13: Chapter 13 The Eldest Daughter of the Xiao Family—Xiao Ling'er

Time flies like an arrow—

The business of the Xiao Alchemy Pavilion was booming in Qingshan Town, bringing in daily profits that flowed into the Xiao residence like a river of silver.

However, Xiao Ye couldn't bring himself to be happy.

Seeing that Qianqian was about to give birth, there was still no sign of news regarding his fourth concubine.

"Li Fu!" Xiao Ye paced back and forth in his study, his voice cracking with frustration. "It's been so long and you haven't found a single one? What use do I have for you!"

Li Fu stood at the door with his head tucked in, not daring to breathe loudly. Recently, the Master's temper had been growing fiercer by the day, and everyone in the residence knew it—it wasn't out of anger, but out of pent-up frustration.

"Master, you really can't blame me for this." Li Fu said with a bitter face, "I've practically turned Qingshan Town upside down, but I really can't find any decent girls left."

Xiao Ye's eyes widened: "If there are none in Qingshan Town, can't you go to the countryside? Go to the city? Is all that silver I gave you just for decoration? I want beauties! Great beauties!"

Li Fu opened his mouth, wanting to defend himself, but swallowed his words back down.

He was just a housekeeper, not a human trafficker. He spent every day wandering around under the scorching sun until his legs were nearly broken.

He was tired, truly tired. Let the world end, and quickly.

Seeing his look of utter despair, Xiao Ye's anger subsided slightly, and he added, "Find one, and I'll give you a hundred taels of silver."

Li Fu snapped his head up.

In that instant, his lethargy was swept away, and his cloudy old eyes sparkled with sharp light.

"Master, I'll go to Sunset City to inquire tomorrow!" He beat his chest, his voice three times louder than before. "I'll arrange for the servants to go to the countryside too, searching village by village, house by house! Just wait for my good news!"

After saying that, he strode away vigorously and disappeared out the door.

Xiao Ye stood in place, only coming back to his senses after a long while.

"Damn, that old fellow..." He shook his head, both annoyed and amused.

Watching Li Fu leave, he turned and went back to the Alchemy room. The furnace fire was still strong, and the medicinal herbs were waiting to be refined. Better to refine pills than to worry in vain.

As for cultivation, he had almost completely given up on the path of independent cultivation.

With the Aptitude of a Mortal Grade High Grade Spiritual Root, he was destined to be at the bottom in the Immortal Realm. After a hard night of meditation, the Spiritual Qi he absorbed wasn't even enough to fill the gaps between his teeth. That tiny bit of progress was like using a bamboo basket to fetch water; after all that effort, one look revealed the bottom was leaking.

Later, he figured out the trick—using the Yin-Yang Invincible Emperor Art for Dual Cultivation, one night's progress was equivalent to three days of bitter cultivation. If supplemented with Spirit Stones, the speed could be even faster.

Unfortunately, the hundred Spirit Stones rewarded by the System had long been exhausted.

Now that the Spirit Stones were gone and his Dual Cultivation partners were either pregnant or about to give birth, he was left empty-handed on both fronts. This was why he was rushing Li Fu to find someone quickly.

At night, Xiao Ye slipped into Zhang Waner's room.

Half an hour later.

"Gag—ugh—" Zhang Waner leaned over the edge of the bed, her face flushed red and tears stinging the corners of her eyes. She cursed while dry-heaving, "You bastard!"

Xiao Ye leaned against the headboard with a look of satiated satisfaction, smiling as he patted her back. "Waner, can you blame me? With those flute skills of yours... I naturally had to give a bigger reward."

Zhang Waner turned back to glare at him, her eyes red, though it was unclear whether it was from anger or choking.

Xiao Ye didn't feel like anything was wrong at all. He leaned against the pillow and let out a comfortable sigh. "Let's continue in a bit..."

"Get lost!"

Zhang Waner was too angry to speak and gagged twice more.

Days passed, and soon, Liu Qianqian gave birth to another daughter for him.

When the midwife brought the child out to announce the good news, Xiao Ye leaned in for a look—a delicate little person, her features looking exactly like Qianqian's.

"A daughter is good, a daughter is good." Xiao Ye grinned, carefully taking the swaddled infant, holding her even more nervously than he had held Xiao Yan.

Men might say sons are important, but in their hearts, they tend to dote on daughters a bit more.

"Linger, little Linger—" Liu Qianqian lay on the bed, her eyes full of maternal love as she softly called her daughter's name.

Xiao Ye was stunned: "Linger?"

"Yes, Xiao Linger." Liu Qianqian looked at him. "Master, what do you think?"

Xiao Ye savored the name for a moment and nodded. "It sounds good."

Just then, the System's notification sounded in his mind—

Ding! Congratulations to the host for spreading his lineage and birthing a second offspring!

Reward: Lifespan +10 years! Low-Grade Spirit Stone x100!

After hearing this, Xiao Ye's mouth twitched.

That's it?

Just this?

He looked down at his daughter sleeping soundly in his arms, then at the blatant rewards on the System panel, and his heart immediately felt slighted.

When Xiao Yan was born, there was the 'Taihuang Flame Emperor Art' and the chrysanthemum spear; he had almost emptied the System's reward pool. But for Linger, it was just ten years of life and a hundred Spirit Stones?

Well, it was better than nothing.

"System, you're being a bit snobbish," Xiao Ye grumbled in his heart. "Just because my daughter doesn't have a Spiritual Root, does the difference have to be this big?"

The System's voice was cold and devoid of any emotion: "Without a difference, how can the power of a Genius be reflected?"

Xiao Ye: "..."

Fine, you win.

"Master," Liu Qianqian suddenly spoke, her voice as soft as a pool of water, "my figure has changed a bit, what should I do?"

She looked down at herself; her postpartum belly hadn't fully receded, and her waist was a circle wider than before. Although she was recovering quickly by normal standards, Liu Qianqian was a former top courtesan and had always valued her figure.

Xiao Ye was already prepared. He took a porcelain bottle from his bosom and poured out a few round Medicinal Pills, handing them over.

"Body Sculpting Pills, refined specifically for you. Take these, and your figure will recover soon."

Liu Qianqian took the pills, her eyes lighting up, then softening as she looked at him with seductive eyes. "Master, you are so good... Don't leave tonight."

That look, that tone—it clearly spelled out two words: craving.

It had been ten months; she was starving.

Xiao Ye gave a dry cough and reached out to tuck her in. "Qianqian, don't be in a hurry. Once you've recovered your health, I promise to feed you until you're full."

"It's a promise then." Liu Qianqian pursed her lips but didn't press further, obediently lying back down.

Another month passed.

The Xiao Family was once again decorated with lanterns and streamers to celebrate the one-month milestone of the Eldest Miss, Xiao Linger.

The guests sitting at the tables were already numb.

Counting on their fingers—how many banquets had the Xiao Family held in this past year or so?

First, Xiao Ye married Zhang Waner, one banquet; then Liu Qianqian, another; then Bai Susu, yet another. Then it was Xiao Yan's one-month celebration. Now it was Linger's one-month celebration.

Five times already.

Heard that Bai Susu was also due to give birth next month, so they'd have to come back again then.

Numb, they were truly numb.

"This Old Ghost Xiao didn't produce a single child for twenty years, but now, he's suddenly had three in a row."

"Tell me about it. This 'pregnancy luck' is like a cow on a plane—it's fucking sky-high."

"I don't think it's luck. Old Ghost Xiao has an Immortal Master backing him now; he must have taken some miraculous Spirit Pills."

"Whatever he took, I just want to know—is he holding another banquet next month? I can barely afford the gift money anymore."

Low murmurs circulated among the tables, a mix of jealousy and helplessness that filled the entire courtyard.

Xiao Ye sat in the main seat holding Xiao Linger, his face glowing with health and a smile he couldn't suppress.

As for what the guests were saying, he didn't take a single word to heart.

Regardless, he was happy right now.