"Wasn't that Miss Qiao Mei?"
"It definitely was. She just returned two days ago after so many years."
"But who's that white-haired guy with her? I saw them together yesterday."
"Oh, I remember now. Miss Qiao Lian brought him back a few weeks ago."
"Strange... I can't sense any aura from him."
"That can only mean two things: he's either a crippled cultivator or someone powerful enough to conceal his cultivation."
"A powerful cultivator? Don't make me laugh. If he was powerful, why would he be unknown? And why was he doing basic training yesterday?"
"He's just trash. I don't know where Miss Qiao Lian found such a weakling and brought him back. I've never heard of anyone like him being part of the Qiao Family."
"Trash or not, he's lucky. To catch the attention of Qiao Lian and even be personally trained by Qiao Mei? Two hot mistresses."
"Watch your tongue. If you're overheard, I pity your miserable life."
"Relax. What's the worst that could happen? Don't act like you don't have your eyes on them too, especially Miss Qiao Lian. That curvy figure of hers—"
Several guards patrolling whispered among themselves as they watched Liam and Qiao Mei disappear into the distance.
"Enough gossip! Get back to your positions," a deep voice commanded from behind the guards. "If I hear this rubbish again, you'll face the consequences. Weaklings like you have no right to complain about anyone else."
The guards jolted in shock at the voice, cold sweat forming on their foreheads.
"Why are you still standing there? Have you gone dumb?" the voice demanded, radiating an oppressive aura.
Fear seized them as they stammered, "S-sorry, sir!" before scrambling back to their posts.
The figure who spoke was the head of the outer guards. He glanced in the direction Liam and Qiao Mei had gone, a frown creasing his face.
"What was she thinking, bringing him here?" he muttered, shaking his head.
******
Liam was taken aback by Qiao Mei's sudden question.
'Did she know about my plan all along?' A chill ran down his spine at the thought.
Had he been too careless, allowing his intentions to be seen through?
Still, he kept his composure, letting out a soft chuckle as he replied, "Who wouldn't want to grow stronger to protect their lady..."
Before he could say more, Qiao Mei raised her hand, silencing him.
"You might fool my sister with your fake sincerity, but not me. You're planning to escape, aren't you?"
Liam's expression hardened. His tone turned sharp as he responded, "In this life, power is everything. You either have it, or you're at the mercy of those who do."
He paused, his eyes meeting hers with a chilling seriousness. "I refuse to be at anyone's mercy. So, what are you going to do? Turn me in? Report me to your cousin?"
Liam demanded, his eyes dead serious as he focused on Qiao Mei without any fear in them, silently calculating her next move.
At that moment, Liam's guard was at its highest. He knew Qiao Mei's strength, but for his survival, he was prepared for the worst. If anyone stood in his way or posed a threat to him, he wouldn't hesitate to act.
For his survival, he would eliminate anyone who stood in his way or posed a threat to him. If rising to the top meant becoming a demon, then he would embrace it—a ruthless and bloodstained demon. In this world, there were only two choices: devour or be devoured.
Qiao Mei's face furrowed at his words.
He was straightforward and didn't bother to deny it or cover it up with lies.
The hot tension between the two could be felt in the air, as if there was going to be an outburst between them.
However, to his surprise, Qiao Mei's expression softened after observing him, sensing a strange air of confidence around him as he maintained his stance against her despite his weakness.
Liam was taken aback in surprise by her relaxation but remained alert in case she launched a surprise attack.
"Now, let's get back to the training."
Liam narrowed his eyes, startled and unsure if he had heard her correctly.
"We don't have all day for this. After today, there are only two days left, and not much time."
As her words echoed in his mind, Liam's expression darkened as reality sank in. Watching her closely, he detected sincerity in her tone, but he held back, keeping his distance.
Qiao Mei silently stood there, without emitting any aura, like an innocent and harmless girl who couldn't even hurt a fly.
Liam observed with a baffled look as the situation felt weird to him.
"Okay, I'm ready now. What is the training?" Liam spoke after the short silence.
He could tell that she sincerely meant her words.
Since she didn't talk about it again, he would put that aside and get back to his training. Later, he would find out why she asked that sudden question.
"You see those over boulders there," she slowly answered, pointing at the rocks in front. "For the next hour, that's what you'll train with before you go back to yesterday's training."
Liam looked stunningly at the boulders in front.
A few meters from them, there were numerous rocks, arranged in an orderly way, from small to larger ones. Strangely, there were numbers carved on the rocks, ranging from one to fifty.
Liam looked with confusion.
"The numbers on the boulders are there to help track your progress," Qiao Mei explained immediately, noticing his gaze on her. "As a beginner, you need to start with the smaller ones. Over time, as your body adapts and strengthens, you can gradually move on to the heavier ones, depending on your limits and progress."
"Then, at this point, I just need to know which number matches my current strength..." Liam nodded his head in understanding, his eyes flashing with interest at which number he could lift.
"Exactly," Qiao Mei answered.
Liam approached the boulders, standing in front of the smallest number.
Without hesitation, he lifted the boulder into the air effortlessly. Before he could put it down, he heard her voice.
"Don't drop it immediately. Carry it for at least five minutes and let your body feel the impact before moving on to the next one."
Liam slowly began lifting the first boulder. For the first two minutes, it felt almost weightless. As he approached the four-minute mark, his hands began to feel the weight of the boulder, which his body needed.
Qiao Mei stared at him in interest to see which number he could currently carry.
He moved on to the next one after completing the five minutes. With a short struggle, he still managed to lift the second one into the air. Repeating the same action, he found moving his hands up and down slightly more difficult.
His legs pressed firmly into the ground, and with gritted teeth, he struggled under the weight of the number two boulder. As the final two minutes approached, his hands began to tremble weakly.
Sweat poured down his body as he struggles to maintain his stance.
Thud!
A gust of wind caused the boulder to fall a few feet away from him.
"That's enough. At this current state, your body can barely manage the number two. Don't try to force it," Qiao Mei said, approaching him.
Liam stood firmly, sweat trickling down his body. He closed his eyes, feeling his body's condition.
'It is effective,' he was happy about it.
"Now you know which numbers your body can handle. Sit down and let the energy circulate in your body," Qiao Mei advised.
Obediently, he sat down where he was and closed his eyes. He could feel his muscles pulsing with energy, his inner body absorbing its benefits as well.
An hour passed before he opened his eyes, realizing Qiao Mei was no longer there.
But he knew she wouldn't leave entirely and was likely watching from a hidden spot.
Liam didn't return to the boulders. Instead, he resumed the training from the previous day, working on completing the system quest.