The next morning.
Xue Yi walked out of the front door, breathing in the cool morning air.
"Brother Xue Yi, are you ready for breakfast yet?" the maids had woken up even earlier than him. They were already washing clothes, sweeping floors, watering the plants and flowers.
Xue Yi looked at the sky and said, "It's still early. I'll practice first for a while, eat in two hours."
"Alright, then we'll go do other things first." The maids were very thoughtful.
Xue Yi went to the lawn outside the door. Facing the newly risen sun, he started shadowboxing.
Morning exercise can open up the body's meridians, speeding up the conversion rate of vital energy and making cultivation level increase faster.
In the past, he was often sent to patrol at this time, wasting a lot of good time.
After a set of boxing now, the exuberant vital energy in his body was gradually refined into gang energy. The rate of increase was very noticeable.
Although it couldn't compare to the cultivation efficiency of Wu Ling Emperor's meditative technique, just going through the motions to put on a show for the maids was still pretty good.
Xue Yi didn't stop, practicing the boxing method over and over again. Sweat gradually seeped out of his body.
The maids didn't have much to do, so they finished up quickly and gathered around to watch him, idle.
"Brother Xue Yi looks very handsome."
"Such alluring muscles..."
"His skills are great too. No wonder Young Miss chose him to be her personal attendant, he must be very outstanding!"
Before they knew it, two hours had passed, and the sun was already high up.
Xue Yi stopped practicing. His clothes were completely soaked in sweat.
"Brother Xue Yi, wipe off your sweat."
Maid Qiu Tang handed him a towel.
"Thank you, Qiu Tang is very thoughtful." Xue Yi said, satisfied.
Another maid, Zi Die, said, "Brother Xue Yi, do you need to wash up? I've prepared hot water!"
"And I prepared herbal ingredients, you can take a medicinal bath, it's better for the body!" Dong Xue also said.
"I... I can scrub your back for you, Brother Xue Yi!" Xia Chan said with a red face.
"Then I'll wash clothes for Brother Xue Yi!" Qing He vied to say.
The others couldn't think of ways to curry favor for now, looking dejected one by one.
"Did you all used to serve Young Miss like this? Young Miss is so fortunate!" Xue Yi felt extremely blissful.
It really was too awesome to be the master. No wonder everyone wanted to be a young master!
He was just a personal guard now. If he became Xiao Qingruo's husband in the future, wouldn't he instantly level up?
"Young Miss rarely lets us serve her..."
Dong Xue whispered.
Xue Yi laughed, "That makes sense, Young Miss is rather cold, hard to get close to."
"That's right, we've been with her for years but didn't get any chance to curry favor."
"Brother Xue Yi, how did you get chosen by Young Miss as her personal guard? Can you teach us a little?"
The maids surrounded him, very curious.
Just then, the door creaked open.
Xiao Qingruo, dressed in a blue long robe, with a noble and aloof expression, walked out slowly.
"Young Miss!"
"Greetings Young Miss!"
The maids hurriedly bowed and greeted respectfully.
Xue Yi also called out.
"You're all very free, aren't you?" She asked coldly.
Seeing that she was displeased, the maids were frightened and immediately knelt down, "Young Miss, please forgive us. We'll go do our tasks now!"
Then they quickly dispersed, not daring to gossip casually anymore.
Seeing this, Xue Yi laughed in his heart. Aside from lacking strength and being narrow-minded, this Young Miss really was no different from a powerful cultivator in other regards. Her prestige was too great.
"Young Miss, please have your meal." Xia Chan brought over the freshly fetched food box.
Xiao Qingruo glanced at Xue Yi.
Xue Yi immediately said, "Young Miss eat first. I'll go change my clothes."
It was the first day today, she had to go see the Manor Lord.
Although Xue Yi couldn't follow her in to see the Manor Lord, he still had to accompany her on the way.
He swiftly returned to his room to grab some clothes and quickly rinsed himself with the hot water prepared by the maids. No time for a bath, he put on the clothes and went back out.
Xiao Qingruo was still elegantly eating her breakfast, seeming to intentionally wait for him as she ate very slowly.
Xue Yi took his own food box. Abiding by a servant's manners, he stood to the side without sitting down and wolfed it down hurriedly to match her pace. The two finished at almost the same time.
"Young Miss, do you need to rest for a bit?" Xue Yi asked.
She lightly replied, "No need."
Then she got up and walked outside.
Young Miss's pace was always steady, neither fast nor slow, carrying a calm composure that belonged to the powerful.
Xue Yi felt a deep, reserved aura emitting from her body, the unique presence of a cultivator at the Long Life Realm.
Clearly, she had activated her "Illusion Art".
Although right now it was in a "relaxed" state, the aura wasn't too strong.
If it was switched to "vigilant" state, it would be like yesterday when they met Xu Lingzhi, giving off tremendous pressure that made one not dare to breathe.
Crossing the stone bridge, the two arrived at the entrance of Lan Garden.
They had just stepped out when several figures swiftly came over to greet them.
"Young Miss."
"Greetings Young Miss!"
Several guards respectfully bowed to Xiao Qingruo.
Xiao Qingruo gave them an indifferent glance and asked, "What is it?"
The leader, a youth, cupped his fists and lowered his head, "Reporting to Young Miss, I am Zhao Xuan from Guard Group A. Guard Zhao Ancheng is my uncle. I've come today wanting to expose Xue Yi!"
"Oh?" Xiao Qingruo looked rather interested, signaling him to continue speaking.
Seeing Young Miss's expression, Zhao Xuan felt hopeful. Delighted inwardly, he continued, "This Xue Yi has shifty character and often slacks off and fools around. Among us guards his reputation has always been at the bottom! Young Miss, with your discerning eyes, you certainly won't be fooled by him. Xue Yi is not suitable to be your personal attendant. I'd like to... I'd like to request, asking Young Miss to replace him with me!"
Towards the end, Zhao Xuan's tone was a little agitated, as if he could replace Xue Yi in the next second and become Young Miss's personal attendant.
The other guards who came with him also watched with expectant expressions, waiting to see a good show.
After listening, Xiao Qingruo indifferently said, "Xue Yi, what do you say?"
Xue Yi's expression was completely calm and unhurried. He stepped forward two paces and cupped his fists, "Replying to Young Miss, this Zhao Xuan has a narrow belly and is jealous that I'm more outstanding, more handsome, and stronger than him. So he opposes me at every turn, often slanders and vilifies me, and even formed cliques within the guards during the selection of elites to give me black marks. His aims are glaringly obvious. He's just afraid that I'll become First Rank Guard before him! And now he even wants to squeeze me out and get close to you, Young Miss. Judging by his lecherous gaze, one look and you can tell he's no good. His heart is condemnable! I ask that Young Miss see the truth in this!"
"You, you're spouting nonsense!"
"Who has a lecherous gaze, you're the lecherous one!"
"Young Miss, please discern! I am absolutely loyal!"
Upon hearing this, Zhao Xuan immediately became anxious. He knelt down on one knee and said loudly, "Young Miss hates it the most when someone covets her beauty. Xue Yi saying this is clearly trying to frame me to death!"
When he heard this rebuttal, Xue Yi retorted, "Scoundrel, still quibbling! If you were loyal, would you come slander my loyalty and devotion? If you were loyal, you should be dutifully patrolling right now! If you were loyal, would you die or not if Young Miss ordered you to right now?"
"I, I..."
Zhao Xuan was so anxious his face turned red. He immediately shouted loudly, "As long as Young Miss orders, I'll do anything, even die without fear!"
"Heh." Xue Yi coldly snorted.
Xiao Qingruo knew what he was thinking. She wouldn't truly make Zhao Xuan go die.
As Young Miss, she had to maintain her image. She couldn't become Xue Yi's minion just because he caught her in a bind, otherwise her identity would quickly become untenable and her image would collapse.
"Leave." She indifferently said, not wanting to waste time on such trivial matters.
"Young Miss, I..."
Zhao Xuan became anxious. Clearly Xiao Qingruo didn't believe him.
"Still not leaving? Do I have to make you leave by force?" Xue Yi stepped forward and coldly said.
"Xue Yi, you!"
Zhao Xuan felt extremely stifled inwardly. After squatting here all day, not only did he gain no benefit, he was also furious.
Hearing Xue Yi's words, he simply shot back, "You think you can fight me? If it wasn't because we're both Holy Might Manor guards, I would've beaten you to death long ago!"
"Heh, trash at the 7th level of Gang Qi like you, when will you have that ability?" Xue Yi disdainfully said.
"Who told you I'm at the 7th level of Gang Qi? I broke through to the 8th level long ago!"
Boom~
Zhao Xuan, furiously humiliated, released his protective qi, and a strong wind blew open as he instantly struck a battle stance.
Xiao Qingruo's eyebrows slightly furrowed.
"Impertinence!"
She coldly shouted, and the formidable aura of a Longsheng Realm expert was released in an instant.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
m back to his original world. In the end, he realized he had overthought things. [Hey, why is Shen Manni, the female lead, acting strange? Shouldn't she be fawning over the male lead at this point?] [Zhou Qiaoqiao, are you sick? Weren't you supposed to break off your engagement today?] [Damn it! An Youyi, please do your job as an undercover agent and sell my information to the protagonist, you idiot!] ... At this moment, Xu Mo himself didn't know that these female leads had already heard his inner thoughts. Then they decided not to play by the rules. Xu Mo: Please respect my profession as the big villain!
