14: Chapter 14 I'm already sixty years old, and you still want to rape me?

As his concubines and children increased, the number of servants attending to them grew as well.

Maidservants, older female servants, nannies, cooks, laborers... all in all, there were dozens of people.

The original residence could no longer accommodate everyone.

Xiao Ye stood in the backyard, counting on his fingers—one room for Wan'er, one for Qianqian, one for Susu, one for himself, one for his son, one for his daughter, plus quarters for the servants, the storage room, the alchemy room, the reception hall... it was packed like a tin of sardines.

And this didn't even account for the concubines he would take in the future.

"Expand," Xiao Ye declared with a grand wave of his hand, his ambition vast. "Double the size!"

Li Fu held a ruler and spent a long time gesturing over the blueprints before asking cautiously, "Master, if we double the size, the silver..."

"Spend it!" Xiao Ye didn't even blink. "Spend what must be spent, and save where we can."

Thus, the silver earned by the Xiao Alchemy Pavilion lately began to flow out like water. Wages for the expansion, costs for Materials, new furniture and decorations... every day was a significant expense.

Xiao Ye sat in his study, watching the rapidly shrinking numbers in the ledger, his brow furrowed deeply.

This couldn't go on.

Relying solely on the business in Qingshan Town wouldn't sustain such a large Family estate. There were only so many wealthy families in town; those who needed to buy had already bought, and the market was nearly saturated. He had to find a way to expand his sales channels.

He mused that once Susu gave birth, he would personally make a trip to Sunset City.

Firstly, he would sell his Medicinal Pills there. Sunset City was the largest city within a hundred miles, a gathering place for Cultivators, with a consumption capacity more than ten times that of Qingshan Town.

Secondly, and most importantly—to buy medicinal herbs.

The pills he could currently refine were all basic Medicinal Pills. For healing, health maintenance, marrow cleansing, and Body Tempering... they were all things for Mortals. Medicinal Pills that could truly aid in cultivation, such as the Qingling Pill or the Cultivation Base Pill, were beyond his current reach.

It wasn't that he didn't know how; he simply lacked the Materials.

Spirit Medicines of Tier 1 Medium Grade or higher couldn't be bought in Qingshan Town at all; he had to search for them in the markets of Sunset City.

Xiao Ye closed the ledger and leaned back against his chair, his gaze drifting past the window frame to the distance.

Sunset City.

He had to prepare thoroughly.

—

Half a month later, Bai Susu gave birth.

It was another son.

Xiao Ye leaned in to take a look; the wrinkled little face was exactly like Xiao Yan's at birth. A line of text popped up from the System—No Spiritual Root.

Reward: Ten years of Lifespan, one hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.

Xiao Ye sighed in his heart.

Sigh, it seems Yan'er was just an anomaly. With his High Grade Mortal Grade bone structure, having children with Mortal women would most likely result in offspring without a Spiritual Root.

Even if they had one, it would be Mortal Grade at best. A Heavenly Spiritual Root like Xiao Yan's was purely a gift from the heavens.

A once-in-a-century occurrence.

However, Xiao Ye was quite open-minded. If they didn't have a Spiritual Root, then so be it. He had the System anyway; once his cultivation improved in the future, was he really afraid he couldn't father a Genius?

After entrusting the household matters to Li Fu, Xiao Ye set out on the road to Sunset City.

This was his first long journey in recent years. Previously, he was old and just a Mortal, unable to handle the strain.

The journey from Qingshan Town to Sunset City was over a hundred miles, with many rugged mountain paths in between; riding a horse would usually leave one's bones rattling.

Now it was different. At Qi Refining Level 2, his constitution was very robust.

The only pity was—he didn't know how to fly on a sword.

Just thinking about it brought tears to his eyes. He had achieved a Breakthrough into Qi Refining so long ago, yet he had nowhere to learn even a basic Sword Kinesis Technique.

The Xiao Family was a mundane Family and lacked such a Legacy;

The so-called cultivation families in Qingshan Town were actually only slightly stronger than Mortals, knowing a few crude moves but unable to even touch the threshold of the Qi Refinement Stage.

Otherwise, he would have already been riding the wind on a sword, soaring through the world. Why would he need to ride a horse and eat dust?

Leaving Qingshan Town and heading south, he traveled for most of the day until he reached a mountain valley passage.

The mountains on both sides were steep, with a narrow path in the middle. The wind howled through, and something felt off.

Just as Xiao Ye reined in his horse—

"Halt!"

A loud shout came from above.

"I planted this mountain, I opened this road—"

Xiao Ye looked up and nearly fell off his horse.

Five women were standing in a row on the rocks flanking the mountain path, striking poses.

Calling them "women" was being generous. Each of these five was sturdier and uglier than the last.

Broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, with tiger-like backs and bear-like waists, the wrinkles on their faces could crush a fly. Standing there, they looked like five weathered old scallions.

Holy crap, bandits? And they're freaking female bandits?

Xiao Ye was completely stunned.

Wait, Li Fu didn't tell me there were bandits on this road! And they're freaking women!

But on second thought, he wasn't afraid. He was a dignified Qi Refining Immortal Master; how could he be scared by a few bandits?

Xiao Ye sat upright on his horse, cleared his throat, and offered a friendly smile. "Fellow warriors—ah, I mean, beautiful ladies, this old man has no money."

The leading "old scallion" glared at him. "No money? You think this old lady is here to rob your wealth?"

Xiao Ye was taken aback. "Huh? Not robbing wealth? Then could it be..."

"Wait, big sister, I'm already sixty! Are you really trying to rob me of my virtue? How thirsty are you people?"

"Stop your nonsense and get off the horse!"

Xiao Ye naturally refused. He was at Qi Refining Level 2; wouldn't handling a few bandits be as easy as pie?

Just as he was about to make a move—

The five across from him leapt into the air simultaneously, soaring thirty feet high and blotting out the sun, crashing down like five mountains of flesh!

Mount Tai Press!

Xiao Ye's pupils shrank.

Holy crap! The Qi Refining Realm! And they're freaking five at Qi Refining Level 3!

Before he could even draw his weapon, he was pinned down by the five mountains of flesh. His arms were twisted behind his back, his legs were tied up tight, and a foul-smelling rag was stuffed into his mouth.

"Mmph—!"

"Sisters, back to the mountain!" the leading old scallion waved her hand, her voice booming like a bell. "The Chief is waiting impatiently!"

Xiao Ye was tied up like a festive bundle and slung across the horse's back, getting bounced around until he was dizzy.

A million curses raced through his mind.

Damn it, they're in the Qi Refining Realm and they're still bandits! And they're freaking robbing virtue!

If they were good-looking, he might have just gone along with it, but these five old scallions—

Xiao Ye shuddered.

No way.

He would rather die than submit.

He secretly circulated his Qi, trying to break the ropes. But the ropes were made of some unknown material; the more he struggled, the tighter they became.

Xiao Ye took a deep breath and forced himself to calm down.

He would look for a chance to escape later. If all else failed, he'd end it himself—he had lived for sixty years and finally stepped onto the immortal path; he couldn't let his integrity be ruined now.

His pure body must not be defiled.