The woman's face was incredibly beautiful and peerlessly charming; a single frown or smile from her could ensnare any man's soul.

Ji Wuming had a fondness for beautiful women.

However, when you turned around and found the face of a beautiful woman merely an inch from your own, a deep chill washed over you. That was how Ji Wuming felt now. Her smile, which wasn't quite a smile, was especially terrifying.

Ji Wuming's hands and feet went cold, but he dared not retreat. Forcing himself to remain calm, he asked, "Who... who are you?"

He was at the half-step Golden Core Realm. With this level of cultivation, he would be considered a master not just on Earth, but even on the Moon. Yet, he hadn't sensed the woman's presence in the slightest.

What does this mean? It means her cultivation and strength are far above my own.

"What are you doing skulking around here?" the woman asked, cocking her head. The corners of her lips curved slightly in what could have been a laugh or a sneer.

Ji Wuming swallowed hard, not daring to speak. His mind raced, frantically calculating any possible means of escape.

Soon, he grew desperate.

If I try to flee head-on, I'll never get away. If I use my spiritual energy, I'll alert Xu Lai on Mount Haitang, and I'll be dead for sure! But if I don't use spiritual energy, there's no way I can get past this woman.

Knowing escape was hopeless, Ji Wuming took a step back, exhaled a turbid breath, and said, feigning weakness, "Senior, is there something you need from this junior?"

"Nothing in particular," the woman said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear with a coquettish laugh. "There was quite a stir in the neighboring Sea City, so I came to have a look."

The neighboring Sea City...

Those words made Ji Wuming's heart clench. This woman is a sea demon from a Sea City—she must be a Demon King!

Suddenly, a name surfaced in his mind: Yuan Man, the Demon King!

Beautiful and fearsome. According to our informants, on the day Orochi the Demon King was killed by Xu Lai at Mount Zijin, it was Yuan Man who eliminated all of Orochi's subordinates. The organization's strategists speculated that she has a connection to Xu Lai! In fact, the opening of the forbidden grounds on Mount Zijin that day might have been a trap set by Xu Lai and Yuan Man for Orochi.

Once he realized her identity, Ji Wuming's fear subsided. He was afraid of the unknown, not of high-level cultivators.

"So, you're the one who incited the sea demons to kill Xu Lai, aren't you?" the woman asked, her head still tilted, twisting it at an unnervingly strange angle.

"This junior doesn't understand what Senior Yuan Man is talking about," Ji Wuming replied calmly, though a chill ran down his spine from her eerie smile. "I still have matters to attend to. Farewell."

The woman's elegant brows furrowed, but she didn't stop him, nor had she ever intended to. After all, she hadn't come here today to kill anyone. And although she was in the Demon King Realm, she wasn't confident she could detain the black-robed man. She had only been able to approach him silently because the sea was her domain, and she was skilled in a concealment cultivation technique.

However... in a real fight, it's hard to say who would come out on top. If he could give that useless Mu Cheng a trump card, who's to say he doesn't have a few of his own? Cultivation is like life; you must always be cautious.

Yuan Man looked up at the bright moon hanging high in the sky, a cold smile touching her lips. "Truly persistent dogs."

...

「Haitang Court」

It was midnight.

After eating and drinking their fill, the female employees from Above the White Clouds were in the living room playing drinking games. In less than half an hour, every single one of them was drunk, and even Ruan Tang was sprawled out on the sofa. The group of women could really hold their liquor, having polished off three whole jars of strong alcohol.

Although Xu Lai had removed the spiritual energy from the wine so it couldn't be used for cultivation, it could still easily extend their lives by thirty or forty years. More importantly, their physical health would improve dramatically, and achieving whiter, more beautiful skin was no longer just wishful thinking.

"Xu Lai, help me send them home..." Ruan Tang murmured, her eyes hazy with drink.

"Rest easy. Leave it to me," Xu Lai whispered.

Receiving his firm assurance, Ruan Tang peacefully closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Xu Lai waved his hand, and dozens of clouds appeared in the air. As for where the women lived...

"Heavenly Dao," Xu Lai said flatly.

A faint voice reached his ear. "The Heavenly Dao is sleeping..."

"You handle it."

Without another word, Xu Lai tossed out the command and carried Ruan Tang back to their room.

As for Taotie, he had his own business to attend to. His face dark, he grabbed Yun Jin by the scruff of her neck. "Go back to the clan and confess everything to the clan leader yourself."

"Brother..." Yun Jin instinctively pleaded, only realizing her mistake the moment the word left her lips.

"Hmm???"

Taotie's expression grew even darker. So this little brat is getting addicted to calling me that, is she?

He lashed out with his hand, delivering dozens of slaps. Yun Jin cried out in pain, her eyes welling with tears. If it weren't for the soundproof barrier Taotie had erected, the entire East Sea City would have echoed with the little girl's screams that night.

"Ancestor! Great Ancestor, I was wrong! Please stop hitting me..." Yun Jin wailed, not daring to struggle as the slaps rained down on her bottom.

Taotie remained expressionless.

Yun Jin knew that not even the sky falling could save her now. In despair, she looked at Yiyi with a gaze that wasn't of a simple farewell, but of a final parting, as if by death.

"Uncle Taotie, stop hitting Jin'er! Let her play with me for a bit longer," Yiyi pleaded, stepping in front of Yun Jin. She looked up at the First Divine General with a pitiful expression. "I don't have school tomorrow. Daddy said I can play a little longer."

"I never said that," Xu Lai's voice drifted down from the second floor. "Xu Yiyi, go wash up immediately, then get in bed and go to sleep."

"Then can I have Jin'er play with me tomorrow during the day?" Yiyi asked tentatively. "Is that okay, Daddy?"

"..."

Silence from the second floor.

The First Divine General, known by the cultivators of the Immortal Domain as an impartial, emotionless killing machine, didn't hesitate for a second. He dropped the teary-eyed Little Glutton onto the floor.

"As the Princess wishes," he said respectfully.

"Thank you, Sister Yiyi! WAAAAAH!" Yun Jin burst out crying.

Her life was too hard.

I was sealed in a crystal ball a thousand years ago, wasting a millennium. When I finally wake up, I offend The Supreme Emperor and my own Ancestor and get beaten senseless. Who else could provoke an Emperor Realm and a Quasi-Emperor Realm expert and walk away in one piece? Only I, Yun Jin of the Taotie Clan! It's just a bit rough on the behind, is all. I probably won't be able to sit down for half a month...

Just then, Xu Lai, having settled Ruan Tang in bed, came down the stairs. He glared at his daughter and Yun Jin. "You two, go wash up together. There are new toothbrushes in the cabinet."

"Okay, Daddy!"

"Yes, Your Majesty."

The two little girls hopped away. Xu Lai could faintly hear Yiyi say, "Tomorrow, I'll introduce you to Qian Xiao and Mao Dou."

Now, only Xu Lai and Taotie remained in the living room of Haitang Court.

The First Divine General knelt on one knee and said with self-reproach, "Your Majesty, as a Taotie, I take responsibility for what Yun Jin did today—"

"I didn't take it to heart," Xu Lai cut him off, his tone turning gossipy. "Do you have something to wear for your date tomorrow?"

Taotie was speechless.

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