Liucheng was shrouded in night, quiet and serene.
In the inner city, atop the highest point of the City Lord's Estate, two figures stood tall, overlooking the distance.
Both were women, possessing peerless figures like descending immortals, ethereal and moving in the moonlight.
"I thought you would accompany Qingyue back to see him?"
After a long silence, Yu Luosha in a white skirt and silver hair spoke first, her calm words carrying a rare trace of warmth.
"Qingyue has been very opinionated since childhood. Since she has already made her choice, it is simply impossible for her to change it. Seeing him or not no longer matters."
The speaker's voice was gentle. She wore a light-colored dress draped with blue gauze, her elegant demeanor tinged with an otherworldly air.
Beneath the hazy night was an exquisite oval face, brows like painted ink and eyes like stars, giving an impression of pure elegance and gentleness.
Her voice matched her appearance, gentle and captivating.
"Qingyue is not like you. With only an eighth-grade Spiritual Root, her future achievements are destined to be limited. Perhaps this is the best choice—living out a plain and ordinary life might not be a bad thing after all."
Yu Luosha sighed softly.
"As long as she is happy, that's enough. If I achieve success in the future, I will surely secure a Marrow Cleansing Pill for her to help her break through to the Golden Core Stage and extend her life by several hundred centuries."
"Very well. Go ahead with peace of mind; I'll handle everything here. Nothing will go wrong."
With those words, the place fell silent once more.
……
Time flowed like water, and in the blink of an eye, another year passed.
Over this past year, Liucheng had not changed much.
However, the Xia Estate had changed quite a bit.
First and most importantly, more than twenty years after coming to this world, Xia Changsheng finally had flesh and blood of his own. It was a true blood bond, and he no longer felt so out of place in this world.
Zhang Yuwei gave birth to a daughter for him. At the moment of her birth, Xia Changsheng, newly a father, was so nervous he almost rushed straight into the room. Fortunately, Liu Qingyue stopped him, preventing any embarrassment.
Their daughter was named Xia Yuhe.
If it had been a boy, he would have been named Xia Yu.
This was a decision Xia Changsheng pushed through despite all dissent during a family meeting, and the implication was not hard to guess.
The daughter inherited her mother's ninth-grade Spiritual Root aptitude, bringing Xia Changsheng 5 progress points the moment she was born—a pleasant surprise.
It also let him discover another way to grow stronger by keeping a low profile.
Secondly, Xia Changsheng took another concubine. The two maidservants brought back by Liu Qingyue last year—Qingmei and Qingzhu—ultimately could not escape his clutches and both married him as concubines half a year ago.
Of course, this naturally had Liu Qingyue's tacit approval and promotion.
On their wedding night, Xia Changsheng experienced the ultimate pleasure.
It kept him lingering in enjoyment for quite a while.
During this time, a minor incident occurred.
It completely established the reputation of the Xia Estate.
After the wedding, Xia Changsheng went out of the city for an outing with his beloved wives and concubines, where they accidentally ran into a drunken family scion. The latter actually spoke insolently and flirted with the four women, and was struck dead on the spot by the hot-tempered Qingmei, who revealed her Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation.
He was merely the direct descendant of a Qi Condensation clan, but in front of a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, they could only swallow this bitter pill in silence.
A Foundation Establishment Cultivator.
In Liucheng, they were already considered people above others. Aside from the five Golden Core Stage cultivators, any faction with a Foundation Establishment Cultivator holding down the fort could be called a regional power. At least in the southern part of Liucheng, there were very few Foundation Establishment Clans.
From then on, the Xia Estate truly entered the sight of those Foundation Establishment factions, stepping into the same circle.
Especially the head of the Xia Estate—Xia Changsheng.
Some Qi Condensation clans surrounding the Xia Estate had initially worried that the Xia Estate would take the opportunity to expand its sphere of influence. However, afterward, the Xia Estate grew quiet again, which relieved them, and gradually fewer and fewer people paid attention to them.
The Xia Estate, backyard.
Drunken Dream Pavilion.
The environment was secluded, named after the concept of a drunken dream.
At this moment, faint, unusual sounds drifted out from the tightly shut pavilion.
Finally, after I know not how long...
Xia Changsheng walked leisurely out of the room.
Outside, the sunlight was bright.
A gentle breeze blew past, dispersing a trace of fogginess in his mind, and his entire being instantly became much clearer.
As soon as he left the Drunken Dream Pavilion, he saw Zhang Yuwei walking over with graceful strides.
After childbirth, this talented lady had become even more charming. Every movement exuded astonishing allure, like a fully ripened peach.
Every time he saw her, it could stir up a man's deepest desires, though fortunately, Xia Changsheng was currently in a sage state, so he was still able to resist slightly.
"Husband, this is an invitation sent by the Li Clan."
Zhang Yuwei approached, accompanied by a fragrance as subtle as orchids. She possessed a natural body scent that became even more noticeable after childbirth.
"The Li Clan?"
Xia Changsheng took the invitation, paused for a moment, then opened the letter and quickly skimmed through it.
Soon, he had a general understanding.
Simply put, this was a gathering for the distribution of interests among the major Foundation Establishment Clans of Liucheng.
The past Xia Estate was merely a Qi Condensation clan and naturally had no qualification to participate in such meetings. However, half a year ago, after his concubine Qingmei revealed her Foundation Establishment Stage cultivation, in the eyes of outsiders, the Xia Estate naturally rose a tier.
As for this Li Clan,
it was the largest Foundation Establishment faction in Liucheng, rumored to have several Foundation Establishment Cultivators holding down the fort, and even a Foundation Establishment Perfection ancestor.
Back when An Qisheng had not yet broken through to the Golden Core Stage, the ancestor of the Li Clan was considered by most people in the city to be the future fifth Golden Core Real Person.
Unexpectedly, he was surpassed by An Qisheng later on.
Regardless of that, the Li Clan was undoubtedly the sixth largest power in Liucheng. Aside from lacking a Golden Core Real Person, purely in terms of the number of Foundation Establishment Cultivators, they were not far behind those veteran Golden Core clans.
Xia Changsheng frowned, walked directly to a nearby recliner, and began to close his eyes in deep thought.
Seeing this, Zhang Yuwei was extremely sensible. She silently came to his side, stretched out her slender jade fingers, and began helping her husband give a head massage.
Resting his head on her large, soft breasts, Xia Changsheng felt nothing, his thoughts wandering far away.