Chapter 408 - Inspection
'We can't just destroy the barrier.' Xuefeng gave him a quick response as he flew with everyone towards the Warship, leaving the closing barrier alone. 'My Clan is going to live in the Central Region. Once its natural habitat is destroyed, it will be similar to any other Region as the concentrated Spirit Qi will leak.
'Fine…' Only after hearing the solid reason like that did Drakos stop being grumpy. 'I absorbed a lot anyway. It was a tasty meal. One hundred times more and I should get back my previous body.'
'Oof, so much.' Xuefeng casually commented the moment he landed on the Warship's deck. 'I thought you actually got a lot this time. I could feel the monstrous Fate Qi that the girls kept pumping through my body.'
'Huh, you think I was this weak? I was the Legendary Drakos. Everyone knows my name.' Drakos actually felt hurt, showing his proud attitude but Xuefeng crushed it in one sentence.
'Well, I guess that didn't help when they hunted you down and forced to hide in this Realm.'
'Fuck.' Drakos didn't comment on that, leaving after a curse to absorb his Fate Qi properly. Xuefeng didn't mind that as Xiao Wen came up to him at that time and caught his arm, feeling proud of herself.
"I mastered Air Element!" She said as the corners of her lips lifted into a grin. "I think I'm the first one from the girls too."
Xuefeng wanted to praise her but Nuwa came up to them and preceded him.
"I will teach you some skills on the way. We still have a few hours left." She patted Xiao Wen's head as if she was her real daughter. "Yiren knows all six elements so you still have some work to do."
Even though it sounded like Nuwa tried to make her feel bad, Xiao Wen actually didn't mind it. She knew that she was still behind in that aspect but there was a new path in front of her with the current method they discovered.
If she continued with that pace, she could master other elements in less than a month.
"I know. After I stabilize the Air Qi in my dantain and study a few important skills for it, I will continue with another element." Xiao Wen called out excitedly with her hand clenched into a fist.
"Congratulations wifey, you did well." Xuefeng had to pull her into his arms to finally praise her. "Let's return to the Warship?"
There was nothing else to wait for so Xuefeng dragged both of them inside. It was the first time when he saw Xiao Wen this excited to learn and actually began asking Nuwa many questions about elements.
He didn't break their chit-chat and instead questioned in his mind, recalling that Ling disappeared right after Ming.
"Is everything alright? Ling? Ming?" He could feel their presence inside him so he was sure they could hear him.
He didn't expect he would hear a familiar cute voice a few sarcastic comments.
"Tsk… I was away for a few days and you already forgot about me." Little Ming snickered, shaming him for forgetting about her before calling out just as he tried to defend himself.
"I'm going to deal with you later. I will stay with my daughter for now. There is still a lot we need to talk about."
Xuefeng wanted to try again but then stopped himself, realizing it was good they wanted to socialize with each other and left them alone.
———
Within the next few hours, girls were waking up from their cultivation one by one. What surprised Xuefeng was that it was Yi who was the second one to complete her mastery.
Although there was no Earth as they were high in the sky but Xuefeng could still feel the Earth Qi coming out from her hand when she presented it as proof.
Naturally, it was still just the first step. Before they reached their first destination in the Central Region, they began their Element Manipulation study where Nuwa and Yiren taught others how to transform Elemental Qi into its physical form as well on how to control the natural element.
Only Yi had no latter in her surroundings so she focused on the first one. It was not a short process so they would have to continue it for a few days at least.
———
After hearing Nuwa's order to stop the Warship, Xuefeng had a bad feeling about the situation.
"Are you sure that its the correct place?" He asked to confirm. They came to the control room as it was Nuwa's turn to navigate the Warship. She was the only one who knew the coordinates for their first destination after all.
"Yes, I'm sure. It's within those mountains. Exactly where that temple is built." Nuwa nodded once again and Xuefeng didn't her yet again.
"Let's stop then," Xuefeng told his father who was already slowing down the Warship and looked at the city below.
"To think that they built a city here…" He muttered, not expecting such a case at all.
Their plan was naturally to claim the Fate Spirit that Nuwa met all those years ago. It was meant to be a simple job with both Drakos and Ling's second ability but it seemed like there would be some complications.
"It seems like its a clan-based city." Liu Xiaobei claimed after he challenged the city with his glance. Being someone with the most knowledge about clans, no one questioned his expertise.
"Let's go down. They probably already saw us anyway." Nuwa proposed, calmly walking towards the exit. She wasn't scared of confrontation.
———
For the Bai Clan, that day was special for everyone in the city. On the last day of every month, the best three talents of the clan could enter the temple and change their fate.
Three youngsters were looking at the gates to the temple with excitement and determination in their eyes. All of them were slightly beaten up because they paid a lot of blood and sweat to get this chance.
After placing the top three in the monthly tournament, they were one of the best who survived and won themselves this honor.
"Okay! Listen up!" The Elderly man that looked like one of the high ranked Elders from the Bai Clan called out to them to gain their attention. "According to the rules, you will go inside with an order of how you placed in the tournament. The first place will go in first of course, followed by the second and third. You only have one chance so do your best."
"Yes!" The youngsters agreed momentarily, knowing the rules very well. There wasn't anyone in the city who didn't know them well.
The winner of the tournament smiled proudly and walked forward, heading towards the temple.
Swish!
Unfortunately, he couldn't make more than a few steps when he felt pressure coming from the sky, forcing him to halt.
"Who is there! It's forbi—" The Elder quickly rose up in the sky, glaring at the people approaching, wanting to prove his worth and protect the rules but his tongue got quickly tied when he realized he wasn't stronger than any of the individuals that arrived.
What was worse, he didn't know any of them. Luckily for him, Xuefeng was really generous and announced the reason for his arrival to not trouble the Elder.
"Cough, we came for the yearly inspection! The Ruler of the Realm ordered that each temple has to be checked every year to catch illegal cults. We are sorry for the inconvenience. Cough." Xuefeng coughed into his hand as he spoke while trying to hold himself back from laughing.
Naturally, the Elder shivered when they mentioned the Ruler of the Realm but the boy who was about to enter wasn't scared and protested.
"But it's not a religion temple!" He didn't want to cry too loudly, regretting it after but he couldn't just stay quiet. It was his chance that he fought for.
"Don't worry boy. We will be quick." Xuefeng smiled and commanded to his team. "Let's go inside."
The Fate Spirit didn't belong to anyone so he didn't feel there was anything wrong with their action.
After all, first inside enjoys the bride...
Chapter 409 - Be Good
The girls were quite understanding with his decision of giving Tianshi this Fate Spirit. She was the weakest from the group with the least fighting experience so Xuefeng prioritized her this time. Having something that could help her in need would greatly lessen the worry in his heart.
As he planned on convincing the new Fate Spirit to join them willingly, Xuefeng gathered his team of Fate Holders as well as Tianshi and entered the temple with confidence.
But, he didn't expect that instead of receiving a scolding or some initial insults, Xuefeng would be greeted politely.
"I was waiting for you boy. Welcome." The interior of the temple was filled with the lady's voice as if she was talking to them from all sides. "It's a rare phenomenon to find someone's future change as abruptly as yours."
The temple wasn't spacious, having only one exit tunnel inside which was blocked halfway by a transparent barrier. Just as they neared it, they were discovered by the Fate Spirit.
"Mhmm, thank you." Xuefeng displayed basic courtesy before getting straight to the point. "Then I guess you know what we came here for."
He expected an affirmative answer yet the Fate Spirit didn't fulfill his wish.
"I know, but I'm sorry. I don't share any future with you." The Fate Spirit rejected politely. "Also, you already have other Fate Spirits anyway so you will do well without me."
Xuefeng wasn't mad at her and continued to convince her.
"Us having such a powerful group should actually be a reason to join us. Are you planning to stay here forever?" He asked as he walked up to the barrier, touching it.
He quickly received Drakos' confirmation that he can consume it easily, exactly what he wanted.
"No, I don't but I know my destiny. As you came with the lady that once visited me, you should know I can foretell the future. Though, when you touched the barrier, I didn't feel anything as if your future is constantly changing. I won't be useful to you." The Fate Spirit tried really hard to explain. "Please leave."
The last two words of hers were definitely not something Xuefeng wanted to hear. He glanced at Nuwa, Xiao Wen and Yi before taking Tianshi's hand.
"What about her?" Xuefeng pressed Tianshi's hand against the barrier, trying to test something but the Fate Spirit didn't change her opinion.
"Her future is surprisingly similar to yours. They seemed to be entwined with each other, making it extremely cloudy as well." She sounded as if she was a little bit curious but something was stopping her. "Anyway, that doesn't change anything. You all can leave. I can't help you."
'Little Ming, Ling, can you two convince her in any way?' Xuefeng asked in his mind, thinking through his options.
'I doubt she will listen. Spirits like her are loners, separated from the Fate Kingdom for thousands of years. She won't consider me as her Queen, especially with my current body.' Little Ming replied sweetly. 'I think that my big sister could think of something but she is tired now. I don't want to wake her up…'
Even though Ming and little Ming were just two different personalities, they treated each other like sisters.
'No, it's okay. I have another idea.' Xuefeng rejected her proposal, knowing that Ming already helped him enough recently.
"Do you enjoy living here with those people worshiping you?" He asked out of blue, changing the subject.
"I don't mind it. At least they keep away any pests and don't bother me too much." The foretelling Fate Spirit found the question weird but replied honestly, wanting to satisfy them and make them leave sooner than later.
"Mhmm, what about your powers. I am interested. Even if you can't tell my future, you can still foretell about others, am I right?" Xuefeng questioned once again.
This time, the lady Fate Spirit smelled something was wrong and didn't answer straight away.
"What are you trying to achieve asking those questions? …Even if I can, I won't. Each foretelling requires a lot of Fate Qi, I won't waste it." She didn't resist for long, exposing another vital information, making Xuefeng smile.
"So that's what you are worried about? Maybe this place is a spot which provides you with Fate Essence and that's why you don't want to leave?" Xuefeng voiced out his theory while secretly contacting Ling. 'Can you check the area for any sources like that?'
'I'm on it.' She immediately got to work, even before Xuefeng finished his sentence.
When he didn't get an immediate response, Xuefeng realized he was spot on. Though, just as he wanted to question her again, the lady's voice resounded in the temple.
"Wait!" She was suddenly up to talk it out. "Stop your spirit. It is indeed such a place. There is a treasure underneath this mountain that provides me with nine elements but its barely enough to feed me. It's not that great."
'She is telling the truth. There is something underground. Her barrier extends down there.' Ling reported after she finished her investigation, finally leading them to culmination. Xuefeng had a move up his sleeve that this Fate Spirit couldn't resist.
He grinned to himself and pulled out eight Fate Stones, holding them in between his fingers. The word confidence was written on his forehead.
"You see, I have a lot of this stuff… Isn't that exactly what you want?" Xuefeng asked as he waved with his hands left and right, showing off his riches before throwing the stones with a flick, sending two stones to each lady in the room.
"Also, I take good care of my women. They usually get a few thousand stones every month." He muttered as he hugged Tianshi into his arms, caressing her cheek with care. "It could be yours if only you decided to join us. Imagine how much foretelling you could do…"
Before she said anything, Xuefeng turned around and announced to the ladies.
"I guess we are not welcomed here. Let's return back to the capital." He acted cool and walked towards the exit with others following after him.
Luckily, Xuefeng wasn't wrong this time either.
"Wait!" The same voice that stopped him before resounded once again. "We didn't finish talking."
'Hehe, I knew it.' Xuefeng thought with enjoyment as he halted before asking sarcastically. "Didn't you ask me to leave earlier?"
"Doesn't matter. You can't expect me to believe you this easily, right? Anyone can pull out eight Fate Stones. If you can't prove your words are true then I can't risk this much." The Fate Spirit approached the conversation cautiously.
"It would be easy for me to prove by just pulling them out," Xuefeng muttered as he turned around. "But if you can't even foretell this much then maybe you are really no use for me. I might as well just let my spirit absorb you and be over with it."
Xuefeng didn't look like he was joking when he walked up to the barrier which stood at that place for many years and broke it with just a simple touch. The barrier started losing power as if someone was sucking the energy from the inside before breaking after a slight push.
The Fate Spirit was too shocked, feeling her barrier crumble after barely a second and only reacted after Xuefeng entered her cave, walking towards the golden crystal placed on the rock platform.
"Fine! I agree! I will join you!" She quickly called out, slightly in panic. Too bad that Xuefeng was up to give her a lesson first.
"Too late. I already changed my mind." He muttered with a shrug and walked up to the crystal with the intention to grab it.
"Nooo! I'm sorry! I will join you guys and connect with your woman! I will be a good Spirit!" She now regretted rejecting Xuefeng in the first place.
The Fate Spirit prepared for the worst, knowing she didn't have much fighting ability but what she expected didn't happen.
Xuefeng picked the golden crystal before giving it to Tianshi after he returned to the hall.
"Remember you promised to be good." He reminded, happy with the outcome.
Chapter 410 - Duped
Outside, the three youngsters were already getting impatient, feeling like someone was stealing their chance. After all, Xuefeng's group just came out of nowhere and entered the queue, standing first in line before using the power to shut them down. That's only something a bully would do.
"Damn, there is no way the Royal Family sent them… They didn't have the Royal Family uniforms! Or even a Sigil!" The winner of the tournament called out angrily, being the most pissed off. He wanted to rush out and enter inside the temple to see what they were doing yet he knew it was a suicide.
Thankfully, he didn't need to wait for too long to vent his anger as he saw a group of elders flying from the city towards them. An old man with all hair grey was leading them, looking like the most powerful of the bunch.
There was an aura of knowledge and power around him.
"Clan Leader!" The three youngsters quickly exclaimed at the same time, knowing very well who that man was. He was actually their only hope at that moment.
"Don't worry kids, we will settle everything." He announced the moment he landed in front of them and glanced at the temple. "Let's go talk to them."
Too bad, they didn't even make one step as they heard a male voice coming from the inside of the temple.
"The inspection is done! Thank you for your cooperation. You can return to what you were doing." Xuefeng went out of the temple and called out with his lips curved into a smile.
He successfully got another Fate Holder in his team and his dream of turning everyone into one was just a step away.
Holding onto Tianshi's waist, he only glanced at the group of elders before launching into the sky without saying anything else. It was best if they disappear as quickly as they came.
Although the old man had stronger cultivation than him, he didn't worry about his escape plan. Just as he thought about it, the group of elders also moved, deciding to intercept them.
"Hold on! Guests, it's quite rude to leave without exchanging greetings." The old man called out from the side, making Xuefeng frown but he didn't keep it for long, smiling to them as he halted, suspending in the air.
They were naturally stronger so he didn't mind. He knew that Nuwa and Xiao Wen would be restless, wanting to go all-in into a battle mode so he extended his hand sideways.
"Girls, don't kill them yet. Move only if they get too close." Xuefeng said it as if he was scolding them, not wanting to repeat a previous mistake.
Just those words alone were enough to alarm the group of elders, forcing them to halt some far away. No one would like to gamble on their life.
"Is there something wrong? I'm sorry but we are in a hurry. We need to visit other temples in the area." Xuefeng continued to hold onto the same story, trying to bullshit his way out.
"Mhmm, it's understandable." The Old Clan Leader nodded with his head, keeping the calmness on his face and glanced at the Warship hovering in the sky. "Is this Xiao Family Insignia? I thought Royal Family doesn't have good relations with Xiao Family?"
Xiao Wen and Nuwa were glad the Old Man noticed it, making it impossible to avoid the battle. Unfortunately, just when they wanted to sharpen their swords, Xuefeng ruined their plans.
"Cough, cough," Xuefeng cleared his throat before his speech. "According to the new Central Region state Law, section three, article twenty-four, paragraph fifty-seven: The Central Region Commissioner, commonly known as the Temple Inspector, has the right to use any existing insignia on his Warship as he wishes, including all symbols and pictures known in the Earth Realm."
After acting as if he was reading from his memory, he shrugged and stared at the old man, waiting for his reaction.
None of them knew what Xuefeng was talking about aside from Tianshi who almost burst out laughing, stopping herself in the last second.
"What…? Sections? Articles? What is this all about? I never heard anything like that before." The Old Clan Leader was weirded out, not getting any of the concepts.
Xuefeng only frowned and continued, scolding the poor Clan Leader.
"Section one, article five, paragraph nineteen! Any Central Region citizen is required to know the law! Ignorance is never an excuse to go against the law!" Xuefeng was trying to master his bullshitting craft, making the Clan Leader even more confused.
"Since when are there any laws like that? We were never informed." The Clan Leader didn't know why but he started to get anxious, thinking the Ruler of the Realm actually created a new set of laws.
It would be a disaster if it was actually true. They didn't know anything about them!
At that point, the girls realized that Xuefeng was faking the whole thing just like he faked the inspection and smiled, finding it funny too. Tianshi squeezed his hand and joined in the fun.
"I thought that the messengers already informed every Central Region Clan about the change in the laws? Are you saying that it's the Royal Family's fault? You should rather ask your elders if they hid something from you." She informed casually as she threw a look at the elders, hovering behind the Clan Leader.
It wasn't strange that they all panicked, not knowing about any new laws as well. Their uneasiness only increased the moment their Clan Leader turned around and glared at them all.
"What are they talking about! Did you miss any letters?!" The old man scolded them and they hurriedly shook their heads. "Clan Leader! There were no such letters and we didn't welcome any messengers!"
The Clan Leader could see the honesty in their voices but Tianshi didn't stop there.
"Does that mean you didn't pay the new taxes? If you don't know about new laws, it must mean you didn't pay anything." Her face changed expressions, looking as if she was about to say, 'Okay, now you are in deep shit.'
"Taxes…?" The finance elder asked with a look of fear on his face. If he really missed something, he would have to pay from his own pocket.
"Yes, of course. Income tax, payroll tax, property tax, consumption tax and all other fees that are described in section two in the articles one to ten. There is no way you didn't pay taxes for the last half a year, right?" She covered her face with the free hand, trying to hold back her laughter but seeing the elder's faces, her smile froze and she turned serious.
"You are joking, right? Tell me you guys are joking?" She asked as if she was really concerned with them before tugging onto Xuefeng's arm, pleading on their stead. "Please, let's not report it. Look how pitiful they are… The interest from the taxes will destroy their clan…"
Xuefeng rolled his eyes at her, playing with her act.
"Don't give me those eyes again… I already spared the last clan… We can't help everyone. Once we get discovered, I will be the first to suffer a backlash…" Xuefeng muttered unhappily, not liking this idea at all, but looking as if he was hesitating, having a hard time resisting her.
The finance elder realized it was his chance to avoid the troubles so he immediately tried to beg for help.
"Milady, please, help us this one more time…" He pleaded with anxiousness.
Tianshi smiled at the elder before grabbing Xuefeng's face and giving him a solid kiss on the lips.
"Please… Just one more time… I will give you something special later…" She winked at Xuefeng while reaching down towards his stomach, looking as if she was grabbing onto his crotch.
Only then did Xuefeng change his expression, showing a lewd smile for a second.
"Fine… Just this one last time." He agreed reluctantly, turning to the Clan Leader. "You are lucky that my girl stood up for you else I would report it to the higher-ups. Send someone to the Capital to receive a copy of the new laws."
"Yes… We will do that, thank you, Lord." The elder thanked, hoping his ass was saved for now.
"We will leave." Xuefeng decided, moving forward, but then halted and pulled out a free Storage Ring filled with Spirit Stones and threw it at the Clan Leader.
"Take this One Million Spirit Stones. This should be enough to cover the debt you have. My wife decided to help you so I can't be stingy." He announced, caressing Tianshi's cheek.
When the Clan Leader caught it and really saw a pile of High Tiered Spirit stones, his eyes went wide. For a big Clan like the Xiao Family, it was almost nothing but for them, it was their monthly budget!
"Thank you! We will definitely do so." The Clan Leader forgot about the previous case, seeing such a generous gift. His lips couldn't help but turn into a smile.
"Mhmm, it's nothing." Xuefeng just waved with his hand as it was just casual gesture. "Farewell."
He didn't stay for much longer, taking advantage of the fact that the Clan Leader was disoriented and they flew towards the Warship. This time they were no longer disturbed and reached without any problems.
They quickly boarded it and departed. It was only after a moment when their warship was kilometers away from them, did they recall the previous issue and quickly returned to the temple.
The youngster who couldn't wait and entered the temple was standing there pissed off. Seeing the elders, he cried out with injustice.
"They were thieves! They stole the treasure from the temple! Inspectors my ass!" He cursed as he informed, making the Clan Leader realize they were duped.
"Damn!"
Chapter 411 - Dominating Capital
"You didn't have to give them one million Spirit Stones." Nuwa complained after they were already far away from the city. "They will not appreciate it at all. They will still consider us as thieves."
"I know, but it's alright. At least we know we paid for it." Xuefeng assured her before turning to Tianshi, his mind going back to their hilarious role play of the good and bad cop.
"Talking about this, you did great Tianshi. I didn't know you had it in you, haha!" He burst out laughing, hugging her tightly from behind.
Tianshi, spun in his arms and kissed him in response, getting an additional reward.
"You still don't know everything about me." She muttered while poking him on the nose, creating an aura of mysteriousness around herself.
'Not for long, hehe.' Xuefeng immediately thought of discovering even more about her.
"Did you connect with your Fate Spirit yet?" Xuefeng asked her curiously as they all gathered in one room. Everyone wanted to know why Xuefeng brought them there.
"No. She said we need peace and place without disturbance so I wanted to do it here." Tianshi admitted as she pulled out her new loot, golden crystal from the temple and compared them with Xuefeng's. The shapes were different, but the structure was similar.
Just as he wanted to ask in his mind, Little Ming volunteered to help.
'I can support her so that the spirit doesn't trick her. She seems to be scheming.' Little Ming called out without leaving outside. Xuefeng was sure that she would use this opportunity to introduce herself but she decided against it.
'You actually read my mind. Thank you. Make sure she is alright.' He thanked her, hoping everything goes along their plan.
"Tianshi, my Fate Spirit will help you in a second but first, I want to take some time and introduce someone special to you all." He spoke, gaining the girl's attention.
Ling, compared to Little Ming, couldn't wait to go out and hug into Xuefeng chest, showing his closeness with him.
"Is it another sister?" Yiren seemed to be the only one excited for that. She didn't see the difference between five or ten, as long as Xuefeng gave her enough attention.
"Yes, Nuwa and Xiao Wen already met her." Xuefeng nodded before calling out. "Ling, you can come out."
He already expected her to appear in his arms so he let go of Tianshi yet Ling didn't, choosing to materialize in the middle of the circle they created.
"Hello sisters. I'm Ling. Please take care of me." She bowed while lifting the corners of her white, princess dress and smiled brightly, looking as innocent as field flower.
Momentarily, Xuefeng got ignored as everyone walked up to Ling and give her a warm hug, with Yiren being the first one. The two fluffy balls titled left and right as their chests squished against one another.
"Ling has been my Fate Spirit since the beginning so I hope you will be nice with each other." Xuefeng finished the introduction and after a series of hugs, Ling finally found its way towards him.
"Xuefeng! Can I improve their talents as my gift? It seems we didn't do it for all sisters." Ling proposed, staring at his eyes with expectations. Xuefeng felt like no matter what she ask for, he just couldn't reject her, afraid to see her disappointment.
"Right!" Xuefeng slapped his forehead. "I forgot. Yes, you can do that while I assist Tianshi with her Fate Spirit."
"Thank you!" Ling exploded with happiness and jumped into his arms, hanging herself around his neck before locking on his lips.
She didn't let go for a long time, forcing him to embrace her to support her body. He already figured what she was doing.
It was her method to showcase her love for him. Based on their previous interactions, it wasn't clear if they were lovers but the kiss could dispel any doubts.
Pulling away from him, Ling acted innocent, blushing sweetly and dropped to the ground, giving him last hug.
"I love you~" She confessed in front of everyone, hopping backwards right after while waiting for his response.
Xuefeng wanted to reply on instinct but realized it was a trap. If he said he only loved Ling, he would have to repeat himself with everyone.
"Me too, I love you all. I'm glad I met you girls." Xuefeng said instead while starting at each pretty face before distracting them by calling out to Tianshi. "Come, we will use another room to have some peace."
"Yes." Tianshi nodded and grabbed his extended hand, leaving the rest alone as they exited the room.
"Shan, how about you first?" Ling chose the first target without wasting time, not feeling anxious in front of the girls.
"Sure."
———
As the Central Region wasn't that big compared to other regions, they didn't even need a whole day to arrive in the capital. Luckily, they didn't have any disturbance on the way.
After Tianshi connected with her Fate Spirit, Xuefeng left her to familiarize herself with the new friend and instead focused on his Clan. He realized that with how Royal Family was treating them, their Clan would be most likely bullied.
They could hire many experts and receive Xiao Family support but that wouldn't change the fact that their main clan was weak.
Xuefeng decided to help them by improving everyone's talent to at least purple, while giving a black talent to the most hard working. By giving them a before taste of the ultimate reward of a golden talent, he hoped his Clan Members will pay him back with their enthusiasm to train.
Unfortunately, it wasn't enough for him. Even with talent improvements, they would be weak for months. He couldn't protect his clan all the time and Xuefeng already knew he would not stay for long.
Just as they landed in their new territory, Xuefeng thought of a good idea.
"How about we bring some trusted Forest Elves outside and let them live here?" He asked curiously, wanting to hear Nuwa's opinion.
He was surprised to hear her casual response.
"I don't mind. My home is by your side. If you can connect your clan with my race, it would be really beneficial for both sides. After all, we can't be the only connection between the two." She observed their new palace as she shared her view.
Xuefeng thought she would prefer her race to live in peace, knowing there would for sure be troubles with that decision but he was glad hearing the first part of her words.
He was about to continue pondering when Little Ming dropped a bomb.
'You know that you won't be able to enter the Holy Land after you ascend? I think you should plan everything ahead before you do.' Little Ming informed him, seeing he didn't know yet.
She thought that Xuefeng would be troubled but he wasn't that worried. 'I will be able to create my own Fate Qi once I master all elements. I won't need the Holy Land by then.' He said confidently, making Little Ming embarrassed. She was the one who told him about it yet she forgot to mention it.
It would still be nice to have a surplus of Fate Stones so he didn't give up on the Holy Land.
"How about I leave it to you Nuwa? It would be nice to bring a few skilled elves that could help my father build the clan." Xuefeng proposed, hugging her from behind and one kiss was enough to convince her.
Nuwa knew she had to return soon anyway as she was technically still a Queen there. Not showing herself for so long, many elves would be worried.
Jumping from the warship, straight down to the ground, Xuefeng muttered as he flew, "It's time to dominate the Capital, hehe."
Chapter 412 - Yiren POV
Yiren stood at the edge of the Warship and looked at the horizon of buildings, her breath taken away as it was the first time she saw such a big city. She blinked her eyes a few times upon seeing a giant castle, much bigger than her own in the Holy Land. Earlier she was staying in the Warship so she didn't get to see any.
"Whoa… Are we going to live here with everyone?" Yiren asked herself rhetorically, not expecting an answer from anyone yet someone hugged her from behind and confirmed it. "Of course—do you like it?"
Yiren recognized Xiao Wen's voice and nodded with a smile, catching her sister's hands into hers. "I'm glad we will finally settle down at one place for a while."
"You will also see our father too. Are you excited?" Xiao Wen asked curiously as she let go of Yiren, seeing that everyone was already out, ready to descend. She didn't expect Yiren to abruptly turn around and catch her hands with excitement.
"Really?!" Yiren called out, her light blue eyes opening wide. "I always wanted to see him." Yiren regretted that she wasn't there when her father was inside Liu Clan so now having such an opportunity, it was normal to be thrilled about it.
"Don't worry, they should come to greet us soon," Xiao Wen assured her as she glanced into the distance and she just so happened to see a group of people flying over from the distance. "I guess they are already here. Lets join Xuefeng down below."
Xuefeng already jumped down when everyone left the Warship. "Yes," Yiren nodded, hyped up about the whole situation as he gaze followed her sister. Silky white wings spread from her back and she jumped off first, flipping to the front as if she was jumping into water.
Gentle wind hit her but she skillfully landed next two both her mother and Xuefeng. Now everyone could fly so all of her sisters proceeded to jump as well. Yiren didn't wait for them to come as she dove into Nuwa's embrace, too impatient to wait with the news.
Yiren could see Nuwa was talking with Xuefeng about something important as their faces were calm but serious so she decided to loose the atmosphere between them. "Mom! We will see dad! He is coming to us already!" Yiren called out, her cheek snuggled on top of her chest.
Yiren didn't expect her mom to actually frown hearing the news. "Where?" Nuwa asked, looking around the sky as her Spirit Awareness filled their surroundings. It wasn't long before she pinpointed Xiao Feng's location, still some distance away from them.
Xuefeng walked up to them and placed his hand on their waists. "Yiren," He called out to gather Yiren's attention. "We just talked with Nuwa and she decided to return to the Holy Land for a day. She has some matters to settle."
Yiren blinked, the information scanning in her brain lagging a bit. "Huh…? Right now?" She finally reacted, looking at Nuwa with confusion. They just arrived and instead of checking the capital for a bit, she was already leaving.
"Yes, the earlier I leave, the sooner I come back. I want to organize the business we created but also bring some members of our race. Xuefeng's Clan needs help in making a name for themselves so we want to connect our races," Nuwa explained the plan, caressing Yiren's cheek. "Do you want to come with me or st—"
Yiren didn't let her finish as she immediately interrupted her. "Can I stay?" Yiren asked as she hugged into Xuefeng's chest. "I want to see Auntie but someone needs to protect Xuefeng while you are gone, right?"
"Hah, of course you can." Xuefeng replied for Nuwa and gave Yiren a peck on the lips, thinking of how cute she was. "You are the one who decides what you want to do. You can visit Holy Land any time you want after all."
'Mhmm, too short… One more.' Yiren thought as the sensation of Xuefeng's lips lingered on her body and leaned for a repeating kiss, holding onto his cheeks to prolong it.
"I will stay then," Yiren announced after she finally pulled away.
Yiren didn't know that her actions made Nuwa a step too late to leave before Xiao Feng could arrive. She wanted to give Xuefeng a departing kiss before sneakily leaving.
"Xuefeng! Xiaobei! You all finally arrived," A male voice hit them from the skies and everyone turned, watching as a small group of experts landed. Xuefeng's parents were also outside, coordinating the clansmen who were leaving the Warship.
They landed next to Xuefeng's group though, not disturbing Liu Xiaobei.
Yiren's initial plan was to be the first to greet them yet a sudden stage-fright engulfed her. She stood beside Xuefeng while staring at the middle-aged man, stomping towards them on the soft grassy ground.
'Is that really my father?' Yiren asked herself, the fear disappearing as soon as it appeared. She was slightly disappointed at Xiao Feng's sight. Despite being all powerful, he was glancing at Xuefeng with a bit of envy that he masked very well. She was only able to discover it after being exposed to such behavior since years ago. Many elves naturally envied her golden, royal blood.
"We are still late. There were some delays we had to take care of but we are finally here," Xuefeng replied smiling calmly at the group.
"Mom!" Both Xiao Wen and Tianshi called out at the same time and run up to lady next to Yiren's father, who quickly embraced the two of them before glancing at Xuefeng.
"It's okay, as long as you guys are here. Hope you can finally stay for much longer this time." She spoke while standing dignified and mature, resembling her auntie in terms of age. "I see new faces. Mind if you introduce them?"
The lady glanced at Yiren and Jiao, smiling at them. Yiren found her much more likable than her father so she didn't mind the question. "I'm Yiren," She called out, putting on a gentle smile and casually placed her hair behind her pointy ears, directly proving that she was Nuwa's daughter.
"Yiren is out big sister," Xiao Wen confirmed her mother's guess as she suddenly ran up to Yiren and went back, dragging Yiren with herself before introducing her to Xiao Feng. "Yiren, Xiao Feng—Xiao Feng, Yiren. All three of us have same father."
'She probably think that I still want to meet him, recalling my previous reaction,' Yiren thought as she observed Xiao Feng's face, trying to figure out its true character. The fake image of her father she has been building all those years was ruined for her.
Under Yiren's stare, Xiao Feng actually felt awkward, being first time in a situation he didn't know how to react to. He tried to get rid of the awkward situation by cursing at Xuefeng, "Damn you Xuefeng. All of my daughters are yours now. I still can't believe you pulled it off."
Only then did he recover his usual confidence and turned to Yiren, smiling at her like a father would to a daughter while lowering her head to match her height. "Hi Yiren. I am your fath—" He tried to greet her yet he couldn't finish because a sudden hand crushed into the top of his head.
BANG.
"Bad Daddy!" Yiren cried out, massaging the side of her hand which she just hit Xiao Feng. "Don't curse Xuefeng! He is the best man you can find!"
Yiren didn't stop her scolding at that and instead glared at him before pointing at Xuefeng. "Apologize now," She ordered sternly, her cheeks puffed.
"What…?" Xiao Feng was still in shock, just like everyone else. If they had water in their mouth, they would spurt it all out.
"I said apologize!" Yiren repeated in a shout, stomping with her foot which made the ground shake. She was against anyone who cursed at Xuefeng, no matter her father or god.
Xiao Feng turned red from anger but the moment Yiren squinted her eyes, all that anger disappeared and he awkwardly apologized. "I'm sorry…" he muttered in front of everyone.
If anyone thought that Yiren would stop at that, they were quickly proved wrong. "I'm sorry for cursing! I will never do it again! Repeat!" Yiren ordered yet again.
"I'm sorry for cursing! I will never do it again!" Xiao Feng repeated without questions this time, shame visible on his face.
Finally being done, Yiren smiled, turning from a devil into an angel and patted Xiao Feng on the head. "Good daddy. I hope you won't do that again," She said with her soothing voice, showing her bright persona.
"Pffffffttt!" Nuwa couldn't hold back anymore and finally burst out laughing, glad she didn't leave early.
Chapter 413 - Troubles?
As much as Xuefeng wanted to laugh, he understood Xiao Feng frustration as a fellow man. Who wouldn't want to have multiple top class beauties as wives while shared deep love with them. Although it was hard, Xuefeng was an example that it was doable.
"Yiren, don't scold your father too much," Xuefeng called out with a smile, barely holding himself from laughing from the constant giggle of Nuwa next to him. "Come here."
"Yes~" Yiren nodded happily and hopped into Xuefeng's arms in a few steps, her feet flying into the air as she hanged herself on his neck. Xuefeng didn't have the will to tell her otherwise, no matter what customs were in place and embraced her to support her.
"Yiren, I want to tell you a secret, okay?" He spoke in a secretive tone, feeling as Yiren's fingers dive into his scalp and massage it.
"Oh!" She exclaimed interested, the word secret gathered all of her attention. "I'm listening." Yiren fell back to the ground, looking excitedly into his eyes but she didn't let go of Xuefeng's neck.
Xuefeng smiled and glanced at all of his women as he spoke. "What we have here, you, me, your mother and your sisters. All of it is hard to replicate but every man wish to have it too, so don't scold your father. Its normal." He explained the concept to her, giving Yiren a kiss as a bribe to be nice before letting go of her.
"Really? Well, daddy was still bad to curse you. He should be nicer in the future," Yiren held her ground, not giving up on her believes.
At that moment, Xiao Feng's wife suddenly spoke, glancing at her husband in all smiles. "Is that true? Do you want me to get some sisters?" She asked, her nails gently grazing on his cheek. "If you really want it, I can compromise."
Gulp…
'Damn you Xuefeng…' Xiao Feng couldn't help but curse again, this time in his mind to avoid another scolding from his long lost daughter and quickly reacted to his wife's provocation.
"No, I think I'm good. I'm completely satisfied with you sweetie." Xiao Feng replied, acting like any man would in that situation. Though, he expected a different reaction from her.
Xiao Yuying, his wife, showed a regretful expression while sighing to herself, "Ah, and here I thought I could get a bunch of sisters I could gossip with when you are busy…"
"Huh?" For a second, Xiao Feng believed her, actually never against such an idea. "I mean… If you really want to—"
He didn't get to finish his words as a few fingernails were digging into his cheeks, showing his wives disapproval. Xiao Feng realized he was trapped by her words.
"We will talk about it at home," Xiao Yuying finished the discussion with signature words and everyone felt bad for Xiao Feng, even his own men.
Glancing over at Yiren, she recovered her smile and returned to the previous subject. "It was nice to meet you Yiren. Don't worry about scolding. Xiao Feng needs someone to set him straight as he doesn't listen to me most of the times. We should become friends, hehe," Xiao Yuying expressed with a giggle to which Yiren quickly agreed. "For sure!"
Knowing the show was over, Nuwa threw a cutting glance at Xiao Feng who has been giving her some attention with his eyes before suddenly taking over Xuefeng's lips with her own, not bothered by everyone watching. She turned Xuefeng around so his back faced the rest and left continuous bites on his lips, giving him no other choice but to respond with the same.
Xuefeng knew it was her goodbye kiss so he didn't push her away until she did so herself, causing them to stay glued to each other for at least half a minute, making everyone wait for them.
Nuwa finally let go of him and licked her lips, wiping them alluringly with her finger before spreading her wings while still being hugged by Xuefeng. "I will be back tomorrow. I gave you a taste so you can miss me," She said, giving him one last peck and expecting him to let go of her as she swung with her wings, launching into the sky, only to still see Xuefeng's face in front of her, holding her body tightly.
"Are you going with me?" Nuwa asked with a grin, her wings still swinging hard, ascending higher and higher with Xuefeng accompanying her.
"No, but I'm still yet to give you my taste…" Xuefeng finally replied when they were high above the clouds, the hand on her back suddenly slid onto her butt and grasped it strongly, causing Nuwa's mouth to open, only to get locked again by his lips. The force he used was nigher strong to cause her pain nor enough to get the satisfaction she needed.
Pressing her head against his with his fingers wrapped around her golden hair, Nuwa's lips were tied, constantly receiving a power kisses which made her lips go numb. She was supposed to dislike it, yet she strangely didn't, feeling pleasure from the tingling sensation.
Smack.
Her firm butt received red-mark worthy hit before Xuefeng's hand grasped it again, directly touching her smooth skin beneath her skirt. The burning sensation she felt was suddenly suppressed by a sudden bite on her lip which he prolonged, pulling away while dragging her lip with him.
Nuwa was out of words for a moment, staring into his blue eyes, covered by slightly messy white hair, flying all around due to wind. "You were never like this…" She muttered as her tongue touched her numbed lip, still feeling as if his teeth were biting on her.
"Come back soon if you want more…" Xuefeng whispered back, kissing her yet again, this time gently and with care, healing the numbness of her lips and burning on her butt, his palm giving a kneading massage to mask the previous sensation.
Nuwa didn't need much thought to know what she wanted. When he let go of her, finished fixing what he start, supporting himself only by holding onto her waist, she decided firmly, "I will come back as soon as I can, and then, we will repeat this… Okay?" Nuwa asked to confirm.
"As you wish." Xuefeng confirmed and sliding his hands off her body, he fell on her own, leaving the skies for her. She hovered in the sky, watching him hit the clouds and touched her lips yet again. "This dummy doesn't know what he started…" She muttered to herself, her lewd smile indicating the desire to fulfill her new fantasies and departed right after.
Landing on the ground, Xuefeng received a few stares as he naturally disrupted the meeting so he apologized, his expression calm. "I'm sorry, just some wife and husband teasing. Where did we finish?"
"It's okay, we exchanged some words with the girls as you were gone." Xiao Yuying replied first, not minding his actions and glanced at Jiao. "Can I know who are you milady?" She asked politely, not assuming that she was Xuefeng's woman. She didn't want to put anyone in awkward spot if she wasn't.
Jiao was waiting for her moment for a while already. Being cold out, she introduced herself, surprising even Xuefeng. "I'm Jiao, the eldest daughter of Central Region White Lotus Sect Master. I was Leading the branch of our Sect in Eastern Region but came with Xuefeng to the capital in case he needed me," Jiao said, glancing at Xuefeng as she spoke.
Xuefeng wanted to respond to that, not expecting she would actually be so high in ranks when Xiao Feng called out first instead of him. "Is your younger sister an alchemist perhaps?" He asked curiously.
"Mhmm, she is. I wanted to visit her today actually," Jiao replied casually but her words made Xiao Feng smile happily.
"That's great! If you can convince her to work with us, it would be amazing. She has been giving us troubles lately," Xiao Feng pleaded, where Xuefeng finally spoke.
"Troubles?"
Chapter 414 - Choice
"Yes. After you left, I was left to clean up and manage all the assets that Tang Family left behind. There was no problem at first and everything was normal until one of the alchemists started giving us a lot of pain. If she wasn't one of the best, we wouldn't bother with her," Xiao Feng explained shortly and added. "Coincidentally, she is also a daughter of White Lotus Sect Master which makes the matters difficult. We have share various businesses with White Lotus Sect so we don't want to ruin our relations with them."
Xuefeng finally got the gist of the situation and glanced at Jiao, wanting to see her reaction. As he thought, Jiao wasn't calm but instead there was a worry visible on her face.
"I don't think I will be able to help with her…" She informed, quite embarrassed for her sister. "She doesn't seem to listen to anyone, including me and my mother."
"Then I guess we don't have any chance to rope her in. All other alchemists joined our alliance yet she is the only one who can't seem to reach agreement with us." Xiao Feng lamented. "And to think she is the only one who holds the recipe for the Ascension pill."
"Ascension pill?" Xuefeng asked curiously, knowing he might need some for him or his women in the future. "Does it help to ascend?"
"Yeah, the pill is the great secret of my White Lotus Sect and only my sister successfully learned it. This is why no one can touch our sect as many top tier experts still await for their pills and they would do anything to get them. Protecting the sect when its in danger is just one of the basic help they can provide." Jiao answered on Xiao Feng stead, walking closer to Xuefeng and stopping right next to him. She wasn't someone who would not take her opportunities.
"Alright, I know what to do. Let me meet with her and try to convince her," Xuefeng quickly decided, not worried about the situation. If there was a problem, they just needed to fix it.
"Okay, as you wish." Xiao Feng agreed right away, glad Xuefeng took it on his own chest as he already tried everything and nothing worked.
"Girls," Xuefeng called out to the rest while patting Yiren's head who was the closest. "Can you help my parents in setting the territory when I settle the alchemists?" He didn't want to take everyone with him like a tourist group so it was better to find something to do for everyone.
"No problem," Xiao Wen replied and other nodded as well.
"I will also help with our men. Let's go ladies," Xiao Yuying also announced as she glanced at the multiple strong experts behind her which assured Xuefeng.
"Great, I will leave it to you guys," Xuefeng said with a smile, spreading his wings to fly when he realized Yiren was still holding onto his shirt, stopping him. She looked like she wanted to say something yet just before Yiren spoke, Xiao Wen came up to her and pulled her away.
"Yiren let's go. Negotiations are boring. We will find something better to do," Xiao Wen tried to convince her, quickly figuring Yiren's purpose of stalling. She naturally wanted to follow Xuefeng but Xiao Wen knew it wasn't a good idea. Yiren could easily ruin the negotiations by acting with her emotions.
Before she could resist, Yiren was already dragged away by her sisters and Xuefeng could only smile bitterly, knowing it was better this way.
Xiao Feng led the way for them as Xuefeng and Jiao followed next to him. She was flying surprisingly close to him but Xuefeng didn't put his attention on it, listening to Xiao Feng instead.
"Her name is Lisa. She didn't cause trouble at first. Her only requests to join us were standard. We only had to provide her with all materials she needed and a skilled assistant. We provide it to every alchemist so its not actually a problem. We agreed right away," Xiao Feng described the situation. "The troubles came later when Lisa began throwing out one assistant after another. Even the best assisting alchemist was thrown away. There is always something that she doesn't like."
Hearing what was the real problem, Xuefeng smiled, already having a plan in his mind. "I will solve it, don't worry," he assured his father-in-law, surprising both him and Jiao.
They landed in the middle of the busy street, gaining attention from all the strolling cultivators and seeing it was actually Xiao Feng, everyone gave way to him. Surprisingly, many recognized Xuefeng as well, especially his golden wings. There was only one golden-winged man who cursed the Ruler of the Realm and survived.
Xuefeng kept his calm, not looking at the people's eyes and they smoothly entered into one of the medical houses that had Xiao Family insignia on its front sign. Even though Xuefeng wanted the Tang Family properties for himself, he didn't mind that move, knowing that Liu Clan was still a nobody in the Capital. Everyone knew Xiao Family and being under them for a while could increase their sells.
They were greeted in the lobby by the general manager of the house who came up to them hurriedly, happy to see them. "Mr. Xiao! You finally came! Miss Lisa is creating a ruckus yet again!" the Manager called out as if he saw his savor.
Xiao Feng slapped his forehead and turned to Xuefeng, introducing him. "This is my son-in-law. He said he will handle the situation," He said proudly, giving Xuefeng some pressure to now handle the case.
"Oh! Young Master! I'm glad to meet you! Should I lead the way?" The general manager quickly bowed, beyond happy that the problem will be gone already.
"Yes please." Xuefeng replied shortly and they followed him to the back where the alchemists had their own apartments and laboratories. From afar they could hear screams coming from one of the mansions.
"I ruined another batch because of your incompetence! How can you be so stupid! Who even taught you alchemy?! Get out!"
Hearing the yells, Xuefeng smiled and whispered into Xiao Feng's ear, giving him a gist of his idea. It surprised him but Xiao Feng was willing to try anything so he agreed to Xuefeng's plan.
A moment later, the main doors of the mansion were opened and an angry alchemist walked out, his face burning. Despite being angry, he couldn't talk back to Lisa, being just a starting alchemist. If he were to offend a big shot like her, he wouldn't get far in the industry.
"Manager! Call the manager! I need a new assistant!" Lisa's voice came from the inside and soon a young lady came out of the house, surprised to see the guests.
"Sister! What are you doing here?" Lisa quickly run up to Jiao, not even bothered looking at Xuefeng or Xiao Feng.
Lisa and Jiao hugged, making Xuefeng confused for a moment. They looked identical! He definitely didn't think they would be twins. Blond hair, sharp green eyes with a similar figure, despite being slightly thinner.
"I came to visit you. How are you? I heard you create troubles." Jiao replied as she pulled away, asking for details to help Xuefeng.
Lisa grunted and glanced at Xiao Feng with angry expression. "Mr Xiao, am I causing troubles? I think its you who provide me with bad assistants every time," She shifted the blame, returning to her previous issue. "I want another assistant by tomorrow or I'm leaving."
Both the manager and Jiao sighed, knowing this would be a never ending circle but Xiao Feng pointed at Xuefeng, introducing him, this time in another role. "This is Xuefeng, the new assistant that I prepared for you. This time you will be really satisfied," He bluffed, already pitying Xuefeng.
"Huh?" Both Jiao and the manager reacted confused yet Lisa didn't catch that, walking up to Xuefeng instead to check him out.
She caught his chin, looking into his eyes before tilting it left and right to see his face from all angles as if he was a toy she wanted to buy.
"What are your qualifications? Who did you worked for before?" Lisa questioned after letting go of him, wrapping her arms under her chest. Despite being an alchemist, she wore a casual red dress with short skirt that showed her smooth legs.
Xuefeng was already prepared for such a question and shrugged, replying calmly, "Does it matter? No one else wanted to work with you. Either you take me or find someone else to provide you with endless resources for your research."
It wasn't an surprise that all of them had their mouth wide open after Xuefeng's words and Lisa was fuming.
"Hahaha!" She burst out in a angry laughter and countered him, "Do you think you are the only ones who can support my research? I have plenty of offers! Royal Family will gladly steal me away!"
Xuefeng didn't even blink hearing the threat. "We destroyed Tang Family in a single night, leaving no survivors. Royal Family is next," Xuefeng replied in all seriousness.
Although Lisa was surprised by his words, she naturally didn't give up. "Trade Union wants me too!" She called out with a smirk, knowing that no one could influence such a good deal for Trade Union.
Xuefeng walked up to her and caught her chin in a similar way she did to him, staring sharply into her eyes. "The daughter of Trade Union boss is my friend. They won't accept you with just one word of mine," he fired back with his own cards.
Lisa got a little intimidated so she took a step back but he followed after her, taking a step forward as well. "There are still many othe—" Lisa tried to defend but Xuefeng cut her off. "We will destroy them as well."
Thud.
Lisa hit the wall of her mansion, having nowhere to run anymore. This was the first time she met this kind of a man who didn't leave her a room to comeback at all. Before she could think of anything, she lifted her chin so she would look into his eyes and gave her a choice.
"Take it or leave it. We are fed up with your every day ruckus. Either you behave and work with us properly or you will have to find the herbs by yourself from now on. Choose."