Next time we meet, I'll beat her ass black and blue.

Xia Lingxi was completely dumbfounded.

She stood there blankly, her mouth unconsciously open, forming a comical O shape.

What... just happened?

Qin Hao called out "Dad," and the sky went dark? What was with that giant palm? It was as if it were the sky itself, carrying infinite might and supreme laws that made one's very soul tremble uncontrollably!

Seeing Xia Lingxi frozen in place, Qin Hao chuckled and stepped forward, reaching out to flick her forehead.

Xia Lingxi covered her forehead and puffed out her cheeks, saying:

"Stop flicking me! I'm already not that smart, I'll get even dumber if you keep doing that."

"Haha." Qin Hao laughed aloud. "At least you're self-aware."

Xia Lingxi turned her head to the side. "Hmph, didn't you leave three days ago? Why are you back?"

Qin Hao shrugged. "Who told me to worry so much about a little fool like you? I was afraid that without me around, you'd get swindled and still help them count the money."

Qin Hao's answer filled Xia Lingxi with secret delight. He really did care about her! However, she still put on a look of indifference. "You're the fool! I was just pretending earlier to confuse the enemy and make them lower their guard."

Qin Hao didn't argue, only smiling and nodding. "Right, right, whatever you say. I believe you completely."

[Ding. There are ten minutes remaining until the rental period ends. Say your goodbyes, we are about to begin a new journey.]

Listening to the countdown in his mind, Qin Hao took a deep breath. He slowly looked up at Xia Lingxi and said softly:

"Lingxi, I really have to go this time."

Qin Hao's words made Xia Lingxi tremble. She had already lost her royal father, and her older brother, the Crown Prince, was missing. Was Qin Hao going to leave her now too?

Looking at Xia Lingxi's pitiful, aggrieved expression, Qin Hao's heart ultimately softened. "If you're willing, I can take you with me. With my background, I can find you a place to settle down. No one will ever bully you again."

This little fool, Xia Lingxi, had wanted to leave with him before. Now that he was offering to take her away, she definitely wouldn't refuse. The only question was, where should he place her?

Xuantian Holy Land was definitely out of the question. Qingyue was still there. If the two of them met in the future and realized they were both his clients, who knew what kind of sparks would fly.

Yaochi Holy Land might be a good choice. Lingxi's Seven-Aperture Exquisite Heart was quite compatible with Yaochi.

Just as Qin Hao was pondering where to settle her, Xia Lingxi spoke up:

"Qin Hao, thank you, but this time, I won't be going with you."

Hearing this, Qin Hao was slightly taken aback. "You aren't coming with me?"

Xia Lingxi nodded. "I can't leave. I have to go find my Crown Prince brother. His fate is unknown, and I can't stop worrying about him."

"I can have my people help you find him."

Xia Lingxi shook her head. "There's no need. You've already done more than enough for me. I am going back to the Great Cang Kingdom."

Saying this, Xia Lingxi walked over to the corpse of Xia Ling, which had been refined into a puppet.

"My royal father always had a dream. He hoped that one day, the entire Southern Region could be unified, no longer divided by tens of thousands of warring states like it is today, causing countless ordinary people to be displaced by war. My father was a good man. He hoped that every ordinary person, even those who couldn't cultivate, could live out their lives in peace."

"Now, I want to fulfill my father's wish."

At this point, Xia Lingxi looked at Qin Hao. "I know that with your background, helping me unify the Southern Region would only take a single word from you. But this is my father's wish, and I want to realize it with my own hands!"

Qin Hao looked at Xia Lingxi standing before him, swallowing the words that had reached the tip of his tongue.

The afterglow of the setting sun spilled across Xia Lingxi's face, plating her pale cheeks with a soft, golden light.

She crouched beside her father's corpse, her fingers gently brushing across his lifeless face. Her movements were extremely light, carrying a cautious, tender sorrow.

Qin Hao felt that Xia Lingxi had changed. Her eyes revealed an unprecedented clarity and resolve. She no longer seemed like the silly girl who would only squeeze her eyes shut in terror whenever she faced danger.

She was becoming composed and resilient, much like a piece of rough jade that, after being polished, was finally beginning to radiate its own true brilliance.

A hint of surprise flashed through Qin Hao's eyes, but it was mostly filled with admiration. He gently curled the corners of his lips:

"Alright. Since this is your choice, I will respect it."

With that, Qin Hao flicked his finger, leaving a mark inside Xia Lingxi's body:

"This is my soul imprint. If you encounter any danger, activate this imprint, and I will rush to your side in time. It only has one use, so cherish it well."

Seeing that Qin Hao was about to leave, Xia Lingxi called out to stop him:

"Wait a moment!"

Qin Hao paused his steps and looked at Xia Lingxi with an inquiring expression. "What? Regretting it already?"

Xia Lingxi gently shook her head. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at Qin Hao, her eyes filled with a mix of anticipation and nervousness:

"In the future, can I rent you again? I'll pay the fee... in my own way!"

Originally, Qin Hao was going to refuse, but considering the massive upheaval Xia Lingxi had just experienced, he couldn't bear to do it. Thus, he said:

"That will depend on whether your fee is special enough."

After saying that, Qin Hao spoke no more. Taking one last look at Xia Lingxi, he activated his jade pendant and departed.

Xia Lingxi stood rooted to the spot, gazing in the direction Qin Hao had vanished for a long time without moving.

[Ding. The order has ended. Please rate this service. The scale ranges from one star for the lowest score to ten stars for the highest.]

Xia Lingxi infused her rating into the jade pendant. With eyes full of reluctance, she took one last look in the direction Qin Hao had left. Finally, no longer lost in confusion, she took heavy steps—laden with sorrow yet brimming with newfound strength—and began her journey back to the Great Cang Kingdom.

On the other side, relying on the jade pendant forged by an Immortal Emperor, Qin Hao returned to the Qin family estate in the blink of an eye.

[Ding. Detected that client Xia Lingxi has submitted a rating.]

[Rating Level: Nine Stars (Excellent)]

[Ding. Finalizing settlement for the Xia Lingxi order...]

[Congratulations to the host for receiving a nine-star favorable rating. You have obtained a share of 5 liters of Xia Lingxi's karmic luck, and received the evaluation reward: Soul-Devouring Banner.]

[Soul-Devouring Banner: Attack power is determined by the number and strength of the divine souls it has devoured. There is no upper limit, but every attack will consume the divine souls stored within.]

As soon as the system's electronic voice faded, a Soul-Devouring Banner radiating a sinister aura appeared in Qin Hao's hand.

Qin Hao furrowed his brows tightly. "Nine stars??? This little fool! She really is an idiot! What is she trying to do? What was she dissatisfied with? And here I was, worried she would be bullied, even making an exception to leave her a soul imprint so she could contact me if she ran into danger!"

"And in the end, this silly girl treats me like this? Only giving me nine stars?"

[Ding. Xia Lingxi has left a message for the host. Would you like to view it immediately?]

"View it immediately!"

Qin Hao scoffed coldly. This little fool, if she didn't give him a reasonable explanation, the next time they met, he would absolutely spank her bottom red!