302: Beauty keeping

[Cao Qingyi closed her eyes and took a deep breath, her heart filled with helplessness.]

[She was already exhausted by this younger brother of hers.]

[Cao Tianxiong and Qi Wei were known as the two great playboys of Tianyang City, and they even frequently engaged in overt and covert struggles for the title of "Number One Playboy," taking pride in it.]

[The contents of their competitions were varied, such as "battling" for seven days and nights in the Fairy Maiden Tower, or squandering money like water, scattering gold and Spirit Stones daily as if it were child's play.]

[On the other hand, Cao Jun was completely different.]

[He spent almost every day in seclusion, his Cultivation routine so regular it was nearly rigid, never having been tainted by the slightest bit of playboy habits.]

[Through your observations over the past half-year, you also vaguely felt that transplanting Cao Jun's Spiritual Root and Physique into Cao Tianxiong didn't seem to be Cao Ruide's original intention.]

[There was likely another hidden story behind this.]

[You spoke tentatively, "I've also been puzzled as to why the City Lord insisted on this transplantation method... I've heard this method is extremely dangerous; one mistake, and both will be ruined."]

[Cao Tianxiong immediately chimed in with a curse, "Isn't it because Father listened to that old geezer's nonsense!"]

[Your heart stirred slightly as you followed up, "Someone... instigated the City Lord to do this?"]

[Cao Qingyi sighed softly and nodded. "It's a long story..."]

[Listening to her recount it slowly, your heart couldn't help but shiver.]

[It turned out that a Senior from the Heavens Mandate Academy once traveled to Tianyang City and set up a stall for divination.]

[Almost everything that man predicted came true, as if he had seen the future with his own eyes.]

[Over time, his reputation in the city soared. Whether it was finding lost items, asking about luck, or seeking an Opportunity, whatever he said became reality.]

[Later, Cao Ruide encountered a tribulation, and that man even stepped in to help him resolve it.]

[Upon parting, that man left behind a prophecy.]

[The prophecy was: 'A Dragon emerges from the Cao family, possessing the potential of a Great Emperor; a fine jade glows, yet only attracts destruction; wisdom so extreme it borders on the demonic will surely lead to the clan's extermination.']

[The prophecy pointed directly at Cao Jun possessing the "Great Emperor's Potential," and that the Cao family would face annihilation because of this talent.]

[Subsequently, he provided a solution.]

[If the Cao family wished to survive, their only choice was to perform a Heaven-Defying act of changing fate: grafting one branch onto another, transplanting all of Cao Jun's Spiritual Root and Saint Physique into his elder brother, Cao Tianxiong.]

[Not only that, but he also left behind that forbidden secret method for transplantation.]

[The tree that stands out in the forest will surely be destroyed by the wind—how could Cao Ruide not understand this principle?]

[Ultimately, Cao Ruide could only endure the pain and personally strip Cao Jun's talent to give it to Cao Tianxiong.]

[The more you listened, the more you felt this situation was somewhat similar to the extermination of the Qin Clan?]

[A name repeatedly surfaced in your mind—Venerable Tianming.]

[Venerable Tianming was once a mentor at the Heavens Mandate Academy, and countless students in the Heavens Mandate Academy excel in the Dao of divining Heavenly Mandates.]

[Could this matter also be related to the Venerable Tianming?]

[Deciding life and death with a single word—what a clever tactic indeed.]

[A casual sentence ruined someone's entire life.]

[But you also knew in your heart that Heavenly Mandate and Heavenly Secrets were two completely different things.]

[The difficulty of reversing Heavenly Mandate was simply too immense.]

[Heavenly Mandate is the ending; Heavenly Secrets are the spoilers.]

[Interfering with or changing Heavenly Secrets might not be difficult, but Heavenly Mandate is hard to defy.]

[With your current understanding of Daoist techniques, you naturally could not yet peer into the profound Dao of Heavenly Mandate.]

[In truth, the Cao family only had themselves to blame.]

[They didn't realize that Heaven-Defying methods to change one's fate also existed in this world.]

[It was just that the one they chose happened to be the kind where they severed their own limbs.]

[Thinking of this, you hurriedly asked, "What was that person's name?"]

[Cao Qingyi shook her head slightly. "It's strange to say, but after so many years, our memories of that person's name and face have become extremely blurred."]

["Later, I also felt something was fishy about this, but things have already come to this, and there's nothing we can do."]

[She looked deep in thought, trying hard to remember, but she just couldn't.]

[Cao Tianxiong also scratched his head and muttered, "Yeah, now that you mention it, I've really forgotten that person's name."]

["That person likely used some kind of technique to obscure his own information," you said calmly.]

[Then you looked at Cao Tianxiong. "It seems your younger brother is also a victim, having been forced to accept this Opportunity and destiny that didn't belong to him."]

[Cao Tianxiong immediately nodded in agreement. "Exactly! That Cultivation is dull and tedious, really boring."]

[He turned his gaze to Cao Qingyi. "And sister, look at you. Every day you're either Cultivating or busy with the affairs of Tianyang City. How is your life any different from a walking corpse?"]

["If I could, I'd rather not have this Spiritual Root and Saint Physique."]

["Sigh," he shook his head and sighed. "It's a pity for Third Brother; he worked so hard yet is still only at the Foundation Establishment level. Otherwise, our Cao family would have eventually produced a Soul Transformation expert."]

[You looked at Cao Tianxiong and nodded slightly. "Aptitude is determined by heaven, but the path of the Dao is forged by man."]

[Saying that, you turned your gaze to Cao Qingyi. "Unpolished jade hides its brilliance within the stone. If he is guided onto the right path, he might not fail to become a Dragon."]

["The Dual Cultivation Academy of the Kunlun Dao Academy has subtle and profound principles that harmonize with Yin and Yang. Perhaps it can open a door for him, letting him see a whole new world."]

[You paused and continued, "As for your third brother, Cao Jun..."]

["Among the three thousand Great Daos, why revere only one path?"]

["The Merit Hall emphasizes conduct and Heart-Nature, taking kindness as the foundation and virtue as the carrier of the Dao."]

["For Cao Jun, this might precisely be a smooth path to practice the Dao through actions and prove his heart through virtue."]

[Listening to your words, Cao Qingyi fell into deep thought.]

[Cao Tianxiong sized you up. "You're not bad, but your strength is too poor; you're not worthy of my sister."]

[You looked at Cao Tianxiong and laughed, "This is fate, and it's irreversible!"]

[Cao Qingyi gave you a thoughtful look, her cheeks flushing slightly. She seemed to feel that what you said about "Dual Cultivation" made quite a lot of sense.]

[She immediately composed herself, turned to Cao Tianxiong with a cold face, and scolded, "Enough. Listen to your brother-in-law. Prepare yourself well recently; you're going to the Kunlun Dao Academy."]

["Ah—?" Cao Tianxiong looked aggrieved. "Do I really have to go?"]

["You must go, otherwise don't blame me for being impolite," Cao Qingyi said coldly.]

["Then can I at least wait until after this Relic expedition?"]

[After a moment of hesitation, Cao Qingyi nodded.]

[You, however, caught the main point and winked at Cao Qingyi with a grin. "Did you just have him call me brother-in-law?"]

[In fact, over the past half-year or so, spending day and night with you, Cao Qingyi had already developed subtle feelings for you.]

[Perhaps because she paid more attention to you every day, she had unconsciously invested her heart and vaguely started to view you as her man.]

[That was why she had given you a mansion a few days ago. The mansion was near the City Lord's Manor, and she had even personally set up a Formation there.]

[Cao Qingyi glanced at you coldly and changed the subject. "Why haven't you moved into the mansion I gave you a few days ago?"]

[You masked your embarrassment with a smile.]

[Although your current strength had reached the Soul Transformation stage, your life experience was only in your thirties.]

[Unlike those Soul Transformation powerhouses, every one of whom was a being who had "personally" experienced narrow escapes, seen through all kinds of deception, and lived for thousands of years.]

[Regarding being "kept" by a great beauty like Cao Qingyi, you were ultimately a bit uncomfortable in your heart.]