How Many to Have

Aside from a few lingering slackers, the injured at Dan Peak had mostly recovered, and those who were ready to leave had already gone. Gradually, Dan Peak returned to its usual tranquil and leisurely state.

In particular, as the final tasks were wrapped up, the head of Dan Peak finally found himself with some free time.

Qin Ran lay back in his reclining chair, gazing at the azure sky through the sparse branches of the Old Spirit Pagoda Tree overhead, suddenly realizing that deep autumn had arrived.

It dawned on him just how long he had been working nonstop, his nerves stretched taut for far too long.

From the moment he discovered the issue with the pills, he had been plagued by fear, devising countless escape plans… Yet, in the end, he stayed. Through schemes, alliances, battles, and strategy, he had managed to topple a major sect like Zhican Valley.

He should have been proud—proud enough to step onto Gu Yueming’s throne and demand he move aside so he could sit on it himself.

But all he felt was exhaustion.

Sheer exhaustion.

Who remembered that all he had ever wanted was to be a shut-in? The kind who holed up in the deep mountains to cultivate in peace.

Yet, without realizing it, he had done so much.

"No more," he muttered to himself, shaking his head. "If I keep going and try to unite the world, I’ll work myself to death. I really need to find a way to slip away…"

Li Shiyin emerged from the house, her hair loose and a sword in hand. She walked over to Qin Ran, dropped the sword onto him, then stood beside him, gathering her hair behind her to tie it up.

Clearly, she was heading out to practice her swordsmanship.

Qin Ran picked up the sword resting on him, unsheathed it, then slid it back in, finding it uninteresting. His gaze drifted sideways, landing on Li Shiyin’s breathtakingly full chest as she tied her hair back with both hands.

A mischievous thought struck him. He extended his hand, fingers outstretched, landing lightly on her waist. Then, like a pair of walking legs, his index and middle fingers began creeping upward.

Li Shiyin sensed his antics and shot him a cold glare, warning him to quit while he was ahead.

Unfortunately, Qin Ran had thick skin. Ignoring her warning, his fingers marched onward, reaching something soft within just a few steps.

"Mmm…" Li Shiyin let out a soft sound.

SMACK!

Her hand slapped his away.

"You’re getting more and more shameless!" she scolded.

The back of Qin Ran’s hand stung from the blow, and he paused for a few seconds. But when his eyes wandered back to his wife’s alluring figure, his wicked thoughts returned, and his hand reached out again.

This time, he got "clever," aiming for a spot she couldn’t easily hit—her thigh.

His hand clamped down on the soft flesh, squeezing before releasing, as if his fingers were bouncing off the plush, springy skin. The sensation was exquisite.

He gave it another squeeze, tempted to venture higher, but just as he was lost in the moment, he suddenly realized—the owner of these "legs worth a lifetime of admiration" had been unusually quiet for too long.

A chill ran down his spine. He looked up to find Li Shiyin staring at him, her face flushed but her expression icy.

"How do my legs feel?" she asked coldly.

"Not bad," Qin Ran replied.

"Not bad?!" Her voice rose sharply. "Where’s my sword?!"

"Ah, ah! I mean, they’re amazing!" he corrected hastily.

Crack. Crack.

The sound of knuckles popping.

Realizing the situation was dire, Qin Ran decided to go on the offensive. Instead of retreating, he reached out with both hands, wrapped them around Li Shiyin’s thighs, and yanked her down onto the recliner with him.

The Sword Immortal Li, of course, couldn’t actually resist. She tumbled into his arms, her face flushed crimson, looking utterly embarrassed—an expression that nearly killed Qin Ran with desire.

Creak… Creak…

The poorly crafted recliner groaned under their combined weight, issuing a severe warning.

"Qin Ran, do you have a death wish?" she huffed, pounding his chest with her fists—though the effect was far less intimidating than if she’d punched herself instead.

"Mhm."

Having successfully pulled his wife down, Qin Ran was content. He wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin lightly on her forehead as he closed his eyes, letting the recliner sway gently.

The autumn sun filtered through the leaves of the Old Spirit Pagoda Tree, scattering dappled light over them. A breeze drifted in from the lake, carrying the cool, damp air to brush against their skin. They held each other, one smiling at the corners of his lips, the other at the corners of her eyes, as the recliner rocked softly.

"Qin Ran…" Li Shiyin suddenly spoke up. "Is that your… thing poking me?"

"Huh?" Qin Ran opened his eyes. "No?"

He reached between them and pulled out Li Shiyin’s practice sword.

"It’s this," he said with a laugh, tossing the sheathed sword onto the grass nearby. "What kind of vulgar man do you take me for?"

"Ha!" Li Shiyin scoffed, leaving him to ponder the irony himself.

Qin Ran nuzzled her hair and asked, "Do you prefer boys or girls?"

"Boys, of course!" Li Shiyin declared. "I’ll teach him swordsmanship from childhood so he can help me beat up this bad guy!"

"I’m the bad guy?" Qin Ran snorted. "You’re the real troublemaker here."

"I’m the Starlight Sword Immortal, and you’re the Thousand-Faced Poison Lord," Li Shiyin said smugly. "Just from our titles, anyone can tell who’s good and who’s evil. They say names can be wrong, but epithets never lie."

"Tch." Not wanting to argue, Qin Ran steered the conversation back. "Well, I prefer girls."

"What do you mean, ‘I prefer girls’?" Li Shiyin giggled.

"If you like boys, then I’ll like girls—fair’s fair," Qin Ran said seriously. "Otherwise, if we have a girl and find out Mom doesn’t like her, and Dad doesn’t either, how heartbroken would she be?"

"Pfft!" Li Shiyin retorted. "What ‘Mom doesn’t like her’? What nonsense are you spouting now, Dad?!"

"You said you liked boys!"

"Liking boys doesn’t mean I dislike girls! Stupid master! Dumb master!"

"Ohhh…" Qin Ran feigned sudden understanding. "So that’s how it is."

"Master," Li Shiyin said earnestly, "how about we have a boy first, then a girl? The older brother can protect his little sister."

Qin Ran blinked. "Did Li Shiwen ever protect you?"

"Hehe!" Li Shiyin grinned sheepishly. "The only reason I could beat everyone in Danyang was because of Li Shiwen."

"Ohhh…" Qin Ran drew out the syllable. "So you knew you were just riding on his coattails?!"

"I’m not an idiot!" She lightly punched his chest.

"Have as many as you want," Qin Ran said with a smile. "But I’d suggest stopping at one."

"Why?"

"Kids are annoying…" he lowered his voice. "Remember what Chasing the Wind was like as a pup?"

"Ohhh…" Li Shiyin mimicked his tone. "Then… maybe we shouldn’t have any…"

"You’re the worst, Chasing the Wind!" Qin Ran yelled.

Chasing the Wind: "??? What did I do?!"