Five days passed without any major incident.
All Zhou Tianxu did was meditate, drink tea, and play chess with Liang Chen — while secretly planning Han Yuming's downfall.
He had even created different scenarios in his mind. But the only thing he could use right now to humiliate him was wealth. Zhou Tianxu had a lot of it, and according to his investigation Han Yuming came from a humble background.
"Young Master, that young woman is awake" a maid, who had arrived said as she bowed respectfully.
Zhou Tianxu stood up and headed to the courtyard Shen Yao was in.
Zhou Tianxu pushed open the door, and the sight before him made him pause, just for a heartbeat.
Shen Yao was sitting upright on the bed, her back straight despite the obvious weakness in her frame.
Five days of careful tending had restored color to her pale cheeks, and the simple bath and food had softened the harsh lines of malnutrition that had once been etched into her face.
Yet, even in her frailty, she was captivating — impossibly delicate, like a porcelain statue carved by a master hand, yet radiating an aura that refused to be tamed.
Her long black hair was neatly braided now, but a few strands had escaped to frame her face, softening her sharp jawline. Her eyes, large and dark, held a quiet intelligence, glimmering like twin obsidian pools — alert, cautious, yet infinitely curious.
He let his eyes linger a moment longer than etiquette demanded, a dark smirk curling at the corner of his lips.
"So fragile… yet impossible to look away from, why did fate try to tie such a beauty with that damn Han Yuming" he muttered under his breath.
Shen Yao tried to get off the bed and properly greet Tianxu but with a few strides he reached her bedside and stopped her movement.
"You are still weak, you can't get out of bed," he said gently.
"Th..Thank you sir" she stammered.
"My name is Zhou Tianxu" he replied as he dragged a chair to sit beside her.
"Sh..Shen Yao" she said.
"Miss Shen, are you going to tell me why you were in that state I found you on?" he asked, leaning back on the chair with arms folded to his chest.
"I.. My.. My adoptive father.. He wanted to sell me so I ran" she replied, tears glinting from her face.
Zhou Tianxu remembered that the system had told him that she was lost in the mortal realm.
"Even as a villain I wouldn't sell my own child" Tianxu muttered under his breath.
Shen Yao looked confused but didn't ask any questions.
"Thank you for saving my life, I don't have anything to repay you." Shen Yao said slowly and her hands fidgeted with her clothes.
The clothes felt too soft on her skin, something she had never worn before. She was used to course fabric that her adoptive father gave her.
And this scared her, it told her that the man before her was some rich heir. To her, rich people were the most dangerous kind of all.
Tianxu sized her up again, a grin on his face and said, "then how do you plan to repay this life saving grace?" his eyes scanned her, making her feel slightly uncomfortable.
"I..I can work here.. Being a maid, I can cook clean. As long as I don't go back. If.. If I return home he…he will send me back to that old merchant" she said quickly.
Tianxu chuckled, a low chuckle that vibrated from his chest but somehow it made Shen Yao feel uneasy.
All her life she had learned how to read people, this was a way of survival. She had to know which people to avoid and never offend and this man before her… as handsome as he was, he had this dangerous glint in his eyes.
Tianxu suddenly sat up and walked towards the door, before walking out he turned and said, "very well you can stay here, an extra plate is not a problem for me. But no chores until you are fully recovered"
"Y.. Yes sir" she stammered.
"Just call me Young Master like everyone here" he said then walked out.
[Host has earned the gratitude of Shen Yao. 20 FP earned. Current FP: 70 FP]
"Ahh! Gratitude earns me FP?"
[Gratitude from characters connected to the Chosen One only earns FP. This FP can range from 10 to 100 FP. Once you have earned 100 FP of gratitude from Shen Yao, she will be loyal to host then host can start building his Harem]
"Hmph… I save her life and only get this much gratitude? Women connected to Chosen Ones really are troublesome."
He was no saint, it wasn't his style to go around saving strangers.
Oh but the thought of a harem… that really excited him. Which man didn't want to have a number of beauties fulfilling his desires.
Soon Tianxu was in a luxurious carriage headed to town, his mind already reeling with joy just from the thought of having multiple women on his bed.
He wanted to get some pills for Shen Yao, he had noticed that though she had never cultivated, her body was suitable for it. She had a very strong foundation.
What other way to win someone's trust other than helping them escape the weak corner.
He had to get her manuals too.
He couldn't give her his family's secret manuals. Those were not for outsiders.
He had to give her something her body could take, something light, literally and figuratively. As for his family manuals… well that's a story for another day. But it's dark, too dark for such a fragile beauty.
As soon the carriage halted, Tianxu exited and noticed a commotion ahead.
"Go find out what is going on," he said.
Liang Chen materialised before him, bowed and said "Yes, young master"
After a minute or two Liang Chen was back and reported "A disciple from Frostmoon Sacred Sect is fighting over an ancient manual with a rogue cultivator"
"Oh! Frostmoon? Hmph, lets see"
Tianxu walked towards the commotion and his eyes landed on him… that damn Han Yuming.
[First Chosen One has appeared. Host can use this opportunity to humiliate Han Yuming to earn FP]