169: Chapter 169 Revisiting Liuyun

"Just once is enough!"

Xu Changsheng did not hesitate and immediately agreed.

...

In the following days, the Lai Family collapsed like a mountain, and places such as Liuyun Market and the Xie Family's original base were reclaimed by the Xie Family.

That night.

The moon was bright and stars were sparse; the moonlight was like water.

Donglin Fortress.

From the very top of the main pavilion at the Xie Family base, a suppressed moan could be heard.

The candlelight flickered.

On the magnificent bed paved with exquisite silk and satin inside the room, Xie Wantang was stark naked, leaning against the Nanmu Wood headboard with a resentful expression.

"Husband Xu, your Body Refining has progressed further again."

Xu Changsheng's hands were restless: "A little bit. I'll be gentler."

Before long, Xie Wantang's strength returned, and strange sounds echoed once more.

It wasn't until the first light of dawn and the crowing of the rooster that the two ended their night-long battle.

Xie Wantang lay prone with her head tilted on Xu Changsheng's broad chest, wiping the sweat from her cheeks.

"Speaking of which, Tanger is truly useless; I didn't manage to give Husband Xu a son or daughter during those years."

"It's alright. Perhaps it was successful last night?"

"I hope so."

Soon after, the two sat by the bedside in tacit understanding and began to dress.

Xie Wantang hid behind the screen and said bashfully, "Husband Xu, no peeking!"

Xu Changsheng spread his hands and smiled. After dressing neatly, he straightened the pillows and blankets on the bed.

Fifteen minutes later.

Xie Wantang stepped out from behind the screen, transforming from the weak, scratching kitten of the night back into the dignified head of the Family.

Her black hair was coiled up with a high hairpin, exuding elegance and grace in every movement and smile.

She handed over a Storage Pouch.

"This is?"

Xu Changsheng didn't pay much attention and swept his Divine Sense over it.

Suddenly, his expression changed.

The Storage Pouch was almost empty, with only two translucent, earthy-brown Medicinal Pills placed right in the center.

Feeling the familiar aura on the pills, Xu Changsheng's brows twitched: "Second Rank Beast Essence Pill?"

Xie Wantang smiled faintly: "Husband Xu is well-informed, saving me the trouble of explaining. Both of these Medicinal Pills were found in the deepest part of the Lai Family's secret treasury."

"The Lai Family? How could they have kept such precious Medicinal Pills until now?"

"They didn't keep them; they simply didn't know about them."

"How so?"

"It's simple, because these two Medicinal Pills were dug up from their ancestors' graves."

"No wonder."

Xu Changsheng nodded. Although the cultivation world was full of intrigue and extreme cruelty, people still placed great importance on clan Legacy, just like in the mortal world.

He took the Storage Pouch.

"These two Medicinal Pills are very important to me. I am willing to provide sufficient compensation in exchange."

As the name suggests, the Second Rank Beast Essence Pill contains immense demonic power and can help a Second Level Yao Beast advance to the next Realm; it is something that can be sought but not easily found.

He had once asked Chu Linger to keep an eye out for this pill, but there had been no results for several years.

Rumor had it that only the Beast Taming Zhou Family possessed one or two, and he had even considered targeting the Zhou Family for them, but refrained due to his own lack of strength.

Thinking of this, he was in a great mood.

Seeing that Xie Wantang didn't reply, he thought she didn't believe in his wealth: "Does Tanger think I can't afford such compensation? You underestimate the wealth of a Pseudo-Third Rank Talisman Master."

Hearing this, Xie Wantang suddenly shook her head: "No, it's just that the Lai Family's other assets are already enough for the Xie Family's expenses..."

"How could that be enough? From now on, the Xie Family will be the new leading Family of the Ancient Wood Mountain Range. Once the clansmen increase and the Family grows, no amount of Spirit Stones will be enough; it will be a bottomless pit."

Then he directly took off the Storage Pouch belt from his waist and handed it over.

Xie Wantang did not accept it and pushed it back: "That's a matter for the distant future. Husband Xu should keep these Spirit Stones for himself. If your strength progresses faster, the Xie Family's position in the mountain range will be more stable."

"But..."

Xu Changsheng wanted to say more, but Xie Wantang forestalled him, reaching out to cover his mouth.

She said softly, "If Husband Xu feels indebted, why not accompany Tanger to revisit Liuyun Market? Our Family's Cultivators reclaimed it yesterday, and they are currently replacing the personnel."

"Alright."

Xu Changsheng was stunned, his thoughts instantly returning to over ten years ago when he was still a bottom-tier Spirit Farmer in the market.

Various memories of the past surfaced in his mind, and he felt a sense of melancholy: "So many years have passed already..."

Hearing his agreement, Xie Wantang's face lit up with joy, and she pulled his sleeve: "Great, let's set off right now then."

...

Half a day later.

A pine-needle-shaped Flying Boat, about ten feet long, flew directly into Liuyun Market.

It immediately drew the attention of all the Cultivators on the street.

In the middle of the street, a pair of Dao Companions were walking hand-in-hand. The male Cultivator looked back, and his eyes were like iron attracted to a magnet, unable to move an inch.

The female Cultivator said dissatisfiedly, "Let's go, what's there to see? We have to move out of the market tonight."

He ignored her and just muttered to himself, "The Xie Family... that person from the Xie Family... has come..."

The female Cultivator became even more displeased: "Still looking at those hateful Xie Family managers? It's because they defeated the Lai Family that we can no longer stay in Liuyun Market."

The male Cultivator no longer responded to her words but turned his whole body around, staring blankly behind him.

"What is it?"

The female Cultivator noticed something was wrong with her partner. Looking around, she realized the people nearby had also turned around.

In her confusion, she looked back and saw Xie Wantang with her skirts fluttering on the slowly descending Flying Boat. Her gaze instantly froze: "This... this is Senior Xie!"

After a brief freeze, she thought of their special identities and quietly tugged at her Dao Companion's robe: "Stop looking, let's go quickly. If Senior Xie blames us for what we did before, it'll be too late to leave."

She found that the usually submissive male Cultivator couldn't be pulled away; his feet seemed glued to the ground, and a strange light shone in his eyes.

She followed his gaze back to Xie Wantang.

Instantly, a wave of shame and anger surged in her heart, her voice trembling slightly: "You, Surnamed Liu, so you're that kind of person too. How hypocritical."

Seeing that the male Cultivator still ignored her, she became even angrier, slapped his arm, and began to scold him like a shrew.

"How did you promise me back then? You said that besides me, you would never look at another woman again!"

"I've suffered so much with you, and this is how you treat me? If I had known, I wouldn't have agreed to work for the Lai Family with you!"

The Flying Boat landed slowly.

Xu Changsheng was the first to step off the Flying Boat, extending his hand to offer support.

Xie Wantang lifted her jade-like leg and stepped over the edge of the boat, her creamy palm resting on the 'railing' as she stood beside him.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

Xu Changsheng turned to look ahead and saw a large group of Qi Refining Cultivators gathered, intimidated by their Foundation Establishment aura and not daring to approach.

He frowned.

He took a step forward.

"Mirror Flower Water Moon..."

The figures of the two, along with the small boat, vanished from the spot in an instant.