This woman, Chen Shu, was an important business partner of Fu Xue. They had met several years ago at an exclusive elite club.
Because both were of Chinese descent and similar in age, they hit it off quickly. Over time, they jointly invested across numerous industries and cofounded various ventures.
Their so-called sailing trip was merely another business occasion. At their level of wealth, every social interaction had an underlying motive.
Though it was an essential meeting, her daughter's sudden outburst had completely thrown her schedule into disarray, forcing Fu Xue to postpone everything.
"I already had my assistant notify you that the sailing event is canceled," Fu Xue explained with a chuckle.
As a seasoned corporate elite, keeping her emotions in check was a basic skill.
Over the phone, Chen Shu chuckled. "What could possibly be more important than our collaboration? You should know full well how much this project is worth."
Fu Xue paused, letting out a sigh. "I'm in Songhai. There's been a hiccup with my daughter's arranged marriage to the Miller family. My girl has fallen for a poor boy from the grassroots. And she's digging her heels in so fiercely this time that she didn't hesitate to tear into me."
With any other partner, she never would have disclosed such personal matters, but Chen Shu was different.
For one, beyond their business dealings, they shared a deep personal friendship and could genuinely be called confidantes.
Furthermore, Chen Shu was unlike ordinary business partners. She had a mysterious and formidable background. Despite clearly being an ordinary person, she was privy to the existence of Spirit Realm walkers.
Behind her stood a non-governmental organization called the Relief Society. It was powerful and secretive, with undisclosed financial backers, networks spanning foreign nations, and a considerable number of Spirit Realm walkers at its command.
It even maintained business relations with overseas evil classes.
Chen Shu served as the public figurehead of this society, managing the assets of the Relief Society across manufacturing, finance, trade, philanthropic institutions, and more.
Much like Fu Xue, she was a professional manager answering to a massive entity.
Chen Shu let out an "oh" and said with a smile, "With the way you Fu family folks operate, this shouldn't be anything for you to lose sleep over."
When had the Fu family's marriage arrangements ever considered the desires of the individuals involved? Nor was Fu Xue the type of mother to dote on or indulge her daughter.
And since the boy was merely a grassroots kid from a poor background, the Fu family had a hundred ways to brush him off. Threats, bribes—any method would do.
"Grassroots as he is, the boy is actually quite remarkable. If he weren't my daughter's boyfriend, even I would be somewhat tempted... Ahem, that's not the point. He's a top-tier talent being groomed by the Five Elements Alliance, so dealing with him is extremely tricky," Fu Xue sighed.
"The Five Elements Alliance has plenty of top talents, but compared to the Miller family, he still pales in comparison," Chen Shu said with a light laugh. "I hear Ron Miller will be entering a killing trial toward the end of the year. Once he clears it, he'll emerge as a Dominator. Does your daughter's boyfriend possess that level of talent?"
Fu Xue pondered for a moment, uncertain. Yuanshi Tianzun had indeed advanced at a breakneck pace, but having only recently reached the Saint rank, there was a lack of reference points to evaluate how he would perform during the Saint stage.
"His talent is quite decent. Well... what do you think I should do?" Fu Xue asked.
Fu Qingyang's words had certainly made sense, but they weren't enough to make her instantly change her mind. However, they had planted hesitation and doubt, leaving her resolve regarding the marriage alliance shaken.
That was why she wanted Chen Shu's perspective.
Chen Shu replied casually, "What's there to hesitate about? Unless his talent rivals that Grand Marshal of the Fu family, or he possesses a state of mind like Fu Qingyang's, don't even consider him.
"Step one: utilize the authority of the Council of Elders to suppress your daughter and expel her from the Fu family. Let that punk understand that even if he marries a legitimate daughter of the Fu family, he won't be climbing the social ladder through her.
"Step two: leverage the Fu family's connections within the Five Elements Alliance to crack down on him and make him suffer, cutting off his path to promotion.
"Step three: undermine their stability from within. Find a few striking beauties to seduce him. Need me to introduce a few women from the Desire class to you?
"Heh, in a month at most, your daughter will come to her senses."
Fu Xue's eyes lit up. Chen Shu's three-pronged strategy was truly brilliant. She would observe things for a few months and return home to test the waters with the Council of Elders. If things were truly as Fu Qingyang claimed, she would accept the match.
If Fu Qingyang was bluffing, she would immediately execute Chen Shu's plan.
With a foolproof strategy now in mind, she smiled and said, "It's a rather complicated situation, and the kid's identity isn't simple either. I'll give you the full story when we go sailing next time."
Hanging up the phone, she turned to the bodyguards. "Bring Guan Ya over."
***
In the lounge, Zhang Yuanqing gently stroked his girlfriend's cheek with heartache.
"When I get the chance in the future, I'll definitely slap her back for you. Sister Guan Ya, does it hurt? Let me lick it better for you."
Guan Ya sat there helplessly as her cheek was quickly licked damp. That was just how newly deflowered young men were—clingy to a fault, wanting nothing more than to hang off you all day long.
Still, being treasured like a precious jewel by her boyfriend felt rather nice.
What felt even better was that she had defied her mother today, and without any psychological burden at that. The mere thought of marrying into the Miller family and cutting ties with Yuanshi had fueled a resolve strong enough to overcome the shadows of her past.
This sensation of breaking free from the dark, of being reborn and embracing a brighter future, made Guan Ya radiant from the inside out.
Of course, that tremendous burst of courage and anger had also been partly sparked by the interest her mother had shown in Yuanshi.
Just then, a bodyguard in a black suit stepped into the lounge and bowed respectfully. "Miss Guan Ya, the boss requests your presence."
Guan Ya glanced at her boyfriend. Seeing him nod, she couldn't help muttering internally, *This guy trusts Fu Qingyang even more than he trusts me.*
Wiping the saliva from her cheek, she followed the bodyguard out.
Returning to the study, Fu Xue looked at her daughter entering the room. Without a word, she tossed over a brass medal and said flatly, "You should count yourself lucky that the man you found is capable enough, and lucky that Fu Qingyang managed to convince me.
"I can afford to observe for a while longer, but you must swear an oath."
Catching the brass medal, Guan Ya was overjoyed on the inside, though she feigned ignorance on the surface. "What oath?"
Fu Xue sneered. "Swear against whatever schemes you're concocting in that head of yours."
Taking a deep breath, she added, "You are not permitted to get pregnant."
The Miller family didn't care about virginity; past relationships were negligible in their eyes. However, as the mother of the family heir, she could only bear offspring for the Miller family.
First and foremost, it was a matter of family honor. Furthermore, having a half-brother from the same mother would be disastrous for the heir.
It would be detrimental both to the successor and to the family as a whole.
*Mom really is a crafty old fox...* Guan Ya had indeed entertained thoughts of getting pregnant out of wedlock. To regain her freedom and fight her family, she had already resolved herself to that extreme.
Yet now that her mother had taken a step back, refusing to take this oath would mean today's conflict wouldn't pass.
Holding the brass medal under her mother's watchful gaze, Guan Ya calmly swore the oath.
Once the brass medal illuminated with an authoritative, righteous halo, signifying that it had witnessed the pledge, Fu Xue raised a hand. The medal flew up on its own and landed neatly in her palm.
"What did Fu Qingyang say to you?" Guan Ya asked, her mood considerably lightened.
She was genuinely curious about what tactic her younger cousin had used to sway her stubborn, overbearing mother.
"You don't need to know," Fu Xue said coldly. She cast a meaningful glance at her daughter and sneered, "You should think carefully. Perhaps your place in Yuanshi Tianzun's heart isn't even as high as Fu Qingyang's."
"???"
Fu Xue stood up and, without sparing her daughter another glance, strode toward the exit while instructing the guards, "Have Yuanshi Tianzun see me off."
***
"Take care on your way, Auntie! Rest assured, I will treat Sister Guan Ya well... Absolutely, Guan Ya doesn't hold a candle to you. Alas, I was born twenty years too late, so I can only be your son-in-law... Not too late? Ah, well... haha, Auntie, you sure love joking..."
At the entrance of the villa, Zhang Yuanqing attentively saw Fu Xue to her car, his face plastered with smiles that gave no hint of their earlier fierce rift.
Guan Ya stood in the courtyard, staring coldly as her boyfriend buttered up her mother.
Once Fu Xue's motorcade departed, Guan Ya watched Yuanshi Tianzun jog eagerly back toward her and murmured softly, "Is my mom pretty?"
"Her youth has faded, her beauty is waning. She's nowhere near Sister Guan Ya," Zhang Yuanqing answered, his survival instincts kicking into high gear.
Guan Ya scoffed and said faintly, "My mom said that I don't hold as high a place in your heart as Fu Qingyang does. I don't think she'd talk nonsense out of nowhere."
Zhang Yuanqing instantly guessed what had happened. Just as he was about to coax her, Guan Ya sneered, "As expected, your guilty conscience is showing."
*Damn it, I hate Scouts...* he cursed inwardly. Clearing his throat, he said, "It's a long story. Sister Guan Ya, let's head inside first so I can explain everything to you. Er, I have to enter a trial soon, hehehe..."
Guan Ya shot him a sidelong glance and said flatly, "Starting today, we need to be mindful of contraception. I took an oath that I cannot get pregnant before the end of the year. My mother plans to observe us until year's end to see how you perform during the Saint stage."
A bolt from the blue!
Zhang Yuanqing felt as though struck by lightning. Having just tasted the sheer bliss of unfettered freedom, how could he possibly endure such restrictions?
"It won't do for the little tadpoles to never find their mother," he muttered, thinking it over before leaning into Guan Ya's ear to whisper, "Sister Guan Ya, how about we..."
*Boom!*
A tremendous crash startled the bunny girls inside the villa. They rushed outside in panic, only to see Yuanshi Tianzun lying half-dead inside the fountain pool.
The fountain's sculpture had completely collapsed.
***
On the way to the airport, inside the luxury business van, Fu Xue stared blankly at the scenery receding outside the window.
She had indeed been away from the Fu family's core of power for far too long.
She had never considered the points Fu Qingyang raised. Though she had vaguely sensed that the Fu family had been sending fewer clan members to Heaven's Punishment over the years, their roots overseas went back a century, and that was where their foundation lay.
Investing domestically also aligned with a capitalist's rule of survival—never put all your eggs in one basket.
Yet if what Fu Qingyang said was true, an arranged marriage with the Miller family was far from a good idea.
In this marriage alliance, the Fu family and the Miller family would take the lion's share, while she would merely receive a "commission." The family losing one Guan Ya mattered little to them, but Guan Ya was her only daughter.
It amounted to her gambling everything she had, only to end up with a measly commission and endless trouble down the road.
"The battle for the Compass of Light..." Fu Xue murmured to herself.
Her next steps were clear: test the Council of Elders and investigate the prophecy of the Compass of Light.
According to Fu Qingyang, the shift in the family's strategic direction stemmed from that battle. Finding out the exact contents of the prophecy would reveal whether Fu Qingyang had been bluffing.
As she pondered, a phone rang from her assistant's pocket.
"Boss, it's Mr. Will," the assistant said, handing over the phone.
Will was Fu Xue's ex-husband and Guan Ya's father.
Fu Xue answered the call, speaking in fluent English. "I'm short on time."
A deep, mature male voice came through the receiver, carrying a rigid and forceful tone: "Did you bring Yaya back?"
Fu Xue had already contacted her ex-husband before coming here.
Upon learning that his daughter had found a boyfriend across the ocean, Will had been frantic. Had it not been for the extensive paperwork and approvals required for Heaven's Punishment personnel to enter China, he would have flown over alongside his ex-wife.
Fu Xue was silent for a few seconds before replying, "I've changed my mind. I'll be observing Yuanshi Tianzun until the end of the year."
The line went abruptly silent. After a long pause, Will's incredulous voice sounded: "Have you lost your mind?"
Fu Xue hung up with an impassive expression.
***
Capital City.
International Airport.
Carrying a small suitcase while wearing sunglasses and a face mask, Ling Jun navigated through the arrivals hall.
He wore loose summer shorts and a baggy blue T-shirt, with no watch and no designer bag. The only item flaunting his wealth was a pair of sneakers worth eighty-eight thousand yuan.
Yet in a place like the Capital City, that hardly turned heads.
Even so, Ling Jun still turned plenty of heads, drawing frequent glances from stylish city women.
Be they men or women, people possessed an innate sensitivity toward the opposite sex. Even bundled up tightly, an attractive person stood out instantly in a crowd.
Posture and demeanor were impossible to conceal.
Unlike his usual self, Ling Jun didn't glance back at the women to pick out a pleasing beauty to flirt with. Impassive, he walked straight past the blossoming crowd and climbed into the car Victoria had sent to pick him up.
Forty minutes later, the car pulled up outside a grand villa along the Fourth Ring Road.
Handing his luggage to the driver, Ling Jun headed straight inside under the escort of the villa's security personnel. In the second-floor parlor, he met the woman who had caused his filial devotion to turn into something else—Elder Victoria.
Victoria sat on a plush armchair, her head lowered as she read a book.
She had shoulder-length chestnut hair with slightly curled ends, a flawless oval face, and deep, exquisitely chiseled facial features. Her light blue eyes were brimming with charm. She was dressed in a white tank top paired with black form-fitting trousers.
The fiery, voluptuous figure unique to Western women was on full display.
Though no longer young, neither her face nor her figure showed the slightest trace of aging, her radiance undiminished by time.
"There are many things that couldn't be said over the phone," Ling Jun whispered, gazing at the woman he loved for several seconds.
"Is my father still in the trial?"
***
Zhang Yuanqing held the sweat-glistening Guan Ya in his arms, enjoying the cool draft of the air conditioner in a state free of worldly desires.
There was no state in the world more precious than "sage mode." It allowed one to forget desire, cast aside worries, comprehend the boundaries between life and death, and attain the supreme realm of complete detachment.
Zhang Yuanqing felt as though his state of mind had been elevated, transcending all vulgar pursuits.
*This way, I can enter the trial without any regrets...* Zhang Yuanqing mused, holding Guan Ya close.
Now that he had sent his mother-in-law packing, most of his problems were resolved. All that remained was finding the Palace Master of Halting Slaughter to collect the Source Fluid of Life and the Power of the Sun, and then entering the trial to put them to use.
Accommodating the Power of the Sun was still a tricky hurdle, but with the Palace Master and his boss—two Dominators—backing him up, it was a minor matter.
After lingering affectionately for another fifteen minutes, Zhang Yuanqing suppressed the urge to go for another round, got up, and began dressing.
"Before entering the trial, I need to make some preparations, so I have to head out for a bit."
"Wait," Guan Ya said, knitting her brows. "Has your Peach Blossom Calamity passed?"
Guan Ya still cared quite a bit about how her mother and boyfriend had been exchanging flirtatious looks earlier. To put his girlfriend's mind at ease, Zhang Yuanqing had told her that her mother's sudden favor hadn't been a sudden burst of conscience, but rather the Peach Talisman dispelling her hostility toward him.
And that he had only used the Peach Talisman for the sake of their bright future together.
He had thoroughly explained the function and side effects of the Peach Talisman to Guan Ya.
"Didn't I just get beat up by you? The Peach Blossom Calamity should be over by now."
As Zhang Yuanqing spoke, he fetched a bronze mirror to inspect himself, only for his expression to suddenly freeze.
In the mirror, dark clouds hung over his brow and eyes, signaling lingering misfortune.
*This...* Zhang Yuanqing was stunned.
Chapter 465