"Your Highness, "Mo Qingqui's voice was cool and crisp, regaining her composure. "Forgive my intrusion, but I must ask. Yesterday, your meridians were stagnant. You were, for all intents and purposes, a mortal."
She paused, her dark eyes searching his. "His Highness has clearly stepped into the Qi Refining realm. How did you manage to break through the mortal shackle overnight?"
Long Xiaoyao turned to her, a lazy, unrestrained grin spreading across his face. He raised his hand and pressed a single, slender finger against his own lips then looked at the other palace maids and Eunuch
Mo Qingqui nodded. She understands his actions. Don't tell anyone
"It's actually quite simple, Qingqui. I am a Dual Cultivator."
Mo Qingqui blinked, her stoic mask slipping for a fraction of a second.
"And," Long Xiaoyao continued, lowering his voice to a husky whisper, "it is entirely thanks to you. After a few... spirited sessions of lovemaking last night, my dantian was practically overflowing. I merely guided that energy to break the barrier."
The memory hit Mo Qingqui like a physical blow. Images flashed through her mind. Not just the act, but the domineering, inventive, and relentless things the Long Xiaoyao had made her do. The sheer stamina he had displayed.
"Honestly, my constitution is rather special. Just you alone was enough to break through, but looking at my current state... I could probably handle two or three more people alongside you just fine."
"You... you are a monster," she murmured, though there was no malice in it, only analytical surprise.
"Based on what I read your Highness. Dual Cultivation is considered an unorthodox and difficult path. Most men possess limited Yang essence. If they attempt to cultivate this way frequently, they become exhausted and die prematurely. They prefer the safety of absorbing ambient Qi."
"But you... You seem to have an endless supply. You are not drained at all; you are invigorated."
Her voice dropped to a whisper. "If that is the case, Your Highness, I have a suggestion. You should help the other two palace maids cultivate."
Long Xiaoyao raised an eyebrow. "The two little maids?"
"Yes," Mo Qingqui nodded. "They are loyal, but their talent for ordinary cultivation is poor. They will likely remain mortals their whole lives, susceptible to the dangers. But if you were to... guide them via Dual Cultivation, their strength would soar, and they would be of better use to you."
Long Xiaoyao rubbed his chin, considering the proposal. He looked over toward the two she mentioned
"I don't mind the extra company," Long Xiaoyao said with a smirk, before his expression sharpened, showing a glimpse of the strategist beneath the Playboy facade.
"But before I invest my 'essence' into them, tell me about their backgrounds. Can I trust them? I have no interest in raising tigers that will bite me later."
"You need not worry about spies or outside allegiances regarding those two," she stated, her voice steady. "Those two have a wretched fate. Their parents were hopeless gambling addicts. When the debts piled too high to pay, they sold their own daughters to the palace when they were barely old enough to walk."
She glanced toward the two, a hint of pity flashing in her eyes before vanishing.
"They have no memories of home. They grew up within the red walls, relying only on each other. If you show them favor, their loyalty will be absolute, for they have nowhere else to go."
Long Xiaoyao nodded slowly, taking in the information. "Sold for a few rolls of the dice. How tragic," he mused, though his expression remained unreadable. "Fine. I will think about it."
He stepped past her, seemingly ready to leave, but as he moved behind her, his hand shot out.
Smack!
He gave her butt a gentle, teasing tap firm enough to send a ripple through her body, but subtle enough to be missed by a casual observer from afar.
Mo Qingqi's body stiffened instantly. "Your Highness!" she hissed, half in shock, half in warning.
Long Xiaoyao only grinned, walking backward away from her.
"Don't just stand there dazed, Qingqui," he commanded, his tone shifting back to that of a master. "Go train with the others."
He paused, his eyes gleaming with anticipation.
"And don't exhaust yourself too much. Tonight, there is a banquet, and I need you at your best. You will be accompanying me."
…
Inside a Grand Room at Lotus Pavilion
Beautiful musicians played a lively, up-tempo melody while scantily clad dancers twirled, their sleeves snapping like whips in the air.
Seated at the very center of the table, commanding the room like a king holding court, was Meng Hao. The elder son of General Meng Xiong
He held a porcelain cup with long, pale fingers, his eyes narrowed into slits as he watched the entertainers. There was something a cold, unblinking stillness that unnerved those who looked too closely. Masking a venomous nature beneath a handsome façade.
Surrounding him were the scions of Myriad Leaf City. The young masters and misses of the most prominent families. Tonight, however, they were nothing more than sycophants.
"To Young Master Meng!" a scion of the Wei family shouted, raising his goblet high.
"To the genius of our generation! Eighteen years old and already at the Peak of the Mortal Realm. A step away from the Heavens!"
"Hear, hear!" A chorus of voices erupted. "The Heavens are within his grasp!"
Meng Hao dipped his head in a display of practiced humility. "You flatter me, Brother Zhao. I am merely lucky."
"It is not just talent, but destiny," a young woman from the Chen family chimed in, her eyes shining with admiration as she looked at Meng Hao. "And with General Meng's support, that final step is assured."
The conversation shifted instantly to the topic of Meng Hao's father, the renowned General Meng Xiong.
"Indeed!" Young Master Yan slammed his hand on the table enthusiastically. "I heard the news before coming here. General Meng went personally into the Forest of Beasts."
"The Forest of Beasts?" The Song girl gasped, covering her mouth with a silk sleeve.
"Exactly," Yan nodded, leaning in as if sharing a state secret. "Because mere gold isn't enough for what's in town right now. Have you all heard? An Immortal, a true cultivator"
A hush fell over the table. An Immortal. To these mortals, such a figure was akin to a god.
"The Immortal released word," Zhao continued, basking in the attention. "He is willing to part with a single Qi Refining Pill. But he demands level 2 beast cores in exchange."
"Tier 2 beasts are equivalent to a Qi refining cultivator. I'm afraid in this city only General Meng could hunt those"
"A Qi Refining Pill..." someone whispered reverently.
It was the key to the gate. One pill could shatter the bottleneck of the Mortal Realm and allow a martial artist to generate true Qi, becoming a Cultivator.
"General Meng is a force of nature," a young master in blue robes said, raising his cup toward Meng Hao. "He is undoubtedly hunting a Tier 2 beast as we speak. With his strength, he will secure those cores. Once he returns and trades for that pill... Young Master Meng, you will be a Qi Refining expert before the month is out!"
"The first among us to ascend," another added. "The Meng family will surely rise above even the... well, you will be unstoppable."
He had almost said 'above even the Royal Family,' but caught himself.
Meng Hao accepted their praise with that same placid, reptile-mask of a smile. "My father dotes on me too much," he said softly. "I only hope he returns safely."
"To the future Immortal Meng!" The toast went up again.
"To the future," Meng Hao said, drinking the wine
"Young Master Meng is destined for greatness. Unlike... well, unlike his half-brother."
The table erupted in cruel laughter.
"Ah, Meng Lin?" someone jeered. "That waste? Wasn't he even invited tonight, was he? Probably stuck in his room with his nose to a dusty scroll searching for ways to cure his mother."
"He's useless," a girl covered in jewelry scoffed. "Young Master Meng has the talent to reach the heavens, while Meng Lin only knows how to read books. What use is literature against a sword? He is just as useless as that Sixth Prince who just arrived in the city."
Mention of the Sixth Prince caused a fresh wave of mockery.
"Did you hear?" a large youth guffawed, slapping his thigh. "The Sixth Prince got bedridden! And for what? He almost died fighting an Iron Hide Boar!"
"An Iron-Hide Boar?" The crowd roared with laughter.
"That's the weakest beast in the Forest of Beasts! A tier 1! Even a farmhand with a pitchfork could scare one off, yet a Prince of the Kingdom nearly lost his life to it?"
Meng Hao joined in the laughter, his shoulders shaking. But as he laughed, Meng Hao's knuckles turned white where he gripped his robe under the table.
Inwardly, he was burning with jealousy.
His laughter was a mask. He knew a truth that these idiots didn't know.
Yes, the Sixth Prince had been injured, but in doing so, the Prince had broken through his bottleneck. The "useless" Prince was now a cultivator, while Meng Hao was still stuck at the threshold, waiting to take that step.
'Alas, it's too late now. The words have been spoken, the invitations were sent' He was planning to humiliate Long Xiaoyao in this banquet not expecting him to not only recover, but also break through
'If I had known that Long Xiaoyao had actually broken through to the Qi Refining Realm, I never would have sent out these invitations yesterday. No matter. Once Father came back..,' Meng Hao thought, a cruel anticipation settling in his gut.
'I will break through to the Qi Refining Realm instantly. I'll show him that Myriad Leaf City belongs to the Meng clan'
The Grand Room in the Lotus Pavilion was pushed open
Instantly, the atmosphere within the banquet hall shifted. The silk-clad dancers, caught in mid-twirl, faltered and ceased their movement. The musicians, fingers hovering over their instruments, let the final notes dissolve into an uneasy silence.
All eyes turned toward the entrance.