyes, she confessed her feelings to him, shouting it with all her feelings but he still didn't understand her. She tried even harder but the same happened, leaving her at loss with her mind in a mess.
Just when she was about to cried out for the third time which would be her last before losing herself, Xuefeng reached out and covered her lips with his hand, saying softly, "Yi, whatever you want to say, I hope you understand the time and place. How about we proceed with cultivation and you will tell me after you think it over, okay?"
'So he does know what I want to ask yet he doesn't want to reject me…' Yi analyzed Xuefeng's words, trying to understand what he wanted to tell her but then her Spirit helped her calm down, 'He knows but at the same time, you two didn't spend enough time together to even think about anything more than friendship. You should first think of how do you want to help him. Do you think you will be of help with such a weak strength? You will only slow him down. Work hard for him and then try to climb the steps.'
As her words sank in, Yi's heart calmed down, releasing where she made a mistake. Xuefeng gave her Pio's power so she could work hard and help him yet all she was thinking was an immediate reward for zero effort from her side. When she discovered that, Yi suddenly felt lighter as if her body turned into a spec of dust and suddenly her presence filled the whole rooftop. She felt as if she could move wherever she wanted and her first thought wasn't Xuefeng's arms but one of the spots with a crystal dot on the ground.
'Congratulations on your first time.' Her Spirit called out in her mind and Yi discovered she wasn't next to Xuefeng anymore as her body appeared a few meters away from him. She smiled and looked at the amazed Xuefeng before finally replying to his question, "Mhmm, I will work hard."
It would be strange if he didn't understand what Yi's felt after going through the same with Xiao Wen but he couldn't accept her feelings. Would he accept and bear some affection towards her with some time? He didn't know that and neither did she but he knew his limits. Trying it out and hoping for some feelings to develop between them would only make his relations with others suffer which he would never go for. He couldn't afford that anymore.
"Alright. That's what I wanted to hear." Knowing that, Xuefeng nodded satisfied with his decision and sat down in the middle of the array, right in front of the stone column before calling out, "Xiao Wen, we can start."