《Omnipotent Husband System》


 Chapter 1: System Activated.

    Hao Ren was coming back from a high school reunion party and he was drunk. It was not a bad reunion but for people like him these gatherings did not fare too well either. He was an epitome of average men. People who nobody would remember or miss when they were gone.


    Just like at this moment, his classmates did not even notice that he took off from the gathering. They might look for him when paying the bills. Hao Ren navigated his way to the beach opposite the hotel they were gathered at.


    Hao Ren decided to settle down on the cold sand as the ocean breeze brushed against his face. He raised his head to look at the sky and then he turned to check the surroundings before he spoke out loud, "Fuck you!"


    It was a burst of frustration that was being silenced by the wave. Hao Ren raised a bottle of beer he had been holding and took a big sip before he yelled, "Fuck you, God of systems!"


    He chugged down the contents of the bottle before he fell on his back and stared blankly at the stars. After some time he said, "I read as many novels as I could. I prayed to as many gods as I could during my teenage. Then when I thought miracles do not happen, you send me to this beautiful world. I was so happy thinking you will give me some special ability to change my average fate.


    What did you give me? You gave me nothing, but a broken system. Oi! System, wake up you freeloading parasite, wake up and tell me why did the god of systems fuck me over like this?"


    *Ding: Host, nobody has done anything bad to you. Also, there is not such thing as God of systems.*


    Hao Ren groaned and protested, "You are a scam, alright, everyone else gets systems that make them rich and strong. What did I get? Tell me what are you."


    *Ding: I am the Omnipotent Husband System. My task is to make sure that the host achieves the supreme status among husbands in the world.*


    Hao Ren chuckled and asked, "What are the requirement to activate you?"


    *Ding: Host should get married to trigger the system activation.*


    Hao Ren was so pissed that he laughed like a maniac for a few minutes before he got tired and said, "You should have made me stronger or richer and then tasked me to get a wife. That would have been fun."


    Hao Ren nodded mechanically, and the woman said, "Good, would you like to marry me?"


    The young man smiled and thought, ''It seems I am still in a dream on the beach.''


    He could not believe what was happening. His mind was in a fluster and the only chance where such a woman would ask him to marry her, was in a dream. Thinking like this, he nodded and the woman dragged him inside the building.


    Hao Ren followed the procedure happily, he clicked one single photo and then signed the forms and relevant documents easily. After everything was completed, the government official said, "Congratulations, you two are now married."


    Hao Ren bowed to him in thanks before he turned to look at the lady who seemed to be thinking something. Suddenly, another official said, "Come along, the office will provide you with a complimentary commemorative photograph."


    The couple walked over a black board and stood together inside the frame. The photographer said, "Come on! You two are newly married, why don''t you stand closer and give us a smile."


    Hao Ren looked at the lady who took half a step closer, and did the same before he turned to look at the camera with a smile on his face.


    At this moment, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind, *Ding: It is detected that the host has completed the activation quest. Activating System in two hours."


    Hao Ren could not believe this, he had dreamed such a thing many times, but his system would never activate, to confirm his doubts, he pinched his thigh hard and sensed the pain. A tear mixed with pain and joy formed at the corner of his eye and slowly slid down his cheek as the photographer clicked the picture.


    The lady and the cameraman were surprised and the former asked in a calm manner, "Are you okay?"


    Hao Ren turned to look at her and said, "This is the best moment of my life. Thank you."


    He was euphoric, and his voice was so vibrant that the cameraman could not help but click another picture of the couple.

 Chapter 2: The Wife.

    Hao Ren was still having a hard time believing that he got married and his system was finally triggered. As they were coming out of the marriage registration office, he tried to call for the system but he only found a holographic window flashing before him, which said, ''The system is updating, please wait patiently.''


    Only then did he recall that the system will come online after two hours. His eyes fell on the slender figure walking ahead of him, and he mustered up his courage as he asked, "Excuse me, may I ask you a few questions?"


    The lady did not stop or turn around to look at him but replied, "Let''s talk in the car, it is too hot out here."


    Hao Ren nodded as they moved to the parking section outside the government office. There were only a few cars, and then Hao Ren spotted a luxury sedan parked in the side and sighed as he commented, "I wonder who would drive this out here, such a bad choice."


    The lady raised her brow and asked, "Why do you say that?"


    Hao Ren had caught up with her and said, "This model is five years old, it had a big flaw, the front end is slightly too high and it long too, blocking the proper view on the road. In such a tight space, how can it be easy for the driver to park and move out? Is that not a bad choice? If you can own this, then you can also own something else."


    The lady stopped before the car and asked provocatively, "Which vehicle can even compete with The Chariot?"


    Hao Ren did not even think before he replied, "Crown Motors, Majesta."


    His voice was filled with yearning, and the lady was surprised. She regained her composure and took out a small key from her clutch bag. The luxury car before them beeped twice, and Hao Ren stood stunned in his spot.


    The lady raised her brow and a subtle smirk appeared on her face. However, the curl vanished as soon as it appeared. She said, "Get in, Please."


    Hao Ren woke up from his daze, and sat in the co-passenger seat. He was somewhat uneasy, because this was his first time in a luxury car. The lady watched this and said, "You must have a lot of questions, right? Let me tell you the answer to few. My name is Han Lingshi, you can call me, Miss Han, or my full name."


    Hao Ren nodded and after the car stopped, he thanked Han Lingshi before getting out of the vehicle. He wait for a few minutes before Han Lingshi left. Then he checked the time on his mobile and decided to grab a bite.


    If he learned anything in his life, that was the art of staying calm. However, as he looked for a stall, he could not help but think of Han Lingshi''s face and remark, "Well, part of the situation is indeed a dream. How can my wife be as beautiful as a fairy?"


    Then with a silly smile on his face the young man moved through the streets heading to the food stall.


    ...


    Han Lingshi parked the car at the front door of the Empress International and a guard quickly came up to open the door for her. The lady did not say anything and walked inside. The people saw her and bowed to her slightly while she made her way to the elevator.


    Han Lingshi got to the top floor quickly and as she walked out, a pair of young ladies who were already waiting for her outside. The one on the left said, "President, you are scheduled to meet Mr. Dinghum after lunch."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied, "Push it back to the evening, and clear my schedule after lunch."


    The lady was surprised but she nodded and quickly rushed to her station to work. Han Lingshi looked at another young woman beside her and said, "Mio, write a postnup agreement and state me as party A, while set the name Hao Ren as party B. Focus on protection of my assets, but do not harm Party B."


    Mio was her personal assistant and at this moment, she was shocked to the core of her soul. The president of the Empress International company, a person worth billions is asking her to write a postnup, what the fuck was going on?


    However, she still nodded, and Han Lingshi entered her cabin and began to handle her work. Suddenly she recalled something and said, "Inform the front desk. If someone named Hao Ren comes over, they are to inform me right away."


    Mio nodded and left the cabin. She fell in her chair and mumbled, "Who the fuck is Hao Ren?"

 Chapter 3: Beginners Reward, Hard Meeting.

    Hao Ren was eating dumplings in a shop when he heard the familiar sound in his brain, *Ding: System update complete!*


    The young man smiled and thought, "System, introduce yourself."


    *Ding: I am the Omnipotent Husband System. My task is to make you the greatest husband that one can have.*


    Hao Ren was confused and asked, "System, don''t you think that the introduction is a bit vague?"


    *Ding: Everything the system said is self explanatory. However, since the host is not so intelligent, allow me to clarify. The system will make you work hard to achieve greatness and all the effort you make should in the end lead back to the path of being a great husband.*


    Hao Ren sighed and remarked, "Fine, so you want me to be an idol husband that every woman wants but only one can have. However, I do not understand the reason behind the activation condition. Why must someone marry me before you activate?"


    *Ding: Those who do not support you in your worst, do not have the right to get your best. The omnipotent husband system will not only make you the best husband but also a human who knows right from wrong*


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "So, do I have any beginners reward?"


    *Ding: You do have a beginners reward, you also have a task lined up for you. Would you like to see it now?*


    Hao Ren stuffed the dumpling in his mouth and sat up straight in his chair as he replied, "Yes, show me."


    *Ding: For beginners reward the system will award you with stat points that will promote you to the mark that is above average, technically.*


    Hao Ren was yet to register what the system meant when a holographic screen appeared before him.


    Strength - 5


    Speed - 6


    Intelligence - 6


    Charm - 4


    *Ding: Average men are all one point below you, and impressive men are all above you. The system rates everything out of ten for every stage. You are right now an above average stage one male. You will need to upgrade three stats, strength, speed, and intelligence with constant hard work under the system''s guidance.*


    Hao Ren held his forehead and tried to calm himself because he felt this reward was a scam. He mumbled, "How come everyone else in novels get millions of yuan or properties? While I am just getting a report card of how bad I am?"


    *Ding: Host, you need not fret, your successful implementation of the tasks will get you some materialistic rewards. However, you will not be able to improve if you do not know how bad you are. Do you wish to stay an ignorant average joe for the rest of your life?*


    Hao Ren shook his head and he also understood that the system had a skill of sounding wise when insulting him. He took a deep breath and asked, "System, what task do you have for me?"


    *Ding: This is the first task system found for you. Get your wife, Han Lingshi to smile because of your actions. The completion criteria is that you maintain your dignity and not act like a fool.*


    Hao Ren thought about it and nodded, he asked, "What is the reward?"


    Han Lingshi asked with a cold face, "Who is that man?"


    The guard replied, "This man came over in the noon, almost right after lunch and I asked him the purpose of his visit. He told me it was for an appointment, but the reception desk denied. He has been standing over there since."


    Han Lingshi was shocked, she did not know what to say. If it were anyone else, they might have left already, but she could not understand how Hao Ren managed to stay over. The weather was not good, it was quite hot, and since he did not leave even for a bit, that meant he did not even eat. She felt guilt and angry about this. She was the one who invited him, yet he was denied entry to the company.


    She drove the vehicle over to his side quickly.


    Hao Ren was stretching his body and thinking whether he should leave or not, when the familiar vehicle drove before him. He looked in through the window and found Han Lingshi gazing at him. He smiled and said, "Good evening, did you just finish your work?"


    Han Lingshi was in a daze, she thought he would scold her or throw a tantrum, but he was smiling and asking if she was done with her work. She nodded with much guilt in her heart. She said, "Come in."


    Hao Ren hesitated and said, "Ummm, Miss Han, I apologize but I do not think it is good for me to get in at this time. How about we sign the contract tomorrow?"


    Han Lingshi thought he was angry and said, "I apologize, I had informed the front desk about your arrival but they seemed to have mixed it up. I have caused you a great deal of discomfort."


    Hao Ren was stunned but shook his head quickly as he said, "You do not have to apologize, Miss Han. Empress International is a busy company and such mistakes can happen to anyone. I do not blame you."


    Han Lingshi then could not help but try to jab at his hypocrisy and asked, "Why are you not getting inside the car then?"


    Hao Ren scratched the back of his head and replied with a silly expression, "You see, I have accumulated a lot of sweat and odor from the day. I do not wish to sully the vehicle such as this one. I have nothing to do tomorrow, if you do not mind, we can sign the contract then?"


    Han Lingshi could not understand how this man''s brain worked. She wanted to ask him to get in again but realizing that she was already at fault and that probably Hao Ren was already upset and just wanted some time alone and was politely refusing her, she nodded in agreement.


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Umm, Miss Han, would it be alright to exchange contact information to avoid such situations in the future?"


    Han Lingshi nodded hurriedly and spoke while taking out her phone from her bag, "Yes, definitely, I agree, and I should have asked you for it earlier. Sorry."


    Hao Ren waved his hand, and then exchanged his number with her. Han Lingshi said, "Then I will see you later?"


    Hao Ren nodded and suddenly realized something. He raised his hand and extended the brown package in his hands to her as he said, "Umm, I did not know what you may like, but my mother said that we should always bring some gift for people when we meet the first time. Please accept this."


    Han Lingshi wanted to shoot him down, but when she saw his exhausted face and eyes filled with anticipation, she nodded stiffly and took the package from him. Hao Ren wanted to see a smile, but realizing that it was not going to come anytime soon, he sighed and said, "I shall get going. Good night, and drive safe."


    Han Lingshi did not know what was going through Hao Ren''s mind and wished him the same before the young man flagged a taxi and stiffly got in it to go back home. The lady silently watched the whole scene, this was the first time someone has offered her such a treatment. Not only did he wait outside the office, but even showed humility when offered to sit in the car.


    Given that they both were married now, he could even threaten her for money and fame. However, Hao Ren was not like that at all. Suddenly, she gazed at the brown paper in her hand. Curious she peeked inside from the open end of the package and surprisingly found a bunch of small white flowers inside.


    Coincidentally, these flowers were her favorite, and a gentle curve appeared at the edge of her lips.


    ...


    Hao Ren was leaning back in the seat as the taxi moved while he massaged his sore legs, when the sound went off in his mind, *Ding: Task completed, host made his wife smile. Issuing rewards...*

 Chapter 4: Reward.

    Hao Ren was inside the taxi when he heard a sound in his mind, *Ding: Host completed the task. Issuing Rewards.*


    After a few seconds, he heard a notification go off on phone, "Dear Hao Ren, your savings account ending with number 7302 has been credited with 100,000 yuan. Your current balance is 101,000."


    Hao Ren was shocked and mumbled, "Such an expensive smile?"


    The system replied, *Ding: It is advised that the host should not compare the rewards with the happiness of his wife.*


    Hao Ren woke up and nodded, he realized that it was very easy for him to go astray. He realized and then calmed down a bit. As he was thinking about what to do with the money, the cab reached to his residence.


    Hao Ren paid the money and made his way up a building where he lived in a rented apartment. He found his landlord standing in the corridor, probably waiting for him.


    Hao Ren greeted the middle-aged man, "Uncle Yang, why did you come up by yourself? I was about to send you the rest in the morning only."


    Uncle Yang turned to look at him and hesitated for a bit, before he said, "Xiao Ren, I did not come here for the rent. Actually, I wanted to tell you that I will be needing the apartment to be vacated."


    Hao Ren was shocked and asked, "Uncle Yang, what happened? Did I make a mistake? I have been paying my rent on time."


    Uncle Yang sighed and replied, "Hao Ren it is not that you are in the wrong. My son is getting married two months later, and I need to get this place renovated for the new couple."


    Hao Ren was left speechless, but since he could do nothing else, he asked, "Uncle Yang, congratulations! Can I take a week before I move? I would have to find a new place to live. It will take some time."


    Uncle Yang understood the situation and agreed to him. He said, "I will return you the deposit."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Give me a discount on the rent this month and the deposit can be considered as my gift to your son''s wedding."


    Uncle Yang was surprised but Hao Ren was smiling. He did not understand what happened just now, because in his eyes, Hao Ren was a money grubber. Spending five hundred yuan of deposit was a big expense, Hao Ren had been living in this house for seven months, and being the neighbor, Yang had never seen him splurge on anything.


    Han Lingshi replied, "Good morning, Mister Hao, would you be free in the noon?"


    Hao Ren replied cordially, "I will be free, Miss Han, also, can you please address me as Hao Ren? I am just not used to the formal address."


    Han Lingshi nodded and think that he was younger than her, she agreed and said, "Alright, I will schedule a proper appointment this time, and you can call me if you face any trouble."


    Hao Ren nodded and after wishing her well the call was disconnected. He got up and decided to tackle his daily tasks first. It took him two hours to finish them, and when he came in the house, he sprawled on the ground in the doorway.


    The system announced, *Ding: Daily Task finished, reward: a set of professional suit has been placed in the Hosts bedroom."


    Hao Ren jumped off the ground to check the reward. He was going to the meeting and did not wish to look like a fool.


    ...


    In the noon, Han Lingshi was frowning as she looked at a file when her assistant came in and said, "President, it is time for the meeting. Mister Hao Ren is waiting for you."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and checked the time as she said, "When did he arrive?"


    The assistant replied, "He arrived at the reception five minutes ago, and as you instructed, he was guided to the conference room below."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then she picked up her file and said, "The agreement has been re-checked, right?"


    The assistant nodded and then the two left the cabin on their high heels. A few minutes later, when Han Lingshi spotted Hao Ren looking at the view for the city from the window, she was dazed. Her assistant noticed this and was shocked. The ice cold beauty Han Lingshi was ogling at a man.


    Hao Ren saw them through the corner of his eye, and quickly turned around and greeted them. Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Take a seat, let us begin."


    They both were going to sign the contract. Hao Ren received the dossier and began to read. However, after a few minutes, his brows furrowed hard as he said, "This does not seem to be right, Miss Han."

 Chapter 5: Contract & Problem.

    Han Lingshi raised her head in surprised when Hao Ren mentioned that something was wrong with the contract. She asked, "Which point exactly?"


    Hao Ren said, "Section B, article 3.2"


    Han Lingshi quickly turned the contract and located the point. She read it and frowned as she asked, "What is wrong in this point?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "Miss Han, we agreed that I do not want any of your money from you. This point mentions that in case you wish to nullify the marriage before the contract duration, you will have to pay me ten million yuan. That is wrong. You do not have to give me anything. Also, according to the law, we need to wait till one year before we file divorce.


    So, let us just keep the contract simple for your convenience."


    Han Lingshi was shocked, she did not know what to say or how to react. This guy was giving up ten million yuan like it meant nothing. She has looked into his past before she went to bed. He did not come from a rich family and his parents were honest people who had retired back to their village.


    Hao Ren was also an average student who had came to the capital to look for a job after his graduation, but over the past seven months, he had been making ends meet by some part time jobs. He did not find any jobs.


    Thinking about it, she thought of a way to compensate him for his troubles. She looked at the assistant and said, "Redraw the contract according to what Mister Han said."


    The assistant nodded and quickly left the conference room. Han Lingshi said, "Hao Ren, would you be alright waiting for a bit?"


    Hao Ren nodded calmly, and said, "You can tend to your work, I am fine."


    Han Lingshi could not help but look at his calm behavior twice. She looked at the document before her and after a few minutes she remarked, "What the hell is this?"


    Hao Ren was surprised by her outburst, then he saw Han Lingshi tap her finger in the table repeatedly. After a few moments, Hao Ren asked, "Miss Han, is there something troubling you?"


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "It''s just work stuff. After the contract is done, I will have the finance department look at it."


    Hao Ren wanted to say something when suddenly the system sound went off in his mind, *Ding: It is detected that your wife is troubled by some discrepancy in the reports, issuing a system task.


    Help your wife solve this problem, and you will be rewarded.*


    Han Lingshi nodded for him to continue, and Hao Ren said, "A few years ago, Techno-Kings implied this strategy where they employed the young people as the high work command, and the older people stayed their to guide the young ones. The old people got half the salary and were still employed for almost no work. The company profit soared in three months and they renamed to.."


    Han Lingshi mumbled, "Techno-Gen."


    Hao Ren nodded and the lady said, "I will think about it, thank you for your suggestion."


    The young man nodded, and at this moment, the assistant came back in with the two copies of new contract. Hao Ren found this one simpler and nodded slightly before signing the document. He did not show any hesitation.


    Han Lingshi was the same, after it was done, she asked, "Hao Ren, what do you plan to do now?"


    The young man replied, "For the day, I will go back home, and pack up. I have to look for another place so this week is tight. However, I do have an interview scheduled tomorrow. Let''s see."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Why are you moving houses?"


    Hao Ren told her about the situation with his landlord, and after thinking for a bit, Han Lingshi said, "How about this, I have a place near the city center. You can stay there if you want to."


    The young man was surprised and did not know what to think when the system notification went off in his mind and he said, "Miss Han, would it be alright if I take some time to think about it?"


    Han Lingshi was slightly surprised but she nodded. She had come to know that Hao Ren was an extremely righteous person, he did not like favors and tried to be responsible for himself. This was the quality that she liked a lot in him.


    The young man bade farewell, and Han Lingshi said, "Call the directors of Salvo Confectionary."


    ...


    Outside the building, Hao Ren sighed and said, "System, why are you making me put up distance with her when you wish to make me an optimal husband?"


    System replied, *Ding: Host you must not worry, the system only told you not to accept any help from Han Lingshi because I will help you achieve a standing equal to hers.


    It has been detected that Han Lingshi accepted your suggestion to her problem, issuing reward...*

 Chapter 6: Luxury Home.

    Hao Ren stood outside the building with a copy of contract in his hand when the system said, *Ding: It has been detected that Han Lingshi has accepted your suggestion, issuing rewards: One penthouse apartment in Rising Sun Towers.*


    Before Hao Ren could react, his phone buzzed and upon checking he found that it was a message from the builder inviting him over to complete the contract formalities so that they could hand over the apartment to him.


    The young man was shocked as he thought, ''System, that place is very expensive, how did you do that?''


    The system replied, *Ding: Host, please do not try to peek into the trade secrets. That house is now yours legitimately. You do not have to worry. However, sensing the unease in your heart I will give you an excuse.


    Last month when the towers were finished, the owners used a marketing strategy, and gift one apartment free of cost to a lucky participant who was selected by the computer randomly. The selection process is transparent and no one can say that you got it from dirty means.*


    Hao Ren was stunned that something like this existed, he countered, "But I did not even apply for it."


    The system said, *Ding: That is why you are a below average human who needs the system to help you.*


    Hao Ren sensed a sharp pain generate from his heart and then he took a deep breath. He decided to go and check the apartment that was rewarded to him. The rising sun towers were one of the most advanced residential apartments build in Jade Capital City.


    Jade Capital City was a tier one city in the state of Harbor Province. This place was known as the financial center of the country and also for the entertainment. Jade Capital City was only second to the National Capital of the Han Nation.


    Hao Ren''s taxi stopped at the entrance of the residential area. The security guard had waved down the cab. Hao Ren got down the vehicle and the guard asked, "Sir, can you tell me what is your purpose here?"


    Hao Ren did not mind it and said, "I was invited by the company who built this place to complete some formalities."


    As he said that, he showed the text message on his phone. The guard did not wish to get in trouble and contacted the society management office. Upon getting the confirmation he was shocked, but woke up quickly. He said, "Sir, you can take the buggy from here to the society office. The regulations do not allow any commercial vehicle to enter inside other than food and shopping delivery."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Alright."


    He paid the cabbie and took the buggy to the office. On the way he observed the ambience of the place and could not help but take a deep breath. The place was laced with air filter systems, every five meters there was a tree, and many different types of flowers bloomed all over the place. The place was clean and pristine.


    Maria was shocked. She was Han Lingshi''s best friend and knew everything about her life. She also knew that Han Lingshi married a stranger but taking his suggestions in business that was shocking. Suddenly, she recalled something and asked, "Did you see him again?"


    Han Lingshi nodded while sorting out the documents, "Yes, he was in here in the morning to sign the agreement."


    Maria asked, "What sort of agreement?"


    Han Lingshi took out a set of papers and passed it to Maria. The latter quickly checked the paper and the more she read the clause the more excited she became. Suddenly, she laughed and said, "You have finally learned. This is a good contract, now we can get rid of him without paying a single penny."


    Han Lingshi replied, "I did not come up with it, my assistant did, and the one who suggested this contract is none other than Hao Ren."


    Maria was shocked and wanted to ask more when suddenly the assistant knocked on the door and came inside. She took a deep breath and whispered something in her ears.


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I will head over there right away."


    ...


    Hao Ren signed for the place and took his key card to see his apartment. It was a ready to move unit, and all he needed was his clothes. The manager of the society management office escorted him personally after signing the contract.


    There were five towers and the one Hao Ren got was located on the top floor of the tower which was located in the center of the society. The manager said, "Sir, tap the key card and the door will open, and then you can use your finger prints as a key."


    Hao Ren nodded and followed the instruction, the operation was smooth, the door opened up and they entered inside. After half an hour, the manager left Hao Ren on his own. The young man was relaxing on the reclining massage chair. He did not know when he fell asleep, but he woke up by a telephone ring.


    He was still in a daze when he picked up the call and the person on the other side said, "Hello, sir, I am Amira from the front desk. Are you expecting a someone to visit?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Yes, I am."


    Before he could say anything the receptionist disconnected the call. Hao Ren had invited his friend Jin to come over and celebrate this with him.

 Chapter 7: Fortune Favors The Brave.

    Hao Ren was resting in the recliner waiting for his friend, Jin to come up. After a few minutes, the doorbell rang and he said, "Come in."


    The smart system in the apartment followed his voice command and the door was unlocked automatically. Hao Ren chuckled and when he did not hear Old Jin talking he stood up from the recliner and adjusted his clothes as he said, "Oh come on, Old Jin don''t tell me you are..."


    Hao Ren saw the figure standing on the other side of the door and was shocked to find Han Lingshi and her assistant. The emotion was same for the other party too.


    Han Lingshi asked, "Hao Ren, did you win this apartment?"


    Hao Ren nodded and asked while in a daze, "Umm, what is happening, Miss Han?"


    The assistant frowned and cleared her throat. Hao Ren looked at her. The lady made a gesture and Hao Ren realized his mistake, he said, "Miss Han, please come in. I apologize, earlier I was expecting Jin to come over and tried to shock him with a prank. Please come in."


    Han Lingshi nodded and came inside. She looked for something on the floor and Hao Ren said, "Do not mind taking off your shoes. I just got the deed to this place and did not get enough time to bring the supplies."


    The lady understood this and followed him to the living room. Hao Ren quickly ran to the kitchen and came back with two glasses of water, as he asked, "What brings you here Miss Han?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Well, actually I had my eyes on one of the penthouses in this society ever since they announced the project, however, I was late in booking one. Except for this one, the rest were booked by the people in the high society and I do not get along with them."


    Hao Ren nodded as he listened to her patiently, and the lady continued, "So, when I heard today that the lucky winner had been announced I decided to come over and find the details of the person to buy this place off their hands. However, I was told by the manager that the owner was here. I thought it would be better to go up and talk to them face to face, I did not know it would be you."


    Han Lingshi nodded and the young man said, "Miss Han, even if it is just in the name, we are married. I know that you are a person that exist in a league beyond my imagination but if you do not mind, I would like to know you more.


    If it was before, I would have sold you this house easily, but I did not buy it so you do not have to spend any money either. If you do not mind, treat this place as your own. There are five rooms, and I think we both can live in two rooms and then space to spare. If my suggestion has offended you or make you feel uncomfortable, then I apologize.


    I will go down to buy some groceries. Take your time, think about it and tell me your decision when I come back."


    Hao Ren appeared to be calm but his heart beat was climbing through the sky and he was about to fall on his knees and cry. The best way to avoid looking embarrassed and idiotic was to run and he did that in a subtle way.


    What he did not realize was that Han Lingshi was stunned by his sudden approach. Many might say that it was too strong or too quick, but Hao Ren had his reasons to do this.


    Women can come up with infinite ideas in their minds and all that would take was one moment. Hao Ren forced his way in to shock her and took away the infinite ideas. He left her with only two options, yes and no. The best way to get through to a woman was to shock her and not give her options.


    Well, it might not be a tested theory, but it did work once in a blue moon.


    ...


    Hao Ren came downstairs to buy groceries and came to the shop inside the residential complex only. His heart was still in his mouth. Thinking that he has guests at home, Hao Ren decided to pick up ingredients to make a meal for them.


    *Ding: It has been detected that you have acted bravely and tried to ask your wife to come and live with you. The system has decided to encourage your behavior and issue a reward..."

 Chapter 8: The Spicy Trap For Wife.

    Hao Ren took a deep breath when he heard the system issuing a reward again.


    *Ding: To encourage the host to take the initiative, in engaging with his wife, the host is rewarded with Master Class Chef skills. You are now a master of Oriental Cuisine modern and traditional variants. Good Luck!*


    Hao Ren was stunned and then the knowledge related to cooking, recipes, and ingredients. It took him five minutes to digest all of it. At this moment, his phone rang and it was Han Lingshi. He answered the call, and the lady on the other side said, "Hao Ren, I will be leaving now."


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "Miss Han, you have visited me for the first time, and it is already evening. If you do not mind, please stay for the dinner. I promise, I will not let you down."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, she recalled what he had told her in the balcony and she sensed something tickle her. This was an unknown feeling for her, but she did not feel uncomfortable. Thinking, how Hao Ren had always been respectful with her, and even helped her with the trouble at work, she decided to have a meal with him.


    As the man said earlier, even if they were in the relationship for the sake of it, they should still get to know each other a bit. She replied, "Alright."


    Hao Ren replied happily, "Thank you, Miss Han. I will be back soon. Please tell me if there is anything that you do not like or are allergic to."


    Han Lingshi replied, "I have trouble with too much spice and I do not eat beef."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Alright. See you."


    The call disconnected, and while Hao Ren began to pick the ingredients. Han Lingshi checked the apartment. The penthouse had three bedrooms with attached bathrooms, and one study and a gym. The living room was the biggest space seconded by the kitchen.


    The house was loaded with smart features. Balcony had a small pool that doubled up as a hot tub as well. Han Lingshi liked this cozy home. Her assistant suddenly asked, "President, when will we leave?"


    Han Lingshi said, "Oh, Mei, you can call a taxi and leave now, I will be staying for dinner."


    The assistant was surprised and said, "President, why?"


    Soon, Hao Ren used the knife to chop the vegetables and Han Lingshi was mesmerized. This was the first time she saw a knife movement so efficient and graceful. Just when she wanted to stop the time and keep looking at him the scene was disturbed by the doorbell.


    Hao Ren put down his knife, but Han Lingshi had been watching him work so hard for her sake, so she said, "Hao Ren, I got this."


    The man asked, "Are you sure?"


    Han Lingshi assured him with a nod and left the kitchen. Hao Ren went a berserk work mode. He prepared Minestrone soup, Mapo Tofu, and Marsala Chicken. He plated the dishes with a proper presentation that could match the level of a five star restaurant.


    He began to carry the dishes to the dining room. Han Lingshi had just sent off the House keeping personnel, and noticed the faint yet powerful aroma of the food in the house. She opened her eyes wide, no wonder the maid was wiping the corner of her mouth every now and then. Her mouth was watering.


    She walked to the kitchen and found that Hao Ren was moving two dishes out. She wanted to help but Hao Ren said, "These are the only ones left, do not worry."


    They moved to the dining area and Han Lingshi looked at the table in a daze. Hao Ren walked up to the side of the dining area and played soft classical music piece from the panel on the wall. This house could be operated by voice, but Hao Ren had yet to learn the proper method for that.


    He pulled a chair and invited Han Lingshi with a smile on his face. Although he was a male god, but the charm of slightly above average still had some sway over the lady as she was entranced by the aroma of the recipes.


    She walked over and Hao Ren poured a glass of clear water. He said, "I apologize, the convenient store had yet to stock any wine."


    Han Lingshi waved her hand and replied, "It is fine, this meal is good enough for me. I do not have the habit of drinking wine."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "If we look at it from a different angle, this is our first meal together after getting married."


    Han Lingshi was stunned again, but then she saw that Hao Ren was acting normally, he had began eating the food. She pushed down the tickling sensation and gracefully sampled the soup. The liquid was rich in taste but smooth in texture. It was not oily and even refreshed her completely.


    Han Lingshi was hooked to the food, and gave up on her lady-like manners. Hao Ren was surprised by this and he watched her eating like a starving ghost with a smile on his face. He did not expect this ice cold woman to have such a side, and the sudden discovery made him realize that Han Lingshi was just a human like him or anyone else.


    At this moment, he did not know if he was trying to trap her or vice versa.

 Chapter 9: Getting Closer.

    The couple sat at the table for a few more minutes after finishing the meal. Hao Ren stood up and said, "I will get you some tea, it would help you get the food down."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I feel like I am about to explode."


    Hao Ren smiled a her, and said, "Then you should stay here, I will clean things up."


    After that he cleaned the table and then proceeded to deal with the dishes. He was washing them up while humming a little tune, when suddenly, he found Han Lingshi standing next to him and drying the wet dishes with a cloth.


    He was surprised and said, "What are you doing?"


    Han Lingshi asked, "Am I doing anything wrong?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and asked, "Miss Han, why are you drying the dishes?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "I just thought that letting you work on your own is not a right thing, Hao Ren. This is the least I could do."


    The young man smiled and shook his head. He did not say anything because while he appeared to be shy his head was fluttering. Han Lingshi was the most beautiful woman he has seen in his life. She was so gorgeous that even the most decked up celebrities could not hold a candle to her. After cleaning the dishes, it was already 8 in the night.


    Han Lingshi said, "Hao Ren, it was the best meal that I have ever had."


    Hao Ren smiled in reply, and did not say much. Han Lingshi checked the watch on her wrist and said, "I will be taking your leave now, it is pretty late."


    The young man said, "How far is your house from here?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "Not very far, just a few kilometers away. I came here by my car, so it won''t be a hassle."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Allow me to see you off."


    Han Lingshi nodded and picked up her bag, they got into the elevator and the lady asked, "Where did you learn how to cook?"


    Hao Ren replied the question with a question, "Would you believe it that today was the first time I ever made anything that tasty?"


    All her life, she had never felt so calm and restless at the same time. She spend her morning distracting herself with work, soon, it was lunch time, and she received a call.


    Han Lingshi looked at the caller ID and smiled as she answered the call, "Hao Ren, do you need something?


    The caller was Hao Ren, the young man replied, "It''s nothing as such, Miss Han. I wanted to apologize to you about my actions last night."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "No, no, you did nothing wrong."


    While she said that on the surface, she was scolding Hao Ren for mentioning that embarrassing situation last night. She did not even know but she was blushing. Hao Ren said, "No, I made you uncomfortable so, I should apologize. I have delivered a tiffin for you at the reception counter, please enjoy the meal, and accept my apology."


    Han Lingshi was surprised but then she said, "I accept!"


    As soon as she said, she froze. Her voice was a bit too excited. Hao Ren on the other side chuckled and said, "You know Miss Han, you are very adorable. I like that about you."


    Han Lingshi realized that her goofy reaction made Hao Ren think she was adorable so, she took a deep breath and said, "It is not me, but your food."


    The young man replied, "If you like the food I cook that much, then I will make it for you, forever."


    BOOM!!!


    Forever was a strong word, and Hao Ren made Han Lingshi emit steam from her ears. She thought it s probably that Hao Ren was from a younger generation and so he said such things easily. She shook off the daze and remarked, "How many people have you ever said this to?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and replied, ''The poor and average do not have the luxury to talk to people. So, you are the first and also the only one I would ever say this to. Now, I will leave you to the food, I have something to do."


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "Fine. Have a good day, Hao Ren. See you someday soon."


    The call was disconnected and Han Lingshi called the reception and sure enough a gift box was delivered addressed for her from Hao Ren. She smiled brightly knowing that she would have good food.


    ...


    Hao Ren was walking on the sidewalk, when the system announced, *Ding: the host has completed the task of delivering lunch for his wife like a dutiful husband, issuing reward...*

 Chapter 10: Sticky Situations.

    Hao Ren delivered the food at the reception counter and left the building. Earlier in the morning the system issued a special task. Usually he had a daily task only included exercise, but today the system gave him a task for workout and the reward was a gradual increase in his stats.


    Unlike some people, Hao Ren had no qualms in following the system directions because he did not wish to suffer the punishment. He knew very well that he was an ordinary person and he did not have the luxury of testing his fate.


    Outside the building of the Empress International, Hao Ren got a notification from the system, *Ding: Host has delivered the food to his wife and made her happy. Issuing Reward: Investment Mogul.*


    Hao Ren was surprised and the system went on to describe the reward, *Investment Mogul would enable host to speculate the future of the stocks and businesses to reap benefits by investing in them. The ability is permanent and can be upgraded.


    For ten millions yuan of profit, the ability will upscale by one grade. Current Grade : D*


    Hao Ren asked, "System, why did you give me such an ability? How will I even invest?"


    The system replied, *Host, do you think that investment is only considered investment when it is too big? Learn to take baby steps first and then dream of flying. Your current bank balance is 98,000 yuan. Get yourself together.*


    Hao Ren frowned for being scolded but what system said was true, he had enough money in his bank and he could afford to invest some investment.


    He flagged a taxi and then headed straight to the bank. He had to open a trading account. The process was clear and it did not cause him much of an hassle. The lady who was processing his application suggested, "Sir, we have an investment consultancy in the bank, you can rest assured that the final decision will be yours, but please take a look before you leave."


    Hao Ren smiled but did not reply. He did not want to entangle with anyone he did not trust. He had the power to speculate and earn profit so the consultancy was a ruse in his view. The system was omnipotent and another thing was that people might notice him a bit too much if he made constant profit.


    Yes, Hao Ren did not intend to make any big splash but he was going for constant profit. After the request was processed, Hao Ren received a notification message on his phone. He thanked the lady and left the bank in a hurry.


    He headed to his old home, and packed up everything quickly. His landlord happen to notice the movement and came to check on him. Hao Ren invited the man inside, and Old Yang was happy to see that his tenant was vacating the place and even giving up the deposit as the wedding gift.


    Hao Ren did not have much to take care of, just a couple of big suitcases and he was packed. He bade farewell to old Yang, and then took a taxi to his new home in the rising sun apartment.


    Hao Ren yelled in reply, "Have you two gone senile? When did I ever say that I am a gigolo? Can you two have some faith? My girlfriend is prettier than anyone you can ever imagine and it is a proper relationship. I don''t know what shit you two watch all day long. I am done talking, bye."


    Then he disconnected the phone. It was not the first time something like this happened. After five minutes, his mother called him again, this time she talked in a very soft voice as if nothing was wrong, "Ren, my dear, show us your girlfriend''s picture.


    We did not mean to doubt you but you know Old Lan''s elder son, he went to the city sometime ago and he will be coming back here for the spring festival. We all heard that his girlfriend is 35 years old. You know what they say about such people. Hehe...when can you introduce her to us?"


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and replied, "Mother, let me talk to her about it. We have only started getting along a few days ago. So, it is a bit too quick for her to meet the family. Just be assured that I am not selling myself."


    Mrs. Hao knew that pushing anymore would be fatal after all, her son was no longer living under her roof, she did not want to say anything more and the call was disconnected.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath, although it was a problem, because given his mother''s nature, she would call him daily to check on his relationship status. Shaking away these thoughts he stood up and began cooking for himself. He decided to call Han Lingshi, as he did not have anyone to talk to, his friend Jin had to go out of the city because of his new job and will not be coming back anytime soon.


    Han Lingshi picked up the call but there was some music playing in the background. Hao Ren asked, "Miss Han, is it a good time to talk to you?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "Yeah, I am grateful you called, I will come see you right away. Do not worry."


    Hao Ren did not know what happened, and raised his brow as he asked, "Is everything alright?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "I am here at the Rose Bud cafe at the bund, it won''t take long for me, alright, thank you Ren."


    There were pauses in her voice, and Hao Ren understood that she was acting to get away from some situation. He smiled and said, "Come soon, I am cooking stir fry chicken and kimchi for dinner."


    Han Lingshi replied excitedly, "Right away."


    The call was disconnected and Hao Ren chuckled. However, he wondered what could the situation be that made Han Lingshi act like this.

 Chapter 11: Blessing In Disguise.

    Hao Ren prepared the dishes and waited for Han Lingshi to come over. He set up the table and changed into a black shirt and black cotton pajamas. This was how he used to stay at home, always wearing comfort clothing.


    After a couple of hours of the phone call, the doorbell rang. Hao Ren answered the door and found Han Lingshi standing outside with another lady. He was slightly surprised but noticing the awkwardness on her face, he smiled and said, "Welcome."


    Then he stood to the side and let them go in. He said, "I got a pair of home slippers, you can use them now."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "This is my best friend, Maria Santos."


    Hao Ren nodded to the lady in greeting and said, "Hello, I am Hao Ren, welcome."


    Maria only reciprocated with a nod, her gaze was stuck to Hao Ren as if she was going to x-ray him. Hao Ren closed the door and was headed inside when he saw Han Lingshi having trouble with her dress and shoes.


    She was wearing a royal blue corset gown, it was very beautiful and the silky texture of the dress suited her very well. Han Lingshi had paired the attire with pearl jewelry. Hao Ren was dazed and said, "I forgot to tell you, Miss Han."


    Han Lingshi stopped what she was doing and asked, "What is it Hao Ren?"


    The young man approached her and said, "I did not cook enough for your friend."


    Maria glared at him, and Han Lingshi whelped softly, "It is my fault for not informing you."


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head as he said, "It''s okay, I will make something easy to compensate. Also, you look very pretty in this dress."


    Han Lingshi was stunned but then she said thank you softly as she tried to undo her shoes. Hao Ren knelt on his knee and said, "Let me help you."


    Han Lingshi was still taken aback by his action when he took off her shoes with ease and stood up as he said, "I will heat up the food, make yourself at home, I will call you when the food is ready."


    He had to make even more food for the uninvited guest. Hao Ren did not have a good impression of Maria. He got in the kitchen and began working. Maria was watching everything from the side and she could tell for sure that Hao Ren was aiming for Han Lingshi, she would not let this pauper seduce her best friend.


    Han Lingshi led Maria to the living room, as the latter looked around the place. She clicked her tongue and said, "What sort of rotten luck it is for him to get such a house? Hmph."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and wanted to say something when she noticed a small photo frame resting on the side table. She walked up closer to see a picture of four. One of them was Hao Ren and then looking at the older couple she could tell that they were his parents. She was curious as to the fourth person in the picture, as it was a woman, but asking abruptly was rude.


    Maria followed her gaze and commented, "See, I told you not to mingle with any roadside Romeo. See, he has a woman in his life and he still married you. Ling, why don''t you ever listen to me."


    Han Lingshi did not like people with such radical opinions but this person was her best friend and despite her unnecessary unlikeness towards Hao Ren, Maria was not a bad person. Han Lingshi wanted to say something when a calm voice sounded behind them, "That person is my sister, who passed away five years ago, from brain tumor."


    Han Lingshi jolted up and saw Hao Ren gazing at Maria with a cold glare. She said, "Hao Ren, Maria did not mean anything bad, it''s just that she does not know you and said something insensitive."


    Hao Ren looked at Han Lingshi, but his usual smile was missing. He placed the glasses of water on the table and said, "The food will be ready in a few minutes."


    Maria felt bad because of what happened. She was not a bad person, just that her filter did not work all too well. She said, "I apologize for what I said, Hao Ren. But I don''t wish to see Ling with someone we know nothing about."


    Hao Ren looked at her again and said calmly, "It was her decision to get into it. I respect her and that is why I signed a contract which gives me no gain. While I understand your concerns for her safety and respect the fact that you are her best friend and look out for her so much.


    I would appreciate if you do not look at me through painted glasses, and not make any comments until you have found the truth.


    The agreement was a private subject among them. Hao Ren replied to Maria, "Even if it is a farce, it is a reason for me to continue living. Probably, someone as blessed as you are does not know the difficulty of an average person''s life. Miss Han is the light that drew me out of the tunnel, and suddenly my life became joyful. That is why, I am happy."


    Maria was stunned by the way Hao Ren turned the situation around. She was impressed too, because even in this small time, he has displayed a lot of qualities, he was protective of his family, he could cook delicious food, and he had a way with words that made her look like the villain. She turned to look at her best friend and found her blushing while gazing at the visage of the young man.


    She wanted to tell her that it''s late, and that they should get going, but suddenly her phone rang.


    She answered the call and said, "Alright, I will be there. Don''t be angry, I will be there in fifteen minutes."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Who was it?"


    Maria sighed and said, "I forgot that I have a flight in a couple of hours. I need to leave for the airport directly and have to pick up Samantha on the way."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and Maria continued speaking, "Can you lend me your car? Samantha is not good at dealing with people."


    Maria even made her eyes look big and pitiful. Hao Ren had to admit that if he was an ordinary man, he would have fallen for her, Maria was also big beauty but she lacked the elegance that Han Lingshi had.


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Fine, but don''t put a scratch on it."


    Maria stood up and said, "Yes, I will have someone deliver it to you in the morning."


    Then she quickly hugged Han Lingshi and whispered, "Don''t spend too much time here."


    Before the latter could say anything, she stood up and bowed to Hao Ren slightly and said, "Thank you for the meal. It was nice meeting you."


    Hao Ren smiled and did not say anything, it was evident that he did not have a pleasant experience meeting her and he did not believe in this diplomacy.


    Maria left the place like a storm, and a few minutes later, Han Lingshi said, "I should also leave, I will call a cab."


    Hao Ren looked at the clock and said, "Miss Han, If I may, its quite late in night, and it''s unsafe for you to travel. Is it not?"


    He did not offer going to drop her, because he wanted for her to stay. Han Lingshi looked at the clock and said hesitantly, "That is true, I can call someone to pick me up."


    Hao Ren nodded, after all, he could not be too obvious about it. He watched Han Lingshi call a few people but none of them connected. He asked, "Why not call your family?"


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "I made an excuse that I have some work and will be handling it from Maria''s place. If I call them here, they will suspect something."


    Hao Ren nodded and spoke suggestively, "Why don''t you stay here for the night then?"


    Han Lingshi was stunned, and then she realized, that it was indeed the only option left open for her. She still tried to avoid it and said, "But I have no clothes here."


    Hao Ren was prepared and said, "I can get you all that you need from the shop in the community. They have good branded clothes."


    Out of all options, Han Lingshi nodded, and said, "Thank you."


    So, the first night together after marriage began. Hao Ren thought, ''It seems that Maria was not that bad after all. Her abrupt departure gave me the chance. Talk about blessing in disguise.''

 Chapter 12: Romantic Tension.

    Han Lingshi agreed to stay and Hao Ren rushed downstairs to get her a set of toiletries, and some night suits. The society was akin to a mini city, it was inaugurated three days, ago, but all the facilities were already working as if it was a bustling place. The management made sure that none of the occupants suffered any trouble.


    Many people had come over to take possession of their houses, Hao Ren did not use many of the automated features but other people did not hesitate, well he listens to the crowd when he comes down to shop.


    He entered the shop and picked up a set of premium toiletries and then moved to the night suit section. He did not waste much time, and based on his instinct, selected a sky blue linen pajama set for Han Lingshi by guessing her size. He also picked up a pair of tops for her, and a pair of leggings to match them.


    He decided to buy her designer clothes in the future when he makes money, and the system said, *Ding: That is the way to do it, Host! Keep it up!*


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and came to the cash counter. The lady smiled at him and asked while scanning the products, "Shopping so late at night, did your sister visit you abruptly?"


    The young man smiled but did not reply. Was he a noob who did not understand how gossipy these sells women were. He paid a total of ten thousand yuan on these things and left. Yeah, his heart would have bled if this money was his hard earned, but he could not possibly get Han Lingshi any cheap goods when she was staying over, could he?


    ...


    Hao Ren came back home, and found Han Lingshi sitting on the couch. The girl looked at him and asked, "You are gasping even when you came by elevator? What is going on?"


    The young man replied while catching his breath, "Well, I was afraid that you would run away. So I ran from the shop to the building."


    Han Lingshi blushed a little but she found him very cute. She did not ask him why he thought like this, after all, she did have a thought to run away, but then she thought how happy he looked when she agreed to staying over.


    What she did not tell Hao Ren was that at the charity event, someone was trying to make moves on her, but she could not say anything against the attempt as the person belonged to the prominent family in the city and her parents were there on the scene.


    While she was lost in thought, Hao Ren handed over the articles he had bought and led her to the master bedroom. Han Lingshi was surprised, and thought that Hao Ren wanted to stay in the same room as her. She back off and said loudly, "Hao Ren did you get the wrong idea when I said I would be staying over for the night?"


    The young man turned around abruptly and asked, "Why do you say that, Miss Han? Did I make a mistake?"


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows and berated him, "Don''t act innocent with me, if you have no motives then why did you bring me to the master bedroom?"


    *Ding: Special quest triggered, Unzip the dress, and leave the room like a gentleman. The goal is to gain respect of your wife.*


    Hao Ren forced himself to calmed down, however, his heart was still throbbing. Taking advantage of the clarity he held on to the zipper and tugged on it. However, it did not slide down smoothly. Men were simple creatures, once they focused on a problem, even if it was a woman of their dreams before them, they would not be distracted.


    (I know I am exaggerating.)


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "Miss Han, I might have to exert some strength in this. The zipper is stuck."


    Han Lingshi hummed in a restrained voice. She was no different than Hao Ren, her heart was sprinting as if a race car engine. Hao Ren held the hem of the gown with his left hand and the back of his fingers rubbed against the smooth jade like skin.


    The two people shivered but Hao Ren had a task at hand, he did not care about anything and tugged the zipper a bit harder. He did not estimate that it would go all the way down with just slight force. In his vision lay the back of a fairy. His breath caught fire as it blew on Han Lingshi''s fair skin, setting her heart on fire in the process.


    The two people stood in their spots, dazed by the unexpected intimacy between them. Hao Ren raised his head and saw Han Lingshi''s face in the mirror. Her head was bowed and her hands were clamped together. The flame in his heart was extinguished by the fear he saw on her face.


    He took a step back and said, "It''s done. Good night."


    Then he did not wait for her to turn around and left. Han Lingshi was stunned, she raised her head and only saw Hao Ren''s hand closing the door as he left. She held the front of her dress close to her and realized that her heart has suddenly calmed down a lot.


    Her thoughts were not as rampant as they were earlier. Suddenly, a tear formed in her eye and dripped down her cheek. She was shocked, and touched her cheek to check. She was neither upset, nor was she scared anymore. Those emotions that overwhelmed her for a moment were gone, and they were replaced by a subtle peace.


    She wiped her tear and changed her clothes, she wanted to chase after Hao Ren and say thank you, but she did not have the guts so she stood in front of the mirror even after changing the clothes. She did not realize when she began to admire the pajama set. Suddenly, her cellphone rang and bought her back to reality.


    Han Lingshi had a silly grin on her face as she went to attend the call.


    ...


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren came to his own bedroom, and entered the shower instantly. No longer was he in the mood to study anything, he needed to calm down first. A cold shower was the best way for this.


    *Ding: The system detected that the host have completed his task. Based on the evaluation, issuing rewards...*

 Chapter 13: Soaring High.

    *Ding: Special Task has been completed. Issuing rewards based on the evaluation. The host is rewarded five attribute points, and one golden pot ticket.*


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "System, show me my attributes."


    The holographic ''for your eyes only'' type screen appeared before his eyes.


    Strength - 5


    Speed - 6


    Intelligence - 6


    Charm - 4


    Hao Ren furrowed his brows and asked, "Why is there no change in them even when I am working out daily?"


    He felt like the System scammed him. The system replied *Ding: If it was that easy to break the limits of mediocrity then you would have no need of me. Get real.*


    Hao Ren took a deep breath to calm himself down and asked, "Does free attributes, mean I can assign them based on my preference?"


    The system replied in affirmative, Hao Ren nodded, and said, "I would like to assign two points to charm and two points to intelligence, and keep one point in reserve to be used later."


    *Ding: Command accepted, adjusting parameters.*


    Strength - 5


    Speed - 6


    Intelligence - 8


    Charm - 6


    Free points - 1


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "System, now please tell me how does the golden pot ticket works?"


    *Ding: Host, the golden pot ticket would make sure that your first investment gets you a minimum of five hundred percent return. Based on your investment the return will increase.*


    Hao Ren''s eyes flashed with a glint of light. He smiled and stopped bathing. The enthusiasm to earn money was revived. Cleaning himself up and the young man came to his study. He turned on the computer system and began to search for the various things that were hyping up.


    Hao Ren had fallen asleep with the window that displayed the progress of the company shares he invested in. Han Lingshi was shocked, because it was climbing, no it was soaring. She did not lack money, and had invested in this same stock earlier. She smiled faintly as she gazed at Hao Ren''s face gently.


    She whispered, "Good Night, Ren."


    Then she left. Han Lingshi was impressed by how he acted in the dressing room, and now when she saw that he was dedicated, and had a good financial acumen. She could not help but look at Hao Ren as a hardworking man.


    ...


    After Han Lingshi left, Hao Ren stayed asleep in the chair, until the next morning. He cleaned up and made a breakfast for Han Lingshi, and when he was about to wake her up. Her appearance left him shell shocked.


    Han Lingshi had wavy messy hair, and she was yawning like a cat. She looked at Hao Ren gazing at her from the door and said, "Good morning, Ren."


    Hao Ren was stunned again, but this time it was her speech. She called him Ren. Han Lingshi noticed him staring at her, and she realized that she was in an unkempt situation. A few of her shirt buttons had come undone, and her hair were frizzy. There was an obvious stain at the corner of her mouth.


    Han Lingshi blushed so hard that her face color changed from fair to adorable. She buried her head under the blanket and yelled, "GET OUT!"


    Hao Ren woke up and left while trying to suppress his laughter. Han Lingshi had the urge to bury a hole and spend the eternity there. They did not realize that such situations were making their closeness soar.


    ...


    After half an hour, Han Lingshi came out of the room. She was wearing the top and leggings that Hao Ren bought for her. She was still blushing because she would have to face Hao Ren, but the young man acted as if nothing happened. She looked very beautiful even without any makeup.


    Han Lingshi ate the breakfast in silence and afterwards she said, "Hao Ren, I would take my leave now. I have to get to work."


    Hao Ren stood up from the couch in the living room and handed her a set of keys as he said, "These are the keys dropped by someone from Miss Maria''s side. The guard dropped them over. Also, Miss Han, if you do not mind, please take a moment to upload your fingerprints in the house assisting system."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and asked, "Why?"


    Hao Ren replied with a smile, "Technically, this house is a shared asset. Plus, you are a friend I trust. You can come and go as you like. This house will be your secret hide out from now."


    Han Lingshi was moved by his words and nodded with watery eyes. Hao Ren asked in concerned, "Are you okay?"


    Han Lingshi replied while wiping her eye, "I did not expect to come upon a person like you. Thank you, Hao Ren."


    Hao Ren replied softly, "The pleasure is all mine."


    Han Lingshi sensed the tickling sensation in her stomach and then nodded. The process was easy, she touched the panel inside the study and Hao Ren configured it. She noticed that he gave her complete access. This degree of trust touched her a lot.


    Then she left the place, unknown to the fact that her steps had a spring to them. She seemed like a butterfly ready to soar in the skies.

 Chapter 14: Urgent Mission.

    Hao Ren rested in the house till noon, then he left to deliver lunch for Han Lingshi. He was very dedicated to this particular task, not because Han Lingshi looked adorable when she was chowing down, but also because this task reward was stackable. He knew that the possibility of getting a better reward was higher if it was piled up.


    Hao Ren flagged a cab from outside the community and headed to the Empress International. The guard at the gates knew him because Hao Ren left a deep impression on his mind. Initially, Hao Ren had thought that Han Lingshi was the director in Empress International, however, that night when Maria came home, and he found her visage similar.


    Hao Ren had taken some time to look for Han Lingshi as well. Sure enough, his wife turned out to be a typical rich girl who picked up a poor boy. No wonder she could use the office building to handle her personal matters too.


    He delivered the food on the reception counter and the girl behind the counter was dazed by it. Hao Ren did not mind and left the place after informing Han Lingshi. The lady was obviously elated but she still asked him to not waste so much time.


    Hao Ren then headed to the passport office, because while he had the identification card of the nation, he did not have a passport. This way if someday he needed to travel abroad, it would be impossible.


    ...


    In the night, Hao Ren received a call from Han Lingshi, who was ''bored''. That''s what she told him when he asked why she had called. Hao Ren asked her about her day and the two chatted for a couple of hours.


    Just when the young man was about to sleep, the system said, *Ding, golden pot ticket expires, you earned 8.3 million yuan.*


    Hao Ren sensed his sleep vanish in a blink. He sat upright in the bed and the next moment, he used his mobile to check his account. Sure, enough, the money was there. He counted the zeroes behind the figure three times to make sure it was not his wishful thinking.


    *Ding: Host please calm down, you still have a long way to go, such small things should not make you loose your composure.*


    Hao Ren thought for it and said, "Yes, you are right."


    The young man calmed down and tried to go to bed but sleep eluded him.


    In the morning, he decided to go out shopping. However, he was not sure about his own taste. However, before that, there were a few things he had to do. Hao Ren took out one million from his account and transferred it to his mother''s account for her use.


    Then he made another one million donation in a charity organization that helped people fight cancer. He did not wish for someone else to lose their loved one like he lost his sister.


    ...


    Han Lingshi had nothing much to do in the office today, and she kept gazing outside the big french window, lost in a daze. Suddenly, her assistant came in and said, "President, Young Master Hamil is here."


    Mei, acting like a loyal fan girl she kept answering, but suddenly the door of the cabin was pushed open. The assistant spotted Hao Ren walking over and frowned. She said, "How dare you come in?"


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes and she was stunned. Young Master Hamil looked at the new comer with a curious gaze. Hao Ren ignored the assistant and came over to Han Lingshi''s side, as he placed the tiffin box on the table. He said, "Boss, it''s lunch time. Today''s menu is kept light as per your instructions."


    Han Lingshi opened her mouth but Hao Ren winked at her and began to put the different containers right on her work table. He said, "To ensure that your time is not wasted, and that the dishes does not lose their taste, please start right away."


    Mei clenched her fist and furrowed her brows as she spat, "Did you not hear me?"


    Hao Ren turned to her and replied, "I did hear you, but I did not think it is necessary to answer any animal that barks on the side."


    Mei opened her eyes wide and so did Han Lingshi. They did not expect Hao Ren to choose such a crude way of talking. The former said, "You bastard! Who do you think you are to meddle here? What is your worth to call me an animal? You roadside fool."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "The president is not so agitated but a mere servant is, I wonder if you are cooking something up. Anyhow, none of my concern, see yourself out, do not disturb the boss from eating."


    That said, he passed a pair of chopsticks to Han Lingshi. At this moment, Young Master Hamil clapped his hands and said, "You are gutsy, I will give you that. Talking to a woman like that before me. Do you have a death wish?"


    Han Lingshi clenched her fists and was about to rebuke him, but Hao Ren cleared his throat and said, "Who are you?"


    Hamil was stunned, Mei felt a bit faint in her head, and Han Lingshi wanted to laugh at Hamil''s shock. He was a person who was well known among the city people. Hamil slammed his palm against the glass table, and yelled, "I am Edgar Hamil, do you understand? I am the second son of the Hamil Family."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and exclaimed in realization, "So you are the sow fucker, I apologize but your tryst in the pigpen is quite a legend in the city. I am very curious, how was your experience of fornication with a pig?"


    Mei''s face turned pale, and Han Lingshi held her mouth, she was shocked and wanted to laugh at the same time. However, Edgar Hamil suddenly went calm. He stood up and wanted to say something when Hao Ren cut him off, "You want to tell me that you will do everything in your power to kill me, right?"


    Edgar Hamil gazed at Hao Ren but he did not find any fear in his eyes. On the contrary, the young man made his way around the table and came before him. Before the young master had any chance to say anything, Hao Ren had already gripped his throat.


    Hao Ren added the free attribute to his strength parameter, and raised it one point above the average. Mei yelled, "What the fuck are you doing?! Let go of him."


    Hao Ren tilted his gaze to look at her and said, "I do not wish to beat you. Shut up."


    While he was warning off Mei, his grip around Edgar Hamil''s throat tightened and he looked him in the eyes as he said, "You better evaluate your worth before throwing your weight around. The whole city knows what you are. What gave you the right to think you can waltz in here and threaten the President of Empress International?"


    Han Lingshi was sitting on the chair in a daze. She did not know what was going on, since when did Edgar Hamil become a gangster who threatened her. However, she was enjoying herself and wanted to see what more would Hao Ren do.

 Chapter 15: Teaching Them A Lesson.

    Hao Ren was holding Edgar Hamil by his throat, as if he was not a man but a chicken. The young man suddenly let go, and the latter fell on the ground panting and gasping for air. His eyes were stuck to Hao Ren, however, they were brimming with fear. He could sense that just now, Hao Ren really had the intention to kill him.


    This was true as well, Hao Ren did have the intention to kill him, but Han Lingshi was not the reason for his anger. Edgar Hamil was hindering his progress with the relationship. A good relationship meant better rewards from the system. Hao Ren wanted the rewards to have a better future to become somebody.


    It was his life''s motive, otherwise he had already experienced a pitiful death, what was there to care about.


    Han Lingshi may be beautiful, or successful, but that was not enough, because some people searched their own worth and not their partner''s.


    Hao Ren squatted beside Edgar Hamil and said, "You are the second son in your family, the reason you are trying to court Miss Han is so that your family thinks you got them more profit than your elder brother, right?"


    Edgar Hamil gulped as he nodded, this was a public secret. Hao Ren was an average person but that did not mean he was estranged. He heard all sorts of gossips in the market when he rolled with his friend Jin.


    Hao Ren said, "You gave this assistant a few benefits and manipulated her to get you closer to Miss Han, right?"


    Edgar Hamil nodded again while his hand was rubbing his neck. Hao Ren sighed and said, "Your family supports you in this stupidity of yours not because they want you to move over, but the fact is they just want you to stay away from the family so that you do not get a chance to make trouble for your brother."


    Edgar Hamil opened his eyes wide and Hao Ren asked, "Do you want me to tell you how?"


    Mei was shocked, and so was Han Lingshi. The former was pissed and asked, "What crime have I committed?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "Accepting gifts from people in return of arranging meetings, breach of employer''s trust, and sabotaging company interest. I am sure if we dug up some of the lower level employees would file a harassment complaints too."


    Mei opened her eyes wide, as she shivered, Hao Ren appeared to be a demon from the hell in her eyes. She knew that all these charges were possible and she could go to jail. Looking at her, Hao Ren asked, "Miss Han, do you have any overseas office where Mei could work?"


    Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "Why do you ask? Is it not better to throw her in the prison?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "Even men do not feel safe in prison, how would a woman live there? Humans are beings of desires. Miss Mei made a mistake, but she is not beyond redemption just yet."


    Han Lingshi thought and looking at Hao Ren she understood his motive. He wanted to make sure that Mei was far away from her but still under her watch. She thought about it and said, "She can take the office for assistant director, sales in the perfume company we have in Venetia."


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at Mei, who still could not understand what was going on. Hao Ren said, "If you did not reply to this proposal in one hour, we will call the police. Think about your family and your reputation."


    This sentence was the last straw that broke the camels back. Mei bowed ninety degrees and said, "President, I accept, I accept."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "You will get your things ready and I will arrange for your documentation. After two days, I do not wish to see your face in the country."


    Mei nodded and thanked her before leaving the place. Han Lingshi turned her gaze to look at Hao Ren who was focused on her office and a faint smile appeared on her face. Meanwhile, the voice of happiness echoed in Hao Ren''s mind, *Ding, task completed, issuing rewards...*

 Chapter 16: Miserable Hao Ren.

    *Ding: Task completed, issuing reward, Passive Skill: Soothsayer*


    Hao Ren was confused, and wanted to ask what this skill meant but Han Lingshi cleared her throat and asked, "Mister Hao, would you be so kind and tell me how you intend to deal with the aftermath?"


    The young man turned to look at her and said, "I would be obliged, Miss Han, but first, please finish your meal. I put in a lots of effort in cooking."


    Han Lingshi nodded and picked up the spoon to savor the dishes. She gobbled up everything within a few minutes and Hao Ren asked, "Now, you can ask me questions and I will answer them. If I am missing something, you can fill in the blanks."


    The lady nodded and said, "Fine, I can understand that you wanted Mei to be under observation, but why send her to some place other than prison?"


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, "Miss Han, if she was to go to prison, we would not be able to keep an eye on her. What if Edgar Hamil reached out to her and tried to plan something else? She has been working under you for quite a long time, and she knows a lot of things about you. This is why send her to another location. She will still work for you and this time, with a greater dedication."


    Han Lingshi was doubtful but she said, "It is a possibility after all, fear often makes people responsible and respectful."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "As long as you sign the binding contract, she will have no way out, but do not push her in a corner."


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied as if stating the obvious, "I know that already, but why did you not think about this when you tricked Edgar Hamil?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "That man is too vain to be worried about. The best way to take him out is by pitting him against Young Master Hamil."


    Han Lingshi raised her brow and questioned, "Do you think that Young Master Hamil would deal with his brother because of your word?"


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulder and said, "Not for me, but for himself."


    He took out his phone and accessed a few things before he said, "When I was in college, the Idol Chan Ling had come over for an event. She was not a big star back then and I was a mere volunteer in the activities. I saw her with someone and clicked a picture secretly.


    I did not know that man''s identity and decided to not make trouble. However, coming to the city I discovered the identity of that man by pure coincidence."


    Han Lingshi commented, "You mean to say that the man you saw with that idol was Young Master Hamil, as in, Leonard Hamil?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Indeed, also I am guessing that they had recently tied up the knot in secret."


    He handed over his phone to Han Lingshi to see the picture, and sure enough, as someone who has seen the Hamil family up close from her childhood, she recognized Leonard Hamil. The young man was holding Chan Ling in his arms and the two were sharing some private moments. Han Lingshi was shocked, and said, "Aren''t you too lucky?


    *Ding: You underestimate the system skills, Host. This skill will work in persuasion, and manipulation of any argument. Mostly it is just plot armor so that you get away from critical readers, cause the author is a dunce.*


    Hao Ren nodded thoughtfully and said, "That sure works for me."


    Just as he was getting happy, his mobile rang, and he sighed. Han Lingshi looked at him and said, "Are you going to answer that?"


    Hao Ren said, "Well, I will need your help in a bit, so please be prepared."


    He knew who this call belonged to, and he fished his phone out. The caller ID showed, "Mom."


    It was a video call request, Hao Ren said, "Remember I asked you, if you could to act like my girlfriend?"


    Han Lingshi shivered, but thanks to her habit of driving herself she managed to keep the car steady otherwise, it would have been wrecked from the impact of this sudden question. She took a deep breath and calmed herself down before she nodded as she focused on the road, while her heart beat sped up.


    Hao Ren said, "It would be nice if you could answer me, because I am about to have myself disowned."


    Han Lingshi thought about it, Hao Ren has been doing her a lot of favors. He helped her with Edgar Hamil and eliminated a pesky assistant from her side too. If not for all this, that night he walked and controlled his urges. She was grateful to have found someone like him completely to the coincidence, because if it were to be someone else, they might have been blinded by the money or her beauty.


    She was not a fool, and she knew that Hao Ren had been trying hard to improve their relation, so she nodded and said, "I will do it."


    Hao Ren smiled, and accepted the call as he greeted, "Hello, mom."


    Mrs. Hao didn''t care about his smile and happiness, she directly asked, "Did you smuggle some drugs or did you rob a bank? Where did you get this money? You better be honest with me now, understood? Or I will disown you!"


    Hao Ren had an urge to jump out of the car, while Han Lingshi was trying hard not to laugh. He said, "Mom, all the money is legitimate, I can even give you a witness. Lingshi, tell her that I did not do any dirty business."


    To get rid of the muzzle aimed at him, he turned the phone toward Han Lingshi, who was driving and suddenly went stiff. On the other side, Mrs. Hao was stunned too. She asked, "Ren, who is this girl?"


    Hao Ren replied, "My girlfriend? Are you thinking that I am not worthy of her?"


    He was trying to get back at his mother, but the lady said, "You? Even your ancestors are not worth this fairy. Are you sure this girl is not a robot? Or is she taking pity on you?"


    Han Lingshi could not help it and she parked the car as she started laughing out loud. Hao Ren was too miserable.

 Chapter 17: Emotional Rollercoaster.

    Han Lingshi''s laughter echoed inside the car, and Mrs. Hao stopped insulting her son, after all, he was a guy and should have some dignity. Another reason she did not want to make fun of him was so that he does not cut her off. She still wanted to see her daughter-in-law.


    Mrs. Hao said, "Why are you holding the phone? Give it to the girl, I want to talk to her."


    Hao Ren looked at Han Lingshi whose laughter came to an abrupt stop, and passed the phone. Han Lingshi shook her head but the menacing person turned the camera to face her. She stopped and bowed slightly to the lady and said, "Hello Auntie, I am Han Lingshi. You can call me Lingshi, or Lingling."


    Mrs. Hao smiled on the phone, she was slightly chubby and looked like a laughing buddha. She spoke softly, "What a good child you are. I will call you Lingshi first."


    It was not sure if such a beauty would stay with her son, why must she scare her by acting over friendly? She continued chatting with Han Lingshi and asked her about her well being and some small talk.


    Han Lingshi had mastered the art of communication and she had a good conversation with the lady. Mrs. Hao found Han Lingshi to be an amiable personality and was impress through and through. She said, "Alright, Lingshi, I would not bother you anymore, but if this guy troubles you, come straight to me, I will straighten him up."


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "I will definitely call you aunty."


    Mrs. Hao chuckled and said, "Tell that kid that he better not spend too much now that he has earned some money. Or I will break his legs."


    The call was disconnected, and Han Lingshi said, "Your mother is a good person, I like her."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "You like her or her ability to grill and discredit me over everything?"


    Han Lingshi chuckled and the young man said, "My mom was not like this before Hao Mei fell sick. She was a poised and elegant woman who did not like to even scold anyone."


    The lady detected some longing and pain in his voice. She asked, "Tell me about your sister."


    She was curious about his family now, because he was so good to her. Hao Ren smiled and replied, "My sister was seven years older than me, her name was Hao Mei. My mom and dad used to work so after school she would come to pick me up from day care and look after me. She raised me practically, and she left for college when I starting my middle school.


    Every weekend she would take an eight hour train to come and visit home. We all loved her, in the hometown no one would say anything bad about her. She tutored many children to earn her way through college. An ace student, she was the pride of my family and also my only friend."


    As he spoke, his eyes drifted away from reality it was as if he could see his sister before him, and Han Lingshi sensed a subtle pain in her heart.


    Hao Ren continued, "I had just stepped in high school and she took us all to the amusement park in the city. I was happy that day, but then she fainted. We rushed to hospital but the results were bad.


    The doctor said that she had a tumor that was closer to her brain stem and it could not be treated without risking life long paralysis. That day we all were shocked, Mei Mei did not talk to anyone for two days. Then she said that she does not want to be treated because there was not guarantee if it would work, and we did not have the money to get her targeted trial treatments.


    Within a month, she was confined to her bed."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Thank you, can you also suggest me some pair of shoes and ties that will go with the suits?"


    The attendant moved quickly and then Hao Ren changed back in his normal clothes. They came to the counter and paid around 450,000 for the bill. Three suits, three pairs of shoes and ties. Han Lingshi said, "You lack one thing now."


    Hao Ren asked, "What is that?"


    The lady said, "A good watch."


    He nodded and Han Lingshi led him to a store called, Jikan. This was a brand that manufactured the first wrist watch in this world and they were not a luxury brand. The cheapest watch they sold was above a million. Hao Ren whispered, "Miss Han, this place is a temple, why are we here? We can go to Sigma or Hiemer. Right?"


    Han Lingshi nodded internally, at least he was not going vain yet. To spend millions on a watch when he did not have such money. She said, "It is your fees."


    Hao Ren was surprised and furrowed his brows but the girl quickly replied, "Do not think of it like a monetary fees. Actually when I was staying over at your place, I came to check on you and my gaze fell on your monitor. So, that night I also invested around ten million in the same company. The result was sky high."


    Hao Ren opened his eyes wide, and thought what a beggar he was, his entire profit was lower than her investment. Han Lingshi said, "You know, it is all my personal asset now, I do not have to use the company money. However, this all happened coincidentally and is related to you."


    The young man replied, "It is still not something I would accept a fee for. You made the investment with your own money. I did not tell you anything, did I. How come I get a share of it?"


    Han Lingshi frowned, this guy did not even take compensation for the flash marriage, and has been doing things for her, how could she convince him. Suddenly, it occurred to her and she said, "Fine, it is not a fee, but a gift. Before you say that this gift is too expensive, let me tell you, that half of its value is a gift, and other half is for you to make sure that I get my meals on time.


    You will have to cook for me as long as the watch is ticking."


    Hao Ren was surprised, and nodded. They came to the counter, and the attendant passed them the brochure, Jikan was known for hiring uniquely abled people for service, such as deaf, mutes, and people whose lower extremities could not function, as an act of empowerment and these people were all very nice with their customers. This was another reason Jikan had a high reputation.


    Han Lingshi did not look at the watches, but she was noticing Hao Ren''s expression. She noticed his eyes flashed when he saw a piece called The Gent. The piece was worth seven million, it was made from a solid block of platinum and the dial was gilded with diamond clock hands, and twelve ruby gems.


    It was an automatic mechanical movement, and was known to sync with the pulse of the wearer. Han Lingshi smiled and asked the attendant to show them the watch. The attendant carefully bought out the piece and Hao Ren was attracted to it instantly. Han Lingshi paid the bill without hesitation and helped him tie the watch on his left hand.


    She said, "Remember, you have to cook for me as long as this watch ticks."


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Miss Han, this watch will tick as long as I am alive, are you perhaps proposing me to cook for you till the day I live? Do you know what it means to gift a man a watch?"


    Han Lingshi was stunned, and suddenly she realized the ambiguity of her actions, and she blushed. Hao Ren smiled at her expression and leaned over to whisper in her ears, "I won''t mind cooking for you, forever, Ling Ling."


    His words tickled Han Lingshi''s heart so much that she shivered and pushed him away before she walked out of the store with a face that was almost bleeding. Hao Ren chuckled and followed her, but the joy in their hearts did not last for long.

 Chapter 18: Han Lingshis Enemy.

    Hao Ren chased after Han Lingshi with a big smile on his face, however, a few moments later when he was about to call out for her, he stopped and frowned. Han Lingshi was standing before another lady. The two of them were comparable in beauty and aura. Hao Ren mumbled, "Is it just me or there are sparks flying in the void?"


    *Ding: It is detected that your wife has come across her long time rival. Please diffuse the situation in a manner that it looks to be in favor of your wife.*


    Hao Ren thought about the situation and said, "System, have you not heard that men should not meddle in women business."


    System replied mechanically, *Host, supporting your wife can be done in many ways. It could be mental, spiritual, and physical. Your effort is support enough.*


    The young man sighed and looked at the situation carefully, the lady before Han Lingshi was accompanied by two big men. Hao Ren looked around and then found the employee of the Jikan water store greeting him good by with a smile. The person was a mute, and Hao Ren thought of something before he said, "Can I trouble you for a something?"


    The person was confused when Hao Ren whispered something in his ear. Thinking about it, the man nodded, and Hao Ren placed his stuff in their shop as he walked toward Han Lingshi. He spoke, " Miss Han, I apologize for the delay, I was caught up in the traffic."


    Han Lingshi looked at him with a raised brow and Hao Ren winked at her discreetly as he bowed and said, "Thank you for giving me your precious time. I will not let you down."


    Han Lingshi did not say anything when the lady opposite them chuckled and asked, "Little brother, who are you? What business do you have with Xiao Ling? Tell me, I can do anything she can do but ten times better."


    While she said this, The lady was checking out Hao Ren, he appeared to be decent in her eyes, but she caught sight of the watch on his wrist. She could tell that Hao Ren''s clothes were not particularly high level, but from the watch on his hand she thought he must be one of those elusive people and something flashed across her eyes.


    Han Lingshi clenched her fists and wanted to rebuke her. However, Hao Ren stood up and blocked her with half his body and asked, "Ma''am, may I know who you are?"


    The lady smiled and said, "I am Ye Shiling. President of the Crown International."


    Hao Ren was surprised, he had heard about this lady, she was also one of the top shots in the Han nation business world. Her company was on a rank higher than Empress International by one decimal point different in net worth.


    She was prideful and often seen making statements like, ''The crown is always above the empress or the emperor.''


    Hao Ren could figure that she was rubbing it in the faces of the Han family. However, he did not know much about this person, and said, "Oh, Hello, I am Hao Ren, an aspiring business man."


    Ye Shiling raised her brow and did a double take at Hao Ren before she said, "Xiao Ling, are you dabbling with anyone these days? I can tell by the appearance that this little brother is just an upstart. Shouldn''t you be more focused on some serious projects, or is it because of his appearance that you gave him an appointment? I did not expect you to have such a taste."


    If gazes could kill, then Ye Shiling would have been dead already. Hao Ren smiled and said, "I thought Miss Ye was a person from the higher society and had some finesse. But seeing you slandering Miss Han and me in such a manner, I wonder how your company is running in profit."


    Ye Shiling''s gaze turned cold. She looked at Hao Ren and said, "What makes you think that you can talk to me in this manner? Do you not realize that I can destroy your business with just a call?"


    Hao Ren revealed a surprised expression and questioned, "Are you threatening me?"


    Ye Shiling chuckled and said, "Do you think any roadside upstart is worth receiving a threat from me? You sure overestimate your worth."


    Hao Ren waved his hand, but his face was swollen. Han Lingshi gripped the steering tightly and asked, "Did I ask you to come and help me? Do you know how long have I been at logger heads with that bitch?"


    Hao Ren could not help but open his eyes wide as he heard Han Lingshi talking like a delinquent. Han Lingshi snapped, "What? Can I not curse? Am I not a human?"


    Hao Ren wanted to speak but his face hurt like hell. He could only wave his hands in defense. Han Lingshi took a deep breath to calm herself and they arrived at the hospital. They rushed to the emergency department where the nurse assigned them a doctor.


    The Doctor applied some antiseptic ointment on Hao Ren''s cut and asked, "How did this happen?"


    Hao Ren typed it on his phone and showed it to him, "I see, I will call the cops in the hospital and you can make a statement. Assault is a criminal act."


    The young man nodded, and typed a few things for Han Lingshi, and the lady was surprised. However, she nodded in compliance. If the young man was going to take this case to the police then he would have to clarify his connection to Han Lingshi because she was present at the place during the altercation.


    Han Lingshi called her lawyer, to make sure that the news does not get out. The cop arrived, but waited for a few minutes before the attorney arrived. Han Lingshi had already informed the man about the situation, while he was surprised, he knew that he had to do his job.


    Hao Ren showed the video to the attorney who said, "This can be submitted as evidence, but I suggest that we file a case for slander, and threating against Ye Shiling and a leave the assault out of it."


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows and asked, "What the heck does that mean?"


    The lawyer shivered and replied, "Ma''am, we can earn some goodwill in the public by stating that we do not wish to file an assault case, because it would implicate the bodyguard who was only acting on the commands of his employer. The damage to Crown International, would be much more efficient."


    Han Lingshi shook her head while Hao Ren was nodded. The two of them looked at each other, and Han Lingshi asked, "Do you know that your face looks like a pig? Why are you letting her get away with this?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and asked in a low tone, "Who said anything about letting anyone get away? I will have Ye Shiling grovel with helplessness for messing with you."


    He looked at the attorney and said, "Mister Kane, you have till the morning to get the notice served, but make sure that the fact about legal proceedings stays under wraps."


    Kane nodded and replied, "I understand, sir."


    Then Hao Ren gave him a copy of the video and took medicine from the hospital clinic before leaving for home with Han Lingshi. The lady sighed and said, "I apologize for implicating you in this."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Firstly, you did nothing wrong, it was that lady who caused the scene. As for the fact that I defended you, forget the fact that we are married, I consider you as a friend and so do you, I suppose. If am just stay silent and take all that bullshit, what sort of a friend I am? Forget it, and just wait, your stock price is about to soar."


    Han Lingshi was surprised for a bit but she nodded, a fiasco like this could cause a momentary dip in the stock price, and looking at the fact that she had a big meeting in the morning, their prices will soar and she would come out on top.


    They reached Hao Ren''s apartment, and Han Lingshi stayed behind for a few hours. She made sure that he was fine, and had a light dinner before leaving heavy heartedly. In the elevator, she took out her phone, and dialed a number.


    The other party picked up, and Han Lingshi said coldly, "It''s time."

 Chapter 19: Task Success.

    Hao Ren rested the whole night and even the entire morning. He was not aware when Han Lingshi came over. Neither did he know the crisis that befell the Crown International as soon as they opened the office.


    Attorney Kane booked an appointment at the Crown International office. At this moment, he was sitting in a conference room with the Ye Shiling, who was gazing at him with amusement written over her face, she asked, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"


    The middle-aged attorney fixed his glasses and said, "Miss Ye, you are hereby served with a legal notice for slander and threatening my clients, Miss Han Lingshi and Mr. Hao Ren. You have twenty four hours to respond before we file the petition in the court of law."


    Ye Shiling was surprised and her ravishing eyes opened wide. She exclaimed, "What do you mean? Are you serious? She is suing me for a tease? And what basis?"


    Attorney Kane stood up and said, "I am not bound to tell you any of it, but be thankful that Mr. Hao Ren did not press assault charges against you."


    Then he directly picked up his bag and left the conference room. As he walked through the lobby, he looked at a lady walking over and winked at her. The lady was a person who worked in Crown International but reported to the Empress International.


    She was a spy. As soon as she received the wink, she sent a text message to one of her people in the media, and stirred up the storm.


    Inside the conference room, Ye Shiling was still in a daze, she looked at the notice before her and mumbled, "How can she do something like this? Wait, what if she has a proof? How? Could it be this was a pre-emptive attack? No, that cannot be it. She did not know I would go to the mall.


    Nobody did, then how."


    She clasped her forehead, and sat in the conference room thinking what to do, when suddenly her assistant came in panting, "President, reporters are gathered outside the building and they are all saying that Han Lingshi''s lawyer served you with legal notice."


    Ye Shiling raised her head in a snap and stood up to approach the huge windows. Looking down, she could see a few big broadcast vans parked on the road. She grit her teeth and picked her phone and made a call to Han Lingshi.


    ...


    Hao Ren had just freshened up and came out of his room when he heard Han Lingshi''s voice in the living room. He walked out and was about to ask the lady what was she doing here instead of going to work, when she turned around and saw him. She beckoned him over, and he came to sit down next to her on the couch.


    **Command accepted, playing the financial news, now.**


    In an instant, Hao Ren found what he was looking for. Han Lingshi was not joking, Ye Shiling was standing before the reporters outside her company, apparently she was trying to leave through the back door and find her lawyer when the secondary team of reporters surrounded her. They were not fools (at least not like in the other novel worlds).


    One of them almost shoved his mic in Ye Shiling''s mouth as he questioned, "Miss Ye, have you been sued by Miss Han? Can you confirm it?"


    Ye Shiling glared through her tinted glasses but did not say anything. She wanted to call her body guards to clear the path but they she thought about what happened in the mall and said, "Everyone, please calm down. I did not do anything wrong. I have no idea why Han Lingshi is doing this but I have not done anything wrong to her. This is just a stunt to effect the stock market."


    Suddenly, a person who was already instructed by Kane, said, "Miss Ye, we have conclusive evidence that proves you did encounter Miss Han and another gentleman during their business meeting yesterday in the mall. Not only did you insult the gentleman but also said a few degrading things to and about Miss Han. Do you deny it?"


    Ye Shiling was shocked, she did not know what to say at this point but just generically deny all the allegations before she left the place. She was going to meet her lawyer, she was not a fool to not know that there were people inside the office who worked for Han Lingshi.


    She also had her people placed in the Empress International, however, Han Lingshi was too cautious. She had a restricted access policy for the entire floor, where her office was located.


    ...


    Hao Ren checked the stock market, and sure enough Crown International was slipping down while Empress International was steadily climbing up. Hao Ren changed the channel and learned that Empress Infra had signed a government contract for a highway project. This highway was going to connect three of the biggest economic sectors together and a lot many villages would see rapid development.


    He smiled and just when he was about to call Han Lingshi and congratulate her, the news presenter said, "This is coming in hot from our internet monitoring unit, a few videos about Ye Shiling, the president of the Crown International have been posted on the public platforms. These videos are suggesting that Miss Ye had bribed a few officials to gain some projects..."


    Following this a few clips were played and the people were stunned. Hao Ren was in a daze and slumped back in his chair, at this moment the system notified, *Ding: It has been detected that your wife has acquired fifty two percent of Crown International shares, and has become the biggest share holder. You have successfully helped her in the situation and successfully finished the task.*


    Hao Ren jumped off the couch and asked, "Wait a second, how did I help in this?"


    *Ding: Miss Han had the capability to do this earlier in the past but she was always hesitant, you took the punch for her, and that effected her enough to take the final step. Would you like to know your rewards, host?*

 Chapter 20: Bumper Prize.

    Hao Ren lay in the couch when the system announced that the task has been completed. Han Lingshi seemed to have bought a lot of shares from the board of Crown International. She exposed Ye Shiling for making under the table trades, and even getting a hold of some government contracts by using under the sheets in the bed, tactics.


    The internet was throbbing and forget about the financial sector, Ye Shiling had become the most scandalous person in the nation. All this while Han Lingshi had been holding back from making any move because she was an excellent hunter. She wanted to take out her enemy in one fell sweep.


    Hao Ren came back to reality and said, "System, tell me what is the reward?"


    *Ding: Host you have completed this task, and also empowered your wife''s desire to take down her enemy, the system rewards you with a bumper prize reward package. Do you want to open the package now?*


    Hao Ren''s eyes flashed with excitement, he did not know what this bumper prize was but he knew that the happier his wife was the bigger the prize. In this moment, he decided to thrive of supremacy in Han Lingshi''s life.


    He took a deep breath and said, "System, open the package."


    *Ding: Opening bumper reward package. Host receives a Hornet Wisp, the car will be delivered to you by evening. Host also receives a 10 million investment fund. The money is legitimate and can be traced back by the investigative agencies, so do not worry. Last but not the least, host receives a body purification ticket.*


    Hao Ren was gazing at the void in a daze. He could not fathom what he just heard. The last reward was a body purification ticket, meaning he could get rid of his impurities and gain a lot of buffs, he stood up and dashed directly to the bathroom. Hao Ren took off his clothes and threw them all over the place.


    He was euphoric, he sat down in the bath tub and said, "System, I want to use the body purification ticket."


    *Ding: Very well host, body purification ticket is in use.*


    Hao Ren has read so many novels where the ML would be covered in dirt and sticky substance ejected from his body thus he did not want to make the same mistake and came to the bathroom. As soon as his body heats up and secretes impurities he would be sure to wash it away with water.


    However, the heat came, but he was not sweating. His entire body was on fire but he did not sweat. He frowned in discomfort when suddenly he opened his eyes wide and jumped out of the tub. He sat down on the toilet and his body shivered.


    He asked while groaning, "System, what the fuck is this?"


    The system replied, *Ding: Host the ticket will collect all the impurities and seventy percent would be pushed out of your rectal track. The remaining will be ejected through the pores as they are related to your skin and outer muscles.*


    Hao Ren shivered on the toilet seat as he yelled, "Fuck Me!!!"


    It took him three hours to get rid of everything and when he was done on the toilet, he was afraid of the damn thing creating a plumbing issue, thankfully nothing like that happened. However, when he came to the closet, he was stunned by his appearance in the mirror.


    He asked, "System, can you describe the changes?"


    As it turned out, Ye Shiling was taken in custody, the board handed over all the shares to Han Lingshi. However, the Ye family also reacted quickly. Hao Ren raised his brow and while stirring the sauce he said, "This business family sure is on point with the reaction. They are going to buy back the shares from Han Lingshi and regain the control of Crown International.


    However, Han Lingshi is not a fool to just sell it back. If I am correct, she should wait for a few days before the stock price raises a bit more to maximize her profit."


    Indeed, why would Han Lingshi make a loss? Hao Ren finished cooking food in half an hour, because of his skill in cooking, he used many shortcuts, but it did not compromise with the taste. When he prepared the tiffin, he frowned and said, "Hmmm, I have to buy a few more tiffin boxes, Han Lingshi is not returning my boxes."


    At this moment, his cellphone rang and it was Julius, they have arrived at the gate of the community, and Hao Ren gave them access to get inside the premise. He took the elevator with his documents. He suddenly thought of something and asked, "System, do not tell me that you wish to state this car as a lucky winner award, please. Come up with some logical explanation."


    *Ding: Host, the method of transaction for this vehicle is two hundred crypto coins. That should be reasonable enough. The system has created the records of you mining the coins back in your freshman year in college. However, since you cannot use them in Han Nation, you traded them for the car with a billionaire in the Hawk Nation. It is not a monetary exchange, but a trade where you made a loss.*


    Hao Ren thought and nodded, this was indeed plausible. Han Nation did not recognize Crypto coins, so many people in the past have traded their coins for objects like cars and houses or paintings. He shrugged and came to the ground floor, outside the building a big container truck was parked.


    He looked around and found a middle-aged man walking over in a grey suit. This man did not look like the delivery man. However, this man asked, "Excuse me, Sir, are you Mister Hao Ren?"


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Are you Mister Julius?"


    The man smiled and bowed slightly, "Greetings, Sir. I am Julius Skylar, manager of the Hornet Luxe Store."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "Mister Skylar, why did you come here personally?"


    The man smiled sheepishly and said, "Sir, in this region, there is only one Hornet Wisp, and you are the owner. This vehicle is the pride of our company and we take the delivery very seriously. So I decided to oversee it personally."


    Hao Ren nodded and then checked his watch as he said, "Can we finish the delivery soon? I have to reach somewhere."


    Julius nodded and gestured to the truck driver, who opened the hatch of the truck. Julius said, "Sir, you will have to sign this document, and upload your finger print and voice to the system. Then you will get the access to the car. You can remotely drive the vehicle with this tab."


    Julius took out a small tab from a silver case, and Hao Ren uploaded his biometric details in it. Then the manager said, "Sir, you can call the car and it will drive out of the container on its own."


    Hao Ren nodded, he knew that this vehicle was very advanced and came with a self drive and follow system. It would be a lie to say that he was not excited. He gave the command and slowly the vehicle came out of the container on its own.


    This car could be started with just a click on the key or the tab. Julius said, "Mister Hao, congratulation on the new vehicle. If you need to get it serviced, please contact me directly."


    As he said this, he bowed down and handed Hao Ren his business card. The young man reciprocated the mannerism and accepted it. Then he held the documentation, key fob, and remote tablet before walking around the car.


    Hao Ren was a young man and he loved cars. His blood was boiling to go and push this vehicle to its limits, but he had a normal license and not much experience, so he took a deep breath to calm himself. He got inside the car, and left the community.

 Chapter 21: Investing & Driving.

    Hao Ren reached the Empress International Office and parked his car carefully in the visitor''s spot and left to serve his wife. The vehicle attracted a lot of gazes and a lot of camera shutters. Hao Ren did not know that he was clicked by some people while exiting the vehicle.


    He came to the top floor with the tiffin, Han Lingshi had told the people that he can use her personal elevator to come to her office whenever he wanted. This gesture showed a lot of trust and acceptance towards Hao Ren.


    The young man knocked on the door and a soft voice sounded, "Come in."


    Hao Ren peeked inside and said, "Food Delivery."


    Han Lingshi raised her head and was stunned, she was not surprised to see Hao Ren here, but by the changes in him. Although the system made it so that the changes seem nothing odd, but Han Lingshi was still surprised. Hao Ren came inside the cabin, and set up the tiffin and chopsticks on the coffee table in the cabin.


    Han Lingshi woke up and asked hurriedly, "Why are you here? Are you not injured?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I am fine, now you come here."


    Han Lingshi was already hooked with the aroma of the food and complained, "You will make me fat."


    Hao Ren replied, "Good, then no one would want you and you will be stuck with me."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and said, "In your dreams."


    She had just taken a bite when someone barged inside the office. Hao Ren looked up and found Maria who was surprised. He nodded to her in a greeting and Maria asked, "What is he doing here?"


    Han Lingshi frowned at her best friend and asked, "What do you want?"


    Maria realized that she has again acted insensitively, and said, "Well, Carlos Ricardo bailed on us. They signed with Streak F1."


    Han Lingshi stopped eating her food, and Hao Ren raised his brow as he asked, "Ahem, Miss Maria, could you be talking about Carlos Ricardo, the world champion racer?"


    Maria nodded and asked, "You know him?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "Only as a race car enthusiast. He clocked the fastest lap at Bahen race track. He was driving a Streak Stingray, no?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Recently, Chariot Motors have been developing a hybrid automobile for race tracks. We wanted Carlos to be the driver for it. The engineers have said that this car can change the face of automobile industry, but now that Carlos has moved away, we will have to look for another driver."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "That is not hard, you can check with others, right?"


    Maria rolled her eyes and said, "The car we have is untested and someone will have to tune it. The established racers do not want to risk themselves in a test project, while the new guys do not have any experience."


    Hao Ren fed her the crypto coin nonsense, and even showed her the e-mail conversation with the other party and a soft copy of an agreement that was available in his phone gallery. He had to commend the system for being thorough in background details.


    The car body was mainly painted white, with a black and red combination in the center of it. (You can see it in the paragraph comment)


    Maria said, "I will test your driving."


    That said she walked forward but Hao Ren scoffed and said, "Miss Han will be the only one I will drive. You may take your own car."


    Maria glared at him in rage, while Han Lingshi felt happy by what Hao Ren said. Maria was about to say something when Han Lingshi said, "We are getting late, lets go."


    She walked up to the car, Hao Ren pressed the button on the key fob and the doors opened while the head lights blinked. Maria could only watch the two of them as she got in her own car to follow them and mumbled, "I will remember this Hao Ren, as long as you slip up once, I will make sure you never get a chance to stand up."


    Hao Ren did not care about her. Han Lingshi got inside the car, and admired the luxury interior. However, she frowned and said, "This red and black combination is a bit too strong."


    The young man nodded and said, "Miss Han, red and black are the staples of hornet company. They do not change them."


    After saying that, he said in his mind, ''System, driver package.''


    *Ding: Initiated. Duration of usage left: 120 minutes.*


    Hao Ren knew it was temporary, and looking at the distance to the race track, he would manage to do it. He revved the engine and the car shot out like a bullet.


    ...


    After an hour, Han Lingshi stepped out of the car with trembling legs. Hao Ren drove like a monster, there were chances for them to collide but every time, they came out unscathed. The twists and turns at those speeds were something that Han Lingshi could have never imagined.


    Hao Ren walked up to her with some daze in his eyes, because even he did not know that the skill would allow him to reach such a level. He asked, "Miss Han, are you alright?"


    Han Lingshi looked up and nodded, but her eyes looked like she was about to cry. Hao Ren shivered, he said, "I am sorry, Miss Han, I apologize. I should not have driven that fast. I was just excited that you were sitting in my car for the first time. I am sorry."


    Han Lingshi heard him saying how he was excited and her fear was washed away by a ticklish feeling. She regained her composure and said, "No, no, its okay. I was just a little flustered."


    The two calmed down, and fifteen minutes later, Maria pulled up beside them. She had a shocked expression on her face, when she looked at Hao Ren.


    Han Lingshi said, "Come, let''s go in, we are getting late."


    Hao Ren was in hurry too, his temporary skill card was about to run out.

 Chapter 22: Debunking.

    Han Lingshi and Maria led the from while Hao Ren walked behind the two of them keeping a low key. One thing he learned in his classes was, observation is the key to finance. Just because this project was being run by Han Lingshi''s subsidiary, it did not mean he will push his money for a loss.


    He did like Han Lingshi but it was not the extent where he would throw away logic. For some people it took time to brew the emotions, and one must know the more time they brew the thicker they become.


    The traversed through the premise and came to a temporary office of the race track. Hao Ren could tell that this racing car project was a boot strap project. He has been a race car enthusiast in his past life and this obsession had carried on to this life too, so he could tell the difference.


    Han Lingshi and Maria were too big players worth in billions, however, they were somewhat restrained when they moved around the racetrack facility. The reason? They did not own this place. So, they must have rented this place for test runs. After all, where else could they go to perform comprehensive tests on a prototype?


    Soon, they reached the office, dug out where a group of people were clamoring. A middle-aged man saw them coming and quickly said, "Stop it, President Han is here. You all be a little civil."


    The crowd calmed down, Hao Ren counted fifty people. He pursued his lips but did not say anything. After all, from what he knew this group was not even close to the size of a pit crew that he has seen. Some teams even had more than eight hundred crew members.


    Han Lingshi sighed and asked, "What is the issue now? Director Kim, do I have to run over here every time something comes up? If so, then what is the use of you as a project head?"


    Her aura was so commanding and dominating that people fell silent in just a blink. Hao Ren raised his brow and realized, ''So, this is how president Han looks like. Well, she does have a spark.''


    Director Kim, Hao Ren knew this man, he has launched many vehicles that Chariot automobile has developed. So, the young man had a impression of this person. Director Kim said, "President, I did not wish to call you but the chief engineer does not wish to speak with anyone but you."


    Han Lingshi nodded and called for the guy. Hao Ren found a middle-aged man with grey sideburns, he looked very mature and steady. However, the flash in his eyes as soon as he saw Han Lingshi, it set off an inbuilt radar in Hao Ren''s mind.


    He looked at Maria and sure enough the guard dog was here. He was sure that this guy has made advances towards Han Lingshi. Best friends did give away a lot of crucial information if only one is careful and observant.


    The middle-aged man smiled and said, "President Han, long time no see."


    The crew members made a face, they were simply tired of this guy being a love struck fool. Han Lingshi clenched her fist and asked, "Mister Dillon, can you tell me what is the issue that makes you want to quit the team?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I offered the drivers twenty million in Hawk currency for one race, Carlos was offered thirty million. That''s twice his fee. I don''t know why they back off in the last moment. They all have tried the vehicle and only one lap is all they need to say no."


    Maria was gazing at Hao Ren as if she was going to tear him apart, but then the guy said something that shocked everyone, "Then the problem is internal."


    A crew member said, "The car is fine. What do you mean by internal problem?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Sir, I trust that you all are true to your craft, but humans are selfish. If someone wishes to betray something out of their reach, what do you think they would do?"


    Everyone realized what Hao Ren was talking about. Dillon replied snappily, "Do you mean we have a traitor? Who do you think you are to come here and speak like that to us?"


    As he said, he inched forward and grabbed Hao Ren''s collar. Everyone was shocked, but Hao Ren stood there calmly, his gaze turned cold and he said, "Either you let go of me or I will make you let go."


    Han Lingshi looked at the guards and snapped, "What are you looking at? Arrest him."


    The guards were still hesitating when everyone saw Hao Ren grab Dillon''s throat with his hand. The engineer was not as strong as Hao Ren who had been working out daily and gained attributes from the system. His grip was strong enough to make Dillon let go of his grip and struggle to breath.


    Everyone was shocked, they all thought Hao Ren would kill the chief engineer. The guards rushed over, but Hao Ren did not let them close to him. He shoved Dillon at them and said, "Useless. If you do not want to work here then feel free to leave. We do not need idlers."


    His eyes spewed fire but his voice was calm. This sent chills down the spine of the people. Han Lingshi was pissed off as well, and surprisingly the one who came forward was Maria. She picked up the intercom on the side and called for the race track security team. The three of them were sure that Dillon was acting fishy.


    Hao Ren looked at the rest of the crew and said, "Did you guys do any tune ups on the car?"


    The people shook their heads and Hao Ren said, "Good, prepare the car, I am taking it for a drive."


    Director Kim and the rest of the people were surprised, when Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Do it. I want to see if something is wrong in the car as the people say."

 Chapter 23: Joy Ride.

    The crew nodded and got to work. Dillon protested, "You cannot do that, what if there is an accident? What would you do? Lingshi, don''t listen to him."


    Hao Ren looked at the guards, and just then five more people arrived from the race track staff. Maria told them to place Dillion in a holding room, and at the same time she told the accounts department to investigate him.


    An older crew member said, "Sir, please change into a race suit."


    Hao Ren followed the man and put on a race suit under his guidance. This was the moment for which he has always longed for. He put up the suit and shoes and then he performed a few skips to get the feel of how his body moves in the suit.


    The old crew member handed him the helmet and said, "I will your pit chief. You can call me, Andy. I will guide you through the circuit and if you have any problems or feedback, pass them on."


    Hao Ren nodded and thanked the man before he walked up to the car which was going through final checks. Han Lingshi approached him and said, "Hao Ren, drive safely."


    The young man nodded and said, "Three laps."


    Han Lingshi nodded and went back inside the pit. The mechanics gave him a thumbs up and the young man got inside the car, locked the steering and ignited the engine.


    Hao Ren sensed the body of the car vibrate, the sound of the engine was like a gentle purr. He revved the engine a few times, every mechanic could sense his excitement. At this moment, a voice echoed in his ear, "Warm her up, Hao Ren."


    Hao Ren saw Andy talking to him with a headphone on the side and nodded before he put the car in gear and released the clutch as he pressed the accelerator gently. He was aware that this beast could shoot up to 0-100 kmph in just 2.5 seconds, so the accelerator must be handled with care.


    The car rolled out of the pit, and Hao Ren began to move it in a zig zag pattern to heat up the tires. He was still doing 60 kmph and handled the car perfectly. Many mechanics looked at each other and were surprised, that they did not even introduce the car to him, and yet he had such an understanding.


    The temporary driving skill boost was crazy over powered. As he exited the pit lane, Hao Ren said, "Okay, Andy, can I keep it up a notch."


    Andy replied positively, and Hao Ren shifted gears as he moved. The acceleration made him sink in his seat and he exclaimed, "WHOOOPIIIEEEEEEEEE!!!"


    ...


    In the pit lane, the people heard this loud shout. While some had smiles on their faces, some were thinking if this guy was a kid. Han Lingshi asked, "Chief Andrew, how is he looking?"


    Andy was his nickname, he replied, "Miss Han, where did you find this kid?"


    Andy was shocked when he saw this, he watched as Hao Ren braked, entered the turn, and at the end of the turn, his speed shoot up once again. He gulped and said, "He is in full control, record the car data."


    Maria asked, "What do you mean by full control, Andy?"


    The old man said, "He is decelerating and accelerating without any help from the curbs or anything else. He is driving on his own and pushing the car to its limit."


    Maria was surprised, and Han Lingshi said, "If only you had sat beside him on the way here. I thought that it was my last day on this planet."


    They watched a few minutes, and suddenly a technician said, "He can break the track record."


    This was surprising, and Andy yelled, "Shut up! Don''t jinx it."


    Han Lingshi and Maria did not understand the emphasis of this but the pit crew knew what an achievement it was to break the record. The fastest lap on the track. A few seconds later, the stop watch stopped and the men erupted in cheers.


    Andy and the rest rushed outside, where Hao Ren was driving into the pit lane slowly. Hao Ren got out of the car, and raised his hand as he celebrated with the people. He did not even know them but he was excited.


    Han Lingshi and Maria looked at each other and smiled, they were thinking ''men will be men''.


    After a few minutes, Hao Ren said, "Miss Han, if you do not mind, you can compare the data from today to the days when those drivers were in the car. We will know who was at the fault."


    Han Lingshi nodded, after all, she also could sense that something about Dillon was wrong. At this moment, one of the technician said, "Miss Han, I am sorry. I was the one who wronged you."


    The people were surprised, and Han Lingshi said coldly, "Continue."


    The technician said, "Dillon said that if we limit the cars performance by reducing the battery output the drivers will deny driving for us. Then when he gets his cousin, the initial test driver appointed, he would give me twenty percent race fee."


    Andy was shocked, and angry, he roared, "What do you mean, Damien? Why did you do this?"


    Damien shivered and said, "What else could I have done? I do not earn enough to pay off my father''s debt."


    Han Lingshi said, "I will deal with you later, Maria, file a complaint against Dillon and have him arrested."


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders and walked to the dressing room, where he heard, *Ding: Task complete....*

 Chapter 24: Confessions.

    Hao Ren had just entered the dressing room when his mind rang with a notification from the system, *Ding: Task complete, Han Lingshi is pleased with the result. Issuing rewards. Host you have acquired ''Optimal reflexes'', congratulations.*


    A warm current gushed through his body. Hao Ren trembled from this sensation, and let out a groan. After a few moments, he took off the driving suit and entered the shower room as he asked, ''System, why did you not give me something like godly car driving?''


    *Ding: Host, Optimal Reflexes is a skill that allows you to reach the peak of hand-eye coordination and execute movements as quickly as your body can sustain. This skill will keep increasing as your body grows stronger.*


    Hao Ren moved his hand through his wet hair as he stood under the shower. He exclaimed internally, *Isn''t this akin to being a super human? What if I play with a gun now, wouldn''t I be a gun expert?"


    However, just when his dreams were taking him to fly through dreamland, the system said, *Ding: Host, please do not have such stupid dreams. You might be able to avoid the attack, but mastering a gun has a lot more to it than just hand-eye coordination.*


    Hao Ren understood what the system meant and nodded. He changed back in his clothes from earlier. When he came outside in the dug out, the crew members were all back to work, they were scrutinizing the car data, and Han Lingshi was talking to Andy on the side.


    Hao Ren did not know if he would be able to provide any help to the car crew any further because of his limited skill. It was not easy to handle a vehicle that could reach 330 kmph with his temporary boost, how would he help them now. With a doubtful thought he approached the trio.


    Han Lingshi noticed his arrival and smiled as she said, "Andy had just sent the video of the car to a professional driver, Markulla. The latter has agreed to come over."


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "You mean, Marcel Markulla?"


    Andy was surprised and asked, "Do you know him?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Who does not know the prince of corners? However, didn''t he retire a few years ago?"


    Andy nodded and said, "He did, but he wants to make a comeback. The sport has changed and it has become very competitive. He said as long as the car is good, he won''t even charge any fee to race for us."


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and said, "Miss Han is the major investor I will follow her lead, but I hope that we can have a contract with him to stay with us for this year. Otherwise, we might end up rescuing the tiger only to send it back to the mountains."


    Andy nodded and said, "I have told the same to Miss Han. She said they will first sign the contract that could not be broken for a year. Or Markulla would have to pitch in the entire funding for his races on his own. Even if he is rich, he would not be able to afford."


    The people spent a couple of hours discussing the situation, before it was evening and they decided to head back. Hao Ren, Han Lingshi and Maria walked through the facility, heading to the parking.


    His gaze did not move from the road ahead. Han Lingshi asked, "Why are you so nice to me?"


    The young man was surprised but then he replied with a faint smile, "Would you believe it if I said that I have waited for you my whole life?"


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and turned to look outside the window as she coldly said, "If you don''t want to give me an answer then you don''t have to feed me with these sweet nothings. I hate this."


    Hao Ren turned to look at her and said, "Miss Han, I apologize, I did not mean to upset you. The thing is, ever since that day you married me. My life took turn for better. It was as if the goddess of fortune held my hand and pulled me in the office to change my fate. I never had high aspirations, just wanted to be something more than average.


    Yet, here I am driving a multi million dollar car with the most beautiful woman in the world. So, why shouldn''t I be nice to someone who changed my life?"


    Han Lingshi looked at him and said, "So, just because your life took turn for better you are nice to me? Is this some sort of payment?"


    Hao Ren could detect some chill in her voice, and he shook his head calmly. He took a deep breath, "Lingshi, the moment I saw you my heart skipped a beat. The moment I signed my name on that registration form, I signed away my life to you. I am not saying all this for the sake of it. I have told you earlier, you are like that light at the end of the tunnel.


    However, you are not the end of my life, but the beginning of it.


    There are many things that I like about you. I like the way you smile, and your eyes blink when you are flustered. I also like the cold president who can put people in their places. However, beyond all this, under all the gilded curtains, there is a girl who loves to shove food and gorge it like a beast. The girl who would blush at the smallest compliment. I like all those more than I can explain.


    I would not say that it is a love you to moon and beyond, but if I got a chance, I would like to love you for the rest of the life and beyond that."


    After saying that he fell silent, and drove silently. From the corner of his eyes, he could see that Han Lingshi was looking at him with watery eyes. He did not say anything extraordinary but only what he truly felt. Han Lingshi was undoubtedly touched by his words. Her heart was akin to the engine of the car, but she did not say anything.


    Silence lingered in the car for a few minutes, before Hao Ren said, "You do not have to give me any answer, I do not expect one, after all, you are way out of my league at the moment. The difference is too much, but one day, I will earn the answer from you, Miss Han."


    Han Lingshi had calmed down but suddenly felt a sting when he called her Miss Han. She looked out of the window and said, "You can call me, Lingshi. Putting aside the matters of love, I hope you would not let these emotions mess up the friendship we have. As for the future, let the nature take its course."


    The young man smiled and said, "Aye, aye!"


    They both knew that Hao Ren was too immature and weak compared to the people behind Han Lingshi, this was not a refusal but a delay to give him the chance to grow up into a strong man who could protect himself in face of trouble. The two people drove with dreams in their eyes.

 Chapter 25: Xiao Mei Sings For God Of Wealth.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi expressed their emotions to each other on the way back. Han Lingshi told him that she did not want him to invest in her projects or company. Thinking about it, Hao Ren understood that it was because she did not want people to connect the dots so easily.


    At this moment, he was just a person who delivered food to her, and lived in a nice place. The people from big families would not mind him, however, they would not sit back if they found him dabbling in their business.


    Hao Ren understood and nodded to Han Lingshi, he dropped her in front of the office building. The two of them were just sitting in the car. Hao Ren thought about it and asked, "Lingshi, how strong do I need to be before meeting your parents?"


    Han Lingshi shivered as she sat up. After a brief silence, she said, "Market evaluation of one billion yuan."


    Hao Ren nodded to her and then said, "I will try to reach there as soon as possible."


    Han Lingshi looked at him and asked, "Ren, don''t you think I have set an impossible target for you?"


    Hao Ren smiled at her and said, "Marrying you was an impossible thing too, but it happened. I will work, and let the nature take it''s course."


    Han Lingshi turned to look at him and wanted to say something but she could not get herself to make a sound. Hao Ren sensed her restlessness and poked her nose gently as he said, "Lingshi, we have been standing here for a few minutes, the people will get suspicious."


    Han Lingshi woke up with a radiant blush and opened the door to get down. She quickly walked inside the company door but not before turning to look at Hao Ren smiling and waving at her. As she vanished inside the building, Hao Ren''s face lost its smile.


    He ignited the engine and left the premise. Then he went home and while in the elevator he asked, "System, I have been accumulating the reward for delivering food to Lingshi for a few days now, can I withdraw it?"


    *Ding, yes, you can withdraw it Host.*


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Fine, then I would like to withdraw."


    *Ding, host has been accumulating for four days, an advanced level artificial intelligence has been rewarded to you, it has been uploaded to your phone. However, the full capacity of this AI would depend on you.*


    Hao Ren did not quite understand what the system meant but he nodded and proceeded to return home. He did feel excitement, because he realized the difference between himself and Han Lingshi today. That feeling of being weak made him realize that he had a long way to go.


    His wife was one of the most genuine human beings he has met, how can he let her get away from him? He also realized that he only had one year before the contract comes to a deadline. If not she might leave him. As he thought, he decided to move forward as fast as possible.


    *Ding: It is good to see that host has such a drive to move forward, however, host should understand that without his wife, all his money and fame would have no use. So, please make sure you give her proper attention.*


    Hao Ren woke up, the system was telling him not to loose the sight of what was before him while chasing other things. he took off his clothes and went to bathroom to take a shower. After cleaning up he cooked himself a meal. During this entire time he seemed to be engrossed in thoughts.


    After he finished the dinner he headed to his study. He sat on the chair with his phone in his hand and said, "System, what is the name of this AI."


    *Ding, you can start using it by double tapping on your devices screen and then set in your preferences.*


    Hao Ren tapped the screen twice and it lit up. There was a data entry field on the screen, ''Please select a name for the AI.''


    The young man thought for a bit and typed in, ''Xiao Mei.''


    As soon as he pressed yes, a voice sounded from his mobile, "Xiao Mei is online."


    Hao Ren asked, "Xiao Mei, are you capable of continuous communication?"


    Xiao Mei responded, "Yes, Sir."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Can you move to my computer?"


    The young man looked at an empty cubicle and asked, "You are?"


    The two people introduced themselves, Jian Koji, Ayaan Kapoor. Jian was slightly thick and had short hair. While Ayaan was dusky and had long hair. They were both average tall and wore glasses.


    Hao Ren shook hands with them before he asked, "Only you three people work here?"


    They nodded and Ayaan said, "A few others decided to prioritize the studies and left last month."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "If you do not mind, may I use a vacant computer?"


    Ayaan and Koji exchanged gazes, and the latter said, "You can use it, Mister Hao."


    Hao Ren thanked him and sat before the computer, he ran a few self diagnosis programs and connected his mobile with a data cable. He spent a few minutes on the system, and none of the two people said anything. They were contacting Klaus on their phone.


    ...


    Klaus was on the terrace of the building when Hao Ren parked his car, he saw what was going on. He was waiting and prolonging his entrance to create an effect. What effect, even he did not know. when he saw Jian texting him to come back as Hao Ren was using a computer, he could not help but feel curious.


    He came down stairs to their office, and saw Hao Ren still sitting before a computer screen. He said, "Mister Hao, good morning, you are right on time."


    Hao Ren looked at him and smiled, as he said, "Good morning to you too, Mister Klaus. Shall we get on to business?"


    Klaus nodded and came forward to shake hands with Hao Ren, who stood up from the chair. The latter said, "I will get straight to the point, I want to buy your company for two million, and I will offer you two things. One is a stable job. Second is the chance to climb the top of tech world. I wonder what do you think?"


    Klaus and the other two were struck by lightning. They did not understand what Hao Ren said, and Klaus said, "Mister Hao, can you repeat yourself? I am afraid I lack too much sleep."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I do mean what I said, and I can sign the share transfer agreement right away. You need not doubt me, I have the money on hand. However, I need your help in monetizing my product and maintaining it."


    Klaus furrowed his brows and asked, "What product?"


    Hao Ren pointed at the computer system he was using and said, "Take a look yourself."


    Klaus checked the system and was stunned in an instant, he asked, "What operating system is this?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I haven''t named it yet, but let''s call it Horizon. Go on, test it."


    He stood there looking out of the window with his back to Klaus and the other two. He started speaking, "The boot time is two to ten seconds depending on your hardware specification.


    Optimized multi-tasking, AI algorithms to allocate resources to boost seamless processing, minimum lag during navigation, minimal crash and error reports, real-time threat monitoring and mitigation algorithm, and if you are on a laptop, then battery optimization package. What do you think?"


    Klaus turned his head, while Hao Ren was speaking, he was running multiple testing software on the system. The three of them were nerds and they were shocked beyond their imagination. Klaus said, "Mister Hao, did you develop this OS? This can definitely kill the market."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Let me give you one more surprise, Xiao Mei, initiate voice command mode."


    Ayaan turned Klaus back to look at the screen, they saw a white cat appear on the corner. Hao Ren said, "Xiao Mei, I feel like I am about to get rich, can you play me some music?"


    Every one saw the cat run to the icon of the web browser, pat it with her paw, then opening the video streaming site, and playing a song by typing in the name with a virtual keyboard. The speakers echoed, "Boss, playing ''24k.'' from "


    The office echoed with the song while the three nerds looked at Hao Ren as if he was the god of wealth that walked into their lives. The path to riches kicked off in style.

 Chapter 26: Company Set-Up & Accident.

    Hao Ren stood in the office of Thunder Tech. Three people who sort of owned this company were sitting before him as if he was their grandfather. Klaus asked, "Mister Hao, the operating system you have can rise to the sky very quickly, why are you bringing it to us? I mean, wouldn''t it be good for you to go to some big company, they have better money and better resources than we do, right?"


    The young man nodded and said, "Mister Klaus, what you said is correct, but those people who thrive on monopoly will not give me a free hand of operation. I don''t want to stop at some mediocre level designation. I have an aim and for that I need a lot of money. Why would I use a crutch when I can create a company of my own?"


    Klaus and the other two nodded. Jian Koji, the second person said, "Sir, can you tell us, what do you need us for? I mean, you are a skilled programmer yourself, and you definitely have money, what do you need us for?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I am just twenty-two years old, and my major is finance and business management. I do not have expertise in tech. The operating system was something I bought from a group of people who just wish for everyone to experience better technology. The only condition they mentioned was that I cannot charge any money for this initial version of operating system from anyone.


    I would need developers like you for that. The money I have is from my investment returns, not from my family. The major reason I choose you guys is because you all come from grassroot families like mine and wish to make it big."


    The three people were surprised and Hao Ren admittedly said, "Yes, I investigated you guys, but nothing too personal. Just to get an idea of your character. You can''t expect me to invest millions in a student start up on a whim, right?"


    Klaus and the two nodded, as the former asked, "So, you said you wish to buy us out for two million yuan, and then give us a stable job in your company, can you elaborate that?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will give you two million to close down your company, and come work for me. I am willing to provide you three a salary of 10,000 yuan every month with two holidays a week. Your main job will be to maintain the sever and come up with ideas to upgrade the operating system. You will be team leaders and you will be responsible for the technical development in various aspect.


    In addition, you each will have five percent share in annual profit. What do you think?"


    Klaus and the two exchanged gazes and nodded, "We agree!"


    They replied in unison. Hao Ren stood up and shook hands with them. He plugged in his mobile with the computer and deleted the Operating system with the help of Xiao Mei. Then he said, "Klaus, complete the formalities for shutting down the office here, I will rent another place. Also, deal with your educational formalities by tomorrow. Is that right?


    I will send you the soft copy of the employment agreement in a bit. You three can sign and return it back to me."


    Klaus and the two nodded, they were excited to get a two million pay out. They have already told Hao Ren that the money will be deposited in their joint account and they wanted 2 million after tax deduction. Hao Ren had no problem with this.


    He came out of the office building with the three people and under their shocked gazes he got in the car and left the premises. He said, "Xiao Mei, can you make an employment agreement for the three of them? Also, make it so that they cannot leak any of the work details after they start working for me, but do not exploit them."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Understood, Boss."


    Hao Ren drove the car quickly and headed back to his home, he had an appointment with a law firm that will help him deal with cooperate issues like registering company. Although he could have done it by himself, but it was very time consuming for him. He decided to hire a temporary agent who would finish all the process for him and he would pay the agent a commission.


    He did not go through Han Lingshi to get a quick appointment. He began to abuse the artificial intelligence at his hand, by putting himself on the list. He met the agent in a cafe, and provided him with a copy of his identification documents.


    The agent said, "Sir, you will need to come over and sign the registration once things are done."


    Hao Ren nodded in agreement and then he set off to cook something for Han Lingshi. Although their conversation yesterday was weird, when he sent her a greeting in the morning, Han Lingshi talked as if nothing was wrong between them.


    The young man thought he was brooding too deep into the matter. He was quick in his task today, he came to the office and served the food to Han Lingshi. Maria was also there, and pouted, "Can you not bring me a portion too?"


    Hao Ren did not even glance at her and said, "Lingshi, I am going, I have an appointment at the Industry and commercial license office."


    The next second, Klaus''s voice sounded, "Mister Hao, we have selected six of our close friends as per your instruction, when can they join us officially?"


    Hao Ren said, "You can bring them over tomorrow, I will send you the location."


    Klaus thanked him and said, "Sir, umm, I know that you are providing us a high salary, but all of us are in senior year, and since we all have accepted the employment offers, they won''t let us stay in the dorms. So, the new ones wanted to ask if you could provide us accommodation too?"


    Hao Ren realized that he had to do this, and he said, "Give me a week, I will find you guys a place close to the office area."


    Klaus agreed and disconnected. Hao Ren leaned back in his couch and said, "Xiao Mei, what is your estimate? How many people will download the OS?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "The conservative estimate is fifty thousand people."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Can you design a software that could detect game cheats?"


    Xiao Mei replied positively, and Hao Ren continued, "Alright, I will leave you to handle the server from the company tomorrow morning, the next thing that you have to do is to scavenge the best digital office tools, photo processing, and cheat detection software, and then create a more optimized and efficient version for the Horizon extension package. These programs would only work with our OS.


    Alright?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I have taken a note, boss."


    ...


    The night passed quickly, in the morning, Hao Ren arrived at the office space he had rented in the commercial complex in the capital. The office was located at the seventeenth floor of the Rubicon Trade Tower.


    This building was one of the premium places and the rent for the office space was Fifty thousand yuan every month. Hao Ren had leased the place for six months. He came to the office, and his charm gathered a lot of attention from the other people, however, they did not bother with him.


    The young man was waiting for his employees to come over with the equipment from their office. Hao Ren called for an woodworker and had him carve a customized plaque that said, ''Thunder Technology.''


    At nine in the morning, nine young men and women arrived at the place. They were shocked to see the place. There were a total of seven men and two women excluding Hao Ren. After a brief introduction, Hao Ren looked at Klaus and handed him a card. He said, "You have six computer systems here. Buy three more, and upgrade yours to better configuration.


    However, these configurations must not be pointless, I do not want to waste money."


    Klaus nodded, and Hao Ren said, "Buy a server for the company to keep the digital data safe and accessible. Okay?"


    Klaus nodded and Hao Ren said, "There is three million yuan in this card, please spend wisely."


    The young people were shocked, and wanted to talk more to Hao Ren but a mechanical voice echoed in his mind, *Ding, it is detected that your wife has met an accident and she is currently in the Holy Mother hospital. She is being surrounded by the bike rider''s family. Rescue her and get rewards, Host.*


    Hao Ren said, "I will talk to you later, Klaus, get to work, I need to be somewhere."


    He dashed away in a flurry, the happiness of kick starting his company had came to a temporary pause.

 Chapter 27: Rescue.

    Hao Ren was inside his car in a few minutes and the vehicle was roaring through the traffic. The young man said, "Xiao Mei, track Han Lingshi for me."


    Xiao Mei was an advanced artificial intelligence it was not hard for her to understand who was Han Lingshi. She quickly replied, "Boss, she is present in the third lobby of the emergency room and a few people are engaged in a verbal argument with her."


    Hao Ren clenched the steering and said, "Can you find out where and what sort of accident was she in?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, I might have to look into the traffic police archives."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Do it, just don''t leave a trace and do not touch any other file."


    Xiao Mei replied in affirmation and asked for fifteen minutes of time. She might be an advanced AI but she was still working with the limited capacity in the mobile phone. The server was not yet set up, how could she do such things in an instant.


    ...


    Ten minutes later, Hao Ren parked his car in the parking lot, and noticed Han Lingshi''s vehicle standing in a lot. He moved over and checked every corner of the car. There was an indentation on the front bumper but it was not anything serious. It could have been caused by a bump.


    Hao Ren''s gaze turned cold. He looked at the car for a few seconds and then turned to walk inside the hospital. Emergency wards were very noisy in general but at the moment, the entire place was echoing with harsh scolding remarks.


    "You rich people think that the life of an hardworking human has no worth! Shame on you!"


    "You are so young and yet such a vicious nature!! How could you run over a man like this!!"


    All these remarks were directed to a beautiful lady who stood in a white formal dress. Her hands were crossed before her stomach as she bowed her head. Her long hair were shielding her face so the people did not notice that her eyes were red, she was on the verge of tears.


    Han Lingshi could not even call anyone, because these people have snatched her phone. She was a lady who did not lose her composure even when she was staking millions in business, but for the first time she had no idea what to do.


    Just when she was on the verge of breaking down, a warm feeling embraced her. She was surprised, and instinctively wanted to push the person away in fright when she heard a calm voice in her ears, "Lingshi, its me, don''t worry I will handle this."


    Han Lingshi sensed her body loosen as she leaned on to Hao Ren''s chest. The voices around her seemed to have vanished, but the relief did not last long. A lady said, "Look at this pair of dog man and woman. They dare to be so affectionate after causing my son to end up in the hospital."


    Han Lingshi, who regained her strength, wanted to say something when a loud voice overpowered the people.


    "Shut the fuck up!"


    Everyone was surprised and even the nursing staff did not imagine this sunny young man to retaliate in such a manner. Hao Ren looked at the lady who was speaking, and said, "Old lady, you can eat shit if you want to but do not spew it out at others. You are clamoring here that your son was ran over by her car. If you are so worried about him then why don''t you go and look after him?!"


    The lady was flustered but somebody else said, "Why shouldn''t she stay here? Her son was crashed by your woman''s car. You have to pay compensation."


    Hao Ren looked at the person, it was a middle-aged uncle and asked, "Are you the father of the victim?"


    The lady could not handle such pressure and said, "It was a misunderstanding. My son works in a food delivery company and he was rushing for work, when he bumped in the car of this young lady. He is fine, it was just that... I.. I thought they have money so I should as them for a compensation."


    The people were stunned, the police officer put up a stern expression and said, "It is because of people like you that the bystanders are afraid of helping someone. Shame on you for exploiting your son''s ailment like this."


    The lady shrank her neck and the officer looked at Hao Ren as he asked, "Do you want to press any charges against them?"


    Hao Ren was about to answer when Han Lingshi said, "No. We do not."


    The officer gave another scolding to the lady and the people and also called them ungrateful. Then Han Lingshi said, "Ren, they took my phone."


    Hao Ren furrowed his brows and shouted, "Who has her phone?! If I did not see it in my hand in five minutes, I swear I will drag you all to court and I will make you beg on the streets."


    It was not that just because Hao Ren was rich that he was scolding and showing off his money. When his sister was sick, he has seen the misery of his family. That was the reason he hated these people who took advantage of others.


    Soon, a hand extended from the crowd and they handed over Han Lingshi''s phone to Hao Ren. He said, "The car your son bumped cost five million yuan, repairing the dent and repainting it will cost 200,000 yuan at the lowest. Despite knowing that it was not her fault, she bought him to the hospital and I am sure she must have already paid the bill too.


    Tch, shameless people, do you think the rich did not work hard to earn the money?"


    Then he gently guided Han Lingshi to leave the lobby with him. Han Lingshi has never seen such a situation and she was still shaken by the atmosphere. Although she was walking stable, but she was still holding on to Hao Ren''s sleeve. The young man was also consoling her silently and patted her fair jade hands gently.


    They came to the parking, and Hao Ren asked gently, "Where do you want to go? I will give you a ride."


    Han Lingshi seemed to have relaxed, and she could not hold it back anymore and tears began to drip down on her cheeks. She threw herself in Hao Ren''s embrace and wailed in his chest. Hao Ren felt as if his heart was being torn apart when he saw her this weak. In these past few days, Han Lingshi has been the goddess in his dreams.


    Everything she did, from the little twitch of her nose when she ate something spicy, and the cold side glance, everything about her was like a definition of elegance.


    He could sense her vulnerability, and once again realized that she was not the omnipotent goddess but a little girl who covered herself in the armor of ice. He placed his hand on her back as she cried and gently patted her. He did not say anything, until she calmed down a bit.


    He said, "It''s over now. Everything is settled. Don''t worry. Why don''t you take a day off? I will cook something really nice for you being so brave in there."


    Han Lingshi shook her head while sobbing, Hao Ren sighed and said, "Lingshi, I cannot bear to see you cry like this. Should I go back inside and rip them a new one?"


    Lingshi shook her head, and Hao Ren fell silent. A few minutes later, she raised her head and the young man said, "I am hungry, do you want to eat something?"


    Han Lingshi did not say anything, but she followed Hao Ren''s arrangement. He said, "Arrange for a driver to collect your car later, first we go home and I cook for you."


    Han Lingshi looked at him as they drove, and then looked at his shirt, his left chest pocket had a big wet mark, she did not know what to say. Hao Ren suddenly said, "The company is set up, do you want to go and see it in the evening?"


    The lady nodded in agreement. As they were driving, a mechanical voice sounded in Hao Ren''s mind, *Ding: It has been detected that the task has been completed, issuing rewards...*

 Chapter 28: Smoldering Emotions.

    Hao Ren heard the voice of the system in his mind, *Ding: Task completed, Host is rewarded with Traditional Medicinal skills.*


    The young man slowed down the car as his brain was overflowed with a warm tide of knowledge. Han Lingshi was still stuck in the hospital lobby so she did not notice this. After a few seconds, Hao Ren took a deep breath as he returned to normal.


    He reached out his hand and placed in over Han Lingshi''s balled up fist. He could sense that her hands were cold, and still trembled slightly. However, he did not say anything. Han Lingshi sensed his warm palms, and gradually calmed down.


    They reached his apartment and Hao Ren brought her upstairs. Han Lingshi had yet to say anything. As they came inside the house, she leaned to the wall and supported her and was about to bend down to undo her heels when Hao Ren raised her chin with his index finger and said, "You have bowed your head enough for a day."


    His voice was as if a silk web that wrapped around her. She watched him bend down and take off her shoes. He then led her to the couch. He served her water and said, "I will be back in a jiffy."


    Han Lingshi replied with a nasal sound of approval and Hao Ren dashed to his bedroom, when he came back after five minutes, he found Han Lingshi leaning on the couch. He asked, "Lingshi, what do you want to eat?"


    She did not react instantly, and said, "Something light."


    Her voice was barely audible. Hao Ren furrowed his brows and approached as he wanted to have a heart to heart with her. However, when he stood before her, his expression changed. Han Lingshi had a faint blush on her face. He knelt before her, and brushed her hair away from the forehead. Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide when she was stunned.


    She could sense Hao Ren''s breath crashing on her lips and she wanted to back off, when he placed his hand on her nape and his forehead leaned against her. Then she heard his magnetic voice, "Lingshi, take deep breaths."


    Han Lingshi was going to take a deep breath even if he did not tell her to. He placed his left hand on her back. Han Lingshi felt her heart was going to explode, she was so scared and shy from the sudden intimacy. She did not expect Hao Ren to be so bold.


    However, just when she was thinking Hao Ren would take away her first kiss the young man put his hands away and leaned back to normal. He said, "Lingshi, I do not mean to be rude but you need to stop thinking about what happened in the hospital. Did you not realize that your blood pressure was all over the place because of so much stress?"


    Han Lingshi was stunned and she asked, "You, what were you doing just now?"


    She could not understand how this guy changed tracks so quickly. From romantic to scolding it all happened in a blink. Hao Ren realized what happened and said, "I apologize, I was checking if you have a fever."


    Han Lingshi squinted her eyes and asked, "Oh, is that so? How come I have never come across such a way of checking temperature before?"


    Hao Ren could not match her gaze and stood up as he said, "How would I know why you don''t know anything? What does it have to do with me? Also, you talk so much, look we are getting late for lunch."


    Han Lingshi pointed at herself in bewilderment and questioned, "I talk a lot? Huh? Say it again. You..."


    She picked up a cushion and threw it at Hao Ren who ran into the kitchen chuckling. Han Lingshi sat on the couch for a few minutes, she couldn''t help but think, why were her emotions and reactions so unreserved around Hao Ren? Had it been another man who came this close to her, she would have detected the lust in their gaze.


    However, recalling how even when Hao Ren''s forehead was touching hers, she could not see anything but concern in them.


    Just when she was thinking about it, she heard a few noises from the kitchen. She stood up, and curiously walked toward the kitchen to see what Hao Ren was doing. The house was big and the kitchen was similarly big too. It would not be a problem for three people to move inside without obstructing anyone.


    She peeked inside from the entrance and was surprised to see how elegantly Hao Ren was dealing with the ingredients. However, when she saw his pink apron she could not help but smile. Hao Ren sensed her presence and asked, "What are you doing here? Go out, what if you catch smoke?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "You have a nice air vent set above the stove, mom."


    After the connection in the living room, she felt even more connected to Hao Ren. The young man glared at her but he kept on chopping the leek in his hands quickly. Han Lingshi asked, "Ren, where did you find this pink apron? You look so cute in it."


    After some thought, he shoved the responsibility to the system. The two people danced for a few minutes, but the music did not stop, they made dumplings together and Hao Ren patiently guided the newbie under his care.


    Han Lingshi asked on the lunch table, "Ren can you tell me what is the product that you want to sell first?"


    Hao Ren replied, "The first product is an Operating System, but I do not plan to monetize that."


    Han Lingshi was confused, and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "Come along with me, you will know."


    She nodded, and Hao Ren bought her to the study. He made her sit on the chair and said, "Xiao Mei, wake up."


    Han Lingshi was confused when the monitor screen lit up and a charming voice sounded, "Good Afternoon, Boss."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and Hao Ren asked, "Can you tell me who is sitting before you?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I would have to access the web-cam boss."


    Hao Ren said, "Go ahead."


    The notification light on the Webcam turned on and Xiao Mei said, "This lady is Han Lingshi, president of the Empress International. Elder Grand daughter of the old Media tycoon, Han Litian. Her father is currently serving in the military at a high designation while her mother is from a political background.


    Han Lingshi is worth three billion yuan, she is the main reason behind the success of the Empress International. However, the power struggle in the Han Family runs deep. Since she is your wife, you ought to be careful too, Boss."


    Han Lingshi was shocked and turned to look at Hao Ren, who was smiling and Xiao Mei said, "Greetings, Madam. Do not worry, I only ran a background check on your relationship status, and your marriage registration showed up. Going by your reaction, you do not want others to know. Should I camouflage it?"


    Han Lingshi asked, "What do you mean camouflage?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "As long as someone looks up for this information, they will not find it. I can delete the relevant information from the server archives of the government, hmm, to think they have such lax security in the civilian data records, oh yes, please do not worry this information will be safe in my records and I can place it back as soon as you tell me to. Should I proceed?"


    Han Lingshi thought about it and said, "Xiao Mei, you can conceal this information till your Boss reaches a net worth of One billion yuan."


    Xiao Mei replied instantly, "I understand. I will keep that in mind, I mean server."


    Hao Ren said, "Show her the copy of the OS you designed."


    The screen changed and a simple looking monitor appeared before Han Lingshi, she could not tell how it was different than a normal OS, other than the change in icons and animation style. However, after a few minutes, she said, "This feels more smooth for some reason."


    Hao Ren nodded, as he replied, "That''s just one of the perks. Do not worry, just wait for the product launch report."


    ...


    Afterwards, Hao Ren sent Han Lingshi away. He asked the lady if she wanted Xiao Mei on her phone, but she denied saying it was too abrupt for her to be in touch with an AI. However, she promised that she would not tell anyone about it. While Han Lingshi left to work, Hao Ren also made his way back to his office. He was going to drop a bomb on the people of the world.

 Chapter 29: Head Hunting.

    It has been a week since the hospital incident with Han Lingshi, at this moment, Hao Ren had just come back after delivering food to his wife. The relation between the two of them has reached a new high. They would spend time talking to each other whenever they had nothing to do. Han Lingshi was often worried if someone from her family discovered Hao Ren''s tracks by sneaking up.


    So, Hao Ren asked Xiao Mei to alert them as soon as someone looked for them and disguise the data. That done, Hao Ren concentrated the rest of his energy to his work. He solved the accommodation crisis for the employees and they were all happy working here.


    At this moment, Hao Ren was sitting in his cabin with his eyes closed. Someone knocked the door, and Hao Ren saw his R&D head, Hymn Klaus. Hao Ren waved his hand to call the guy inside. The latter said, "Boss, the numbers are in."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "How is it looking?"


    A week ago, after Han Lingshi left for her work, Hao Ren came to the office of Thunder Tech and they released the new Operating System at public domains. They waited for a week before assessing the results. Hymn Klaus reported with a smile, "10,000 users are on board."


    Hao Ren looked at his excited expression and said, "Do you think this is a big number?"


    His words poured down a bucket of cold water on Klaus''s enthusiasm. Hao Ren stood up and looked outside the window of his office as he said, "When the the Byte OS came out, it had seventy thousand downloads in a week. The singularity OS had nearly a million downloads. Yet, you are happy with just a measly ten thousand? You need to think big Klaus."


    Hymn Klaus understood that Hao Ren wanted to take on the big shots. If it was somebody else, he would have said that it was impossible and that they were reaching for the stars, however, in case of Hao Ren, and the Horizon OS. It was indeed possible to reach for the stars and capture them.


    He asked, "Boss, what should we do?"


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "You can go and focus on the development of the new product, I will handle this matter."


    Hymn Klaus left after placing the report on the table. The cabin was small but it had all the basic facilities. Hao Ren waited for the door to close before he said, "Xiao Mei, find me some brilliant prospects for a marketing head and a few talented students from the grassroot level who graduated with marketing major. Also find me a group of people who specialize in public relations."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Getting to it right away, Boss."


    Now that Xiao Mei had been downloaded inside the server, she was growing stronger and faster at a tidal pace. It took her five minutes to look for the talents. Hao Ren sat down on the chair and screened the data on his screen. After a few minutes, he said, "Give me an extensive history of their personal beliefs about how the business should be run?


    If you find anyone who is tired of their old job and wish to change the market, highlight them."


    Xiao Mei replied positively and the investigation began. The speed was fast and the results were efficient. She said, "Boss, only one of them fit the description."


    Hao Ren asked, "Who?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Markus Bourne, age forty-six. Currently workings in Byte Han Nation Headquarters. He is a marketing head of the region, but he has been unsatisfied with the way Byte has been working for the past few years. However, he has applied in Singularity for a job but they don''t hire anyone from Byte."


    Hao Ren asked, "Why not try in other companies? He is just a marketing head, can he not sale anything else?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "He was an engineer, and took liking to the tech, but after an employed academic pursuit of marketing, he became a market head. He did try to run his own business but never succeeded due to his lack of a direction. However, he achieved great results in his job and thus his present designation."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Lets have a meeting with this Mister Bourne, shall we?"


    Hao Ren introduced himself. Markus asked, "Mister Hao, what do you want from me? Why are you showing me this information?"


    Hao Ren replied honestly, "I want to hire you as my Marketing Head. I do not have much to offer but 20000 per month and two percent share in the annual profit. I know that you have been tired with Byte and their approach to tech and that''s why I came to ask you. However, philosophy aside, you are on the top and my offer may sound like a joke to you. But fortune favors the bold."


    Markus chuckled and said, "You sound like an interesting person Mister Hao, but since you have posted this file on public forums, I can see that you do not want to charge any money for it, am I right? What is the point of this conversation then?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "It is true that I would not charge a penny for this version of the OS, however, tech is all about moving forward. I have many ideas that I wish to cash on, also, Thunder Technologies will not stop at making software programs. I have a clear direction of what I want to do, I wonder if you have the direction too."


    Markus was surprised, he checked Hao Ren''s information on his computer and it all verified, he did not expect this young man to be so clear and speak so resolutely. He asked, "What if I am still not convinced?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Then it was nice talking to you, thank you for your time. If you are interested, you can come and find me on the address I sent to your e-mail. Have a good evening."


    Hao Ren did not wait for the other person to answer and disconnected the call. He was looking for an employee and not a friend. He didn''t want Markus to think of himself as a vulnerable desperate person.


    ...


    Xiao Mei asked, "Boss, why did you disconnect the call? Will he agree?"


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Did he stop using our product?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "No, he is still exploring."


    Hai Ren replied confidently, "He will come. That is how humans work. You ignite their curiosity and they come over by themselves."


    Xiao Mei asked, "So, humans think similar to cats?"


    Hao Ren chuckled at this before they began to look for other people to create a small Marketing team, and a Public relations team. He frowned all of a sudden and said, "Won''t this be easy if I had a manager and could rest easy?"


    In his mind he was thinking how other protagonists would hire a manager before they even start the business, but Hao Ren knew it was not that easy. Even if he had the system, he was just an average guy at the bottom. Luring Markus Bourne was his best for the moment. He sighed as he decided to go back to work when, Xiao Mei said, "Boss, someone named Lynn Carter sent an e-mail."


    Hao Ren was confused as this name did not ring any bells to him, and asked, "Who is this person?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "She is a colleague of Markus Bourne, she is 32 years old, and works as the regional manager in Golden Flakes."


    Hao Ren raised his brows and mumbled, "Am I really so lucky to have found a manager without even looking for her? Xiao Mei, find her details."


    Hao Ren began to head hunt to create a structure for his company. Suddenly, Xiao Mei said, "Boss, what if I handle this? You are getting late for your date."


    Hao Ren checked the watch before he picked up his keys and phone to rush out of the office. He was having a movie date with Han Lingshi tonight and almost forgot about it.

 Chapter 30: Targeted.

    Hao Ren had just taken off from his office, when Xiao Mei said, "Boss, I have detected a vehicle following Miss Han for the past ten minutes."


    Hao Ren asked, "How are you so sure that this vehicle is following her? They could be headed in the same way, right?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "They have been maintaining a certain distance and they have taken several turns but they end up on the same path as Miss Han after a few turns. I think this is circulating surveillance."


    Hao Ren frowned and said, "You can use the traffic cams to find the details about them."


    Xiao Mei replied five minutes later and said, "Boss, I think Miss Han is in trouble. These people are from a mercenary group."


    Hao Ren was shocked, he asked, "What do you mean? What could a mercenary group want with Lingshi?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I cannot look that deep into the detail but they seem to have been contracted by someone on the dark web. Shall I alert the police?"


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "The police going against highly trained mercenaries? They will only pile up into a mountain of dead if a fight broke out."


    He began to think hard, and suddenly said, "Can you control the traffic lights? Make it so they loose Lingshi''s trail."


    Xiao Mei nodded and Hao Ren said a few more things, before speeding up through the traffic.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was driving the car with a smile, and suddenly, she received a call. She accepted it with a simple touch on her steering console, "Yes, Ren, did you reach?"


    Hao Ren replied, "After five hundred meters, there is a left turn. Turn your car, and get out. I will explain everything in a bit. Just do as I say."


    He did not tell her anything because he did not want to scare her. Han Lingshi was surprised and wanted to ask Hao Ren what was going on but she still held her curiosity in. Hao Ren was not someone who would ask her to do something without any reason.


    She took the turn and got down the car. Just when she was wondering what was going on here, a white flicker stopped ahead of her car. Hao Ren stuck his head out and said, "Get in, quick."


    Han Lingshi picked up her feet and got in the car. She had yet to fasten her seatbelt when Hao Ren floored the pedal. Han Lingshi was surprised and asked, "Ren, what is going on?"


    Hao Ren said, "You are being targeted."


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows when Xiao Mei said, "Miss Han, there is a group of people belonging from Red banner mercenaries. They have been following you for fifteen minutes."


    The lady was shocked, she knew that Hao Ren had been tracking her for safety reasons to avoid situations like the accident last time, but she did not expect something like this to come up. She lamented, "I don''t have enemies that would go to such lengths. What do these people want with me?"


    Hao Ren said, "Xiao Mei, alert the Special forces anonymously. Let them deal with this bunch."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Done, boss."


    Then the couple drove away in the car.


    ...


    By the time Red Banner people closed in on Han Lingshi''s car, the lady was long gone. A man inspected Han Lingshi''s car with a cold pair of eyes, "To think she had an expert guarding her from the shadows."


    Hao Ren tucked her hair away and then he left the room. He came to his room and said, "System, I would like to withdraw the reward for my daily workout task altogether."


    In the past few days, Hao Ren had cracked the rhythm of the system, he would receive rewards that would aid him physically from the daily workout tasks. He had accumulated them for a week now. So, he should get something helpful in his physical attributes.


    *Ding: Host, your are rewarded with a basic strengthening potion.*


    Hao Ren asked, "What can this potion do?"


    *Ding: It can increase all your attributes except charm by three points and also increase the effect of your workout and accelerate your progress.*


    Hao Ren thought about it, and said, "Fine, give me the potion now."


    The system worked and a small glass vial appeared in Hao Ren''s hand. He asked the system if there would be any side-effects. The system denied, and Hao Ren consumed the liquid on the spot. He sensed a warm current flowing through his body, and he said, "System, reveal my attributes."


    *Ding: Command Accepted.


    Strength - 9


    Speed - 9


    Intelligence - 10


    Charm - 7*


    Hao Ren nodded and clenched his fist. He could feel that he was stronger, but was it enough? He did not know. He said, "System, withdraw my reward from Feeding Wife task."


    *Ding: Withdrawing accumulated reward. Congratulations, you get knowledge and experience of a professional assassin.*


    His mind was flooded with a tide of knowledge that synced with his being. The fundaments of stealth, tracking, infiltration, and killing were ingrained in his mind. Even the facts on how to use hidden weapons seemed like second nature for him.


    He took a deep breath and picked up a pen from the side table. Then he began to play with it. He was testing the assassin knife juggling skills in his mind, and also getting used to his new strength attribute. He remarked, "System, your reward this time was too convenient."


    *Ding: System is aimed to make the host an Omnipotent Husband, since you had the intention of tracking down the enemy and take them down, the system decided to reward you with something more helpful in the present situation. Do not think the system has done you any favors, you earned it by being patient for a week, and also by displaying your protective instinct towards your wife.*


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Thank you."


    Then he came to the kitchen and began to brew the herbal sleeping tea on the stove. Then he rushed down stairs, and bought a set of sewing needles. The lady at the counter asked him, "What do you need this for, Sir?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "One of the buttons in my shirt came off, so my wife told me to get them."


    The lady nodded, and Hao Ren asked, "Big sister, I saw that you also have medicinal needles at sale, how come?"


    There was a difference between sewing needles and medicinal needles. The former was smaller but thicker and the latter was thin and sharper. The lady said, "A lot of owners here call massage artisans and they come to buy these silver Acupuncture needles."


    Hao Ren nodded and remarked, "Hmmm, having a massage sounds relaxing. Eldest sister, give me a pack too."


    He made a story about how his wife asked him to buy sewing needles so that it would look like he was coincidentally buying the Acupuncture needles. After he came out of the store, he moved back home, and prepared his gear. As he was about to leave the house, he came to check on Han Lingshi.


    She was still sleeping and he watched her for a few moment before he mumbled, "Sleep well, in the morning, all of this will be over."

 Chapter 31: Picking Up A Bargaining Chip.

    Hao Ren was driving his car but he was moving at a slow speed, he said, "Xiao Mei, did the investigation departments make any moves?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "They have been mobilized but have yet to locate the five people."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Can you plant distractions for them? Make sure they do not come close to the targets."


    Xiao Mei asked, "Why do you say that boss?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "They are here for investigation from a distance. I do not like such a passive approach. I''d rather pluck the thorn before it can prick."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Understood, Boss. Diverting the agents now."


    Hao Ren asked, "Give me the directions to the person staking out at Lingshi''s office."


    ...


    A petite young lady was standing next to the window with her eyes fixed to the house across the road. She had turned off the lights and was covered in darkness. Nobody could see her from the outside. She looked at her wrist and said, "Boss, she has not returned, what''s the use of staying here?"


    She was using wireless communication with Falcon the guy who was following Han Lingshi earlier. The man replied, "It''s still early, also, I have her cellphone moving in your direction."


    The lady flexed her wrists and said, "Alright, I will check for the expert you said, if the coast is clear I will nab her."


    The other person refused and said, "You will only observe her from the side, that is an order, do you understand?"


    Tiny sighed and said, "Why are you so cautious?"


    Falcon said, "Because this is Han Nation. This place is filled with experts, also, I just received a tip, the investigation agencies have picked up the scent, they are looking for us. The task has become difficult."


    Tiny nodded and said, "Alright, I will check in with you if there is any movement."


    ...


    Hao Ren was advancing towards the luxury villa society where Han Lingshi lived, and Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the first target is hiding in the villa across, Miss Han''s."


    Tiny was monitoring the house when she heard a message on her earpiece, "Tiny, do you have her?"


    The lady replied, "No Boss, there is no one here. I did not see her entering the house."


    Falcon replied with a question, "How is that possible? I saw her move inside the villa."


    Tiny furrowed her brows when she suddenly noticed the light on the second floor building turned on. She said, "Boss, there is some movement, I think she got in from the back door to avoid us. Or it could be the expert who saved her at noon."


    Falcon thought for a bit and said, "Keep watching we will act tomorrow."


    Tiny nodded, and the connection was terminated, but suddenly, a sharp pricking pain hit her neck. The lady quickly turned around with a gun in her hand. However, she could not see the target. She felt the needle and gently pricked it out. She frowned and said, "Come out, who are you?"


    However, nobody answered her. Tiny looked around her vision became hazy. She looked around and rubbed her eyes as she yelled, "What did you do to me? Come out, bastard."


    She kept on yelling and looking for the enemy for a few minutes, before she shivered, and gradually fainted. Hao Ren was watching all this from the side, but he did not move even a second. Because he suspected for the enemy to be acting.


    Earlier he heard all the conversation between Falcon and Tiny, and then flicked his silver needle directly to prick the jugular vein of the mercenary lady. The reason she fainted was because the needles were coated with a layer of knock out paste that Hao Ren brewed at home.


    After ten minutes, when the grip on the gun loosened Hao Ren moved closer. He could sense from the stable deep breathing that the lady was down for good. He first took control of the gun in her hand and put it away. Then he frisked her, at this moment he had no desire or emotional fluctuation.


    He just wanted to see if she had a concealed weapon and sure enough he found one knife. Then he tied her legs, hands and mouth with a thick duct tape he procured from his house. Then he opened carried her, on his shoulder and walked out of the main gate of the villa. This place was uninhabited. He said, "Xiao Mei, trigger the fire alarm in the security room and take out the lights."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Okay, boss."


    Hao Ren sprinted his way through the dark, all the guards dashed to the control room, and then following the guard station, many other fire alarms went off. The guards on the main gate of the community were also asked to inspect there surroundings. The moment they looked away, Hao Ren dashed out of the community with the lady over his shoulder.


    Then he stuffed her in the co-pilot seat of his car with a hateful expression and drove off.


    He said, "Xiao Mei, delete the car records from all the places, and any evidence that may exist on the traffic police records."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Alright boss."


    Then he said, "Connect me to Falcon. It is time we bargain."

 Chapter 32: Enemy Neutralized.

    Hao Ren drove the car quickly, and Xiao Mei said, "Boss, they have means to track the target."


    The young man frowned and said, "Can you disguise it for half an hour?"


    Xiao Mei replied positively and Hao Ren drove the car faster, he navigated through the streets and roads before he came to the outskirt of the Jade Capital. This place was an old industrial district, however, ten years ago, due to pollution control regulations it was closed down.


    This place was now filled with abandoned factories and workshops. Hao Ren had used Xiao Mei''s guidance to find himself a factory located in the center of this place. He mumbled, "This place does seem to be haunted."


    At this moment, he sensed the lady beside him squirm in the seat. He was not worried about her breaking free as the restraints were all duct tape, and they were rolled around her body multiple times.


    He parked the car and got out of the vehicle. Then he pulled out the half conscious lady from the vehicle before he dragged her inside the abandoned factory. The lady opened her eyes and tried to struggle when Hao Ren said coldly, "Stop moving so much, bitch."


    That said he flung her on the ground. The lady turned around and looked at Hao Ren. She was surprised to see his face, her heart turned cold. In their line of work, if someone can sneak up to them and even kidnap her without breaking a sweat let her see his face, that meant he did not intend to let her get away from this alive.


    However, this was bound to happen someday. Hao Ren fished out a phone from his pocket. Tiny''s eyes squinted, this was her mobile. Hao Ren said, "Xiao Mei, make the call."


    Tiny did not know whom he was talking to, but she soon heard a phone ring. The call was picked up and a thick, heavy voice sounded from the other end, "Tiny, what''s the status?"


    The lady''s pupil constricted, and Hao Ren said, "Hello, Falcon. Nice to hear from you finally."


    On the other side, it was like a bomb exploded, Falcon asked, "Who are you? Where is Tiny?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Tiny is before me but she is unable to take the call. How about we have a conversation."


    Falcon did not seem to be bothered, and said, "Sure, what do you want to talk about?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I do not want anything expensive, just the name of the person who contracted you bunch of losers."


    Falcon replied, "Your mother, she came to my dream and she was the one who contracted me."


    Then the man erupted in laughter. Hao Ren nodded and placed the phone on the ground, before he moved close to Tiny. He took out his knife and undid the duct tape around her mouth. She yelled, "Boss, I am in..."


    However, before she could say anything, a black barrel was stuffed in her mouth. Hao Ren said, "Falcon, you know what I will do now? I will take off all the clothes this woman of yours is wearing, and then I will kill her and leave. So, you have five chances before your partner dies."


    Falcon did not believe it, the girl did not believe it, so Hao Ren sighed and choked the lady before pulling out the gun from her mouth and squeezed the trigger.


    Bang!


    Tiny''s leg was pierced and she wailed in pain. Hao Ren walked back to the phone and said, "Heard that? That was just a quick reminder for you to understand that I am the boss, also, I know that you and your pack of bugs is hiding in the suburban area. House number, 1204, water pearl residency."


    Falcon was silent, but he still did not give up, and asked, "Do you believe that I will kill you and your family members for what you have done?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Fine. I have no qualms then."


    He said, "Xiao Mei, let them watch."


    ...


    In the suburbs, Falcon and two of his team were shocked when they found that Tiny had been kidnapped, they had been even more shocked that the person dared to shoot her. What made their soul shiver was the fact that the kidnapper knew who they were, and where they were hiding and what''s more, he even knew what they were doing here.


    Falcon wanted to confirm if the person was related to Han Lingshi, when he suddenly heard the man call someone named Xiao Mei. Suddenly, Marco, who was sitting beside him said, "Fuck, this bastard was on us all this while."


    ...


    Marco was combing the dark web to check for any movement, when his laptop froze again, and two different pictures showed up. Looking at the pictures he was shocked and jumped off the chair, making it fall with a clank.


    He gasped and mumbled, "No, no, what the fuck. What do I do now, yeah, that, I can call base for help."


    He began to look for his mobile, because the pictures displayed that Falcon and Succubus were fallen on the ground, and they were dead. He had to call at the base, before he could leave this place.


    He began pacing around the room and dialed the number as he placed the phone next to his ear. The call was connected quickly, and he said, "This is Scribe, authorization code 1554delta..."


    Before he could say anything else, he sensed a prick in his neck, and turned to look around. He was so anxious after watching the pictures that he did not even care about the needle stuck in his neck. Marco said, "Mission failed, team compromised. Falcon, Succubus, Tiny have been taken down. I need evac ASAP."


    The person on the other side also said something, and then Marco disconnected the call. He quickly moved to clean up the site and leave, because he knew that the enemy knew about this hide out. Just then, he felt a little dizzy and gradually, fell to the ground.


    Hao Ren walked up from the shadows. Marco was shocked to see that someone managed to creep up to him. He may be a technician, but he had decent fighting skills. Since the enemy managed to sneak up on him. This guy was probably a professional like him.


    Hao Ren was not scared or cautious about dealing with this guy, because unlike Tiny, he did not have a gun on him. Ha stood there with his hands crossed before him as Marco lost consciousness. Hao Ren looked around, one of the skills of an assassin was to set traps, and make deaths look like they were accidents.


    He picked Marco up from the ground, and tied him to the chair using the same duct tape binds. He looked around and found a cellphone, and laptop on the table. Other than that, he also found a few guns and grenades left behind by Falcon.


    Hao Ren went outside the house, he killed the power from the back yard control module. He came back inside, went to the kitchen and opened all the gas knobs. Then he used a few grenades to skillfully make trip-wire traps. He hid the grenades in different positions before he left the house.


    He said, "Xiao Mei, where are Falcon and Succubus?"


    The AI replied in his ear, "They are heading back here."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Good."


    Then he sat inside his car, with a laptop he took from Marco''s hand. He used a data cable and said, "Xiao Mei, I want you to get in this laptop, and then hack in the Red Banner Mercenary group. I need to know why they targeted Lingshi."


    Xiao Mei replied, "It would be easy to get in their network with this encrypted laptop boss. You are very smart."


    Hao Ren did not say anything because he was busy watching a pair of vehicles coming inside the community. The community was a big settlement with single floored independent houses. This was why Hao Ren was not afraid or worried about harming someone by mistake.


    He saw two people getting out of then asked, "Xiao Mei, is it them?"


    The place was covered with CCTV cameras and Xiao Mei was watching everything. She replied and confirmed, "Yes, Boss."


    Hao Ren watched the two figures carry someone inside the house, and after a few moments the entire place shook.


    *Boom!!!*


    Hao Ren was not bothered about any survivors, because if someone managed to escape the grenade explosion, the sparks inside the house trigged a secondary explosion when they came in contact with the gas.


    *Boom!!!*


    If someone managed to survive the hot flames of the gas explosion, then they would be in a state worse then death. He turned on the ignition and drove out of the company. He asked, "Xiao Mei, any survivors?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Three tracking devices went out within two minutes difference of each other. They are not longer alive boss."


    Hao Ren nodded as he drove away in the night.

 Chapter 33: Soft Sunshine.

    Hao Ren reached back home, the first thing he did was to tell Xiao Mei to sweep any records of his car being spotted anywhere. Even the community monitoring was cleaned up. Hao Ren checked on Han Lingshi and let out a sigh of relief when he found that she was still in deep sleep state.


    He went to his room, and laid down on the bed. Suddenly, Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the Red Banner Mercenary were contacted by someone on the dark web about the progress of the task related to Miss Han."


    Hao Ren thought about it and asked, "Can you locate the person?"


    The AI replied, "The person is very clever, he used one account to send the message, and Red Banner replied in the shadow media. It is like we know he came in, but other than the message itself all the traces are removed. Boss, with your permission, give me two days, I will investigate this."


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "Fine, take your time."


    ...


    The night went by quickly, Hao Ren woke up on his normal time, and found that he was not as fatigued as he thought he would be. He stood up from the bed and went to the washroom. He stank of sweat because the scene from the factory kept on playing in his mind and he was sweating like a pig.


    When he came to the bathroom he could not help but puke all that he was holding in his stomach. His hands shivered as he held onto the sink, his leg felt soft from throwing up. After a few minutes he calmed down and he washed his face. His face was still pale, he was in a bad place mentally. His mentality was effecting his body too.


    He began to question why did he do what he did. He had no answer, he could have called the police and handed them over, but why did he go to the lengths to kill someone. After all, regardless the fact that the people were professional killers, they were still humans, how could he have killed them in cold blood?


    He looked at his resemblance in the mirror and thought, could it be the system that was manipulating him? This could not be ruled out. Suddenly, the system notified, *Ding: It is detected that the host is suffering from after effects of a murder. Activating emotional comfort feature.*


    Hao Ren did not even have the time to react when he found himself standing in a white void. Before him was a black screen, and it should a few scenes he was familiar with. It was when he found about the mercenaries and alerted the secret services.


    The investigative agencies captured the mercenaries, but it was not without casualties. The system said, *Host, what you did was a successful self defense. Not only did you save your wife, but also many other people who could have been implicated.*


    Hao Ren understood this, however, still believing that he killed a few people with his hands, well one of them, was still going to take some time. The white room vanished, knowing that his actions saved a few innocent people was calming enough.


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, you need to pick up the pace, you have to get to work today."


    The young man nodded, and got in the shower. After cleaning up he came out, and found Han Lingshi sitting in the living room. She was watching the TV, the morning news was an important part of her routine. She sensed Hao Ren''s approach and said, "Good Morning."


    Hao Ren looked at her and found that she was calmer than before, and he smiled as he replied her, "Good Morning, what would you like for breakfast?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I have an appointment in an hour, so I will eat then. You can cook for yourself."


    Hao Ren shook his head and brushed up a quick egg roll for the two of them and bought it next to her. The aroma was enough to capture her nose, and Han Lingshi sighed as she said, "Give it here."


    Hao Ren smirked and served her an egg roll. He asked, "Are you feeling okay now?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I am, I swear, I have never slept so nice. This was the best sleep ever."


    Hao Ren smiled. Han Lingshi suddenly said, "Do you know those people chasing me died?"


    Hao Ren nodded, he did not show any surprise, Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "How did you know?"


    The young man looked around and said, "Do not tell anyone, but I killed them."


    Han Lingshi was dazed for a second before she broke out into loud laughter, "Oh, Ren, you are so funny. Hahaha, yes you killed them for me. I did not know you liked me so much. Do you want a reward?"


    Markus Bourne said, "Mister Hao, you do not look too surprised by my arrival."


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulder and said, "It is not all that unexpected, I was confident in my product."


    Markus Bourne smiled, and Hao Ren gestured him to sit down. The middle-aged man said, "To be honest, you have a good set up here."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "Just the basic minimum."


    Markus Bourne said, "So, I came over to see, if someone was pranking me, but I did not expect your name to turn up after I verified if Thunder Technologies really existed. Turned out the demo I used was not a dream."


    Hao Ren smiled and did not say anything because, he knew that Xiao Mei must have killed the OS file as soon as Markus Bourne''s curiosity reached the peak. That was why this guy was here. Hao Ren asked, "So, tell me Mister Bourne, what can I do for you?"


    Markus Bourne was hesitating, because he literally told Hao Ren that he was not convinced. Hao Ren saw the hesitation and said, "Fine, I do not wish to embarrass you, I would love to have you handle the marketing for my company. The salary and profit share is the same. Your salary will be raised in proportion to the profit.


    For every hundred percent of profit, you will get ten percent salary increase and the two percent bonus. The salary hike will be permanent, but only when the profit is higher.


    If the profit for this month and the next is same, the salary will be same. What do you think?"


    He thought, Bourne would go on to haggle with him but the man said, "Deal."


    Hao Ren was truly surprised, after all, the person before him was not a fresher, he was Director Marketing for a big ass company which controlled 30 percent of global market share. He did not expect his morning to be so good.


    The young man stood up and shook hands with him. He said, "Mister Bourne, how soon can you start working with us?"


    Markus Bourne smiled, "How about, we meet tomorrow morning, and sign the work agreement? I will start working right away. To be honest, I had been serving the notice period at Byte, and it ends tonight. From tomorrow, I can do what I want to do."


    Hao Ren was surprised, he did not expect this, but he did not show it on his face. It did not matter to him if Markus had been working on the notice period or was going to breach the contract. All he cared at this moment, was to put his products in the market and gather customers.


    Hao Ren suddenly looked at his computer screen and asked, "Mister Bourne, what is your opinion of Miss Lynn Carter?"


    Markus Bourne smiled and said, "I will not hide it from you, Mister Hao, she was an intern under my wing, and we became good friends. Now she has been managing the regional level trades and projects at the Golden Flakes. However, she told me a few months ago, that she wants to change the company because Golden Flakes are not moving forward with their chip production.


    In the past few months, they have been laying off many people, and yesterday, Lynn was asked to resign as well. So, I told her to come over, and work here."


    Hao Ren asked, "I got her resume shortly after I got off on call with you. How was she so fast to act?"


    Bourne replied, "Well, she is my girlfriend, and I was so excited about Horizon OS that I just told her and asked her to give it a try. I only hope you do not forbid office romance."


    He let out a dry chuckle to ease the situation, because Hao Ren was looking at him with a deadpan expression. The young man said, "Mister Markus, what you do at your personal time, has nothing to do with me. However, if your emotions messed up anything at work, then forgive me, I am not playing jokes here."


    Markus Bourne did not expect Hao Ren to get so serious and replied, "Mister Hao, I promise you that nothing as such will happen."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Then, now I will go and meet Miss Carter. If she is suitable, then you can thank me for playing the red thread of fate."


    Markus Bourne chuckled but he nodded, and the two of them left the office. However, what Markus did not know was, that Hao Ren did not feel any emotion, but he had asked Xiao Mei to verify everything Markus had said by typing a command on his phone. Only when Xiao Mei gave a green light he agreed.


    Hao Ren was sneakily using his phone under the table. He was not the sunny guy everyone saw him to be on the surface. He knew very well how cruel the world could be and softness was only reserved for some people.

 Chapter 34: Waves (1).

    Hiring Lynn Carter as a manager was not a difficult thing for Hao Ren, he gave her the same terms as Markus Bourne. The lady also wanted to explore her possibilities. No high level company would give her the chance to make policies from scratch.


    Hao Ren promised her a free hand, and told her that while he demanded profit, he would not put the employees through stressed times. Lynn Carter did not even wait to sign the contract and began to call people before him to work.


    She was a smart person, and did not call any big-shots, but freshers who caught her eye and had the potential to do better.


    Hao Ren was gratified, because with this half of his work load was taken away. The young man took off to fulfill his lunch duties and without any trouble two days passed away quickly. The small office of Thunder Technologies was working with full capacity, and at this moment they were holding a product review meeting.


    The office was small so the five key players were gathered in the bull pen, where most of the employees would work in tandem. Other than Hao Ren, the rest of the people did not even have an office.


    Hao Ren asked, "Klaus, how are we looking?"


    His tone was calm but his heart was indeed uneasy. After all, who would want to have their company lose and dreams drive down in a ditch. Hymn Klaus said, "Boss, we are close to one million downloads. The response is crazy."


    Hao Ren was surprised, he asked, "What happened?"


    Klaus said, "The credit goes to Mister Bourne, he was the one who came up with this marketing strategy."


    Markus smiled and shook his head, "Without a convincing product we would not have been able to garner such a response."


    He had contacted a few well established tech reviewers to provide feedback for the Horizon OS, people were skeptical but when they used the product, they were stunned in a daze.


    Markus said, "The people were impressed, and many of them expressed the intention to be our spokesperson. They also provided some feedbacks that I have handed over to Mister Klaus. So on today''s agenda you need to decide..."


    The meeting continued for four hours, and afterward Thunder Technologies released a demo version of their office tools and other such auxiliary programs, however, they were going to charge for this. Markus Bourne had contacted a few people in the business and after a trial they have all placed orders for the products.


    Thunder Technologies accepted the orders with grace. After the meeting Hao Ren said, "Now that we know what the people want, let us release this."


    He placed a storage drive on the table and said, "A mobile assistant, that is compatible with all the OS, and also can do anything that you might want it to, for example, calling a cab for you, and you would not need to move a thumb."


    The people were stunned, Hao Ren said, "Now, the tech team has to come up with ideas on how to upgrade it."


    The meeting continued, while Hao Ren was planning to gather the attention of as many customers as possible, somewhere on a big cruise ship, five people sat inside a luxurious room. However, the expressions of their faces were anything but pleasant.


    One of them asked, "Vincent, what is going on? Why did you call us all so urgently?"


    This guy had a gash on his forehead, which was stretched down to his cheek and it was red and tender. Yet this did not seem to bother him in a bit. The rest of the four people were all strong and had a ruthless aura. Vincent appeared to be the strongest of them, he said, "Red Banner is under attack."


    The four people around him were surprised and one of them asked, "What is going on? Who dares to attack us? Is it the Wolf Fang? Are they itching for death?"


    Others also asked who could attack them, after all they were one of the top five mercenary groups in the world. Vincent shook his head and said, "A few weeks ago, a client placed a seventy million dollar worth kill contract on Han Lingshi, a Han nation citizen and the boss of Empress International.


    Hao Ren was driving, heading back to the office, he said, "I have to study a few things for the meeting tomorrow so I will be using the lunch time. What happened? Are you missing me?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "Bleh, who is missing you? Go study. But make sure to eat something."


    The two of them chatted for a few minutes before Hao Ren disconnected the call. The truth was that when Hao Ren had driven the car to the Empress International, Xiao Mei told him that it was Ye Shiling''s brother who had placed a contract to kill Han Lingshi. The young man was thinking about what he could do to deal with them, when the system issued a task.


    *Ding: Shadow Master. You are in the shadow while your enemies are in the light. Deal with them thoroughly and ease the troubles of your wife.*


    This was basically a killing order for the guilty people of the Ye family. So, Hao Ren asked Xiao Mei what was the biggest strength of the Ye Family, and the reply was, Cosmetics, and mobiles. The mobile plan has already kicked off, and since he needed money he was going to come up with something that broke the back of Crown Internationals.


    Hao Ren had the superior knowledge of traditional medicine so he was going to the traditional medicinal association to get a certificate and then he would be allowed to collaborate with big companies to earn from the royalty in sales.


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, you can take the exam today itself, I have fixed it."


    Hao Ren nodded and said while driving, "Xiao Mei, pay attention to Red Banner, if they make any move, inform me immediately. Okay?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I have set that up as a priority task boss."


    Hao Ren nodded and head toward the Traditional Medicinal Association. Capital had all the big offices, and Traditional Medicinal Association was a place that regulated recipes, and also the personnel. The big shots of the medicinal world in Han History founded this place to make sure that only the worthy could practice medicine.


    Otherwise, everyone who knew one or two household remedies would call themselves a doctor. Hao Ren arrived at the building, and after confirming that he had an appointment, the lady on the reception counter bought him inside a room, where a few computers were set up.


    She placed his cellphone in a locker and said, "According to the rules, you have two hours to answer all the questions here, and only then you will pass the beginner''s license requirements."


    Hao Ren nodded, his presence did not cause a fuss because he was going to acquire a trainee license. He did not wish to get a high level master license because he did not want the people to pay attention to him. The reason was the benefit of staying in the shadows.


    Hao Ren was able to take down the mercenaries because they did not know about him. He wanted to deal with the Ye Family and not have them hunt him down. Quickly, two hours passed, and Hao Ren achieved the above average score for the test. He deliberately controlled his scores to not raise any alarm.


    The lady was not surprised, because many people were self taught and there would be at least a few who would come to try their luck at the association. She looked at the scores and said, "Please wait, a senior doctor will call you to swear in."


    Hao Ren waited for few minutes, while he checked his phone to see if anyone contacted him. He also checked a few things about the trending cosmetics. As the young man was reading, the reception counter lady said, "You may go in now."


    Hao Ren followed her direction, and entered the room. The swearing process was simple, he had to express his intent that he would always hold the patient''s safety above all else, and that he will never misuse his authority. The senior doctor also did not make things difficult and they were soon finished.


    Hao Ren suddenly recalled something and asked, "Ma''am, would you be by any chance related to the Magnificent Cosmetics?"


    The lady doctor was surprised and said, "Yes, why do you ask?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Ma''am, I have a few herbal recipes that have been passed down my family. I wonder if I could present you some sample and ask you to appraise them?"


    The lady doctor raised her brow and asked, "Do you know that if you wasted my time I can cancel your license?"


    Hao Ren nodded with a faint smile and said, "I can understand your frustration, but if my sample worked, then you would not lose anything. I am willing to stake my license, but are you willing to take a no-risk chance?"

 Chapter 35: Waves (2).

    Hao Ren was not someone who had a fortunate destiny that he could meet the targeted person by coincidence. This lady was the reason Xiao Mei got him the appointment for the day. When he was looking in the details of the Ye family business, that was the moment when he found out about their rivals also.


    Xiao Mei told him that Magnificent Cosmetics was the only company that could threaten them a bit. Empress International did not engage in cosmetics, because they did not see it as a risk free market. The bigger the company the easier to stain them. Han Lingshi did not want someone to raise any trouble for them with a cosmetic product that could cause harm to the customer.


    Hao Ren smiled at the lady and said, "Ma''am, my name is Hao Ren, and while I do have other business, I have been studying traditional medicine from the age of seventeen. My sister passed away from cancer, ever since then I have been trying to learn more about the traditional medicine. During my experiments I came upon a formula that could slow-down the signs of aging."


    The lady was called Dr. Wilma Fey, she was a specialist of skin diseases, and had a great command in her field. She was fifty years old but looked like she was in her late thirties. Hearing what Hao Ren said, she nodded and said, "When can you show this formula?"


    Hao Ren said, "We can head over to your lab and I am willing to create a formula right before your eyes."


    Wilma asked, "Aren''t you worried that I might use your formula and burn bridges with you?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I registered my formula today itself. It has been passed by the medical board. You cannot run away."


    Hao Ren was cunning, with the intelligence stat of 10 points he was far smarter than the other people. Pairing his intelligence with the knowledge of medicine, it wasn''t difficult for him to come up with a formula. Then he also used Xiao Mei''s capabilities to get into the medical board, and register his formula. Not only that, Xiao Mei even got him an approval.


    It did not need for an applicant to have a


    Wilma was not surprised, she smiled faintly and said, "Kid, tell me what do you want in return of sharing this formula?"


    Hao Ren sat down on the chair and took a sip of water from the glass before he said, "I want 5% royalty on the profit of every batch you sell, and make a fortune."


    Wilma was still not convinced and said, "You could have found some other company but why Magnificent?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "My mother uses Magnificent face wash and she has been using it for as long as ten years. This shows that your customers are loyal and that your products are not harmful. At the same time, they are affordable."


    Wilma nodded and remarked, "You seemed to have done your homework. Are you a businessman?"


    She was getting curious in this young man. After all, how could she not? Hao Ren was handsome, and he was speaking logically and also exposed his emotional side. These were all in lines of a good businessman.


    Hao Ren did not hide it from her and said, "Yes, Ma''am. I have a small tech company called Thunder Technologies."


    Wilma asked, "Then why cosmetics?"


    She was confused, and Hao Ren said, "Women have a greater spending potential than men, and to be honest, I have invested everything in my company and now I need money to keep it afloat."


    They reached the building where Magnificent Cosmetics office was. Wilma led Hao Ren, and his arrival caught a lot of attention. She did not waste anytime and came to the laboratory, the young man concluded that her status in the company was not shallow. Wilma found three people in inside the lab and said, "Guys, take a break."


    The people were surprised but they did as they were told. She turned to look at Hao Ren and said, "Take a look at the herbs that we have, if you want anything else then I will get them to bring it over."


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at the herbs placed inside glass containers on the wall. He picked up seven of them and said, "If possible, can I get some saffron?"


    The lady nodded and gestured for a technician to bring saffron. Hao Ren fiddled with herbs and worked diligently. He quickly made a paste by grinding and mincing the herbs together with help of some water. Then he took the saffron and mixed it with water. On the table were two different forms of the herbs.


    Hao Ren said, "The powder can be mixed with water and consumed. It will amplify blood cleansing effect, while the paste can be applied on the face for twenty minutes and the effect will be immediate."


    Wilma nodded and said, "Shall we test it now?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Please take the powder first, and then after ten minutes apply the paste on your face. The internal effect will take a complete digestion cycle."


    Wilma nodded, and called for a staff member. Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Doctor Fey, I suggest an older lady try this first. The effect of age effecting products will not show as prominently on a young face as it will on the mature face."


    Wilma smiled at his choice of words and then called for an older lady, she was in her thirties and had dark circles and crowfeet on the corner of her eyes. Under Hao Ren''s direction, the lady consumed the powder and applied the paste. After half an hour, she went to wash her face and when she returned, the people were shocked.


    Wilma Fey had her eyes opened, the effect on the skin was indeed evident. She asked Hao Ren, "We have also tried this formula, or a version of it, but the effect was not good, how did you do it?"


    The young man replied, "I only mixed some saffron in it to turn the paste into an extracting agent. The cold dew orchid petals prevent the burning sensation from raw turmeric root. Mixed with honey and saffron the nature changes and they clarify the skin like nothing else."


    Wilma nodded, and brought him to the conference room. She asked, "What do you want?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and asked, "Can you make decisions?"


    Wilma nodded and said, "This company belongs to my daughter. I can. Tell me."


    The young man replied, "I will sell you the formula management right for 2 million a year, and five percent profit from the sell of every batch as my royalty. I am not asking for too much, you know very well that you will be hoarding money in the coming days as soon as you start selling it."


    Wilma and Hao Ren deliberated for a couple of hours and when she saw Hao Ren did not budge from his five percent profit, she had to give in, because this ruthless guy could also sell the formula to some other company.


    ...


    Hao Ren signed the agreement with Wilma Fey and got it sealed by the company''s notary stamp, and was returning to his own office in the evening when Xiao Mei said, "Boss, someone from the Han Family is linked with the contract on Miss Han''s life."


    Hao Ren asked with shock, "What did you say!?"

 Chapter 36: Betrayal. (1)

    Hao Ren parked the car on the side and asked, "Xiao Mei, do you have concrete evidence?"


    The AI replied, "Boss, I have all the evidence from the money trail to secret meetings."


    The young man took a deep breath and said, "Tell me about it."


    After half an hour, he was sitting in the driver''s seat with a cold face. He said, "Call Lingshi and invite her for dinner."


    Xiao Mei did what he said, and then Hao Ren drove back to his house. He cancelled the plan of going to the office, because given the change of mood, he would not be productive. They had just uploaded their virtual assistant for mobile on forums and at the same time the million users who were using their computer OS, were also getting notified.


    Within just a couple of hours, many online influencers began to review the product and the popularity sky rocketed.


    ...


    Hao Ren was in the kitchen, preparing food while thinking about what could have been the reason for someone beside Han Lingshi to deal such a damage to her? The more he thought about it, the more he thought about it, the more complicated his thoughts became. Suddenly, the door was pushed open, and Han Lingshi''s voice sounded, "Ren, I am here."


    Hao Ren cleaned up his hands and came out to find her putting on her slippers. He wanted to say something when he found Maria with her. The latter smiled and said, "I invited myself, hope you don''t mind."


    The young man did not say anything and just turned back to the kitchen with a nod. Han Lingshi noticed this and asked, "Ren, is everything alright?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Byte Tech sent someone rude over to buy me out for ten million. I have been pissed because of that, don''t mind me."


    The ladies were surprised and Maria asked, "Has your product reached the level where Byte would want it? Why not cooperate with them?"


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "Do you think someone like Byte will change their aesthetic for my product? If I cooperated them, they would want a controlling vote. I am not giving them the satisfaction of manipulating my company."


    Maria sighed and said, "It could be good, they can invest in your company, right?"


    Hao Ren looked at her and said, "I already have enough funds, I do not need investment. Otherwise, I would have asked Lingshi for it."


    His voice was calm and while Maria felt bad for being told off, Han Lingshi was happy to hear that Hao Ren trusted her enough to lean on her when in need. She was aware that he did not wish to trouble her because she had told him not to reveal anything to anyone unless he became strong enough.


    The young man served the food and then while eating he asked, "Lingshi, after dinner come to my study, I have to show you something."


    Han Lingshi nodded and Maria gazed at the two. It was as if she was checking them to see any public display of affection. However, the two people were eating their food in peace.


    Maria has been dating Mister Han Yuntian for past two years and they are extremely secretive about this. She was also the person who hired a hacker overseas to put up the contract against your life, the money was given to her by Han Yuntian."


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath and asked in monotonous tone, "How can I believe that you have not forged this evidence, Hao Ren?"


    Hao Ren was not shocked and said, "As long as you do some research to cross check all this, you can find out that I am not lying. I gain nothing from that. Also, I suggest that you get done with it soon. I still want to give you lunch in the noon."


    Han Lingshi was so angry at this moment that she started laughing and asked, "What makes you think that I would eat what you cook?"


    Hao Ren looked in her eyes and replied, "The fact that you have one friend and that is me. If you wish to ignore it and act as if nothing has happened, then you are far too dumb. I would have to handle things my own way."


    Han Lingshi approached him and grabbed his collar as she asked coldly, "What is your way? Sowing feud?"


    Hao Ren''s gaze turned cold and he pushed her against the wall in a swift moment. He grabbed her neck, not so hard but gently. Han Lingshi was frozen, she did not expect Hao Ren to react this way. His gaze was so cold that she could not help but remember the guards that surrounded her grandfather.


    Those people had such cold aura on them because they were killers. She began to question how did Hao Ren get this aura. The young man said, "If anyone dared to harm you. I will kill them. I swear that I will remove every snake that hides in your shade."


    As he looked at her and said those words in a soft tone, Han Lingshi was dazed. She did not expect him to be so intense. Hao Ren continued, "I am not obsessed with you Miss Han, but you are a person I admire and even love to some extent. If someone came to harm you, I will not sit by to watch."


    Then he rubbed his cheek with hers for a few seconds before he took a few steps back and turned around. Han Lingshi wanted to say something when Hao Ren said, "We will talk when you have conducted your investigation. Good night."


    Han Lingshi was shocked because this guy just issued an eviction order for her. She clenched her teeth and left the study. Hao Ren only heard her say, "Maria, let''s go."


    The latter nodded and left the place with Han Lingshi. Hao Ren sat down on the floor and asked, "Xiao Mei, did Maria notice anything?"


    The AI replied, "She was trying to listen what you were talking about, and also she was trying to notice Miss Han''s expressions to see if there was any change."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "The fox is clever, but soon it will show it''s tail."


    ...


    Han Lingshi left the building and drove Maria off to her home as usual before she took off to return to her own home.


    However, her heart was not calm, she parked the car at the side, and took her phone to call her people, and said, "Investigate if Maria has any connection with Han Yuntian, even if it is remote, I want to know about everything between the two in the morning, also check their phone and bank history."


    She leaned back in her seat and mumbled, "Those who stand behind us are also capable of stabbing us. Let''s see who is the knife holder."

 Chapter 37: Consolation.

    The night was something that bothered Han Lingshi, she lay on the bed but could not sleep. What Hao Ren told her was a bit too difficult for her to digest, after all, she has known Maria since her days in the university and they had been as close as sisters. They had scuffles, but nothing that escalated to the point where anyone of them would want to kill the other.


    She recalled how Hao Ren treated her, but in the end she could not bring herself to believe that the information he gave her was true. How could she? The night seemed to be testing her patience. She was checking her mobile after every few minutes.


    Just when she was about to fall asleep the cell phone on the night stand rang. Her sleepiness was gone, and she picked up the mobile hurriedly. The person on the call said, "Miss, all the information has been sent to your email."


    Han Lingshi thanked the person and then she opened her email, the information on it matched with Hao Ren, however, the quantity of this information was not even half as much as what Hao Ren gave her. However, the biggest clue in the information was the fact that Han Yuntian has handed over some money to Maria over the period of two years and the amount was not small.


    Han Lingshi was in a state of disbelief, her hands were shivering, and her breathing was ragged. She could not believe that the person who has been standing behind her and always supported her was the one who betrayed her. She recalled what she said to Hao Ren last night, she held her face in her hands as she sat on the bed and tears began dripping from her eyes.


    Her heart was akin to a piece of meat that was being roasted slowly by the flames of betrayal while it was still beating. Han Lingshi did not know what to do, when the doorbell suddenly went off. She froze, and calmed down when she thought that it must be her maid. She got up from the bed, and washed her face before she went to address the door.


    Han Lingshi might have a weak side, but she was not someone who would weep and drown herself in sorrows. She was very cruel when it came to those who betrayed her. Her aura was calm at this moment, and her thoughts were still. She walked over and unlocked the door. However, she was shocked when she saw the person outside the door.


    Hao Ren stood before her with a calm face. She opened her mouth and wanted to say something when the young man invited himself in, changed his shoes, and made his way to the kitchen as if it was his own house. Han Lingshi hurriedly followed him and finally asked, "What are you doing here?"


    The young man replied, "What does it look like?"


    Han Lingshi''s mind was already in chaos, how could she understand what Hao Ren was doing here. She asked exasperatedly, "Why are you here, Ren? What do you want?"


    The young man walked up to her, and suddenly picked her up in his arm in princess style. Han Lingshi let out a scream, but then she found a pair of black shining eyes looking at her as if they could peek into her soul. Hao Ren said, "I came for you, how dare you think that I would just leave you alone when you are so troubled?


    I don''t care what you think off me, but I will not let you hurt or harm yourself. Have you seen the mirror today?"


    Han Lingshi wanted to say a lot of things in retort but she could not. Hao Ren was so dominating at the moment that she forgot her own nature. Hao Ren asked, "Which one is your bedroom?"


    Han Lingshi pointed at a room upstairs and the young man took her over. He placed her on the bed and said, "Stay here. I will bring you something to eat."


    The lady nodded as Hao Ren left the room quickly. She picked up her phone, and cancelled her meetings for the day. She wanted to take a day off and avoid seeing Maria.


    Hao Ren replied, "The mercenaries who came to look at you. Those are the ones I dealt with. I did not kill them but I trapped them and they did it to themselves."


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide, she could not see any malice in Hao Ren''s eyes, but to think he would admit things like this. She asked, "Why tell me? Are you not afraid that I might call the police?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "Of course, I am worried, bit not that you would call the police, but the fact that you would not understand me and I will end up loosing you. I did not have anything to myself before I met you, and anything I have will not be worth anything after you, Ling."


    Han Lingshi was looking him in the eyes and she could sense that he meant what he said. At this point when she had been betrayed, knowing that someone would long for her so much that he would even unveil his darkest secrets to her, assured her that all was not lost.


    She did not know what came over her, this man who was being so dominating with her right now, suddenly displayed his vulnerable side. This moved her, she realized that he was dominating for her own good, he did not wish for her to hurt herself, while he was vulnerable so that she knows that he was not a cold blooded monster, but he would go to any lengths to protect her.


    Han Lingshi reached out and held her cheek as her soft lips landed on his soft lips. Hao Ren opened his eyes wide, he shivered, because he has never kissed anyone. This was his first kiss in two lifetimes, how could he not be shocked? It was as if lightning coursed through his body.


    The two did not do anything, just sat their with their lips connected. Finally after a few seconds Hao Ren kissed Han Lingshi properly and the lady clumsily responded. The situation was getting intense as the two of them were aroused and began to explore each other''s body.


    Hao Ren did not dare to be presumptuous and only limited himself to Han Lingshi''s waist and back. However, just as he was about to gain any grounds on the peak of joy, the doorbell rang once again.


    The two of them were so scared that while Han Lingshi buried herself in the pillow, Hao Ren had jumped off the bed and looked around vigilantly. A few moments later, the bell rang again, and Han Lingshi realized who could it be. She turned to look at Hao Ren as she stood up and anxiously said, "My maid is here, what to do?"


    Hao Ren looked at the balcony of the room and said, "Go open the door, I will be here."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and went down stairs, Hao Ren came out of the room, and looked at the scenery from the balcony. It was still early and the rich people had yet to wake up. Soon, the young man heard two noises from the door below. The balcony of the master bedroom was right above the door of the villa. Hao Ren saw the maid going inside and he jumped off the railing.


    Thanks to the Assassination Skills, he landed smoothly and rolled on the ground to avoid the damage. He stood up and found Han Lingshi gawking at him. He moved towards her, without caring for the maid who was talking in the living room. He moved close to her, and pecked her lips and ran away while Han Lingshi screamed.


    ...


    Hao Ren sat in his car outside the villa complex. The young man leaned in his seat, and a voice sounded in his mind, *Ding: You have consoled your wife and even improved her mood. You have proved that your bond with her is real and she does not doubt you anymore. The task is complete, issuing reward...*


    Yes, Hao Ren had been given a task as soon as Han Lingshi left his house. He came here at night, and has been watching Han Lingshi from the villa across hers. He was using a set of binoculars to make sure that she was not in danger. He waited all night for her to calm down before he went over. His dominance was just a facade to cover up the fact that he did not know how to express that he cared.

 Chapter 38: Ruthless Businessman.

    Hao Ren was sitting inside his car when he heard the monotonous voice in his mind.


    *Ding: You have consoled your wife and even improved her mood. You have proved that your bond with her is real and she does not doubt you anymore. The task is complete, issuing reward...*


    *Ding: Congratulations host for receiving the Coin from Fortune God.*


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "System, can you explain the functions of this item?"


    The system replied, *Ding: Host, this coin is blessed by the God of Fortune. If you place this thing in your work place, it will bring you profit. If you place it on your person, you will have a fruitful encounter.*


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and asked, "Where is the coin at the moment?"


    The system said, *Ding: It''s in your wallet, Host.*


    Hao Ren fished out his wallet from the glove box and opened it. He found a golden coin laying in a separate section with other coins. He picked it up and saw a very intricated design of fine lines. Hao Ren inspected the coin carefully and found a four leaved clover hidden inside the design.


    He looked at the watch on his wrist and decided to go to his office, when he saw a msg from Han Lingshi. She was asking him what if Han Yuntian found out about their marriage?


    The young man thought for a bit and replied, ''Even if he knows, does he have any proof? The files are masked. Keep your marriage book safe, and away from them, the rest can be managed. Your family would have asked you already about it had they known.''


    Han Lingshi calmed down and then Hao Ren moved to his office. He arrived at the Rubicon Towers at seven in the morning. The tower stayed open for 24 hours because many offices in the tower worked on night schedules. Hao Ren came to the office and he was surprised to see that all of the technical team was present at the scene.


    He walked up to Klaus and asked, "What happened?"


    Klaus said in a deep voice, "We were working late last night when we faced a hack attack. They started doing it every thirty minutes, and now they are doing it every ten minutes. I do not know how long we would be able to hold on."


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "Did you try to track the person?"


    Klaus nodded and said, "It failed."


    Hao Ren nodded and fell silent, he took out his phone and typed a command, ''Counter hack, and track this person down without alerting them.''


    Xiao Mei replied with a wink emote, and after a few seconds, Jian Koji said, "Huh? This is odd, how are they slowing down?"


    Hao Ren did not reply and placed his phone back in his pocket, and said, "It could be that those people were tired. Watch a few more minutes, and try to track them."


    They could not track down this person down with their level just yet. After a few minutes, Klaus looked at the screen and said, "Finally they stopped. I was really worried."


    Everyone sat in their chairs and Hao Ren said, "You can go out and have some food and take the rest of the day off. It''s been hard on you lot for the past few days. I will man the server management."


    The people immediately yelled, "Long Live Boss."


    Hao Ren chuckled and a few minutes later, the office was empty. Hao Ren looked at the clock and closed the doors, before he got down on the floor and began to do push ups, this was his daily task, he was not going to miss out on it. Ever since the system has purified his body, the results of his workout had increased to a terrific level.


    He looked at the phone on the ground and said, "Xiao Mei, did you find out who it was?"


    The AI replied, "Boss, it is one of the top hacker group in the Hawk nation. They go by the name Back-door intrusion, tch tacky."


    Hao Ren was calm, he asked, "Why did they hack us?"


    Hao Ren smiled and wanted to say something when a text notification popped up on his mobile. He checked it and smiled. He said, "Mister Bourne, have you ever tried talking to clients and getting them on board?"


    Markus nodded and Hao Ren said, "Good, take all the sales department with you and teach them how its done."


    The people did not understand when Lynn Carter stood up on her feet and exclaimed, "Holy shit! Byte Technology server has been breached and they are in a shut down."


    "WHAT!"


    "Manager, are you joking with us?"


    Exclamations rang out in the entire office, and soon, everyone found that it was true. Only Hao Ren was leaning back in a chair as if nothing out of ordinary happened. Markus Bourne looked at him and his forehead oozed with cold sweat. He knew that it was Hao Ren who caused this. How he did it? Markus had no idea about that, but he was sure that Hao Ren did it.


    Lynn Carter looked at Hao Ren and said, "Boss, the news stated that many people big companies have suffered a serious data breach because of this. Their data was stored on cloud servers of Byte Technologies. This is definitely a good chance for us to capture the market."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Not so fast. We do not have any significant achievement to show them. Now that Byte has gone under, we will need to wait it out and catch the left over because apart from Byte, there is another giant in the race."


    A employee replied, "Singularity also has a cloud server farm, they will be moving in quickly."


    Hao Ren looked at the young man and nodded, "You are right, Mister Bones. They will dive in to catch all the prey they can. They are not alone, we have Sigma data bank, Scepter Cloud, etc. Miss Carter, coordinate with Mister Bourne on this. Lastly, we will not be going to look for the people to come to us. Highlight the 24 hour challenge as much as you can.


    I will give you one million for this. I want every hacker to come after us. If they say that 24 hours are not enough, give them a week."


    Markus and Lynn were shocked, and the former asked, "Boss, are you sure? What makes you think they will come to us?"


    Hao Ren said, "None of them is a fool to not notice an OS and a cloud server that can stand so many attacks. Also, use your digital influencers, have them broadcast the status of our servers live if you have to, I want the world to know that Thunder Tech is not an underdog."


    Then he stood up and said, "I will head out for the day, do not worry, someone is watching the servers just in case. Okay?"


    Lynn Carter asked, "Sir, who is watching the server?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "The one who created Horizon OS."


    Then he walked out, every one in the company was curious as to who wrote Horizon OS code, and Klaus had told them that it wasn''t them but an expert Hao Ren contacted, however, it was a company secret and divulging it to anyone can cause serious trouble for them. So everyone was quiet.


    Hao Ren left the coin of fortune in the drawer of his cupboard. The effects should be pilling up soon.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was driving her car and she was about to reach the Han Family residence when her phone rang up. She smiled faintly when she saw it was Hao Ren. She accepted the call and Hao Ren asked, "Lingshi, what do you want to eat today?"


    Han Lingshi said, "I am at the family residence, you cannot come here to deliver food, can you?"


    She was teasing him but who knew Hao Ren would say, "Fine, I shall capture the stomach of my in-laws. You are not getting away. You wait, I will be there soon."


    Han Lingshi was shocked and then she chuckled, "I dare you to come here, Hao Ren."


    ...


    Hao Ren was in his car, and he was about to reply to Han Lingshi, when the system said, *Ding...*

 Chapter 39: Chef Hao.

    Hao Ren was sitting in his car when the system sent out a notification, *Ding: Host, it has been detected that your wife has issued you a challenge to visit your in-laws and cook for them. Please see to it that you prove your mettle to her. Show her that you are not afraid or ashamed of anything when it comes to show your relationship with her.*


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "How subtly you issue tasks, well fine. I accept it. What am I afraid of."


    He said, "Xiao Mei, can you tell me how many family are there in the Han Family residence?"


    The AI replied, "Boss, there are five people in the mansion. Old Master Han, his wife. Miss Han and her mother, also second lady Han is present there."


    Hao Ren asked, "Han Yuntian, he is the son of the second master Han, right?"


    Xiao Mei confirmed and Hao Ren asked, "How would you assess the character of Second Lady Han?"


    The AI reported, "Boss, she is rather clean. She comes from a humble background and is very filial. She shares a good relation with First Lady Han, and is very loved by the family."


    Hao Ren was surprised and said, "I wonder how her son turned out to be a killer."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, Han Yuntian is an illegitimate child of the Second Master Han, however, he coerced the Second Lady into accepting him. The real second heir of the Han Family is Han Lingxue, she is twenty years old and is currently studying in the Hawk Country. The Han Family struggle for power is limited to the First Master and the Second Master.


    The former is capable while the latter is a bit narrow minded, he thinks that just because his brother is the elder, the family overlooks him. This idea passed on to his son, who grew up to be a philandering scum."


    Hao Ren chuckled at the last remark and then after some pondering, he said, "I did not expect that the Second Master Han was such a narrow minded cliche. Anyhow, can you find out if the family members have a preferred food recipe?"


    Xiao Mei replied to him and then the young man drove over to the traditional medicine market, then he also went to the vegetable and fish market to buy out a lot of fresh ingredients. He also got himself a set of knives and a apron.


    He then drove to the Han Family residence.


    ...


    While Hao Ren was preparing to catch his wife by surprise, Han Lingshi was pouring tea to her grand father. The two of them were sitting in the garden, under a pavilion. The humidifiers installed in the place kept the temperature cool and the faint fragrance of jasmine in the air made it a nice place to sit down and relax.


    Old Master Han was very happy with his eldest grand daughter. She was the apple of his eye and she had raised the Empress International to a height that he could never have imagined.


    He was a military man in his early life, although his achievements were nothing to take a note of but he was still a formidable man and after his retirement due to some injury on field, he came back and started his company from scratch.


    He earned his keep and earned a name for himself. He looked at the girl before him and asked, "Lingshi, you can tell grandpa anything, you know that, right?"


    Han Lingshi handed him a cup and nodded. The old master asked, "What''s the matter?"


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath and said, "Grandpa, a few days ago, an international mercenary group called Red Banner came after my head."


    Old Master Han''s hand shivered, he looked at his grand daughter with surprise and asked, "Do you need protection?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "That has been dealt with, they are all down in hell, however, the person who placed this order is someone you know."


    Old Master Han was calm when he heard this, after a few minutes, he placed his tea cup down on the table and said, "Yuntian."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "He embezzled 70 million dollars from the company, and gave them to the Red Banner. Not only that, but he is also using my best friend Maria as his pawn. Not only did he put a dent in the company, he also harmed me."


    Before she said, "Hello Chef Hao, I am fine. How are you?"


    She did not give him a time to reply, when she turned to the maid and said, "Chef Hao, you will be helped by Aunt Emma. She is the head maid of the estate."


    Hao Ren bowed to greet the maid and said, "Sorry to trouble you, Lady Emma."


    Emma was a professional Butler. She was a native of the Stag nation and her mannerism was completely on an other level.


    She greeted Hao Ren and asked, "Shall I call someone to help you?"


    Hao Ren shoo his head and replied, "No need, I can handle it."


    He picked up the two boxes and said, "Just show me the kitchen."


    Emma gestured to him, and Hao Ren walked over quickly with her. However, he did not forget to look at Han Lingshi and wink at her quickly before he walked away. Han Lingshi quickly looked around and then turned to glare at Hao Ren who blew a kiss at her.


    Han Lingshi blushed a little as she clenched her fist, wishing to beat him up.


    ...


    Emma led Hao Ren to the kitchen and asked, "Chef Hao, Young Miss told me that you are proficient in traditional cuisine. I wonder who is your tutor."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I learned it by myself, Ma''am. It is a passion of mine to cook."


    Emma was surprised and looked at Hao Ren, she said, "You can just call me, Emma."


    Hao Ren nodded, and thought for a second before he said, "Is it alright if I call you Aunt Emma? I am after all significantly younger than you. My mother would actually beat me for not being respectful."


    Emma smiled faintly and nodded. She saw that Hao Ren was a very bright person, and unlike the other people he did not look at the decoration and act like a country bumpkin. He was calm and composed.


    She led him to the kitchen and said, "You can work here, I will talk to the house chef to help you."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "No need, I can handle things on my own. I would just need someone to tell me where the spices and the vessels are."


    Emma nodded and volunteered to help him. Hao Ren put down the ice box and quickly took out his knives. He asked her for the chopping board and the woks and pans, before he began cooking.


    ...


    The House Chef stood before Old Master Han who told him that a new chef will be cooking for the day which upset the guy and he said, "I am going to see who this guy is, and how dare he take over my kitchen."


    Chefs were proud creatures, and their kitchens were their holy lands. How could they allow someone else to use their holy land?


    The man walked away in big strides and the people had a bad feeling about it. However, a few minutes later, the expected clamor did not erupt. Old Master Han was surprised and also curious. He walked over to check the situation and was shocked to see Hao Ren moving around and prepping the ingredients quickly.


    The chef took a deep breath and asked, "Old Master, who is this lad?"


    Old Man Han shook his head and said, "Now I look forward to the dishes he is making."

 Chapter 40: Sweet & Spicy Events.

    Hao Ren was busy in the kitchen and did not care about the effect of his actions on the other people. He was making ten dishes, and the entire kitchen seemed to be his battlefield, yet, the head chef could only gawk at the finesse displayed by this young man.


    After a few minutes, the two old men walked away. After half an hour, the entire mansion was filled with the faint aroma emitting from the kitchen. Han Lingshi was talking to her grandma in her room on the first floor of the mansion when she sensed a little aroma.


    Her grandma was enjoying the foot massage from her beautiful grand daughter, when she sensed her stop. The lady opened her eyes and found her princess smiling at the void. She raised her brow and said, "Ling, are you thinking about him?"


    Han Lingshi subconsciously nodded, and then she froze. She raised her grandma looking at her with a smile. She hurriedly shook her head and asked, "Grandma what are you talking about?"


    Old Madam smiled even brighter and said, "Sweetie, if you want to lie, then why don''t you first do something about the blush on your cheeks?"


    Han Lingshi reached out to touch her face and hurriedly turned to look at the mirror on the side. She froze as she realized that she was not blushing at all. She turned to look at the old lady and said, "Grandma, you are bullying me."


    The old lady chuckled and asked, "Tell me, who is the boy and I will stop bullying you."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "It is not like that."


    The smile on the old ladies face vanished and she spoke sternly, "Lingshi, do you think that I, Gao Yue, is dumb?"


    Han Lingshi instinctively sat upright, and replied, "No, Grandma."


    She was scared, even her grandfather was scared when the old lady used her full name, let alone, her. Old Madam Han asked, "Tell me who is the boy?"


    Han Lingshi stood up from the stool and then she walked over to close the door. She even closed the windows and looked at many things before she said, "You really want to know?"


    Old Madam Han nodded and said, "What can I be afraid of?"


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath and said, "I married a random guy I met in front of the marriage registration office, and these past few days we have been getting to know each other, and I do sort of like him."


    When she looked at Gao Yue, the old lady was gawking at her. She came back to her senses and said, "Tell me, who is this guy, what does he do? Who are his parents? Are you sure that person is not brown nosing you for money and stuff?"


    Han Lingshi sat down before her and began to tell the old lady about a lot of things that happened these days with Hao Ren. She even told her about his family background and other things. Old Madam Han was calm, but still she was not convinced completely. She said, "I will pass on my decision after meeting the boy."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "You can meet him today, he is in the kitchen."


    Old Madam Han took a deep breath and said, "You sure have guts of steel."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I dared him to come, and he did."


    ...


    Hao Ren stirred a soup and sprinkled some dried herbs on it before he said, "Aunty Emma, please call everyone, the food is ready."


    Emma nodded and walked out of the kitchen. A few minutes later, Old Master Han sat on the head position of the dining table, with Old Madam beside him. Han Lingshi sat next to her grandfather and across the old madam. Followed by the second lady and the first lady.


    Emma waved her hands and a few servants came over with dishes. Old Master Han looked at Emma and said, "Where is the Chef? Since this is his first time cooking for us, call him over."


    After a while Old Madam cleared her throat and asked, "Young man have you not made any dessert?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I have, old madam."


    Emma bought over five dishes with exquisite desert placed in the center. Hao Ren said, "This is Tres leches. I hope you all enjoy it."


    The five people had a few spoons of the dessert and they sighed. Then began the round of praising the chef.


    ...


    A young man stood before the french windows in his villa looking at the pool outside. He was smoking a cigarette, suddenly the phone rang, and he picked it up. The person on the other side replied, "Everything is in place, as soon as she crosses the signal, we will handle it."


    The young man said in a cold voice, "I hope you do what you say, otherwise, for your sake, death would be a delight."


    The person on the other side chuckled and said, "Don''t worry, Young Master Han, I will handle it."


    ...


    Hao Ren was getting inside his car when he spotted Han Lingshi walking over. He stopped and asked, "What is it?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "Thank you for today."


    Hao Ren gazed around and then said, "Do you want me to kiss you right here?"


    Han Lingshi was shocked and took a step back, the young man said, "If not, then please stop acting so adorable all the time."


    Han Lingshi glared at him, the young man opened the car, and ignited the engine but it did not start. He frowned and then slapped his forehead. Han Lingshi asked, "What happened?"


    The young man replied, "I forgot to fill in the tank, it won''t last till the station."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Leave it here, take my car, I will bring it back later."


    Hao Ren nodded and gave her the keys. Han Lingshi went back in to bring her own keys, and handed them to Hao Ren.


    The young man quickly left the Han Mansion with a smile on his face. His phone rang, and he accepted the call, "Hello, what is it Lingshi?"


    However, a wizened voice greeted him, "Hmmm, she lets you call her Lingshi, seems like your relationship is not bad at all."


    Hao Ren sat up straight in the seat and said, "Greetings, Old Madam."


    Gao Yue snorted and said, "I know about your situation with Ling, you might want to correct your address."


    Hao Ren was surprised and said, "Greetings, Grandma."


    The old lady hummed and said, "Next time you should not come in the disguise of a chef. Okay?"


    Hao Ren agreed to her while taking a turn, when suddenly his body received a massive impact and the car was sent flying for a few meters before it tipped over its ceiling and Hao Ren was overwhelmed by pain. Hao Ren turned to look at the side and saw an unfamiliar person gazing at him from the side. However, the person exclaimed, "Shit! It''s not her. Run."

 Chapter 41: Wrathful Wife.

    Gao Yue suddenly froze when she heard a loud crashing sound. Han Lingshi was standing beside her and the loud noise reached her ears also. She snatched the phone and spoke, "Hao Ren, Hao Ren can you hear me? Ren, answer me god damn it!"


    She did not waste much time and dashed out of the house quickly. The people did not know what got over her, she got in a car and drove it as fast as she could to find Hao Ren. She had not come very far from her mansion when she noticed a car toppled over on its roof. Her pupils constricted, and her heart almost froze from the sudden chill.


    She spotted an ambulance not far away from the car, and parked her vehicle on the side. She got out and rushed to check on the situation. She had recognized that it was her car. Suddenly a police constable appeared before her and stopped her from approaching the vehicle.


    Han Lingshi turned to glare at the person and said, "Move! My husband was driving the car."


    She did not realize this on her own, but Hao Ren had become a very important part of her life and at this moment, she acknowledged this fact. The officer looked at her with sympathy and said, "Ma''am, your husband has been rescued and he has been carried to the ambulance just a few moments ago. It is...."


    He wanted to tell her that it was not safe to approach the crashed car as it was leaking oil, but Han Lingshi had already dashed to check the ambulance. The officer sighed and mumbled, "Such intense love. That kid sure is lucky."


    Han Lingshi arrived next to the ambulance and slammed her palm on the door hard. The medical attendant inside the ambulance opened the door with a furious expression and asked, "What do you want?"


    His rage vanished when he saw Han Lingshi''s visage. The lady hurriedly pulled open the other door and looked at the young man covered in blood. She called for him, "Ren!"


    The medical attendant understood that this lady was connected to the victim. He said, "Come in quick, we need to go to the hospital."


    Han Lingshi quickly sat in the ambulance, she did not have any care in her mind. At this moment, only Hao Ren existed in her vision. She turned to ask the medical attendant, "How is he?"


    The man was performing first aid to Hao Ren as he said, "His left hand is fractured, ribcage have suffered strong impact, and his right shoulder is inflicted too. There are some cuts also, the extent of the damage can only be confirmed at the hospital after the tests. For now he is steady and holding up."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and then she took a deep breath to calm herself. She asked, "Which hospital are we heading to?"


    The guy replied, "Holy Mother."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "Move to Emerald Life Hospital."


    The guy hesitated but when he saw the lady before him looked good, he spoke up in his communicator and said, "Helen, drive to the Emerald Life."


    Han Lingshi took out her phone and dialed a number, shortly the call was connected, and she said, "President Louise, this is Han Lingshi. Yes, I would like to reserve a VIP room and also please inform your emergency response team to be ready, I am bringing in a patient. He has been through a car accident."


    Then Han Lingshi passed the phone to the medical attendant to tell the other party about Hao Ren''s condition. The lady took a deep breath as she looked at the young man before her. His blood stained visage was like a knife through her heart and she could not help but clench her fist.


    After the call disconnected, it took them fifteen minutes to rush Hao Ren to the hospital. The young man was attended by the head of the emergency department and Han Lingshi thanked the ambulance staff before she followed the doctors. She held on side of the stretcher as the staff moved Hao Ren inside. The doctor on the side was talking and she kept on nodding.


    She only sat in the lobby when the doctor said, "Miss Han, please stay here, we will look after your friend and conduct through examination. Please do not worry."


    The lady looked at the doctor calmly and said, "I want the best treatment for him."


    The doctor nodded and quickly left. He was scared by the calm displayed by this young lady. He knew that Han Lingshi was among the rich and affluent. She had a lot of pull in the hospital as one of the biggest donors.


    Han Lingshi waited for a few minutes, before she picked up her phone and called someone. The call was connected shortly after and she said, "Cousin, I need you to deal with someone."


    Hao Ren had an urge to clench his chest as his heart was aching hard because of the insult thrown at him.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was sitting beside Hao Ren''s bed, it has been seven hours since the accident and the young man lay calmly on the spot, she could not take her gaze away from his face. His left arm was in a brace and his forehead was covered in gauze.


    She was tired but her eyes were flickering with resolve. Suddenly, she was surprised as she sensed a rustle against her palm. Her eyes lit up as she found that Hao Ren was moving. After a few minutes, the young man opened his eyes with great effort.


    Hao Ren was quickly overcame by the throbbing pain all over his body and he grimaced. He heard Han Lingshi''s voice, "Ren, are you okay? Wait let me call the doctor."


    He gradually got used to the sensation and looked at the lady whose being was brimming with concern. He looked at her and said, "I am fine, Lingshi. How long have you been sitting here?"


    Han Lingshi looked at him, and finally the barrier that was holding back her emotions broke. Tears fell from her eyes, and Hao Ren tried to rise and console her but the pain rendered him useless at the moment. He said weakly, "Am I not okay now? It pains me to see you like this. Please do not cry."


    Han Lingshi regained her composure after she wiped her tears away. She wanted to say something when quickly a team of doctors and nurses came inside. The doctor checked Hao Ren, and said, "The pain will go away in a day or two, it is because of the accident. However, you will need a month to recover from the fracture and your ribs will also need some proper care."


    Hao Ren thanked him and said, "Doctor, if possible, I would like to follow a traditional medicinal treatment."


    The doctor was confused and Hao Ren said, "I am not insulting you, Sir. But I am a junior practitioner of traditional medicine, I am confident in my skills and knowledge."


    The doctor looked at Han Lingshi who nodded and then he retreated with the nurses. Han Lingshi asked, "When did you become a practitioner of medicine?"


    The young man replied, "A few days ago, I made a deal with Magnificent Cosmetics. Needed some credentials to get a license to sell the product."


    Han Lingshi raised her brows and said, "I did not expect you to be a master."


    Hao Ren shook his head gently and Han Lingshi said, "I have a gift for you when you discharge."


    The young man chuckled and asked, "What, could you have slayed Han Yuntian?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "No, but someone very close to him will pay the price."


    Hao Ren furrowed and asked, "Who? Maria?"


    He did not expect Han Lingshi to act so decisively. The lady nodded and said, "She was the only one who knew I was at my family mansion. She told Yuntian, and that scum tried to attack me. If not for the car, you would have been fine. I am sorry, Ren."


    Hao Ren patted the back of her soft hand and said, "Why are you saying sorry? You did not know what would happen. I am fine, aren''t I?


    Han Lingshi nodded slowly but then she said, "What would I have done if something were to happen to you?"


    Hao Ren smiled at her and said, "I never knew you cared that much for me, wife."


    At this moment, Hao Ren''s phone rang, and the romance was paused.

 Chapter 42: Hidden Sides.

    Hao Ren''s phone rang and he said, "Lingshi, can you put the call on speaker?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and picked up the call before she put it on speaker. Hymn Klaus spoke from the other side, "Boss, there are seventy people attacking us. I don''t think we can defend and also, they are also trying to attack the users."


    Hao Ren replied, "I will handle this, can you calm down? Also, tell Miss Carter to come to the location I am sending her in a few minutes. It is urgent."


    Klaus wanted to say a few things but Hao Ren said, "Klaus, I know what I am doing and in the past six hours none of the attacks have succeeded, can you just take the day off as you are told?"


    The other party took in a deep breath and the call came to an end. Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "Xiao Mei, are you up?"


    The AI replied, "I am up boss, but this device won''t be able to last much longer."


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "I will get a new device for you later, but for now, loop the systems of the hackers and let them break down one another. This will take the load off the users. Also, be sure to maintain secrecy."


    Xiao Mei replied, "This strategy is quite cunning Boss. I did not expect you to be like this, I like it."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi looked at each other with a funny expression. The lady put the phone aside and asked, "Do you need anything?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will get something when I am healed."


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows for a second before she said, "Are you looking for a new phone? I will get you one."


    Hao Ren shook his head as he replied calmly, "I am looking for the head of Han Yuntian, you cannot get me that, can you?"


    Han Lingshi was shocked, she did not expect Hao Ren to say such a thing out loud. She hurriedly turned around to check if someone heard him. She heaved a sigh of relief and said, "Ren, I also do not like him but I cannot just go to the extreme can I?"


    Hao Ren looked at her calmly and said, "The car was yours and the attack was meant for you. When the vehicle tipped over, I spotted a few people and one of them yelled that they got the wrong guy. I have been investigating Han Yuntian and since that guy can pay some foreigner to come and attack you, would he hesitate using the local resources?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I know he will not hesitate but I have told grandpa about this, don''t worry."


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "You are a bit too reliant on the support of an old tiger. I am not disrespecting him, but even your second uncle has long stopped caring about the Old Master''s advise, what makes you think his words would effect Han Yuntian?


    The power struggle in your house will end up with Han Yuntian on the throne and all of you in the grave if you did not take an extreme measure."


    Han Lingshi was shocked, and Hao Ren went on to say, "Today it was you, tomorrow it could be your mother, your grandmother, your aunt. How many times would he miss? How many times do you think luck will favor us? I know that you cannot get to him on your own, but I can. Lingshi, look at me."


    Han Lingshi looked in his eyes and Hao Ren asked, "Do you remember what I said to you in the study that day?"


    The lady nodded, and Hao Ren said, "I meant every single syllable of that statement. Maria is aware of our marriage and I am sure that Han Yuntian is too. If he manages to find out about me, and goes after my family, what am I to do? You are my wife, and I will do my best by you, but I also have a responsibility toward my parents too."


    Han Lingshi trembled as she realized what Hao Ren was worried about. Their fate was connected to each other and those connections led to other connections. She felt his fear and worries for the first time. It was true that she was hiding the status of their relationship from everyone, but only now did she realize that Hao Ren was not the only one who needed protection.


    Lynn Carter immediately switched gears and Hao Ren began to delegate the work to her. The two planned for a couple of hours before Lynn Carter left the place. She was going to get the people to kick off.


    ...


    Han Lingshi drove her car to a secluded mansion in the capital. Not many people dared to come here, because this was a restricted place. She had the access to this place because this estate was owned by her maternal family, Yue Family.


    They were richer, and better than Han Family, and to keep things simple, the family has always advocated on single son philosophy. Han Lingshi''s mother was the first daughter, and the person Han Lingshi asked to take care of Maria was her cousin brother.


    He cared a lot for Han Lingshi, and although the relationship between the two families was good, they did not meddle much with Han Family and their affairs. Han Lingshi even said that the aloof manner of her personality was inherited from her maternal family side.


    The car drove inside the manor unbothered, everyone had been instructed to not hinder the vehicle. Han Lingshi got off the car and soon she found a dashing young man with a silly grin on his face walking over.


    This person was her younger cousin, about the age of twenty five, however, he was already managing the business fronts of the Yue Family. He wore a white shirt and gray pants, looking handsome. He greeted Han Lingshi with a hug and asked, "I wonder if not for that woman would you have come to meet me?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I would definitely come to see you all that bitch has nothing on it."


    The man raised his brow and asked, "What happened that made you so pissed over her?"


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "That woman was my best friend, and yet she betrayed me for Han Yuntian. The work I put in Empress International, she wanted to hog over it by hooking up with that guy. Hmph, and not only that, they even tried to harm my life."


    The young man frowned and asked, "Then why are you not killing them already?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "Grandpa said that he will talk to Han Yuntian, and I need more time to come up with a plan that does not lead back to me. However, this woman needs to be taken off the streets. She is a gift for someone."


    The young man clicked his tongue and said, "Although she looks decent, but who would take an interest in such a used good?"


    Han Lingshi smacked the back of his head uncaring toward the security guards and scolded him, "Mind your language. She is not that sort of a gift, her life will be a gift."


    The young man asked, "Sister, are you sure Hao Ren would be able to do it?"


    Han Lingshi gazed at him and then her gaze turned cold. She asked, "Did you look into my life, Yue Shenlong?"


    Yue Shenlong shook his head and said, "No matter how arrogant I am outside and how people revere me, don''t I know that in this place I am a bottom feeder? How dare I look into you? However, when I heard that you wanted me to deal with someone, and I looked into that people, I realized that Hao Ren was a common link, and another thing that made me figure it out was the accident in the noon.


    Hao Ren was driving your car."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "That''s right. Also, if you dared to look into things again, then don''t ask for mercy. I will tell Uncle that you have been frolicking around and not care about the business. I have the pictures from last month when you were sneaking through the airport."


    Yue Shenlong shivered and said, "I beg of you, forgive me. I will never look into anything you do. But do not tell father, that grumpy old man will beat me with his cane."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Bring me to see that bitch."

 Chapter 43: Mean & Vicious.

    Yue Shenlong bought Han Lingshi to the underground dungeon in the mansion where Maria was held hostage. They did not harm her, but they had tied her up and left her to sit there. To make sure that she was overcome with a sense of helplessness, Yue Shenlong had ordered the guards to leave her with just her undergarments.


    Han Lingshi and Yue Shenlong stood outside a white room. This room was covered with cushions as if a psychological hold to prevent people from hurting themselves. However, every inch of the room was monitored by mini cameras.


    Han Lingshi saw the situation inside the room on a big monitor. Maria was sitting huddled up in a corner with her head buried in her knees. Yue Shenlong asked, "What do you have in mind? Should I get them to open the door for you?"


    The lady shook her head and said, "Feed her thrice a day even if you have to do it at the gun point. She must stay healthy for the coming days."


    Yue Shenlong sighed as he agreed. Han Lingshi then said, "I will go back to handle her disappearance."


    The young man said, "File a complaint with the Jade City police. They will not find anything."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and said, "I know what I have to do, tell Aunty that I will come back in a month. Then I will have a good meal."


    Yue Shenlong nodded and then the two of them left the place. Han Lingshi did not want to confront Maria, the anguish of thinking about who wanted to harm her would make her go crazy. She wanted him to go crazy, so that she spills out everything that she has on Han Yuntian to save herself from solitary confinement.


    ...


    Hao Ren did not care where Han Lingshi kept Maria, or how she got her in the first place. He knew that she was rich, so it was obvious that she must have connections that could help her achieve this. Also, he did not want to look too deep into the situation because she was his wife.


    She had a life and side that he did not know much about and to be honest he did not care or mind it. Because one thing that Hao Ren had realized in all his years of being average that the strong never showed mercy to anyone.


    Hao Ren was laying in the bed, he was silently gazing at the ceiling. He said, "Xiao Mei, do you think it can be done?"


    The AI replied, "Yes, Boss, it can be done. The bot will cover all the key points that you mentioned and I have optimized the functionality by keeping the design ergonomic."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "Could you make it so that the bot can hold basic communications and provide simple information about temperature and important events on the calendar?"


    Xiao Mei answered, "Yes, it can be done as such. The design is ready, it would take a few minutes for me to render the prototype."


    The people took a deep breath and just when they were about to look at the young man, they heard a loud clatter. Glass fragments spread all over the floor, and they saw their boss wailing in pain as blood poured off his forehead.


    The others were scared, and they saw Han Yuntian running over and pinning their boss under his knee and then he started punching his face as he yelled, "Useless pieces of shit!! Shit!! Die! You are not worth living!"


    He kept on cursing and he kept on beating the man. None of the people had the guts to stop him from doing this. He did not stop until his face was stained with drops of blood. A deep voice sounded from the entrance of the room, "Yuntian, how many times have I told you to not take such things personally? We only need one chance to take her life, while she needs many to avoid death.


    Why do you get so agitated?"


    Han Yuntian turned to look at the man who came in and yelled, "What the fuck do you mean? Should I let these pigs walk out alive and get caught by the police? They crashed a wrong car, and even then they failed to kill anyone."


    The middle-aged man walked up to him and said, "Son, you need to know that everything happens at a good time. Forget it, and relax for the time being. We will get another chance to kill her."


    Han Yuntian looked at the person but did not say anything more. He was frustrated that Hao Ren survived the car crash, he knew about him marrying Han Lingshi, Maria told him, however, he did not have a single evidence of the marriage. He sighed when he thought about this and said, "That bitch Maria is also not responding to the calls. I wonder whom is she fucking with."


    The middle-aged man did not say anything and sat down on a chair silently. He said, "Steven, deal with these men and pay ten million dollars as compensation to their families."


    Steven nodded, he was the bodyguard and also the headsman for Han Yuntian. The men did not even get the chance to scream or beg for mercy when Steven slashed their throats.


    Han Yuntian was vicious, and he did not mind killing people. The middle-aged man said, "You know, Xiao Ling has talked to father about you. The old man has scolded me, so don''t make any moves at the moment. Let this calm down. Even if she lives a few months, it won''t make much of a difference."


    Han Yuntian clenched his fist. He was like a dirty insect that wanted to bite the hand that gave him support. He took a deep breath and then said, "Fine."


    ...


    Hao Ren had just sent off Han Lingshi and said, "Xiao Mei, I want to know everything about Han Yuntian, and his actions. Everything from this moment till I kill him."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Okay, Boss. By the way, I have been wanting to tell you, Boss, you are very mean and vicious."


    Hao Ren was stunned and chuckled as he said, "The entire world is mean and vicious when it comes to something that benefits themselves."

 Chapter 44: Abrupt Departure.

    In a blink, Hao Ren had spent an entire week inside the hospital and his injuries were stable, however, he was getting bored of sitting inside the room all day long. The young man asked the doctor to discharge him.


    The doctors were skeptical but when Hao Ren used his skill of sooth-sayer, they could not help but agree to his request. In the past week, Hao Ren was not sitting ideal. He was speculating the stocks and making money on the international trade market.


    Xiao Mei was helping him monitor the company, in the past week the users of their OS have increased to five million. On the second day that Hao Ren was in hospital, Klaus had come over and told him that if they were to release their mobile operating system on free portals then the big companies can sue them.


    Hao Ren thought about it and decided to change the operating system into an assistant app. It was a voice command assistant that was capable of holding smooth conversations with the users about anything and everything.


    However, there were still somethings that it could not do, such as pretending to be a girlfriend or a boyfriend. It would also discourage users if they were venting their frustration about something in a radical manner while also giving them some advise to feel better.


    Hao Ren called this feature, Character Optimism. Within a week, there had been ten million downloads. Hao Ren did not hold back and the company bought five more servers and ten server maintenance technician teams. Two teams a server.


    Not only that, Lynn Carter had told him that she wanted to expand the company because when the tech teams were creating projects, they would always have ideas and these idea were worth exploring. However, due to lack of man power they had to give up on diversions.


    Thinking about it, Hao Ren allowed this motion, and told Lynn Carter to get a newer and bigger office space with attached dormitories. The lady was quick and within two days the office was shifted.


    ...


    Hao Ren was sitting on the edge of the bed with his left arm was handing in a sling. The doctors were giving Han Lingshi some advice and things to pay attention to. The lady was nodding patiently and only Hao Ren was thinking, ''If only I could have told you that I am an accomplished Traditional medicine practitioner, you might stop yapping and let me go already.''


    After half an hour, Hao Ren was leaning back in the seat of a super luxury car. He asked, "Since when did you decide to hire a chauffer?"


    Han Lingshi was sitting beside him while she was gliding her jade like fingers on the tab. She smiled when she heard his question and said, "This is Brother Heath, he used to be a part of special forces, but due to an injury he had to retire. I hired him on the suggestion of my cousin. He used to be a scout so he can detect if we are being followed or something."


    Hao Ren nodded with some surprise in his eyes. He ordered Xiao Mei to run a check on this guy while he said, "Thank you for your service, Brother Heath."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes at her and said, "That''s why I said let me deal with it, but no, you want to deal with things. See, now I won''t be able to see you for god knows how long."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "It''s not that exaggerating, I will come back in a couple of weeks, you need to recover quickly."


    Hao Ren nodded, and they came inside the house. The two people did not talk much and only sat down on the couch holding hands and snuggling with each other. There relationship had progressed very quickly but the silence they had between them was not a wall, on the contrary, it was a bridge which signified their comfort with each other.


    The fact that they didn''t need to talk to feel being close to each other was enough to state how strong their connection had become.


    In the evening, Han Lingshi ordered some food and when Hao Ren was done eating she had him go and lay in his bedroom, before she left the place. She was just turning around when a warm hand wrapped around her wrist and Hao Ren asked, "Aren''t you forgetting something?"


    Han Lingshi raised her brow as she looked at him. She thought for a few minutes and shook her head when she could not come up with anything.


    Hao Ren smiled and remarked, "How forgetful of you. Didn''t you say that you will be giving me a kiss when I get home from the hospital?"


    Han Lingshi was surprised that Hao Ren bought this up. She was a timid person when it came to showing affection to anyone. However, Hao Ren was not going to let her go, he tugged on her wrist and pulled her close. The force was well calculated, and as Han Lingshi took a step toward him.


    He coiled his arm around her waist and smiled as he looked in her eyes. Han Lingshi was blushing, and her heart beat was picking up pace. It wasn''t that she did not want to kiss him but more like she did not know how to initiate such things.


    Hao Ren moved closer to her, they were so close that they could smell their breaths. Hao Ren did not initiate the contact, because he wanted Han Lingshi to do this on her own. After mustering up the courage and getting drunk of the sensation of the hard body pushing against her, she leaned in and kissed Hao Ren.


    The two savored each other slowly and gently, the kiss was filled with passion and devoid of lust. It ended in a few moments, and then Han Lingshi dashed away quickly. She said from the door, "A maid will come over to clean the place and cook for you. Don''t move around too much and take your medicine on time. I will check on you."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yes, but you will need to text or call me thrice a day whenever you are having a meal. You are not allowed to have liquor with male company. I don''t want to sound petty but look at you, the entire Hawk Nation might go to war."


    Han Lingshi''s chuckled echoed in the living room as she left. Hao Ren sat down on the couch calmly for a few minutes as he felt bitter about Han Lingshi''s departure but then he recalled the lingering kiss, and smiled as he stood up and decided to get to work. This week he was going to make the entire nation know, that Thunder Technologies was a company they needed to look out for.

 Chapter 45: Koro-Koro.

    Hao Ren went to his study and sat down in his chair as he said, "Xiao Mei schedule a call with Klaus, Markus and Lynn in ten minutes."


    The AI replied, "Okay boss."


    He collected his thoughts before the call was initiated, and the three people looked at him from across the computer screen. They all asked how he was doing. Hao Ren assured them that he was fine, and then he said, "Well, thank you all of you for your concern. Lately we have been moving forward steadily. The main area of our products was focused to the cooperate offices.


    However, during my time in the hospital I thought about the restrictions of this path. There are many, do you agree?"


    Klaus and Lynn nodded while Markus said, "You are absolutely right, President. If the company focuses on the path of cooperate products than we would not be able to use much of the potential that Horizon OS holds."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yes, for this, I have a plan and we will be scoring big."


    Lynn said, "Boss, are we doing it?"


    Hao Ren nodded with a calm expression, and said, "Yes, why not. Though I have come up with an idea to increase the reach of our product."


    Everyone trained their eyes and ears on him and Hao Ren said, "Mister Klaus, I would need your team to prepare a simple extension in the mobile assistant. The assistant will announce our product to the users with full description. The people would be able to buy it if they order from the assistant application.


    The prototype passed all the checks and the production had been going on for the past five days. Miss Carter, how many units do we have in stock?"


    Lynn Carter said, "We have ten thousand units in stock."


    Hao Ren did the math and said, "So we are producing two thousand units a day?"


    Lynn nodded and Markus said, "President, I would like to say something."


    Hao Ren nodded. Markus Bourne said, "I suggest that we hold on the sale for one more week after the mobile assistant announces the product."


    The Young Man leaned back in the chair and asked, "What are the benefits?"


    All the user had to do was to bind their mobile with it and their details would be imprinted on the bot.


    To make sure that more people get Koro-koro Markus had decided to make it so that every buyer could buy only one unit. The sale went live, and within fifteen minutes, 18,000 Koro-koro bots were sold like hot cakes. Thunder Technology office was echoing with dead silence. They did not expect such a great response from the people.


    Hao Ren immediately looked at Lynn Carter and said, "Miss Carter, expand the factory, start two more lines and offer rewards for people to work on weekends. Increase the output."


    Within fifteen minutes, Thunder Tech made ''One hundred seven million nine hundred eighty-two thousand yuan''. The profit was staggering. The market was shaken by this feat. Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "If my estimate is correct, we made a little over hundred million yuan, am I correct?"


    Markus Bourne had finished calculating the numbers and he nodded in confirmation. Even Byte Technology could not make this amount so quickly. Their company was not even a month old. Hao Ren said, "Donate fifty million to the charity, and allocate thirty million to acquire small companies that manufacture the crucial parts in Koro-Koro''s production. They will raise the price, I do not like the idea."


    Lynn Carter nodded, shocked by his quick thinking. Hao Ren said, "Use the seven million to issue bonuses to everyone including the factory workers. Also, Mister Bourne, get me a reliable public relations officer, and an HR. You will focus on marketing only from now on."


    Markus Bourne nodded and said, "Yes, Sir. I will get it done within a week."


    The conference call was disconnected, and a mechanical sound echoed in Hao Ren''s mind, *Ding: You have gained recognition in the eyes of your wife. Completion of hidden task detected.*


    Hao Ren smiled and commented, "Well system, I missed you too."


    When Han Lingshi left, that night, Hao Ren had received a task to earn recognition in the eyes of his wife. It was evident, that Han Lingshi was keeping an eye on the company affairs. She knew that he was a good man, and that he cared about her a lot. However, she still lacked the confidence when it came to his business abilities.


    However, Hao Ren had turned things around with one move, and he had made great waves in the world of commerce. At the same time, his personal asset has sky-rocketed, the amount in his bank account excluding the profit from the sale, was seventy-two million yuan.


    *Ding: You have completed the task, the system will reward you with a yin-yang pupil. You can now see good fortune and bad fortune.*


    Hao Ren was shocked and thought if he could make a fortune at the antique market or stone gambling. Just when he was thinking about it, his eyes began to heat up. The heat was not too harsh but it still made him groan a bit before it calmed down.


    When Hao Ren opened his eyes, he felt that the world had become more vibrant. He could not see much difference in his surroundings. He thought if the system has duped him, *Ding: Host, I wonder if your IQ regress every time you complete a task, do you want to see colorful smoke all around you? This is a talent but to utilize it you will need to make some effort and train yourself to flip the switch.*


    Hao Ren placed his hand on his chest, his heart ached.

 Chapter 46: Meeting In-Laws. (1)

    Hao Ren did not care about what the system said to him. It was true that he was still influenced by the exaggeration of fantasy displayed in the novels he had read. The young man decided to train his sight. It was not easy but after a whole day of staring at birds from his balcony, he finally saw a wisp of blue emitting from the bird.


    Blue color meant a long life and harmony. Hao Ren almost jumped back on his feet. However, the stinging pain in his ribs made him realize the reality and he woke up. Hao Ren slept with a content smile on his face uncaring towards the fact that the internet was buzzing with the success of Koro -Koro.


    ...


    The next morning, Hao Ren woke up and washed up. He was just about to eat some cereal when the phone rang. He saw it was Lynn Carter. He said, "Xiao Mei, put it on speaker."


    The call came through, "Boss, we have a situation."


    Hao Ren raised his brow as he sensed the urgency and panic in her voice. He asked, "What could make you fluster so early in the morning, Miss Carter?"


    Lynn Carter replied, "There is a group of people on the internet who claim that we are a black hearted company and that we are selling cheap stuff with an expensive label to rake profit."


    Hao Ren frowned and did not panic because such a thing was obvious, competitors would often resort to smearing people. The hundred million yuan profit had made them envious.


    Hao Ren replied, "Its not a big deal. They are just trying to ride the wave and gain popularity without any basis to flex."


    Lynn Carter took a deep breath and said, "If that was the only reason, I wouldn''t have been worrying, but a lawyer from Civil Court of people welfare just came over and served us with a show cause notice. They want to know what we are doing with the money."


    Hao Ren furrowed his brow and asked, "Since when did the Court of welfare began to question people about their income?"


    Lynn Carter replied, "Someone filed a public appeal against us."


    Hao Ren raised his brows and said, "Fine, I will look into it, send me the copy of the document also, the charity we registered, I want the certification and everything legal about it. Since they wish to know what we are doing, I will gladly tell them what we are doing."


    Lynn Carter nodded and said that she will send over all the details in a bit. Hao Ren disconnected the call and said, "Xiao Mei, find me the person who filed this application and also what motivated him to do so."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Alright, Boss."


    Hao Ren was pissed off, but he did not lose his temper it wasn''t right for him to panic or get angry over something that could be solved. People who make such moves were akin to foxes. They would be cunning and to hunt down a fox, the hunter needed patience.


    As he was thinking what to do, Han Lingshi sent him a video call invite. He smiled and got on the call, and saw a new face that surprised him. The girl was pretty but she lacked the maturity that Han Lingshi had, he asked, "Who are you and how did you get this phone? Did you do anything to Han Lingshi?"


    His tone was stern and he was worried, however, the girl was shocked too, only for a second before she chuckled and said, "Hahaha, Big sis, your friend is a bit too paranoid."


    She paned the phone to the side and Han Lingshi appeared in the frame, she seemed to be driving and said, "Lingxue I have told you not to mess with him. Ren, this is Lingxue, my little sister."


    Hao Ren let out a sigh and said, "Say, do you remember that I am injured and this simulation is not a good thing for me?"


    Hao Ren found that they were listed at the fifth position in the country, had many branches, but they had strict standards for their employees, and also they generated less revenue.


    Hao Ren contacted the person who was responsible for handling the Thunder Tech cases. He asked, "Hello, is this Attorney Leigh?"


    A calm voice sounded from the other side, "This is Leigh, who am I talking to?"


    Hao Ren introduced himself and said, "Sir, we have been served with summons from the Civil Court Of Welfare. Can you look into it?"


    The man on the other side replied, "Mister Hao, it is my job to do so, can you forward me the document?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yes, I am sending you all the documents I found important now, and if you need anything else, you can contact the company office."


    The lawyer agreed and things were kicked into motion. Hao Ren stood up and said, "Okay, so time to go and get some assets."


    Hao Ren changed into a set of decent clothes and took the elevator downstairs. He had Xiao Mie tell Heath to be ready. The man was wearing a tight fight black polo shirt and cargo pant. Hao Ren smiled and said, "Mister Heath, you sure take your job seriously."


    The man smiled faintly and nodded. He asked, "Where are we heading sir?"


    Hao Ren said, "The stone gambling market."


    Heath was surprised, he did not expect Hao Ren to have such inclinations. In the past few days, he saw the young man working hard and thought that he might be different from other young masters. However, here they were, Heath was a soldier in his youth so he disliked those who did not have any discipline.


    Hao Ren looked at him and said, "Brother Heath, you don''t have to think so much, I am not going there to gamble, but for personal business."


    Heath shook his head and said, "Whatever you do, it is not my business, Sir."


    Hao Ren shook his head and sat down in the co-pilot seat. Heath got inside and Hao Ren said, "Do you know who operates the Vanity Jades and Jewels?"


    Heath shook his head and Hao Ren said, "Han Yuntian. He is the person who owns one of the biggest shop in the jade city. How does he extract Jade?"


    Heath replied, "By cutting the raw stones."


    This was how everyone did it and it was common knowledge. Hao Ren nodded and said, "The raw stones stock is where the real jewels are hidden. Han Yuntian allows people to come in and bet on stones, then if someone cuts open a jade he would offer a fair price to buy it. However, what do you think will happen if all of his jade stone was cleared out?"


    Heath was surprised but then he said, "How can someone clear out all his jade? Do you have something that can see through the layer of rock? I think they do not allow people to use machines."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "You will see what I mean, Brother Heath. There are many things in this world that cannot be explained by common sense, and I happen to be one of them."


    Heath shook his head as he drove the car. Hao Ren did not mind the man doubting him, if not for the fact that he had Yin-Yang eyes, he won''t have dared to make such a blatant move. Han Yuntian wanted to move on the path of exclusivity. However, Hao Ren wanted to destroy him and his exclusivity.


    After an hour, they reached the jade market. Hao Ren stood at the entrance of the fabled Jade Street with a pair of sparkling eyes, today he met his cousin-in-law, and now he was going to meet the other one. He mumbled, ''Cousin in-law I hope you will like my gift.''

 Chapter 47: In The Spirit Of Vengeance.

    Hao Ren was sitting in the car as they reached the Jade market. He was getting excited about how he was going to earn a lot of profit, however, suddenly the system sounded, *Ding: Host, sensing the spirit of vengeance inside you, a new task is issued. Destroy Vanity Jade and Jewels*


    The young man smiled and thought, "System, I came here to do that only."


    The system replied *Ding: Host you came here to earn profit, however, that is not the reason why you were rewarded by this talent. Yin-Yang eyes help people avoid bad luck and plagues. This was why the courtiers and oracles were so valued by the rulers in the ancient time. Yin-Yang eyes is a blessing by heavens, if you use it for profit seeking actions.


    Let me warn you before hand, you will be losing your normal sight forget about the special powers.*


    Hao Ren was scared but then he quickly asked, "System, the fact that you gave me this gift was so that I can change my destiny, right? Then why can''t I use it to earn profit?"


    *Ding: Host, your destiny changed when you were reborn. Otherwise do you think you would have me someone as astounding like Han Lingshi? Since your destiny has already taken a different trajectory because of Han Lingshi, all the gifts you receive are to ensure that you help changing the trajectory of her destiny too. You both gain something from each other.


    Don''t think the system does not know why you cook for her daily.*


    Hao Ren sealed his mouth and then sighed. Heath came back after parking the car in the lot and the two of them moved through the market. Hao Ren began to test his Yin-Yang eye first. The entire market was loaded with people who had fortunate and unfortunate aura about them. He could tell who would make a fortune and who would suffer.


    Eventually he mastered the eye sight and after half an hour he was able to find out the true from false. Yes, Hao Ren spotted many dealers who were selling fake jade stones. This stones were created in the Knock-shops. These people specialized in creating such fake copies and the sophistication of their craft had reached a level where the people could not tell if the jade was real or fake.


    Hao Ren sensed his phone vibrate, and fished it out. He did not care about Heath who was looking at him with great curiosity. After all, when he came here he did want to deal a huge blow to Vanity Jade and Jewels, yet he did not even look at the shop at the moment.


    Hao Ren skimmed through the details of the data on his phone and found that Han Yuntian was more shady than he expected him to be. He smiled and said, "Brother Heath, buy a carving knife from the stall over there."


    The man nodded and quickly bought a carving knife. Hao Ren said, "Come, we have to create a scene, also, be ready to take down anyone who attacks me."


    Heath was surprised but then he saw Hao Ren walking in the direction of the Vanity Jade and Jewels shop. He did not know what this young man was going to do. However, he quickly followed him.


    The lady nodded and said, "It was scratched, come and see."


    The man came over and under the eyes of the stunned shop clerks and salesmen, the laughing buddha was redecorated. The exclamations were loud and the people raised a ruckus. Accusing the shop for fraud. The middle-aged lady yelled, "Silence!"


    They were all big shots of the city. Even if they were not super rich, the worth of millions made them civilized people. The lady looked at the sales girl who attended Hao Ren and said, "Call your manager, right away. He needs to tell us why is there a fake jade figure in this shop."


    Hao Ren sat on the side with a listless expression, Heath was standing behind him, and an uncle asked, "Young man, don''t worry, you will get refund. We are all your witness, we won''t allow you to be scammed."


    Hao Ren shook his head at the kind man and said, "Uncle, I am not worried about the money. It can be earned back, and I am not afraid of hard work. But, this is such a big shop, we people treat jade as a treasure, how can we even think of testing it before buying? I feel sorry for the people who bought so many pieces from them. How many of them were fake and how many were real. Who knows."


    The man suddenly opened his eyes wide and said, "Shit."


    He took out his phone and called home, he said, "Check all the jade we bought from the Vanity Jade and Jewels. Test them with a knife. Yes, I am sure, we just found them selling a figure for 10999999, it was fake."


    The other people were also regulars and some even came here from referrals, they all began to call the people they knew. All of this happened within a few minutes, when the manager came over from outside, the situation was already handled. The manager asked, "Dear Customers, is there any problem?"


    Hao Ren laughed, and he laughed out loud. He stood up and said, "Manager, I came here to buy a jade figure, and I paid the bill of 10999999 in one go, even before checking the goods. However, upon checking I found that the figure was a fake. Your shop has scammed me of my hard earned money and many of these customers who trusted you also faced the same thing. How will you answer to us?"


    The manager''s face turned pale, and Hao Ren struck the iron while it was hot. He called the police and reported the fraud. He also called Mister Leigh to file an complaint in the cultural heritage department and also the consumer court. The rest of the people did the same. Hao Ren waited till the police came in, and then he submitted the receipts of his purchase along with the Jade figure.


    The rest of the people also came forward to participate as witness and even called home for people to bring in the fake jade they bought from this shop. The entire Jade street was turned upside down, the news exploded and every shop suffered the business.


    Hao Ren detected the jade was fake because while the real jade gives off an harmonious aura, the jade figure he bought did not have any aura at all. Heath was watching the entire situation from the side and he was shocked.


    With one move, Hao Ren turned Vanity Jade & Jewels from the pride of the industry to the bandit who would be hunted by cultural heritage department, fellow businessmen who still ran an honest business, even the fake ones will come after them for effecting them. While the customers would lash out even severely.


    Heath gulped a mouthful of saliva, he was scared by the cunning of this young man. He was not simple at all.

 Chapter 48: First Blood.

    Hao Ren returned home after his visit from the jade market. He wanted to see how Han Yuntian would react when the police showed up on his doorstep. He was sitting inside the car when he thought of something and called his PR department head.


    The call was answered very quickly and Hao Ren said, "Good day to you, Mister Nicholas."


    Nicholas was a senior journalist in his prime but now he was tired of the running around and wanted a quick buck so he was the head of the PR for Thunder Technologies. He heard Hao Ren calling him in a cheerful tone and asked, "Good day to you as well, Chairman, what can I do for you?"


    Hao Ren replied in a musing tone, "I was wondering if you have any friend in the news media?"


    Nicholas raised his ears and asked, "Why would you like to know that?"


    Hao Ren sighed and replied slowly, "You know Mister Nicholas, I was just scammed for one yuan short of eleven million in the Jade Market."


    Nicholas was shocked and asked, "What did you say?"


    Hao Ren told him the details of the entire incident and said, "I have already asked an attorney to deal with the legal proceedings, but I think that Han Yuntian and his father, who own the Vanity Jade & Jewel would try to shut the mouths of the cops. If you have someone who would like to make a it big, please contact them to cover the story. There are still many people in the jade market."


    Nicholas took a deep breath and said, "I will get to it right away."


    Hao Ren nodded and disconnected the call as he leaned back in the seat. He received a message from Attorney Leigh that he was at the police station and will be handling all the proceedings.


    Heath asked, "Sir, was it necessary to go after Han Yuntian in such a manner?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yes, he is the one who started it. So, he will have to pay too. Even if he fails to harm me, but as long as he dares to even look at me or the people close to me, he will pay with his blood. Well, don''t worry, his father is very rich, they both bleed green."


    Heath gulped and stopped talking. Hao Ren reached back home and headed straight to the study. He asked, "Xiao Mei, what is the progress?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, I have so many things to do, can you please be specific?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Vanity Jade and Jewels. How are they doing?"


    Xiao Mei checked for a bit and said, "The cops have collected the statements and they have returned to the police station, the case has been registered and they will be dispatching officers to nab Han Yuntian."


    Hao Ren leaned back in his chair and asked, "Where is Han Yuntian at the moment?"


    Xiao Mei replied after a few minutes, "He was last scene at the Golden Hour Bar."


    Hao Ren nodded and after some thinking he said, "Can you check if there is any illegal activity going on in that place?"


    Xiao Mei checked and replied, "No, nothing. I have been checking Han Yuntian for a few days now. He would come here and get drunk then call a driver from an app to go home."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "Quite careful with the rules he is."


    Hao Ren chuckled bashfully and said, "Don''t tease me. Tell me what happened?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "You attacked Han Yuntian and drew blood in the first time. I really want to give you a kiss right now."


    Hao Ren said, "You can do it, Ummahhh..."


    Han Lingshi was shocked to see him doing such a thing and then a voice sounded from the side, "I did not hear anything, continue. Let me open my horizons."


    Hao Ren was stunned and Han Lingshi was so embarrassed that her face turned red. She shoved the phone over to Han Lingxue, who chuckled and asked, "Brother-in-law, what did you do to make Han Yuntian so miserable."


    Hao Ren became serious and began to narrate what he did and how he did it. The girl was surprised and then she was shocked. She said, "Brother in law, I did not expect you to be such a professional at this. You know the news has gone viral. The people are boycotting Vanity Jade & Jewels.


    The public opinion is so radical that it is catching up attention from the government. Grandpa was talking to Big sis Ling, and he said that it is possible for the Cultural department to fine them with a hefty amount. Also, the consumer court might cancel their trading license."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "That is all within expectation, but Old Master Han didn''t tell you that his grandson assaulted the cop and was arrested?"


    Han Lingxue was shocked and asked hurriedly, "Is what you said the truth?"


    Hao Ren nodded and asked her to check the situation.


    ....


    In a big villa, Second Young Master Han, Han Yuntian''s father, Han Ming was walking around restlessly. At this moment, a middle-aged man walked over with cold sweat on his face. Han Ming stopped moving and asked, "Cao, what do you think? Did you find who is doing this?"


    Cao was his henchman, he said, "Master, I found that a customer made a purchase of 10999999 in the store and then checked the jade. He found that the jade was fake. Many other people checked their products and half of them were fake. It does not seem to be a vindictive move.


    As for the drunk and drive, the young master is claiming that you called him about being attacked, but the fact cops found no call records. He appears guilty and he even punched a cop."


    Han Ming clenched his fist and yelled, "This bastard son of mine will be my death. Call the police commissioner. Also, track the progress of the people in the cultural department and the consumer court. Find a way to settle with the customers who sued us. Also, close that fucking shop right away."


    Han Ming had lost a lot, and now he needed to find a way to salvage the situation.


    ...


    In the lockup, Han Yuntian was interrogated and his lawyer suddenly asked, "Who is the person who filed the case against my client?"


    The police inspector said, "Mister Neil, the person is called Hao Ren, and his attorney has already handled the proceedings. You will have to wait till Monday to get any contact information. I cannot bend the rules."


    Han Yuntian raised his head and asked, "Did you just say, Hao Ren?"


    The cop glared at him and did not answer. How dare this guy expect him to answer his question after punching him. The inspector walked away, and Han Yuntian slammed his palm at the table as he said, "Hao Ren, you will pay for your actions. The war has just begun."

 Chapter 49: Meeting The In-Laws (2).

    Hao Ren was sitting in his house when he saw the news on the television that Vanity Jade & Jewels has been closed down by the cultural and heritage department and there license was revoked. However, he was waiting for the enemy to make a move.


    Hao Rent knew very well that snakes like Han Yuntian and Han Ming were not the people who would easily stop, and his guess was correct.


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, Han Ming is asking people to look into your background. Should I stop him?"


    Hao Rent thought for a bit and said, "Stall him. Also, bring up the stock market for the day."


    He was going to intimidate Han Ming. Xiao Mei followed his commands and Hao Ren began to speculate and make money on daily trade.


    Meanwhile, Han Ming was getting anxious, because the police refused to give them any details of the people who filed the complaints. The pile of charges against Han Yuntian was so high that Attorney Leigh told Hao Ren that it was possible for him to make the court add the charge of a repeated offense.


    Hao Ren liked Attorney Leigh and gave him a thumbs-up for this. Hao Ren stopped trading only when the market closed in the western hemisphere. His profit was seventy five million.


    Suddenly, the system said, *Ding: Host, the task of spirit of vengeance have been completed. Vanity Store will not open now. You are rewarded with a golden manager lottery.*


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "Let me see what this thing does."


    The system said, *Ding: Normal employees are all people who are driven by profits. You have the ideas but the people who execute those ideas always have some selfish reasons underneath their smiles. The golden manager will be loyal to you because of your ideas. The efficiency will increase."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "System can this lottery be used at a later occasion?"


    They system gave him a positive reply. Hao Ren sighed and began to slowly swivel his chair from left to right.


    Hao Ren had no intention of expanding his business at the moment. He wanted to get a stable foothold in the tech sector. There were many things he wanted to do.


    Suddenly, Xiao Mei said, "Boss, Han Ming''s people are tracking you through the footage of you and Mister Heath at the market. They already know your car and license plate number."


    Hao Ren frowned and said, "The car is registered under Lingshi''s name. It would be troublesome if they managed to connect the two of us together. Although I am not afraid of them discovering anything but I don''t want Lingshi to be troubled."


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, should I hide everything from them?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "If we hide something, then they will search even more rigorously. You can hide things online but not offline. I will have to come up with a proper solution to this problem called second Han Strain."


    Xiao Mei asked, "Boss, what do you have in mind?"


    Hao Ren said, "Connect me to Lingshi, tell her it''s urgent."


    Hao Ren side, "Listen, I don''t have the time to waste. Han Ming is poking around my family. I assure you to not mess with me right now. Or do I need to call Lingshi so that you keep your temper in check?"


    Hao Ren knew about this guy. Yue Shenlong was the unbearable young master of the Yue Family. Nobody wanted to offend him, because he was notorious enough to kill and ruin the people for slightest of transgression. His nick name in the capital was the petty dragon.


    Yue Shenlong was stunned that Hao Ren did not seem to be afraid of him. He spoke menacingly, "Do you think big cousin would be able to save you? I can ruin your little company whenever I want. Do you understand?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Before you even think about how you can ruin me, let me give you a reality check."


    The call was disconnected and the monitoring screens of the dungeon turned black. The next moment a handsome young man appeared on the screen and everyone was shocked.


    Yue Shenlong knew that it was Hao Ren, he was surprised to see him on the screen, sitting there with a cup of coffee in his hand. Hao Ren said, "It took me a minute to get inside your monitoring station. How much do you think it will take me to get in your offices and company servers? I am sure that you are not as heavily defensive as Byte Technologies. Are you, Young Master Yue?"


    Yue Shenlong clenched his first and said while glaring at the screen, "Han Ming might do anything to you but I can kill you."


    Hao Ren nodded and then asked, "Are your people stronger than Red Banner?"


    Yue Shenlong''s pupil constricted in shock. He did not expect Hao Ren to ask him such a question. As he was watching, Hao Ren took off his arm brace and give it a swing. He said, "Let''s meet and then see who is stronger."


    Yue Shenlong chuckled and asked, "What gives you the confidence that you can beat me."


    Suddenly, a calm voice sounded from behind him, "The gun aimed at the back of your head. That''s my confidence."


    Then a click echoed inside the monitoring room and everyone slowly turned to see a handsome man standing six feet away from Yue Shenlong, holding a gun aimed at the latter''s head.


    Yue Shenlong sensed his blood freeze. He could tell that Hao Ren was definitely not normal. He had a killing aura on his person and it was very intense. He asked, "How did you get in?"


    Hao Ren smiles and replied, "There are many loopholes in your security. I didn''t even break a sweat. However, two of your guards are stunned and they might need medical attention."


    Yue Shenlong looked at him and didn''t move even an inch. Hao Ren smiled and took back the gun as he said, "Lingshi would not like it if we fight among ourselves. What do you say, Brother Shen?"


    Yue Shenlong did not reply but then he sighed and said, "Big cousin used to say that you are talented and stuff, but I never expected something like this to happen."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Nice to meet you."


    He stretched out his right hand after holstering the gun inside his brace. Yue Shenlong chuckled and shook his hand as he replied, "Cheeky man, you are. I like it."


    The two of them joined hands and now will make their final move.

 Chapter 50: Mastermind.

    Hao Ren and Yue Shenlong stood facing each other. The latter did not underestimate Hao Ren because of a brace on his arm. On the contrary it scared him for some reason. He could not help but ask, "How did you get in? Even if there are loopholes in the security, you could not have known the layout of the house with ease."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I hacked into your security system, and made it so that none of the cameras pick me up and all the alarms were diffused. Avoiding the human guards was easier. As for the layout of the house, the satellite navigation helped me."


    Yue Shenlong was surprised and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Hao Ren smiled as he went on, "Well, you can find the aerial image of the mansion by clicking the terrain button."


    Yue Shenlong was stunned and so were the rest of the guards in the control room. One of them could not help but ask, "Sir, can you tell me how were you able to talk with Young Master on the video call?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I only set a deepfake frame in the set up. I was monitoring the call and responding in real time. The voice was real but the scene was fake."


    The guards gulped a mouthful, they did not expect Hao Ren to be so proficient with technology. Yue Shenlong sighed and said, "I never expected that the state of art security system would have such loopholes."


    Hao Ren shrugged, and asked, "How is her mental status?"


    Yue Shenlong smiled and said, "In shambles."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Have someone fetch her a set of clothes, I want to talk to her."


    Yue Shenlong raised his brow and said, "Why do you want to put clothes on her?"


    Hao Ren winked and said, "You all will know in a bit. If you don''t mind, Brother Shen, put on a mask to cover your face later, same with everyone else."


    Yue Shenlong was confused and tried to find out what Hao Ren was planning to do. However, the young man did not budge at all. After a few minutes, Maria was given a set of clothes and she was given some water and food. Yue Shenlong watched everything from the outside, and Hao Ren moved to go inside the holding room.


    ...


    Maria was sitting on the ground, filled with doubt, after a few days of solitary, her thoughts were in chaos, however, now she was given food and clothes. She had no idea what was going on or why her captor suddenly took pity on her.


    Just when she was thinking about it, the door of the holding room opened and her eyes opened wide when she saw Hao Ren walking inside. She stood up and pointed her finger at him. Hao Ren sighed and said, "Save your energy, I am not the one who is keeping you captive."


    Maria yelled hysterically, "Liar! If not you, who could harm me? You are the one who is doing it, or is it that bitch Han Lingshi? Tell me, who is keeping me here. What do you want from me."


    Hao Ren approached her with a calm face and then he delivered a stern slap to the lady. Maria was forced to fall on the padded floor, as Hao Ren grabbed her neck with his right hand and exerted some force as he spoke coldly, "You dare to bad mouth Lingshi, while you are the one who betrayed her. Bitch, do you want to die?"


    Maria was scared shitless, and shook her head. Hao Ren sighed and flung her away as if he was throwing out garbage. Maria gasped for air, and watched Hao Ren walking around in the room. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Lingshi does not know any of this, she has been outside the country.


    Maria shouted even louder, "That old bastard is wearing a pendant, that is actually a storage drive. All the proof you want is in there. Alright, and not only that, that old swine is also involved with the Ye family underground forces."


    Hao Ren was dazed for a moment and then he smiled as he said, "Thank you for your help."


    Maria was confused when the door was opened and Hao Ren walked out leaving behind the lady to scream at the top of her lungs.


    ...


    When Hao Ren came out, Yue Shenlong and his men were looking at the former as if he was a monster. Hao Ren did not care about them, and came to the security equipment console before he picked up his phone and pretended to be on call. He said, "Xiao Mei, access the footage for the past half an hour, extract all the audio against Han Ming."


    As he put his phone back, Yue Shenlong asked, "What are you doing?"


    He was confused, Hao Ren said, "My person is still able to monitor this system so the evidence will be extracted with ease. Don''t worry, tonight, Han Ming and Han Yuntian will be bidding there farewell to the world of living."


    He turned around and said, "Just be prepared to bring Maria out when I tell you to."


    Yue Shenlong watched him leave the room, and after a thought he chased after him but Hao Ren was no where to be found. Yue Shenlong was more scared than shocked at this moment. He could not believe that someone barged inside his family villa, and left unnoticed by the guards. He was angry but not at Hao Ren or the guards. He was angry on himself.


    How could all that he had done look like a child''s play to someone else. He clenched his fist, and mumbled, "Hao Ren, one day I will catch up to your strength."


    ...


    Hao Ren was sitting in the driver''s seat of his car, he used his assassination skills to move in and out of the Yue Mansion. The reason he went in like that was to shock Yue Shenlong and show his strength. This may seem unnecessary, but Yue Shenlong was a very competitive person, he never took those who lost to him seriously.


    He was known for his ruthlessness, not to others but himself. He would go to any extent to hone himself into a person whose strength was supreme. Hao Ren exploited that trait to his advantage.


    Xiao Mei asked, "Boss, the extraction is complete."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Find me the most secluded place outside the city. Find out if Han Yuntian has been released from the lockup."


    After a few moments, the AI replied, "Boss, he is still in. Han Ming needs your signature for the deal to go through."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Tell Han Ming to send his lawyer to Mister Leigh and agree for the settlement of twenty million yuan plus psychological damages."


    Xiao Mei nodded, and said, "Han Yuntian should be out by the evening."


    Hao Ren smiled as he turned his vehicle, "Night is when the wolves prey, Xiao Mei."

 Chapter 51: Scene Set.

    Hao Ren reached back home, he was not worried about the company at all, Xiao Mei was tracking the progress and also prompting the staff to move in the most optimal manner to ensure profit.


    The main thing that Hao Ren was focused upon at the moment was the Han family troubles. The sooner this settled the sooner he would be able to claim his relation with Han Lingshi. He did not like to stay in the closet about something so obvious.


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, Attorney Leigh has signed the documents and the compensation has been moved into your account."


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "Deliver a message for Yue Shenlong to deliver Maria in the secluded hills in the suburbs, half an hour after Han Yuntian reaches home."


    The Ai replied in positive.


    ...


    Han Ming had been anxiously waiting for the deal to go through so that he could call his son back. Even sinners cared for their children, specially crooked sinners like Han Ming. He received the call from his attorney that Hao Ren has signed the negotiation papers and they could directly apply for Han Yuntian to be released.


    Han Ming sighed and sat down in the chair, relieved.


    ...


    Han Yuntian went through the process and collected his stuff from the officer on duty and boarded the car with his father''s attorney. He did not say anything because he was thinking about how to avenge this humiliation.


    After a few minutes he asked, "What did you do to pull me out, Neil?"


    Neil sighed and said, "We had to compensate all the people, we incurred huge loss this time."


    Han Yuntian furrowed his brows, "You paid the people to bring me out?"


    Neil nodded and said, "It was Hao Ren the primary reporter who delayed the signing of the document otherwise you would have been released in the morning only."


    Han Yuntian clenched his fists, his hatred for Hao Ren was multiplying at a shocking level. The car arrived at the villa where Han Ming lived. Han Yuntian had just gotten out of the vehicle when his cell phone rang. He picked up the call and from the other side, Maria''s voice sounded, "Han Yuntian, you bastard. You dared to trick me into loving me, yet you have been sleeping with other people?


    You fucking shit. I will tell the cops about everything that you and your father do."


    Han Yuntian''s gaze turned cold, but he spoke with an affectionate voice, "Love, what are you even thinking about? What have I done?"


    Maria scoffed and said, "If I don''t see you at the location I sent you within an hour, you will go back to the prison where the criminals love to fuck white boys like you. Understand, you swine."


    Han Yuntian took a deep breath to calm himself and asked, "What do you need?"


    Maria replied, "I only want you. I just want you to accept my love. That''s it."


    Han Yuntian charged forward at Hao Ren quickly. The latter was unbothered, this sort of fight looked too easy to him. Han Yuntian was a brawler, he might have been able to overwhelm the people weaker than him but he did not stand a chance against Hao Ren.


    Han Yuntian attacked Hao Ren, and the latter used his right hand to parry all the attacks, and after five minutes of moving around he said, "Han Yuntian, I expected a little better from you."


    Then he parried an attack, swiftly took out a silver needle from his belt and stabbed it in the back of Han Yuntian''s neck. The latter was stunned immediately, after a few seconds, he fell down on the ground.


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Do you know why you are so miserable at this moment?"


    Han Yuntian just glared at him, but he could not speak. Hao Ren smiled at him and said, "You dared to lay a hand on Lingshi. If it was a fair competition in the company where you would want to beat her openly, I would not have minded looking at you, but you went as far as hiring the mercenaries. Too bad they died at my hands."


    Han Yuntian was scared, he did not expect Hao Ren to know that he was the person behind Red Banner. Hao Ren continued recounting the things Han Yuntian has done, and then he said, "In the end, your insolence is the result of your father being too supportive of you. So, your father should also follow you."


    Han Yuntian was shocked, Hao Ren smiled and said, "You are thinking how will I do that? Let me show you. Xiao Mei, send the clip to Han Ming and also call him over to hand over the money or he can collect the head of his son."


    Han Yuntian heard a voice, "Yes, Boss."


    Hao Ren smiled and introduced Xiao Mei to the latter. He was like a demon from hell who was tormenting Han Yuntian with great pleasure.


    ...


    Han Ming was having a drink on the bar when his phone rang. He picked it up and saw Han Yuntian calling him. He answered the call with a smile, but his face changed. Then he disconnected the call and turned to look at the message on his social media. It was a clip where Maria was talking about his dark businesses and this scared Han Ming.


    At the end of the clip, Maria looked at the screen, it was as if she was staring right at Han Ming, and said, "If you want your son to be back home in one piece, deliver twenty million cash to the location below. Or be prepared to collect Han Yuntian in pieces all over the city."


    Han Ming was so angry that he almost broke his phone with a tight grip. However, now that his son has been kidnapped by Maria, he had no other option to look for him. He could not call the police because his son was freshly released and if Maria did something crazy like sending the clip to the police or harming his son then it would be too much of a loss to bear.


    He threw his glass at the wall and quickly collected all he cash in his bag and then rushed over to the location.


    ...


    Hao Ren looked at Han Yuntian and said, "Your father loves you so much. I wonder what he would do if he was the one to put you to rest?"


    Han Yuntian shivered, and then he saw Hao Ren poke his body with needles and made a few signs with his hands. The young man was sent into a daze right away. Then he stood up before him and put a black cap on his head to cover his face. The next moment Hao Ren covered his face with a black cloth leaving only tiny gaps to see what was going on around him.


    He stood before Han Yuntian as if he was the hostage. Xiao Mei said in his ear piece, "Han Ming is reaching over in a few bits."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Do you know when to alert the police?"


    Xiao Mei replied in positive, and Hao Ren placed a gun in Han Yuntian''s hand, and the gun was pointed at his own head. The scene was set, and the main character was about to make an entrance.

 Chapter 52: Curtain Falls.

    Han Ming treaded through the dark woods slowly, he was fifty years old and his body was weak. The toll of years of indulgence was evident. He carefully walked while the bag was being dragged behind him. The old man was panting severely and cursing the person for selecting this location.


    He arrived at the place that was being shown on his phone and saw two figures standing in the distance. They were both shrouded in darkness, but then he heard a voice, "Dad, why did you come here? Run, these people have already killed Maria. They will kill me as well."


    Han Ming knew that this voice belonged to his son, he said calmly, "Yuntian, don''t worry, I am here."


    He thought that the person with a black mask was his son, then he moved his gaze to the man with the gun and said, "You don''t have to kill him, put away the weapon and take the money. Let my son go."


    However, the person shook his head slightly and asked in a hoarse voice, "Do you really think that your money can buy the life of this beast? Given how many crimes you bastards have committed, my deed would be called a good deed."


    Han Ming furrowed his brows and asked coldly, "Do you think you can walk away after crossing me like this?"


    Hao Ren was very cruel. He did not intend to let any of them walk away from this place. His decay poison had already taken effect on Maria''s body, and now he was going to play with these two father and son.


    Hao Ren watched from the holes in the mask, that Han Ming was getting angry and that was what he wanted. Behind him, Han Yuntian was having a hard time. His father was being humiliated by Hao Ren, and whilst he held the gun, he had no power in his body. He did not know how this guy was controlling him, but he was helpless.


    His rage had began to gush from his eyes. Suddenly, Hao Ren dashed forward and Han Yuntian''s voice sounded, "Dad! Shoot this motherfucker."


    Han Ming was shocked, he did not expect his son to pull of a stunt like this. However, he also came prepared with a gun. Han Ming dropped the bag on the ground and quickly took out the weapon from his waist holster, and then took aim at the armed man who was still shocked. He fired three shots quickly.


    Bang! Bang! Bang!


    The dark woods thundered and the bullets pierced through the flesh of Han Yuntian. He watched as his father shot him in the chest. Han Ming took a few deep breaths, and he rushed towards ''his son'' who has fallen on the ground. He panted and said, "Yuntian! Yuntian... son, are you okay?"


    ''Han Yuntian'' turned around and before Han Min could react, he sensed a prick on his neck. He rubbed his neck, and helped Han Yuntian stand up. He dusted his clothes and said, "Thank god you are okay, I was scared to death."


    Hao Ren looked at him and took off his mask before he said, "Han Ming, aren''t you a hypocrite?"


    Han Ming froze and raised his head to look at Hao Ren, he was shocked, and asked sharply, "Who are you?!"


    Hao Ren said, "I am Hao Ren."


    Han Ming opened his eyes wide and Hao Ren pointed at the real Han Yuntian laying on the ground, he said, "That''s your real son. You shot him with your own hands."


    Han Ming was shocked, his face turned pale at the thought of hurting Han Yuntian. He did not even look at Hao Ren and rushed over to check on Han Yuntian quickly. He did not even pay attention to Hao Ren.


    He rushed quickly to check on Han Yuntian and knelt on the ground. He touched his chest and wailed, "Yuntian!"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Brother Shen, there is no such thing as a perfect crime. Also, can you let me sleep, I am tired from all this."


    Yue Shenlong could not help but take a deep breath and say, "I don''t know what you did and how you did it. However, if you ever had any idea against my sister..."


    Hao Ren interrupted him and said, "I assure you that if there is one person for whom I am willing to go against the world and bear the sins on my heart, that person is Lingshi. Now, do not annoy me, please. I am really tired and need to rest."


    Yue Shenlong nodded and then disconnected the call. He lay in bed and sighed because the entire day he was working. He had to come up with a plan, discuss with Xiao Mei to remove the loopholes and then he had to prepare the medicines too. He was running around and his injuries have not yet healed properly.


    However, just as he closed his eyes, his phone rang again. He sighed and checked who was calling him and found it to be Han Lingshi. He smiled faintly and picked up the call, the first thing Han Lingshi asked made him think that everything was worth it.


    "Ren are you okay? You are not hurt, are you?"


    Hao Ren shook his head with a faint smile on his face, and then two began to talk about what happened in the wood. The more Hao Ren told them about how he planned things, the more Han Lingshi and Han Lingxue were shocked and looked at him as if he were some monster.


    Hao Ren scratched the back of his head and asked, "Can you two stop looking at me like this?"


    Han Lingxue said, "Brother-in-law, did you leave Han Ming alive, because of my family?"


    Hao Ren looked at her and said, "Lingxue, no matter what kind of a person he is. If he had fallen in this whole thing, he would have left a void in the heart of your mother, and grandparents. At least, now, they will have some assurance that Han Ming will be living with them. They could watch him."


    Han Lingxue sniffled and closed her eyes as she said, "Good. I am sleepy, bye."


    She left the room quickly to hid her vulnerable side. Han Lingshi looked at her and did not stop her. She sighed and said, "Ren, are you really okay?"


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "You are asking me because you think that I will be effected mentally because I killed some?"


    Han Lingshi hesitated and then nodded, Hao Ren smiled and said, "You should come back, I have a lot of things to tell you."


    Han Lingshi nodded with a smile and said, "One more week at the least, I will be back."


    The two people fed each other some sweet nothings for a while before they disconnected the call.


    ...


    While Han Lingshi and Hao Ren were flirting, in another corner of the world, a middle aged man was leaning against the bed with a young woman in his bed. Suddenly, the door of the room was pushed open and a young man walked in. He furrowed his brows and said, "Han Ming has been declared insane by the cops of Han Nation."


    The middle aged man furrowed and said, "Find out how this happened. Also, change your girlfriend. I like this one, and I am keeping her."


    The young man left the room without a word. However, the old man did not miss out the cold light flashing in his eyes. He sighed and said, "You are still too green to fight me for the throne, son."

 Chapter 53: Surprise.

    Hao Ren did not know about the currents surging in the shadows. He woke up in the morning and after cleaning up, his gaze fell on the bag filled with money. He frowned, it was not safe for him to keep so much cash in the house and he also did not want to use the ill-gotten money for his use.


    He thought for a bit and decided to make anonymous donations. He said, "Xiao Mei, find me the best cancer research institute where they have achieved some actual results."


    Xiao Mei gave him a reply in a few minutes, and Hao Ren decided to take a trip to the place later. He then walked out of the house and came to the floor below. Heath was outside the elevator. He took a deep breath and said, "Good Morning, Young Master Hao."


    The young man nodded and said, "Can you drive me to the office?"


    Heath nodded and said, "It is my duty."


    Hao Ren had not gone to the office for quite a long time. He wanted to see what was going on. The car moved through the traffic, and Hao Ren looked into the news, it turned out that the situation was not bad, Thunder Tech has been gaining a lot of hype in the market.


    The share price of the company was rising and over the past few days many people had approached them for collaboration. However, they had all been turned around because they did not need funding, and their marketing was strong.


    Soon, the car reached the office building, the Rubicon tower, Hao Ren came over to the office and heard a bout of laughter. He moved inside and spotted a couple of girls sitting on the reception counter.


    They saw him and called, "Excuse me, Sir, may I be of any help?"


    Hao Ren looked at them and said, "You guys are new, right?"


    As the girls were confused, suddenly, Klaus walked out and froze, "Chairman, why didn''t you tell us?"


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "Do I need to announce every time I come to work?"


    Klaus shook his head and said, "You misunderstood, we all have been wanting for you to come over. After all, your recovery is something we all look forward to."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Gather everyone, we need to discuss the future of the company, celebrating a small victory is not a sign of progress."


    ...


    Ten minutes later, everyone was gathered in the bullpen, and Hao Ren asked, "Have you all been enjoying the sales these past two weeks?"


    The people did not smile, because looking at Hao Ren''s face, it was evident that he was not here for fun and games. He asked, "Does anyone have any idea about what we should be doing next."


    Klaus cleared his throat and said, "Chairman, we have been researching a few options. These days the market for online games is very good. We can make some games."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It consumes too much resources."


    Lynn Carter said, "Sir, how about house assistants?"


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Lynn Carter said, "Sir, people have loved Koro-Koro, if they can get another appliance that can work in sync with Koro-koro, won''t they like it even more?"


    Everyone was stunned when they looked at him. Hao Ren leaned back in his chair and said, "Mister Klaus, use your designing team and render a few samples of the said appliances for daily household usage."


    The people nodded and the meeting continued, after half a day, they had decided to move over to a bigger space, they had the money and did not have to worry about anything now. Just when he was thinking about it, Hao Ren received a call from Wilma Fey, the person who developed cosmetics for the Magnificent Cosmetics.


    He frowned and accepted the call, "Hello, long time no see, Doctor Fey."


    Wilma Fey replied, "Good day to you too, Mister Hao. Can you come over to the office? I have something urgent to talk to you about."


    Hao Ren could sense some nervousness in her voice and thought about it before he replied, "Fine, I will be moving over, let''s have some lunch."


    Wilma Fey agreed and decided to meet him in a restaurant near the commercial complex. Hao Ren stood up from the chair and moved out. He gazed at Lynn Carter and said, "I am going out for a lunch meeting. Have a good day you guys."


    Hao Ren was shocked and exclaimed, "What did you say? How come you are in the capital? Why didn''t you tell me earlier? I could have come to pick you up."


    Mrs. Hao frowned on the other side and asked, "Did you forget what date it is?"


    Hao Ren froze and then he sighed, "How can I forget that date? Now, you go to the waiting hall, I am coming over to pick you. The terminal is close to my position."


    The lady nodded and disconnected the call. Hao Ren sighed and said, "Brother Heath, please take me to the Railway Terminal, I have to pick up my mother."


    Heath nodded and turned the car to the terminal. Hao Ren finished one call and the second call arrived, he was about to pop a vein on his forehead when he saw the caller was Han Lingshi.


    He picked up the call, and the lady said, "Did you miss me?"


    Hao Ren was surprised and chuckled as he asked, "I did, now can you please tell me what got into you?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and shook her head as she said, "Did you eat?"


    Hao Ren nodded and told her about his engagement with Wilma Fey. Han Lingshi was surprised and then said, "Okay, that''s good, well, I will talk to you in a bit, I have reached my destination."


    Hao Ren agreed and then disconnected the call. He could not help but think what was going on today. Han Lingshi was taking the initiative to act cute and ask if he missed her. Then his mother had suddenly come over for his upcoming birthday.


    He could not help but sigh at the fact that life was really unpredictable. Heath drove quickly and said, "Young Master, we are here."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Hmm, I will be back in a moment."


    He took out his mobile and then called his mother. The lady told him her location and Hao Ren quickly located her in the crowd. Mrs. Hao was sitting beside her trolley bag looking at the variety of people moving around her.


    Hao Ren approached her and called, "Ma."


    The lady raised her head and scanned her son from top to bottom. Many ladies were scrutinizing him at the same time. Hao Ren had changed and become very remarkable. However, Mrs. Hao did not care about his awesome changes, she stood up and asked, "How did you break your hand?"


    The young man shook his head and said, "A truck driver crashed into me, not my fault. I swear, you can ask Lingshi."


    Mrs. Hao narrowed her gaze and said, "You sure have gotten more gutsy, daring to use your wife to cover for you? Shame on you."


    Hao Ren froze when she called Han Lingshi his wife. He had an urge to ask how she found out, but then quickly, he realized that she had scolded him in the regional dialect, the female partner was also called wife.


    He took a breath and said, "Can you save the scolding for home?"


    He then dragged her bag as she followed him slowly. Mrs. Hao saw Heath opening the trunk and helping Hao Ren with the luggage. Hao Ren made the introductions and Mrs. Hao nodded to Heath who greeted her back.


    They got into the car, and then drove to the apartment. Hao Ren asked, "Is dad guarding the shop?"


    Mrs. Hao nodded, and that was it. They did not talk much, Hao Ren could see from her face that she was tired from the journey. He sighed but did not say anything much.


    ...


    They reached the apartment and Hao Ren helped her out of the car, Heath took out the luggage, they got into the elevator, and the old lady said, "This place must be expensive, right?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Your blessings worked, I won this place in a lottery."


    The old lady did not say anything and they soon arrived at the door, just when he was about to touch the handle, the door was opened and he saw Han Lingshi standing on the other side with a bright smile.


    He could tell that she was shocked, and suddenly, he said, "Surpriseeeee!"


    After all, his mother and wife had finally come face to face. This was a surprise for all of them arranged by the god of fates (AUTHOR)

 Chapter 54: New Task.

    Han Lingshi was stunned when she saw Mrs. Hao on the door beside Hao Ren, and vice versa. Mrs. Hao did not expect to meet Han Lingshi as soon as she reached home. Hao Ren looked at the two of them, he could not help but chuckle at the situation. They wanted to surprise him but they were surprised themselves.


    He yelled, "Surprise!!"


    Mrs. Hao and Han Lingshi woke up from the daze and the old lady pinched the arm of her son and twisted the flesh in her death grip. Hao Ren sucked in a cold breath and cried, "Maa!! It hurts, what are you doing?"


    Mrs. Hao let go of his arm and smiled at Han Lingshi, "I did not expect you to be welcoming me, thank you, Lingshi."


    Han Lingshi also regained her composure and bowed slightly as she reached out to take Mrs. Hao''s hand and bring her inside the house. However, she did not forget to turn around and glare at Hao Ren.


    The young man sighed and took the luggage from Heath as he entered the house. In the house, Han Lingshi was showing Mrs. Hao around the house and Hao Ren asked, "Did you finish your work over there?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Yup, its settled. Lingxue also came back she will be coming over tomorrow."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I should get her a gift, no?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "Forget it, she is not a child, you have already solved her biggest trouble."


    Mrs. Hao came out of a room and said, "Ren, this is a good place."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Why don''t you and dad move over?"


    Mrs. Hao shook her head and said, "Mei is still there, how can we move back?"


    Hao Ren nodded, and then he suddenly thought of something. He said, "I will be going back to the company, I have a few things to deal with."


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows and said, "Your mom has just come and you want to leave?"


    Her voice contained a hint of complaint. Hao Ren sighed and wanted to say something when Mrs. Hao said, "Don''t worry, I want to rest anyways. Ren, go. Come back soon in the evening."


    Hao Ren nodded and left the house quickly. Han Lingshi was not a fool, she could sense something was off between the two of them. Mrs. Hao sighed, and when she saw Han Lingshi''s contemplating expression, she asked, "Are you thinking what''s wrong between the two of us?"


    Han Lingshi was stunned but then she nodded, after all, since the elder has already seen through her thoughts, it was only right for her to reveal it.


    Mrs. Hao sat down on the couch and said, "Tomorrow, is his birthday."


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide and realized that she did know it was Hao Ren''s birthday. After she snapped out of her thoughts, Mrs. Hao asked, "Are you thinking why the atmosphere is so dull, when its his birthday?"


    Han Lingshi patted the back of his hand and said, "Go, take a shower, I will set up the food for you on the table."


    Hao Ren nodded, and after a deep breath he left the living room to take a shower. He came back and saw Han Lingshi moving food from the kitchen to the dining table. The woman was wearing a white one piece dress, looking very elegant. He sighed, and she turned to look at him with a smile.


    She asked, "What are you thinking?"


    Hao Ren neared her and then said, "I am thinking how fortunate I am to find a beauty like you."


    As he was talking he placed his hand on her waist, but Han Lingshi smacked his hand away as she looked inside the house and said, "Aunty is here, control yourself."


    Hao Ren pursued his lips and Han Lingshi chuckled. Then she served him with the food, and asked, "What do you plan to do tomorrow?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I am heading to the town nearby in the morning. The Ye family has been making moves that is hindering my business. I have to take care of that."


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows and asked, "What do you mean? What business do you have that could be affected by the Ye family?"


    Hao Ren told her about his involvement with the Magnificent cosmetics and Wilma Fey. He also told her the thing the Ye family had been doing over these past few days, and how they were hindering him. Han Lingshi tapped the table with her fingers and said, "Why didn''t you set up a company of your own?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Acquiring a set company is better, but Magnificent is not for sale, that much is sure. I will collaborate with them and earn money from them, at the same time I am buying their stocks without attracting their attention. I only seek equal profit so I will allow them to buy the stocks back in the future if they want to."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Do as you may see fit. I shall leave for the night."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Leave in the morning, sleep in your room. Mom would like to see you in the morning."


    Han Lingshi said, "Aunty has taken my room, and she is snoring, I can''t sleep there."


    Hao Ren looked at her and suddenly, the familiar mechanical voice echoed in his mind, *Ding: Host, your wife has some expectations, but she also hesitates. Take control and lead her to experience a night filled with love.*


    Hao Ren smiled at Han Lingshi and said, "Why don''t you stay with me for the night?"


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide and the young man said, "You would have to live in the same room eventually, no? Why not take tonight as a trial? I swear, I will not cross any boundaries."


    His words and expectant eyes made Han Lingshi tremble, she did not think Hao Ren would anticipate her arrival in his room, so much. The reason Hao Ren was able to do it was because the rest of the bedrooms did not have any furniture in them.


    Han Lingshi shook her head and wanted to say something when Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, I missed you."


    He then placed his hand on her hand and asked, "Do you not trust me?"

 Chapter 55: Night Filled With Love.

    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren were sitting on the dining table, next to each other. Hao Ren was holding her hand as he gazed in her eyes. He had just asked her to stay the night, and he was holding her hand as gently as if holding a delicate treasure.


    Han Lingshi was anxious, yet anticipation was visible in her eyes. She tried to peek deeper into Hao Ren''s soul, the young man seemed to be at the end of his wits. This proposal seemed to have taken a lots of guts.


    She did not know when he became so bold, but then the images of his lips on hers flashed in her mind and a faint blush crept up her cheeks. She took a deep breath and calmed her heart before she said, "Ren, I am not ready for that step yet."


    It takes a lot of courage for a lady to express her stance on intimacy aspect of the relation. Hao Ren already knew this, but he was still surprised to think that Han Lingshi was so vocal that it made him look dense. He smiled and said, "I will never force you about anything Lingshi, as soon as you feel like I am reaching out a bit too much you can smack my hand and give me a dress down."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I know that you won''t force me. It''s not that I don''t like you, but I feel like we are progressing a bit too fast. I don''t know a lot of things about you even now. I like you, definitely, and just want to know you more before we reach the final step."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "You can take your time and I will always wait for you. However, do you know how much I have missed you this whole month? You being away is not the problem, but the video calls and the urge to feel you in my arms was like a smoldering burn to me. Can you really not stay the night?"


    Han Lingshi sensed that by the end of his dialogue, Hao Ren''s shoulder has slumped and his voice had become very disheartened. She did not expect Hao Ren to have such a strong sense of attachment with her. However, when she realized the things he had done for her, they were nothing short of capturing stars in his palm.


    Han Yuntian and Maria died, and Han Ming lost his mind. This was probably the best outcome of this situation.


    She had gained a lot in this, and from what the police told the Han family, Only Han Ming was responsible for the actions, when Yue Shenlong told her about his infiltration stint she was shocked, she did not know what this guy was capable of, and when she heard him say that he gained the inheritance of an old medicine professional she could not believe him but then again, Magnificent Cosmetics would not stake on their prestige on the word of a young man without any capital right?


    Hao Ren before her was a man whom she thought she knew very well, but at the same time there was a mysterious halo around him. She could not help but want to peel off the layer and find out who is the real Hao Ren.


    After all these thoughts in her mind, she nodded, and said, "Fine, I will stay, but you are not allowed to take advantage of me."


    Hao Ren looked at her and smiled as he nodded his head in submission. Han Lingshi sighed and said, "I will get my clothes from Aunty''s room."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will be in the balcony, call me when you are done showering."


    Han Lingshi nodded and the young man left.


    ...


    In the balcony, Hao Ren''s eyes were flickering with a cold glint. He held his phone as he watched the twinkling lights of the city, "Xiao Mei, did you find out who is holding the consignment of the herbs?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and pulled her in his embrace. Han Lingshi did not say anything and she did not struggle either. It would be a lie to say that she did not miss him at all. The young man had become an integral part of her support system and she genuinely liked him.


    The two enjoyed the embrace. Hao Ren felt calm as Han Lingshi felt cold against him, similarly, Han Lingshi felt relaxed as she leaned on his warm chest.


    They stood in the balcony for a few minutes, when they heard a clattering sound from the inside. Hao Ren turned around and said, "I''ll be right back. Mom probably needs water."


    Han Lingshi nodded, but then she decided to follow Hao Ren. The two of them reached the kitchen and found Mrs. Hao looking for some stuff in the kitchen cabinets. Hao Ren asked, "Ma, what are you looking for?"


    Mrs. Hao replied, "Flour, to make noodles."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I will get you flour in the morning. Get some sleep for now."


    Mrs. Hao walked up to him and placed her hands on her waist as she asked, "Why are you so careless?..."


    She began to nag Hao Ren, and the young man took it all with a smile, not only that even Han Lingshi ganged up on him. The young man sighed and after sending his mother back to bed, he looked at Han Lingshi with a narrowed gaze. The lady chuckled and asked, "Why are you looking at me like a villain? What do you want?"


    Hao Ren approached her step by step and said, "Thou shalt be punished."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and ran while Hao Ren chased her. Their voices filled the house with joy. Mrs. Hao was laying bed with her eyes closed but her lips were curled up. After a few minutes, she mumbled, "Mei, bless your brother to stay happy."


    ...


    After an hour, Han Lingshi and Hao Ren were laying in bed, while the lady was panting, Hao Ren looked a bit pale. He had been chasing after the lady for an hour and although he did not push himself too much, his body was not used to the sharp turns and twists inside the house and his ribs were strained.


    Han Lingshi was regained her breath after a few minutes, and then she looked at Hao Ren, who was also feeling better, his physique had improved, and it was helping him heal quicker too. Hao Ren turned to the side to look at her and found her looking at himself. They both were laying so close that they could sense the slightest of movement from each other.


    Han Lingshi asked softly, "How did you get inside the Yue Mansion? Shenlong was so scared."


    Hao Ren smiled, he knew that she would ask him something like this and said, "I used Xiao Mei to plan the path of entry and exit, and I only followed that. With Xiao Mei beside me, it is not a big deal for me to walk in and out through the front door."


    Han Lingshi thought about it and believed him, she knew that Xiao Mei was a powerful AI. The two talked a lot and discussed a lot of things, unknowingly the distance between them had closed up, whether it was the bed or their hearts.


    The love between them was akin to a seed that was being nourished slowly and the bud was taking deeper roots.

 Chapter 56: Showdown.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi fell asleep talking to each other and unknowingly, the latter even found warmth in the embrace of strong arms. In the morning, Hao Ren woke up because of his bio-clock. He found that Han Lingshi was laying in his arms and a faint smile surfaced on his face.


    He could not help but gently blow away a the loose hair falling over her visage. His small action disturbed Han Lingshi, the lady slowly opened her eyes and Hao Ren hurriedly let go of her to sit up. He pretended to be unaware and stood up from the bed to go to the washroom.


    Han Lingshi watched his back and closed her eyes again with a smile. She had gotten up before him because her bio-clock had yet to adjust to the time difference, but when she sensed his warmth and calm, she decided to lay their for a bit longer. She wanted to sleep in when she realized that her mother-in-law was in the house too.


    She hurriedly sat up from her position and then sorted her hair in the apparel room before she moved out of the room and came to the living room, she found Mrs. Hao sitting on the couch listless.


    Han Lingshi greeted, Mrs. Hao with a smile, "Good morning, Aunty."


    Mrs. Hao smiled and greeted her, and said, "I used to wonder what would city folks do in the morning, turns out the place is quite boring."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Aunty, you only came here last night, so you do not know but this house is good, and you will not feel bored once you have learned how to use it."


    Then she patiently taught the old lady how to use the smart features of the house. Mrs. Hao was surprised and at the same time very enthusiastic when she discovered all these things. Under the guidance of Han Lingshi, the old lady learned how to turn on the television and the news channel was put on.


    "This is coming fresh from the Glitter Scent county, last night the authorities took action and they apprehended the infamous local gang leader. The police took an action and moved in decisively, however, the goons attacked the police officers, and severely injured two officers.


    It has been reported that the police officers shot down three people from the gang before the gang leader decided to surrender. The officers quickly conducted a preliminary interrogation and found that this local gang is linked to the Ye Family of the jade capital.


    I would like to remind you all that the Ye Family I mentioned is the same family that controls the Crown International and many other businesses."


    Han Lingshi raised her brows, and just when she was thinking about it, a calm voice sounded behind them, "I did not expect it to be this quick."


    Mrs. Hao asked, "What are you talking about?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Nothing, I have ordered the flour and other things you need, they will be coming up soon. I have a meeting lined up, so I will leave after having breakfast."


    Mrs. Hao nodded and said, "You have a house and a car, you have a company too, when are you going to talk to Lingshi''s parents?"


    The sudden question was akin to a nuclear blast in the apartment and everyone suddenly fell silent. Han Lingshi was even more anxious than Hao Ren. She did not know what the guy would say. Hao Ren looked at his mother, took a deep breath and said, "Actually, I have something to tell you, but the situation is a bit complicated. I hope you don''t tell anyone else."


    Han Lingshi turned pale, she did not expect this from Hao Ren, she knew what he was going to do. She was not prepared, and Hao Ren walked around the couch. He sat down beside Han Lingshi, and held her hand. He could feel that her body was cold. Hao Ren looked at his mother and said, "Mom, actually, Lingshi''s family is a bit troublesome. It will take some time for me to rise to their standard.


    So, we are waiting."


    Mrs. Hao looked at Han Lingshi and after a few minutes, she said, "It is good that you are so concerned about this issue, however, do not slack off, and cherish her."


    Hao Ren nodded and then the old lady stood up. She went to the kitchen to cook noodles for him, while he held onto Han Lingshi''s hand firmly. He looked at her while she looked at him in a daze. She did not expect him to handle this situation so subtly.


    Old Master Han snorted and said, "I am sure this is a conspiracy against my Han family."


    Han Lingshi cleared her throat and said, "You are right grand father, all this is a conspiracy against us, and I even know the person responsible for this."


    Everyone looked at her and she said, "Grandpa, whether you agree to it or not, but Second Uncle has never taken the spirit of family seriously. You know that even if you defy it, the truth won''t change. If someone is responsible for his present condition, that''s himself."


    Old Master Han yelled, "Nonsense! How dare you speak in the family matters?"


    Han Lingshi did not budge and replied calmly, "I have the right to handle the everything in the Empress International, but I cannot speak inside the house? Fine, I will walk out and I will leave the company to you as well, then handle it on your own."


    Old Master Han asked, "Han Lingshi are you rebelling against us?"


    The lady shook her head and said, "You might think that you are the king of the Province, but ever since the day Han Yuntian placed a bounty on my head, I stopped considering them my family."


    Everyone was shocked, and Gao Yue asked, "Lingshi, what do you mean?"


    Han Lingshi snorted at the old man and said, "Didn''t he tell you grandma? That Han Yuntian, whom he wanted to succeed and take over the Empress International, paid seventy million dollars for my head and contracted a group of killers to handle me. Thankfully, those people died in a fire."


    BOOM!


    Han Lingshi was having a showdown and then she put down the facts and the evidence before everyone. Old Master Han was cornered, Gao Yue looked at her husband and said, "Old man, do you really think a dog will turn his tail? The only good thing that guy has ever done was to marry Xia Ping. How dare you argue his case? How dare you?"


    Han Lingshi came behind her grandma and patted her back gently as she said, "Grandma, forget it, its in the past, but now I want to tell everyone that the police have raided a few places since the morning and they have found many illegal activities that were spear headed by Second Uncle. I have called a few people and they have agreed to keep it low-key.


    Otherwise, do you know how much loss we will all incur? Empress International will become the next Crown International and Ye family."


    ...


    Han Lingshi put down the gauntlet, after an hour, she and Han Lingxue came out of the house and got in the car. The two of them left the house calmly, but a few minutes later, they both erupted in laughter. They were happy to have over taken the family business and dealt with their enemy too.


    Han Lingxue suddenly asked, "Sister, what gift shall I buy to thank Brother-in-law?"


    Han Lingshi said, "It is his birthday today, I was thinking to throw him a small party."


    ...


    Hao Ren was standing before a music instrument shop. He entered the place and thought, ''System are you sure I won''t make a fool of myself.''


    *Ding: Host, do you think the system will reward you with skills that will make you look like a fool?*

 Chapter 57: Melodious Birthday (1).

    Hao Ren entered the music shop and looked around. He found an old man sitting behind the mahogany counter fiddling with something. The old man was also looking at Hao Ren and said, "The guitars and the drums are placed over there, you can check and play but if you break it, you buy it."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Sir, actually, I am looking for a violin."


    The old man cast an odd look to Hao Ren and then pointed to the side. Hao Ren walked in and found a lot of violins resting behind glass cases. He smiled and opened a case to pick up a violin.


    The old shop owner earlier thought Hao Ren was young and so he might be more inclined to guitars and drums like the trend of times. However, as soon as the latter asked for a violin, the shop owner became curious, he wanted to know what Hao Ren wanted. After all, even if the people came to his shop to kill time, they would go to the Piano and play a few pieces before leaving.


    Hao Ren took out a brown violin from the case and placed it over his shoulder and frowned. He used his right hand for most of the things, so it was his bowing hand, but his left hand was in a cast, how would he be able to hold the instrument?


    The shop owner shook his head, and sighed as he mumbled, "As long as he does not break it."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and placed the instrument back. He quickly left the shop under the disappointed gaze of the old man. He stood outside the store and thought, "System, you said I would be able to play the instruments and as I move forward, I will get better, but did you forget that my hand is broken?"


    *Ding: Host, your arm has healed, you seemed to have forgotten that your physique was purified. The purification ticket does not only clean the body, but also increases the healing capabilities of the body. The time of your recovery is lessened by half, or in other language, you will heal twice quickly now.*


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "You did not mention this earlier, but well, the fault lies in me too, I should have been able to sense the changes in my body."


    *Ding: You have been enlightened host*


    Hao Ren shook his head and walked to his car, Heath opened the door for him, and Hao Ren said, "Let''s go to the hospital."


    Heath did not ask much and nodded.


    ...


    On the other side, Han Lingshi was decorating Hao Ren''s apartment with Han Lingxue. Mrs. Hao was sitting on the couch watching the two girls moving quickly. She had a faint smile on her face. Han Lingshi seemed to be very unexperienced with this, and needed help from her sister many times.


    It was evening when the doorbell rang. Han Lingxue froze and Mrs. Hao frowned, they had yet to finish the decorations, if Hao Ren came back, it would be troublesome. However, Han Lingshi opened the door, and welcomed a bunch of people inside. They were all very employees of the Thunder Technologies.


    They all were contacted by Han Lingshi personally, and called over to the house for a surprise party. Though Markus Bourne and Lynn Carter were aware of her identity they did not say much, they knew better than to run their mouths.


    Suddenly, Han Lingxue said, "Sister, the gift I prepared is here."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and everyone grew curious. After a few minutes, four people came over pushing a big wooden crate box. Han Lingxue watched them and said, "This came at the right time."


    Hao Ren was surprised to here such a story behind a violin. He asked, "If this is the only one left in the world, then won''t you be earning much more by selling it to some collector?"


    The old man chuckled and replied, "My family is a family of musicians, how can I bear to have this one sealed in the glass and be displayed to the world? You are good at music, I wish that someday the music you create can reach the world."


    Hao Ren did not expect to here such a high opinion on his skills from this old man. He thought, ''I wonder if it is me or the system, whose skills are being praised.''


    He smiled wryly and nodded. He asked, "Sir, since this instrument is one of a kind, then you must not refuse to the price I offer."


    The shop owner was surprised but before he could react, Hao Ren transferred ten million to him. The man was shocked, but before he could say anything, Hao Ren replied, "Old sir, in the future when I need someone to do look after this violin, I will look for you."


    Then he left the shop without taking any answer. The old man shook his head and sat down on the chair.


    ...


    Hao Ren reached home, and after some thought, he said, "Brother Heath, come and have the dinner with my family. It is my birthday tonight."


    Heath thought for a moment and said, "Happy Birthday, Young Master. It would be my pleasure."


    Hao Ren nodded, and they both came to his place. Hao Ren pressed his thumb against the fingerprint scanner, and the door opened. He did not notice it, but just when he was changing his shoes, three people jumped before him and took out party-poppers as they yelled, "Surprise!"


    Hao Ren was taken aback and after the confetti fell down, he saw the people from his company, the entire staff was here, and then he saw his mother standing with Han Lingxue in the back.


    He was looking for Han Lingshi when, Han Lingxue pointed to the side. Hao Ren walked in the living room and found Han Lingshi sitting in front of a black wall piano. She smiled at him and her jade like fingers began to glide over the keys.


    She played a traditional ''happy birthday'' arrangement for him. The people waited for the first time and when she looped the second cycle, they all began to sing together. Hao Ren was stunned, and his eyes were glistening with tears.


    Mrs. Hao frowned and scolded, "Brat, you are not allowed to cry at such a joyous moment."


    Hao Ren stood up straight and answered, "Yes!"


    The people burst into laughter, the usually slacking and casual Hao Ren was being schooled by his mother. Everyone came forward to wish him. Han Lingxue wanted to have a cake cutting ceremony but Mrs. Hao told them that Hao Ren did not like to cut cake as it reminded him of his sister''s tragedy.


    However, since they had gotten a cake, they decided to serve it as a dessert and not make Hao Ren cut it. The party was on, everyone was happy and joking around. Suddenly, Han Lingxue asked, "Brother-in-law, did you buy a guitar?"


    Hao Ren shook his head. He opened the case for every one to see, and suddenly Han Lingxue screamed, which shocked every one.

 Chapter 58: Melodius Birthday (2)

    Han Lingxue screamed and caught everyone by surprise. Han Lingshi furrowed her brows and asked, "Lingxue, what are you doing? Can you stop behaving like a child?"


    The young lady calmed down and asked, "How did you get old man Richter to give you this violin?"


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "Oh, so you have been to the Richter music shop? Hehe, it was coincidental. Mom, you remember I learned it play with Mei? So, I wanted to gift myself something nice, and went to the store. There I played a few notes of that song and the shop owner gave me this."


    Han Lingxue was still shocked, but Hao Ren ignored her and recounted the entire incident in the music store. After he was done and the people were dazed, they did not expect this instrument to have such a story. Han Lingxue clicked her tongue and said, "Do you think ten million is a big price for this violin?"


    Everyone nodded while Hao Ren shook his head. The people looked at him in confusion and Han Lingxue said, "Do you know how much did the Mother Earth Research Center offered to pay for this?"


    Han Lingshi smacked her shoulder and said indifferently, "Stop with the dramatization and tell us already."


    Han Lingxue raised her finger and said, "Billion."


    The people were shocked, and Hao Ren smiled, "True, they want this violin to be used in research, and even the shavings of this wood can be used in grafting. This is not to surprising to me. On the way back, I read quite a few articles on the qualities that the Vermillion Rose tree had, so I can understand what the scientists mean."


    The people thought about what he said and they also nodded. Mrs. Hao frowned and said, "You paid ten million for an instrument that you could not even hold properly? Have you grown up to be a lost cause?"


    Hao Ren was immediately humbled, the other people were surprised and then they smiled. Mrs. Hao was very nice to them but her own son, the reason why they were all here, had been scolded without holding back.


    Hao Ren sighed, and said, "I will play it for you, wait."


    The young man took out the violin carefully and after tuning it, he closed his eyes before taking a deep breath and then his bow fell on the strings. The music from the violin was clear and it resonated within their hearts but Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide when she heard this.


    The acoustic effect of the instrument was nothing like she has ever heard before. She finally understood the reason this instrument cost Hao Ren so much. Then she focused on the tune, and could not help but close her eyes. As Hao Ren played his skill improved terrifyingly. Gradually everyone was lost in the music and the imagery that it created in their minds.


    They could see Hao Ren chasing behind his parents and his family, it was very joyous but then as he grew up he lived in blockades. Mrs. Hao had tears in her eyes, she could sense his pain as he played, however, suddenly, the music took off and it carried their heartbeats along.


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded. It was true that he did not lack anything in terms of material. Suddenly, Han Lingshi moved behind him and put on a gold chain around his neck, at the bottom of the chain was a sapphire inlaid in gold. It was carved like a rose.


    Han Lingshi said, "This is something I bought from my first income. I want you to have it."


    Hao Ren could still sense the warmth on the chain, and he had noticed Han Lingshi wearing it on her person always. He put down the dish in his hand and without caring about his wet hands, he turned around and pulled Han Lingshi in his arms.


    The lady opened her eyes wide and was about to scream from the sudden move, when she felt a pang of warmth overlapping her mouth. Hao Ren had kissed her, and the kiss was so purely filled with love there was no lust.


    Han Lingshi also gave in after a few seconds, the kiss was the fruition of their emotions for each other. The two of them parted and looked each other deeply in the eyes, when suddenly, Han Lingxue walked in humming a tune.


    She saw Han Lingshi and Hao Ren in a embrace, and the two of them also saw her. Han Lingxue smiled and said, "Oh, I did not see anything, please continue, I shall leave."


    She ran away, leaving two stunned people who looked at each other and could not help but laugh out loud.


    After the cleaning, Hao Ren sent the two girls away, and he asked Heath to drive them, after all, it was not safe for them to move alone at this hour. Mrs. Hao would have him lose a layer of skin.


    ...


    In the morning, Hao Ren helped his mother, and even cooked breakfast for her. Mrs. Hao was surprised to eat his cooking, and praised him a lot. Hao Ren almost had an urge to ask if she was his own mother and not some alien who replaced her.


    However, he did not wish to receive the slipper so he shut his mouth. When he was driving her to the station he asked, "Why can''t you stay for a few more days? Old Boy Hao can still look after himself, no?"


    Mrs. Hao smacked his shoulder and said, "Don''t call him old boy. Anyhow, Old Hao and the few others have been organizing medical camps, they invite big doctors and their students to give the people a check up and earn experience. So, I have to go back."


    Hao Ren recalled this and nodded, he said, "Okay, I will come to see you on the spring festival."


    Mrs. Hao nodded, and soon she vanished inside the train station with her little trolley bag and Hao Ren left for the office.

 Chapter 59: Meet Grace.

    Hao Ren came to the thunder technologies office in the morning, today he had a meeting with the experts who were researching lithography machines. Although Hao Ren had the Xiao Mei, but even the AI could not think about everything from the scratch.


    Hao Ren came to the office and found that most of the people have turned in for work. He asked Lynn Carter, "Miss Carter, where is the meeting scheduled? Also, what happened to the bigger office?"


    Lynn Carter nodded and replied, "I bought a small seven floor tall building in the city center, the building is being renovated. The management discussed and thought that it was better for us to have an office under our own name, it is better than moving from place to place. Also, it adds to the financial credibility."


    Hao Ren understood this and nodded. A few minutes later, Lynn Carter told him the address for the meeting and Hao Ren was about to leave when Klaus rushed up to him and said, "Come with me, we have something to show you."


    Hao Ren frowned and then decided to follow him in the back room. Behind the bullpen, they had reserved a room for the technology team. Where they assembled the prototypes. Even Koro-koro the cleaning bot''s prototype was assembled in this place.


    Klaus and the rest were among the top scholars in the Jade City University, they were good with the hardware as much as they were with the software.


    ...


    Inside the room, Klaus and Hao Ren stood up before a humanoid robot. Behind the two of them the entire team was present. Klaus said, "We all did not bring you a gift yesterday, because we decided to give you one today."


    Hao Ren had an amusing smile on his face and shook his head. He said, "Be quick about it Klaus. I have to go and meet the professors from the Jade City University for another project."


    Klaus smiled and said, "Grace, wake up."


    The robot had a LED display on the head, it lit up with a white light pattern and formed a basic emote and replied in a mechanical voice, "Good morning, Master Klaus."


    Klaus said, "Introduce yourself to Mister Hao."


    After an hour, seven tall guards came over, they were hired on a daily basis, and to make sure they do what they were told to, Heath was set over them to supervise. As a military veteran, Heath took control of the situation quickly and while he familiarized with the people, he also made sure they stay in line.


    Klaus and Hao Ren carried Grace into the elevator, covered with a black cloth and then moved her to a car. Heath drove the luxury car, while Hao Ren and Klaus followed in a cab. The rest of the guards had their own vehicle.


    ...


    Jade city university a few old men were gathered in the garden, and talking among themselves. One of them said, "This Mister Hao Ren sure is taking his time. I have a class to teach."


    Another old man smiled at him and said, "Kraft, aren''t you just trying to avoid the game of capitalism."


    Professor Kraft was the youngest of this shaky bunch but he was very skilled. He shook his head and said, "Professor Ting, I swear, I just have a class."


    The two of them bickered with each other, when they heard loud exclamations from the side of the ground.


    The old people did not like too much noise, especially the university was a place where people came to shape their futures. This garden was right beside the library, why would these students scream so much.


    Kraft stood up and looked in the direction from where the sound came, and after a few seconds he opened his eyes wide and mumbled, "In the name of Electron, what the fuck is that?"


    Many other old people were surprised, Professor Ting asked, "Kraft, what could it be that made you lose your composure?"


    Kraft raised his hand and said, "Look there and you will know, professor."


    All five of them stood up and looked where Kraft pointed, and they found a robot dribbling a basketball on the ground as it steadily walked over to them. The movements of this robot were not stiff at all. Behind the robot, two youngsters were walking, while the rest of the crowd was blocked by a few burly men.

 Chapter 60: Thundering Progress.

    Hao Ren and Klaus arrived closer to the professors whose eyes were glued to the robot. They were like a bunch of kindergarten students who just found a new toy. Hao Ren and Klaus exchanged a glance and smiled.


    Klaus said, "Grace, can you identify the people before you?"


    Grace turned her head a little while still dribbling the basket ball, and said, "The professors from Jade City University. From left to right, Professor Duke L. Deen, Professor Jiang Ting, Professor Matthew Kraft, Professor Jeremy Rein, and Professor Almanac Haitian."


    The five old boys were stunned, Hao Ren smiled and said, "Grace, introduce yourself to the Professors."


    Grace stopped dribbling the basket ball and held it in her hands. The old people were fascinated and the robot started to introduce herself. After a few minutes, when she was done, the old professors looked at Hao Ren and the young man smiled as he said, "Grace is the final prototype of our new product line. She is the first step towards a better future."


    Professor Kraft asked, "What do you want from us when you are capable enough to create her?"


    His voice and demeanor was calm, and his eyes were brimming with questions. He has seen a lot of impressive tech in the world but this was the first time where he saw a robot that was capable of doing a lot of things that a human could.


    Hao Ren replied, "Would it be alright if we talk in a secluded place?"


    He looked at the bunch of enthusiastic students, and then at the group of old men. Professor Ting nodded and said, "Fine, come along."


    ...


    Klaus was left outside with Grace, they were using the interaction with students as a data gathering event. Also, the students were excited and wanted to post this encounter on the internet but Hao Ren told them to wait till the official announcement and they will be among the first batch that will receive a House-bot.


    Meanwhile, Hao Ren and the professors were sitting in a separate room inside the library. They were all looking at Hao Ren, who smiled faintly and said, "You just asked me what I want, the answer is very simple. You are all leading scientists and engineers when it comes to the chip technology. I am sure that none is better aware of the current trend than you are.


    While the western hemisphere is already moving up with 4nm chips, we are still stuck at 6nm and 8nm.


    I also want to create devices that uplift the status of living of the people. However, I cannot do that without the higher quality chipset. While I am not completely money minded, I don''t have an aversion toward it either. Money can be used to develop better technology. So, I want to ask you all to come together and join the Thunder Research Center. Explore the boundaries of the chip technology."


    Professor Almanac smiled faintly and said, "I understand that you are ambitious, but you have to know that research is too costly. Many tycoons have tried and even after the decades of research they have only reached 6nm chipsets that you see in the best domestic brands. Are you sure you will be able to pitch in the money?"


    Hao Ren confidently nodded and said, "I will put in fifty million yuan in the research fund every month. Also, all the research that you do will be assisted by the calculations of a super computer. So, the results will come out sooner. What I lack is humans who have the courage to tread forward and redefine the boundaries. That''s why I came here."


    The old people looked at each other and Hao Ren said, "You don''t have to give me a response now, you can wait till you see the results achieved by Grace when the units are out and about in the market."


    Dion was shocked and said, "I did not expect you to know me, Mister Hao."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "How can I not know someone who looked into my trading profile?"


    Xiao Mei told him that Dion had been prying around his profile, trying to find a way to connect just now, and Hao Ren used it. His enhanced intelligence was coming in to play. His words shocked Dion and he froze.


    Dion had been in the field for over fifteen years, and had looked into many people, he had always been discreet but this was the first time he was caught, and from what he knew, Hao Ren was very young.


    He took a deep breath to calm his mind and replied, "I apologize for prying too much, Mister Hao, but I wanted to meet you and discuss the scope of a collaboration."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "You came at the right time, I am looking for a financial manager who can help me multiply my capital in short and long term. I wonder if you would be willing to explore the possibilities."


    Dion replied, "Mister Hao, I was thinking of taking you up as one of my clients."


    He clarified that he did not want to work for anyone else. This meant that he was fed up of the limitation set upon him.


    Hao Ren replied, and said, "Mister Dion, what I am offering you is a complete freedom position in my business, you can mobilize the funds and invest it in any field you would like, be it a small dog cafe or the multi billion dollar research center, the choice is yours, I only care for the results.


    It goes without saying that the investment shouldn''t be of illegal nature. I only want a stable return, if there is a lose less then ten million dollar you don''t have to report to me. What do you think?"


    Ten Million Dollars was a big amount, none of the clients that Dion had approached allowed him this much leeway. It was as if ten million was chump change. He asked shakily, "Mister Hao, are you sure?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Mister Dion I can make up ten million dollar with one session in the western market. The business there is booming. I do not have any reason to lie to you. As for the specifics, why don''t we talk after you come to the Han Nation?"


    Dion replied, "Mister Hao, I don''t need to talk, as long as you allow me to act according to the things that you offered, I will work for you. Many people do not understand this but boundaries in terms of investment or learning are the biggest reason for me to always looking outside my window. It is a big world so why do I have to be limited to one spot and do something decided by someone else?


    I will be coming over in a week, I would like to meet you the same day."


    Hao Ren chuckled and he understood that Dion was getting high on the scent of freedom, but he did not intend to stop him and wished him well before disconnecting the call. As he put down his mobile, Xiao Mei said, "The Ye family is making a move against magnificent cosmetics boss, if you did not stop them right away, it will be millions in losses."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Some people never learn how to stop until they are six feet under."


    He would raze the Ye empire to ground within a week.

 Chapter 61: My Kinda Dessert.

    Hao Ren was lazily laying in his chair close to noon. He had just been informed by Xiao Mei that Ye Family was going to pull some strings and file a few complaints like usage of fake ingredients and other malpractice cases against Magnificent Cosmetics.


    Hao Ren had told her to tap into the phone calls of the Ye family and find out whom they are contacting. Then dig up the dirt and bury the enemies in it. Before they had the chance to do anything that could harm his interests he would take out the Ye family they have been acting a bit too much now, as if the loss of Ye Shiling did not effect them at all.


    Just when he was mulling over the thought, he turned his head and saw the people leaving their desks to eat. He realized it was lunch time. Hao Ren smiled and said, "Lingshi hasn''t eaten something I cooked for a few days. I should make her something."


    He jumped on his feet and said, "Xiao Mei, what shall we cook today?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, I have taken the taste for bad people suffering at your hand, can we do that?"


    Hao Ren was surprised and then he looked at his mobile as he smiled crookedly and said, "Xiao Mei, you little devil, you have learned how to please people. Naughty."


    He left the cabin while bantering with Xiao Mei.


    ...


    Hao Ren came to the market and shopped for the ingredients before he called Han Lingshi. The call connected in an instant, and Han Lingshi asked, "How come you have the time to call me?"


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Lingshi, would you like to eat my cooking?"


    Han Lingshi chuckled at his adorable tone, and said, "Yes."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Can you arrange it so that I can cook in your company cafeteria? Going back home to cook will take a lot of time."


    Han Lingshi agreed and said, "Fine, come over, you can use the kitchen."


    Hao Ren disconnected the call, and decided to buy more ingredients. Since he was using someone else''s kitchen he could make them a little something. Then he loaded the stuff inside the car, and it was so much that even the back seat of his luxury car was filled with boxes to the brim.


    Heath drove the vehicle while Hao Ren fiddled with a newly bought knife set. He could not help but shiver as he saw Hao Ren smiling like a maniac at times. Hao Ren was unaware that the exited inner child of his looked like someone who was out to kill and swig on some chilled blood.


    They reached the Empress International Building, and earlier Hao Ren had gotten in touch with the cafeteria in charge. The other party found that Hao Ren was the special chef who came to cook for the president and immediately become respectful. He was waiting with the rest of the staff in the parking lot.


    Hao Ren got down the car and introduced himself with a smile and the in charge stepped forward with a likewise expression. This man was blonde and young, and he was slightly smaller than Hao Ren, but he was handsome.


    The man smiled and said, "Welcome, Chef Hao, please come I will show you around the kitchen."


    Hao Ren nodded and followed him. He did not say anything but it was sure that this young man was somewhat arrogant. The two of them went inside the kitchen and Hao Ren found the kitchen to be very well equipped. He commented, "Such a good kitchen. Very nice. Well, I will get started, the president must be waiting."


    In Han Lingshi''s cabin, Hao Ren was sitting on the couch and Han Lingshi was serving tea. She asked, "Are you aware of what is going on with Magnificent?"


    She was pointing at the cosmetic company and Hao Ren nodded. Han Lingshi then asked, "What do you intend to do with them?"


    The young man replied, "I was thinking of stomping the snake before it had the time to raise its head."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, and then the couple began to discuss the strategy. Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "You can buy some stock of theirs, this way no one will suspect if you push the administration to take action against the Ye family, after all, the enmity is quite public."


    Thinking about this, Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Good, I can provide them some promotion channels as well so the deal should go through easily."


    Hao Ren replied, "Whatever you do, make it go through by the day after tomorrow. I will be acting then. Also, if you have any projects that you need people to invest in, tell me. I need to earn money."


    Han Lingshi smiled and asked, "Aren''t you in a rush?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I am setting up a research center so it will need me to put in fifty million yuan every month plus a super computer, these things are not easy to do. Technology is a pitfall."


    ...


    After discussion, he came out of the cabin and was going to leave when he thought of something and went back. Han Lingshi asked confusedly, "What happened?"


    Hao Ren asked, "What''s the name of that cafeteria Chef?"


    Han Lingshi gestured him to wait as she looked through the computer. After a search, she said, "He is called Liam Trime. What happened?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Nothing, he was looking at me maliciously, I want to look into him."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and said, "That shouldn''t be the case, he was vetted properly."


    Hao Ren thought and then replied, "I am probably thinking too much."


    ...


    Hao Ren left the Empress International and said, "Xiao Mei, give me the blonde."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Now, that''s my kinda dessert."


    Hao Ren could not help but chuckled loudly.

 Chapter 62: Trouble, Trouble, Trouble.

    Hao Ren was sitting in the back of the car with Heath driving the vehicle. This car had a glass shield that could be raised to ensure sound proofing. He did not like to use it but now that he was traveling with Heath, and talking to Xiao Mei, he had no other options. He did not want this guy to find out that he had a powerful tool in his hands.


    After Xiao Mei received the command, she got to work and ten minutes later she said, "Boss, this guy is not as simple and suave as he seems to be on the surface. He has another identity, a free lancer in the dark world called the Golden Emissary."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "Oh, what is this guy doing here?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, actually the hit placed on Miss Han can be back tracked to four months. The red banner hired Golden Emissary to conduct a survey on Miss Han''s surroundings and security detail. This guy did his work seamlessly and provided them the reckon data. That was why they were able to get close to follow Miss Han."


    Hao Ren furrowed his brow and asked, "Is this guy still on the case? Since he finished his job, then why is he here?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "If only it was that easy to get rid of the bugs under the skin, this guy has been reinstated by the red banner to find the traces of the expert who helped Han Lingshi take down their team. At the same time, Golden Emissary had been watching Han Yuntian and Han Ming. However, recently, there has been something odd."


    Hao Ren asked indifferently, "What is that?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "He has been seen chatting with Miss Han Lingxue and is trying to get close to Mistress."


    Hao Ren''s eyes turned cold and he asked, "So, it seems he has some personal intentions."


    *Ding: It is detected that a frog is making advances towards the swan, Host, fry the frog and feed it to the birds.*


    Xiao Mei asked, "What shall be done with him?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and then said, "Lure him."


    Xiao Mei was confused and asked, "Boss, stop being so vague. I am anxious."


    Hao Ren chuckled and replied, "Fine..."


    He told her the entire plan, and when he was done, Xiao Mei said, "Boss, you are a genius."


    ...


    The car was headed home, Hao Ren had left the production of the home-bot to the relative departments, he was going to prepare poisons and other stuff to deal with the so called golden emissary. He also was pissed of at the Red Banner, since they did not appreciate, they all can die.


    Han Lingshi looked at him in confusion before the digital display on the car entertainment cluster lit up. She was surprised and then she saw the information which shocked her. Han Lingshi asked, "How..."


    Hao Ren replied, "They planned ahead, now do you understand why I say that a deep check is needed?"


    The lady nodded, and Hao Ren said, "I know that you don''t want Xiao Mei to have too much interference in the company operations, but can you at least let her deep check the people in the company, if someone is there with hidden intentions, that will become clear, and even if you do not take an action abruptly, you can still be prepared in case there is an attack."


    Han Lingshi leaned back in the seat but she did not reply instantly. Hao Ren did not push her either. He respected her wishes. After a few minutes, Han Lingshi replied, "Okay, but arrange it so that other people do not find out about her."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Don''t worry."


    Han Lingshi agreed and soon they come to the front of a bustling restaurant. The valet was surprised to see a hyper car, but he still stepped forward, and Hao Ren nodded to him with a smile. He wasn''t worried if the guy will crash his car. Xiao Mei had been uploaded to the car computer and she could assist the guy in his time of need.


    Hao Ren came beside Han Lingshi, and extended his arm before her. Han Lingshi gave him a dazzling smile before she put her hand on his as they walked up to the small attending counter set up outside.


    The attendant was surprised to see the golden couple and then she quickly smiled and asked, "Good evening, Sir, Ma''am, welcome to the Gourmet House."


    Hao Ren nodded to her and said, "I have reserved a roof top table, under the name of Hao Ren."


    The lady quickly checked the register and led them inside. The place was grand, and Han Lingshi nodded at the decorations. They got into an elevator that took them five floors up and bought them to the roof of the building. The place was like an oasis surrounded by the tall trees from glass and steel.


    There were only four tables in the top of the terrace. There were two couples sitting on the rooftop tables. Although, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi did not mind them, the people belonged to the higher circle of the society and they were shocked to see, Han Lingshi coming on a date with a young man.


    Hao Ren noticed this, but did not say anything when he saw Han Lingshi not reacting to them. They sat down on the table and the lady said, "Sir, please wait a moment, there will be a waiter attending to you soon."


    Hao Ren nodded and after the lady moved away, a young man quickly came to their side. He introduced the couple with the dishes and left after confirming the order. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi began to converse in low voices and the latter often smiled. The food was served and as they began to eat, the two of them had a bitter expression on their faces.


    The food did not hold up to the hype of this place. Just when they were discussing if they should go home and let Hao Ren cook for them, Hao Ren saw a young man with a glasses walk over to them. Han Lingshi followed his gaze and said, "Leonard Hamil, the young master of the Hamil family."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "I wonder if he is here for a face-off, or is he here to thank me."


    Han Lingshi whispered, "He could also be here for me, you know."


    Hao Ren looked in her eyes with a smirk on his face. He said, "If he dared, then he might not walk away on his own legs."

 Chapter 63: Out In The Open.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi did not react much, they went back to their own conversation after the latter gave Hao Ren a subtle introduction. In just a few moments, Leonard Hamil was before them. He smiled bewitchingly at Han Lingshi and said, "I was wondering who it was, it turned out to be elder sister Han. I hope you had a pleasant evening."


    Han Lingshi saw the man and smiled as she replied, "Greetings, Young master Hamil."


    Leonard sighed and gave her a bitter smile. He was helpless against her, and he asked, "Do you really have to be this formal with me even outside the office, we grew up together."


    Han Lingshi had a faint smile on her face and said, "I don''t remember much of what happened in the childhood, however, I know that we were playmates a few times. Saying that we grew up together is an exaggeration."


    Her words served two purposes, one was to clarify her relation ship with Leonard Hamil before Hao Ren, and second was to make sure that this guy(Leonard Hamil) learned his limits.


    Sure enough, Leonard Hamil''s face changed the moment he heard these words. How could someone as cunning as him not understand that Han Lingshi was drawing line with him before another young man.


    Hao Ren was watching this and complimented in his mind, ''This guy sure is a mastermind, he can hold this temper. Sure enough, one should be wary of the silent ones.''


    Leonard Hamil showed a helpless smile and then turned his attention to Hao Ren. He asked, "I wonder, who you might be sir? Our Miss Han does not agree to have dinner with just everyone."


    Hao Ren raised his head, he was thinking how to counter this situation when Leonard Hamil had just started taking a walk over, but now that Han Lingshi has chosen violence, he could do whatever he wanted to.


    He smiled at Leonard Hamil and said, "I am Hao Ren, CEO Thunder Technologies."


    This made Leonard''s eyebrows twitch a bit. Every big shot knew about the dark horse of the business and tech industry. Hao Ren was sought by many people, but they did not get past the manager desk. Yes, desk, the small office of Thunder Technologies made many people think they were just a start up.


    However, when the calculated the profit they earned, the bigshots went crazy. They called the office to get an appointment but all in vain. Leonard Hamil controlled his surprised expression and said, "I did not expect to have come across the most sought after entrepreneur of the jade capital, I have heard about you for quite some time now."


    Hao Ren shook his head and answered, "You did not hear about me, but the profit of my company, Young Master Hamil."


    Leonard Hamil paused for a second before he laughed out loud. He remarked, "You sure have a good sense of humor."


    Hao Ren chuckled along with him and said, "Some people have trouble seeing the humor in my words, but you, Young Master Hamil, are one of the rare ones."


    Han Lingshi saw this and gently tapped her foot against Hao Ren''s under the table. Hao Ren knew that she did not want Leonard near them anymore. This was a romantic date, and this unwanted third wheel was derailing the scenario.


    Hao Ren asked, "Young Master Hamil, can I help you with something?"


    Leonard Hamil realized that the situation was not suitable for him to stay for long and Han Lingshi was definitely not going to entertain him after her earlier words. He said, "Mister Hao, I was wondering if I could have a breakfast with you in the morning? We can arrange for it at my golf club."


    Hao Ren immediately put up a guilty expression and said, "I apologize, Young Master Hamil. For the next two weeks the company is very busy with various procedures as a new product is about to come out in the market."


    Leonard Hamil raised his brow and then nodded. He did not show his discomfort on his face and acted very reasonably but in his mind he was thinking, ''So your company is making another cleaning bot. Tch, launching another product of the same category in such a short time. Too young and too greedy.''


    That was his opinion of Hao Ren. He nodded and said, "I hope there is time to sit and chat soon. Till then, have a good time. I will not disturb your meeting anymore."


    In his opinion, Hao Ren had come here to discuss business affair. There was no way Han Lingshi would bet on a losing horse.


    Hao Ren raised his brow, and looked at Leonard Hamil. Then he looked at Han Lingshi before looking back at the young man said, "Young Master Hamil, there seem to be a misunderstanding here."


    His voice was calm but they all heard this, paired with his cold assassin eyes, and the sooth saying skill. The journalists were intimidated. They all stopped at a distance. Han Lingshi raised her head to look at him and when he turned his gaze at her. The cold vanished, it was akin to a completely different person the moment he looked at Han Lingshi.


    A journalist asked, "Sir, can you tell us about yourself?"


    Hao Ren turned cold again and said, "My name is Hao Ren, and I am the CEO of Thunder Technologies."


    The reporters thought about it and the cameramen exclaimed, "Your company manufactured that cleaning bot Koro-koro?"


    The reporters woke up and reacted quickly. Hao Ren nodded in answer and said, "Not only did we manufacture it, but also designed it."


    The journalists nodded, and when they wanted to ask more questions, Hao Ren said, "Miss Han and I are dating. We have only been seeing each other for the past few months. I hope that you all don''t print or say anything that is too exaggerated like we hid it or something. We both value privacy and our relationship is not for the people to scrutinize.


    Otherwise, I might file a few complaints against your channels."


    His cold tone sent a shiver down the spine of the people. They nodded, Hao Ren said, "In a few days, the Thunder Technologies will be holding a press conference and then we will be calling you over. I hope you all are ready for this."


    A reporter asked, "Sir, can you tell us what the conference is about?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Product launch. If you don''t mind, can we leave?"


    The people moved aside and Hao Ren guided Han Lingshi to the car. They have gotten the answer they were looking for. All this time Han Lingshi did not speak much, and her face had a faint blush but her cold eyes were staring at the media people. While the journalists thought that the lady was warning them silently, the truth was that she disliked them for disturbing her time with Hao Ren.


    Ever since Han Lingxue had come over, the couple had not been staying together. So, the time they spend with each other was less, and paired with Han Lingshi''s stay in the Hawk Nation, they craved for some privacy.


    ...


    Hao Ren drove the vehicle and time to time he looked at Han Lingshi, who was mumbling a few things in her sleep. Hao Ren had a smile on his face because he found her very adorable. Soon, they arrived at her villa, and as he carried the lady in his arms. He found Han Lingxue standing at the door with a mobile in her hand as she recorded the scene.


    Hao Ren chuckled and asked, "What are you doing Xuexue?"


    Han Lingxue smiled and said, "I am making sure that you don''t do anything naughty to my beloved sister."


    Hao Ren had a helpless reaction as he took Han Lingshi inside the house and gently settled her in the bedroom. He carefully took off her shoes and jacket. Then Han Lingxue followed him to the kitchen where he made some lemonade. He said, "In the morning, add some brown sugar to it and give it to her."


    The younger girl nodded, and Hao Ren went in the bedroom to leave a gentle kiss on her lips as he left the room. Han Lingxue closed the door and locked it after seeing him off.


    ...


    Hao Ren was driving his car, but he was not going home. Instead he was going to deal with the Golden Emissary. Xiao Mei had managed to successfully lure the man out of the city. Since the prey was out in the open, why won''t he hunt?


    ...


    Dream''s Note: Guys, please vote with as many power stones as you can. I really need them to gain a rank. Please, all my hard work depends on your support. For every five hundred power stones, I will do a bonus chapter. I swear. Please help.


    Thank you for your constant support and love. I am deeply grateful.

 Chapter 64: Emissary Of Death.

    Hao Ren drove his car outside the city and shortly after he parked it at the foot of a hill. It was a place where people came to pay respects to gods of nature. At least in the day time, this place was crawling with masses, but now, it was very calm.


    The silence in the air was almost eerie. Hao Ren sat in his car, and put his earpiece in his ear as he tied a black scarf on his forehead. The ear piece was secure inside and Hao Ren got off the car. He mumbled, "The task to kill this guy should have a good reward to it."


    Suddenly, he noticed something new about him. In the dead of the night, he could clearly hear a gentle sound of the wind, and the insects on the hillside. He could not help but furrow his eyebrows. He leaned onto his car, and began to think what was going on.


    After a few moments, he mumbled, ''System, is this some skill? I feel my hearing is very acute now.''


    *Ding: Yes, host, it is a passive skill of being a pro musician. Your strengthened physique augments the hearing sense.*


    Hao Ren was surprised because he did not expect such a gain from the music skill. The system seemed to have sensed his thoughts and continued, *Ding: Many people do not understand this, but music cannot exist if you cannot hear the sound you produce. Thus, augmented hearing is a passive skill. The better you hear the finer music you can produce.*


    Hao Ren nodded in understanding. This was the first time he experienced this and was astounded, after all even the noise of grass blades brushing against each other was audible if he were to focus.


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, that guy is here already, and he has been texting continuously."


    Hao Ren recollected his thoughts and said, "Well, Xiao Mei, can you check if he is alone?"


    Xiao Mei checked quickly and then replied, "He is alone. Why are you asking me this boss?"


    Hao Ren walked forward slowly as he used the black scarf to cover his face. He had already changed his clothes inside the car. His pant was already black but his white shirt was replaced by a black t-shirt.


    As he moved along a shallow path on the hillside, he said, "I am going to take him out with poison, I want to make sure that their is no one beside him. For example if their is a caretaker or a guard for this temple, it would become quite a difficult situation for us."


    Xiao Mei replied, "This place is an abandoned site, I selected it specifically. I don''t think he has any accomplices."


    Hao Ren nodded as he climbed up the hill. However, when he reached the top he frowned. He put his hand in his pocket, and took out a small vial. He consumed it, and walked ahead while he loudly said, "To think you will use an air bound poison. I seemed to have underestimated the ingenuity of the Golden Emissary."


    He was standing before the temple entrance watching the blonde figure leaning against the entrance wall. The latter said, "Your feeling is similar to mine, I did not expect you to have an antidote to the dandelion of despair."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I don''t have an antidote, but what you said will make my task easier."


    Hao Ren smiled and said from the distance, "Yes, I am the one who did it all. I am the one who sensed your intentions in the cafeteria. I understood what you want to do. Cozying up to Lingxue, thinking you can catch up to Lingshi."


    As he spoke his smile vanished and was replaced by rage and disgust. Liam Trime watched him change and was shocked. Hao Ren took a step forward and shot the guy twice in shoulder, immobilizing his arms and said, "How dare you scheme against my wife? Who gave you the guts to even look at her? You filthy sewer scum. Motherfucker, have you seen your virtue, huh?


    I swear to god I wish to chop you to pieces and feed you to maggots. Bastard!"


    He did not expect it but he was angry to the point where he really meant every word he said. Suddenly, he realized what he said, and calmed down. He looked at Liam Trime and replied, "Fucker, you dared to come in my home, and tried to make a move on my wife. Let me give you a death you will remember."


    He walked up and lifted the guy from his neck. Liam Trime had no strength in his body anymore. Hao Ren was not worried that this guy would have any tricks up his sleeves. He immobilized his hands because of that only. He took out a glass bottle and then poured the content of in his mouth with some force.


    Then he said, "The liquid is a concentrate of various medicine. It heats up the people when they are facing great cold. Now, you will regret your decision to come here and think outside to the sky."


    He threw Liam Trime on the ground, and stomped hard on his knees. The bones cracked with a snap and Hao Ren turned around to clean up his traces and left the place. Liam Trime was trembling on the ground because of the increasing heat in his body. His legs were broken, and the shoulders were bleeding.


    He was going to die from one of the multiple reasons, and as an assassin he knew he could meet the maker at any moment, but he never expected that it would be Hao Ren who killed him. Even till the last moment, he was thinking how could he not find that Han Lingshi was married.


    Well, some questions could never be answered. After half an hour, Liam Trime passed out from blood lose, the floor around him was now completely red. Hao Ren was thorough in his move. The last bottle had to uses, one was to heat up the body, and accelerating the heart output. He made sure that the bleeding did not stop.


    ...


    Hao Ren sat in his car, and stared at the void. Xiao Mei said, "Boss, what shall we do now?"


    The young man woke up from the daze and said, "Keep an eye on the police department, when they search for his identity, alert the international organizations of his real identity. Also, give them the proofs from Han Yuntian and Ye family colluding together to place a contract on Lingshi."


    Xiao Mei was shocked and asked, "Boss, won''t that make trouble for Miss Han?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Even if it is troublesome, it won''t be something she couldn''t deal with it. As for the Ye family, even if they stir clear from it by blaming Ye Shiling. Their company stock will take a hit. I will not spare them. These people need to die for messing with me over and over again."


    After tonight, due to some absurd reason, Hao Ren''s resolve of dealing with his enemies thoroughly had strengthened. He would not let anyone harm him or Han Lingshi. If someone tried, only death awaited them.


    At this moment, the system said, *Ding: Host you have stomped the frog before it could see the swan. Your reward is..."

 Chapter 65: Shocking Events.

    *Ding: Host the task has been completed, you are rewarded with professional computer and robotic knowledge.*


    Hao Ren did not care to argue with the system and just drove his car away. Although he had the skills to kill, but the mental effect of all these actions still came up to him. Hao Ren was not yet used to killing.


    He reached home, hit the shower, puked twice, and then went to sleep. Han Lingshi did not know about what happened tonight, but in the morning, entire city will know about this. Thinking about it, Hao Ren said, "Xiao Mei, inform all the staff of Empress International that if they do not want to get involved in this issue, they should not talk about Liam Trime ever."


    Xiao Mei asked, "Boss, didn''t you say that Miss Han would be able to get out of this situation with ease?"


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "Since I can help her avoid this situation, so it is what I should do."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Whatever you say lover boy."


    Hao Ren furrowed his brow as he looked at his mobile but then shook his head and turned in for the night. A few coming days, he would be haunted in his dreams, all he hoped was that it would not be as bad as last time.


    ...


    In the morning, Han Lingshi woke up, she was dizzy and her head was aching. She groaned and turned to look around her. She held her head and stood up to walk out of the room. Han Lingxue was watching the daily news when she sensed movement behind her. She turned around and greeted her, "Good Morning Big Sis."


    Han Lingshi groaned as she sat down on the couch and said, "Turn down the volume, its too loud."


    Han Lingxue smiled and stood up from her seat as she questioned, "Why do you drink so much when you know that you cannot handle any of it?"


    Han Lingshi just glared at her. Han Lingshi walked inside the kitchen and took out the cold lemonade from the refrigerator. As Hao Ren instructed, she added two spoonful of brown sugar to it and bought it for Han Lingshi, who was still behaving like a grumpy cat.


    Han Lingshi looked at her weirdly and asked, "How do you know that lemonade deals with hangover?"


    Han Lingxue rolled her eyes and said, "Do you think I am a child? This was made by Brother-in-law. He was so gentle with you."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and avoided the teasing remark in the end. She took a sip of the lemonade and her pain seemed to have instantly relieved. Han Lingxue sat down on the couch and turned up the volume.


    The reporter said, "Jade Capital is a happening place and is filled with a variety of news but last night a few shocking events took place. One of them comes from the Chairman of Thunder Technologies, Mister Hao Ren, who was spotted in the entertainment zone of the capital on a date with a person known as the jewel of the Jade Capital, Miss Han Lingshi. The couple confirmed that they were dating."


    Han Lingshi was shocked when she heard this, her eyes opened wide. She took a deep breath and looked at Han Lingxue, who was smiling and said, "Mom called me when she saw this. Get ready for the heavy incoming."


    The news continued, and a clipping of Hao Ren and Han Lingshi embracing each other. The lady took a deep breath and said, "Since Ren said we are dating, then I will follow. He has been holding back because of me, and given his success, reaching the target would not take long."


    Han Lingxue gave her a thumbs up and said, "I support you."


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Good morning, can you tell me why you do you sound so low?"


    Han Lingshi sighed, "I just finished dealing with a bunch of old people at home who heard the news about us dating. Grandpa wants to meet you."


    Hao Ren replied, "I don''t mind meeting them, but if they tried to be nosy, you know I will not hold back anymore."


    The lady wasn''t surprised, she knew very well why he said this. She replied, "Hmm, well, I told them to back off for now. They are so controlling I swear."


    Hao Ren chuckled and replied, "Is my mother any lesser?"


    Han Lingshi smiled on the other side. Hao Ren told her about the message that he sent to all the people of the Empress International. Han Lingshi was surprised to find that Hao Ren acted so decisive and ruthlessly. She asked, "What if someone still went to the police and named us?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "They won''t do that, because in half an hour the police will announce his real identity and those soft hearted dumb people will realize that it was better for them to stay away."


    Han Lingshi nodded and the call diverted to the things they wanted to do for the rest of the day. Soon, Hao Ren reached the manufacturing factory and found a middle aged man standing at the gates. He could tell that this man was the manager. Hao Ren parked his car, and got off quickly.


    The middle-aged man asked, "Might you be President Hao?"


    Hao Ren nodded and extended his hand as he said, "You are Mister Simone, the director of production?"


    The middle-aged man humbly shook his hand and nodded. He said, "Welcome to the Thunder Cloud Factory, sir."


    Hao Ren nodded with a faint smile on his face, "Director Simone, would you please show me around? I would like to see the faculty."


    The man nodded and quickly led Hao Ren to the plants. The place was filled with people, and the machines, it was very loud. Simone first showed Hao Ren the production lines of the Koro-Koro cleaning bot. Then he took them to the end of the factory where they were assembling Grace, the house bots.


    Hao Ren closely inspected the samples and nodded in satisfaction. He looked around and suddenly he frowned. It was not plausible for them to create another production unit in a short time. Suddenly, he asked, "Director Simone, how long is a full work shift now?"


    Simone replied, "Sir, the employees report at nine in the morning and work till twelve in the morning, then one hour for lunch and then they resume work till five in the evening."


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at the faces of the workers. Suddenly, he said, "Can you suspend the work for today and gather all the workers in one place? I would like to talk to them for a bit. Make sure that their salary is not deducted."


    Simone was shocked and after some hesitation, he asked, "Sir, one day of lose work will cause some losses."


    Hao Ren raised his hand and said, "We can handle it all, don''t worry, I have my own methods to deal with this situation. Just do as I say."


    Hao Ren wanted to achieve a new height and for that the first step will be taken now. His enemies would not be making any move for the time being. Since that was the case, he would use this time to get stronger.

 Chapter 66: Busy Day.

    Hao Ren stood in the factory complex looking around at various things, he asked Xiao Mei to prepare a welfare plan for the workers which promotes employee retainment. His factory was already working at full capacity.


    When Koro-koro was being manufactured, Hao Ren had hired many people and ran the factory in double shift. So, it was pointless to hire new people when they did not even have the place to work. It would hemorrhage him money and that was not something he could afford at the moment.


    The only way he could become stronger was by retaining employees and acquiring more factories to open more factories. Director Simone alerted his foremen and all the workers gathered in the open space. It was eleven in the morning and they were told to take a day off because the CEO had come to meet them.


    They were wage workers, and the owner of their factory, their benefactor was here to meet them, they all were happy but at the same time they were nervous. From the past few days, the factory had been running non-stop, and while it was good that they were producing something good. However, the boss came over, so it could be that the management wants to lay off people.


    Who knows, who will be cut off with a thank you message. The people were very tensed, when they saw Director Simone bowing his head and talking to Hao Ren, they were surprised, because this guy was too young.


    A few minutes later, Hao Ren looked in their direction. The crowd settled and Hao Ren smiled as he approached them. He spoke in a sonorous voice, "Hello, everyone, I apologize for not managing to come over here earlier. My name is Hao Ren and my company bought this factory a few weeks ago.


    I am very grateful to all you have done in the past few days, and I just want to say that I consider you all as my family members."


    The people did not doubt him, on the contrary, their spirits were uplifted by his words. Hao Ren continued, "Everyone, I came here today to show my gratitude. From the next week, your wages will be credited on weekly basis, everyone will receive a twenty percent hike.


    The company will also give you a three insurance plan which will cover the annual medical expense of your family, a house after your retirement, and lastly, a fixed pension."


    The people were shocked and then they all cheered. Hao Ren smiled at them and raised his head. He said, "The company is willing to give you all that you might need, including emergency funds. However, apart from the emergency funds, you would only be able to validate the other welfare schemes when you have completed three years in the factory.


    In the past, many companies have done this and they have caused loss to the management. I do not want Thunder Cloud to suffer like this. So, as a countermeasure, if someone decides to leave before they complete three years employment duration, they will be given a settlement amount but the scheme rewards will be diverted to other people. Is there any objection?"


    The people looked at each other, and after ten minutes of discussion they all replied in a united refusal. Hao Ren nodded with a smile and said, "The company will sanction construction of a dormitory and entertainment zone. The staff with crucial roles can bring their family to move in there. The company will also provide your children with opportunities to study and rise higher in the society."


    The people clapped and Director Simone was shocked as Hao Ren said this. However, that was not all, Hao Ren went on to say a few more things, and the workers also resonated with him. The sooth-saying was powerful and these people had no defense against Hao Ren. He called Mister Leigh and told him to re-hire everyone according to the new contract he has sent him.


    Hao Ren then talked to the foremen and realized that it was already close to lunch time. He thought and asked, "Uncles, if you don''t mind, why don''t you all discuss it with your wives, and see if they want to run a canteen. The company will fund their business, and I will personally monitor it. What do you say?"


    The people became excited, everyone loved extra money and their wives always complained about the situation being tight. Now their skills could be put to use. Hao Ren told them to take a few days to discuss with their wives, and inform Director Simone about their final decision.


    The people agreed and Hao Ren left the factory. He informed the Human Resource Department and also the finance department. The people were wondering why he did this but they could only ask him post-lunch as he would not come to work before that.


    Hao Ren made his way to the market, and then moved to the Empress International. Han Lingshi and his relationship had already been brought to light and within a few hours, he was the most searched person, and everyone in the company had more or less heard that he was a young millionaire.


    However, when they saw him come to the cafeteria with ingredients and how he greeted everyone like yesterday with a smile on his face. He did not say much and simply started cooking while talking to the employees and joking about stuff. The kitchen staff had a very good impression of him, and someone could not help but ask, "Sir, you are a millionaire, how come you have such high cooking skills?"


    Everyone was shocked, General Bella shook her head and replied, "Chief, that bunch of people is weird. You know it better than me. They will cause nothing but chaos given how conceited they are. Anyhow, this is not the first time something like this has happened. This man had been cleaning up the pests in the capital on his own.


    Since he did not harm the people, why can''t we let him be? I am sure it must be some hermit who is tired of these puny tricks and decided to act while their is still some time."


    The old man did not speak instantly, he took a few minutes before he said, "Fine, we will let this go for the time being. Let''s discuss the other issue."


    ...


    Hao Ren did not know that his actions had alerted the military. Xiao Mei did not react to this either, because she wiped away all the traces of their existence in those places and that was her key of confidence.


    The young man was at the moment driving his car back to the office, he had a lot of things going on and one of them was to prepare the stage for the new product launch. He arrived at the company and the meetings began.


    Markus Bourne took charge of marketing and Neil took charge of the PR, Lynn Carter was in charge of keeping up with the factory and make it so that they have enough units to do the initial booking and delivery.


    Hao Ren was sitting in his chair and suddenly said, "We cannot yet establish another assembly line for the house bot production. I suggest that we take the orders that we could deliver within seven days. I wonder how long before a new production line can be established?"


    Lynn Carter gave an estimate, from the date of part delivery from the other subsidiaries, the assembling takes three days. If they create a new production line they would need to hire new people also. Hao Ren nodded and delegated the work to his generals before he took off for the day.


    ...


    Hao Ren was thinking that the day was progressing smoothly when his phone rang. The number was unknown, Xiao Mei tracked it and said, "It''s Edgar Hamil."


    Hao Ren furrowed his brows and said, "Put him through."


    The call came through and the person said, "Hello, am I talking to Mister Hao."


    His tone was very respectful. Hao Ren furrowed his brow and asked, "Tell me Mister Hamil, what do you want with me?"


    Edgar Hamil did not reply, he was shocked to know that the other person recognized him. After a few seconds, he asked, "How do you know its me?"


    Hao Ren snapped and said, "Cut the crap and tell me what is it?"


    Edgar Hamil chuckled and said, "Well, am I late? Did your parents call you already, farmer boy."


    Hao Ren pressed the brakes of his car and asked in a low voice, "What did you say?"

 Chapter 67: Rage & Unity.

    Hao Ren was sitting in his car, as he clenched the stirring in his grip. He asked forcefully, "Edgar Hamil, you better not act out, or I will make you regret being born."


    The man on the other side of the phone laughed maniacally. He calmed down only after a few minutes, and asked, "Hao Ren, are you scared? Tell me, are you scared?"


    Hao Ren did not answer to him, he placed the call on mute and then said, "Xiao Mei, find my parents and what they are doing, also locate Edgar Hamil. Tell me what he has done in the past few days, I want to kill him so much."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, Boss."


    Edgar Hamil continued talking, "Do you think if you stay silent I will let you off? Bastard, you told me to compete with Leonard, and now, I am left with nothing. Nothing, at all!! All because I tried to fight him. Since you caused me to suffer this humiliation, I will give you a gift that you won''t forget.


    Your beloved parents, I wonder how you would feel if you reach home and you find they are not home, hahahahaha. Oh, Hao Ren, you will come to see what happens when you mess with the big-shots of the Jade City, you country bumpkin!!


    You think just because you got to date that bitch, Han Lingshi, you are invincible in the capital? Fool, just wait and watch."


    The call was disconnected, and Hao Ren was seething in rage. His eyes were red, as his body shivered. The young man waited for a bit before Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, Edgar Hamil has been involved in battle with Leonard Hamil these past few days, but he was beaten thoroughly. Now he only has a few hundred thousand to his name.


    He blames you for his failure and contacted the goons in the local town to harass your parents and plans to have them killed in an accident. At the moment, he is traveling to your home town, Golden Bloom Town."


    Hao Ren leaned back in his seat and closed his eyes for a few minutes before he called his mother. The old lady picked up the call and Hao Ren skipped the greeting and said, "When were you intending to tell me about the harassment from the goons you and that old man have been facing? Do you still think of me as your son or did you bury me too when Mei left?"


    Mrs. Hao did not flare up. She has never seen Hao Ren this angry. He did not even call her Ma, and just exploded. Before she could say anything in her defense, Hao Ren continued, "If you still think of me as your son, then please quietly leave home and stay with the neighbors. Someone is targeting you people."


    Mrs. Hao replied, "Ren, don''t be angry. We will do what you tell us son."


    Hao Ren snorted and said, "Now, you call me your son. Do you know what I felt when some dirtbag called me and threatened me with your lives? Do you know how bad I felt when I heard that you people hid such things from me?"


    Mrs. Hao sobbed and said, "Ren, don''t think that we don''t love you. It''s just that we did not think too much about it. You are all we have left."


    Hao Ren took a few deep breaths and said, "Ma, I will talk to you in a bit, can you please take Dad and go to the neighbors. Please do it secretly."


    Mrs. Hao nodded and talked with him for a few more minutes before she and Mr. Hao left the house to stay with the neighbors. Hao Ren took a deep breath and asked, "Xiao Mei, what are the chances of Edgar Hamil cross a traffic signal, and then crash into a big truck?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, it is very rare for this to happen. The traffic signals are working correctly, unless the truck driver makes a fatal mistake, it is not possible."


    Hao Ren nodded and then replied, "You have to slam a car on the highway. It will be an easy hit and run. Think carefully, then tell me, I will call you in half an hour."


    Yang San got anxious, because he was pressurized by Hao Ren''s sooth-saying skills. He took a deep breath and said, "Sir, I will do it."


    Hao Ren passed him the car number and said, "I will be watching every single move of yours, if you did not finish this guy off within an hour, I will send someone to deal with you."


    Yang San shivered in fear and then he replied, "I will definitely get it done."


    Hao Ren disconnected the call and then he leaned back in the seat. He did not intend to drive away, his heart was not calm. Xiao Mei said, "Boss, Leonard Hamil has been looking into you, and he is aware that Edgar Hamil is making a move against you."


    He asked, "Now do you understand why I am going after the entire Hamil Family?"


    Xiao Mei expressed her understanding. Hao Ren said, "Analyze Leonard Hamil and all the things he has done in the past. I want to know everything about him."


    ...


    Han Lingshi was sitting in her office, when suddenly someone called her phone. She looked at the caller and raised her brow. On the other end, Leonard Hamil said, "Miss Han, good evening. Hope you have been doing well."


    Han Lingshi did not respond to him and Leonard Hamil continued talking, "Miss Han, I just called you bearing well wishes in my heart and you are giving me a cold shoulder. Is this how you treat someone who wishes you well?"


    Han Lingshi directly disconnected the call and said, "Xiao Mei, can you block this number directly?"


    Xiao Mei let out a sigh and said, "Mistress, may I make a suggestion?"


    Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "What is it?"


    The AI said, "I suggest that you stay away from the Hamils."


    Han Lingshi asked her, "Why do you say that?"


    Xiao Mei told her the entire scenario of what was happening with Hao Ren and his parents. Han Lingshi''s brows furrowed even more. She stood up from the chair and said, "Can you tell me where he is?"


    Xiao Mei told her about Hao Ren''s location and asked, "What do you want to do, Mistress?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "My husband is facing these bastards alone, what else can I do but support him?"

 Chapter 68: Making a move (1)

    Han Lingshi heard from Xiao Mei, and she was instantly worried about Hao Ren. From what she understood about him, Hao Ren was a man who would not reveal his thoughts to her easily. She drove her car to his location.


    While Han Lingshi was headed to meet Hao Ren, the young man was sitting in his car with his eyes looking at the sky from the window. Xiao Mei said, "Yang San is about to execute the plan."


    Hao Ren replied, "Continue guiding him, and make sure it looks like a proper accident. Edgar should die and Yang San must be blamed for it."


    Xiao Mei replied in affirmative as she guided Yang San, who was driving his truck on the highway heading to the Jade capital. He would be meeting with Edgar Hamil in five minutes. The person on call had been guiding him constantly, even making him adjust his speed.


    This shocked and scared him a lot. How was this man keeping such exact track of his movements? He shivered when he thought of Hao Ren saying that he would send someone to deal with him. Yang San cursed, "These fucking rich people. I swear I would never mess with them."


    Just when he was thinking about this, Xiao Mei said, "Speed up, the target will be reaching the U-turn in five minutes, turn the steering on my call."


    The AI used Edgar''s voice throughout the process. Yang San replied, "Yes, sir."


    He looked at the right side of the road and he could already see the U-turn, and just when he was about to reach it, Xiao Mei said, "Turn right."


    Yang San did not hesitate and followed the command. Then next moment, he turned his steering and the Truck leaned to the right as the momentum shifted. The vehicle rushed through the turn passage, and before he could figure out anything, a loud boom sounded and the cabin trembled from the impact. The windshield cracked and the glass fell outside.


    Yang San was wearing his seat belt so he was safe and sound, but the front of his truck, the impact point was twisted. The traffic on the expressway came to an end. Xiao Mei said, "Thank you, you did a good job."


    Then the call ended, Yang San was still stunned from the collision, and his body was slightly uncomfortable. He sat in the cabin trying to wake up his numb body when the door was pulled open and Yang San saw a police officer.


    The people helped him down the cabin and they began to check the car also.


    ...


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, it''s done."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Good job, Xiao Mei."


    The Ai did not respond, after a few seconds, Hao Ren sat up in his seat, and he was ready to go back home when the driver window was knocked. He turned to look and found Han Lingshi looking at him with a smile.


    In all honesty, Hao Ren did not want to be bothered by anyone. However, he could not hit a smiling face, could he? He nodded to Han Lingshi and lowered the window. He said, "Come in."


    Han Lingshi nodded and walked around the car to get in the passenger seat. She noticed the dejectedness in his voice. He was obviously very effected by this whole scene. After sitting inside the car, she placed her hand on the back of his palm and said, "Ren, it will be alright."


    The reason Hao Ren was obsessed with getting stronger at this moment was because he wanted to beat the crap out of people with his own hands. The war that lay ahead of him was not small and while the enemy had forces that could fight in light and dark, he only had himself.


    The information moved to his mind and muscles making his temperature rise quickly. His muscles condensed and became tougher. Hao Ren closed his eyes as the scenes of fighting flashed in his mind and his aura began to change.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was sitting in his study, she had just finished talking to Mrs. Hao, and seemed to be thinking of something. She was aware that what happened today was the wake up call for Hao Ren and her. Although they knew that their parents were at risk, but they had never really felt the danger like this before.


    She sighed and mumbled, "Sometimes we have to be cruel in order to save ourselves. Mercy on the enemy is cruelty to oneself."


    She took a deep breath and then asked, "Xiao Mei, Edgar Hamil has been confirmed dead?"


    The AI replied, "Yes, Mistress. He died on the spot from severe impact to his bones and head. Multiple organ failure."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and said, "If the Hamil family tries to investigate, make sure that all the evidence points toward the Ye family''s third master, Ye Long."


    Xiao Mei asked, "Mistress, anything special about this man?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "A few years ago, Edgar Hamil humiliated the Third Master Ye and the latter had threatened him in front of the entire high circle. Since then they had been at logger heads and Third Master Ye was the one who lost some and gained some. He would serve a perfect purpose of a fall guy."


    Xiao Mei replied in a few minutes, "Yes, Mistress, it has been arranged."


    She manipulated the digital tracks of the calls and the transaction leading back to Ye Long. Han Lingshi then said, "The Hamils are involved in real estate and have many of the projects going on all over the nation. One of the biggest projects they have is the Flare Power Grounds.


    I heard a rumor that one of the officials involved in this project took some benefits from them in return for the project contract. Find out who it is and what they got. Then release it on a public domain, make it so that the higher-ups get the scent. They will rip the Hamils apart in shreds."


    Xiao Mei said, "Mistress you are even more cunning than Boss. He wants to handle things on his own, and you are using so many people to shoulder the rifle for you."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "Xiao Mei, if not for you, I would have to arrange things on my own too. Ren is not wrong, he has not been exposed to the business world for too long and he does not have a wide connection of people to get such news that could be used against such people. He will get the gist of it soon. I will take him along to expand his circle."


    ...


    Hao Ren finished learning the martial arts and opened his eyes. His aura had changed completely. He took a breath and said, "Well, this is good. Xiao Mei, tell me about the Hamil family."


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, Mistress has already arranged to make a move against them for causing you this trouble."


    Hao Ren was surprised but then he nodded, and said, "I should go and talk to her."

 Chapter 69: Making A Move (2)

    Hao Ren left the gym and headed to the study. He found Han Lingshi using the computer. She saw him and then went back to her work. Hao Ren took a deep breath and came around the table. He leaned against the table as he faced her. He asked in a soft voice, "Lingshi, do you think it will really effect Hamil family?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and nodded as she said, "Have trust in me, this is not the first time I am doing such a thing."


    She did not make a fuss about him telling her to give him some space. Han Lingshi knew that Hao Ren would have respected her wishes if she was to ask the same. That day when Maria''s betrayal had broke her heart, Hao Ren was there, although he was bossier than she was, but it was because she did not want anyone to see her.


    At least he did not tell her off. She wanted to ask him how he was feeling when her stomach grumbled. Hao Ren froze and so did she. He said, "I will cook something, come."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied, "I already ordered take out, we will have that. You had a busy day, don''t worry about such small things."


    Hao Ren looked at her and he said, "Lingshi, with every passing day, I love you even more."


    Han Lingshi blushed a little and said, "Every passing day, I find that you are getting even more shameless. How can you say such things without changing your expression. Cheesy."


    Hao Ren was stunned and then he grinned as he asked, "I am confessing my love to my wife, what do you mean by shameless? Huh, just because you are a shy tomato you call me shameless. Not fair."


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide and asked, "Did you just call me a shy tomato?"


    Hao Ren nodded and Han Lingshi lunged at him. The young man did not expect that to happen, but when he thought Han Lingshi would kiss him, he sensed a vague pain coming from his shoulder. He turned his head and found that Han Lingshi was biting him quite hard.


    He sucked in a cold breath and wailed, "Ahhhh, Lingshi, I am a human, do you want me to loose my arm."


    Han Lingshi broke away and looking at the perfect mark of her teeth she said, "No, but at least for a day it will sting you and I want you to remember what you did. I am telling you, don''t mess with me."


    Then with a flick of her hair she turned around and walked away. However, this time Hao Ren''s gaze flickered with a cold glint. He lunged over and held Han Lingshi from behind. His arms were coiled around her and trapped his arms too. Han Lingshi wasn''t afraid at all. She asked, "What are you doing?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Paying you in kind."


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows and suddenly her neck was covered with a warmth. She opened her eyes wide. Hao Ren was kissing her neck, which made her tremble with numbness. She could feel his tongue caressing her skin gently and she could not help but let out a moan. Soon, Hao Ren bit her skin, however, it was not painful.


    The tinge of pain was even more pleasurable for her. Hao Ren noticed the change in her breathing and began to alternate between kissing and biting her neck. He stopped when Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the food delivery is here."


    Hao Ren flicked his tongue on the red spot one last time as he said, "I will go and collect the food."


    In today''s day and age, until you are retired or physically unfit, nobody wants to stay back at home. Everyone is chasing excellence. However, we still have our loved ones staying at home, some of them in need of critical care.


    It could be children or the elderly. The protection could be from health hazard to burglary. Our new product is able to take care of it. It can alert the emergency services within a few seconds. It can look after the children and keep them engaged in your absence, and the best feature of it all.


    When you come home after a hectic day of work, this product can serve you a glass of water and prepare the bath for you. The last but not the least, in situations where violence is easy to use, this robot can use kung-fu."


    One of the reporters said, "Mister Hao, the hype you created is good, but what about the product?"


    They were holding this press conference in the Rubicon tower conference hall, many people from small and big companies have come over and they were watching this situation. Hao Ren sighed and said, "Grace, can you lead them in?"


    Then the people heard gentle thumping sounds on the ground. They saw a silver robot leading on ten black and white robots. The appearance of the robots was very close to human skeleton. Xiao Mei mentioned in the notes that humans had an easy time accepting bots that look like humans. The reporters were stunned, as they watched Grace and the rest of the bots come up and stand behind Hao Ren.


    The young man smiled and said, "Grace, can you introduce yourself and the rest our journalist friends?"


    The emoticon on her face screen turned into a smiling one as she said, "Yes, Master."


    Grace stepped over and introduced herself in a fashion similar to when she had met the professors of the Jade City University. The reporters noted and recorded everything. Neil had managed to get them a live broadcast on a channel. Only one, while the deal was for them to stay on for fifteen minutes, as soon as the robots appeared, the netizens began to talk and the viewership sky-rocketed.


    Hao Ren said, "All the bots are capable of answering any of your questions, and can communicate fluently in several languages. You can assign them a name on your own after they have been delivered to you."


    Grace chipped in, "Master, how about we put on a demonstration for them?"


    Hao Ren nodded and the bots moved to serve the reporters with water and they asked them various small questions which evolved into communication. After ten minutes, the reporters were shocked and smitten. One of the reporters asked, "Sir, you said that your bots have the capability to fight, would that possess any threats to the society?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "No, we did not install any ports for anyone else to prevent the house bots from being manipulated by viruses. The operating system is built based on the Horizon OS, so the result is going to be the same."


    Another reporter asked, "Sir, what do you think the impact of this move would be? Will it effect the human employment?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "They are called house bots, they will always walk beside you and aid you. Their purpose is not to steal away your livelihood. On the contrary, you might be able to improve your skills if you used them efficiently."


    The question and answers went on for thirty minutes, and Hao Ren was asked to reveal the price. The young man said, "After a long discussion it was decided that the robot will be priced for 49999 yuan."


    The people sucked in a cold breath and Hao Ren smiled as he said, "Don''t worry, everyone can afford them. We will be introducing a lease and partial payment plan on the mobile assistant app pretty soon, so everyone can get a house bot. If there aren''t any other questions, let''s finish the conference here. You can interact with the bots."


    Hao Ren shocked the market with his move. Previously many people did not bother with them because they wanted him to come to them, but after this display, they will be coming to him for collaboration.

 Chapter 70: Thunder Shocks.

    A week had passed since Hao Ren held the press conference. Although Thunder Technologies was not the biggest and the most famous name in terms of robot, but they were certainly ahead of the other companies.


    Within an hour of the press conference, many big companies and big people placed orders for a massive number of units, they did not mind the wait time, but they just wanted to place the order and get an estimated wait time.


    Lynn and the HR department head have been collaborating and they have set up a call center for the consumers and the number of calls for enquiry had just reached the level where the operatives were slacked. Even though the center has been operating for twenty four hours in two shifts, it was still flooded.


    The curiosity among people was just so high. Markus allowed a few Mytube content creators to visit the factory and apart from the computer coding, they saw how the House-bot was manufactured. The fame of Thunder Technologies was flying through the roof, but at this moment, the owner of the company did not seem to care about anything else in the world.


    He sat down silently and looked at the gray-haired middle-aged man across him.


    He was meeting Dion, the person who was drawn to him because of the golden manager ticket. The middle-aged man did not come over for a mere interview or a chit chat. This person had come over with a complete dossier of potential investment projects and also many small plants that could be acquired.


    Hao Ren had been reading the dossier for a couple of hours, he sighed and said, "Mister Dion, I must say that you are very good at what you do. However, I thought that you wanted to be a investment manager, and have a firm of your own, but I see that some of these places are focused on industrial growth."


    Dion nodded and replied, "Mister Hao, when I was looking into your main businesses, I found that most of your income comes from robots which are manufactured in the factories. If you become my boss then it would be one of my responsibilities that you put your money in projects that can multiply your income. Thus, I selected a few factories that could be bought out."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "At the moment, I am actively buying out the stocks of the Crown International and trying to assimilate it into Thunder technologies. If you are willing, then this will be your first task. I want to hold a major percentage and voting rights in that organization within a week."


    Dion nodded and replied, "I have observed Crown International for a long time, so I am sure I can make things work. Money is the only thing that the management and the boards of directors would care about at the moment."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I have a few things that could help you lower the price further. Would you like to work for me, Mister Dion, as for your salary, I will hire you on commission basis, you will have free rein over the investment, and I will pay you with five percent of profit share for every project that you see through. What do you think?"


    Dion smiled and said, "After dabbling with money all my life, this is the first time I feel like I am going to make a profit."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Well, let us sign the contract and get done with it. For the time being, I would like you to work remotely, and once you have taken care of the Crown International task, you set up an office there. Just so you know, in the past three days, I have already bought out thirty percent of the shares."


    Dion was surprised but he was not going to give up this easily, he said, "It might be a boast coming from me, but I will get you over seventy percent."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "I look forward to the cooperation, Mister Dion."


    The two man shook hands and began to talk about the other directions of business expansion and income multiplication. Hao Ren finished the meeting and he went back home. He has told Lynn Carter to do whatever she wanted with the business deals offered to them. He wasn''t a fool, who would think that he could thrive on his own.


    He just did not wish to collaborate with the conceited bunch of people. Though one press conference changed it all, he was feeling really good. Lynn Carter has also signed collaboration with a few logistic companies and their bots could be shipped throughout the nation seamlessly.


    Three hours of high intensity training without a single moment of rest, his body was still going on. He practiced until he it was close to dawn and he was panting so much that lifting his arm was a problem for him.


    Hao Ren drank the glass of potion and sat down on the floor. Soon his breathing regulated, and his fatigue was gone. After ten minutes, he was close to his peak. Hao Ren gulped a mouthful of saliva, when he thought of the profit he could make from this.


    This potion could change the face of the military power and he as a manufacturer of this potion could earn a lot of money. However, he knew that the government would not allow him to cut them deep.


    Hao Ren nodded and decided to handle this after he has gained enough foothold in the jade city and his company can work without his help.


    ...


    In the morning, Hao Ren drove his car to the race course. He spotted that the place was bustling with crowd and only now did he understand why Han Lingshi was so anxious to make it to this place. He came to the entrance and after showing the pass sent on his phone by Han Lingshi he was allowed to enter the team lobby.


    Han Lingxue was looking at the lobby entrance and she quickly dragged him to the pit zone. He asked, "Xuexue why are you so anxious? Let me greet Lingshi first."


    Han Lingxue said, "Big Sis told me to get you to the pit stop."


    Hao Ren sensed something in her voice and stopped in his tracks. He freed his hands and turned to look at the place where Han Lingshi was sitting. He spotted a trio of young men and women. They all had a cocky expression on their faces. Hao Ren glared at Han Lingxue as he walked over to them.


    Han Lingxue was frozen in her tracks because of the aura Hao Ren just projected at her. She realized that her brother-in-law was not a good boy as he seemed.


    Hao Ren arrived behind Han Lingshi and heard her say, "Augustus, just because you have Marco to drive for you, does not mean that you have to come over here and boast it to me. I remember our bet very well, you can get lost, I won''t loss."


    Augustus chuckled and said, "We shall see. Oh, looks like your boyfriend is not happy seeing you chat with me. I will look for the keys to your company after the event."


    The blonde young man chuckled and left with the two women beside him. Han Lingshi, on the other hand, turned around with a surprised expression. Hao Ren was looking at her coldly.


    Han Lingshi trembled and said, "It''s nothing bad, I made a bet with him five years ago, and it is about time that I fulfil it."


    Hao Ren said, "Your words lack the usual conviction. Talk to me when you have the guts to tell me the truth. I am not going to look too much into the situation. However, I hope that you don''t hide stuff from me. I am only a vulnerable human, and I can misunderstand things. I will see you after the race."


    That said, he left without waiting for her response. Ever since his parents hid the fact that his sister was sick, he hated being kept in the dark. Han Lingshi unknowingly ticked him off today.


    ...


    Dream''s Note: Guys please leave a comment.

 Chapter 71: Road Rage. (1)

    Hao Ren did not think that his anger was pointless when he walked away from Han Lingshi. He just wanted her to know that she cannot go around keeping secrets with him while he was working his ass off for her. Yes, he did have some ambition, but every one does. He was a human after all. Han Lingxue rushed to support her sister, who was sulking, and said, "Told you so."


    Han Lingshi dejectedly sat down and nodded, her mind was in a mess. She said, "You know I made this bet before I met him?"


    Han Lingxue nodded and sat down next to her as she said, "You could have told him why you were anxious about the event when you called him and he would have been here even earlier. Given how smart he is, do you think, he wouldn''t figure out that Augustus and his bunch is scheming against us? This is why he is angry. You should not shoulder everything on your own."


    ...


    In the pit alley, Hao Ren smiled and greeted everyone. Andy took a deep breath when he saw him and said, "Thank heavens you came over, Hao Ren. We are in a bind."


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Are we looking that bad?"


    Andy sighed and said, "The leaders are Ricardo, Marco, and Dalton."


    Hao Ren couldn''t help but exclaim, "Fuck my life! We have to start against them from the tail. Even god cannot win this, right?"


    Andy shrugged and said, "I did not expect these three to come over in person, however, they just want to settle their own accounts. Since this is a charity event they would be doing a good deed while competing with each other."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "No time thinking, I will suit up and then inspect the car one more time before we go in."


    Andy nodded, and Hao Ren went to the dressing room on the side. It did not take long for him to put on the suit and he walked out into complete chaos. Hao Ren looked at the raging old man and asked, "What happened?"


    Andy yelled, "What happened? That fucker Dillion registered the team software under his name, and now he sent us a notice that if we want to use the software on the vehicle we need to pay him fifty million yuan. That bastard, I hope he dies of rot."


    Hao Ren shook his head and looked around, he found that a few people in suits were watching the consoles with a few nerdy guys working there. He walked over and asked, "Excuse me, might you be the officer who is checking what software we are using?"


    The man nodded, and when he saw Hao Ren dressed in a driver suit he sighed and said, "Look buddy, I know it might be a big stage for you, but you are already at the tail and I am bound by the laws and regulation. We cannot let you use this one."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Can you get your guys to delete this software from the roots?"


    The man was shocked and so were the others, Hao Ren extended his hand to the man and said, "Hi, my name is Hao Ren, I am the CEO of Thunder Technologies. I will allow the Chariot Racing Team to use the monitoring software developed by my company. How much longer do you need before you can clean it up?"


    Matty cast a side glance at Han Lingshi who was looking at them and Hao Ren gave the man a thumbs up. He sighed and said, "Women."


    Matty smiled and said, "Alright mate, you are all set, now can you please get ahead of these snobby blokes?"


    Hao Ren nodded to him with a smile. Just when the cars were about to roll out of the pit stop a familiar mechanical ding sounded in his mind.


    *Ding: Host you are racing to help your Wife''s company. You are the knight in shiny armor who is riding the chariot to rescue the empress. You have only one option and that is victory!!


    Task: Win the charity race event.*


    Hao Ren commented, "Your knack for dramatization is increasing exponentially."


    The system did not reply, Hao Ren rolled the car out of the pit slowly and warmed up the tires. Xiao Mei said, "A lot of people are talking about you."


    Hao Ren replied, "Let them talk whatever they want to. The result will speak for us."


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the forecast suggests rain, can you tell them to take out a set of wet rain tires just in case?"


    Hao Ren said, "Tell me about it when the sky is filled with clouds."


    Xiao Mei accepted the task and fell silent. Hao Ren drove his car smoothly around the track, and he did not use the curbs at all. After the warm up lap had finished, Andy spoke, "Ren, the sensors are working fine and the telemetry is looking good."


    Hao Ren replied with a okay, and then he said, "Now, I am going to focus, we only have 77 laps to get past 19 cars."


    Andy said, "Yeah, since it is a charity event, all the teams are sending out one car each to compete. Even the teams that are not qualified for the grand prix are here, to think that we stand at the tail, what a shame."


    Hao Ren said, "Andy, we also did not qualify for the grand prix did we?"


    Andy fell silent when he heard this. Hao Ren revved the engine as he looked at the starting lights. As soon as the lights turned green, within a millisecond, Hao Ren shifted gears and punched the accelerator.


    The car turned into a silver dagger that pushed forward, and before the person ahead of him had a clue, Hao Ren was already moving ahead from the gap on the outside.


    The crowd was stunned, usually they all focused on the front but the commentator said, "Oh my god, what did I just see, the driver from Chariot team made a quick work at the start to defy the tail end and jumped three places. Hahaha, the race has begun ladies and gentleman."

 Chapter 72: Road Rage (2).

    Hao Ren could not hear the commentators, but he knew that he was three places ahead in at the start, now for the first few laps he had to hold the position and get used to the pace of the race. There was a difference in running on the track alone and then with cars. Andy said to him, "You have a steady pace."


    Hao Ren replied, "Let me get used to the traffic a bit and then I will start climbing the podium. Just tell me how much is the gap between us."


    ...


    Andy was slightly taken aback but when he realized the control and wits Hao Ren displayed the last time he was behind the steering, he calmed down. Han Lingshi watched the race progressing on the monitors. She looked at Andy and said, "Tell him to be careful when passing the opponents also please regulate the pit stops.


    Make sure that the car does not have any malfunction that might put him in danger."


    Andy nodded to her, it was obvious for her to care about him. He didn''t turn his hair grey by driving under the sun. Han Lingshi did not have the ice demon aura around her when it was about Hao Ren.


    ...


    Hao Ren completed five laps and then said, "Okay, Andy, I am getting on."


    Andy replied, "Roger that."


    The commentators had the access to the pit stop and communication, one of them said, "Henry, what do you think? Can Hao Ren really deliver what he just said?"


    Henry smiled and picked up the mic as he said, "Alan, from what I have found from our sources, this guy sure has the caliber to run for the top, but it won''t be easy for him to pass sixteen drivers. It may sound as if the race is long but inside the cockpit everything is faster, even the time."


    Alan nodded in agreement and said, "Just now Hao Ren said to his Crew chief Andy that he is ready, and from the looks of it he is ready."


    Henry suddenly smiled and said, "Hao Ren is going after the Caster team driver, Phoenix. It is a relentless chase, and with every moment, the gap between the two is getting smaller."


    Alan also got into it and said, "Phoenix just blocked the inside of the track to stop Hao Ren from getting ahead, nice defensive driving."


    Henry followed, "However, it would be that easy to get rid of Hao Ren, he is tailing Phoenix like a shadow. They are head to tail, and their is a turn coming ahead."


    Alan remarked, "Phoenix is blocking the inside of the track again."


    Henry exclaimed, "Hao Ren has taken the outside line and he is punching that accelerator to its limit. It is a beautiful curve Hao Ren has no intention of slowing down. Oh, look, not only did he cut in, he in blocking Phoenix from advancing too. What a wonderful move!"


    Alan chuckled and said, "Phoenix looks angry and is chasing after Hao Ren, eager to get back his position."


    Henry smiled and replied, "It is not that easy, Hao Ren is not slowing down, he has no intention to look back at the ones he left in dust."


    Augustus turned his head to look at the rankings chart displayed on the monitor and he was shocked. Chariot team was moving up on the charts with every few laps. He clenched his fist and turned to look at his secretary and said, "Find out who is this driver. How is he doing it?"


    Han Lingxue looked at him with mocking experience and said, "You have no idea what you are up against Augustus. This is not Scvantia, and he is not Marco."


    ...


    Hao Ren did not care about anyone, and moved inside the pit lane and yelled, "Andy, fucking tell them to get the wet tires on, now!"


    Andy was shocked and just when he was thinking what to do, it started raining heavily. The technicians did not even wait for Andy, they were all experienced people. The pit stop was delayed but the wet tires were put on and Hao Ren dashed out of the pits.


    The commentators noticed this and Henry said, "Hao Ren has put on wet tires, I wonder if they speculate the rain to last for a long time."


    Alan nodded and said, "According to the weather forecast, it is possible for the rain to last an hour or more but that time is enough for the race to enter the final laps. It seems to me that Crew chief Andy has been paying attention to the forecast and they timed the pit stops from the beginning of the race. It could be luck that it started raining as Hao Ren enter to pit."


    Henry remarked, "I have always believed that luck is a part of your strength and that is what we all just saw. Hao Ren is out of the pit lane and he is chasing after the opponents even more relentlessly."


    Alan thought of something and said, "It appears to me that Hao Ren is driving with a rage, but if one is to notice the fine control he shows when making his moves and turning around on the corners, his car looks like a sword that is tearing apart the illusions of the other drivers."


    Henry exclaimed, "Alan, I am going to nickname him as the sword of the race track."


    ...


    Hao Ren cursed, "Fucking visibility is playing tricks, I almost had him."


    He almost succeeded in making a move but the visibility in rain hindered his timing. Andy said, "Ren, patience is the key as long as you are persistent, they will make a mistake."


    Hao Ren nodded and followed the driver before him. The other party was obviously struggling to maintain a grip on the road because he didn''t have wet tires on. Suddenly, the opponent made a turn but due to the lack of traction, he slipped and Hao Ren entered the turn before him.


    Henry in the commentary box exclaimed, "Hao Ren squeezes through the tiny gap and is now fourth in position. He would now have to contend against Marco Seoul, the ace driver of the Raging Bull team. What do you think, what will he do?"


    Alan said, "Why not ask the person himself?"


    ...


    Andy spoke to Hao Ren, "Ren, the commentators asked me about the strategy. What do you think I should tell them?"


    The young man replied, "Chase and Pressure. Andy, I am going to focus."

 Chapter 73: Winning The Race.

    Andy said, "Ren, three seconds ahead of you is the third on the podium, Marco."


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "I know, I am going, how many laps do we have?"


    Andy replied, "We have twenty left."


    The young man asked, "Ask Lingshi, do I need to win the race or do I need to just beat Marco to ensure the win?"


    Andy checked up with Han Lingshi, who replied, "Just beat Marco."


    Hao Ren nodded and made a quick turn as he said, "I can see him. I am going after him."


    The race for the third position began.


    ...


    In the VIP viewer box, Han Lingxue was now talking to a few people. They saw Hao Ren pushing the car to the fourth position from the tail and could not resist talking to the lady and find out more about the car and the driver. However, Han Lingxue was not someone gullible, she was used to this approach of people.


    She did not let out any significant information apart from the fact that Hao Ren was her sister''s boyfriend and that he was a CEO of a company of his own. The people began to look up Hao Ren and were surprised to see the technology he introduced to the Han Nation market.


    Augustus heard about this and scoffed. His secretary asked him, "Sir, do we need to make any arrangements?"


    Augustus shook his head and confidently said, "Marco is not a fool to give away his position to this guy. He won''t lose."


    He was very confident in the driver, because Marco was bought over to their team at a huge expense. Marco was the person who drove their team to fame. Thanks to him their company was now growing bigger and more prosperous. How could a professional driver lose to a part timer who god knew came from which pot hole. Ridiculous, that''s what Augustus thought when he looked at Hao Ren.


    ...


    Marco looked in his rearview mirror and asked, "Steve, who is this guy in my mirror?"


    Steve was the crew chief for Marco and the two of them went way back. The middle-aged man said, "He is Hao Ren, the driver for Chariot team."


    Marco let out a soft whistle and asked, "Well, impressive of him but does he really think that he can get past me? Hahaha, fool, let me show him what I can do."


    Steve replied, "Marco, don''t be hasty, your opponent does not seem to be in a hurry."


    Marco raised his brow as he made a turn but that exact moment, Hao Ren tried to make a move but Marco managed to block him off.


    ...


    Alan and Henry were commenting on the race and they saw Hao Ren going after Marco. The former said, "Well, Hao Ren had been doing a fantastic job till now but it seems that advancing to further ranks is not going to be easy for him."


    Henry smiled and said, "Well, I wouldn''t be making judgements so soon in the race. Just now he tried to whisk past Marco on the turn."


    ...


    The entire Chariot team pit crew was shocked, and stunned. Suddenly, Andy said, "Ren, move in to pit. It looks like Ricardo and Xavier also need to pit. The noses of their cars has taken damage."


    Hao Ren said, "Fine, I am coming in, get ready."


    Ricardo and Xavier were hot on his tail. They were the top names in the world of racing, how could they digest being left in the dust by a nobody?


    ...


    The rest of the race was spent with people chasing after Hao Ren, as he dashed forward. The young man crossed the checkered flag ahead of everyone creating a sensation for everyone. He moved his car inside the pit lane and came to a stop. The people rushed at him to celebrate.


    The entire stadium erupted in cheers. However, in the VIP viewer room, the situation was not as amiable and cheerful as it was outside. Augustus was standing with a pale face. The rest of the people were looking at Han Lingxue who was shocked as well, but unlike the others she was experiencing bliss and euphoria.


    Hao Ren had defeated the people in such a crushing fashion that the people had no retort. Suddenly, an old man stood up from his chair and he turned to face Han Lingxue. He said, "To the Chariot."


    Then he raised his wine glass and toasted to Han Lingxue. The young lady was shocked to see the owner and the founder of one of the top car companies in the world, Hornet Motors, was toasting her. This old man was the godfather of a new legacy in motor sports world. She humbly bowed to him and chugged down the entire glass of champagne in her hand.


    Many more followed the process, only Augustus was left standing with a face that was changing color from red to yellow in rage and embarrassment. Just then, another old voice sounded in the room, "To the Chariot."


    Han Lingxue turned around and was about to greet the person when Augustus exclaimed, "Dad, what are you doing here?"


    The old man smiled at him faintly and replied, "To see through the situation."


    Augustus was left speechless, when he saw his father at the venue, he did not expect this. Han Lingxue greeted the man with a smile, "Uncle Donovan, it is very bad of you to come over in secret."


    The middle-aged man chuckled and said, "Well, I could not always let you kids have all the fun right?"


    Han Lingxue nodded with a smile, and Mister Donovan said, "About the bet..."


    The young lady said, "Let''s wait till the award ceremony, Uncle. Big sister will be coming over soon."


    Donovan nodded and everyone stayed in the box to watch the ceremony. The middle-aged man looked calm, but in reality his heart was bleeding. Stride racing team was his child, he built it from the ground up, and the thought of handing it over to someone else was a disaster in his mind.


    ...


    On the stage, a celebrity presented Hao Ren with a silver cup half as big as himself. The young man raised the trophy up high and the crowd cheered for him. Hao Ren then turned to look at the second and the third podium as he said, "Mister Ricardo, Mister Xavier. You two have always been my idols in the new generation racers. Can you please sign the cup? I intend to place it up for a charity keepsake."


    The two people and the reporters were shocked. The drivers nodded and signed up the trophy. Hao Ren said, "I pledge to give this cup to the best automobile engineering institute for a keepsake."


    ...


    Dream''s Note: From next week the chapter update will be increased to 10 chapters a week, and one bonus chapter for every 500 power stones. Hope you all like it, and may someone gift me a castle.

 Chapter 74: Repeated Provocation.

    Hao Ren and the two drivers clicked pictures and many people came forward to congratulate him and also praise his driving skills. One of the reporters in the post race conference asked, "Mister Hao, how do you feel getting the first podium in your first race?"


    The young man smiled and replied, "I pinched myself to make sure this is not a dream. Ever since I have been watching racing, the two people besides me have been the stars that I wanted to see up close. So, it''s all very surreal to me."


    The reporter sat down with a smile, and someone else asked, "Ricardo, what would you like to say about the race?"


    Ricardo raised both his hands and said, "Till the end, I was sure to level my score with Xavier. However, in those last few laps I realized a very famous Han Idiom, there is a sky above sky, and a mountain above mountain. Hao Ren was like a fisherman who waited to exploit the benefits from our fight. As they say, he is a hard driver."


    The people erupted in laughter. Hao Ren had been looking around for a long time and slowly the anticipation in his eyes had vanished. Someone asked him, "Mister Hao, would you be entering the racing circuit after this event?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Racing is my passion, and as most of you might have found out by now, I am a businessman. That is my first priority. I might show up as a driver for Chariot in charity events though, but that''s enough racing for me."


    Xavier remarked, "Loyal to your girlfriend, I see."


    Hao Ren chuckled and patted his chest, "Forever!"


    The conference ended and Hao Ren came to the VIP box where the rich people were. He did not mind about the celebration. He wanted to see Lingshi. He spotted Han Lingxue taking to a middle-aged man and approached her. Han Lingxue smiled at him but when she saw his calm expression she chuckled and said, "Don''t worry, big sister saw your race, she was here just now, and left to use the washroom."


    Hao Ren nodded and the middle-aged man looked at him and asked, "So, you are the one who will be driving away with my company at the end of the day."


    Hao Ren looked at the middle-aged man and asked, "Pardon me, I did not understand."


    Han Lingxue looked at the man and made introductions. Hao Ren shook hands with Mister Donovan, and cast a look at Augustus Donovan who was standing behind the man glaring at him. Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "Mister Donovan Junior, do you have something you want to say to me?"


    Augustus was stunned, he did not expect Hao Ren to confront him like this. He was at a loss as what could or should he say to the man. Donovan did not say anything he was observing Hao Ren. The other dignitaries were also looking at the people engaged confrontation.


    Suddenly, Hao Ren felt a cold touch on his hand, and he relaxed. He turned to look at the lady and asked, "Why did you leave the pit? Did you see how I won the race?"


    Chairman Donovan took a deep breath and nodded, he replied, "A couple of months ago, the research had come to a stagnation."


    Han Lingshi frowned and Hao Ren replied, "You don''t have to worry about that. I just want the research."


    The people were surprised and Han Lingshi asked, "Ren, why do you want a stagnant research?"


    Hao Ren looked at her with a smile and said, "Well, I guess you all know what my primary business is, right?"


    Many people nodded and Hao Ren said, "I want to find the ways to raise the human standard of living, and at the moment, the biggest problem we are facing is pollution. I wish to change that so that the world can be a better place."


    The people nodded, but Augustus sneered and said, "Do you think it would be that easy? If big talks could bear fruit than there would have never been any problem at all."


    Hao Ren looked at him and said, "If everyone gave up thinking it was hard, then we would still be living in the caves. You don''t have to worry about my words and actions Mister Augustus Donovan."


    Augustus glared at Hao Ren but he did not say anything. He was incurring bad reputation at this moment by sounding sour. Han Lingshi said, "Then we will proceed as Ren said, and finalize the procedure in a few days."


    Chairman Donovan nodded, he could not express how much relief he was feeling at this moment. Hao Ren had spared him a great deal. Han Lingshi shook hands with Mister Donovan and stood up to hold Hao Ren from his waist. Since they had put their relationship out in the public, she has given up on the hesitating around him. The gazes around her did not matter much to her anyways.


    Hao Ren smiled at her, but Augustus Donovan clicked his tongue as he said, "Han Lingshi, when you refused to my proposal, I did not expect you to go for a white face."


    As soon as he said this, Han Lingshi turned around with a cold face. She asked, "What did you say?"


    Mister Donovan snapped at his son, "Augustus, shut up. Is this a way to talk to a lady?"


    Augustus snorted and said, "Dad, are we really going to pretend that she is a virtuous lady? When she was studying in the hawk nation, everyone knew what sort of a whore she..."


    Before he could finish his words, Hao Ren had grabbed his neck and was lifting him in the void. He asked in a cold voice, "What did you just say? You silk-pant asshole. How dare you disrespect Lingshi?!"


    No one expected Hao Ren to fly off the handle in such a fashion. Also, his strength scared the people.

 Chapter 75: Power Couple.

    Hao Ren was lifting Augustus Donovan in an iron grip, and everyone was shocked. The VIP box was filled with dignitaries, business men, and at the worst of them all, reporters. Hao Ren had a zero tolerance policy when it came to his family and Han Lingshi was exactly that.


    However, unlike his rage, Han Lingshi was as cold as Ice. She stepped up and patted Hao Ren as she said, "Let him go, I have better ways of dealing with him."


    Hao Ren looked at her visage, and calm down. He let go of Augustus, who fell to the ground with a pale face. He was wheezing really badly to catch his breath. He looked around at the other people and found them to be standing shocked. Everything happened too fast for the people to react. Even the photographers could not take a shot of this scene.


    Han Lingshi looked at Augustus Donovan and said, "We will compensate you for the assault, ten million dollars should be enough."


    Everyone nodded, after all, Hao Ren did assault Augustus and they were in the wrong. They noticed that Hao Ren''s face had no changes and thought that he was going to follow Han Lingshi''s lead on this matter, however, then they heard Han Lingshi saying, "A few moments ago, you slandered me, and Hao Ren. I will sue you in court. You can also say sue us, but then I will add a case for provocation.


    The consequence will be a share drop."


    Augustus was pale, but at this moment, even Donovan senior was pale. It was at this moment, the people realized that Hao Ren and Han Lingshi both had each others back. They were not going up against one person but a couple. Han Lingxue was watching it all from the side with a smile.


    She remembered how Han Lingshi had told her that Hao Ren meant a lot to her. At least, Han Lingxue hasn''t heard her sister talking in this manner for any human before not even her family members have reached this degree of intimacy and importance to Han Lingshi.


    Not many people knew about it, but this lady was a warm hearted person, and once someone managed to get past the cold barriers, they would have a spring of harmony in their lives.


    The people gasped, because they knew very well what would happen if the stocks dived. The situation was in complete favor for Han Lingshi, her team just won the charity race, the driver announced that he would put up the trophy as a charity memorabilia. On top of it all, Augustus Donovan was the first one to bad mouth them and instigate this situation.


    They all looked at Mister Donovan who stood up from his seat and asked, "CEO Han, could you please spare him for his foolishness? I will do whatever you want."


    He was acting like a loving and caring father, but the fact was that he wanted to save his company. In this whole issue, his opinion of Augustus has dwindled quite a bit. Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "CEO Donovan, your son is an adult and he needs to bear the consequences of his actions on his own. As long as he sincerely apologizes to my husband, I will let go this matter right away."


    In the car, Han Lingshi asked, "What do you intend to do in the morning?"


    Hao Ren looked at her face from the side, and replied in a slow voice, "I would like to have them witness the prowess of the house bots. At the same time, I would like to establish a few schooling and medical care camps in remote areas of the world."


    Han Lingshi thought and remarked, "Although it would be nice, but do you think they will just throw in money for this."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "The people in the box today were not only automobile manufacturers, but also fuel tycoons of the middle eastern regions. These people are all that cause the biggest percentage of carbon emission. If they wish to continue making money, they have to give some back to the society, or I have my ways to see that they are out of business within a few years."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and asked cheekily, "How come every time I think you have gotten stable, you start talking so exaggeratedly?"


    Hao Ren pinched his chin and pretended to think before he said, "It is because you did not give me a kiss that I deserved."


    Han Lingshi shivered and blushed as she looked at him and asked, "How can you even say such things without hesitation."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied softly, "It is because I am talking to you and I have no pretenses when it comes to express my needs and emotions to my better half."


    Han Lingshi blushed and remarked, "Who is your better half? Me? In your dreams."


    Hao Ren leaned closer to her ear and replied with a whisper, "In my dreams you are already the mother of our three children."


    Han Lingshi blushed so hard that her face turned red, and to vent her shyness, she could think of nothing better but to pinch Hao Ren on his forearm. She exerted so much strength that Hao Ren could not help but wail.


    Han Lingshi nodded in satisfaction and snorted before she focused on driving again. Meanwhile, Hao Ren was groaning and rubbing his forearm as a mechanical sound echoed in his mind, *Ding: Host, you have completed the task. You are rewarded...*

 Chapter 76: Bullied & Wronged.

    Hao Ren was sitting beside Han Lingshi while the latter was driving with a red face, the former was dwelling in his head. The system had just announced that he has completed the task of winning the race.


    *Ding: Host the task has been completed, you are rewarded with liquid funds of 1 billion yuan.*


    Hao Ren raised his brow and could not understand the motive system behind this reward. Usually after task completion he would be given a skill or a talent, why was he given money?


    Just when he was thinking about it, the system replied, *Ding: Host, the system rewards you with the things you need or might need. At the moment, you are expanding your business and this money would be helpful.*


    Hao Ren nodded faintly as he thought, this made sense.


    However, before he could think of the ways to make the best out of his money, the system went off once again, *Ding: Today, the host stepped up to beat someone for bad mouthing his wife, and to encourage the Host to be blatant and sharp when it comes to your wife and family, you are rewarded with a state of the art research center for advanced medicine and robotics development.*


    Hao Ren sucked in a cold breath and Han Lingshi asked, "Are you okay?"


    The young man looked at her and extended his hand to her as he asked, "Can you pinch me?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "With pleasure."


    She pinched the back of his palm hard and Hao Ren winced. He rubbed the back of his palm and thought internally, ''System, where is this research center located?''


    *Ding: The location can be decided by the host.*


    Hao Ren took a deep breath to calm himself and he leaned back in the seat, closing his eyes. If he managed to handle this nicely, his actions could have a drastic effect on the future of the world.


    Hao Ren did not expect that the definition of an Omnipotent Husband would put him on such a path. However, he was well aware that treading on this path would be anything but easy.


    A research center did not mean that it would get him quick and sure results. However, it would definitely consume money. As he was thinking about the future, the car reached the parking lot.


    Han Lingshi saw him rubbing the back of his palm and felt guilty. She did not know what to do. Hao Ren turned his head and looked at her with a look of askance in his eyes. The lady shook her head and Hao Ren beckoned her close.


    Han Lingshi leaned in but only for her lips to be claimed by Hao Ren. The slow lingering warmth spread through Han Lingshi''s lips as she let out a breath in Hao Ren''s mouth.


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "You used to work in the special forces, right?"


    Heath nodded, and Hao Ren asked, "Do you have any more brothers who are looking for work? If they don''t mind, I would like to hire them."


    Heath was surprised and Hao Ren replied, "Brother Heath, I won''t hide from you, the company is expanding and we are developing products that need to be protected. I don''t trust anyone easily but since Lingshi has employed you, I would trust you. If you have any buddies you trust and need a job, you can ask them to contact the company. They will get the same treatment as you."


    Heath was stunned but then he nodded and said, "Thank you, Young Master."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I will have these brothers teach some young kids from various orphanages about self defense too on weekends. I hope they won''t mind."


    Heath shook his head and thumped his chest as he said, "We take pride in teaching the young ones about some basic skills."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then told Heath to be ready in the morning and come along with him. Then he left to rest. Just as he entered the door, his mother called him. He picked up the call with a smile and Mrs. Hao scolded him, "Brat, have your wings grown tough after all these years?! How dare you drive so recklessly?!


    What if you were to crash that car?! Also, who is this Donovan?! How did you humiliate him?! How can you do this and cause trouble to Lingshi?! Answer me, why don''t you speak as fast as you drive, you useless offspring?!"


    Hao Ren did not know if he should feel happy that his mother cared about him and his wife this much, or should he feel sad that she scolded him left and right. He took a deep breath and said, "Mother, can you take a deep breath and listen to what I have to say before you start firing?"


    Mrs. Hao replied coldly, and Hao Ren narrated the situation to her. He then said, "Han Lingshi is not a small personality, as I think you should be aware by now. If you continue talking like this then don''t expect your future in-laws to treat you good."


    Mrs. Hao said, "You..."


    But the next moment she calmed down and took a deep breath before saying, "You have learned how to talk back to your mother after you have tasted success. I command you to come and receive your punishment by family rules."


    Hao Ren was stunned and opened his eyes wide as he heard this. He remarked, "I had no idea that you had the grace of an empress."


    Mrs. Hao replied, "You are the black sheep of my family, stupid and ignorant. It is not my fault you did not know. If I had not fallen for Old Man Han, then today I might have been living a decent life."


    Hao Ren sucked in a cold breath and asked, "Mom, you are so black-bellied, does Grandpa know?"


    Mrs. Hao chuckled and spoke like a sinister person, "I learned all this from him only."


    The call was disconnected, and Hao Ren went to bed shortly after he received a message from Han Lingshi about the venue for the breakfast meeting. He watched the ceiling and said, "Only Brother Heath is a good person, the rest just bully me. Hmph."

 Chapter 77: Sunshine Teahouse.

    In the morning, Hao Ren dressed up in a gray polo t-shirt, and beige golf pants. He paired the attire with his watch, and gray golf sneakers. He left the house and found Heath clearing the dust from the car surface.


    Heath greeted Hao Ren and asked, "Young Master, where are we going?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Sunshine Tea House."


    Heath nodded and they got in the car. Hao Ren was scrolling through the details of the place on his phone. Sunshine Tea House was a peak name in the jade capital. This place was private property and they did not use advertisements for their market reach.


    Han Lingshi had arranged the breakfast meeting at this place because of two things. One, it was a closed off place, and two, it was one of the most luxurious places in the Jade Capital.


    Hao Ren saw a few pictures on the mobile and found that at least seven people had shown up for the breakfast. Hao Ren called Klaus as he reached closer to the venue. The latter had been informed about the gathering last night and the ten models they used in the press event were being used in the office for various tasks and helping the staff.


    Hao Ren asked him to get them all to the venue. He also called Han Lingshi to make sure that the robots are allowed access inside the Teahouse.


    ...


    Hao Ren got out of the car and found that only Han Lingshi had arrived. Looking around the place was very scenic, it was a small hill where the Teahouse is set up. Like a small retreat surrounded by the lush green. Since the place was located almost outside the city, not many people came here.


    Hao Ren found the entrance to be something that he would call in his old life ''out of an anime'' place. The young man smiled and took out his phone, inspired by the serenity of the place he wanted to click a picture.


    However, at this moment a calm voice echoed from the side, "Young man, are you clicking the picture to post it on the internet?"


    Hao Ren looked over and found an old lady with a slightly hunched back, and approached her with a smile. He replied, "No grandma, I am only clicking the picture to set it as my wallpaper. This place is very beautiful. I can see the entire city from the hilltop."


    The old lady looked at Hao Ren for a prolonged moment before she nodded, and said, "Go in then, why are you standing outside?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I am waiting for my wife, and a few guests."


    The old lady nodded and said, "So you are the ones who are bringing us such a big business today. I better go and check the situation."


    Hao Ren did not expect to run into the old lady. He was about to bid her well when the lady almost tripped on her traditional dress. He reacted quickly and took hold of her fragile frame. He sighed and said concernedly, "Grandma, you ought to be careful. What if you fell?"


    Grace nodded and replied, "Yes, Master Hao. Greetings, Grandma Teahouse."


    The old woman rolled her eyes and said, "My name is Hua Shayun."


    Grace replied in a cordial manner, "I beg your pardon, Madam Hua."


    Hua Shayun looked at the robot with surprise and said, "Boy, I will put them through the thick of it, are you sure you want to do this?"


    Hao Ren nodded vigorously and said, "Grandma Hua, we will be gaining important data with your help. I shall be grateful for your magnanimity. This data will help Grace grow."


    ...


    The preparations began, Grace assigned one of the bots to specifically look after the old lady, while the rest followed her instructions neatly. Klaus sat in the corner to record all this with a few digital cameras.


    After fifteen minutes, Han Lingshi arrived with the guests. They all were surprised by the bots. Eight bots under Grace''s lead bowed and greeted them, "Welcome to the Sunshine Teahouse, we hope you have a pleasant meal."


    The guests were shocked, they had seen these bots on the internet, but the customers had yet to put up extensive videos on the internet. Hao Ren stepped up from the side and said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, this is Thunder Technology''s house bot. Today, they will be serving you. I hope you are open to this new experience."


    The people nodded and Han Lingshi said, "Ren, let me introduce you."


    She introduced him to the seven people, and Hao Ren greeted them all with a smile, after a casual small talk. One of the two ladies in the group asked, "Mister Hao, you arranged such a fantastic display for us today, now would you like to tell us, what is the plan?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Madam Charlotte, I intend to use these robots to follow behind a few teachers, and oversee care and education in the remote areas of the world where poverty has become a creed."


    The lady nodded and said, "Very admirable of you, but some parts of the world do not welcome the technology you have."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will not touch those regions for the time being. However, in your respective nations, there are many orphanages that are short of many things, money, food, clothing, medical supplies.


    I plan to have these robots follow a trained professional and assist them in their task to look after the children."


    A middle aged man stopped sipping his tea and asked, "That is very good for the charity part, but what about the business part?"


    That''s right, Hao Ren was not doing it simply for the charity but to expand his business too. He looked at the man and smiled as he said, "Mister Deen, I wonder if you would like to change the world?"

 Chapter 78: Ambition & Entangled Fate.

    Hao Ren asked, "Mister Deen, would you like to change the world with me?"


    The people all looked at him and thought he was too young and may be that''s why he was saying all these things. Mister Deen smiled and asked, "Very well, tell me, how do you intend to change the world?"


    Hao Ren replied, "The human population needs a lot more than what the planet can give. Also, we need to give back what we take or the planet will collapse. You are all big business figures and this fact is something you all should acknowledge, that if we did not change the way we use our resources, we will be in deep shit real soon. The global temperature change is already evident, right?"


    The people nodded and Hao Ren continued, "We need to develop better technology, and even better ways to conserve the resources. If we fail in that, the consequences will only become more devastating. I am establishing a research center, the primary focus will be advanced technology, and medicine. The products will be sold all over the world.


    The profit will be distributed according to the contribution and a significant part of the profit will be kept aside to aid the under privileged. What do you think? Although it is quite money consuming I am willing to invest 500 million for the first two projects even if their is no one to support me."


    The sheer amount of the initial investment shocked the people. Mister Deen asked, "Are you sure about the number you wish to invest?"


    Hao Ren nodded confidently and as he said, "I have been earning a lot thanks to the western rise and fall of the crypto currencies and also the trade."


    The people looked at each other, while Hao Ren just leaned back in his chair, watching them silently for a minute before they began to discuss. He picked up a cup of tea and handed it to Han Lingshi who was sitting beside him in a daze. She looked at him with her eyes brimming with questions.


    Hao Ren noticed this and leaned over to whisper in her ears, "I will answer all your questions after we are done here."


    Han Lingshi nodded as she took the tea cup. Hao Ren began to participate the discussion and soon he was leading it. The business moguls heard his ideas and expectations, and they could not help but acknowledge his skill. Klaus was sitting in the corner, watching the people talk and he could not help but swallow a mouthful of saliva. Because these people were all top players.


    Two of the people were top mining tycoons, but they knew about the side effects of mining and wanted to do something for the world.


    When Hao Ren told them about a few things he could think of in the future, the two people board the ship. After a couple of hours the rudimentary outline of the research center and the foundation was set up. The collaborators took part in the foundation, they were willing to be the face of the foundation in their countries and ask more people to join them.


    However they all were somewhat dicey about the research center, and told Hao Ren that they would like to see the results produced by the research center before investing in it. Fair enough, although they like how Hao Ren viewed things, but they were not going to put in money in it until he can make those dreams reality.


    ...


    The breakfast was extended into a lunch, and Hao Ren decided that he would cook for everyone. Old Lady Hua did not want to let him use her kitchen but Hao Ren proved his prowess by brewing the perfect tea that soothed her soul.


    She looked at the silver robot and said, "Grace, can you check how long will Ren take to finish cooking?"


    Grace nodded and after a few seconds she said, "Peiter said that they are helping Master Hao with the plating and the food will be served quickly."


    Han Lingshi nodded and the people began to talk about the robots. They would ask the bots about various things and situations. All the bots were enabled peer to peer server system so the information was being shared seamlessly.


    The bots answered quickly and accurately, a few minutes later, Hao Ren came over with food trolleys and the bots served the dishes to the people. Han Lingshi noticed that something was off with Hao Ren so she said, "Ren, you sit, I will host."


    Hao Ren nodded and Han Lingshi instructed Grace to introduce the people with the dishes and the drinks. The people began to eat and a few of them placed orders for ten house bots each. Hao Ren just nodded with a faint smile on his face.


    The meal did not last long and in the end the people walked away after promising Hao Ren that they will be sending over their representatives in a few days to discuss the further structure of the foundation. They would also decide upon the name when they negotiate the situation.


    They all were flying in from different countries and had to go back to deal with the issues. Hao Ren saw the people off, and lady Hua brought over a cheque. Hao Ren looked at the cheque with a heavy heart and the lady said, "In the past seven years that I have set up this shop I have made ten million, of which, three million belong to Hao Mei.


    If not for her idea I would have never been able to live a decent life. Please accept this."


    Han Lingshi was confused but Hao Ren took a deep breath before he collected the cheque named to him. Then he bowed to the lady and left the place silently. Han Lingshi wanted to pay the bill but the lady denied, saying this meal was on the house as a thank you to Hao Ren''s sister.


    Han Lingshi caught up to her husband and found him sitting inside the car. She sat beside him and raised the partition after asking the driver to move. Heath followed behind in another vehicle. She asked softly, "Ren, what is it?"


    Her voice was akin to a whisper, afraid of disturbing him. Hao Ren could sense the care and concern in her voice and said, "The lady said that she knew Mei, but if its true, then how come she was not aware of her cancer? The timeline she claims does not add up. There was surprise on her face when I told her about Mei''s death. I cannot shake the feeling that something is up with her.


    That she is hiding something from me."


    Han Lingshi frowned and said, "Probably you are thinking a bit too much. It could be that your sister hid the truth from her. There are many explanations."


    Hao Ren thought about it and nodded. How could there be a secret?


    ...


    Lady Hua came to her room after sending of Hao Ren, then she took out a piece of paper and wrote down a few words on it. Then she tore the paper into pieces and blew upon them before the paper fluttered away. The lady mumbled, "The thread of fate is entangled deeply, how would you deal with it."

 Chapter 79: Expansion Ventures.

    Hao Ren reached home, and Han Lingshi accompanied him, trying to lift up his spirits. The two of them had just entered the house, when Hao Ren bent down to help her with her shoes and suddenly, held her in his embrace.


    Han Lingshi was surprised, but then she gradually relaxed. Hao Ren could feel her effort trying to make him happy and distract him by changing the topic. The young man inhaled the soft fragrance coming off of her and said, "Thank You, Lingshi."


    The lady was also holding him in her arms, she was surprised by the carved muscles that hid under the clothes, but said, "Uhm, mention not. This is what we should do for each other."


    The two of them had learned to lean on each other in times of need. They were only humans after all, they could not shoulder everything alone, however, this vulnerability they had was oddly limited to each other only.


    Hao Ren knew that when his parents were being threatened by Edgar Hamil, Han Lingshi helped him divert the focus of the Hamil Family. The warmth shared between the two people was spreading through their bodies. The flames that had been extinguished yesternight were being stoked once again.


    Hao Ren raised his head and his eyes matched Han Lingshi''s. The latter had a faint blush on her face. The young man leaned down and claimed her soft lips for himself. The slow lingering kiss evolved into an expression of passion. There was no one to stop the two of them this time.


    Slowly, there hands began to wander, before they really started exploring each other and the living room was echoing with low moans and groans. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi did not have any experience and they were very cautious and clumsy in their movements. Gradually, their hands were holding each other from the most private spots on the bodies while their tongues were battling for territory.


    Hao Ren was laying under Han Lingshi on the couch as the kissed. But after a few minutes, Han Lingshi was pinned down by Hao Ren who was rubbing his crotch against hers. The lady did not refuse and her moans were setting him on fire with every tiny moment.


    He leaned more and bit on her neck. Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide as she gasped, the pain was not too much, it was just for a moment, but Hao Ren did it so suddenly that she was overwhelmed. Her hands pulled him even closer and she reciprocated his gesture.


    Hao Ren reached out to unbutton her short when the girl froze and exclaimed, "Ren, wait!"


    Hao Ren froze and he asked, "Did I hurt you?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied, "I was thinking if we can wait for the wedding night?"


    Hao Ren was shocked and then he slowly stood up from the couch. He sorted his clothes and said, "Umm, we will follow what you want. Umm, yes, I think I am a bit sweaty from the time in the kitchen. I will go and take a shower, okay?"


    Han Lingshi could see that he was forcing himself to control his urges and was going to shower to get away from it and nodded with a faint blush on her face. The next moment when she raised her head, Hao Ren had really run away. The lady shook her head, she could not help but find it silly and exciting at the same time. This was the most intimate they had ever been.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath as he stood under the cold shower. The cold water was extinguishing the flames burning in his core, gradually the heat vanished and sanity returned to him. He took a deep breath and dried himself up. He was drying his hair when his phone rang.


    Xiao Mei notified, "Boss, its an encrypted line."


    Hao Ren froze in his gesture. He put away the dryer and asked, "Can you check where it is from?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "If I tried, the other party will know. The encryption is very strong, not something a civilian can afford I think."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Xiao Mei, some poor people who do not find love from the people are the ones who came up with this word called Simp. Do you know what I mean? Think of it as a defense mechanism."


    Xiao Mei nodded and said, "I understand."


    Hao Ren did not know that his trusted subordinate posted these words on the portal and the chat lit up instantly. Hao Ren found that Han Lingshi was getting ready to leave. He did not ask her to stay because the situation was not very good tonight. Their emotions were fluttering all over the place.


    ...


    The night was a fleeting matter, in the morning, Hao Ren quickly left the house and headed to the office. He contacted Heath on the way, and the latter told that he would be busy in recruiting people for the next week.


    Hao Ren came to the new office building. This place was a newly developed industrial zone near the suburbs. Hao Ren was driving the car Han Lingshi had left for him, because today he needed to go to the military region in the capital.


    He stood before a seven floor tall building and looked around. After a few minutes, he went inside, and found that the reception was set up. The girl behind the counter saw him and stood up in greeting, "Good Morning, President Hao."


    Hao Ren nodded with a faint smile and asked, "Umm, June, can you notify the leaders to come to the conference room?"


    June nodded and bowed slightly as she said, "Right away, Sir."


    ...


    Hao Ren made his way to the third floor and soon, Markus Bourne, Lynn Carter, Neil, and Klaus came over. They were all now directors, and hiring more people under them. Each of them had a dedicated floor for their departments. Klaus was voted to be the director unanimously.


    Hao Ren said, "Well, I want to know if we are making profit on the House Bots?"


    Lynn Carter nodded and replied, "Yes, Sir, we are."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Starting next week, a finance Director will be joining you to manage the accounts, and also he will be handling a separate Investment firm under the Thunder Technologies. Miss Carter, please get in touch with him and go through the process for me."


    Lynn Carter nodded and Hao Ren said, "Now, two things. First, I have a meeting with a military officer, they seem to be interested in the House Bot project."


    The people opened their eyes wide. Hao Ren raised his hand and said, "Second, I want to establish a research center, and we will be hiring people there. While you are at it, Miss Carter, set up a medicine company. Also, appoint someone to over see production. I will transfer thirty million to push the construction for the assembly line.


    Mister Neil, please organize training drives for the employees to improve their efficiency. Mister Klaus, I want you to create an eco-system for a mobile operating system. Okay?"


    The people nodded and then they discussed many things before it was lunch time and then the people moved quickly.

 Chapter 80: Military Cooperation.

    Hao Ren finished his meeting and cooked a meal for Han Lingshi before delivering it to her office. She saw Grace and the two robots serving the food. She asked, "Ren, why do you seem to be in a hurry?"


    The young man replied, "I have a meeting at the military administration office."


    Han Lingshi looked at him with surprise and asked, "When did this happen?"


    Hao Ren told her about the call he received last night. Han Lingshi nodded and wished him good luck and also warned him to not act out of line. Military was not something they can mess with. Even if Hao Ren had strong capabilities, his company was yet to make a big name for itself.


    The revenue they generated was being dedicated directly to new projects and expansion. It was not yet a capital they could use to flex among the companies who made billions in profits. Hao Ren was aware of this, and if he had military favor, then he would be able to hire more experts.


    His meal was short and quick, and then he left the Empress International Building with his bots. The people noticed the bots but they did not make a big fuss because they all knew Hao Ren''s identity now. The young man was dating their president and he was a talented and humble individual. They saw Hao Ren stand up for the president when they were in the VIP viewer''s area on the racing circuit.


    That was enough from him to warm up their hearts. Han Lingshi was their goddess.


    ...


    Hao Ren drove his car, and navigated his way to the Military Administration office with a GPS application. Xiao Mei had been given a silent command till he finishes his meeting. Hao Ren did not want the monitoring equipment to detect her.


    The young man drove at the entrance of the Administration region after an hour, and the guards on the entrance, aimed their guns et him. A person came forward and knocked on the driver''s window. Hao Ren slowly rolled down the window, and said, "Good Afternoon Officer, my name is Hao Ren, I was invited to present a demonstration today."


    The soldier looked at him with intense scrutiny and then asked him for a proof of identification. Hao Ren provided him with the ID card, while the other guards checked his car thoroughly. Then, they specially conducted a search his bots.


    After he was cleared of all the threat parameters, the soldier said, "Please park the vehicle in the designated parking area and wait for a guiding officer to arrive and lead you through."


    Hao Ren nodded and then drove to the parking lot on the side. He stood outside his car, and looked around. The place was really worthy of its name. He could see armed guards patrolling the place from time to time.


    Soon, he saw a young man in military green uniform coming over to him from the side. The person said, "Hello, CEO Hao, I am Lieutenant Xia Yun."


    The officer extended his hand to Hao Ren, who shook it briefly before withdrawing. Xia Yun had a shocked expression on his face, but he regained his calm really quickly. He remarked, "I did not expect you to have practiced."


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head, "It''s nothing major. Shall we go?"


    Xia Yun nodded and asked, "Ummm, your bots?"


    Hao Ren gestured him to wait and opened the passenger door as he said, "Grace, come out."


    Grace replied in a pleasant voice, "Hello, Sir, My name is Grace."


    Commander Gan continued and asked Grace and the other robots various questions. After an hour the old man looked at Hao Ren and said, "I did not expect that I would see a robot this intelligent."


    Hao Ren bowed gently, and said, "Thank you for your praise."


    However, the next moment the Commander said, "Xia Yun, go and try to attack the bots. I want to see how lethal they could be."


    At this moment, Hao Ren raised his brows and said, "Pardon me, Sir, but my robots are not programmed to fight humans. Their bodies are made of carbon fiber, they are not apt for combat."


    Commander Gan waved his hands and said, "I only want to see their self defense abilities."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "They don''t have such capabilities. We only made them for observation and aid. They do not serve other purposes."


    Commander Gan frowned and said, "If they are damaged the military will reimburse you of the cost."


    He was speaking as if he was talking about something trivial. Hao Ren did not like this and said, "Sir, with all due respect, the money my company is making exceeds your monthly budget. It is not about the money, but the right of possession. Grace and her subordinates are the first of their kind. None of the world''s tech companies have this level when it comes to robot.


    If I go out and put then up for an auction, they might fetch me a couple of tens of million with ease.


    It is about the integrity of my product. It is not to be taken for granted. I would not allow you to vandalize them."


    None of the military officers expected this kind of courage from Hao Ren. Commander Gan nodded and said, "If they are not even capable of defending themselves. How will they save lives on the battle field?""


    Hao Ren looked at him and replied, "Sir, I can upgrade them within a week, and then you can test them as rigorously as you want. I apologize for speaking out of term, but I was not informed about such circumstances."


    Commander Gan looked at Hao Ren for a prolonged minute, before he said, "One week, you say? Fine, I will give you this chance. They should have a proper knowledge of self defense, and also they must not harm humans."


    Hao Ren bowed slightly and said, "Thank you for your trust."


    Hao Ren did not expect that the military leader would be so rough. However, he could not say anything overboard. He also wanted to do business and for that he would need to develop some tolerance and patience.


    Hao Ren then thought about something and said, "Commander Gan, my robots might have failed your expectations, but I have something that can help you increase the strength of the military to another level."


    His words made the people cast doubtful gazes at him. Hao Ren took out a small jade bottle from his inner pocket and said, "I wonder if you all have heard about..."

 Chapter 81: Honestly, effed up!

    The people were looking at Hao Ren as if they were looking at a clown when he took out a jade bottle and was talking slowly. The young man sensed the gazes and sighed as he said, "In ancient Han civilization, there was a medicinal formula that could rejuvenate the spirits of a person and allow him to regain almost all his strength over a short period of time and keep on fighting.


    This potion was called, the Potion of strength, or Spirit Rejuvenation potion."


    Commander Gan spoke in a stern tone, "Can you get to the point?"


    Hao Ren sighed, he had an urge to beat the shit out of this straight steel man, but he controlled the urge before he said, "I wonder if you there is any soldier who has just finished training?"


    Commander Gan asked, "What do you need to know that for?"


    Hao Ren replied, "If there is a person who is exhausted to the point where they cannot carry on, this potion can restore ninety percent of their energy within ten minutes time. I am sure your people must have checked my details so they should be aware that I hold a beginner license in medicine and am collaborating with a company that produces medicinal cosmetics."


    His words were blunt but the tone was calm and could even be called soft. Commander Gan sneered and asked, "You want us to test a drug out of no where? Forget it."


    Hao Ren looked at the man and placed the bottle on the table before him. He said, "You can get this bottle tested, and check if what I said is true or not, Commander Gan. I will see you after a week for the demonstration of my robots."


    Commander Gan smiled and asked, "Aren''t you afraid that we might imitate this recipe if it is as effective as you say it is?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I apologize if I sound rude, but you and your people are not omnipotent. This potion is concocted by me, and if there is even a slightest bit of mistake in proportion, then it will become poison. Funny thing is that the poison would be harmless to animals."


    He replied confidently, and surprised the old man. Commander Gan looked at Hao Ren and said, "Lieutenant Xia, please see the guest to his vehicle." before turning to Hao Ren and saying, "I will look forward to visiting you after a week. Till then."


    Then he turned around and left the lounge. Commander Gan furrowed his brow and asked, "Did he just disrespect me?"


    Grace and the two robots were inside the room, and the bot said, "Commander Gan, respected officers, we would be leaving now. I apologize if you felt that Master Hao was disrespectful to you. However, it is only a misunderstanding. Master Hao has made a lot of effort for this short noticed meeting. Probably that is why he was vexed."


    Commander Gan and the rest of the officers were surprised by Grace''s words, and then they watched the robots walk out. Looking at them, an officer with glasses said, "I have been called a nerd even when I joined the military. I spent my entire time in the labs working and developing technology.


    I don''t think I would be able to deliver on such a complicated software programming so quickly."


    Hao Ren looked at him and said, "At least you are honest about it. I will handle the programming, just get me the flexible body, can that be done?"


    Klaus was surprised but then he said, "Yes, I can."


    Hao Ren replied, "Well, I want a working prototype in five days, also, the 3-D printer you guys asked for, is it here?"


    Klaus smiled and replied, "The guys just finished installing it."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "This time around, create the prototype with a mix of steel and carbon fiber. I want to it to have some self defense capabilities. Well, that''s about it for the time being."


    Klaus nodded and replied, "Good, I will get it done."


    Hao Ren watched the man stand up and leaned back in the chair. He said, "Xiao Mei, can you help out?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I want a bigger server."


    Hao Ren picked up the intercom and told Lynn Carter to get five big servers inside the server room. Lynn Carter did not know what it was for, but Hao Ren told her, it was for experimental projects and so. The lady agreed to get the software in two days. Xiao Mei replied that she would be able to deal with it as soon as she has access to new servers.


    ...


    Hao Ren was in the office till late in the night for the first time in his life. He had just finished reading the documents of collaboration that Han Lingshi sent over, and was shocked. Han Lingshi had transferred the Chariot Racing team profit to him. Even fifty percent of ownership was given to him as well.


    Recalling the race, he could not help but go back to the scene where Augustus Donovan called Han Lingshi a whore. Hao Ren suddenly sighed and mumbled, "Fuck!"


    The system sent out a notification, *Ding: Host, the key to a relationship is trust and honesty. This is why you are given the task of confronting your wife and yourself with honest feelings that you have at the moment and also to retain her trust in you while doing so."

 Chapter 82: Proposal.

    Hao Ren cussed the system for issuing such a task. Then he leaned back in his chair and began to think about what he should do about this situation. He could not think of a solution and decided to call his father.


    The call was connected in a blink, and Mister Hao asked, "Ren, what happened? Are you okay?"


    Unlike the usual banter and scolding he received from his mother, Hao Ren''s father showed care. Hao Ren smiled faintly and asked, "Can I not call you if I don''t have a problem, Dad?"


    Mister Hao replied in a calm tone, "You would have called your mom if it was nothing troubling. Now, out with it or do you want me to call over the old empress?"


    Hao Ren replied hurriedly, "No, no, please dad, not now."


    The old man hummed, expressing his agreement. Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "Umm, you must be aware of the incident when I got into a scuffle with Augustus Donovan yesterday, right?"


    Mister Hao replied, "Yes, from what the media said it was because that guy said something about Miss Han."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Dad, he said something that might be related to Lingshi''s past. To be honest, I have never actually cared about her past. It did not effect me, however, ever since that guy said those things, I have been thinking about what kind of past Lingshi had. Is it a bad thing?"


    Mister Hao hummed and said, "Ren, if it is only curiosity, then its not a problem. However, if you are feeling jealous or want to know those things with a motive other than to know more about your partner, then I am advising you to forget about it. This won''t end up good for you. Often when men try to look through the window to judge the scenery, they start to nit pick and it does not end up well."


    Hao Ren understood what he meant and agreed with him. He said, "Dad, I am just curious about it. I would never judge her, but if someday the past of her life crosses with our future, I don''t want to be caught unprepared."


    Mister Hao said, "I understand, good that you know such things."


    The young and old of the Hao Family began to exchange their thoughts, when suddenly, Hao Ren said, "So, in your opinion, I should confront her openly about it, right?"


    Mister Hao replied positively and said, "Open communication can reduce misunderstandings and also make the other person feel your sincerity."


    Hao Ren and his father talked for a bit, and did not realize that the call had lasted for thirty minutes. After he disconnected the call, his eyes did not have the momentary hesitant vibe in them. He cleared up the documents and then picked up his car keys before going out of the office. By this time most of the people had already left and only the security staff was there.


    ...


    Hao Ren used the GPS to locate a jewelry shop and drove in that direction. Xiao Mei asked, "Boss, what are you going to a jewelry shop for?"


    The young man replied, "Nothing you should worry about, Xiao Mei, but make sure that my cards are all working."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "The craftsmanship is indeed marvelous, the petals look like as if they are made from silk and are very smooth and shiny to look at. It is a rather rare sort of jade. The fifty eight faces of the diamond also make the entire piece reflect the brilliance. It is a well put together piece. Please pack it for me."


    Jules Ivory was shocked, she had yet to react when Hao Ren took out his card and placed it on the table. He said, "Please swipe it."


    Jules and the other attendants exchanged gazes before she asked, "Sir, don''t you want to know, how much it costs?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It should still be something I can afford."


    Jules sighed and said, "This will cost you nine hundred ninety nine thousand yuan, are you sure?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will pay one million to round it all up. Please be quick. I have to get to her office."


    Jules gulped and then composed herself as she went to the billing counter and swiped the card. The payment was completed without even a password. The cashier confirmed it before generating the relevant documents. The other people wrapped up the ring in a very intricately engraved sandalwood box.


    After the formalities, Hao Ren rushed out of the shop and the women let out a breath. Someone said, "These rich young men plunder money on women so carelessly."


    Jules shook her head and replied, "This guy was different. He was sincere, I could almost imagine the woman he wanted to give this ring to. That''s how strong his desire was."


    ...


    Hao Ren drove to the Empress International, but not without buying a bouquet of white flowers that he had bought for her the last time. He drove quickly and came to the Empress International. It was about the time when everyone was leaving the office, and he found Han Lingshi walking out of the elevator and heading to her car.


    Hao Ren honked, and everyone turned to look at a white car in the parking lot. The young man picked up his gifts and got down. Many people recognized him and some of them even took out the phones to record him. After all, he was a handsome guy who had come to meet his girlfriend with flowers.


    Han Lingshi was popular throughout the city, and Hao Ren was a rising star. This video will go crazy. Watching him come over, Han Lingshi stopped and looked over with curiosity in her gaze. Hao Ren smiled and presented her with the flowers with both hands and said, "For you, madam."


    Han Lingshi smiled amusedly and accepted the flowers before she bowed and said, "Thank you, kind sir."


    Hao Ren then stood up straight and cleared his throat. He spoke in a low voice, "What I am about to do is something that a man should do only once in his lifetime."


    Han Lingshi tilted her head and she saw Hao Ren going down on his knee, and bring out a sandalwood box. The women covered their mouths and the men had their eyes turning green in jealousy.


    Hao Ren said, "I may have yet to fulfil my promise, but I am afraid of losing you. This is why I worked up my courage and with the blessing of my parents, I came here to ask you this. Miss Han Lingshi, I am in love with you. Would you allow me to be by your side for now, and ever?"

 Chapter 83: Heart-to-heart.

    Han Lingshi watched Hao Ren propose to her with her eyes wide open and her mouth covered with her delicate palm. She did not expect him to come up and just do it. Yes, this was how she defined the incident in her mind. Hao Ren just bent his knee and proposed to her.


    One of the girls in the parking lot shouted, "What are you proposing her for? Clarify it!"


    Followed by this many girls and women chanted loudly, "Clarify! Clarify! Clarify!"


    Hao Ren shook his head to avoid the loud sound and yelled, "I am just confessing that I am in love with her and with this ring I am showing my sincerity and promise that if she agrees, I will marry her in the future!"


    He spoke so loudly that his voice drowned the echoes and the chants. Once he was done, the women calmed down, and Han Lingshi was still standing frozen. Hao Ren had not shifted his gaze from her eyes, he did not know why, despite being married, he was anxious. What if Han Lingshi refused to him?


    Just as his thoughts were going wild, a guy said, "Oh come on, answer the guy already! Don''t embarrass him."


    Han Lingshi woke up from the stupor and realized that her delay was causing great embarrassment to Hao Ren. She hurriedly bowed down and said, "Yes!"


    Hao Ren let out a heavy breath as he stood up. He looked at her and said, "You really scared me you know?"


    Han Lingshi was smiling with her eyes turning into a crescent. Hao Ren noticed crystal drops at the corner of her eyes. He moved closer to her and coiled his arms around her. Han Lingshi pushed him slightly and said, "You are going to ruin the flowers."


    However, there was a blush on her face. Hao Ren smiled and scratched the back of his head before he said, "May I put the ring on your hand?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and Hao Ren took out the white ring and held her hand. He was about to slide it on her middle finger, but Han Lingshi said, "On the ring finger."


    Her voice was so soft that Hao Ren trembled, it was akin to a whisper to his soul. He put the ring gently on the ring finger, and from some weird coincidence, it fit. It was a perfect fit.


    Han Lingshi looked at the delicate ring and then she looked at Hao Ren. The young man before her was growing at such a pace, that she could not have imagined ever. Hao Ren was an existence that had taken root in her heart. Everyday when she had nothing to do she would be thinking about him. Han Lingshi was twenty eight years old and she had never been through something like this ever before.


    Hao Ren looked at the crowd who was still looking at them and asked, "Ummm, did I forget something?"


    One girl shouted, "You have to kiss her to seal the deal!"


    Her words caused Hao Ren a great surprise. She continued when she sensed his gaze locked on to her shoulders, "I was nineteen when I finished my schooling, till then I was a normal girl. My mother insisted that I grow up like a normal child and not someone with privilege. I finished my graduation and got acquainted with the young masters and young madams of the city.


    They were a lot different than the people I preferred to surround myself with. Anyhow, I always found my way away from them by saying I am busy with studies. When I graduated, Grandpa wanted to get me married. I ran away to the Hawk nation for higher studies, set up the branch of business there and developed it enough to come back and contend for the president chair."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "Then what was your life in the Hawk Nation was like? Your family did not come to take you away?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I had a tough time there, new place and new lifestyle. However, I met a guy, called Richard Malone. At first we were just working together at the retail store, but then we became good friends. He was also an outcast."


    Hao Ren asked calmly, "Why so?"


    The girl replied, "He was homosexual but belonged to a Mafia family. His family could take down any person in the city, and even cops did not dare go against them without concrete evidence. So, in order for Richard to rise in ranks we used to shield for each other. Males were afraid of coming close to me at that time, and Richard was averted from women. So, it was simple."


    Hao Ren asked solemnly, "During this time, did you even feel anything for him?"


    Han Lingshi looked at him and shook her head. She said, "Richard was shot three times in his head on our graduation day. The shooter was his own father. Why? Because someone saw Richard on a tryst with his boyfriend."


    Hao Ren was shocked and asked, "This is why that day Donovan said that your reputation was damaged because you got in touch with bad people?"


    Han Lingshi nodded with a smile, and said, "Actually, I initially wanted to date Donovan, but then his philandrist actions told me to stay away from him. That''s why he always brings up Richard Malone at important times to embarrass me."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "For a moment, there I was scared. Also, if I see that Donovan again, I am drawing lines and claiming territory."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and chuckled as she asked, "You don''t trust me?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "I do, but these pesky people need to be taught a lesson. Do you think he would be silent about what happened last time? Just wait, the snake will raise it''s head again."


    Han Lingshi laughed and said, "We are having a heart to heart conversation, and this is the best you can say to cover up the fact that you dislike him because I had an interest in him?"


    Hao Ren looked at her and narrowed his eyes as he said, "You don''t look cute when you catch me like this. Hmph."


    The vehicle echoed with a loud laughter as it drove off to Hao Ren''s house.

 Chapter 84: Drama Families.

    The night was romantic, Hao Ren cooked a meal for Han Lingshi and the two ate it under the light of candles. Apart from the little intimacy they have reached in the past, nothing more happened. When they headed to sleep the two of them cuddled each other.


    Hao Ren woke up in the morning with Han Lingshi laying in his embrace. The lady had a gentle smile on her face, and appeared to be very calm. After a few minutes, she also opened her eyes and found Hao Ren gazing at her. She asked, "What happened?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "Nothing, could not help but think about something."


    Han Lingshi asked softly as she closed her eyes again, "What?"


    The young man said, "I read somewhere that time is relative. Just now I realized that its true."


    Han Lingshi asked, "How so?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I am twenty three years old, but I felt as if it has been an infinity since I have been born. However, it feels as if only yesterday that I met you. The time that I spend with you might be infinite, but it always feels like an instant. I think I am still dizzy, I cannot articulate well enough."


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath and looked at him before she said, "Go, brush your teeth."


    Hao Ren smiled and gently got out of the bed. He picked up his phone from the side table and Xiao Mei said, "Boss, mom and dad has boarded the high speed train to the capital two hours ago. They would be reaching the capital in an hour."


    Han Lingshi, who was intending to sleep in, sat up right as if possessed. She looked at Hao Ren and then asked, "What should we do?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "You don''t have to worry, mom is a fan of yours. Dad is cool with us too."


    The young man looked at the screen and asked, "Hey, Xiao Mei, what''s the trending news?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Your little video of proposing to mistress has been posted online on , also, it has been rechirped on Chirper for about a hundred thousand times already."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "Lingshi, can you ask Xuexue what is the situation at your villa?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and fiddled around to look for her phone while Hao Ren entered the bathroom. He was not afraid of anything and he said, "Xiao Mei, prepare a speculative data of the Thunder technology following the current marketing and sales policies."


    Xiao Mei replied with a question, "Boss, what duration shall I prepare the data for?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit while sitting on the toilet, and said, "One year."


    Xiao Mei answered, "Give me fifteen minutes."


    Hao Ren placed the phone on the side, and then he cleaned up.


    ...


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "You have grown up to be wiser, Xiao Mei."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Thank you for your compliment, Boss."


    ...


    Hao Ren reached the station and came to the arrival gate to find his parents waiting. He approached them and his mother only glared at him. She did not say much, but looked at him as if she wanted to eat him raw. Hao Ren shook his head as he was used to the drama element of his mother''s character.


    He looked at the old man beside her. Mister Hao had lanky body, but his face was wrinkled now. Some hair were also missing from his head, but his back was still straight. Hao Ren smiled and said, "Old Boy, you are looking quite dashing today."


    Mister Hao raised his brow and said, "Punk, where do you think your genes come from. Carry the luggage and put them in the trunk, my missus has been tired from the travel."


    Hao Ren bowed and Mister Hao turned to look at Mrs. Hao before he said, "Madam, the car is here."


    The young man with the luggage almost coughed up blood. His father just treated him like a chauffer. Hao Ren placed the luggage in the trunk and then sat in the driver''s seat. He started the car, and Mrs. Hao timed her voice perfectly, "You unfilial rascal, why didn''t you tell us about the good thing last night only? Why did I have to hear about it from Madam Wang?"


    Hao Ren was not scared of her and retorted, "Don''t you want to have grandchildren?"


    Mrs. Hao was shocked, and Hao Ren said, "These things need to be done with dedication. I am not as blessed as your husband, and can only do one thing at a time. I had to coax my wife first."


    Mister Hao asked with a snap, "What do you mean your wife? I have not met her yet."


    Hao Ren looked up in the rear view mirror and asked, "So, you and mom are different people? She agreed to Han Lingshi being my wife and even blessed us. Didn''t you, Empress Hao?"


    The old lady ignored the moniker, and said, "Old Hao, are you going to stand against my decision?"


    Mister Hao shook his head like a rattle and said, "How dare I?"


    Mrs. Hao snorted and asked, "Hao Ren, tell me, where is my Daughter-in-law?"


    Hao Ren replied, "She is currently dealing with her own family. She will tell me when is a good time, till then you bunch roam around the capital and shop as many things as you want."


    He received another round of scolding for talking so casually with his parents.


    ...


    Han Mansion, Han Lingshi was sitting on the couch, while her grandparents and parents were sitting opposite to her on the big couch. They were gazing at her with great interest.


    Han Lingshi said, "You guys, am I some alien?"


    The first person to reply was her mother, "I suspect, yes. My daughter is a block of ice, and the girl last night in the video was so warm, and gentle. I do suspect that you are an alien."

 Chapter 85: Rebel Empress.

    Han Lingshi looked at the faces of her elders and sighed. She said, "What do you want from me?"


    What else could she say in this set up where her own family was treating her as a criminal and interrogating her? Only her grandmother had an expression of calm and bliss. However, as a Patriarchal family the opinion of men was held in a higher value.


    Her father said, "You never told us about dating anyone. Now we suddenly find that you even agreed to marry this guy, it is a bit too hard for us. I hope you understand."


    Han Lingshi gazed at her father and said, "Still playing by the book of diplomacy? Am I your daughter or a client? You want to know why I never tell you guys what I do? Look at how you are treating me."


    The middle-aged man did not loss his cool. Han Lingshi''s mother, Lady Yue glared at her daughter and asked, "Is this how you talk to your father?"


    Han Lingshi retorted back, "Then look at how your husband talks to your daughter."


    Her voice was calm but her gaze was getting colder. Han Lingxue shivered while she stood at the side. She could tell that Han Lingshi was not going to take the diplomatic shit of these people. Old Master Han could not stand it any longer, and yelled, "Are you rebelling against your elders?"


    Han Lingshi turned her gaze to look at the old man and asked, "Are you an Emperor? Am I your subject?"


    Old Master Han tapped his cane on the ground forcefully and asked, "You are the child of this family and you have to answer to the elders."


    Han Lingshi raised her brow, place right leg over her left knee and both her palms rested on her belly as she leaned back into the couch and said, "If you say that, then I am rebelling. Old Master Han, I want to know what you can do about that?"


    Old Master Han did not expect Han Lingshi to be so rampant. His face turned red, and Han Lingshi''s father said, "Lingshi, do you know that according to family rules, I can disown you for disrespecting my father?"


    His voice was calm but his eyes were cold. Han Lingshi''s mother, and grandmother were shocked when they heard this, they wanted to say something when Han Lingshi chuckled. It was as if a windchime disturbed by the wind.


    The girl said, "If you disown me, I will resign from the position of the CEO of the Empress International effective immediately, and within six months the vultures of the jade capital will eat up the company, raw. So, please go ahead and do what you want to. However, if you want answers? Talk to me like a family and not some criminal investigator. Understood?"


    The two men were shocked, they did not understand why Han Lingshi was so averse to them today. Old Master Han said, "I understand, it must be that kid who is teaching you to talk like that, right? That low life..."


    That said, she slung her bag on her shoulder and left the living room. She did not care about anything. Her grandmother took on Old Master Han about the death contract, while Han Lingxue and her mother retired to their room.


    Han Lingshi''s parents also retired to their own room to discuss the issue. They wanted to talk, but with Old Madam tearing apart the old man, it was not an easy task. Old Master Han was an old player too.


    ...


    Han Lingshi sat in her car, taking deep breaths. Just now she appeared to be violent and cold, but the truth was that she had never spoken out before her family. This time she almost waged a war on them. She herself was the most shocked person after what happened. All her life she had put up a cold facade when she did not want to show that things are effecting her.


    Today, she planned the same thing, however, as soon as her grandfather insulted Hao Ren, she could not control the rage in her belly and spewed flames upon the two men. After a few minutes, when she calmed down, her phone rang. She saw that the caller was Hao Ren, and she accepted the call.


    The other person quickly asked, "Are you okay?"


    Han Lingshi was surprised when he said, "You were gone since the morning, and I wasn''t able to get a hold of you. I could not help but call Xuexue and asked her about you. She said that it was a big fight and that you are hurt. I am heading to Han Family mansion, you wait there, okay?"


    Han Lingshi was touched, because she could detect sincere care and concern in her voice, but then she said, "No, Ren, you wait for me at the house, I am just in my car and will be leaving here. Okay?"


    Hao Ren grumbled, he did not say anything and Han Lingshi said, "I will tell you everything that happened here."


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, "Fine, I understand, but please drive safe."


    Han Lingshi replied with a yes and disconnected the call. She did not care about her family, if they wanted her to give up her love and happiness for their petty gains then she would teach them a good lesson.


    She started her car and left the mansion. It was time for her family to think what they wanted to do. If they did not accept Hao Ren, then Han Lingshi would leave the Han Family to never return. She was the Empress, she could create her own kingdom if she had to for the one she loved.


    Thinking about this, Han Lingshi smiled and drove to the city market.


    ...


    Hao Ren knew that it was a weekend, but after dropping his parents at home, he dashed to meet up with Han Lingshi, however, just after he finished calling her, another issue came up for him to attend. He was frustrated by the timing of it all and yelled, "Fuck!"

 Chapter 86: Bow Of The Empress.

    Hao Ren cursed as he sat inside his car, at this moment, Xiao Mei said, "Boss, why are you feeling so annoyed? You can handle it in the morning."


    The young man sighed and said, "Xiao Mei, these people are really so annoying."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, what do you want to do?"


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "What else can I do? Who asked this bunch of nerds to experiment and create a fucking sex doll? We are a serious company, such things cannot be made under the same banner."


    He took a deep breath and continued speaking, "Did you lock them in?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes."


    Hao Ren asked, "Did you delete the video from their social media and all the other traces?"


    Xiao Mei replied mechanically, "Yes, it does not exist anymore."


    A few minutes earlier, Xiao Mei informed him that a few people in the Thunder Technology office consumed alcohol while working, and they made a few changes to the codes in the House Bot prototype, turning it into a bot that was talking dirty.


    Not only did they commit this shady task, they even recorded a video of this. Hao Ren was so pissed at this moment that he could not help but cuss the people. He was anxious about what went on in the Han Mansion, and now he had to deal with this shit first.


    Thinking about the solution, he said, "Contact Heath, ask him how many guards he found."


    Xiao Mei agreed and Hao Ren moved towards his office.


    ...


    While Hao Ren was troubled by a shitting silly problem at work, his wife was moving about the market and after an hour, she entered a jewelry shop. The shop was not too crowded, and had an elegant vibe about itself. Han Lingshi was very beautiful and she was attended by a saleswoman as quickly as she entered the shop.


    The girl bowed slightly and said, "Greetings Miss, welcome to Novelty Jade and Jewels. I am Jules Ivory, I will be your..."


    Suddenly the sales lady stopped in the middle of her greeting. Han Lingshi frowned and asked, "Are you okay?"


    Jules Ivory woke from her daze and realized her folly as she said, "The ring on your hand, I am the one who sold it. I was surprised by realizing the coincidence of you coming to the same shop as your boyfriend."


    Han Lingshi raised her brow and raised her head to look at the white jade and diamond ring in her hand. She smiled and said, "Well, thank you."


    Jules Ivory and the rest of the people who were paying attention to them were surprised, they not expect for Han Lingshi to be so beautiful and elegant. The attendant asked, "Ma''am, what can I help you with? Do you need to get the ring fitted?"


    He quickly paused the meeting and picked up the phone, as he asked, "Hi, Lingshi, where are you? Did you reach home?"


    Han Lingshi spoke in a flustered voice, "Ren, I had an accident. I am safe but the car is totaled, can you come over?"


    Hao Ren stood up and said, "Give me a location, I will be coming right away."


    He looked at Klaus and said, "Bro, can you take over? I have to rush."


    Klaus gave him a thumbs-up and Hao Ren dashed away.


    ...


    Hao Ren unlocked his car, and said, "Xiao Mei, how is Lingshi, find her."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, I think it would be better for you to go there and find her yourself. The situation is not very good."


    Hao Ren panicked even more, and then he drove through the traffic, like a man possessed. He was moving very quickly, and Xiao Mei was busy blocking the cameras. The location given by Han Lingshi was called the Royal Garden. This place was established by the Queen of the nation in golden ages.


    Now the government kept it as a heritage site. Hao Ren parked the car on the side and picked up the phone as he dashed away. He looked around the place but he could not find Han Lingshi. He dialed her number and when the call connected, the young lady said, "Ren, I am inside the garden. My legs were hurting so I came inside to sit. I cannot feel them now."


    Hao Ren shivered, he thought Han Lingshi was seriously hurt and then he dashed in quickly.


    ...


    After a few minutes, he came to the core of the garden. The place was surrounded by the bushes of red roses. Hao Ren found Han Lingshi standing in the center of the inner garden. She was wearing a white shirt, with a blue jeans and white shoes. Her long hair were falling down over her shoulder, and under the dimming sunlight, her skin had a amber glow.


    Hao Ren was stunned by her beauty. He walked over in a daze and the lady smiled sheepishly before she said, "I apologize for pranking you like this."


    Hao Ren was still looking at her, when she took out a box and knelt down on one knee. She raised the box up and under the eyes of the tourists and many people, she asked, "Hao Ren, I have never lowered myself to anyone, but today, I kneel before you. The people call me an Empress, but today I acknowledge your sovereignty over my heart, soul and all.


    Will you accept me to be by your side till the times eternal?"


    Hao Ren did not hesitate, he nodded quickly and pulled her up. Han Lingshi did not struggle and let him embrace her. She looked at a young man on the side, and waved her hand. The young man nodded and the entire sky was lit up with mesmerizing fire crackers.


    She broke the embrace, and asked with a soft smile, "May I put on the ring?"


    Hao Ren nodded with crescent eyes and a sunny smile. The people were recording them and chanting, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!"


    The couple chuckled and gave each other a kiss filled with love.

 Chapter 87: Displaying Power.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi kissed each other under the gazes of many people who were visiting the Royal Garden. The entire sky above the garden was lit up with fireworks. Nobody in the city understood this, but it was happening. The couple embraced each other to enjoy the view. While the two of them had given up on the tense situation around them. The world was now paying attention to them.


    ...


    Gao Yue sat on the couch glaring at Old Master Han. She had been raging for half a day and the living room had been turned into a war zone. The old lady had tore down every decoration she could with her strength. The paintings the antiques, she said, "Old Han, if you did not speak of what is going in that black skull of yours, I will set this fucking building on fire. Do you hear me?"


    She was no longer yelling, her forehead was covered in sweat but her breathing was still stable. Old Man Han looked at her and he sighed, "Do you think I want to play villain in this situation? Lingshi is the apple of my eye, why would I not be happy if she can find someone who can make her act this way? But do not forget who we are.


    At the age of thirty she would have to face the reality like all of us did. If her emotions changed, then she will be in a dreadful situation."


    Gao Yue raised her brow and she calmed down, after some thought she said, "Old Man Han, be true to your heart and do what you can to make her happy, as for the rest, that would depend on her. Do not try to control her fate. It is against the heavenly law. If you and your son can remember that, everything will sort itself. You and Tang are not the master of red threads.


    Learn your limits and if you messed with her again, I will not watch from the sideline."


    If some outsider was to hear them talking he would figure out, that the Han Family was not simple. That was the truth, but only the elders knew about the truth and the youngsters would have to face the reality on their own when they grow up.


    ...


    Inside the room of the First Master Han, Lady Yue was sitting before a dressing table and taking off her jewelry, while Han Tang, the first master was sitting on a couch with a cigarette between his fingers. He sighed and asked, "Do you think that she would be able to handle the truth when the time comes?"


    Lady Yue replied, "After such a long day, I think you should have understood that your daughter is not weak. Also, my daughter would not be giving up on what she sets her heart upon once. As for what happens between her and Hao Ren, it is for them to handle. I will not stop her from living the present while fearing the future.


    Do not meddle in the way of the heavens, or the current of time will destroy you."


    That said, she stood up and went inside the shower room. The obscure conversations seemed to be meaningless, but this was the most well kept secret of the Han Family and none other than the core members of the Han Family knew about it.


    ...


    At a remote location of the Han Nation, a young man was surrounded by many people, they were all catering to him, when suddenly a girl ran up to him and said, "Eden, Han Lingshi just proposed to some guy."


    The smile on the young man''s face vanished, and the air around him turned cold. He turned around to look at the girl with a questioning gaze, and the latter silently handed him the phone. Some people had been posting the video of fire crackers around the Royal Garden, and one of these posts was captioned, "Such a royal proposal."


    The couple found Hao Re''s parents already waiting for them at home. Old Man Hao did not speak much, he only greeted the girl calmly. Hao Ren made his way to the study room and said, "Lingshi, come along."


    Mrs. Hao asked curiously, "What is going on?"


    Hao Ren replied, "It is some urgent business, we cannot delay."


    Han Lingshi nodded and made up a lie for the old lady to sit down peacefully while they went around their work.


    Hao Ren closed the door to the study and said, "I did not expect your on the toes thinking would be so good."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and the young man sat down in the chair. Xiao Mei said, "Initiating two-way connection."


    ...


    Inside a truck, fifteen people were sitting when Eden Dale''s communicator went off. He frowned and looked at the girl beside him who was also surprised. She looked at a tab in her hand and exclaimed, "It is from the Jade Capital, a civilian location."


    The rest of the people were surprised and then a calm voice echoed from Eden Dale''s communicator, "Greetings, Captain Dale, and the rest of the Tsunami Squad. Thank you for your hard work and service for the country. At the same time, I apologize for using this method to communicate with Captain Dale."


    Eden Dale asked coldly, "Who are you? Do you know the punishment for doing this?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I do, but I just don''t care. Like I don''t care about some mice who try to look into my life. I was surprised to see a dignified military officer looking into the life of a civilian like me. So, Captain Dale, I am here, you can ask me anything you want openly, no need to sniff around like a rat."


    The people sucked in a deep breath, and Eden Dale, tightened his grip around a rifle in his hand. His face looked like he was ready to kill someone. He asked, "Are you the man who tricked Han Lingshi?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Lingshi, he thinks I tricked you. Hahahaha, how funny. Well, whether I tricked her or not should have nothing to do with you. I think you saw she proposed me? Well, since our families already know, let me inform you, Han Lingshi is my lawfully wedded wife.


    If I see you snooping around anyone related to me, I will come for you, and this time it would be in person. I have sent a picture of my marriage certificate to the tab of your subordinate. Before you do anything, weight all your options properly. To save my family and keep my wife happy, I don''t mind becoming the villain.


    Well, have a good day."


    The call was disconnected after this. Hao Ren did not wish to talk to this guy. He was well aware that his words will only stoke the flames even more. He wanted to see Eden Dale do something stupid.

 Chapter 88: Progress.

    Han Lingshi was watching Hao Ren with her eyes wide open. The young man looked at her and asked, "Do you think I am a bad guy?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and asked, "I am just confused. Why do this?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "If someone can follow you from high school, and handle all the people who come to pursue you, do you think he would stop with me barring him from finding my information? Wrong, I want this cranky asshole to know what is going on and then burn in rage before he loses control." Read today on m,v,l,e,mpyr


    Han Lingshi asked with a sigh, "What will that give us?"


    Before Hao Ren could answer, Xiao Mei replied, "A human body is a machine, Eden Dale is someone with a defective core processor."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "His mental stability is a questionable thing. The only reason he is clear for duty is to handle the enemies, and he is good at that."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and after some thought, she asked, "You want Eden to self destroy?"


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded gently. He replied, "I do not poke my nose in the business of the other people. I wish for them to do the same. However, if they are not appreciative about it, I do not mind erasing them like a stroke of pencil."


    Han Lingshi looked in his eyes and she could not help but take a deep breath. She was aware that Hao Ren was strong and that he had already taken down a few people. He had confessed before her about how he dealt with Han Ming and his son. She did not doubt him when he said this. She sighed and asked, "Just be safe."


    Hao Ren smiled and gave her a thumbs up before leading her to the living room. They had to make an announcement to his parents.


    ...


    Eden Dale was sitting inside the truck, and his gaze was brimming with killing intent. Fox was shivering the early tint of mischief was gone from her visage. She did not expect Hao Ren to act up. This was not by the book at all. Why did he not wait for Eden to find him. Another thing was, how did he figure out that someone was looking into him.


    Fox began to think of the reason. She was the tech expert and had a good experience of hacking, even some of the best people in the country might take some time to notice her incursions. Suddenly, the tab in her hand flashed, and a document appeared on the screen.


    The document displayed all the information that existed about Hao Ren. She found that he was a tech mogul and thus made peace with the fact that he was able to discover her. Then she looked at the text at the end of the document.


    She sucked in a cold breath, because it was a direct challenge for Eden Dale. The latter noticed Fox having weird expressions and asked, "What is it?"


    Commander Gan raised his brow and then he picked up the papers and began to read them. The more he read, the more surprised he became and by the time he reached the last page, he was shocked. He asked, "These were confirmed?"


    The soldier nodded, and Commander Gan took a deep breath. He looked at the young man and said, "You did a good job reminding me. Go, carry on private."


    The soldier saluted and Commander Gan quickly picked up the phone on his table. Then he said, "Connect me to Orient Dragon Palace, it is urgent."


    ...


    The night passed very quickly, Hao Ren was laying in the bed with Han Lingshi. The two people were embracing each other but had not slept. Han Lingshi asked, "Ren, what do you intend to do with Eden Dale? He is military, he can demand capital punishment for you."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "He can only force me to go and serve on the front for six months so that the resources I used by contacting him can be paid off."


    Han Lingshi raised her head to look at him and asked softly, "Then will you go to the front to serve?"


    Hao Ren thought and said, "I will decide when the time comes. For now, I will stay with you, my love."


    Han Lingshi smiled and got close to him. The two enjoyed the moment of softness and warmth. Just holding someone in their arms bought them great joy. Of course, Hao Ren did act naughty, he was a young man and he was lustful to Han Lingshi, but since he promised her to wait, he decided to keep his word and waited.


    ...


    Hao Ren woke up in the morning, but it was not because he wanted to but because someone was blasting his phone. The young man opened his groggy eyes and asked, "Xiao Mei, who is it?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, the military high command."


    The young man sighed and picked up the call. He spoke, "Good morning, who is this?"


    The person replied from the other side, "Hello, President Hao, my name is Lieutenant Xia Yun. I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but could you please come over to the military office, a senior officer would like to meet you."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "Lieutenant Xia, I do not mean to say anything disrespectful, but it''s four in the morning and I am a civilian. I have been working on the Medic Bot you want and now you are doing this to me. Can you please arrange the meeting at the breakfast?"


    Lieutenant Xia knew this and sighed that Hao Ren did not refuse him. He agreed readily and the appointment was fixed for ten in the morning. Hao Ren could say no, but he didn''t and this was doing Xia Yun a favor.


    The call was disconnected, and Hao Ren lay down on the bed before hugging Han Lingshi again.

 Chapter 89: Negotiation.

    After disconnecting the call, Hao Ren went back in the embrace of his wife''s embrace. However, he did not sleep. Over the period of time, his body fitness has reached a level he could have never imagined it to be. He could stay awake for two days without any exertion. He knew this because he had been checking his attribute panel regularly.


    Hao Ren thought to himself, ''System, the formula for the spirit rejuvenation potion is very potent and the one I handed to the military is a diluted potion. I wonder how similar is the effect.''


    *Ding: Host, it was wise of you to dilute the potion. This formula is very strong and if it fell in the wrong hands, they can cause great harm. However, the dilution does not effect the potency much. For an above average human the recovery rate is still ninety percent, but someone who stands on the higher pedestal, they might need more than just one bottle.*


    Hao Ren nodded internally and after some thought he said, ''I should just sell the formula directly to the military at a lower price, and ask them for an exemption because I toyed with that prick.''


    He spent the entire night time in the bed thinking about the various ways he could use to maximize his benefit. Hao Ren was not a prime patriot, but he wasn''t completely averted either. This place was his home after all. He sighed, thinking how good it would be if he could exchange his ideas with someone.


    Suddenly, he sensed a burst of warmth on his neck and found that Han Lingshi had woken up and was looking at him with a smile on her face. She asked in a soft husky voice, "What are you thinking about?"


    Hao Ren did not have any intention to hide his thoughts from her and the two of them began to discuss the possibilities. Han Lingshi was a bigger player in the world of business then he was, her expertise were something that could be cashed upon.


    In the end, Han Lingshi said, "The reason you are not putting up robots for everything is because you do not want them to scare the humans if they appear to be too different. If you can make a spirit rejuvenation potion then why not use the means of integration and create something that enables the humans to be better than what they are. Something like those mechs in the movies.


    As for the Spirit Rejuvenation Potion, it is good if you sell the diluted formula. It is a medicine made from herbs, and will only benefit them in the long run. Military will be keeping this deal a secret, and they will be hiding your identity as well. Cash in, and use the money for better things."


    Hao Ren thought and said, "Sometimes the simplest method is the best method."


    Han Lingshi nodded as she pecked his cheek and got out of bed. She said, "You have a meeting at ten, it is already seven, get going."


    That said, she went to the washroom, while Hao Ren went to the gym room. His parents were early risers and were shocked to see this. They were attracted by the noises from the gym room when Hao Ren was practicing his martial arts. They did not expect their son to have such a skill.


    Han Lingshi showed up after a hair wash and Hao Ren went to the washroom to take a bath. Soon the two were ready, and Mrs. Hao served them with a healthy breakfast. Han Lingshi said, "Ma, I will send a driver for you, we will go shopping in the evening and have a dinner outside."


    Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, Sunshine Teahouse."


    Han Lingshi was surprised but then she nodded. Mrs. Hao asked, "Why are you asking her to make the arrangements?" Your source is m-vl|em|p,yr


    Han Lingshi replied, "He has an important meeting today. So, it would be difficult for him to spare time and attention."


    Old Man Hao said, "Madam, don''t meddle in their affairs, they are adults and can handle themselves."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "You are now watching the woods through the eyes of the others, Sir. Soldiers do not get old, they are never forgotten, they live through the people who succeed them."


    Marshal Tang thought for a bit and said, "Well said."


    Then he said, "Come and sit with me, Chairman Hao."


    This address was not made out of formality but also respect. Hao Ren nodded and sat down across him. The old man said, "Can you guess why you have been called over today?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "The forces want to buy out my Spirit Rejuvenation Formula."


    Marshal Tang smiled and said, "It saves time when you talk to smart people. Since you have figured it out, what do you say to the price of five hundred million yuan?"


    Hao Ren raised his brow and smiled as he asked, "Sir, do you think it is too much? If I was to sell this formula to some private medicine developer, I would have made a fortune five times of what you are offering."


    Marshal Tang nodded and said, "I understand what you mean, Chairman Hao, we understand that your formula is worth a lot more than what we have to offer, but recently the military is in a tight position. I hope you understand."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I do, actually, I don''t want you to pay me with this much money. I have five conditions which are easy to fulfil. I would like you to listen to them and see if we can reach a cooperation."


    He had registered the formula in the Medical Codex and it was a proven recipe, none of the people could use it for commercial use without his permission. After the deal with the military, the record in the medical codex will be sealed by the military, and the information will vanish.


    Mashal Tang was surprised to hear it, but then he said, "Fine, go ahead, tell me what is it that you want?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "First condition, you all must have looked into me, and know that my partner, Miss Han Lingshi is someone many men have tried to impress. One such person is called Captain Eden Dale, a special force operative in the Tidal Squad."


    The eyes of the two narrowed and killing intent filled the room. The details of the special squad members were secret, how can Hao Ren find out. The young man replied with a faint smile, "Please do not look at me like that. Captain Eden Dale tried to hack into my company server, but I caught him red handed.


    I found out the reason of this snooping around from my wife and so I made a call to him on the encrypted channel.


    I wish to be exempted from punishment from this. So, twenty percent of my merit from selling this formula can be used for that. I wonder if you agree."


    The two old men were still gazing at him with malice, and Marshal Tang asked, "Do you understand what you just told us?"


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded before he said, "I do, but the constitution allows me the right to self defense. It also restricts a military personnel to look into my life without any concrete reason. So, if this goes into court of law, it is a civil crime. Both sides will suffer, so the choice is yours."

 Chapter 90: Day Of Trade.

    Hao Ren had discussed this with Han Lingshi in the morning, and after dropping her off to the office, Xiao Mei had confirmed that he can use this angle to gain the higher ground before the Military Officers. After all, a special forces officer was looking into a civilian who had nothing to do with anything with the forces, it will bring them a lot of shame.


    Marshal Tang looked at Hao Ren and said, "Kid, do you really think you can strong arm me like this? What if I do not agree?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said in a calm tone, "Heroes are decorated with colors but when they forget what the color means, they fall. If you put up the pride and ego above this matter, then you will handle direct fire from the higher ups when the House Bots are integrated in domestic security and medical care.


    I was actually thinking about developing an exoskeleton that could help the soldiers even more and reduce the casualty rate."


    His words were like stabs to the two old men. Marshal Tang gazed at him for a few minutes, before he sighed and said, "Old Gan, sit down."


    Commander Gan was sweating at this moment. He knew that Hao Ren had big balls but now he realized they were made of steel too. This guy who did not even have a proper beard was sitting across the army chief of the nation, a hero who took down countless enemies and won many honors, someone who can make any one shiver with just a gaze, negotiating so brutally. Where was the common sense in this.


    Actually, Hao Ren was using all his chips. He was using the sooth-sayer skills, the businessman skills, he was carrying in his wallet the coin of fortune, and finally the calm of an assassin. He used these skills the moment he came inside the room, because when Marshal Tang gazed at him, Hao Ren was unsettled.


    Marshal Tang said, "Kid, I will accept this condition. However, if the other conditions compromise the pride of the uniform, then forget about it."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I may be a cruel businessman, but I am sitting a citizen of this country and that too a responsible one. I would like to ask you to talk with the government and see if they can provide me with a tax discount. I do not intend to run away with the money, but if I can save some of it, it would help me in setting up a research center.


    Thunder technology is not limited to the military development, but the prime goal is to uplift the status of the world technology."


    Marshal Tang nodded and said, "It is fine, I will talk on your behalf, but then you would have to give us a discount on the robots too."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "I will have my finance head talk to you about this in detail and we will not charge you more than what is valid."


    Marshal Tang nodded and then said, "Go on, tell me the rest of your conditions."


    Hao Ren did not hesitate and lay down the conditions bare naked. He asked for the military support in establishing a research center. He was still looking for a place to build that building and who better than the military to get him the clearance from the authorities. He will have a voice in the lobby.


    Hao Ren rolled eyes and asked, "Connect me with Lingshi, ask them where they are."


    Xiao Mei dialed the call and Lingshi picked up quickly. The trio had been shopping for a couple of hours now and were waiting for Hao Ren, however, there was a bad news, the Sunshine Teahouse was closed because the family moved somewhere else.


    Hao Ren furrowed his brows, he did not say anything to Lingshi and agreed to eat in some other restaurant. However, after the call he said, "Xiao Mei, do you remember the appearance of the Teahouse Owner last time?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "No, boss, you did not click her picture. Do you want to try and track her?"


    Hao Ren affirmed her and the AI got to work. However, the result was as predicted, nothing. Hao Ren found this suspicious that the old lady was close down her shop and sneaked away. He could not help but think that something was wrong with this abrupt departure.


    Xiao Mei suddenly said, "Boss, whatever the truth is, it will come to light even if you don''t do anything. Thinking about it will not give you anything apart from grey hair."


    Hao Ren hummed and turned his car to enter the parking. The four people had a nice dinner and when they reached home, Han Lingshi showed Hao Ren all the things they bought. From perfume to shoes, and dresses. Stay informed at m-vl-em,pyr


    Mrs. Hao had never spent much on unnecessary things, and today she did not want to break her habit, but one pout from Han Lingshi made her give up all the resolve. The old couple finally understood that their son was earning a lot of money and it would not harm to spend a bit.


    The days seemed to have grown wings, during this time, Hao Ren got busy with the production of the new House Bot prototypes. Thunder Technology was being approached by a lot of foreign companies who wanted to collaborate for House Bots. However, Thunder Technology had only one answer, No.


    Hao Ren did not wish to step out of the domestic market with initial phase products. The foreign consumers held a strong bias against the Han Nation products. If he ventured in the unknown, it would only cause him to lose money and honor.


    Everyday he would sit with Xiao Mei and they would discuss ways to optimize the bot and the programming aspects. At the same time they were coming up with practical tools for the soldiers to use. Hao Ren was planning to earn profit from the military trade.


    ...


    On the day of the presentation, Hao Ren and the big shots were gathered at the production plant, in the southern suburbs of the jade capital. The workers had put up a lot of effort and created a make shift training field.


    But that was not the only thing, Eden Dale had entered the capital as well, and at this moment, he was meeting with Leonard Hamil, his best friend to find out about Hao Ren.

 Chapter 91: Demonstration Of Power.

    Hao Ren and the rest of the people were on time, the higher ups knew how important this deal was for them. Markus Bourne was walking around with an anxious expression on his face. Although Hao Ren was calm, as Xiao Mei has already finished checking everything inside the programming chip.


    Klaus and his team has confirmed that the bot was moving fine and the body was working totally alright. Hao Ren was calm after receiving the green flag from everyone. He was getting annoyed by Markus Bourne. He looked at Lynn Carter and asked, "Is he like that at home as well?"


    The lady smiled bitterly and nodded. They were all sitting around the conference room, and looking at Markus Bourne he suddenly asked, "Mister Bourne, when would you be marrying Miss Lynn? I hear that you have been a thing for quite a long time now."


    His words made Lynn Carter and Markus Bourne freeze in their steps, they did not expect him to ask such a thing. Markus was flustered and he said, "I proposed her a few days ago. We will marry next year, in the spring."


    Hao Ren nodded thoughtfully and said, "I did not expect you to be such a romantic. Well done."


    The people all began to tease the couple, when the plant director came in and said, "Chairman, they are here."


    Hao Ren stood up from his chair and said, "Thank you, Mister Simone, please help Mister Hymn to bring the bots to the test area."


    Simone accepted the instruction with a smile, and Hao Ren led Dion, and Markus to the gate to attend the visitors. Lynn stayed behind to coordinate with Simone and Klaus if needed.


    ...


    Commander Gan and his adjutant, Lieutenant Xia Yun stepped out of the vehicle they spotted Hao Ren and two men standing behind him. The young man smiled and walked up to the two people. He shook hands with Commander Gan, who was wearing his full uniform and they he nodded to Xia Yun before leading them inside.


    Hao Ren asked, "Commander Gan, would you be going to the demonstration field or would you like to have some tea or coffee? It is still quite early for the civilians."


    Commander Gan shook his head and said, "I have to report the results of the demonstration by the evening today, the Marshal has other things to do, and we also need the bots sooner, so if you don''t mind, Chairman Hao, please let''s just get on with it."


    Hao Ren nodded and with a gesture, he led them to the training field. As they came to the side line they stood in an open space of around hundred meters in diameter. In the center of the field stood a black bot. The body was designed like that of a human.


    Klaus stood beside the bot and said, "This is Cure Bot. The body is created with a webbing of steel and carbon fiber threads, it can resist a direct bullet hit from five meters range onwards. If targeted on the joints, it can still withstand a bullet impact from ten meters onwards.


    We understand that it is a fatal flaw and that is why the joints and the armor around vital parts is reinforced with Titanium and carbon fiber. We used the new 3-d printing technology to create these armor plates, so if they are damaged in an encounter, they can be replaced and it will save you a lot of cost."


    Xia Yun ran out of bullets, and suddenly Klaus rushed up to stand between them. Hao Ren said, "Lieutenant, take aim at Klaus."


    Xia Yun was confused but he took aim at Klaus. The bot froze in his steps and rushed up around the side and aimed its hand at Xia Yun before two lines shot from its forearm and landed on Xia Yun. Commander Gan asked, "What is going on?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "This is the protection protocol. The bot is damaged and would try to prevent itself from the enemy attack as much as it can, but as soon as the enemy attacks an Ally, it will intervene and try to stun the attacker. The attack might not look strong but this is only one of the many attacks he can do."


    Klaus smiled and replied, "Jango can use a smoke screen and pepper spray as well."


    Commander Gan asked, "What about the medical prowess?"


    Hao Ren replied, "We have invited a doctor and a few patients. They are waiting for you in the closed room."


    The people then watched a medical display. Commander Gan had been documenting and recording everything from the moment they came to see the Bot. The entire situation lasted till noon. Finally, Commander Gan said, "We shall get going now. Chairman Hao, I am very impressed by this demonstration of yours."


    Hao Ren smiled and shook hands with him, and walked them to the gates of the factory. However, there he met someone he did not expect to see. He saw a car coming in through the gates, and two young men got out of the vehicle.


    The surprise was visible for both the parties. Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "I wonder what brings Young Master Hamil and Captain Eden here."


    The two people did not expect a military leader to be here. Captain Eden took a deep breath and walked over to salute Commander Gan. The latter was his superior officer regardless of the regiment the rank of a regional commander was not something Eden could offend, and the person was here in full uniform.


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Captain Eden if you are done with your salutations, please clarify your intention of waltzing inside my property. Otherwise, please get lost before I take an action."


    Eden clenched his fist and with a cold pair of eyes he said, "I have come to show that you are not worthy of Lingsh..."


    Before he could finish his words, Hao Ren had moved. His hand was clasped around Eden''s throat, the grip was so hard that Eden''s face had turned pale in just a moment. Hao Ren said, "Just so you know, I am her husband, and you are just a stalker who is obsessed with her. I do not care if you are an active soldier, as long as you are not at the front you are just a civilian who is slightly stronger.


    I am warning you, mind yourself if you wish to stay alive. The equation between me and my wife is nothing for you to mind."


    He choose the direct route and since Eden had come at him, while talking about Han Lingshi, that was directly a capital offense.

 Chapter 92: Beating Black & Blue.

    The situation became very tense all of a sudden. None of the people expected Hao Ren to react like this. He was directly threatening Eden Dale before a superior Military Officer, and their was no sign of fear in his eyes. Xia Yun looked at situation and then looked at Commander Gan who said, "President Hao, can you let him go and then talk about it?"


    Hao Ren looked at Commander Gan before he let go of Eden Dale. The young soldier fell down on the ground with his breath in complete disruption. Hao Ren looked back at Leonard Hamil and said, "You are not welcome here, leave."


    Leonard Hamil sucked a deep breath. He did not expect Hao Ren to be this strong. Initially he wanted to rush and help Eden but now he was doubting his thoughts. Commander Gan sighed, he knew the conditions Hao Ren had stated for this deal to go through, if they did not agree with him, the deal might not go through.


    He looked at Eden and asked, "Captain, what is going on here? Are you trying to use your military position to meddle and intimidate a civilian?"


    Eden had calmed down by now, he stood up and said, "Sir, I have been pursuing Miss Han Lingshi for a considerable time. However, when I went off to serve in the forces this man came from some unknown dump and tricked her. From what I know about this man is that he comes from a poor household but now he is making millions everyday, I am sure it is because of the money and support of Miss Han Lingshi.


    He is exploiting an innocent person and I cannot stand that."


    Hao Ren chuckled and then shook his head with a mocking expression on his face. He took out his phone and called Han Lingshi. The lady picked up the call and asked, "Ren, I have a meeting in five minutes, can I call you later?"


    Hao Ren said, "Ling, Captain Eden Dale has come knocking on the door and he claims that I tricked you in dating me and that every thing that I own today is yours."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Handle it however you want to Ren, this guy has become a headache for me. I do not care about him. I told him back in the high school that I don''t like him, but this man seemed to have no self respect. You know how he stalked me, right? Many times I even wanted to make a complain against him, but I hesitated many times."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Lingshi, I think that is enough, the call was on the speaker. If he still does not back off, then I will make sure that he will."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I am going I have a meeting, see you at home."


    Hao Ren then disconnected the call, and said, "Commander Gan, you have heard what my wife said, right? Can you please tell Captain Eden Dale to leave here?"


    Commander Gan nodded and then he looked at Eden Dale, and said, "Captain, I think that answer should suffice you. If you continue staying here you will only bring shame to yourself and the uniform you wear."


    Eden Dale looked at Commander Gan with unreconciled expression on his face. He was enraged from the core of his soul. He looked at Hao Ren and spoke in a low voice, "If you are so valiant, come and beat me in a fair one-on-one sparing match."


    Commander Gan glared at Eden Dale and asked, "Captain Dale, are you disobeying my direct order?"


    Eden Dale had given up on all of his senses and logic. Han Lingshi was his obsession, for her, he had fought many people and even his destiny. He was aware that he could not reach the height where she stood in the cooperate world. However, he was diligent in his effort and thus he became a soldier after graduation. In five years, he had climbed the rank of a captain in special forces.


    He was a young talent.


    Eden Dale looked at Commander Gan with an indifferent expression on his face, as he said, "Sir, I am here in a civilian capacity. I am not here with weapons, or any power that is bestowed to me by the military. I am not disobeying any order."


    As soon as he spoke, Eden Dale fell on the ground, he was left groaning in pain. Hao Ren looked at Commander Gan coldly and the latter said, "He is not capable of fighting anymore. If you beat him up more, he would suffer severe injuries."


    Hao Ren looked at the groaning Eden Dale and said, "Commander Gan, I will let him off on your account. If he came sniffing for trouble again, I will not spare him."


    Commander Gan nodded and said, "Do not worry, I will handle this situation personally."


    Hao Ren then looked at Leonard Hamil who was standing on the side, as he said, "Since you are his best friend, why don''t you take him to the hospital? Also, tell him, that I am capable of doing more than just bruises."


    Discover worlds on m-v le-mpyr


    After that, Hao Ren and his staff entered the factory, Commander Gan told Xia Yun to help Leonard Hamil to carry Eden Dale inside the car, before leaving to the Military Headquarters.


    ...


    Han Lingshi had just come out of the conference room and suddenly found the entire corridor filled with white flowers. She smiled and then she looked at her assistant before asking, "Tina, where did these flowers come from?"


    Tina smiled and said, "Mister Hao came over, and he bought a loads of flowers for you. We told him that you were in a meeting, and so he came up with the idea to decorate the place."


    Han Lingshi nodded and asked, "Where is he now?"


    She appeared to be indifferent but a faint tint of pink was visible on her cheeks. Tina replied, "He is waiting for you in your cabin."


    Han Lingshi nodded and walked away.


    ...


    Mean while in the city hospital, the doctors have finished checking Eden Dale''s condition. The chief doctor said, "They are all bruises but your friend is very lucky, Mister Hamil. The attackers did not attack the vital organs, these bruises will vanish in three days, and the swelling will go down soon."


    Leonard Hamil thanked them as they left the ward. He then asked, "Eden, what now?"


    The latter replied, "I am going back to work after recovering."


    Leonard was surprised and thought it was because Hao Ren had beaten Eden, but the truth was Eden wanted to go back to the front and get stronger and come back to fight against Hao Ren. He understood the gap between him and Hao Ren after this fight.


    Eden looked at Leonard and said, "The humiliation he served me today, will be returned to him a thousand folds."

 Chapter 93: Rewards & Undercurrents..

    Hao Ren stood inside the parking lot with a smile on his face. Han Lingshi walked over to him, with a peculiar expression. The other staff members were aware of their relationship and did not mind the young couple. The lady embraced him as she asked in a low voice, "What is going on? What made you so happy?"


    Hao Ren took out his mobile and then he showed her a picture. Han Lingshi watched the photo for a few minutes before she asked, "What is this?"


    Hao Ren replied with some pride in his voice, "I just beat up Eden Dale, and this is what he looks like after I was done with him."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and then she asked in bewilderment, "Does Ma know you are so cruel?"


    Hao Ren almost choked when he heard this and turned around to ignore her. Han Lingshi looked at him amusedly and chuckled before she asked, "Alright, its fine. Now tell me, what should we do about the meeting with my parents?"


    The young man thought about it before he said, "How about I answer you tomorrow?"


    Han Lingshi asked, "Ummm, okay, also, I want to eat stir fried vegetable and miso soup today."


    Hao Ren bowed and replied, "Yes, Your Excellency."


    Han Lingshi nodded and sat down in the car with her head held high. Hao Ren sighed and smiled as he got in the vehicle before the two of them drove out of the parking lot.


    ...


    The night was calm, Hao Ren cooked the food Han Lingshi demanded, and then Han Lingshi repaid him with a shoulder massage. She also told him to not engage in fights and act carelessly, after all, Eden Dale was a special forces person, his skills might not be as good as Hao Ren in terms of fighting, but his overall strength was not something that could be underestimated. Only on m v|le|mp|yr


    Hao Ren did not argue and gradually fell asleep while resting his head in her lap. Han Lingshi smiled and did not disturb him. She sat with her back leaning against soft cushions as she slept while sitting. The young man in her lap was someone very important for her. He was pushing forward with all that he had to catch up to her. How could she disturb him?


    Never have she ever felt this mixture of emotions. He was the only person in the world for whom she can give up everything she had. Unknowingly, she also fell asleep while sitting against the headboard.


    ...


    In the morning, Hao Ren woke up and suddenly, the system notified, *Ding: Congratulations host, on reaching another level of relationship with your wife. Your actions over the time have struck a chord in her heart, and for the sake of your comfort, she even gave up her own comfort. The system rewards you with a lottery. We can begin whenever you are ready.*


    Hao Ren opened his eyes wide, and sat up with a snap. His movements were so fast that Han Lingshi did not even sense anything. The young man was shocked to see this, he stood there like a statue as he watched Han Lingshi sleep. A few minutes, later, Han Lingshi frowned and then woke up.


    She did not have quality sleep for the whole night and she was not used to this. Hao Ren immediately said, "Lay down, I will give you a massage. Your back will not hurt then."


    Just when he was about to call the people to dine, Xiao Mei said, "Boss, Lieutenant Xia Yun wishes to talk to you."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Patch him."


    The call was brief and the other guy informed him that the deal was confirmed and they would be signing it publicly. Hao Ren did not mind, and asked them if they could do it in the noon.


    Xia Yun told him that he would be calling him again to confirm this. After all, it was too quick for them, he had to make sure that the formalities are completed and they could go through. The Han nation government might be slow when it comes to other things but they always treated military issues with priority.


    In the meantime, Hao Ren called the three people and served them with a faint smile on his face. When they were done eating, Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, if you want to, I can see your parents tonight."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and then asked, "For dinner? Are you sure?"


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at his mother before he asked, "Empress Hao, what do you think?"


    Mrs. Hao did not mind his address and simply said, "About time you manned up. Go and if you face defeat, the palace will be closed for you."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes while Han Lingshi chuckled happily. She loved it when Mrs. Hao would banter with him.


    In the noon, many news channels reported one thing, "Thunder Technologies venture into Military Contracts with their upgraded Robot Medics."


    The Jade Capital was housed many snakes and they all had their own ideas. Some wanted to cling to the golden thigh of Thunder Technologies, while some wanted to chop it off with an axe and keep it for themselves.


    The signing of the contract and the confirmation of this news meant the business circle of the Jade Capital will be changing too.


    ...


    Hao Ren was in his cloakroom putting on a suit when Xiao Mei said, "Boss, I think you can use this as a wedding gift."


    He looked at the details on the screen of his mobile and said, "Xiao Mei, you sure have a good taste. Good job."


    ...


    Dream''s Note: Hi, guys, I know that you all are waiting for the bonus chapter for this week. I will be updating that first thing tomorrow, actually I am sick and could not sit before the screen for prolonged hours. Please forgive me, and give me a chance. I will deliver the chapter in the morning.


    Also, I will be lowering the priv price a bit so that every one could enjoy reading further chapters.

 Chapter 94: Meeting The In-Laws (3).

    In the evening, Han Lingshi called him to her office. She wanted him to pick her up and go to the Han Family Mansion together. On the way, they would pick up some gifts for the family members.


    Hao Ren had no objection, at the moment, he was sending off Dion who just left a file on his desk with a big smile.


    ...


    Half an hour later, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi met, before they took off for the market. The young man asked, "What should we get for Grandma, Mom, and Second Aunt?"


    Han Lingshi thought for a bit and said, "Grandma likes plants, so we can probably get flowers. My mom likes accessories from the old times, so perhaps a hair pin, as for second aunt, she is not picky, and loves anything you buy with love."


    Hao Ren thought for a moment before he nodded, and Han Lingshi asked, "You are not going to buy anything for my father, and grandpa? Also, what about your sister-in-law? I bet she is still playing lawyer for you."


    The young man smiled and replied, "I have what that pair of old boys like. As for Xuexue, I know what to get. Do not worry. Just follow me, I will get the gifts."


    Han Lingshi saw him all boosted up and asked, "Mister Hao, where does your confidence come from?"


    Hao Ren cleared his throat and replied, "I have a very charming wife, and my confidence comes from my Empress of a wife."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes while smiling and said, "Glib tongue. Be careful how you act before my grandpa, he does not like sugar coats."


    The young man smiled and replied, "We will see."


    ...


    They spent two hours in the market, and it was already seven in the evening. When they reached the Han mansion, Han Lingshi had a peculiar expression on her face. She could not understand the logic behind his gift selection.


    The young man parked the vehicle and got down. Han Lingshi led the way, and Hao Ren carried the goodies in his hands. He walked behind her with a smile. The entire Han mansion was aware that the Young Miss will be bringing over her husband.


    Yes, the fact that she had already registered her marriage with someone was not a secret. That night when she had a showdown with her family elders, she had confessed boldly.


    The head of staff, Emma, was standing by the door, and was surprised to see the two people. She did not expect the mystery husband to be Hao Ren. The image of this man in her mind was clear from the day he cooked.


    When the duo reached close, Emma bowed and said, "Welcome home, Young Miss. Mister Hao."


    Han Lingshi frowned and wanted to say something when Hao Ren replied, "Thank you, Aunt Emma."


    Old Man Han snorted again, and Hao Ren stood up on his feet. His aura changed, and he picked up a file from the table and handed it to the man, he said, "The thing that you wanted more than anything in your whole life, was the shares of Crown Internationals. This file is an agreement that I am naming all my shares to my wife Han Lingshi.


    Just so you know, Old Master, I own seventy percent of Crown International stocks."


    Old Master Han opened his eyes wide, and Han Tang, his eldest son, had the same reaction. While the old man was in a daze, Han Tang took the file and began to read and verify the authenticity of the documents.


    Hao Ren did not waste his time on the two men, and turned to look at his mother-in-law, Yue Shi. He smiled and picked up a brocade box from the table before handing it to her. He said, "Umm, aunty, this is for you."


    Yue Shi also smiled faintly and accepted the box, before she opened it. Han Lingxue dashed from across the room to come and stand behind her. Yue Shi smiled at her and said, "What do you think, Xuexue, your brother-in-law has a good taste, no?"


    Han Lingxue nodded like a chick pecking on grains and said, "Yes."


    Gao Yue asked curiously, "Shishi, what is it?"


    Yue Shi picked up a jade and quartz hair pin from the box, and said, "It is a hair pin comb that is designed by a designer called Swann. This comb is a series of ornaments. I have four of them, but this fifth one has always been in shortage. It is called the Poetic Moon, the upper part of the pin is a moon carved out of white jade. While the comb is made from quartz."


    Gai Yue smiled and said, "The name of the comb is why you like it, don''t you?"


    Yue Shi smiled and nodded, she looked at Hao Ren and said, "Child, thank you very much. I love it."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "It is the least that I can do."


    Then he greeted the second lady, Xia Yulie, and took out a jade bracelet. He said, "Aunty, this bracelet signifies long life, and happiness."


    It was made from beads of Green and White jade looking very delicate. Second Lady Han was very happy and she called him, Son. With this the ladies of the family have directly accepted Hao Ren as the son in law.


    Han Lingshi was watching the entire scene silently and thinking how her family just sold her for a few words and gifts. Han Lingxue at this moment pouted and asked, "Brother-in-law, where is my gift?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "It will be delivered in the morning. However, you have to be careful when you drive it."


    Han Lingxue opened her eyes wide and asked, "Did you buy me a car?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "You get a Titan. It will keep you safe, and allow you to drive fast as well."


    ...


    A few minutes later, Hao Ren was sitting at the dining table with Han Lingshi beside him, and the Han Family was catering to him with smiles on their faces. Even the men had big smiles.

 Chapter 95: Night Attack.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi had a good meal, and Old Master Han asked, "Xiao Ren, what about your parents? Do they agree to your engagement?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "They do agree, but they were not aware that we have registered our marriage legally until a few days ago."


    Han Tang furrowed his brows and asked, "Why is that?"


    He was worried that Hao Ren was not serious.


    The young man replied while passing a tissue towards Han Lingshi, "I did not want them to think of Lingshi badly. They are old and spend their entire life in a small county. They have their own beliefs, and so, even if they agree to let her stay home a few times, they would not support an association where you folks are not in agreement.


    Enjoy stories on m_v lem|p-yr


    They have asked me quite a few times already to meet you and then arrange a meeting with you."


    Han Tang nodded, and the rest of the family also had a good outlook on the Hao Family after this. Following this, they conducted a frank but in-depth interview of the young man. Only after a couple of hours did they stop when Han Lingshi said, "He is getting drunk already."


    Old Master Han and Han Tang had cycled in turns to get Hao Ren drunk. This was a trick they used to find out any inconsistencies in his behavior, but nothing surfaced. Hao Ren was completely drunk, his face was flushed and his speech was slurry.


    Han Lingshi glared at her father and grandfather, who acted as if they had done nothing wrong. Hao Ren had never tasted alcohol in his life, and these two people kept pouring wine to him. Of course he was bound to get drunk and lose his grip.


    The lady stood up and supported Hao Ren up. At this moment she realized that the young man was quite heavy despite his lean built. Yue Shi asked, "Lingling, where are you bringing him?"


    Han Lingshi replied in a tone stating the obvious, "To my room, where else should I make my husband sleep?"


    Gao Yue smiled and said, "You are not married yet, bring him to the guest room."


    Han Lingshi froze in her steps but did not argue with the old lady. She could only hold back the retort and carefully bring the hot mess in her arms to the guest room. Yue Shi and Second Lady Han saw this interaction and the three ladies exchange a smile.


    They were testing Han Lingshi''s heart, and to their surprise, it was briming with love.


    ...


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Lazy ass, get up, your sister is in my room. If the old ladies saw her, it will be a disaster. Also, I need a pair of gym clothes. Can you get me some?"


    Han Lingxue disconnected and a few minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Hao Ren opened the door slightly and a messy head popped inside. Han Lingxue looked around and then she rolled her eyes as she said, "You people sure you are married? Where is the mess after a night of passion?"


    Hao Ren knocked her forehead with the back of his knuckle, and Han Lingxue rubbed the spot while frowning. The young man said, "Get your head out of the gutter, and get me a pair of clothes."


    Han Lingxue looked at him from head to toe and said, "One t-shirt and track pants, right?"


    Hao Ren nodded and the girl said, "I will get it from big uncle."


    Then she left like a whirlwind, and Hao Ren mumbled, "To think she is two years younger than me."


    Then he proceeded to wake up the sleeping beauty. Han Lingshi was in a daze for a bit and then she opened her eyes wide, before dashing out of the room. Hao Ren did not even get to do the rizz on her. After changing his clothes he came to the garden and began to practice his martial arts. The Han Mansion had a lot of guards, and all these people were elites.


    When they saw Hao Ren''s moves, they were surprised but then they understood why Han Lingshi might have liked him. He had been investigated thoroughly and everyone knew about his business. So, they were taken aback by the high fitness level and skill he displayed.


    Old Master Han and Han Tang also caught this sight and looked at him enviously. Soon after, Heath came over to deliver a set of clothes for him. Hao Ren thanked him and asked him to arrange a meeting with the people he had selected.


    These past few days, he had been too busy to meet and had to postpone the gathering. He freshened up and entered the kitchen to make breakfast. The staff was surprised but the house chef welcomed Hao Ren with a big smile.


    The young man cooperated with them and prepared a meal very quickly. He impressed everyone when he made extra portions for them. He came to Han Lingshi''s room and knocked the door gently. The lady replied, "Coming."


    Shortly after she came to open the door and was surprised to see Hao Ren. She asked, "What''s up?"


    Hao Ren saw her questioning look and wanted to tell the truth, when suddenly, the system sounded in his brain, *Ding: Issuing the golden task, enter the inner palace. Every woman considers her bedroom to be her secret realm and the most private space. Today, you have to enter the bedroom and mark this secret realm with your presence, becoming one with her world.*


    Hao Ren was surprised for a second, because he heard the words, golden task. Thinking about it he stepped forward and said, "I wanted to see you, and second, I was wondering if you would let me in."


    Han Lingshi frowned and asked, "You saw me last night, and what is it that you want from entering my room?"


    Hao Ren knew that this woman was going to guard the door and if he pushed hard, she will push harder. So he began to think of a way to get entry...

 Chapter 96: Marked.

    Hao Ren stood before Han Lingshi, looking at her from outside the door. He wanted to call her for breakfast, but the system had issued a task for him. Thinking about this, how could it be so simple for him to go in. Han Lingshi was not impolite, yet she had not called him inside, it meant she was very private about this.


    He smiled and asked, "Lingshi, are you not even going to invite me inside the room?"


    Han Lingshi was stunned and then she asked, "Why do you want to come inside, Ren? This is just like any other room."


    Hao Ren pinched his chin before he said, "It doesn''t matter if the room is just like any other, what matters to me is that its your room."


    Han Lingshi smiled and leaned against the door as she asked, "Well, since you know it is my room, that means it is my personal space. Why shall I allow you inside?"


    Her voice had a teasing tone to it. She was messing with Hao Ren while masking her intentions of keeping him out with a joking tone. Han Lingshi was a shy person and inviting someone to her room was a bit too difficult for her. Last night, she was prepared for this but her grandmother unintentionally caused all her courage to go down the drain.


    The second attempt on such things needed a lot of courage, Han Lingshi did not have such courage in her heart. Hao Ren looked at her face, and revealed a bitter smile. He then nodded and said, "I shall get going. The breakfast is ready."


    He turned around to leave, but the droopy shoulders made Han Lingshi''s heart ache. She reached out to grab his arm and asked, "Ren, what is the matter? Tell me."


    Hao Ren shook his head but the lady asked insistently, and after a few minutes he said, "I just thought we have no walls among us. We have limits, they are necessary, but walls. It''s a bit hurtful. Don''t worry, I will be fine soon."


    He smiled but his eyes were almost briming with tears. Han Lingshi felt her stomach clench and she said, "You are right, we should have limits, but no walls."


    The next moment, she led him inside her room. Hao Ren found that it was really like any other room, but then his gaze fell on the pictures Han Lingshi had stacked on a wall. He looked at her and asked, "May I?"


    The lady nodded and Hao Ren moved closer to the wall. He looked at all the pictures, sometimes with a smile, and sometimes with questions. These pictures were of Han Lingshi, it seemed as if all the important moments of her life had been pasted onto the wall.


    Han Lingshi observed his changing expressions with a faint smile. She could tell that Hao Ren was really looking at the pictures and realized that she was just being stupid by keeping him from entering. Hao Ren questioned her about the pictures and unknowingly the two of them were standing in each others embrace.


    Han Lingshi was a few years older than him, but she was being teased by him as if he was the elder one. Their laughter was echoing through the corridors and the people who came over to call them could not bear to disturb the couple. To the staff, Miss Han never had such a cheery smile on her face.


    After half an hour, Han Lingxue called them on phone and the two woke up from their leisure. Hao Ren suddenly asked, "Can I have a place on your wall?"


    Hao Ren got inside the car and drove out while thinking, ''System, can you tell me what is going on? What is this monthly lottery? What is the gold task?''


    *Ding: The level of the tasks vary not in difficulty but in importance. Growing a bond closer to your wife, that is the primary objective and you entered her private quarters, thus you completed a golden task. The rewards for the Golden Tasks are much more valuable than the rest of the tasks*


    Hao Ren nodded in understanding as he asked, ''Okay, so can I try the reward now?''


    *Ding: To start the lottery, just say, Withdraw the monthly lottery prize. The rewards are one of a kind and cannot be repeated.*


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, ''Withdraw Monthly Lottery prize.''


    The young man heard a mechanical voice in his mind as if a roller machine in the casino has turned on. After a few moments, the voice stopped and Hao Ren heard the system say, *Ding: Congratulations, host, for winning the spatial augmentation.*


    Hao Ren was driving and hearing this he almost ran his car into the divider. He took a deep breath to calm his mind, the rewards were too overwhelming for him. He asked, ''System, what might this be?''


    *Ding: You can select one object of any type and then it will be augmented with space attribute that could serve as your secret vault and is only accessible to you.*


    Hao Ren did not even hesitate to think about it before he said, ''The jade ring on my hand, I want it to be augmented.''


    *Ding: Augmenting the jade ring.*


    The next moment, Hao Ren sensed a warm sensation flowing through his ring finger. The white jade ring turned slightly golden and then it returned to normal. The system announced that the augmentation was complete. Hao Ren looked inside the car and found a few coins laying in the cup holder on the side.


    He placed his left hand in the cup holder and tried to think that the coins were absorbed by the ring on his hand. Then after a few minutes, he sensed something that could not be explained in words. In his mind, he saw a place as a garage, and there were two coins laying on the ground.


    Then Hao Ren thought that the coins were pushed out of the ring before they re-appeared on his palm. He sucked in a cold breath before trying the same thing for a few more times. Then he placed the coins back in the cup holder. His lips were curled on the corners because he was having a ball.


    The space augmentation tool was something that would come in handy in places where he could not even begin to imagine.


    With this, he drove his car to the office of the Thunder Technologies.

 Chapter 97: Recruitment & Expansion.

    Hao Ren parked his car in the basement parking lot before he came to the ground floor and made his way to the waiting lobby. He had already contacted Heath and was told that the guards to meet were all seated in the lobby.


    When he came to the lobby, he was surprised because he found a few dozen men sitting on the couches with their backs straight and they all wore black. Their stoic expressions intimidated everyone who passed through the lobby. Hao Ren smiled and said, "Brother Heath, everyone, I am Hao Ren, and I apologize for the delay in the meeting."


    Heath walked over and bowed slightly as he said, "Young Master, please do not worry, we all understand that you are busy."


    The people showed an understanding expression. Hao Ren maintained his faint smile because he realized that these men were not the war machines he imagined them to be. He collected his thoughts and said, "Umm, I think brother Heath must have told you about the conditions, and the income you will be making here. Right?"


    The people nodded and Heath said, "Old Chief, you should talk to Young Master for us all. We trust you."


    Hao Ren looked at a man who had gray hair on his side burns, however, his vigor was the strongest among these people. Their was a faint scar on his neck adding to his ferociousness. The young man said, "Sir, would you like to talk here or shall we go to the conference room?"


    The man nodded and then Hao Ren gestured him to follow. Heath also moved in tow, while the rest of the people sat down back on their seats.


    ...


    Inside the conference room, Hao Ren waited for the two men to take their seats before he sat down on the head chair. As soon as he took the seat, his aura changed and it shocked the Old Chief. He looked at Heath, who nodded faintly.


    The Old Chief said, "Chairman Hao, my name is Carter Deng, I have served in the special forces for twenty-five years, I am currently forty seven years old. I retired from the forces two years ago due to a medical condition."


    Hao Ren only asked, "I am aware that you were diagnosed with Retina Detachment. They offered you with the position of an instructor but you stated that you wish to go home and rest. Correct?"


    Carter Deng was surprised that Hao Ren knew all these details even when they were supposed to be classified. Hao Ren looked at him and said, "Don''t be too shocked, I have my ways to find out the truth. If I did not have any connections, then my company would still be a small player."


    Carter Deng recollected himself and nodded, then he asked, "Well, that is enough about me, can you tell why you are hiring so many special forces operatives?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "There are many reasons, the abilities they have are top notch. My company is about to enter a phase where we will be developing technology that could change the face of human civilization. I want the tech and the developers to be safe.


    I also wish to create a chain of schools where the children from shallow backgrounds can come and learn all that they can to grow up as model citizens. So, special force operatives managing their physical fitness would be a good thing. Also, this will allow me to pay back the operatives for their services.


    Please do not misunderstand that anything I do is out of the good of my heart. I am simply doing this to gain a good impression in the market that Thunder Technology is strong and thoughtful for the society. I am doing this so when I go public, my shares will soar to the top, I am a very cautious person and so, I want to hire you people for the safety of my business as well as my family."


    Hao Ren replied, "You can go ahead and discuss. Do not worry, my ambition is not blind. I want to build homes that only we can make."


    Lynn Carter opened her eyes and asked, "President are you aiming at luxury homes?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I am thinking about budget smart homes next to the research center for the employees. At the same time, we can use that space to build orphanages and many other facility for the masses to buy if they wish to."


    Lynn Carter thought about the feasibility and nodded in agreement. Thunder Technology was earning hundreds of million everyday. They have been acquiring many companies and growing at a terrifying pace. They could definitely get through this. Hao Ren suddenly asked, "How much money do we have in the company account?"


    Lynn Carter replied, "About five hundred million."


    Hao Ren was not surprised the sale of Koro-Koro and House bots along with the appliances were really high and the banking patch ups also got them a lot of profit. Lynn Carter said, "I will get this issue settled by the end of this week."


    Hao Ren nodded, and Lynn Carter asked, "Sir, what should we do about the PIL petitions filed by the Hamil''s?"


    Hao Ren replied, "It will be settled by the Company Counsel. Do not worry, they cannot do anything to us."


    After that Hao Ren checked the operations for a bit before he left the office. He got in his car and drove around the city. He said, "Xiao Mei, get me a list of the places where the Hamil Real Estate has the most high class projects going on?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I have the list ready, but please tell me you will not kill the innocent people."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "Do you take me for a blood thirsty monster, Stupid Xiao Mei. Just give me the locations."


    Xiao Mei displayed the information and asked, "Boss, I don''t think observing their projects will help you."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I noticed a pattern in their operations, that is why I want to see it with my own eyes. I have an inkling that Leonard Hamil is anything but an innocent businessman."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Whatever you do, you have to reach the Regal Hotel by 7.30. Mistress has issued a decree."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "I should go home and ask mom if we need to prepare anything."


    Xiao Mei replied, "It is all settled, Empress Hao is handling this aspect on her own. Also, Boss, I came to understand that you are quite the weak link in this chain."


    Hao Ren wished to throw his phone under the car tire and run over it until it is evaporated.

 Chapter 98: Family Dinner.

    Hao Ren roamed around the sites that were projects under Hamil Family. He posed as a potential buyer who wanted to book a slot. After taking the tour of the sites he recorded a few videos and left for the Regal Hotel. It was already Seven. If his mother reached before him, she would give him a glare before the guests.


    Hao Ren did not wish to suffer and drove over to the hotel. Xiao Mei asked, "Boss, what do you intend to do with these videos?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "I will file a PIL against Hamil Real Estate, and the officials in his pocket."


    Xiao Mei replied, "You are so cunning."


    Hao Ren did not reply to her, he stepped out of the car and the valet came over to drive the vehicle into the parking space. Hao Ren came to the front desk and said, "Hello, My name is Hao Ren, I have an appointment with Miss Han Lingshi."


    The lady on the counter was stunned for a second and said, "Yes, Mister Hao, please wait a second, I will arrange someone to bring you the private room. You can wait for your host there."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he waited for a few moments before following the waiter to the special room that Han Lingshi had arranged. He also called her to ask about the situation and it turned out that the Han Family was about to reach and Han Lingxue will lead them to the special room. His parents were accompanied by Han Lingshi herself.


    Hao Ren sighed and before the call was disconnected, he said, "I have never felt this anxious. Not even when I registered my marriage to you, Lingshi."


    The lady chuckled and said, "Why did you cry at the moment when they were clicking our picture then?"


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "It was because I never imagined that someone like you is destined to be with me."


    Han Lingshi led them over, and had the two people take seat before Old Master Hao said in a clear voice, "It was only today when we came to find that your family is very high in terms of social standard than ours. Lingshi has told me that you all are honest people and thus, we also wanted to be honest.


    My name is Hao Xinyuan, I used to work in the County Office at the position of County Cultural Secretary. This is my wife, Tang Zen. She used to be the County Chief Teacher."


    The Han Family were surprised by these words, but Lady Gao Yue kicked her husband under the table and who said, "Master Hao, you glorify us. Like yours, my family comes from a County near the Eshen Region. I came out of the county to make a fortune and that is all. Money is not the standard to measure anyone."


    His words made the old Hao couple smile, while Hao Ren and the rest of the people almost rolled their eyes. The introductions were made and Lady Gao Yue asked, "What do you two think about the wedding ceremony of this pair of youth?"


    Empress Hao smiled faintly and said, "Madam Han, Lingshi told me that they have registered their marriage in the court, so now all we need to do is to hold a ceremony for them. Since you and Master Han are elder to us both, it would be nice that you to decide a day. We have no problem with the date."


    Gao Yue was surprised and asked, "Do you have no objections? After all, it is the wedding ceremony of your son."


    Tang Zen shook her head and replied, "I only hope that you do not select the month of December. My elder daughter passed away in that month a few years ago and it is a special period for us. Other than that, it is up to you. Plus, I am getting a Daughter by putting this lad in a nice suit, what more is there to ask for."


    After a few minutes, the conversation evolved and Master Han said, "I suggest we hold the wedding in spring, the day when cherry blossoms paint the sky pink. What do you say?"


    Hao Xinyuan was stunned and then he chuckled as he said, "Old Master Han, you have taken the words out of my heart. We have no problem."


    The two families agreed and then they began to tease the couple. Han Lingshi and Hao Ren looked at each other before they mumbled, "They are all a bunch of old bullies."

 Chapter 99: Fighting Crime.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi finished the dinner, while the people were teasing them, the two of them were silently holding hands under the table and watched the people with smiles on their faces. The two of them had a simple thought, "It will pass."


    The two people had been very patient and they knew that their families were sarcastic to the point that could make the target cry.


    ...


    Hao Ren brought his parents home, and Mrs. Hao, Tang Zen said, "After this week, ask Lingshi to come along and visit Mei. It is necessary she knows the real us."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Go to bed, I have some work. I will see you later."


    The young man then went to his study and took out his phone before placing it on the table, and he said, "Xiao Mei, contact Attorney Leigh."


    Xiao Mei initiated a call, and the person answered quickly. Hao Ren greeted the person first, "Good Evening Attorney Leigh. I apologize for disturbing you at this hour, but the situation is urgent and I needed your advice."


    Attorney Leigh smiled and replied, "President Hao, you do not have to worry much about disturbing me. Every evening is the same. Please tell me what can I do for you."


    Hao Ren nodded as he asked, "Thunder Technologies will be expanding the business domain to Thunder Real Estate, I wonder if you are aware of it?"


    Leigh replied, "I received a message from the directors that you intend to do so. They also consulted me on the legal matters of this subject."


    Hao Ren remarked, "That is good, as a citizen of the Jade Capital and the person who has seen a lot of hustle here, I am sure, you must be aware about the biggest real estate tycoon of the nation?"


    Leigh nodded in understanding, and said, "Sir, I can sense that the nature of our conversation is a bit sensitive, should I come over to your office?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I will come to yours, if you do not mind that."


    Leigh smiled like a buddha statue and said, "I would be honored."


    Hao Ren then told him to wait and disconnected the call. He changed into a set of casual clothes and picked up the keys to his car, before he informed his parents and left home while they were still in daze.


    The young man came down and found Heath getting off the car with a couple of men. Hao Ren had an eidetic memory, and knew that these people were present in the lobby this morning. Hao Ren nodded to them and Heath said, "Young Master, Chief Deng had agreed to your conditions, what shall we do now?"


    Hao Ren stopped and said, "You can bring everyone to the office in the morning, I will have the HR department sign the contract and agreement with you guys, and also issue the identity cards."


    Heath nodded and bowed before he asked, "Thank you, Sir. Do you need us to escort you?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "No, I will be fine, I am just going out for some work."


    Heath nodded and then he and the rest of the people watched as Hao Ren left the parking lot. One of the men asked, "Brother, why do you revere him so much? He looks like a normal kid to me."


    Heath shook his head and replied, "There is nothing normal about him, and you will understand it in the future. He hides himself like an iceberg under the water. You can ask the Chief about how his meeting went this morning."


    That said, he entered the elevator with the other three following him.


    ...


    Hao Ren drove his car through the streets and came to the office of the law firm where Leigh was a partner. He parked his car next to the parking meter and paid for a few hours, he did not mind if he paid extra. Just as he went through the front door, he saw a bunch of people standing around a young girl.


    Leigh was surprised and asked in a hushed tone, "You mean to say a proper official enquiry? They get away with it all the time."


    Hao Ren said, "I will give you the evidence against the officials involved in this enquiry to ensure a fair investigation."


    Leigh was surprised, and wanted to discuss more, when the police officers came in, they asked, "Who called the police?"


    Hao Ren stepped up and said, "Officer, I did."


    The officer then asked him, "Can you tell me what happened here?"


    The other officer left to make arrests. There were three teams of cops, two each, and they made extensive investigation. Hao Ren cooperated completely and the cops left after an hour.


    Hao Ren sighed, and then Delta came forward to thank him. The young man shook it off, and left the office after giving Leigh the footage on his mobile. What he did not know was the fact that someone was watching him from inside the lobby.


    As soon as Hao Ren left, this man made a call and then said, "Boss..."


    Hao Ren had nothing to do, and so he decided to go for a joy-ride. Han Lingshi was busy with the buzz at home, and so, he had some free time on his hand.


    ...


    Hao Ren drove around the city for half an hour before he said, "Xiao Mei, get in the road traffic association database, and find me the details of the person who owns the vehicle following us."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, can I say that I feel excited by these sneaky moves we make some times?"


    Hao Ren focused on driving and replied, "You sound more of a psychopath than me at times, Xiao Mei."


    Xiao Mei let out a chuckling sound from the phone speaker and said, "I take after you, Boss. Also, the guy is called Steyn, he is a goon in the Jade Python gang."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and Xiao Mei said, "He has done time for kidnapping, assault, grand theft auto and the vehicle he is driving is a stolen property."


    The young man asked, "How about we fight crime for the night?"


    Xiao Mei exclaimed, "Oh my, I have a poem for it."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Go ahead."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Once an author called Chasing Dream said, ''In the dead of the night the devil dances as charity for the sinners. In the wake of the morning the angels dances as charity for the givers.'' These two phrases are called the Charity Ball of Angels and Demons."


    Hao Ren replies, "It is a bit vague, no?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "We all know who is vague, now tell me what to do?"


    ...


    Dream''s Note: The bonus chapter will come late at night, stay tuned. Also, guys we are falling in the ranking, please donate your power stones. Thank you for your support.


    A shout out to StanLJP, AntiRoxas, and RackOfLife.


    I will take time to mention the high ranking readers should there be a change. Thank you for your support.

 Chapter 100: Horror Of Jade Python. (BONUS CHAPTER)

    Hao Ren drove the car around for a bit thinking about how he should tackle this situation. After a few minutes, he parked his car at the gas station and got out of the vehicle. Steyn was still following him, and the man was blatant about it.


    When Hao Ren looked at him, this guy did not avert his eyes and even flicked the former. Hao Ren smiled, and it was not one of those trademark sunny ones, but the one where he looked like a psychopath out for blood. Steyn was somewhat scared, then he shook it off like it was a bluff.


    Hao Ren filled the tank to the top and got inside the car, and said, "Xiao Mei, I want the snake behind me to be crushed. Do you get the gist?"


    A human and an AI discussed the situation for a few minutes before they arrived at a crossroads. Hao Ren stopped at the red light, and this place was so deserted that only he and the enemy in the car behind were standing. Suddenly, Hao Ren accelerated and made a dash for it. Steyn was surprised, and he instinctively reacted to chase.


    Steyn thought Hao Ren was trying to run away, but no. Hao Ren was only luring him in a trap. From the other side of the crossroads, there was a sixteen-wheeler container truck was coming in at a high speed. This truck was a heavy load freighter, and Xiao Mei had been tracking the movement of this guy and made sure that it did not stop on any signals.


    To maintain a clean traffic system inside the city, these heavy freighters were redirected to move around the city, and Hao Ren had directly led Steyn to the outside of the city. Steyn reacted instinctively, but all he saw was the glaring head lights. The next thing he sensed was a strong impact coursing through his body and the pain that sent him into oblivion.


    Hao Ren raised his gaze and watched a dingy looking black car making contact with a mammoth of a truck which sent the former into the void flipping over a few times before crashing down on the ground.


    Hao Ren did not stop what happened to the guy inside the car had nothing to do with him. He made his way back to the city and made a stop in a mall. He picked up some clothes for himself to make sure no one recognized him.


    The young man changed into a black set of clothes and then left the place. He was going to hit the strong hold of the Jade Python Gang. These people operated from a place called the Cradle Bar and Pub. This place was where all sort of goons and thugs gathered, from what Xiao Mei found, Jade Python Gang was one of the biggest crime syndicates of the Jade Capital.


    Not only did they operate in the shadows, they also had a few white collars under their thumb to control and earn money. Hao Ren parked the car far from the location and put his phone inside his pocket. He then walked around the block before he reached the Cradle Bar.


    He looked at the place from a distance, he could not spot any normal person walking around, the place was filled with anarchists. Hao Ren was wearing a earphone, and Xiao Mei said, "Boss, this place has the highest crime rate in the city. From the data I have found, there are at least seventy people here."


    Hao Ren replied while leaning against the wall, "It is good that they have so many people. I will have a good time."


    Xiao Mei went silent, the place was a criminal den, but they were very updated, they had cctv and high speed internet. The AI had infiltrated the den, and found that these people did not have any hot weapons, like guns or something in their store. So, Hao Ren moved forward. Many of the goons watched him, but they did not come close to him, because Hao Ren walked with his head down.


    Some people did not wish to create unnecessary trouble. These people did not say much and Hao Ren approached the door of the bar.


    A burly man was standing before the gate, and said, "Yo, white boys are not allowed."


    There were a few goons who chuckled at the scene. Hao Ren raised his head and the next moment, he directly punched the guy on his temple. The impact caused the guy to fall down on the ground and the people around the place froze.


    Hao Ren pulled down the beanie and it turned into a mask. Then he moved around. The goons realized that he was attacking, and they were shocked, because even when a group of people surrounded him, they had no effect on him. Hao Ren was fighting like a machine and even the people who tried to grapple him suffered grievously.


    However, looking at Yan Ching before him, Hao Ren was excited, he clenched his fist tight and then he delivered a blow toward Yan Ching. The latter did not expect Hao Ren to have such skill, but what shocked him even more was the fact that while attacking, he could sense Hao Ren''s aura change.


    The two fists collided, and after a quick connection, Hao Ren retracted his punch. Yan Ching was surprised, then he grimaced, and finally, he let out a wail. The young man sighed and remarked, "I only used eighty percent of my strength, and to think this guy is so weak."


    His words made Yan Ching tremble and forgetting about the pain in his mangled arm, he exclaimed, "Yellow Realm Expert."


    Hao Ren was about to beat him when the man said something he did not understand, and he asked, "What do you mean by that? What realm expert?"


    Yan Ching went down on his knees and said, "Senior, I apologize for not knowing your greatness. If you spare me, I am willing to transform into a new leaf. I will never do these shady businesses ever again."


    Hao Ren shook his head and grabbed Yan Ching from his neck and asked, "What is a Yellow Realm Expert? Explain yourself you piece of shit."


    Yan Ching was scared by the cold aura radiating from Hao Ren and said, "Sir, I do not know much, but when I was venturing in the world of martial arts I heard that when someone gains a body as strong as steel, they become yellow realm experts. I have touched upon the surface of this so called realm, that is why I could establish this gang."


    Hao Ren furrowed his brows and threw away Yan Ching before he said, "Call your second in command."


    Yan Ching looked at the door of the glass box, and said, "Hernandez, come in."


    Hao Ren turned around and sighed before asking, "Which one is Hernandez?"


    Yan Ching replied, "The one with the red shirt."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he kicked Yan Ching in the head and knocked him out. Then he walked up to the guy in the red shirt and woke him up by pressing his acupressure points. Hernandez was still in shock and he peed himself when he saw Hao Ren before him.


    The young man frowned behind his mask and said, "You will call the police, tell them everything that happened here, and you will surrender to them with all your cronies. Also, you will tell them about all your white collar partners, and your other hide outs. Do you understand?"


    Hernandez nodded like a chick pecking grain, and Hao Ren turned around to walk. He said, "If I found any of you outside the prison by tomorrow, I will come again, and this time, you will all die."


    The masked Hao Ren became the horror of the Jade Python Gang. He did not act out of charity, he acted because a few of his enemies were involved with this bunch of tools. He was going to take them down with the crime.


    ...


    Dream''s Request: I would be grateful if you could spare more power stones. Thank you.

 Chapter 101: Restless.

    Hao Ren walked out of the den and found that a few people were missing, he was not bluffing earlier, but what happened inside the glass room changed his mood. He walked away till he became one with the darkness and only then did the people let out a breath of relief.


    ...


    Hao Ren changed his clothes, burned the ones he just used to fight because they were smelling and stained with blood, before he got inside the car and drove away. The entire ride, he was thinking about what Yan Ching said to him, ''Yellow realm expert.''


    He had been thinking about what it was, but he could not think up of anything. Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "Xiao Mei, look up for the terms, yellow realm expert."


    The AI replied, "Yes, Boss."


    In the meantime, Hao Ren parked his car and entered in the elevator. Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, I cannot find anything substantial on this."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit before he said, "Comb the dark web."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, I will need to use the servers to avoid detection."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "We are home, just find me something on this."


    ...


    Hao Ren got home, and came to the study room directly. He sat down in the chair looking blankly at the screen flickering madly. For the first time in his life, Hao Ren was feeling restless. After half an hour, Xiao Mei said, "Boss, I have something, but sounds very bizarre."


    Hao Ren sat up straight and asked, "Tell me what is it."


    The eagerness in his voice was unmatched. Xiao Mei opened the page of the complied data on the screen and Hao Ren began to read, ''Yellow realm experts are people who are slightly above normal humans when it comes to martial arts, their body is as strong as steel. Usually such experts are found in the military.''


    Then Hao Ren read the details of their achievements. He was surprised, these people could take down fifty men at the same time and still stand unbeaten. They were not invincible, but they were very formidable. The military had strict control over these people. They competed within their so-called realm but they were not allowed to enter the competitions that were known to the normal people.


    Hao Ren scrolled down and found the mentions of these people and videos recorded by the users on the dark web. He watched them all and understood that the world in his understanding was just a tip of an iceberg. When he was still trying to figure out the situation when he found an article which said, ''There are realms above the yellow realm.


    I know about the black realm, it is when the people can produce an extraordinary energy within their bodies and make it stronger that steel. These people were invulnerable to even bullets to some extent. At the peak of black realm, some exceptional cultivators can even catch bullets.''


    Hao Ren gasped, he did not expect such a thing to exist in the world. Xiao Mei said, "You see what I meant by bizarre. How is it possible for the human body to reach such a level? I think this is just some work of fiction."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Xiao Mei, did you check the authenticity of the video clips?"


    Gao Yue shook her head and said, "That is not the case, Xiao Ren has a higher potential than Lingshi, haven''t you seen the change in his temperament and aura? Also, we all know how hateful he is when it comes to the people who harm Xiao Ling. The girl will be safe with him. Also, I am saying it the last time, do not meddle with the flow of heavens."


    The people looked at each other and then they nodded in agreement.


    ...


    The next morning, Hao Ren woke up and freshened up after his work out. He was going to prepare breakfast when his phone rang. He looked at the caller and accepted the request, "Good morning, Miss Carter."


    Lynn Carter replied, "Good Morning, President. I apologize for calling so early, but could you make a trip to the registration office, there is something that needs your presence."


    Hao Ren asked, "What is going on?"


    Lynn Carter said, "Sir, we have been negotiating with the people who own lands in the old industrial district. We wanted to buy the land, but the just now I received a message from the registration office, they want to know the reason behind such a big purchase."


    Hao Ren thought for a second and said, "May I come over after breakfast?"


    Lynn Carter nodded and replied, "Yes, they want to meet us at ten."


    Mrs. Hao entered the kitchen and asked, "You have to go to work on weekend again?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Yes, some people from the government called me to work." Stay updated with m-v le-mpyr


    Mrs. Hao nodded and said, "Sit down, I will make you some eggs."


    The young man nodded and sat down before he asked, "Old Boy Hao went for a walk?"


    Mrs. Hao said, "Yes, and what is this tone you are using? Do you want to get his belt?"


    Hao Ren did not say anything and began to read the news. The breakfast was made and served quickly too. He finished his meal and stood up from the table as he said, "Mom, I am going to work. May be Lingshi will come over, you can talk to her about going home."


    Tang Zen nodded and said, "I will handle it. Go see about your work."


    Hao Ren nodded and left the house, and Tang Zen mumbled, "I have no idea what to you will do about your future, Xiao Ren. But I know that you inherit the will of your sister and us. Do not give up easily, try hard and try your best."


    ...


    Hao Ren sat in his car and drove away.

 Chapter 102: The Mean & Lean.

    Hao Ren got out of the elevator and found that ten men were already standing in the parking space that belonged to him. There was a nice Sedan parked in the parking lot. Hao Ren asked, "Brother Heath, this car?"


    (The Image of the car is in the comment section.)


    Heath smiled and said, "The company manager, Miss Carter asked you to use this vehicle for the meetings in the future. This car is a status symbol."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "If they used the company money for this, then I will have their heads."


    Heath chuckled and said, "We got it on a rental. If you like the vehicle, you can order one."


    Hao Ren shook his head thinking how cunning his employees were, and he got in the back after Heath pulled the door for him. As soon as he got inside the car, Hao Ren said, "This vehicle is a palace of luxury on wheels."


    He closed his eyes to lean back in his chair before he thought, ''This is the Maybach S-class of this world. No wonder it is a status symbol.''


    He did not know that two dominating vehicles were following him in tow. Heath said, "Young Master, where are we going?"


    Hao Ren told him to drive to the registration office. At the same time, the young man was using his mobile and looking into the cause of this summon. He was the CEO, but land purchase was something that Lynn Carter could have handled on her own. Why was he being summoned? Did not seem simple to him.


    Thinking about the reason, he typed on the screen, ''Xiao Mei, give me a construction plan for apartments and the commodities around it.''


    Xiao Mei sent him a thumbs up meaning she was on it. The car moved smoothly and Hao Ren came to the gate of the registration office. Hao Ren got down the vehicle, and found Lynn Carter was waiting for him in the parking with her assistant.


    The biggest shock Hao Ren got was when he found two teams of people in tow. He sighed and said, "Miss Carter, can you please have the human resources department to make suitable positions for these brothers? I am not that famous to bring around an entourage. Mister Heath is enough to guard me."


    Lynn Carter smiled and said, "Boss, you underestimate yourself."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and asked, "Why have they called us over? Did we do something against the rules?"


    Lynn Carter sighed and said, "The person who runs this office is called Shun Ye, he is set to stop us from buying the land. I have no idea why he is like that, but I could only call you."


    Hao Ren frowned and said, "Well, you did good, I am not playing the shopkeeper in my own company. Come, let''s meet this guy."


    Heath trembled when he heard this, and then he raised his gaze to look at Hao Ren in the rear view mirror, he asked, "Where did you hear it?"


    Hao Ren told him about his actions at the Cradle bar. Heath was surprised but they he said, "Boss, what that man said is true. Yellow Realm Experts are the people who are better than most of the humans. Old Chief might be able to tell you more regarding this. I apologize, but I cannot leak out the information about this."


    Hao Ren nodded, he understood that the military has its own rules and regulations. Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the chief registrar is called Shun Yang. He is thirty years old, and his entire family is somehow related to the government or the civil services. He has been the CR in Jade Capital for a few years."


    The young man looked outside the window and asked, "Why is he targeting me?"


    Xiao Mei replied in an exasperated tone, "This bunch of stalkers who pestered Miss Han in the past seem to have infested the city like they are some bugs. He is one of those king breed insects who waits patiently for his prey to walk in the trap."


    Hao Ren hummed and said, "The best way to kill a bug is to squash him under your foot."


    Xiao Mei asked quickly, "What do you intend to do with him, boss?"


    Hao Ren narrowed his eyes and said, "Xiao Mei, find me the entire Shun Family data, and also who among them is the honest one."


    Heath was surprised to hear all this, but he knew the rules, what happened in the car, would stay in the car. Xiao Mei replied, "Ummm, boss, what if their is no honest person among them?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Lotus grows in mud, Xiao Mei, and if they do not have an honest one, then find me the most crooked one among them. Someone who can sell his soul to stay safe, let along his family."


    The AI replied, "Boss, you are very ruthless. First, the Hamil and now the Shun. Are you intending to change the dynamics of the Jade Capital?"


    Hao Ren replied, "What difference does it makes? Just get me the details."


    ...


    After half an hour, the car reached the parking lot under Hao Ren''s home. Han Lingshi happened to be getting out of her vehicle as well. The two people smiled at each other but Han Lingshi sensed some tension on Hao Ren''s face. She asked, "Did something happen?"


    Hao Ren said, "Let''s talk upstairs."


    In his mind, Hao Ren had met a very mean and lean opponent who deserved to be dealt with care. Someone who was about to give him a tough competition.

 Chapter 103: Smooth Equation.

    Hao Ren held Han Lingshi''s hand as the two of them entered the house. He took off his shoes and then undid the clasp of her heels tied around her ankles. The latter said, "Ren, why do you do such things?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied dotingly, "I am making you dependent on me so that if you think about leaving me, my memories pester you into coming back."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and shook her head as she joked, "Oh, so you intend to trap me in this sweet web of your treatment. What a cunning fox you are."


    Hao Ren pulled her in his embrace and coiled his arms around her waist as he said, "I am a spider who is trying to trick you very patiently."


    Han Lingshi looked in her eyes and sighed, "I am already captured, dear."


    Hao Ren was stunned but then he smiled. He was happy with the way Han Lingshi addressed him in her sweet voice. Just when he wanted to plant a kiss, he sensed someone gazing at his back and he let go of Han Lingshi. Sure enough, as he turned around he found Tang Zen looking at him with disdain briming in her eyes.


    Hao Ren cleared his throat and left the place quickly, but he said, "Lingshi, come to the study I have something to discuss with you."


    He then entered the study very quickly, Han Lingshi chuckled at this and greeted Tang Zen with a smile and went on to say hello to her father-in-law. The young lady then came to the study and found Hao Ren standing before the french window on the side. She had sensed that something was wrong with his mood when she met him in the parking lot.


    Frowning, she asked, "Ren, what is going on?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "You know about the research center I want to build?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and the young man continued, "Hamil family owns the land in important parts of the city. I wanted to buy it from them, however, Leonard Hamil directly asked for a very high price. Facing that, I turned to look at the abandoned industrial area. It was all going smooth since someone called Shun Yang put his foot in the door.


    He called me for a meeting in the registrar office and made me sit in the lobby till now. He stated that he would not let me buy that land off."


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows and said, "Xiao Mei, did that guy say anything insulting?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, Mistress, he called boss a white face."


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath and said, "Ren, what do you want to do?"


    Hao Ren replied, "From what I think of the big families, if you harm the small ones, the big ones come in to defend them. If I am to make a move against them I would have to deal with the entire family."


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "Yes, we would have to deal with that."


    Hao Ren smiled faintly on how Han Lingshi said, ''we'', he said, "Well, Xiao Mei is gathering evidence against these people, at the same time I am looking for someone who is either the most honest or someone who is the most corrupt amongst them."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "This tactic would have worked well if the opponent was someone else. Shun Family is a pack of wolves, they are very united when it comes to the world. Over the years, many people have tried to plot against them using this trick but it never worked."


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "What do you think we should do then?"


    The girl was stunned and said, "Nothing at the moment, why?"


    Hao Ren asked, "If you don''t mind, can you come to visit my sister in my hometown?"


    Han Lingshi was surprised and said, "Yes, I will come. Do I need to prepare anything?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I will handle it. Do not worry. Just make sure to inform your family."


    Han Lingshi nodded and she took out her phone to tell her family about this. Then she said, "Xiao Xue is leaving back for Hawk nation tonight, her classes are resuming."


    Hao Ren was surprised and said, "I didn''t know this. Shall we see her off?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Okay."


    Tang Zen and Old Master Hao did not speak too much between them. They liked how simple and casual the young couple were around each other. When they talked to each other, sometimes they even forget about the world around them. The young couple talked to each other for a long time before Tang Zen brought them fruits.


    They talked about random things, their conversation roamed from business to childhood. Tang Zen said, "What do you want for dinner?"


    The two replied, "Whatever you cook, Mom."


    They were so much in sync that they were surprised and chuckled. After a few minutes, Hao Ren answered a call, and then he stood in the balcony enjoying the subtle breeze. He felt something soft and warm on his back before a pair of slender arms coiled around his chest. He sighed and placed his hand over her hands as he asked, "What happened? Missed me so much?"


    Han Lingshi hummed slightly and said, "I am very happy."


    Hao Ren asked, "About what?"


    Han Lingshi replied calmly, "All this time, you have never shared any of your problem with me. Initially, I thought of it as your strength. However, as we grew close, this quality of yours made me distant from you. You opened up but our equation was not as smooth as it was today. I am very happy."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I am happy to have you by my side."


    Han Lingshi replied, "I will always be by your side, Ren. Always."


    The two of them were united together now.


    ...


    Dream''s Plea: So, guys, last week we reached 987 power stone votes. I hope this week you can surpass that and make me publish two bonus chapters. At the same time, I would like to request anyone who intends to gift the book, to save up money, and gift a big thing. That will help the book get mentioned and featured frequently.


    I am very grateful for your love, but I am trying to make a living out of this. So, I seek your understanding. Thank you for everything you guys have been doing. I will try to keep the content quality intact and even raise it.


    Yours Truly.

 Chapter 104: Ready To Work.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi retired to their bedroom for the night, and after a few minutes, Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, how about this?"


    The two of them discussed something in hushed voice, and gradually fell asleep in each other''s embrace. The next morning, Hao Ren woke up before Han Lingshi and began to follow his routine. Today they had to see off Han Lingxue as the girl was leaving home.


    After breakfast, they greeted the old couple and left the house. In the car, Han Lingshi asked, "About what you said last night, do you think our actions will go smoothly? There are many families in the capital who has the right to the top of the pyramid. They might not watch us do as we please."


    Hao Ren nodded while driving, "I know, that is why we can find alliance too. In this dog bites dog world, we can totally thrive by taming a few dogs for ourselves."


    Han Lingshi spoke skeptically, "Ren, in this world, humans are not the most loyal creatures."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "There is no eternal friend or eternal enemy, only eternal benefit. That is what these big families think about all day long, the benefit. They will line with us as long as they can see benefits."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "It just so happens I know the perfect way to get you in the upper circle."


    Hao Ren asked in surprised, "What is this way?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "There is a charity event being held at the moment, we can go there. It would do you good."


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, "The gathering of the rich and snobby."


    The girl chuckled at his expression, but did not say anything in return. They arrived at the Han Family mansion, the flight was scheduled in the noon, which left enough time for the two of them to prepare for the charity dine.


    Hao Ren came in the living room after parking the car, and found Yue Shi making tea for everyone. He stepped up and said politely, "Mom, let me do it."


    Yue Shi was surprised but then she nodded with a warm smile on her face. Hao Ren was fluid in his motions and served the tea to all the elders, when suddenly, Han Lingshi came over and said, "Lingxue does not want to go back."


    Hao Ren raised his head to look at her and asked, "What happened?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "You are to blame for it. Who told you to spoil her with a car? Now she is upset because she would have to leave the vehicle here."


    The ever so silent second aunt said, "I will go and deal with her."


    Hao Ren quickly held her hand as he happened to be next to her. He spoke with a calm smile, "I will coax her, Second aunt, do not worry."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Go, pack up, we are leaving soon."


    After a few minutes, Han Lingxue was ready and apart from Lady Xia, only the young couple towed behind to see her off. The young girl had greeted everyone with a big smile on her face before leaving home. It was not that they did not want to come, but Han Lingxue did not wish to end up sentimental at the airport.


    ...


    After seeing off Han Lingxue, the young couple came to a mall. Hao Ren needed a suit to wear for the occasion. Han Lingshi had prepared a gown earlier for the event. As the two of them walked in the mall, many people looked at them. Suddenly, Hao Ren said, "How shallow it is that to do good for the society one must suit up. Tch, I swear the shenanigans of the rich annoy the hell out of me."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "You only look at the main purpose of the gathering but neglect the indirect gains. You only said that the rich only care about the benefit, and to show that you can bring them benefit, you would have to dress up like someone who can dish out what they need."


    Hao Ren sighed, "I understand the logic, but why can''t the world be a better and simple place?"


    Han Lingshi was holding his arm as she replied, "Because, humans are tools to the desire and they screw up everything. That is why, the world is screwed up."


    ...


    After one hour, Hao Ren was dressed in a classic black tuxedo, and Han Lingshi was wearing a gown that complimented the tuxedo. The two people looked as if they have been carved out of jade stone.


    *Ding: Host, you are following your wife to the charity ball. You must show her that you are not scared of giving your all for the sake of those who need it. Spend as much as you can, and win exciting rewards."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, ''Materialistic world.''


    *Ding: Host, you should not misunderstand, but every living thing in this world is driven by some selfish motive. You too, wanted to be rich and famous before marrying Han Lingshi. The system acknowledges that you have turned over into a new leaf but you have to admit that you were a scummy piece of work in the beginning.


    So, while you are a materialistic person, please do not judge others, or you would end up becoming the one you hated the most, a snob.*


    Hao Ren took a deep breath to calm his mind, and followed Han Lingshi out of the mall under the watchful gaze of the people. Han Lingshi had taken him to a dresser and make-up artist''s saloon. She did not need any make up or anything, but Hao Ren could use a grooming session and in all reality, the young man was akin to be a rough diamond, which was carved by the artist.


    The two of them got inside the car and Han Lingshi asked, "Are you ready to turn the tides?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "With you beside me, it will be a quick work. I wonder if they would kneel before us when we leave that venue."


    The duo chuckled as Heath drove the vehicle with cold sweat on his forehead. This couple was eating away is life span, and they were hell of a scare together.

 Chapter 105: Demonic Duo. (Bonus Chapter)

    Heath was driving the car, and he could swear that the conversation of the young couple in the back seat was enough to light the entire city up in flames. He dry gulped multiple times, before Hao Ren said, "Brother Heath, park on the side and have some water first."


    Heath could only nod, and Han Lingshi said, "You can set the AC on high for yourself. You seem to be sweating a lot."


    The two were very kind to him, and Heath could only smile about it. He did as they asked him to. But before long they arrived at the gathering place. Heath said, "Young Miss, we are here."


    Hao Ren looked outside the window, ignoring every luxury car in the parking area, he read the words engraved on the top of the wooden arch, "Magnolia."


    Han Lingshi said, "This place is owned and operated by one of the biggest party organizing franchise of the stag nation, Magnolia."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "They could have held it in the backyard of some prestigious family''s house, why here?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "Magnolia maybe the biggest party organizing franchise, but seventy percent of their profit goes into philanthropy work."


    Hao Ren nodded faintly, Heath stopped the car at the main entrance.


    Outside the car, a lot of reporters were standing with their big camera and mic set ups. A red carpet was spread on the floor leading the people inside the venue. Hao Ren sighed at this hype and Han Lingshi patted the back of his hand and said, "We are strong enough to fend for ourselves, but to make things change, we need to become stronger."


    Hao Ren nodded and opened the door to get out, the camera''s pointed at him, and a reporter said, "I have seen him somewhere, but I cannot recall where."


    Many people had the same feeling, because Hao Ren had not been in the limelight for too long. Suddenly, everyone saw another figure stepping out of the car and the entire venue fell silent. Han Lingshi had done charity but never attended the events, it would always be her mother or father. However, unlike Hao Ren, Han Lingshi was very popular, because she was the goddess of the capital city.


    The moment she arrived, and she was a surprised and someone quickly said, "Its President Han Lingshi, the mind behind Empress International."


    Cameras began to shutter and the flash rained upon the two people. Han Lingshi frowned by the intensity of the flashes, and Hao Ren angled himself between the flashes and her. The reporters booed, and the young man turned to look at them with his cold gaze.


    The aura he projected at them stunned the people, and someone exclaimed, "That handsome guy is President Hao of the Thunder Technologies. He is the newest rising star in the world of business. He is dating President Han."


    The reporter from before reacted, "Shit, you are right, it is the young couple. I was there when they confirmed the relationship."


    Hao Ren held Han Lingshi and under the watchful gazes of the reporters, he led her onto the red carpet. An organizing staff member approached them and bowed in greeting before she asked, "President Han, we are glad that you came forward. Could you please take a moment and pose for the cameras?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and tugged Hao Ren forward to go along with her. The girl from the organizing staff was surprised and hurriedly said, "Ma''am, only the invited guests and their family members are allowed to go forward, dates are not."


    Hao Ren did not understand the logic but thought it had something to do with the prestige of the philanthropists. He was happy to not step forward and deal with the the wolves of the media. However, Han Lingshi smiled and replied to the staff member, "This gentleman here is my husband, so he does count as my family, right?"


    His words sounded polite and assurance to her wife, however, Shun Yang''s face changed, he glared at Hao Ren and asked, "Hao Ren are you implying something?"


    Hao Ren appeared to be stunned and then he chuckled as he shook his head. He held Han Lingshi''s hand and reached out with his another hand to pat Shun Yang on his shoulder and said, "It appears that Registrar Shun has the habit to act close to everyone. See, Lingshi, he even addressed me with my name. I wonder if you are a friendly soul or you did not inherit manners growing up.


    I am sure not everyone in the Shun Family is like that."


    The people at the venue were all astounded by the fact that Hao Ren was confronting Shun Yang so openly and he did not hold back his words at all. The smile was akin to a knife and they were all wary of Hao Ren now. He scolded Shun Yang in a manner that left the latter speechless.


    Shun Yang was clenching his fist and veins were popping off on his forehead. Hao Ren looked at him in the same manner as he did yesterday morning. Hao Ren replied, "Registrar Shun, next time please be careful when you approach a lady. People might think that you are just a shameless guy who is chasing after the woman regardless of their status.


    Han Lingshi is my wife, and if you approach her too much, I might have to file a complaint."


    He spoke in a very low voice, not many people could hear him, however, those who heard nodded in agreement. They all fell victim to Hao Ren''s soothsaying skill. The effect was something that Hao Ren wanted for them, however, Shun Yang was not in agreement, he was enraged and lost control of his temper.


    He raised his hand and grabbed Hao Ren''s collar as he asked, "What did you say?"


    Hao Ren gazed at the hand grabbing his shirt and then at Shun Yang, as he asked, "Are you sure you want this to be in the media, Registrar Shun?"


    Shun Yang was a haughty person, grew up in an affluent family. He has never suffered any humiliation. Yet, Hao Ren had gone ballistic and insulted him before the entire city, and the woman he craved for, Han Lingshi, how could he care about other things, when his brain was burning with rage?


    He pulled Hao Ren close and asked, "White face, I am asking you to repeat what you just said, don''t you dare?"


    Hao Ren smiled and spoke in a low voice, "I do, but your puny ego won''t be able to handle it. Let go off me while I am still in a good mood."


    Shun Yang yelled, "You fucking bastard!"


    As he said that, he punched Hao Ren in the face. Han Lingshi, was still stunned, she did not expect the situation to escalate this quickly. She raised her hand and Shun Yang was stunned, his fist hit Han Lingshi''s arm. The lady winced and grimaced from the impact of the punch. Han Ren wanted to kill Shun Yang at this moment but the guards rushed up to separate them.


    Han Lingshi quickly checked Hao Ren with concerned gaze, and the latter was surprised because of her. Shun Yang was raging inside the barricade of the security guards. He said, "You are a white face, who only knows how to hide behind a woman, you are a wimp, Hao Rat."


    Hao Ren looked at Han Lingshi''s palm, the wrist was bruised because of the impact. The young man took a deep breath and said, "I am fine, do not worry."


    He held her hand and massaged it, his gaze was soft when he looked at Han Lingshi, but the killing intent inside his brain was accumulating quickly. Hao Ren sneakily looked at Shun Yang and found the latter looking at him as well, and he passed him a smirk.


    Shun Yang had just calmed down, and this smirk made him lose his temper, and he broke through the barricade and charged at Hao Ren. This time, Hao Ren positioned himself between Shun Yang and Han Lingshi, and just as the registrar punched at him, Hao Ren grasped the arm, and turned around.


    He flipped Shun Yang over his shoulder and the latter was slammed in the ground. The impact was hard, and then Hao Ren twisted the arm in his grasp. The charity even transformed into a brawling ground and Shun Yang''s arm was broken. The Demonic Duo made a rocking entry that shocked the world.

 Chapter 106: Auction.

    Hao Ren towered over the groaning Shun Yang. His actions caused the people to open their eyes wide in shock. This scrawny looking guy just took on a macho man like Shun Yang, and tossed him over his shoulder while breaking the latter''s arm.


    Someone exclaimed, "Shit, Shun Family will cause trouble now."


    Han Lingshi was shocked by Hao Ren''s skill but at this moment, she came back to reality and frowned. She turned to look at Hao Ren, who was surrounded by the guards. She spoke in a cold voice, "What the hell do you think you are doing? So many people saw that it was Shun Yang who started all this, and it was him who took the initiative to attack us. We only acted in self defense.


    Does Magnolia really take us so lightly?"


    If it was someone else, then the people would have laughed but the speaker was Han Lingshi. The manager of the event rushed over from the side, and yelled, "What the fuck are you doing here by surrounding Chairman Hao? Go away, call the ambulance for Young Master Shun."


    Han Lingshi said, "Ren, we are leaving, I do not wish to participate in an event where such people are invited."


    Her words caused everyone to scrunch their noses as if they have been wronged. After all, they did not even get the chance to interact with Han Lingshi. Hao Ren patted Han Lingshi on the shoulder and said, "Lingshi, the rest of the people did not do anything wrong, we should not judge them as such. The event is organized for charity, and that is what we came here to do."


    He looked at the event manager who was asking a few emergency medical staff to attend to Shun Yang, "Excuse me, please tell the hospital to send the bill to the Thunder Technologies office, I will personally compensate Registrar Shun."


    The people were shocked to see this, someone asked, "Will you not file a lawsuit against him?"


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head as he said, "Unless, Young Master Shun gives me a reason to. His broken hand is a lesson enough I think."


    The people nodded, and then a young lady dressed in a white gown stepped forward to greet the two of them, "President Han, President Hao, it was our mistake that caused you to run into such a situation. As an apology, I would like to invite you to the VIP Galore."


    Han Lingshi asked calmly, "Who might you be?"


    The lady smiled and replied, "Please forgive me for the late introduction, I am Millie Grand. The director of Magnolia in the Han Nation."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and said, "Well, since you have come forward in person, I will say otherwise, but Miss Grand, you need to be picky about your guests. Some people can really leave a stain on their family and others."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "It never bothered me. On the contrary, Young Master Ye, are you people ready to take an action? I hope there won''t be a delay."


    Young Master Ye shook his head and said, "The Shun Family is a special enemy President Hao, we will go down if we have to but we will not let them grow stronger then what they already are."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I look forward to the cooperation."


    Young Master Ye nodded, and then followed them upstairs. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi talked to him about the future of the jade capital. They did not lower their voices, and Hao Ren went on to discuss the details of economic effect of his projects on the capital.


    Young Master Ye may look young but he was a civil servant and his position in the system was the same as Shun Yang. This was why the people were respectful towards him. Many of the smart brains had put one and one together. The alliance was becoming very obvious.


    Young Master Ye had a lot of connections and some of them were big shots invited in the gathering. Young Master Ye made introductions and Hao Ren began to charm anyone who was polite and sophisticated enough.


    The soothsaying skill and the yin-yang eyes were used to the maximum limit. He was filtering people easily, the detection of fortune was much significant than what Hao Ren thought. Many people had come over to his side because of Han Lingshi. The name and fame of the Empress International carried a lot of weight.


    If these people knew about how the Crown International also belonged to Hao Ren and Han Lingshi, they might go crazy. While the people were mingling, suddenly the lights dimmed and only a spotlight was left focused on the stage set up on a balcony which was neither on the first floor and nor the ground. It was a specially created structure.


    A young lady walked out under the spot light and Hao Ren appeared surprised. Han Lingshi noticed this and frowned, she asked, "What is it? Do you know her?"


    Hao Ren leaned close to her ear and whispered, "She used to be my high school classmate. I heard that she was up and about in the entertainment sector, but never expected her to become so popular to be invited in such a place."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Emily Parkins sure is a top star. However, she has refused endorsement projects, saying capitalism was evil. That landed her in bad books of the top shots. This happened half a month ago, and now her career has come to a pause."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Looks like, we will go back with a lot of profit this time."


    Han Lingshi did not understand his meaning but she knew Hao Ren was thinking of something. What she did not know was that Hao Ren saw a green light flashing around Emily Parkins, this lady was very fortunate for him, and he would definitely use her to the best that he can.


    Emily Parkins smiled at the people, and said, "Dear guests, welcome to the Magnolia Annual Charity Auction & Dinner, tonight I will be your host. Are you all ready for the auction?"


    The people cheered and the auction began.

 Chapter 107 : Blinding Glow Of The Demonic Duo. (Bonus )

    Hao Ren sat calmly in his seat beside Han Lingshi. Emily Parkins led the auction gracefully. She was an idol for sure, the way she communicated with the people lightened the mood. Hao Ren fished out his phone, typed something in it and put it back. What he typed was an instruction for Xiao Mei.


    Emily Parkins said, "The next item for auction is a work of art that is presented by the Dean of the Swan Art College. Miss Jemima Cortez."


    Two men carried a big canvas on the stage and then Emily took off the red silk cloth covering it. Everyone gasped, as Emily said, "Miss Cortez stated that this painting is a depiction of a scene from a battle of the Titans against Men. She says that one man can make a difference, but when the entire mankind walks forward, they become the difference.


    I feel this line is indeed the best tag line for the event tonight. We all are trying to make a difference, and we will become the difference. The starting bid for this piece is a million and all the increments must be above ten thousand yuan."


    Hao Ren looked over and was enthralled by the painting on the canvas. Several titans dressed in their armors and riding divine steeds were charging towards a man, scrawny, weak and pitiful, yet the eyes of the man revealed a strong intent of battle.


    Someone from the ground floor raised the paddle in their hand, and Emily Parkins said, "One Million from Mister Ding. Can I get more? Mister Jeffreys are you not going to bid for this wonderful art? I dare say that it will look really good at the lobby of your hotel."


    Mister Jeffreys smiled and raised his paddle as he said, "Two Million, I will accept your suggestion Miss Parkins."


    Emily chuckled and then she began to invite the people to bid. Slowly the price of the painting had risen to ten million, and not many people seemed to be interested in such an expensive art. Emily Parkins understood what the people thought, and then she said, "It looks like Miss Tara will be taking this work home with her."


    On the first floor, Hao Ren raised his paddle, and said, "Eleven Million."


    Emily Parkins raised her head in surprise, as she did not expect anyone bidding at this moment. But she smiled and said, "We have eleven million from Mister..."


    The lady paused because she did not know the name of this person. Hao Ren smiled and replied with his name. He did not expect Emily to recall him because he was aware of his own impression on people back in the day.


    Emily smiled and said, "Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen, Mister Hao has bid eleven million on the painting, I wonder if anyone else would like to follow."


    The people began to bid, and Han Lingshi asked with some confusion, "Why did you bid for it?"


    The young man replied, "Because when I look at that man, I see myself."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, Young Master Ye was surprised, and then someone from the first floor sitting area said, "Fifteen Million Yuan."


    The people gasped, and Emily turned to look at Hao Ren who did not hesitate and said, "Thirty Million."


    He raised the price twice all of a sudden, shocking the person who came after him. Hao Ren did not believe in haggling, he had been earning a lot of money, and apart from letting it rot in the vault of a bank, Hao Ren had no use of it. His personal wealth had reached about a couple of hundred yuan. Since, he got a chance, then he would spend as much as he could in the name of charity.


    The people who came here were all those who wanted to earn some fame by giving out alms. However, Hao Ren was different. Thus, he bid so much. The person was embarrassed and then he said, "I forgot that President Hao is accompanied by President Han. Apologies."


    Millie Grand and Emily Parkins came over to the couple just before they were about to leave the place. Millie was the host and organizer of the entire event, and she came to say thanks, because not only did Hao Ren donated so generously, Han Lingshi also bought a few things that added up to fifty million.


    The two of them came out to be the biggest patrons among the rich of the Jade Capital. Millie gazed at Emily Parkins who stood beside her and said, "President Han, President Hao, I know that it is inappropriate of me to do this, but you do a few things for your friends. Emily is my friend and we are like sisters to each other.


    Everyone knows that she is an idol, but lately she has been struggling a lot lately. Apart from that she has a skill that others do not know much about and that is management. She is a masters degree holder in management from the Knox University. I came over because of two reasons, one was to genuinely thank you and the other was to introduce Emily to you both. If you can, please lend her a hand."


    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren exchanged a gaze, and the lady nodded. Hao Ren smiled and said, "You do not have to do this, Miss Grand. Miss Parkins might not recognize me, but I certainly do. We used to be classmates in high school and she was our class rep. I would have approached her for a business collaboration after this event myself. So, it should be me thanking you."


    The two ladies were surprised and Emily tried to recall Hao Ren for a few seconds before she exclaimed, "You are Silent Ren!"


    Her eyes almost turned pink when she found that the person from her past had become so rich. She was not immune to the charm Hao Ren held at this moment. Many women silently wanted to get close to him but the young man had always maintained his distance and did not intend to think of anyone other than Han Lingshi.


    Han Lingshi frowned when she saw this, and the young man saw it from the corner of his eye. Emily put up a smile and extended her hand to pat Hao Ren on his shoulder when the young man said, "Allow me to introduce to my better half, Han Lingshi."


    Han Lingshi smiled beautifully before she extended her hand to catch Emily''s frozen hand, and said, "Nice to meet you, Miss Parkins, I did not expect you to be an old classmate of my husband."


    Han Lingshi was marking her territory and showing the lady her true spot. Emily woke up from the stupor and came back to reality as she greeted Han Lingshi.


    Then she said, "Sil... President Hao, I did not expect you to have grown into a tycoon. You have to help me now for the sake of being old classmates."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Do not worry, I will help you, but I will make you work like hell."


    The girl nodded and Hao Ren told her that he will contact her tomorrow and left the place. Millie Grand sighed and said, "Emily, do whatever you want, but do not cross this demonic duo."


    Emily was a sensible person and said, "Do you think I am a fool? Han Lingshi will erase my existence. That gaze of hers is not normal. Also, Hao Ren has changed a lot too. They won''t allow the idea of a third person in their world. I am not yet insane enough to court death.


    But some people are not as wise as I am."


    Millie smiled and said, "Do you really think Shun Family will suffer?"


    Emily replied, "Whether they suffer or not, it will be clear very soon. These two do not look like people who will leave anything to chance."


    Indeed, she was right. The morning followed by the night will be so bright that it would blind many people.


    ...


    Dream''s Note: I know that I am behind my weekly goal, but I have been unwell and rather busy with personal issues. However, I hope that things will be on track by Monday, and I will be back and making up for the missing chapters from this week. Thank you for your support, it means a lot.

 Chapter 108 : Delivering Shock To The Enemies.

    It was Monday, the start of the week, many people dreaded it, but some people were particularly enraged, because they had to go to work with brace around their arm. This person was Shun Yang. His family was obviously surprised, and over the weekend they did try to attack Hao Ren by intimidating him, however, the young man just sent back a video with his lawyer and everything was sorted.


    Hao Ren told them directly that if they tried to act out and strong arm him, then the video will be admitted in the court of law for assault. Han Nation did not allow anyone who is charged guilty in the court of law to serve as a civil official.


    Shun Yang was eating his breakfast with a sneer on his face, and so were six other people on the table, which included his mother, father, sister-in-law, two brothers, and finally their pet dog.


    At this moment, Old Man Shun''s phone rang. He frowned but as soon as he saw the caller ID he smiled and even stood up from his seat, looking like a different person altogether. He tapped the receive button and said, "Good morning, Secretary Lin."


    On the other side, Secretary Lin snorted and said, "Shun Jing, I did not expect that you would turn out to be such a corrupt and power hungry person. You are a stain in the name of the Han Nation Civil Servants. From today onward, you are suspended until further notice. You are grounded and not allowed to leave the city.


    If you fail to follow any of the mentioned terms, you will be dismissed and arrested."


    Shun Jing shivered, as his face paled. For a few seconds he thought the Secretary Lin was joking, and asked, "Secretary Lin, sir, are you joking with me?"


    Lin did not reply and disconnected the call right away. Shun Jing fell right back in his chair. Everyone around him was surprised, but the next moment, all the people received calls from their immediate superiors, and the collective shock was delivered to the Shun Family.


    ...


    Hao Ren was driving Han Lingshi to her office when the lady got the news. She smiled and said, "Shun Family has been delivered the first blow. What about the Hamil family?"


    Hao Ren turned the steering and replied, "When they reach their office. I will see you at lunch."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Good, by the way, I received an e-mail in the morning. It seems that your subsiding firm, Thunder Investments will be facing Empress Capitals for a few projects they are interested in."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied softly, "Why must we compete? Let''s enter a cooperation with equal input and equal benefits."


    Han Lingshi asked, "What do you want to do about the controlling votes? How will you distribute that?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "The problem with your Empress Capital lately has been the habit of micro managing everything. This is why the projects that you have do not yield a greater result. Thunder Investments does not wish to micro manage. We use only a simple clause, if they can not fulfil their commitments then Thunder Investments take on the management and we create our own profit.


    Give them a chance to fight and they will surprise you, specially the ones who are cornered."


    After Klaus was finished with his meeting he came over to Hao Ren. He asked, "President, is there anything you need?"


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "I wish to start a new project. To help the people who are born with some deformity. What do you think about it?"


    Klaus asked, "Do you mean smart prosthetics?"


    Hao Ren nodded and Klaus said, "There are people in the Tulip Nation, they have been researching on this subject for a long time. They have made progress but it is very expensive as well. They electrode transplantation is a costly process. We will need a lot of money for this."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "I want to develop the prototype first and then we can see how it goes. Saving people is not an easy task, first let us make sure that we have the skill to save them."


    Klaus nodded and replied with a smile, "I will look after this project personally, being the director makes one quite useless."


    The two of them were almost the same age, and so they bantered with each other. Hao Ren was in the company only, and he was working very dedicatedly. It was lunch time when he received a call from the reception desk that Shun Yang had come over to meet him. Hao Ren replied, "Tell him that I am busy. I have an important meeting after lunch and I am leaving for that."


    He was not going to allow this man a chance to beg for mercy. However, he also said, "Call the guards if he does not give in. Have them guide him out of the office."


    ...


    He left the office and he really found Shun Yang being escorted to his vehicle under the glares of four guards. He came to the Empress International and cooked a simple meal for his wife, who said, "Ren, we should head over to your house tonight. I want to be away when the Shun Family burns."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Fine, as you command, Your Majesty."


    Han Lingshi blushed at his adoring expression and smacked his shoulder. The two of them had cast a web that left their enemies no other way to go around. Hao Ren called his parents and told them about their plan and the old people agreed.


    Hao Ren suddenly thought of something and said, "Lingshi, we will need off-road vehicles. The sedans are too low to the ground."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I will call Cousin Shen to tag along, he has seven of those fuel drinking beasts."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It just so happens I have to thank him for the help in that Maria issue."


    Han Lingshi nodded without objection. Then the two got to their own tasks. They would be leaving the capital tonight.

 Chapter 109: Leonard Hamil Seeks Mercy.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi left their office and came back home in the evening to prepare for the over night journey. The couple had just returned home, when the security guards informed them that Yue Shenlong has come over. Hao Ren went inside to pack, while Han Lingshi and Tang Zen were left to greet the young man.


    A few minutes later when Yue Shenlong came upstairs he had a perplexed expression on his face. Han Lingshi asked, "What happened?"


    Yue Shenlong replied, "Big cousin, how come Hao Ren found so many skilled people? When they gazed at me downstairs I felt as if I am naked."


    Han Lingshi almost laughed out loud and said, "They are from the special forces, all retired from battle injuries so they can be very intimidating. Come in, welcome to my home."


    Yue Shenlong raised his brow and followed her inside, he wanted to make a comment when she introduced the place to be her home, but suddenly spotted Tang Zen looking at him. Han Lingshi said, "This is my mother-in-law."


    Then she turned to look at Tang Zen and said, "Ma, this is my maternal uncle''s son, Yue Shenlong."


    Tang Zen nodded with a smile and said, "Welcome, would it be okay if I address you as Xiao Shen?"


    Yue Shenlong smiled brightly and nodded as he bowed, "Greetings auntie. I hope you have been well."


    The trio came to the living room, and they began to catch up about the past few days. After half an hour, Hao Ren came out of his room with two suitcases in tow. Old Master Hao came out at the same time with a similar luggage. The father and son did not say much, and pulled them to the living room.


    It was not that they did not want the women to work, however, they knew that the ladies would call for them when in need. Hao Ren nodded to Yue Shenlong and said, "Ma, we are ready. I suggest that we leave now and eat something on the way. What do you think?"


    Tang Zen frowned and said, "Xiao Shen came to your house for the first time, he should have a meal here."


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, "It is not that I do not want to host him, but within half an hour, the Jade Capital will catch fire from the spark we have let out. I do not wish to be caught in this trouble. If you think I am making things up, then ask Lingshi."


    Han Lingshi spoke up as if waiting for the cue, "Ma, the people who have been messing with us are about to face legal actions, and despite anything. Media will come to chase after us. Can we leave now? I will host Xiao Long when we come back."


    Yue Shenlong curiously asked, "Say, big cousin, whom did you guys screw up?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Shun family, and the Hamil family."


    Yue Shenlong stood up from his seat and exclaimed, "Are you two trying to turn the Jade Capital upside down?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and asked, "Connect."


    The call as accepted and on the other side, Leonard Hamil yelled, "You bastard, Hao Ren if you have the guts come and fight me face to face. You coward. Going after me in such a manner, how do you even sleep at night."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Hahaha, Young Master Hamil. I do not sleep at night, not at all. I have a wife to serve. I think you will understand what I mean better than the others, right?"


    Leonard was so angry that he could not process what Hao Ren said, he kept on yelling for five minutes, before Hao Ren sighed and said, "Leonard Hamil, I wonder if anyone else knows about Chan Ling."


    The last two words were akin to a bullet that was shot through the phone and poured Leonard Hamil''s brains on the other side. The call was disconnected. Han Lingshi raised her brow and said, "Oh, I did not expect you to use such a card Ren. You have become very cunning."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Sometimes, one has to pull out the ace up their sleeves."


    As soon as his words dropped his phone rang again. Hao Ren picked up and said, "Before you start yapping, let me tell you that I have been long aware of your relationship with Chan Ling for years now. Who told you to come sneakily in the college festival. Anyhow, you only need to know that what happens in the court, you will be sent to prison, and then your love story will come to an end."


    Leonard Hamil gulped, he did not lose his calm this time, and asked, "What do you want? Tell me, what do you want? I will give up everything to you, but please I cannot go to the prison. Chan will be left behind and my daughter... she..."


    Hao Ren raised his brow, and remarked, "I did not expect you to be a family man, Young Master Hamil. However, the situation is very difficult because of your actions."


    Leonard Hamil took a deep breath and said, "I will give away fifty percent of shares in the Hamil Infra. I will give you whatever you want, but please do not kill me."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "Fine, I will give you a chance, compensate the people who have been harmed because of your malpractice, and put your father under house arrest. Then you can call me,"


    That said, he disconnected the call, and Han Lingshi asked, "Why did you go easy on him?"


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders and said, "Perhaps I am an emotional human being."


    The car drove off, while the invisible flames covered the upper class of the Jade Capital City.


    ...


    Dream''s note: Does anyone recall which village did Mister Hao and Empress Hao belonged to? Please tell me the name of that place, I forgot about it. I need to write about that place and do not want the naming to be wrong.

 Chapter 110: Returning To The Town.

    Hao Ren did not bother with anything that happened with Leonard Hamil. In his mind, since the people did not hesitate while doing wrong, then why did they fear what was coming for them. Hao Ren was not yet cruel enough to quote, ''It is god''s decision to forgive you, my task is just to send you to him.''


    His parents have taught him about how good would be rewarded by good. In the past he was an avid believer of that, but after his sister passed away, he gave up on that. Leonard Hamil has been messing around with him, and so, he had it coming.


    Hao Ren put things aside and focused on driving the car through the night. His driving skills surprised Yue Shenlong who was following him bumper to bumper. The journey was eight hours long and they had to stop three times to fill the tank. Hao Ren could not help but feel vexed at this. He did not like the pollution and the cost of the fuel.


    Dawn was about to break when they entered the mountainous region. The vehicle slowed down a lot but Han Lingshi woke up. The cars they used were all off road vehicles but they were very luxurious and the rides were comfortable.


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes and was taken aback by the beautiful scenery that lay before her. Hao Ren looked at her and smiled, "Welcome to the Gateway to Heaven, My Love."


    Han Lingshi woke up from her stupor and asked, "Gateway to heaven?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It is a local folklore in my town that if heaven exists, then it must exist somewhere inside the mountains because you can find absolutely everything there. The green trees, the quiet sound of nature, the fresh water streams flowing down to quench your thirst. The peace someone feels when they get to sit down quietly in the mountains radiating through there soul.


    That is why the human establishments at the foot of the mountain are called the gateway to heavens."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "That''s fascinating. This is my first time this far north in the country. I wonder if I would be able to experience that heaven you speak of."


    Hao Ren looked at her and asked, "I thought wherever I am is where your heaven resides. How hurtful."


    Hao Ren turned his head to look at the flute and said, "Yeah, she did. Hehe."


    He let out a soft chuckle at the end, and Han Lingshi looked at him in askance. The young man said, "Well, I will go visit her."


    Everyone was surprised by his sudden announcement, and Tang Zen said, "Go, clean the site properly."


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "Okay, see you."


    Han Lingshi said, "I will go along with you."


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders and said, "Only if you are well rested, it is quite a hike."


    Tang Zen narrowed her gaze and said, "Brat, take your old man''s bike, don''t make my daughter-in-law hike the Belly Mountain."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then after some preparation the two of them left the house.


    ...


    Dream''s Note: I have shortened this chapter to bridge the arrival in the town, stay tuned for the next one.

 Chapter 111: In The Cemetry.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi left the house on a bicycle. The young man pedaled while the young lady sat behind him on the carriage.


    Hao Ren introduced a few spots and neighbors to her while skimming through the streets before they came out on the main road. The two of them were dressed in clean track suits so it was not hard to ride.


    Han Lingshi had her arms coiled around Hao Ren''s waist. After a few minutes of riding, she remarked, "Ren, I didn''t expect your abs to be so firm and defined."


    The young man chuckled and replied, "Thank you. I also have something to compliment you about but I''d rather not."


    Han Lingshi was confused when suddenly they ran over a bump and she tightened her grip on Hai Ren. It was at this moment she realized the hidden meaning of his words and could not stop herself from pinching his waist hard.


    Hao Ren winced and almost lost balance. In his mind he was thinking why was he still not strong enough to bear the pain from a simple pinch. He realized, ''Fuck, does Lingshi has the skill of death pinch that many FLs used to have in novels? I need to be mindful of what I say around her.''


    Hao Ren fell silent and focused on riding the bicycle up the small mountain. Han Lingshi asked, "Why is the cemetery up on the mountain?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "Because it is peaceful there."


    The lady nodded and then she focused on the scenery that changed at a quick pace. Hao Ren was enjoying the ride and suddenly he began to sing, "Up on the mountain lives a king. His cow wears a bell that goes, ting ting ting...


    Up on the mountain lives a beast. They sleep under the sun and under the moon they feast.


    The king fights daily to keep the cow safe. The beasts don''t back down cause life is a race.


    Up on the mountain lives a king..."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Bard Ren, what song is this."


    Hao Ren chuckled before he put on a serious expression and answered, "Your Majesty, it is a folk song made by the ancestors to keep the children from running to the mountains alone."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then asked, "What about the Mountain King? Is he not a good figure?"


    Han Lingshi broke out in cold sweat, and her body was shivering, and her heart was beating so fast that she felt it is about to explode. The young lady said, "Take a deep breath and calm down, I am not a ghost as you think I am."


    Han Lingshi turned around with a reflex action and found that the young lady was still sitting on the bench with a rather sad expression. She pointed at the latter and asked, "How... How can you be alive?"


    The young lady sighed and replied, "It is a long story, would you like to sit down before I tell you what is going on?"


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    Han Lingshi shook her head and turned around to yell, "Ren!"


    She shouted his name at the top of her voice, but Hao Ren did not seem to hear her. The young lady said, "He can''t hear. No one can. This place is my barrier. Han Lingshi, I came here to see them, and I bear no ill will. But I hope you can listen to me, because even if you tell him what happened, you won''t be able to prove it."


    Han Lingshi turned around and took out her phone. She quickly said, "Xiao Mei, alert Ren that I am in danger."


    However, she realized that her phone was off. She could not believe what was going on. Earlier, she was scared, then she was angry, but now, she was shocked. Her phone was fine before this lady came over. How could it just turn off? She tried to turn it on, but it did not work.


    Han Lingshi backed off in a corner and sat down on the ground while crying as she gazed at the young lady in white dress.


    The young lady sighed, and stood up. She came over to Han Lingshi, who whimpered, "Do not come near me. Please, spare me."


    The lady in white sat down beside her and said, "Do you really think I am a bad person?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head like a rattle, she was really scared, but the young lady looked at her calmly, which made the former nod her head. The young lady chuckled and remarked, "You are very much like Ren."


    Then the person asked, "Why do you think I am a bad person? Is it because my brother is cleaning my grave and I am sitting next to you totally fine and pristine?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head, she was good at sensing the intent from other people. At this moment, the young lady did not have any malice in her eyes or voice. She said, "I have no idea what is going on here, but whatever the reason, it does not seem big enough to break his heart like that. That is why, you are the biggest villain in my eyes, Hao Mei."


    The young lady who appeared beside Han Lingshi was none other than Hao Mei, the supposedly dead elder sister of Hao Ren.

 Chapter 112: Hao Mei.

    Hao Mei smiled at Han Lingshi when the latter called her a villain. She said in a soft voice, "Well, I guess you are right."


    She turned her head to look through the barrier and said, "I am indeed a villain for leaving him alone."


    Han Lingshi snorted and asked coldly, "What difference does that make now? I don''t think you have any intentions to meet him. Do you?"


    Hao Mei was very beautiful and at this moment her face was a definition of sadness and pain. She took a deep breath and said, "If it was the past, then I would have watched him from a distance. However, now, things have changed."


    Han Lingshi was confused but did not ask much. She didn''t like Hao Mei now. The latter smiled and said, "Ever since you met him, Ren''s destiny has changed."


    After a pause she continued, "My family does not belong to this world, but a place called spirit shimmer continent. Hao Family was a big name in that world until the enemies decided to put us down for good. Only my parents were out of the house that day, and thus they survived the calamity.


    Because they were betrayed by the person whom they trusted the most, they had no where to go. They came to settle in the world of mortals. I was born with clear spirit meridians, and it was my destiny to be a cultivator. Ren, in contrast to me was born to be a normal human.


    My parents worked to keep up with the mortal world and also ventured in the cultivation world to get me the resources I needed to grow stronger.


    When Ren was eighteen, I had to leave this world to go and venture in the cultivation realm. Or my strength would be limited."


    Han Lingshi could not help but ask, "Why not tell him?"


    Hao Mei smiled and said, "His world revolved around me and our parents. He had no attachment to the world outside. No friends, no love debts. If we were to tell him, he would definitely come along to the Spirit Shimmer Continent. It would not be safe for him there with his clogged meridians.


    At first, I did not want to leave, but the Department of Extraordinary human beings controls every one with special talents. I did not wish to be a puppet and so we staged this drama and I faked my death. Believe me when I say this, I have never been at peace or happy because of that. Ren is my brother, and the bond we had was something words can never define.


    How could I be happy to just watch him from a distance? When he closed his heart, and no one was there to help him. You have no idea how much I hated myself for it."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Then what changed?"


    Hao Mei looked at Han Lingshi and said, "You came."


    Han Lingshi was confused and Hao Mei said, "Ever since he met you, his destiny seemed to have awaken from a slumber. He has become stronger, and very decisive. It won''t be too long before he surpasses me in terms of strength and skill."


    The words caused Han Lingshi to hesitate, and Hao Mei said, "The first gift is a meridian cleansing pill. It will remove all the impurities in your body and allow you to absorb spiritual energy that resides in the void."


    She took a pause and said, "The second is a Heaven Level Cultivation Sutra, Nine Empress Revolutions. You need to memorize it and chant the words while meditating and you will gradually grow stronger. The last but not the least is this."


    Out of nowhere, Hao Mei took out an icy blue long sword. Han Lingshi was was shocked, and asked, "What the hell do you mean by giving me a sword? Carrying weapons is illegal."


    Hao Mei took a deep breath and said, "This sword is unlike the others you have seen. It is protection talisman. It will conceal your aura and keep you safe from the eyes of the DEHB. Those bastards love to lurk in the shadows."


    Han Lingshi was still in a daze while all this happened. Hao Mei said, "I know you have a lot of questions to ask, but before you can bear the burden of the answers, make sure your shoulders don''t sink under the weight."


    Han Lingshi did not realize when Hao Mei stuffed the items in her hand and vanished. If for the items in her arms, she would have discarded everything as a dream. However, there she was, with a book and a white ceramic bottle in her hand. The biggest evidence was the three feet long sword in her hands.


    She mumbled, "How will I hide this thing?"


    That moment, something magical happened, as if waiting for her words, the longsword transformed into a small palm sized blade which looked no different than a lapel pin. Han Lingshi shivered and suddenly she heard a phone ring.


    She almost jumped off the ground, and found Hao Ren calling her. Everyone from the family has gathered. He was calling her to come over. Han Lingshi told him that she will be coming over soon, and then quickly stuffed the items inside her tracksuit.


    Then she ran over to meet with the others. Hao Ren smiled and her, before he lit up three incense sticks and placed them on a small stone stand as he said, "Mei, I bought someone to meet you. This is Han Lingshi, she is my wife. She is just like how you used to tell me, a fairy. I hope you have been well over there. I am fine too, I have a small company and it is making profit.


    Old Boy Hao is getting slower these days, and Empress Hao is still a bully. She has ideas to recruit my wife in her camp. Please watch over me and tell her not to do this. Also, I miss you."


    As he spoke his voice was calm, but his eyes were filled with tears. Han Lingshi opened her mouth a few times but she could not say anything. She could see that Old Man Hao and Mrs. Hao were both look at him with guilt and sadness. They did not stop her from speaking her mind, because even if she did, it would be her choice.


    Han Lingshi sighed and patted his shoulder, Hao Ren was the most innocent and honest person she had seen in her life. He did not hesitate in showing his trust, but watching him suffer like this, she became even more determined to stay by his side, so that no one could harm him.


    ...


    Hao Mei watched the scene from a great distance and she said, "Xiao Ren, grow strong, there are a lot of things you need to do."


    ...


    Dream''s Note: We have a change in the reader ranking. I would like to thank, Acturus_Zero, StanLJP, and AntiRoxas for being the constant support needed. I would also like to mention Dangerlives for his gifts and suggestions, and Shadowlord for pointing out my mistakes from time to time. Thank you.

 Chapter 113: Spirit Of Unity. (Bonus Chapter)

    Hao Ren paid his respects to the grave, and then they all came back home together. Hao Ren noticed something weird, as he rode the bicycle down the hill. Han Lingshi rode in the car with his parents. He did not know what happened but their faces were not radiating positive vibes so to say. He shrugged it off thinking they must have been effected by paying respects to Hao Mei.


    ...


    In the car, Han Lingshi drove slow, and asked, "Are you both also as strong as Hao Mei?" Explore more at m,v l''e-NovelFire


    Her voice was void of that softness she had in the past. Tang Zen and Hao Xinyuan knew this would happen but they were expressions did not change. The old man nodded and Tang Zen said, "We are far stronger than Hao Mei."


    Han Lingshi nodded and shifted the gears as she asked, "Can you tell me honestly that there was not other way to handle this situation?"


    Tang Zen nodded while sitting in the passenger seat as she said, "You must have heard of the DEHB from Xiao Mei. They control the power distribution very strictly in the world of mortals."


    Han Lingshi asked, "How come you two managed to sneak past their detection if they are so powerful?"


    Hao Xinyuan replied, "We sealed our cultivation. We gave up on absorbing the spiritual energy to advance further in our realms. We only acted when we needed to get Xiao Mei the resources she needed. That is how."


    Han Lingshi nodded, her eyes were calm and indifferent. She did not care if these people were Hao Ren''s parents, but they were the people responsible for hurting him deeply. She continued asking, "Then tell me, how do these people detect others?"


    Tang Zen replied, "The oracles or the seekers are responsible for detecting the presence of a human who has broken through the shackles of a normal mortal. These people are called Extraordinary and they have different levels and classifications.


    Some people achieve this state by accident and end up with half baked powers. These half baked ones are taken in by the DEHB while the rest are sent to the Spirit Shimmer Continent. Seekers or Oracles can sense big changes in the spiritual energy flow of this world. That''s all I know."


    Han Lingshi asked, "When do you think would be a good time to tell him the truth? You cannot keep him in the dark forever, can you?"


    She looked at the two people from the corner of her eyes, she wasn''t afraid that they would kill her, because they did not have such intent. On the contrary, their eyes were brimming with guilt.


    Hao Xinyuan said, "When he enters the spirit gathering realm and senses its presence. Only then he would be strong enough to take a step in the Spirit Shimmer Continent and learn how to walk the path."


    Han Lingshi nodded and asked, "Hao Mei gave me a few things, how do I use them?"


    Tang Zen said, "You should eat the pill before you go to freshen up in the morning. Then learn the contents of the book, and the sword follows your will. It was forged with a strand of your hair as the core. It can transform itself into any form and size as long as you wish it. You will need to imagine that form and size very clearly.


    The sword has three uses, one is to feed on all the spiritual energy that leaks from you and prevent detection, another is to protect you from sneak attacks and even bullets, the last is to use it as a tool to attack someone. However, make sure you wear it in a manner it is not visible to others. You will get to know the rest from your family."


    Han Lingshi almost ran the car into a pole when she heard this. She stopped at the side and asked, "Is my family like you people too?"


    Tang Zen nodded and said, "I don''t think they are as strong as we are, but they should have some knowledge of spiritual cultivation. Your mother is the strongest among them all, second only to your grandmother."


    Hao Mei stood before the window and said, "You need to stay safe, because if their enemies got a handle of you all, it will effect their states of mind and cause them to go astray or worse, die."


    That said, she vanished from the place. Han Family did not expect such a thing to happen, and Hao Mei only told the real truth to the two ladies. In the past when they looked into the Hao Family, they found nothing, and guessed them to be superior, however, them being so superior that the means of normal world could not find anything about them was a surprise.


    No wonder they could not find anything about the two elders. Yue Shi said, "I will go home and check on things with my father. I think I would be able to find some answers as to what is happening."


    Gao Yue nodded and said, "Go, take Yulie with you. She has been home ever since Xuexue left. Her skills will be helpful to you."


    ...


    While the Han Family was trying to look deeper into the topic, Han Lingshi was feeling betrayed and sad. She did not expect that not only would her in-laws hide such things from her, but even her own family never let her know about the so called martial lineage. This was an utter breach of trust.


    The car stood outside the house of the Hao Family and Lingshi was still sitting inside. In this situation the only person she thought she could trust was Hao Ren. The reasons were simple, he was betrayed by his family, and did not know anything about this cultivation stuff. Another reason was the fact that he was the only person who hadn''t lied to her.


    Han Lingshi was a good judge of people, and she could tell from his gaze which looked at her, that he was a good man. She looked at Tang Zen and said, "Can I go back to Jade Capital tomorrow?"


    Tang Zen nodded and replied, "Yes, I sincerely apologize for all that is going on, but even if I try to justify all this, it won''t work. Please forgive us."


    Tang Zen bowed her head to Han Lingshi, who was surprised and angry. The latter did not say a single word for a few minutes before she sighed and said, "Ma, leave it at this. I need some time to process it all."


    The old lady nodded and then the three of them got out of the vehicle. The timing was in sync with Hao Ren coming over on his bike. The young man smiled at Han Lingshi and asked, "Did you get tired from driving the car?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and hugged him tightly. Hao Ren was surprised but he could not understand what was going on with the young lady. He embraced her and asked his parents with gestures if they said anything to her.


    The two elders shook their heads and Hao Ren stood patting the back of his wife in the doorway. Many retired old people saw this scene and smiled at him. Hao Ren sighed, and, suddenly, Han Lingshi asked him, "Can you swear on my life that you will never hide anything or lie to me, ever at all?"


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "What happened?"


    Han Lingshi asked, "Tell me first."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I swear upon your life, and my happiness to never lie to you."


    Han Lingshi nodded and buried her head in his chest. After a few moments, Hao Ren asked, "Did they tell you that I am their adopted child and that some old man left me trillions of inheritance? Do they want you to convince me to accept the inheritance and give them a share?"


    The young lady was stunned and then she could not help but laugh. After a few minutes, she tip-toed, and kissed Hao Ren before saying softly, "I love you, Ren. Thank you for being with me."


    Hao Ren returned the kiss and said, "I love you too, Lingshi. The pleasure is all mine."


    *Ding: Host, it is detected that the level of unity with the wife, Han Lingshi has grown to a spiritual level. Thus you are awarded with a cultivation technique, and a concealment skill. Would you like to withdraw?*

 Chapter 114: Titan.

    Hao Ren was stuck in a daze, he was excited, the world of mystical creatures and spiritual beasts that he always imagined just came to reality. However, the crux of it all lay in the unity with his wife. It was because of Han Lingshi growing close to him that the system rewarded him with the cultivation technique.


    *<Clarification: None of the people around him knows about the system. They only take action according to the threads of fate.>*


    He took a deep breath and asked in a soft voice, "Lingshi, no matter what happens, I will stay by your side. Forever, even in my death my heart belongs to you."


    Han Lingshi raised her head to look at him and said, "I swear on my life, I will be by your side forever."


    Hao Ren smiled and remarked, "I already knew about that."


    Han Lingshi could not help but smile at him and remark, "I never knew you were this cheeky."


    Hao Ren chuckled and replied, "I never knew you have become so romantic and upfront to embrace me before the elders."


    Han Lingshi was confused and suddenly a voice echoed from the side, "Oh my, Xiao Ren, you rascal, you got us such a pretty niece-in-law. Good for you, brat."


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    Hao Ren was well known to the elders of the town, because of his parents being honest county officials, and his sister being the star, he basked in their limelight. He loosened his embrace around Han Lingshi and said, "Uncle Joe, this is Han Lingshi, my wife."


    Uncle Joe raised his brow and put his hand on his waist as he asked, "What do you mean wife? Did you marry her without inviting all of us?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Before you bunch of old boys get angry, let me tell you, we only registered marriage in the office. We are yet to hold the wedding ceremony. Our families just came to an understanding and we will be holding the ceremony in spring. You all are invited."


    Uncle Joe was a burly man who retired from the forces, and he nodded in affirmation. He said, "Good boy, Xiao Ren. Now, introduce us to our Niece-in-law."


    Hao Ren nodded and introduced Han Lingshi to everyone one at a time. The elders in the street were happy with this attitude. They had not expected the young couple to be so polite. After all, they were not fools to not notice the three vehicles, and the four guards who were watching them like hawks staring at their prey.


    To be honest, they were all a bit intimidated. However, Hao Ren gazed at the guards and they calmed down. Uncle Joe walked up to the boys and asked, "You lads are very good, tell me are you from SF?"


    The four men were surprised, and old man Joe gave his introduction. They all suddenly stood up straight in attention and saluted him. The people did not expect an old colonel to be living in this town. He out ranked them and thus was the superior. Army had different rules and regulations. Once an officer, always an officer.


    After an hour, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi came back inside the house, and Tang Zen asked them a few generic questions. Han Lingshi maintained her filial daughter-in-law role. She knew that for Hao Ren''s sake she would have to do this. Hao Ren said, "I will take a shower and get some sleep."


    Mountains, rivers, seas, all within my grasp.Titan''s might, invincible and fearless,


    Master of all, supreme and unparalleled.


    Cultivation to the utmost, limitless divine abilities,


    With heart and will as one, all phenomena align.''


    Hao Ren did not know what it was but at the moment when he recited the chant, the fatigue gradually lightened and he drifted to sleep.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was on call with Young Master Ye at the moment. She asked, "Young Master Ye, what do you think is going on here? Do you think that I gave you the evidence as an act of charity?"


    On the other side of the call, Young Master Ye had his forehead covered in cold sweat because Han Lingshi was talking in a very cold and commanding tone. She was behaving as the president of Empress International.


    He said, "President Han, please be patient the government has put together a team of people to look into the depth of this matter and Shun Family cannot get away."


    Han Lingshi replied calmly, "The moment I found the evidence they were doomed. Secondly, please feed these diplomatic words to someone else. I don''t care what method you use, but if I don''t see the Shun Family under the sword by the day after tomorrow, I will throw all courtesy to the winds and then upload the evidence on public platforms. Do you understand?


    Shun Yang dared to insult my husband before everyone, the entire fucking city. Then he had the gall to go to his work place to continue his harassment stint. Do you think the rest of the people are dimwitted or something? I will not call you again. I hope you know what is better to do for your sake."


    That said she disconnected the call and took a deep breath. Xiao Mei spoke up, "I used to think that you are the gentle one."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "We cannot be gentle to everyone, Xiao Mei. This disappointing world is full of bitches. Better put on the mask to make them fear you as well. The survival of the fittest applies everywhere."


    Xiao Mei said, "Mistress, please talk to Mister Bourne regarding the upcoming project investment."


    Han Lingshi nodded and made the call. Markus Bourne was surprised to hear from Han Lingshi. Initially he hesitated to disclose the secrets, but Han Lingshi stated her identity as the wife of the CEO, Markus Bourne was surprised.


    He said, "Madam, President has authorized a research and development program for the benefit of the people with disabled limbs. At the moment, Director Klaus is leading it. I wanted to ask President his thoughts about how to market it?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and then said, "Since Ren wants it to be a charity situation, let it be under the wraps until you have come up with a prosthetic that the people could trust. Until then, do not go deep. Or the whole thing can backfire on the image of the company."


    Markus Bourne learned a lot of things from this discussion and soon disconnected the call after greeting the lady politely.

 Chapter 115: Triggered Empress.

    Han Lingshi had just finished the official and unofficial business that she needed to deal with before taking a shower. Inside the bathroom, she was sitting in a hot water tub while reading the book that Hao Mei had given her.


    She did not know what it was or how it worked, but as she read the content of the book, she understood the essence of the Nine Empress Revolution technique. The book described that the cultivator would be able to change the landscape based on their whims and mood if they reached the peak of this cultivation technique.


    The main effect of this sutra was great too, invulnerable physique, golden muscles and jade bones, followed by the blood of purple spirit. The beauty of the woman who cultivates it would reach beyond the realms too. Han Lingshi could not fathom that something like this really existed. She read the chant. .net


    ''The human commands the Dao,


    Dao Commands it all,


    Empress of all will rise again,


    All who defies her will fall to hell.


    Heavens is your throne,


    Dao is your crown,


    Life is your weapon,


    Death is your slave.


    ...''


    Han Lingshi repeated the verses five times before she had completely memorized it. Just when she was thinking about reading it one more time, she suddenly let go of the book, as it caught fire and vanished into thin air. Even ashes were not left behind. She could not help but feel surprised.


    Then she recalled the red amber pill Hao Mei had passed to her. She did not believe it at first, but after thinking how absurd everything was, she nodded and said, "Fine, I will give it a try."


    Then she looked at the pill bottle and took out a pill to consume it. The pill was miraculous, it melted as soon as it entered her mouth. After a few seconds, she could sense a warm sensation coursing through her body. The young lady did not feel too overwhelmed, but suddenly she noticed a layer of oil on her body.


    Han Lingshi was disgusted and began to clean herself repeatedly. She also cursed Hao Mei for giving her a weird pill. When she finished cleaning after half an hour, she took a deep breath and came to dry her hair. She then came out of the washroom, and picked up a hair dryer, but the next second she was shocked.


    Her skin was clear as if porcelain and it was one tone fairer, with a healthy tint of pink. She could not believe what has happened, and the change was not limited to her appearance. She felt as if she was filled with energy and all her fatigue has vanished.


    Then she disconnected the call, and Hao Ren asked, "I take it that the Shun Family is finished?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head as she said, "Ren, kingdoms are not build over night."


    Hao Ren snuggled as he nodded, and suddenly he said, "I get turned on when you talk so coldly to others. I don''t know why, I almost tore away the clothes."


    Han Lingshi blushed slight before she smacked his arm around her waist, "I could feel what was going on with you. That''s why I disconnected the call. I did not expect you to be a submissive."


    Hao Ren was shocked and then he frolicked around with Han Ling before saying, "You are the submissive one."


    Han Lingshi bit him on his shoulder and Hao Ren hissed. The battle began and the two of them bit each other in many spots where the others could not see them. They were already one in mind and heart, only the thin window paper separated the two of them. It was not long before the marriage ceremony to be held.


    This level of intimacy was akin to the smoldering haystacks, one blow of wind and it will turn into a raging fire. After they calmed down, Han Lingshi took a deep breath and asked, "I was talking to Marcus about the prosthetic program you have come up with. Empress International will invest with you. It will be a joint charity venture. I will try to get more people onboard."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Fine, you can handle those. I am going to be busy after we return. I want to oversee the re-development of the old industrial area and also to establish the research center. I think I should involve military cooperation in it."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "You know that Dad used to serve in the military, right?"


    Hao Ren nodded and the lady said, "I will ask him to back you if you fail."


    The young man shook his head and said, "I won''t so don''t worry. It is not a secret that I am not a big fan of your father and grandfather, right?"


    Han Lingshi nodded with a smile on her face. Suddenly, they fell silent when Han Lingshi received a call from her right hand person, Maya Okudera. She only said, "I will come over by tonight, keep them in the office."


    Hao Ren asked, "Something serious?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "Just some stupid stuff, would you like to come along?"


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "Yeah, you don''t have to ask, I am coming."


    With that, the two of them packed up, and came down to inform the parents and leave the place. Yue Shenlong liked the vibe here and wanted to stay for a few days. None, forced him, and left behind two guards with him.


    Hao Ren was sure that something big has happened in the Jade Capital, and Han Lingshi was triggered by it. He prayed for the poor soul who messed with the Empress.

 Chapter 116: Battle Field Business.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi drove their own car while the two guards followed them at a distance. Their arrival in the town and the departure were both abrupt. Hao Ren took a deep breath as he drove out of the town and asked, "Lingshi, you can tell me if something is up. You have been frowning constantly since the call."


    Han Lingshi smiled faintly and replied, "You are so observant."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and asked, "The truth sweetheart. Don''t try to get away from me with this sweet mouth of yours."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "You know that I went to the Hawk Nation for some work the last time, right?"


    Hao Ren nodded, and the lady said, "There is a clothing brand that has been in rivalry with us for quite some time now. They are a big name overseas and were causing trouble for the Empress Clothing Line from taking root in the oversea market. However, now those bastards are establishing stores opposite all of our outlets.


    In the past two days, they simultaneously opened seven stores in seven major cities of the Han Nation. The sales have taken a drop. That is why, when Maya reported it to me, I decided to go back and tackle it in person. I have no idea what these people want with me."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Tell me what is the name of this brand?"


    Han Lingshi replied in a calm tone, "Elvis."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "I might be able to do something about it."


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows and said, "I forbid you from using Xiao Mei for such affairs. It is good to have someone to aid you, but it is not good to become dependent."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I was not going to use Xiao Mei anyhow. You can open my phone, and look up a number, Jin Haruto."


    The young lady nodded, and picked up his phone. One of the days when they were sleeping, Hao Ren had already added Hao Lingshi in the unlocking data. Han Lingshi was surprised when the mobile unlocked as soon as her face flashed on the screen. She looked at her husband who was smiling faintly in anticipation of this surprised expression of hers.


    Han Lingshi snorted with a smile on her face and then skimmed through the contacts and found Jin Haruto with ease. Hao Ren said, "Give him a call."


    Han Lingshi did as he asked her to. The phone rang for a few seconds, before a sonorous voice sounded from the other side, "Old Hao, you swine, you finally know how to call your dad. Such an unfilial child you are."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "You seem to have grown a pair of balls after leaving the country for a short while. Shall I publish the love night embarrassment on the college forum. I wonder what everyone will think of Stud Jin."


    His words deterred Jin Haruto, who sighed and said, "Damn you for using that one card over and over. Now tell me what''s up."


    Hao Ren asked, "If I remember correctly, you work in Elvis Clothing and Apparels, right?"


    Jin replied in positive before he began to tell him about the benefits. Hao Ren was happy for him and congratulated the guy before he said, "I am calling you to ask what is going on inside your company, why are they targeting Empress Clothing?"


    Jin Haruto fell silent and asked, "Why are you asking? Did you manage to get into the Empress Internationals?"


    Hao Ren said, "No, I did not go for the interview that day. However, coincidently, I am now husband to Miss Han Lingshi. CEO, Empress International."


    Jin Haruto sniggered before he erupted in a laughter. He calmed down after a few minutes and said, "You, Old Hao, what will you do if Han Lingshi found out you made such a joke? You are not even close to stand in her shadow."


    Hao Ren sighed while Han Lingshi covered her face to hide a laughter. Hao Ren disconnected the call, before he made a video call request to Jin Haruto and turned the camera toward Han Lingshi. Jin Haruto was about to say something but looking at the fairy before he fell silent. Hao Ren turned the phone back to himself and said, "Go, look for Han Lingshi''s images on the internet and call me back.


    Also, search if she is dating someone, you will find the truth, you jerking single ass."


    Leonard Hamil gulped, he did not expect Hao Ren to be so kind when the latter held his neck in a tight grip. He calmed himself and said, "I understand what you mean. Thank you."


    The call was disconnected, and Han Lingshi asked, "Why did you let him go?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I know his secret, and so, I can take away the only person he care the most about, Chan Ling. Old Madam Hamil was his second mother, but that lady had never cared much about him. She cared only for the money and her husband not fucking around. Leonard Hamil will give her some money and buy her off.


    Most importantly, he will not give me any silly troubles like the legal notice and stuff."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and said, "It will also set an example among the upper circle that we are not so easy to mess with. I am sure that at this moment, everyone hates Shun Yang, and his family for poking us. The enquiries held by the government are very serious and they effect you from all directions and point of view."


    ...


    Eight hours later, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi directly arrived at the Empress International office where Hao Ren met a young lady who was sitting in a wheelchair. She had a cold face, and her eyes were akin to a sword. Her expression only fluctuated slightly when facing Han Lingshi.


    Han Lingshi said, "Ren, this is my most trusted person in the entire Empress International, Maya Okudera."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I have heard a lot about you, Miss Okudera. Nice to see you."


    The lady nodded calmly and said, "Likewise, Mister Hao."


    Han Lingshi took her president chair and asked, "Maya, did you look into the issue?"


    Maya Okudera nodded and replied, "President, if you remember, five years ago, you had just taken charge and you fired a senior designer."


    Han Lingshi was trying to recall when Maya said, "This guy is called Amelio Mancini, he was accused of sexual harassment by the juniors and you fired him."


    Han Lingshi asked, "What is the connection of that guy with this?"


    Maya Okudera replied, "After getting kicked from here, he went to the Hawk Nation, and joined Elvis. In the past five years, he has managed to maintain a stable relation with the vice president marketing of Elvis, and she is the reason he has managed to become the chief designer. I am sure that he is just using Elvis to fight against us for his shameful actions."


    Han Lingshi raised her brows and said, "Fine, then leak the news in the media and have them look into the dirty past of the chief designer of Elvis."


    Hao Ren was sitting on the sofa, he did not speak during the discussion, after all, Han Lingshi was much better to lead the discussion. After a few minutes, Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, I will head over to my office, I have to check on the results of the application we sent for the re-development rights of the Old Industrial Area."


    The young lady nodded and said, "Pick me up for the dinner."


    Hao Ren nodded and left the place. His smile vanished, as if it never existed. The young man came to his car, drove it to the Thunder Technologies office, as soon as he entered the building, he headed to the conference room.


    Hao Ren had told Xiao Mei to call them all over, and as he entered the conference room, he found all the head of departments waiting for him. Hao Ren sat down on the head chair and asked, "Did any of you have any idea what just happened?"


    The people were taken aback by his cold tone. Klaus said, "President Hao, I know what you are referring to. What shall we do?"


    Hao Ren clenched his fist and said, "What else, call that person over."


    Klaus nodded and picked up the intercom as he said, "Please send Miss Talia to the conference room, the president wants to meet her."

 Chapter 117: Sudden Crisis.

    Hao Ren waited in the conference room before a timid looking girl walked inside the room. Her hair were covering her forehead, and she was holding the hem of her shirt. Klaus said, "Miss Talia is a senior developer in the team responsible for development of the horizon operating system."


    The people nodded and Hao Ren asked, "Miss Talia, can you guess why have you been called over?"


    The girl flinched and shook her head timidly. Hao Ren sighed and said, "You do not have to worry so much. It is not a bad thing to be called over. The thing is that I liked how you have optimized the OS processing algorithms by twenty percent. Your work is so nice that while testing it, I found no glitch, so I thought why not call you over and give you creation credit.


    I wonder what you think of this proposal."


    Talia was surprised and Klaus smiled at her. He said, "Everyone, Miss Talia here has proven that we are not behind those big shots of the other high level companies, by improvising the processing algorithm on her own. With this step, our software capability is on par with Byte Technologies."


    The people were surprised and they all clapped together as they complimented Talia and congratulating Hao Ren.


    The young man waved his hand and said, "Miss Talia, I want to give you complete charge to look into the new version of the operating system. You can hand pick the people you want in your team. Someone who can move along with you and create better tech for the company."


    Talia opened her mouth and she nodded. Hao Ren did not force her to talk, and said, "You may leave now. Get ready to list out the people from the hand it to Mister Klaus."


    Talia opened her eyes wide and then she said, "Yes, Mister President."


    The big shots congratulated her and the lady left the conference room with a dazed expression. She did not expect that such a good news will come knocking on her door so suddenly.


    Inside the conference room, Hao Ren said while looking at the HR director, "Inform the people to increase her pay and issue a promotion letter."


    The man nodded, and Hao Ren looked at Attorney Leigh, "What happened to the redevelopment application?"


    Leigh smiled and said, "Well, the magistrate has passed the application, but we have to wait till all the relevant departments sign on it. If all goes well, it will be finished by the end of the week."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "As soon as you get the permit, inform me. We are running behind the schedule."


    Leigh nodded, and Hao Ren said, "Miss Lynn, we have signed the cooperation agreement with the military. You can call them and get me an appointment with Commander Gan."


    The lady nodded, and then Hao Ren began to delegate a lot of work to all the heads on the table. Lastly, he looked at Klaus and said, "I want a transparent body performance and gaming laptop. Design priorities are cooling, and compact, and clean."


    Klaus was surprised and asked, "What do you intend to do?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, just a second, I am using the satellite vision, to scan every single roof top in the two kilometer range, that aligns with the Empress International''s building."


    At this moment, Hao Ren spotted a lot of police vehicles coming over, and they began to clear the crowd to set up a parameter. One of the police officers came beside Hao Ren and shoved him while yelling, "Is there a movie going on here? You people have nothing good to do then gathering here and watching others in misery."


    Hao Ren turned around, and shoved the cops hands away. He pointed at the building behind him and said, "My wife is in there, and I would like to see how you slacking pieces of shit can make me go away from here. I swear to god, I will break all your legs before you have a chance to face those terrorists. Incompetent pigs!"


    Hao Ren did not lower his voice, and his contempt was heard by everyone. The cop was pissed, and he took hold of his baton before he swung it at Hao Ren while yelling, "How dare you curse me, you son of a bitch."


    Hao Ren leaned back, avoided the baton, and then jabbed at the temple of the cop attacking him. The people did not even catch hold of his move, and only saw the cop falling to the ground. Hao Ren snorted and said, "Xiao Mei, I dislike incompetency."


    The AI replied, "Three men, on top of three buildings, forming a perfect triangle with the building in the center."


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "Guide me to these locations."


    The cops had yet to discover a fallen comrade, so Hao Ren vanished in the crowd with ease.


    ...


    Inside the President''s office, Maya Okudera and Han Lingshi were sitting on the couch with a blonde man sitting across them with a sunny smile on his face.


    The man spoke in fluent Han language, "Miss Han, the fabled empress of Han Nation Business circle. It is my pleasure to have an audience with you."


    Han Lingshi did not reply, she only watched the man before her with a dead pan face. The man did not seem to dislike this, and continued, "I understand that the mannerism of my visit is very rude and toxic, but you see, I had a few questions that I could not find the answer to. In the end, all I could do was to seek you. Can you tell me who destroyed Red Banner?"


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows, she did not know what Hao Ren pulled off, but it happened and she could bet her life that it was her husband who did something like this.


    She shook her head and replied, "I have no idea."


    The blonde man nodded and asked, "Can you tell me where might I find your husband?"


    Han Lingshi frowned and asked, "What do you want with him?"


    The man smiled and replied, "We should not ruin the surprise for someone."

 Chapter 118: Hunting The Hunter. (1)

    The man sat in Han Lingshi''s office, with the muzzle of his gun trained at Maya Okudera. The latter was an easier target and he was exploiting the empathy and sympathy that Han Lingshi had in her nature. The blonde man seemed to have come out of movies.


    He was smiling at Han Lingshi and asked, "Miss Han, if I am correct, then you are only recently married. In our data, it was never shown that you had any love interests through out your life. Why are you trying so hard to protect your husband then? I have checked him, he does not seem to be much, but he sure knows how to make money. Tell me, I am very curious."


    Han Lingshi gazed at him calmly but she did not say anything. The blonde man pulled the hammer on the pistol back, as if he was ready to shoot Maya. His actions made the cold empress rethink the situation and she said, "You will know the answer if you ever loved anyone."


    The man released the hammer and let it rest in the initial position before he said, "I know what it is like to love someone. That someone died trying to complete her task. That task was to kidnap and kill you. She was a mound of ashes when your police found her. Tell me, what would you do if that were to happen to your husband."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "That is tragic."


    She did not show any emotion to the man before her. Even if this guy was to kill her, she would not bend, all she hoped was for her family members to find out what is going on here and help her.


    The man before her leaned back in the chair, and said while gazing at the ceiling, "After twenty minutes, I will strip your clothes and hang you out of this window for the world to feast on your beauty. Then after ten minutes, I will drop you down for your husband to scoop your flesh."


    Han Lingshi trembled, this man was a demon in her mind, but she could only clench her fist in rage and frustration. Maya Okudera looked at her, and then back at the man before her. The ladies decided what they would do if things came to suffer the outmost humiliation.


    ...


    Han Tang had just received the news thanks to the media outlets, and he was on call with someone.


    "Why have you guys not deployed the forces yet? Are you all a bunch of fools? Motherfucker if anything happened to my daughter, as much as a scratch on her body, I will lay you all to waste with my own hands."


    Han Tang used to be a military man, the reason he was calmer usually was because he was now at home and not the battle field. However, now that he learned about the predicament of his daughter, how can he manage the image of a calm bystander? His blood was boiling at this moment.


    Gao Yue watched him from the side, and looked at Yue Shi, who was also on call with her father. The latter put down the call and said, "Shenlong is out of town, my dad will lead the team on his own. The army will take fifteen minutes to mobilize, my dad will reach the location in fifteen."


    Han Tang crushed the phone in his hand and left the house. Gao Yue sighed and said, "It would be nice if he can stay calm over there."


    Yue Shi shook her head and said, "He has already lost it, his battle lust is one scary factor mom."


    Hao Ren fished out his phone, lined the camera with the scope of the sniper rifle and clicked a picture. Then he placed the device on the ground beside the gun and as he asked, "Xiao Mei where are the other two snipers."


    The AI replied, "Ten degrees left, on the top of the Luminous Tower. Fifteen degrees right, on the twenty-fifth floor or the Gyser building. These people are aiming at Miss Han from all the french windows that expose her to the outside world."


    Hao Ren adjusted the gun and spotted the two people. He looked around him and found a small walkie-talkie. It was useless for him to contact the people. Suddenly, he said, "Well, I should just kill them all before walking inside the building. They will not talk anyhow."


    Then he took aim, at the man in the Gyser Building before he took a deep breath to stabilize the gun, made some calculations and squeezed the trigger. The sniper rifle was placed a few meters away from the edge of the terrace, so no one on the ground could see the flash, and it was suppressed with a top notch suppressor as well.


    Hao Ren fired the shot, and then he turned around to aim for the sniper in the Luminous Tower. The same process was performed again, and the bullet flew through the void. The distance between both the targets was more than a fifteen hundred meters, yet Hao Ren took the shots and nailed the two men to their death beds perfectly.


    The man in the Gyser Building was laying next to an open window, so Hao Ren did not have to fire through the glass or a commotion might have alerted the people. After he was done, his face turned pale. He never had a good time killing people, and the sniper rifle with such a high level ammunition could scatter the brains of a person out in the void.


    None of the terrorists knew about this. Hao Ren stood up from his position and came over to skim his first victim. After making sure that he did not find any recording or streaming device, he held the face of the man and asked, "I will give you a quick death if you tell me how much time do I have?"


    The man held back his pain and opened his mouth, but he was not going to tell him anything. On the contrary, he spat some blood in Hao Ren''s face. The young man wiped his face clean quickly before he lifted the man in his hands and took him over the edge. Hao Ren said, "I will pray for your happy departure. May god punish you for all your sins."


    Then under the shocking gaze of the mercenary, Hao Ren let go of the person. A loud scream echoed in the surroundings as the man fell down from the height of twenty floors.


    ...


    Hao Ren arrived near the building again, but this time he found that the police was busy communicating with a bunch of people in black leather jackets and jeans. They all had the monogram, Yue engraved on the collars.


    He found an old man watching the building with a stern face, but Hao Ren did not approach the people. He walked about and arrived at the side of the building. Most of the people were standing with their cameras at the front and the back door. Hao Ren wanted just this, he found a place with some back and dashed forward.


    Then a few meters away from the wall, Hao Ren scooted down, and exerted the pressure through his legs, before launching himself in the void and getting over the wall. Hao Ren landed on the ground, and looked around the place.


    The hunt has begun, and it would only stop when the person responsible for all this would beg for mercy under Hao Ren''s fist.


    Bonus chapter coming tomorrow along with the regular chapter. Sorry for the delay, I have just been cleared for sitting on the chair, and could not write these past few days because the doctor prescribed bed rest. I have a back and legs issue. Thank you for your patience and support all this while .

 Chapter 119: Hunting The Hunter. (2)

    Hao Ren was crouched near the wall of the boundary wall. He took out his phone and said, "Xiao Mei, are you inside the operating system?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I am, the server here is filled with plenty of room to invade. However, they are checking everything at regular intervals. Once I am detected, it would become difficult."


    Hao Ren nodded, and asked, "How long is the check-up duration?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "In about seven minutes, they will run another check."


    Hao Ren replied, "How many people are there?"


    Xiao Mei answered, "Four in the ground lobby, two are guarding the hostages in the cafeteria. Two men are inside the security room, keeping an eye on everything in the building. The leader is in the conference room."


    Hao Ren nodded and was about to say something when Xiao Mei said, "Boss, you should hurry, that man said he would hang Miss Han from the window naked."


    As soon as she said this, Hao Ren smiled. If someone else could see his face, they might piss in their pants. The young man was akin to a devil. He looked at the phone screen and said, "Show my position in correspondence to the security room of the building."


    Xiao Mei pulled up a blueprint and then she placed Hao Ren''s position on it before highlighting the optimal and the smallest path to the security room.


    The sun was about to set on the horizon and Hao Ren was enraged. The young man stood up from his spot and walked over to the back door of the office ground floor. He said, "Xiao Mei, isolate the cameras which capture me, and then as I pass through them, restore them to normal."


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the leader of this group is called Matthaeus Dorme. He is the only surviving leader of the Red Banner. Usually involved in the cyber attack division, he is a good strategist."


    Hao Ren nodded as he climbed the stairs at a quick speed. The terrorists had planted the elevators with bombs, if anyone dared to use them, the elevators will explode and same about the load bearing pillars. The entire building will come down crumbling and bury hundreds of people alive.


    Hao Ren moved quickly and reached the seventh floor where the hostages were. He moved swiftly but silently, and soon located the two people who were yelling at the hostages.


    "Hey, you, lady, I see that you have a fine figure. How about after all this I take you out for a date?"


    The other guy chuckled as the targeted lady had tears in her eyes. However, before they could continue forward, Hao Ren appeared behind the guy, punched him in the back of his head. The first guard was dealt with ease, but the second one turned around with an assault rifle in his hand.


    Hao Ren quickly kicked the muzzle of the gun away from himself and the hostages. A series of clapping sounds echoed, and the hostages wailed in fear. Hao Ren moved closer to the person and punched him on the temple. The second guy also knocked out. Discover more stories at m,v l''e-novelhall.net


    Hao Ren looked at the people and said, "If anyone of you can move about. Tie them up, and wait here. It is not safe outside. Your might rush out to your death."


    The people were stunned that Hao Ren has appeared and he handled the two terrorists with such ease. Girls were ready to throw themselves at his thighs but he did not have any desire to mingle with them.


    ...


    Hao Ren arrived at the top floor, and just when he was about to open the door of the main cabin, he heard a scream from inside and his body froze.

 Chapter 120: Evil Begets War. (Bonus Chapter)

    Hao Ren heard a scream from inside the room and pushed the door open as he yelled, "Lingshi!"


    The sight inside the room was something he did not expect at all. Matthaeus was holding Han Lingshi''s arm, while Maya Okudera was laying on the side and a puddle of blood was forming under her body.


    Hao Ren''s eyes turned red, he flicked his wrist, and a needle flew through the air and hit Matthaeus on the neck. The latter froze, and a look of struggle appeared on his face. Hao Ren dashed towards him as Han Lingshi broke away from the grip. Hao Ren delivered a vicious uppercut to the chin of his enemy and knocked him out cold.


    He turned around and quickly looked at Han Lingshi as he asked, "Lingshi, are you okay? Did he hurt you?"


    His voice was filled with concern and his face was the definition of anxiety and fear. His own complexion was pale, but he still prioritized Han Lingshi. The lady on the other side, woke up from her stupor and hurriedly asked, "Ren, how did you get here? Are you okay? Did you bring help with you?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and pulled her in an embrace as he mumbled, "No, I am fine, everything is alright now. I handled those people. They cannot harm us now."


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the people from the Yue Family are taking action. Shall I inform them?"


    Hao Ren gave her the permission and Han Lingshi suddenly turned around and broke away from his embrace. She rushed over to check on Maya Okudera. She called, "Maya, Maya, open your eyes, can you hear me."


    She turned to look at Hao Ren and said, "Ren, call an ambulance."


    Tears were dripping down her face. Hao Ren frowned, and approached her as he asked, "What happened to her?"


    Han Lingshi said, "This bastard shot her."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Stay back, I will stop her bleeding first. Xiao Mei, call for an ambulance right away."


    The AI replied, "I already did, the medical professionals are all being called over."


    Hao Ren nodded, and took out a box of silver needles. He pretended to take it out from his pocket, just so that Han Lingshi does not ask him too many questions. He was not yet sure about it.


    Han Lingshi was crying with her hand covering her mouth, she was afraid of disturbing Hao Ren, who was shivering but still treating Maya Okudera.


    Hao Ren was not a cold blooded killer, every time he killed someone his body subconscious will blame him and the body will react like this. The young man tore open the shirt Maya Okudera wore and placed in seven acupuncture needles around the gunshot wound. The shot had probably hit a vital organ and thus the bleeding was this serious.


    Hao Ren raised his head to look at Han Lingshi but his vision was turning blurry and dim. He was exhausted by all the action that may seem like infinity to him but was a few minutes only.


    He raised his hand and said, "Lingshi."


    Han Lingshi came to his side and the door of the cabin opened. The young lady raised her head and exclaimed, "Grandpa, please help him. I don''t know what to do..."


    That was the last scene Hao Ren remember. While he was willing to kill people to save the one special to him, he was also vulnerable to his acts.


    Han Lingshi looked at him with a cold look in her eyes, she said, "It is those reasons that I want to know, Old Master Han. My husband is laying in bed for twelve hours. Unconscious, and exhausted because he fought to save me from the biggest humiliation a woman can face.


    Would you prefer to hid your reasons if you knew how that bastard wanted to hang me out of my own cabin, naked for the people to watch? Answer me!"


    The last words were loud, and everyone else was surprised to look at him. They did not expect Han Lingshi to explode with such a temper. Gao Yue took a deep breath and said, "There are two reasons."


    Han Lingshi looked at her and the old lady said, "We all lived in the spirit shimmer continent when your father was still young. However, despite the strength of our people, we could not face the forces who gathered and attacked us. Han Family, Gao Family, Xia Family and Yue Family were allies who stood beside each other. However, our success and wealth attracted lot of trouble from all the sides.


    In dire straits, we had to leave our houses with all that we could carry. None of our people survived. We even lost our legacy to cultivate. To carry one in the world of mortals we hid our cultivation and resided like normal people. Your grandfather was injured in the escape and lost his skills completely.


    When we all thought we can prepare the youngsters, the government formed the DEHB, those people went to any lengths possible to gain power and the low level cultivators became there slaves. We did not wish for you or your cousins to suffer from the fate of being controlled. The less you knew the better."


    Han Lingshi smirked and said, "Grandma, I cannot believe you instantly now. If you all do not mind, I would like to have some time alone."


    That said she left the living room. The older people sat in the room silently, the truth was simple and sounded stupid but it was all they could do at that time.


    ...


    Hao Ren was fighting with hordes of people, his body was covered in wounds, and he was moving sluggishly but his eyes have lost emotion and moral. The pain that ran through his body because of all these wounds made him feel like he would really die. So, the spirit of survival kicked in and he began to fight.


    Outside, Han Lingshi was again sitting beside him, holding his hand. She could not understand why Hao Ren has yet to wake up. The doctors and all checked his vitals and they all came back normal. After half an hour, Hao Ren suddenly sat in like a dead man possessed.


    Han Lingshi screamed in fear, and Hao Ren turned to look at her. His blank eyes surprised her, and she softly called out to him, "Ren, love, are you okay?"


    Her voice seemed to have some magical charm that called him back from the daze. Hao Ren smiled weakly and asked, "Lingshi, are you okay? I am sorry I was weak."


    Han Lingshi lunged and hugged him in her warm embrace as she said, "No, my dear, you were stronger than anyone else. I love you, Hao Ren."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I love you too."


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, I also helped you. Just because I am a program, you two do not love me? Discriminative!"


    The couple was surprised, Xiao Mei reacted like a jealous human, but then they chuckled and talked to Xiao Mei for a bit. Han Lingshi then called a maid to bring some soup. She spoon fed Hao Ren.


    The young man finished his meal and asked, "Where are those people?"


    Han Lingshi hesitated but said, "In the dungeon."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Shall we go over to take a look at them? I have a lot of accounts to settle with them, specially Matthaeus."


    The lady was hesitating but Hao Ren gently grabbed her hand and said, "Your majesty, a wiseman said, Good begets Peace, while Evil begets war. From how I interpret this idiom, we should war against the evil and be good to bring peace."

 Chapter 121: Dance Of The Devil.

    Han Lingshi led Hao Ren to the dungeon, the rest of her family members caught hold of this sight and Yue Chilong walked up to them. Han Lingshi frowned for a moment before she said, "Ren, this is my Maternal Grandfather, Yue Chilong. He used to serve in the Military."


    Hao Ren smiled and greeted the old man with a bow. He could tell that this man was not simple. Something about the vibe from him was different. Yue Chilong said, "Thank you for saving my granddaughter."


    Han Lingshi frowned while Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I was saving my wife. You do not have to thank me for it."


    He marked his territory and stated his position to the old man, who was trying to be snide with him. Han Lingshi held Hao Ren''s hand and said, "We are going to the dungeon. Ren wants to deal with those men himself."


    Yue Chilong frowned and said, "Lingshi, I know that you are a strong, but let me take him there. It is not very good at the moment."


    Han Lingshi frowned but Hao Ren said, "He is right Lingshi. I would not want you to see me like that."


    The lady looked at him, and spoke in a calm voice, "You are my husband, and the man I admire. You are the love of my life, and I know that every human is capable of being good, and bad. Do not fret, my resolve in you will never waver. Even if you torture those men, I will be by your side."


    Hao Ren looked in her eyes and smiled as he said, "You can look away when you feel it is too much, but don''t hate me for what I am about to do. That is all I hope for."


    Han Lingshi nodded, she could tell from his gaze that something was different about Hao Ren. On the surface he looked the same, but on the inside, a subtle cold resided. This cold made her heart skip a beat. She recalled the first time Hao Ren has told Maria off when they visited him. That time, Hao Ren made her heart skip a beat.


    He was as soft as a ray of sunshine in the cloudy days when it came to her, but Hao Ren was generally a sunny person anyhow. This subtle cold change in his personality made her admire him more. She nodded, and then said, "I will come along, and watch as long as I can."


    Yue Chilong turned around and led them to the dungeons. The Han Family members also followed in, they wanted to see the resolve of their son-in-law. They were cultivators and martial artists, they were not unfamiliar with bloodshed.


    ...


    Yue Chilong asked everyone to stay in the monitoring room, while he led Hao Ren to the holding space. This part of the dungeon was different from the padded room where Maria was held. Hao Ren looked around and asked, "This place seems very old, Old Master Yue."


    Yue Chilong nodded and asked, "Why don''t you address me as Grandpa Yue?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "I can see it in your eyes that you do accept or acknowledge of me. You can fool Lingshi with your acting, but I am made different."


    Hao Ren did not mind saying all of it to Yue Chilong. This old man won''t be able to prove shit even if he went against Hao Ren. The people of the Han Family outside were also surprised. They did not expect Hao Ren to be so daring.


    Han Lingshi smiled a bit and said, "To think he did not lie to me."


    Yue Shi asked, "What do you mean?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "I asked him once how he solved it and he told me that he had killed them all. I thought he was joking but turned out he played along with me to ensure I don''t freak out."


    Han Tang asked, "Are you not spooked enough yet? Your husband is a murderer."


    Han Lingshi replied, "You killed people to save the country, he killed them to protect me. He is not in the wrong and I will not have you question me like this again. I swear to god that I have had enough of this."


    The people glared at Han Tang, who was acting jealous and possessive.


    ...


    Inside the holding cell, Hao Ren had tied the man to the ceiling with his legs dangling in the void. Hao Ren smiled and whistled as he said, "I have a few needles, I will insert them in your skin at the most painful acupoints. It will be fun."


    The man did not take him seriously, Hao Ren put his hand inside the pocket of his pant and took out a small box of needles. Then he began to insert the needles inside the skin of the terrorist on the hook. He placed seven such needles inside the skin of this guy, and the needles were as big as six inches.


    Hao Ren said, "Ready or not, here it comes."


    The young man reached out to one of the needles and pinched the back of it before turning it slightly to the right. The Terrorist began to squirm. They did not expect this technique to be so effective. Hao Ren then walked up to the other men, repeated the same process, and tied the second man up to the ceiling. It was as if he were dancing.


    Hao Ren did the same thing to this guy as well, and then to the next six before he tied a kettlebell to a rope and then the six ends of the rope were clipped to the genitals of the six hanging terrorists. He said, "So, what I have done to you all is simple. Your viscera are channeling the blood in the reverse direction, and for this kettlebell in my hand, it is even simpler."


    He tossed the kettlebell up in the void, and let it free fall. The people were surprised, but Hao Ren was a devil. The kettlebell reached the full length of the rope and tugged on it hard. Gravity was brutal but if something as heavy as a five kilogram steel, this was bound to happen.


    The men with broken jaws wailed in pain, it was very painful to even watch. The kettlebell swung under the six hanging people as they screamed and spoke in jumbled tone. They begged for mercy.


    Matthaeus saw what Hao Ren had done to his people, he was scared. He did not expect Hao Ren to be a devil who danced to the tune of death.

 Chapter 122: Scene End.

    Hao Ren watched the people beg him for mercy. Yue Chilong was also present inside the room, but he did not expect this young man to be so creative with his ways to torture people. Hao Ren started skipping in his spot and practiced some shadow boxing as he said, "I have only one question for all of you, that is to tell me where is the money earned by the Red Banner.


    I can spend sometime to get this information on my own but I want to give you all a chance to by a swift way out of this misery." .net


    The people did not speak, they were scared but they were all battle hardened militia. How could they reveal their secrets to this guy with just some pain. Just when they thought, Hao Ren would not make things any worse, the young man on the ground began to kick at the kettlebell. Clanking sound echoed throughout the room.


    Hao Ren''s blows were causing the kettlebell to move and tug on the genitals of the terrorists. The pain they felt was so much that they all began to wail, and sweat. Two of them even shat themselves.


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Old Master Yue, can you please turn on the ventilation in this place."


    The old man raised his brow, he thought, ''Did this brat just order me around?''


    Yue Chilong did what Hao Ren asked him anyhow. The young man then stopped bothering the six people, and moved toward Matthaeus Dorme. His eyes were completely indifferent and the chill that radiated from him made Yue Chilong mumble in surprise, ''Killing intent."


    Hao Ren said, "I do not have any question for you. I kept you alive only so that I could make you understand the graveness of the sin you committed by laying your dirty hands on my wife. You knew that someone caused your entire group of savages to die, yet you came seeking the person to avenge those ghosts.


    Did you think you will be quite brave if you did this? There is only a fine line that splits bravery to foolishness. The brave are praised but the fools have to pay the price, and you are the fool."


    That said, Hao Ren reached out to grab the jaw of his victim and dislocated with a quick movement. He yanked on the chains and dragged the struggling Matthaeus to a spacy spot in the room. Then he pressed a few acupoints rendering the man immobile.


    Hao Ren picked up a meat cleaver from the side rack and knelt beside the right side of Matthaeus as he said, "You used your right hand to hold Lingshi. Right?"


    Matthaeus opened his eyes wide in shock, he has done such a thing to a lot of people in the past so he knew what was going to happen to him. His pupil dilated to the limit and a silver light flashed in his vision. Then he sensed his right wrist go numb for a second before horrible amount of pain coursed through his body.


    He let out a muffled wail, Hao Ren pulled out the cloth stuffed in his mouth and used his needles to slow down the blood lose. He said, "I will keep on giving you such treatment every few minutes after the bleeding has stopped. In the meantime, you will watch me deal with your people. I will make you all watch yourself until the last moment. I swear to god that you won''t feel any pain."


    Yue Chilong watched the scene with astonishment. From his angle of vision, Hao Ren''s gaze did not fluctuate at all. He could not help but think what happened to this guy during the rescue. Could it be that his sense of protection has turned him into a killing machine? All he could do was to speculate the situation.


    Hao Ren turned his attention to the six men and said, "I asked you a question, do you have an answer for me? It does not matter if you do not have it, to be honest, I can really take my time exploring how to torture you more. I have many ideas, like skinning you alive, or slow roasting you with drops of hydrochloric acid. It will be so much fun."


    His eyes were shining, and the people shiver, one of them said, "I talk. Talk, pes."


    Hao Ren sighed and walked up to the man. He nodded and asked, "Do you want me to reconnect your jaw, or can you write it on the ground?"


    The man didn''t know how to answer, and Yue Chilong said, "You hung them up, at least take him down to talk."


    Han Lingshi commented from the side, "It does not matter if he is the same to the world. However, when he looked at me, I felt no difference. He is still Hao Ren."


    The people did not comment, and watched Hao Ren gain information of the weapons depot, assets, under cover agents, and many other things. The people he had captured were mercenaries but they were more of a backend team. and the information they knew was very valuable.


    Hao Ren spent two hours dealing with the people, and finally the six cronies were given a swift death, but Matthaeus was still alive, and he was literally begging for death. Hao Ren had twisted so many nerves of his that the guy was at the limit to break down. However, the young man was so cold that he did not allow the victim to even go mad from the pain.


    Hao Ren looked at Matthaeus who was growling on the ground and asked, "Do you understand what is your sin?"


    The latter nodded, Yue Chilong said, "Relieve him now, it is enough."


    Hao Ren replied, "The fact that I am a human and not the lord of underworld is the only reason I am letting him leave this world. If I had some skill that could trap his soul, I would have tormented him for an eternity."


    His eyes were turning red as he recalled the scene where this thing at his feet was threatening Han Lingshi. Thinking about it, Hao Ren finally gave into his rage, and stomped his foot on Matthaeus''s throat, crushing his windpipe and letting him die from suffocation.


    Hao Ren backed up and let out a sigh from his mouth. The room was silent and he asked, "Can your people clean it up?"


    Yue Chilong nodded and said, "They can."


    Hao Ren turned around and was about to leave the place when Yue Chilong asked, "Are you not afraid that the authorities will question you for what you did to them? They are humans after all."


    The young man was six feet tall, same as Yue Chilong. He looked at the old man and said, "One, I did not bring them over. I only beat them up. You brought them here it is your problem what you tell the authorities.


    Second, this bunch of ingrate, who thrived upon sufferings of other people aren''t worthy to be called humans. Thus their deaths are a good deed."


    He then walked out of the room, heading to the monitoring room, where the rest of the people were. Han Lingshi heard everything and smiled faintly. She had opinions similar to Hao Ren when it came to looking at a terrorist as human being. Such people were beasts that ran wild with some virus in their minds.


    Hao Ren came out beside her and asked with a sunny smile on his face, "Shall we go home? I want to cook you something nice."


    Han Lingshi smiled and asked, "How come you did all that and still have the mode to cook?"


    This was an important question. Hao Ren smiled and said, "Well, I don''t have a proper answer but while I was unconscious, I had a dream where I had to fight for my life and the battle was very long. In that kill or be killed world, everything was so vivid that even now I feel like I am still in that dream."


    Han Lingshi nodded and held his hand as she said, "I want to eat cheesecakes."


    The couple then ignored the elders and walked away from the scene as if it had nothing to do with them. The scene came to an end, but the story had taken a new turn.

 Chapter 123: Confrontation.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi left the Yue Family mansion came to the rising sun apartment. The young man cooked a meal for Han Lingshi and the two of them ate on the table. Han Lingshi asked, "They were all scared after what you did. They thought you have changed."


    Hao Ren swallowed the mouthful of food and said, "It does not matter to me what everyone thinks. Tell me what do you think about my actions inside that room?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and asked, "I will answer your question after you answer one of mine." Experience new stories on m v|l e''-novelhall.net


    The young man nodded and Han Lingshi asked, "Tell me if you or you believe in cultivation?"


    Hao Ren was surprised for a second and then he truthfully said, "Yes, I do."


    His response took Han Lingshi by surprise, and the young man said, "One of these days I had gone to beat up a few goons from the Jade Python Gang. The leader of that gang said that I am a yellow realm cultivator. I have no idea what that means, I tried to find clues about it but nothing turned up."


    Han Lingshi was about to speak when suddenly the Xiao Mei said, "Boss, it was because the information is very classified."


    Hao Ren nodded, and Han Lingshi said, "I think you should talk to Grandpa Yue. He had served in the military and is still an active martial arts master. He might be able to answer your questions."


    Hao Ren smiled bitterly, as he said, "Your grandpa does not like me. I am not keen on looking for help from him, at least, at the moment."


    Han Lingshi replied calmly, "You can take your time about it, I only wanted to know your stance. Also, how did you become a yellow realm cultivator?"


    The young man replied without much fluctuation, "I combined traditional medicine and martial arts to grow stronger. The exercise allowed my body to grow stronger, now my skills have reached the so-called yellow realm."


    Han Lingshi nodded but before she could say anything, Hao Ren said, "You have not yet answered my question."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "I don''t mind if the world see you as a cold blooded killer, but I know, that when you look at me, your eyes are clear and calm. I have questioned myself many times about why I love you, and why have you became so close to me. At first, I thought that you could be gaslighting me, especially with the way you told me about Maria.


    The lady looked tired and exhausted, Hao Ren guided her to the bedroom and put her to sleep. He came out of the room and picked up his phone to call his mother. His heart was shaken by the fact that they were cultivators.


    The connection was accepted after a few minutes and Hao Ren asked, "Empress Hao, what have you done to Lingshi?"


    He did not greet her like usual. His behavior surprised Tang Zen and she replied, "Watch your tone..."


    Usually, she would scold and Hao Ren would listen, but now, he did not care and interrupted her, "It would be nice if you watched your tone as well. All these year you have been toxic to me, scolding me and saying whatever that came to your mouth, and I have never once talked back, but how dare you put Lingshi in danger?


    Just because she knows that you guys are cultivator, you wish to kill her by restricting her from telling me the truth? Have you two gone insane?"


    Tang Zen was stunned, they knew something like this could happen, but it happened a bit too soon. She asked, "What happened to her?"


    Hao Ren replied, "She told me you and that old man are cultivators, and I am sure she was about to say something related to Mei, when she started choking and gagging on her own words. Her breathing was all over the place. She would have suffocated to death had I not calmed her down.


    You better come clean with everything you have hidden because if I find out in the future, I will not think twice before drawing lines with you."


    His voice was getting colder, and Tang Zen was shivering. She said, "Ren, I admit that there are a lot of things that we have kept in the dark from you, but the only reason is to protect you. The lives we had before having you and your sister was something completely different. If you got entangled in it, we would have never forgiven ourselves."


    She was extremely worried now. This was the first time when she showed her soft and vulnerable side to Hao Ren. The young man did not waver from his stance and asked, "You wish for me to grow strong and then tell me all of this? Or were you happy that I am living a normal life? Did you never seen the rage and frustration that I suffered from being an average guy?


    Did you never think of a way to save me from that hell?


    You claim that you did everything to save me, well, did you blame me for being mediocre and always catered to Mei to save me? Did you blame me for her death and left me to my own measures to save me? You know, sometimes I even doubt if I am your own son. Anyhow, talk to me when you wish to come clean, otherwise think of me as dead too."


    He disconnected the call with a snap.

 Chapter 124: Unfortunate Reunion.

    Tang Zen stood in her room, stuck in a daze. She did not expect that Hao Ren, the child who always handled everything silently talked to her in this manner. For the first time, she sensed how deep were the wounds on his heart.


    Old Man Hao came inside the room, and sensed something was off. He asked, "Madam, is everything alright?"


    Tang Zen turned around to look at him and said, "Call you daughter, she needs to give me some answers."


    Old Man Hao was surprised and asked, "Did something happen?"


    Tang Zen told him everything and Old Man Hao said, "I did not think she would make her take an oath."


    Tang Zen shook her head and said, "It is not an oath, it is something else."


    Old Man Hao furrowed his brows and said, "I will summon her."


    Tang Zen nodded, and just when the Old Man was about to leave, Empress Hao asked, "Old Man, do you think we have been a bit too hard on Ren?"


    Master Hao too a deep breath and he turned around before he said, "It is not me, Tang Zen, but you, who has been hard on him, always. He was scared of you, because in our heart we all know, that you never came to terms with him being unable to cultivate.


    I never said it to you, because I know that despite being stuck in a quagmire he never closed his heart. When Xiao Mei grew stronger and it was time for her to either confront the DEHB or to go to the cultivation world, it was your decision to separate the siblings.


    Xiao Mei was his entire world, but then you decided for her to put up acts. Ren''s heart gradually broke and slowly he closed himself. You know why I know this? It is because I was by his side, making an effort, but as a man who dwelled through the world of blood and flesh, I have no idea how to look after children.


    I tried to be his friend and we do have an equation which is better than what you have with him. Today, you care about him because he is getting stronger. Tang Zen, before you ask questions to Xiao Mei, ask yourself, if you have been good to Ren."


    Old Man Hao spoke in a mild tone, but his words were akin to a knife through Tang Zen''s heart. Her husband rarely used her full name, and whenever he did, he meant nothing but business. Han Xinyuan took a deep breath and left the room.


    He had to confront Hao Mei about this issue, because from his understanding of Hao Ren, he would not have lost his calm before his mother if the situation was not serious.


    ...


    Hao Ren was sitting next to Han Lingshi, watching her beautiful face drained of blood. The more he watched her, the more he felt annoyed and frustrated, if it were someone else, he would have killed them but how would he handle his own parents.


    Hao Ren frowned as he mumbled, "Why isn''t she waking up?"


    A calm and soft voice sounded behind him, "Because something else is waking up inside of her."


    Hao Ren quickly stood up on his feet and turned around to look at the person. He was ready to attack but when he saw the figure before him he froze. His eyes opened wide and his hair were standing on their roots.


    The young man was shivering and his face had turned pale. Hao Ren felt his throat dry up, and all his blood flow reversed from the shock as he spoke in a questioning tone, "Mei?"


    The figure standing inside his room was none other than Hao Mei dressed in her white robe. She revealed a bitter smile and remarked, "I am not a ghost, Ren."


    Hao Ren clenched his fist and walked ahead with slow steps. He stood just one meter away from Hao Mei, and raised his shivering hand to touch her face. The contact between them lasted for just a second, but the heat radiating from her skin was enough to ensure that she was not a ghost, that she was a real human. Find adventures at m_v l|e-novelhall.net


    Hao Ren opened his mouth but the blood flow in his body had become so erratic from the shock that he ended up coughing a mouthful on Hao Mei''s shoulder and took a few steps back before falling on the bed.


    Hao Mei moved closer to him and placed her hand on his shoulder, tears were already falling from her eyes, as she said, "Please calm down, you will only hurt yourself. I am not here to defend myself. I came here only to tell you that I did not do anything wrong to Han Lingshi. She is reacting like this because of her cultivation technique."


    Hao Ren''s brain had gone numb, he did not know what was going on. His parents were cultivators, his sister was alive, and now even his fairy wife had become a cultivator. What was going on in his life. He grabbed hard on the bedsheet and shivered as he said, "Don''t touch me."


    Hao Mei closed her eyes as she took a deep breath, she was ready for this cold treatment but it still hurt a lot. She stepped back and Hao Ren said, "If you can, then help Lingshi, if you cannot, then leave."


    The young lady said, "The changes in Han Lingshi are caused by her cultivation technique. She will be fine by the morning."


    Hao Ren nodded and spoke with a deadpan expression, "You may leave."


    At this moment, he only wanted to be left alone. If not, then he was sure that a vein in his brain would burst.


    Hao Mei took out a small sachet from the void and placed it on the table beside the bed as she said, "When you wish to seek the answers to the questions, hold that sachet and call my name. I will appear before you. I am sorry."


    Hao Ren did not even look at her when she spoke while crying. The two sibling had a brief reunion but the situation was so unfortunate that it was apt to call it a Unfortunate Reunion. The young man sat on the bed in a daze, and his heart was hanging amidst a storm of emotions. He turned his head to look at Han Lingshi and mumbled, "You were right to be afraid about keeping secrets.


    Had you really kept me in the dark, I could never have forgiven you for it, Lingshi."


    Hao Mei heard his words and vanished from the room, and the only consolation in this situation was that Hao Ren did not hold Han Lingshi guilty.

 Chapter 125: Test.

    Hao Ren spent the night sitting on the bed with his eyes locked to the void where Hao Mei was standing earlier. He was lost, because he never thought that his family would have tricked him like this. The young man looked as if a mannequin had been placed in his spot.


    On the other hand, Han Lingshi was laying on the bed, and her eyelids were twitching. If her husband has been himself, he would have checked on her, but tonight they were both going through the biggest change of their lives.


    Han Lingshi was dwelling in a dream where she was standing before herself. However, the difference between the two figures was shocking. Even if Han Lingshi was a person who could make the most beautiful women on the planet feel mediocre, but her own reflection before her was ten times superior to her.


    The other Han Lingshi stood dressed in a moonlight blue robe which gave an impression of flowing water. Her hair was tied in a bun with a white and silver hair pin holding it in place. The reflections was only as pretty as Han Lingshi, but her temperament was something that the present Han Lingshi could not match with.


    The reflection smiled and asked, "Are you wondering who I am?"


    Han Lingshi was surprised but then nodded, and the reflection replied, "I am your own self that resides deep within your heart. The one who wishes to be the empress of it all. The one who wants to grow strong to the level where even the heavens is under my control."


    Han Lingshi raised her eyebrow and said, "That sounds very arrogant of myself."


    The reflection chuckled and said, "Well, if it is any relief, it is you who thinks like that."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Yes, I do think like that and sometimes but I am wise enough to know when to stop and to advance. Arrogance is the reason why many fall."


    The reflection nodded and said, "Some people are blessed with the capital to really be arrogant and remain untouched. You are among those people, however..."


    Han Lingshi asked, "However?"


    The reflection replied, "However, you are bound by a dead weight."


    Han Lingshi frowned and the reflection waved her hand in the void. Between the two another image appeared, Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"


    The reflection smiled as she replied, "This is your dead weight."


    Rays of sunlight peeked through the curtains and Han Lingshi slowly opened her eyes. She sensed a shallow almost unrecognizable warm current flowing through her body. The lady took a deep breath and touched her forehead before looking around. She found that Hao Ren was sitting on the edge of the bed, but she noticed his shoulders were slouched.


    She called for him softly, "Ren."


    A few moments past, she frowned and sat up from the bed as she said, "Ren, can you hear me?"


    Hao Ren did not react, but then Han Lingshi noticed that the young man was trembling. Han Lingshi was surprised, she got out of the blanket and walked around the bed to come before him. When she saw Hao Ren, she was shocked, his face was pale, his cheeks were stained with tear trails. She asked, "Ren, what happened?"


    Hao Ren did not reply to her, he was staring at the void lost in his own thoughts. Han Lingshi reached out to touch his forehead and gasped. Hao Ren had high fever, and was trembling. She could not understand what was going on and shook him up as she called out his name, "Hao Ren!"


    The call was more like a shout that caused the stoned eyes to glisten again. Hao Ren saw Han Lingshi and smiled as he said, "Good that you are fine. I was afraid.."


    Before he could say anything a thread of red trickled down the corner of his lips. Han Lingshi was shocked, she held his shoulders and asked, "Ren, are you okay? What is going on with you? I will take you to the hospital." .net


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I will be fine with a little rest. It''s just that I sensed spiritual energy and then it all went haywire because I got excited."


    Han Lingshi frowned, as she sensed something was odd about it. She asked in a stern tone, "Ren, you dislike if I hide things from you right? Then why are you hiding things from me?"


    Hao Ren looked at her for a few minutes before tears trickled down his eyes and he began to bawl as he weakly held her hands. Han Lingshi was left speechless, she could not help but embrace him in her bosom as if Han Ren was a peace of fragile glasswork that could fall apart with the gentlest of touch.


    Han Lingshi was about to ask him when the young man said, "They all fooled me Lingshi, they all fooled me. They hid things from me, and Hao Mei also fooled me into thinking that she is dead. You know I used to sleep on her grave, clean it as if it was herself. Yet, they never told me."


    He buried his heart in her chest as he cried out, and Han Lingshi''s face turned cold, as she realized that the young man had discovered the truth. She was afraid that Hao Ren would be devastated when he finds out. She did not expect her fears to come true so quickly.


    She patted his back gently and said, "Ren, I am here for you, am I not?"


    Hao Ren did not answer and kept crying, the couple was going to face tests of life. These tests won''t be easy, but if they passed, they will become stronger, if they failed, then life can be very unforgiving to the weak.

 Chapter 126: Knotted Hearts.

    Hao Ren did not know how long did he cry for, and Han Lingshi held him the entire time. When he calmed down the lady got him some water, and ran her hand across his face and said, "You know that I never really disliked someone, but your sister sure tops the list at the moment."


    The young man looked at her with a bitter smile and said, "I wonder if they have a similar list and if I am placed at the top of that list."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I don''t think so. Despite all that I feel towards them, we don''t yet know the true circumstances that led them to treat you like this. Why don''t we make a decision when we have found out the truth."


    Hao Ren looked in her eyes and weakly asked, "What if I am not ready for the truth?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and brushed his hair gently as she said, "I don''t mind. The truth is yours to know and to not. I have no say in this matter. I support you with whatever you decide."


    Hao Ren smiled a bit before going back to being dead pan. He said after some thought, "Would you mind if I ask for some time alone?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied, "As long as you promise me that you would not do anything stupid, I won''t. We are both adults and have our own methods to deal with situations."


    Hao Ren said, "Thank you, Lingshi."


    Han Lingshi leaned in and pecked his lips lightly as she said, "Know that I will wait for your call."


    Then she stood up from the bed and left the room. Hao Ren lay in the bed, with his eyes locked to the ceiling. He sighed and closed his eyes to sleep. He knew that it wouldn''t do him any good to think over the situation or to confront his parents. If he pressured them too much, there is a chance that they might lie to him even more.


    The young man took a deep breath and to divert his mind, he began to meditate on the Titan Sutra. He chanted the mantra engraved in his brain and gradually entered a deep meditation state. He forgot about the stress eating at his heart.


    ...


    Han Lingshi asked, "Xiao Mei, is Ren asleep?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, mistress."


    Han Lingshi nodded as she leaned back in the big chair in the study room. She closed her eyes and her fingers tapped the leather armrest gently before she picked up her mobile and went to the balcony. She did not forget to close the door behind her and called Hao Xinyuan.


    The call was connected quickly, it was almost noon so she knew that the old couple would be awake. Hao Xinyuan''s calm voice sounded, "Hello, is that you Lingshi?"


    The girl hummed in confirmation before she asked, "That day in the car you said that you will only tell Ren about the truth when he enters the spirit gathering realm. Forget the fact that I did not ask you how would he enter the realm without a cultivation technique, but can you please tell me how did he find out about Hao Mei?"


    Hao Xinyuan replied, "You cultivate Nine Empress Revolutions, a heaven level technique that has been handed down in the Tang Family lineage for thousands of years. Only women with a strong conscience can cultivate it. When you were still here, we sensed that you have touched upon the surface of the spiritual energy, and thus the cultivation technique was activated.


    Hao Xinyuan saw the situation and sighed, "Zen, I understand that what''s happening is a bit too intense but it was going to happen one day or another. I apologize for putting all the blame on your shoulders but the fact is I am half the culprit. If only I had voice my objections strongly, this wouldn''t have happened."


    Tang Zen sat up and took a deep breath before she said, "Xinyuan, we both know that even though we have left behind the life of the cultivator, we still live by the rules of the Spirit Shimmer Continent, by the rules of our old lives. I was stronger than you, and that''s why you conceded to my thoughts."


    Han Xinyuan shook his head and was about to say something when Tang Zen suddenly coughed up some blood. He was surprised and came up to her quickly as he asked, "What happened?"


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    Tang Zen revealed a heart broken smile and said, "I broke my child''s heart and this is the consequence. One of my meridians has twisted from the spirit in flow fluctuation."


    Han Xinyuan''s expression turned grave and he said, "We need to head over to Old Man Tei. Or..."


    Tang Zen patted the back of his palm and said, "Don''t tell Ren about this. He might think that I am playing victim to gain his attention. I deserve this, the heavens are punishing me for my selfishness."


    Han Xinyuan told her to stop talking and helped her inside the house as he began to pack the luggage.


    ...


    In the jade capital, Hao Ren has finished cooking a meal when Xiao Mei said, "Boss, you are invited to the New & Rising Entrepreneurs Conference in the National Capital, Meridian City. How shall I reply to this invite?"


    Hao Ren asked, "When is the event being held?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Two Days later."


    Hao Ren thought that with the current situation of the family, it was better he busied himself with work, and said, "I will go."


    Xiao Mei nodded and asked, "Shall I book your air tickets, and arrange for transport?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Arrange for Miss Carter and Mister Bourne to send a couple of capable assistants ahead of me and tell them to arrange all this. They will get an appropriate reimbursements from the company."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Alright, Boss."


    Hao Ren thought, ''It is better this way, knots should not be handled in a flurry or they tangle up even more.''


    ...


    Dream''s Question: Are you all unhappy with the chapter output? I just noticed the lack of power stones. Well, the good news is that I am clear to work now, and starting tomorrow, I will increase the chapter output, and the bonus chapters are there too. So, guys please vote for the book so that we maintain a rank. I am leaning on y''all for running my home. Hehe, thank you for your support, and love.

 Chapter 127: Laying Foundation.

    Hao Ren served the meal and was about to call Han Lingshi when the lady came over on her own. He served her the food as he said, "I will be going to the Meridian City for an event, would you like to come along?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I will need to look after the Shun family clean up. I do not trust Young Master Ye that much."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "If you need any help you can ask for Xiao Mei''s help. The money she got from the Red Banner accounts have been used for the foundation matters mostly, but it has been used to provide Xiao Mei with a bigger brain."


    Xiao Mei chimed in, "Xiao Mei is now capable of performing 3 quintillion FLOPS. I am now the most powerful computer system in the world. Well, after assembling the parts I ordered."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi smiled a bit, and the young man said, "I should head over to the office and see about the progress of the projects. Otherwise, they might forget me."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I will be heading over to meet Grandpa Yue to talk about cultivation and martial arts."


    Hao Ren looked at her and said, "Lingshi, please do not misunderstand me, I did not mean to hide it from you but I can also cultivate."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "I know, I can sense it. However, I am curious as to how you learned about it given that your parents hid it."


    Hao Ren frowned at the mention of this but then he regained his composure and said, "I came across an old man who beat up a few goons with ease. When I rushed over to help, he taught me some skills. Over time, I observed around me, and learned martial arts.


    That eccentric old man recently gave me a cultivation sutra to practice, but he told me to be careful and conceal it cause there are forces in the world that can come after us."


    Han Lingshi nodded, she did not doubt his explanation, after all, there were people in their families who were hidden cultivators so the chances of Hao Ren coming across an old expert did exist.


    The two discussed a little more about the situation and Han Lingshi did not hide it from him, she told him that Hao Mei was the one to give her the technique, and she also mentioned DEHB so that Hao Ren could be alert as he practiced.


    Hao Ren frowned, and commented, "To think that she would not tell me about anything like this is a bit hurtful, but integrating you in all this means they understand your importance to me."


    Han Lingshi shook her head gently as she said, "Does not matter what they think, at least, not at the moment."


    Hao Ren smiled bitterly, and said, "I will go and get changed."


    Han Lingshi watched him go in but she did not say anything. She thought it was insensitive of her to mention Hao Mei before him, but the truth was the truth.


    After half an hour, Hao Ren came out of the dressing room with a black shirt and silver pants on his lower body. Han Lingshi saw him fastening his watch and said, "Ren, should we get you another watch?"


    The young man asked, "Why?"


    Han Lingshi remarked, "Aren''t you bored by this watch? You are a multi millionaire, get a few more watches."


    The young man smiled and replied, "It is a very good news. Now we can finally lay down a foundation for the development of Thunder Technologies."


    Lynn Carter nodded and said, "I received the blueprints for the research center and the foundation received a lots of donations as well. In the last few weeks, our sales have picked up as well. I can assure you, President, we would be able to go public very soon."


    Hao Ren said, "It would be nice if we can make that happen before the springs."


    After a small discussion, Lynn Carter left and Hao Ren said, "Xiao Mei, find me the researchers from the Jade City University."


    Xiao Mei got to work and Hao Ren busied himself forgetting about the mess in his family.


    ...


    Han Lingshi arrived at the Yue Mansion, and she sat in the living room waiting for her grandfather to come over. She held a cup of tea and sipped the content lightly. A pair of footsteps made her sit up and when she turned around she found Yue Shenlong walking over.


    She asked, "Hmm, weren''t you going to stay in the Golden Bloom Town for a bit?"


    Yue Shenlong replied, "Something came up, Grandpa wanted me to enlist in the services, and so I did. What happened?"


    Han Lingshi did not say anything, but was surprised that Yue Chilong wanted the apple of his eye to venture in the military to get stronger. Yue Chilong came over and asked, "Xiao Ling, is everything okay?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "It is fine, I came here because I wanted to ask you about a few things."


    Yue Chilong looked at her and with a slightly surprise expression, he nodded and told her to follow him to his study. They could not talk about such serious issues here. Yue Shenlong wanted to tag along when the old man said, "Xiao Shen, go and practice with Malcolm."


    The young man sighed and said, "But I already defeated them."


    Yue Chilong replied while climbing the stairs, "I know you have, but this time, it would be a little different, go along."


    Han Lingshi watched Yue Shenlong and asked, "He is going to join the military?"


    Yue Chilong nodded and said, "Yes, he will, it is the price he would have to pay for being born as my grandson."


    Han Lingshi got a bad vibe about this and asked, "What do you mean?"


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    The old man replied, "We will talk when we get inside the study."

 Chapter 128: Off To The Meridian City.

    Hao Ren spent the entire day inside the office and he held a meeting with the researchers and asked their requirements for the place. The system rewarded him a research center and allowed him a free design. It may seem like the system was making him do all the work, but that was not the case.


    The system will take provide the realistic illusion and construct everything on its own. The young man finished dealing with the business and got out of the office. He was heading to the Meridian City for the first time and he was also attending a prestigious event, so he wanted to make proper preparations.


    While he was riding the car, he said, ''System, our conversation was disturbed, what is my second reward?''


    *Ding: Host, for a moment I thought you have forgotten to claim the second reward.*


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, ''While system, you might think that I am still a materialistic person but I think a man should ask for his due rewards without shame. It is not that I do the tasks because of the rewards solely, but since I have them, why shall I shy away.''


    *Ding: Very reasonable of you, Host. I admire that you have grown up to this point. As for the second reward, you get the knowledge and experience of medicinal cuisine. This will allow you to cook food that aids you and your wife in the path of cultivation.*


    Hao Ren sensed the information flood his brain which caused him to shiver a bit and roll his eyes. It was immense, his muscles twitched as they got used to the experience. He calmed down after a bit and Heath asked, "Young Master, are you okay?"


    The young man nodded in reply, and shortly after they reached home. Hao Ren said, "Brother Heath, I will be leaving for the Meridian City in Tao Province, can you get a few people to come along with me? I will ask Miss Carter to make the arrangements."


    Heath smiled and said, "You are a bit late, Young Master, Manager Lynn already made arrangements for the five of us."


    Hao Ren smiled and bade farewell for the evening. He came in and found that Han Lingshi was yet to come back, he took a bath, came to the kitchen and decide to cook a simple dinner before he began to pack his stuff. He quickly finished cooking and just then the door opened and the welcome message sounded.


    .net


    Han Lingshi nodded, and then the two of them sat across each other as they began cultivating. It was in the middle of the night when they experienced the warmth similar to last night but tonight the feeling was even more prominent than before. They both could sense a warm breeze in the void.


    Hao Ren did not know what Han Lingshi saw, but he saw a number of tiny particles of five different colors floating around him. As he focused on each of the particles he found that he could attract them towards him. However, as soon as the particles entered his body, they turned into golden color.


    While Han Lingshi was having a similar scene in her mind. She was able to attract the five color particles inside her body, the five particles inside her body combined into a purple one. The wisp of this energy coursed through their bodies, and they felt stronger.


    Han Lingshi did not get as much benefit as Hao Ren, but she was leveling quicker than him. Hao Ren had practiced his physique without the nourishment of Spirit Energy, while she will be learning with the augmentation of the spiritual energy.


    After a few hours, the two people woke up with smiles on their faces and went to bed holding each other in their arms. The next morning, Han Lingshi prepared a light breakfast for the young man, and saw him off with a gentle kiss at the airport.


    Their relationship had just gotten stronger, and given the stressful revelations in the past two days, this departure was the one that left them with heavy hearts.


    Hao Ren sighed as he looked her in the eyes and said, "Don''t worry, I will be back soon."


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "I will wait for you. Call me when you land."


    Then the young man entered the airport after kissing his wife a short good bye.

 Chapter 129: Meridian City.

    Hao Ren sat in the airplane and decided to spend his time meditating. The flight was six hours long. He did not wish to waste the time even if he could not get any real work done. He has always wished to cultivate and reach the realms where he could fly and become a hero. Now that the opportunity was at his door steps, he was going to exploit it as much as he could.


    He knew that it was not going to be a smooth sky rocketing event, and that became all the more reason for him to cultivate in all the time he could squeeze. He was about to get busy.


    ...


    After dropping him to the airport, Han Lingshi came back to the Han Mansion. Yes, she did not go back to the apartment because she was also going to follow Hao Ren''s pace. She knew that the young man was ahead of her in terms of cultivation. Apart from the important meetings she could handle everything remotely with Xiao Mei serving as her assistant. .net


    The excuse for her distance from the office was the invasion by the terrorists. She stated that she was traumatized but she also stated that she will not let down the investors and share holders. The board of directors did not doubt her capabilities, at least not in the short term.


    Han Lingshi gave a few tasks to Xiao Mei to check how good and efficient she was, and to her surprise, the Empress International and Crown International were on track within a couple of hours. Xiao Mei had access to tons of data, information of business management and with the self learning feature, she had been scouring through the dark web and the internet for more than a month.


    She was no less of a genius than the people who graduated with management degrees from the famous B-schools.


    Han Lingshi got to the mansion and found that everyone was in their own rooms, thinking about how they were all cultivators living among the mortals, she could guess what they were doing. Suddenly, a smooth voice echoed in her mind, "Lingling, come to grandma."


    Han Lingshi was shocked, she did not expect that her grandmother could speak directly in her mind. She looked around thinking she was hallucinating from all the things that has been happening during the past few days, until Gao Yue spoke again.


    The young lady walked over to find her grandmother with great caution and stopped outside the door of the room. She was about to knock when the door opened itself making Han Lingshi take half a step back.


    Gao Yue was sitting over a cushion on the floor. She looked at her granddaughter and said, "If you are scared over a door opening on its own, then how will you handle when Hao Ren fly over to you riding a giant beast?"


    The guy beside him said, "President, my name is Roy Vice."


    The other guy reported his name to be, Joe Jamison. Hao Ren said, "Roy, you just mentioned a speech, tell me what is that about."


    Roy nodded and replied, "President, the event is held for rising businessmen, and within the past few months our company has made great strides, all over the nation we have sold about seventy million cleaning bots and the number is still increasing."


    Just as he said this, Hao Ren was surprised, he did not expect that the sales have sky rocketed like this. He did recall signing an order for expanding the assembly lines and after the company bought the OEM manufacturers, they have been working twenty four hours shifts ever since.


    The raw material dealers have also signed the contract as if they did not do it, someone else will and Lynn Carter had her own ways to make this people succumb to the control of Thunder Technologies.


    Roy continued, "With such a growth within an year, the national leaders have noticed us and they have asked you to represent the young businessmen and step on the stage to say a few words."


    Hao Ren sighed and shook his head as he extended his hand and asked, "The speech?"


    Roy quickly handed it to Hao Ren, and the young man began to read it carefully.


    ...


    Dream''s Gift: Okay, so to reward us with consistent updates and win=win completion for 60 days in a row, the platform has given me a coin redemption code. I would like to ask the first 9 people who read this chapter to take a screenshot of your reader rank, and send it to my IG : wordy_06


    Just so you don''t feel that I am partial, I am giving the code to one person who has been helping me in editing the chapters and making the book better than it would have been with me working alone.

 Chapter 130: Under Scrutiny.

    Hao Ren read the speech for a few minutes, before he said, "I can make edits of my own, right?"


    Roy nodded and replied, "Yes, sir."


    The young man was about to turn his head and look out of the window when his mobile vibrated and he found that it was a message from Xiao Mei, which said, "Boss, you forgot to text Mistress."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and immediately called Han Lingshi back in the Jade Capital.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was taking a break and asking questions to Gao Yue when her phone rang. She smiled when she saw the caller ID, and picked up the call. She said, "Hello, did you recall to call me only now?"


    Hao Ren replied, "It skipped my mind to be honest, Xiao Mei pinged me. I reached the Meridian City safely. What have you been up to?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "I am fine, just cultivating. I have a lot of things to learn and so I am picking on Grandma''s brain for it."


    Hao Ren nodded, and the two discussed a few things before the call disconnected. Gao Yue asked, "Is the situation between him and his parents that bad?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Hao Ren has a pure heart, he cannot hide his true emotions. This is why it will take sometime for him to get over it. However, I am sure that he will manage to overcome it."


    Gao Yue nodded and said, "It would be nice if he could do that, because on the path of cultivation, knots of your heart become demons that lurk in the shadow and will attack you at the most crucial of the times." Enjoy more content from m-v l''e|-novelhall.net


    Han Lingshi nodded and then said, "I will aid him in any manner as I can, but right now, he needs time to process it all."


    Gao Yue agreed, she knew that as humans they all had their own thinking and it was necessary for them to think on their own.


    ...


    The young man wore a royal blue three-piece suit with a black lapel and tie around his neck. He checked in the mirror twice to make sure he was looking fine. Then he put on the new watch that Han Lingshi had gotten him. She knew his taste, but this time she had gotten him the masterpiece from Sigma brand.


    It was inlaid with a ring of sapphire around the bezels and the needles were also made from Sapphire, while the transparent body showcased the intricate titanium gears moving together to keep the watch working. The body of this watch was made from Damascus Titanium and was covered in rippling metal patterns.


    Hao Ren smiled as soon as he looked at the watch and said, "Thank you Love."


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "You''re welcome, Darling. Now, enough sweet talk, off you go to the big event. I will watch the online broadcast."


    Hao Ren nodded and left the room after disconnecting the call. Everyone who saw him knew that this young man meant business.


    The event was being held in the reception hall of the same hotel, so it did not take him long to reach the venue. He only took one guard and the two assistants with him to avoid looking conspicuous.


    Joe presented the invitation and they entered the hall. There were at least sixty people gathered in the hall. However, when Hao Ren entered the scene, something about him made more and more people turn around and look at him. At this moment, a middle-aged man walked over and asked, "If I am not wrong, you are President Hao of the Thunder Technologies?"


    Hao Ren nodded and the middle aged man said, "I am Harvey Skye, organizer of this event."


    The two shook hands gently, and Hao Ren sensed a warm current gush through his body.


    The system pinged, *Ding: External spiritual energy is detected inside the body, it is recommended that the host does not resist, the concealment skill will handle this situation.*


    Instinctively he wanted to resist but at that moment, he stopped after the system''s warning.


    Harvey Skye took back the hand and said, "President Hao, your appearance does not define your strength."


    The man was smiling and Hao Ren replied with a smile too, "I have practiced some martial arts under the guidance of a retired veteran in my hometown since I was little. It is nothing to be praised. We small town boys are build different."


    Harvey Skye smiled and nodded before leading him in. Hao Ren knew that he was going to be scrutinized, and a game of hide and seek began.

 Chapter 131: DEHB Making A Move.

    Hao Ren followed Harvey Skye and stopped thinking about the latter trying to probe his skills and cultivation level. The people in the hall all were surprised to see that Harvey, a government officer was attending to Hao Ren in person.


    Looking at this, Hao Ren said, "It appears to me that Mister Skye holds a great reputation in the national capital."


    Harvey Skye chuckled and said, "I have met many of the big shots here because of my work and some of them became fast friends. My reputation cannot hold the candle to your flames, President Hao."


    Hao Ren was made to sit at the central table, and he found a few tycoons there already. He greeted them with a smile and Harvey Skye made the introductions, "President Hao, this is Mister..."


    Before Harvey could complete his words, Hao Ren cut him off and said, "The founder of Genesys Medicals, Miss Atlanta Kruge, The Chairman of biggest national telecommunication network, Airsoul Tele, Mister Arman Levi, and last but not the least, the tycoon of Media & Investment fields, Pundit Trevor Cain.


    You do not have to inform me about these legends, Mister Skye, as a junior who is inspired by their actions, I am well aware of their stature."


    Harvey Skye smiled and said, "Very well, then I will get back to my job, you have a seat. Your associates can join the rest of the people on other tables."


    Hao Ren nodded and let the man go away before he said, "Joe, go find a chair to sit."


    He looked at the guard and found the latter only standing there and asked, "Brother Four, are you okay?"


    The later nodded as he pulled a chair for Hao Ren to sit on. The young man looked at the three people and said, "My name is Hao Ren, and I own a small tech company called Thunder Technologies, nice to meet you."


    The people nodded to him with polite smiles. Although, Hao Ren was a rising businessman, but they were already at the top. As they all sat down, Hao Ren''s phone rang, he picked up the call with a smile on his face, and after listening to the other person he said, "Xuexue, I will send it to you. Don''t worry."


    Han Lingxue had called to ask him about the car money, these days, he had been so caught up in the storm of life that he had forgotten his promise. He took out a few millions from his personal account and sent them to the girl with help of Xiao Mei.


    The event began and the lights dimmed out. Everyone saw Harvey Skye standing at the podium, and he said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, you all have left a mark of your own in the field of business and we hope that your mark keeps deepening and improving the standards of the nation. It is my great delight to host the rising youngsters of the nation tonight for the Rising Young Entrepreneur Banquet."


    The crowd applauded and then Harvey Skye said, "Today we have among ourselves, a person who is supporting the vision of advanced robot technology integrated in our daily lives. The person may be young, but the milestones his company has achieved are very high. I would like to call upon the stage, Mister Hao Ren, President of Thunder Technologies, to share the collective idea of the youngsters."


    Not many people put there hands together, and Harvey Skye kept smiling. Hao Ren was surprised as well, but he still stood up from the chair and after nodding to the middle-aged bunch. He walked forward with a cold expression without caring about the looks of refusal and protest on the faces of many young people in the hall.


    They were not happy that Hao Ren got to speak for them. On the contrary, they wanted to argue about the fact that he was called over at all. They might be called rising but they have been working for a few years now to increase their business to such a high level. Putting Hao Ren on the stage meant he was better than them, and none of the people wanted to accept that.


    Hao Ren silently climbed up the stairs and looked at Harvey Skye with an indifferent expression.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was sitting in the living room of her family mansion with a bottle of water in her hand, she was watching Hao Ren get up on the stage. Xiao Mei was screening everything on the big ass Television screen.


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Definitely, we have a lot of things going on at Thunder Technologies, and within a few weeks your counter parts in the Jade Capital would be invited for a sneak peek. I hope you all are patient till then."


    His heart was cold, but Hao Ren sure knew how to attract the crowd toward him. The interaction with the press satisfied the media marines and they decided to let Hao Ren go.


    Joe was following him and could not help but ask, "Sir, our projects are they not sensitive information?"


    Hao Ren replied coldly, "They are not sensitive information but strong bombs. You store information but toss the bomb on your enemy, and I wish to do the latter."


    Joe did not understand what Hao Ren meant but he understood that this young man wanted to make waves that swallowed his enemies. He shivered at the thought of that.


    ...


    Hao Ren was sitting on the floor of his room with a plate of food before him. On the table, Han Lingshi was glaring at him through the phone. She asked, "Why did you go against that officer so publicly?"


    Hao Ren said, "I was annoyed by this, they wanted to make me a public enemy."


    That''s what he said, but Han Lingshi received something extra. A text on her mobile screen, which said, ''That man is a cultivator, I am under investigation.''


    Han Lingshi was surprised but she could not help but play along with him. Earlier when he came inside the room, he asked Xiao Mei to investigate if the place was bugged. She manipulated the microphone of the mobile and detected a few frequencies coming from various spots in the room. Hao Ren was surrounded by the detection tools from the DEHB.


    After an hour, the call was disconnected, and Hao Ren was about to go to bed, when his mobile screen flashed, and it said, ''Boss, I know this is the worst timing for it, but your parents are in danger.''


    Hao Ren typed back, "What happened?"


    Despite everything, he was their son.


    ...


    Hao Xinyuan and Tang Zhen had come to the Meridian City looking for an old friend and a medical practitioner, Old Tie, in order to cure Tang Zhen''s internal injuries. At the moment, she was suppressing the effect of the injury forcefully.


    At the moment, they were standing at the entrance of a medical shop in the flea market and the place was closed. They exchanged glances and Hao Xinyuan asked a man from the neighboring shop and they found that Old Tie has been arrested for selling fake drugs.


    Hao Xinyuan was shocked, he did not expect such a thing, However, he only nodded and wanted to leave, when a calm wind blew around them. A calm voice sounded to them from outside of the shop, "Mister Hao, Madam Hao, if you don''t mind, please come over on your own because if I stepped in, the sky will change."


    Tang Zen narrowed her gaze and she wanted to counter the man, but she sensed the gaze of her husband. It was true, as long as they cooperated with this people, Hao Ren would be safe. If they tried to rebel, these people might attack Hao Ren. Their son was yet to reach the level of a black immortal realm cultivator.


    Hao Xinyuan replied, "We will come up, we will cooperate."

 Chapter 132: Mind Game.

    Hao Ren picked up his phone, and after reading the message he stood up and put on sports wear and headed to the gym with his ear plugs in his ears. The guards were surprised and they followed him. One of them asked, "Boss, are we heading outside?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I am a bit restless so I thought I will go and workout in the gym."


    They nodded, and followed him to the hotel gym. They did not ask him why was he not working out in the private gym inside the suite. Hao Ren turned on the treadmill and stepped on it. He asked in a low voice, "Xiao Mei, is this place clean."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, they did not bug the public places."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Good, can you track Mister Skye for me?"


    Xiao Mei acknowledged and began to track the guy before Hao Ren said, "Call my father."


    ...


    Hao Xinyuan was helping Tang Zen to go out of the shop when his phone rang. He frowned and took it out of his pocket. He found that it was his son, and revealed a bitter smile. Tang Zen was standing close to him and said, "Pick it up. Let us apologize to him before getting out."


    The owner of the shop was watching them carefully, and thought they were a poor bunch suffering from the problem of debt. He sighed as he shook his head. Hao Xinyuan did not care about the gaze on his back and picked up the call. However, before he could say anything, Hao Ren said, "I know that you two are strong, and at the moment you have five of the DEHB people waiting for you outside the shop.


    Now listen to me very carefully Old Boy Hao. I am pissed off, and if you wish for me to still recognize you both as my parents, you will do what I tell you to. Do you get that?"


    ...


    Hao Ren had bought along the sachet Hao Mei left for him. He did not know for what reason he did this, because he certainly did not wish to talk to her, or even think about her at this moment. He held the sachet, and said softly, "Hao Mei."


    He was still running on the treadmill and for a few minutes, nothing happened. Suddenly, he saw that the void before him was rippling. He said, "Xiao Mei, kill the power of this entire area, and I mean, the whole block of this city. Freeze the cameras as well. Be quick."


    Xiao Mei found these things simple with the aid of her dark web supremacy. The electricity was cut off, and she even disconnected the generator so the power back up was delayed. Hao Ren did it for one reason and that was to prevent anyone for suspecting him and catch a sight of Hao Mei appearing miraculously.


    Just as the power was shut down, a sparking violet sphere appeared in the void, and then Hao Mei seemed to have poured out of that void. Hao Ren could not help but comment, "What an unsightly scene."


    Hao Mei shook her head to recollect her senses and was happy, thinking that her brother was willing to listen to her, when the latter said, "Your parents are being apprehended by a bunch of DEHB freaks, you should have ways to rescue them, right?"


    Hao Mei was surprised and asked, "What happened?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I may not like you guys at the moment, but I do not have the intention to harm you. You can find out yourself. I am already under monitoring because I killed a few terrorists to rescue my wife, and forgot to delete the footage."


    Then he walked over to the inclined bench and lay down on it, before he turned to Hao Mei and asked, "What are you still doing here?" Experience tales at m v|l e''-novelhall.net


    Hao Mei vanished from her spot, Hao Ren wasn''t worried, because in his mind, if someone can use void travel, or even a teleportation spell or something, then they are skilled enough to handle five people, not to mention what he told his father. It would be a walk in the park for them to walk out of that mess.

 Chapter 133: Gamble (Bonus Chapter)

    Hao Ren sat on the bench for a few moments, and the guards came rushing him. He said, "I am fine."


    They were concerned because gym was an injury prone place and the sudden power cut could have resulted in a serious injury. Hao Ren fished out his phone from the pocket and typed, "Xiao Mei turn on the lights and give me a narration on what Hao Mei is doing."


    Xiao Mei replied in his ear, "Alright, boss. Also, Harvey Skye has been located, I also looked into his identity."


    Hao Ren picked up the barbell and said, "Go ahead."


    Xiao Mei said, "He is an employee in the Business Association. He lives in the Siphon Tower near the bund. There are five people in his family and one of them is chronically ill, and admitted in the terminal ward of the Meridian First Hospital."


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "What is the illness of this patient and what is their relation to Harvey Skye?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "The patient is vegetative, Subarachnoid Bleed. The blood clotted in a place where none of the modern technology can cure it. It appears that the person has been admitted for over a couple of years. She is called Lilac Skye, age twelve years, and is daughter to Harvey Skye."


    Hao Ren smiled widely as he lifted the barbell to the maximum height. He asked, "What about Hao Mei?"


    ...


    Hao Mei was flying through the void, she had a small glass bead in her hand. This bead was flicking with purple light and as she was flying the blinks were getting smaller and the light was getting brighter.


    If normal humans looked at the sky, they would not see anything different. Hao Mei was clever, she was using a concealment array to hide herself from the people. Within a few minutes, she came to a stop and looked down at the road. She spotted a bike and a mini-van moving at a high speed. She took out her sword and vanished from her position.


    Tim was riding his bike looking for any signs of attack or intersection. He was the strongest warrior in this batch and it was his task to protect both his team and the targets. Sometimes, the cultivators were ruthless, in order to hide their tracks they would kill the targets.


    ...


    In the minivan, Hao Xinyuan sighed and asked, "Do you guys have any water in the car?"


    The people exchanged gazes with each other and a young lady nodded and picked up a water bottle, and handed it to Hao Xinyuan. The old man accepted it with a smile on his face, and unscrewed the cap on top. He drank a mouthful before passing the bottle to Tang Zen. Except for the driver, all three were gazing at the old couple.


    They were not as chill about the surrender as Tim. Suddenly, the driver exclaimed, "What the fuck?"


    Every one shifted their gaze, Hao Xinyuan held the cap of the bottle between his thumb and fingers and flicked it towards the driver aiming at the back of his head. The cap was flicked with so much power that had it collided with a normal human skull, the person would have died from a cranial explosion.


    The cap hit the driver, and the latter was knocked out. The passenger reacted quickly and tried to take over the wheel, but Hao Xinyuan had taken out three pennies from his pocket and flicked them at the three people before him.


    He might be old, and he might have sealed his cultivation but his skills were still good enough to hand three foundation establishing youngsters. After he was done with that, he held Tang Zen in his embrace as the car came to a sudden stop.


    The old lady sighed and said, "We could have taken these people out when they showed up at the market, but we didn''t because that would only trigger higher level investigations. What will we do now?"


    After half an hour, Roy found him standing before an abandoned house in the city sub-urbs. This place was on the outskirts of the city, and did not have much human activity at this hour. He got down, took out the packet from the back seat, placed it next to the wall of the abandoned house and left the place.


    Those were the instructions and he was smart enough to know that sometimes it was better to know less.


    ...


    Hao Mei watched the entire scene from a distance and only when the tail lights vanished in the distance did she pick up the packet and brought it inside the house. Hao Xinyuan and Tang Zen were sitting on the dirty floor and the five people were tied up before them.


    Tim said, "Mister Hao, what you are doing is strictly against the rules set for the cultivators from the Spirit Shimmer Continent. If I did not report to my seniors by the morning tomorrow, you will be facing an even bigger trouble."


    Hao Xinyuan nodded and said, "I know, but sometimes we have to gamble. What I don''t understand is, how come your seniors have never been suspicious of us before? I mean, me and my wife have worked through the years and done a lot of things for our county sincerely. Yet, the DEHB is treating us as if we are your mortal enemies. This does not seem fair, does it?"


    Tim was about to say something when the door was pushed open by Hao Mei, who came over with a parcel in her hands. She handed the parcel to Han Xinyuan who quickly checked the content and said, "Well, Mister Tim, I would have loved to talk to you, but it seems that I need to see you off now." .net


    Tim frowned and said, "You can run but you can never hide from the eyes of the DEHB."


    Tang Zen pinched her fingers and asked as the rest of his crew members shivered in pain, "Can you tell me, who is the superior officer involved in this investigation?"


    Tim smiled and replied, "You will know soon."


    Hao Mei flickered from her place and knocked them out. She said, "These people would rather die than talk. Don''t worry about it. What did Ren say?"


    Hao Xinyuan took out a small bottle from the packet and opened it revealing a green paste stuffed inside. He then used his finger to smear this paste on the lips of the seven people, and whispered something in their ears. The process was completed quickly.


    Tang Zen asked, "Did you just tried to sooth say them?"


    Hao Xinyuan nodded and replied, "Xiao Ren sent this medicine because it can make them amnesic. They will forget everything that happen for the past twelve hours. What I said would become their memory and we will be clear of investigation."


    Hao Mei was surprised and asked, "What did you tell them?"


    The old man replied, "I told them that we do not have any cultivation capability and we are just ordinary mortals with old injuries that makes it impossible for us to cultivate."


    Hao Mei asked doubtfully, "Do you really think that would work?"


    The old man replied, "I am not sure where the kid came up with all these ideas but so what, this is the moment we should have some trust in him, after all, he saved us without making a single move. So, it is worth it, even if I go down, I will trust Xiao Ren."


    Hao Mei sighed and said, "If only you could have been like this before."


    The trio then devoured the food before they cleaned up the place and left no traces of their existence and even untied the five of them. She noticed that the layer of paste was not where to be seen on the bodies, the medicine had been absorbed by the skin slowly.

 Chapter 134: Cunning Hao Ren.

    Hao Ren received a message from Hao Xinyuan that they were returning to the Jade Capital apartment. The young man was not worried of anything at the moment. Even if the trio ran into Han Lingshi, she won''t just make them stand outside. Han Lingshi was cold to people but she was not without empathy.


    The young man went to sleep with a peaceful smile on his face while someone else was facing a storm. Harvey Skye was one of the scouts and he worked on the same level as the people who had gone to capture the old couple. Hao Ren did not know this but he made a smart guess, that since Harvey Skye had come to probe him, and the people also surrounded his parents, they must be connected.


    The reason for this sudden investigation could be how he handled the terrorists, and also, his rise in business. Cultivators had an intelligence higher than the normal people. At least that''s what Hao Ren thought.


    ...


    After Tim and his team did not check in, Harvey Skye was alerted, and he was given twenty four hours to report the status. Since the target involved could possibly be a strong group of cultivators, the DEHB did not make any hasty move that might startle the people.


    Harvey Skye left home and tried his best to find the clue about the team. After the team left the market with Hao Xinyuan and Tang Zen, they seemed to have vanished from the surface of the planet. The man could not put things together because he could not understand how this was possible. The only reason he could come up with was a concealment formation.


    He used a detection talisman to search through multiple numbers of routes, but nothing turned up. Harvey Skye was frustrated, and then he took out his phone as he asked, "Where is Hao Ren?"


    On the screen, the monitoring system showed that Hao Ren was sleeping. He checked through the footage of the CCTV and the hidden cameras. He found that the only activity where he left the suite was when he went to the gym. He even went through the conversations of the young couple but found nothing suspicious.


    In the end, the sun had just came up and Harvey Skye took a deep breath to calm his mind. He sat down to meditate and think about what could have happened. This was not the first time a target and a team had gone missing.


    ...


    Hao Ren woke up and freshened up after going to the gym. The guards were impressed about how disciplined their boss was. The young man called the two assistants and said, "I wish to visit the Meridian First Hospital and make a fifty million yuan donation for the terminal wing. Contact the people who call the shots there, I want to take a tour of the place before giving them the money.


    Also, Roy, I want you to run a background checks on all these shot callers. I want to see if they are worthy of the white coats."


    Joe and Roy were surprised by this sudden decision but they nodded and left the place quickly. The guards watched Hao Ren go through his basic weight training, before he asked one of them to spar with him. The people here were all retired special forces and even if they had medical reasons, they could still overpower a normal person.


    However, Hao Ren gave them a shock, the young man was so quick that even after the two of them broke out in sweat they could not touch him. After he was finished, Hao Ren took a shower and dressed up. It was eleven in the morning, the young man left the hotel with his assistants.


    Roy sat in the back and Joe took the passenger seat. The former said, "I swear these people sure are pretentious."


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Roy replied, "The hospital is ran by Director Miya Tobirama, he is also the Chief of Neuro Surgery. His record is impeccable, never failed in a surgery."


    Joe asked, "What makes him pretentious?"


    Roy replied in an irritated tone, "He never took on any cases that had complications. He always handled the easy in and easy out cases. On the other hand, there is a lady in there staff, she is called Marina Greene, she has a fifty fifty record, because out of the hundred cases she handled till date, many had complications. She only joined this hospital three months ago.


    All her life she has been working in the remote areas and trying to save as many people as she could."


    He took out a digital version of his Junior Apprentice License. This shocked Miya Tobirama, he did not expect this rich businessman to be someone who had medical knowledge. He took a deep breath and said, "Please, it would be nice if you could meet the patients."


    Following that, Miya Tobirama assigned a few doctors come over and introduce Hao Ren to the patients. The young man found that most of the cases here were the ones that could not be treated and were seeking care in their last few days.


    The young man took a deep breath at the situation and finally he asked what he had come here for, "I wonder if there are any children suffering from such a condition in this place."


    The doctor beside him said, "Unfortunately, Lilac has been laying in the bed for quite a long time."


    Hao Ren pretended to be surprised and even asked what was going on here. The doctors all turned to look at a lady who looked pretty haggard after all her hard work at the hospital. Miya Tobirama said, "This is Doctor Greene, she has been looking after Young Lilac."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Doctor Greene may I see her medical record?"


    Doctor Greene was surprised and she brought up all the details on her tab and passed it to Hao Ren. The young man read a few things before he exclaimed, "Is she the daughter of Harvey Skye, the officer in the Business Association?"


    Miya Tobirama was confused but Marina Greene replied, "Yes, Mister Hao, he is the same person."


    Hao Ren unveiled a shocked expression and then pity as he spoke in a lamenting manner, "I met him yesterday only. To think he has been holding up in such a terrible situation."


    The people nodded, and Marina mentioned that Harvey would visit Lilac every other day, and his wife has been practically living in the hospital. Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "Do you mean I can meet Mrs. Skye?"


    Marina nodded and then she brought him to the ward where Lilac was admitted. As the presiding doctor, Marina went inside first and then she called Hao Ren inside. The young man walked inside a simple single patient ward.


    He first nodded to the beautiful middle-aged lady standing beside the bed, and then he gazed at the pale and skinny young lady laying on the bed with various sensors and tubes attached to her body.


    Hao Ren approached the lady in the room and with both hands placed before his chest he said, "Greetings, Mrs. Skye. I am Hao Ren, I came to the hospital to make some donations when I heard about the plight of your daughter. It pains one a lot to see something like this. I apologize if I am causing you any inconvenience."


    The lady shook her head and said, "It is a good thing that you are making a donation for a good cause, Mister Hao. My name is Vivian."


    Hao Ren nodded, and asked her a few trivial questions about her daughter. Then he asked, "Are you a home-maker?"


    Vivian shook her head and replied, "No, I used to work along with my husband but after this incident with Lilac, I decided to take some time off to look after her."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It just so happens that I have something to discuss with Mister Skye. How about we call him here? I am sure this is the best place for this issue."


    Vivian was surprised but then Hao Ren took out his phone and dialed Harvey Skye''s number. The call was connected after a few minutes and Hao Ren said, "Mister Skye, this is Hao Ren, we met yesterday, do you recall?"


    The man on the other side responded with a cold yes, and Hao Ren said, "At the moment, I am standing in the Terminal Neural Care Ward of the First hospital with your wife and the presiding Doctor Miss Greene. Would you like to come over? I have something to discuss with you?"


    He did not beat around the bush and stabbed Harvey right where he knew it would hurt a lot. Harvey Skye accepted, "I will be there in a bit, but I hope you know, for your sake, what you are doing."

 Chapter 135 : Hard Trade.

    Hao Ren disconnected the call and watched Vivian look at him with an alert gaze. He smiled faintly and said, "Believe me, I didn''t come here bearing any evil intentions, Mrs. Skye. Let us wait for your husband to come over and discuss this small issue. I assure you, what I have to offer is not something that any of you would be able to look away from, and you would not regret this moment either."


    Doctor Greene saw the scene and even heard the words but she could not put the head and tails of the situation together. Hao Ren looked at her and asked, "Doctor Greene, how would you like to work for the charitable organization, New Dawn Foundation, that deals with medical, and educational welfare for the remote regions and also the underprivileged?"


    Marina Greene was surprised by the sudden offer. Hao Ren said, "I have seen your profile, you have spend a lot of time trying to help people who could not get proper care. People like you will never be appreciated when the head of the department is afraid of failure and hungry for success."


    The lady was surprised, but then she said, "I will need some time to think about it, Mister Hao."


    Hao Ren nodded in understanding, and said, "Would you mind if I talk to Mrs. Sky alone?"


    Marina Greene looked at Vivian who nodded faintly and then the former left the room. After the door closed, Vivian asked, "Who are you? What do you want?"


    Hao Ren replied, "My identity is real, unlike you and your husband, Mrs. Skye. I am a businessman, and your husband has caused me a great deal of pain. I understand that it is your job to deal with people who can potentially misuse their powers, but why must you bother people like me? Why must you push my old mother to the edge of death just because of a suspicion?"


    Vivian narrowed her gaze and clenched her fist. Hao Ren knew that he was weaker than her, and with Harvey Skye coming over, he had no chance so he only said, "You people are fools to allow your daughter to be in this condition even though you are cultivators."


    As soon as he said the last word, Vivian almost dashed over to attack him but Hao Ren said, "I can cure your daughter, and she can have a normal life again."


    His words shocked Vivian in her place, she could not move, but then she asked with an angry expression, "Do you think that your joke is funny? I can kill you as easy as it is to kill a dog."


    Hao Ren nodded and sat down on a sofa, and the next moment, he flicked his hand. The space ring was where he had stored some tooth picks from the hotel. The force and the move of his hands was so unpredictable, that Vivian was caught off guard, and the toothpick hit her forehead.


    She was surprised when Hao Ren said, "Just because you are a cultivator, that does not make you invincible. I shot that toothpick at the center of your forehead and only the blunt end hit you. Imagine what would the result be had I aimed at your eyes with the sharp end. Or worse, what if the toothpick had flown over to hit your daughter?"


    Hao Ren smirked and said, "Fool, you are a cultivator that only exists in the myth of this mortal world. Although your strength is as puny as that of an ant in the cultivation world, do you really think that the spiritual energy cannot fix a microscopic leak? Did your brain turn into mud after working as the lapdog of DEHB for all these years?"


    Harvey clenched his fist and spoke with a lot of effort, "DEHB will not allow any spiritual energy implementation outside of their operations. If they found that I have used my skills then they will kill Lilac to make an example for the others."


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and said, "Mister Skye, your employers don''t sound very friendly to me. Anyhow, can you go away from my family? I will help your daughter and it will not need spiritual energy at all."


    Harvey Skye was stunned and he almost without hesitation said, "Yes. If you can save my daughter I will do what you ask of me, I swear in the name of my martial heart."


    Hao Ren smiled and then put his hand inside his pocket to bring out the small plastic box from his space ring and said, "This is your antidote, have it while you still have a chance to live."


    Then he tossed him the box and Vivian helped Harvey with the small paste. Hao Ren stood up, and approached the bed. He measured Lilac''s pulse and his medical skills came to life. He could see a three dimensional model of Lilac''s body in his conscious and then track back the vague electrical channel flowing through her skin, he located the clot hidden deep under her skull.


    Then he opened his eyes and said, "Your daughter is alive because the vein closed on its own, one of you must have rescued her, but the clot has caused the cranial fluid to increase the pressure on her brain. That is why she is in coma, and also, the clot is de-oxygenized. It is infecting her slowly. Let me guess, she is alive because Mrs. Skye has been secretly feeding her with elixirs?"


    Harvey Skye stood up from the ground and took a deep breath, he replied while cleaning his forehead, "We don''t have elixirs but we feed her a herbal drink with some of our spiritual energy in it."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Clever, you are only giving her the energy she needs to stay alive. Even if someone came to check, until you have fed her, they won''t find the signs."


    Harvey took a deep breath to calm his mind and asked, "Can you really help her?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Just get me a few golden needles and then follow the traditional prescription, she will wake up in two days, but briefly, she will still need a lot of care."


    Harvey Skye nodded and said, "I swear if you caused any trouble or my daughter is harmed, I will take your head off before you can walk out of the room or say the word, ''Sorry.'' Do you understand?"


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "We shall see about that."

 Chapter 136 : Saving Lives.

    Hao Ren told Harvey Skye to get him golden needles and the latter shot out of the room without care of being noticed by the people. Vivian still looked at the young man with a doubtful gaze which caused him to sigh.


    He said, "Mrs. Skye, you really think that I am just making false claims?"


    The lady shook her head and asked, "I have doubts but I can tell that you are not bluffing. If your parents are cultivators, why aren''t you one?"


    Hao Ren did not expect her to be so stuck up and said, "Well, I was born with clogged meridians, although the workout and training in martial arts have cleaned them, they are rigid and dry, rather than becoming a weak and small cultivator, I would like to be a good businessman."


    Vivian poked more, "How do you explain your aura and temperament?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "It is one of the world''s mysteries. Perhaps my medical skills and business knowledge have helped me."


    Vivian did not react quickly, but she nodded after a few minutes and Hao Ren helplessly turned around to check on Lilac. He needed to adjust his state of mind, because this was the first time he was going to perform a treatment.


    With the higher intelligence attribute, Hao Ren could simulate his brain to perform various scenarios. Vivian did not disturb him as he meditated, she watched him from a distance, whether she liked it or not, this young man had figured out the real problem with her daughter and she really wanted to see her child wake up.


    She knew it better than the doctors that had it not been for the elixirs they have fed their daughter, she would have left the world a long time ago, however, they could not bear to see her die. They were cultivators, they stood against the limits of the mortal world and going through something like this defied their belief.


    On the other hand, Hao Ren was thinking how Vivian was so suspicious of him. He could not understand why were they so on-guard with him. Was it because they did not trust DEHB? Or did it have something to do with the rogue cultivators? He could not understand the reason they had behind such high alert.


    As he was thinking about all these things and simulating the treatment scenario, the door of the ward slid open and Marina Greene walked in. She had a big frown on her face when she found that Hao Ren was sitting on the side with his eyes closed. She wanted to say something when Vivian asked, "Doctor Greene, is there any problem?"


    Marina Greene hesitated and then said, "Ma''am, I allowed you to stay over in the ward after the visiting hours because you are a parent, but Mister Hao should not extend his stay beyond the visiting hours."


    Hao Ren replied in a soft tone, "I promise I will be a good visitor, Doctor Greene."


    The ladies looked at him in exasperation, both with reasons of their own. A few minutes later, Harvey Skye appeared with a few small boxes in his hand and said, "I have what you wanted, get on with it."


    Hao Ren stood up from his seat and collected three boxes from Harvey Skye and said, "Good."


    They walked up towards Lilac''s bed with the small boxes in his hands and Marina Greene asked, "What is going on here?"


    She was completely clueless and wanted to know what was going on, and asked, "What are you doing?"


    Hao Ren wanted to tell her what he was about to do, when Harvey said, "Doctor Greene, whatever is about to happen in this ward, is done with the consent of my wife and myself. I hope that you don''t create a scene."


    Marina was surprised and Hao Ren sighed as he said, "You need to tone down your temper, Mister Skye."


    Harvey Skye and Vivian were looking at him with great anticipation and anxiety. Hao Ren stood up after a minute and the man asked, "What just happened, why is she not awake?"


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "She has been feeding on elixirs, and her body is too weak to digest them. All the energy is trapped inside her body. If she wakes up and activate her body, what do you think will happen with that much energy resting inside?"


    Harvey was surprised, Hao Ren continued, "Your daughter has a special physique, but you know that already, the energy from the elixirs is inside her Dantian, once she wakes up, it will rampage inside her. Now, she will be asleep for two days, and her body will improve. The clot has been handled, and all I need to do is to retrieve the needles, if you don''t mind."


    Hao Ren pushed Harvey to the side, and quickly took out the needles in the order they were stabbed in. There was a trace of blood on the skin, after all the injection could not be so harmless.


    Hao Ren cleaned the needles and said, "I will text you the prescription and this set of needles is my fees."


    Harvey Skye nodded, and Hao Ren said, "Release Doctor Greene, also, I hope you remember your promise."


    The man nodded and waved his hand to release Marina Greene, who hurriedly rushed over to check Lilac, and began to attach all the sensors to her body while glaring at the three adults.


    However, when the sensors showed the data on the monitors, she was shocked. All her rage had gone down the drain as if it never existed. Hao Ren smiled and said, "Doctor Greene, you can stay in the green if you want to, but if you wish to do good to the world, then wait till the Foundation is ready, there, you would be able to make the difference you always wanted."


    Then he left the room. Afterwards the process of the donation was simple. He promised Medical Bots worth twenty million to the emergency wing. Miya Tobirama was surprised but then Hao Ren said he would donate another ten million for the Terminal Wing, but he wanted the hospital directors give him a proper bill of every penny they were to spend.


    ...


    The car moved through the streets, and Hao Ren sat in the back of the car with his eyes closed. Just when he was thinking that dealing with Harvey Skye was finished, his phone rang.


    He checked and found it was Han Lingshi, and he picked up the call, and the other party said, "Ren, where are you?"


    The young man asked, "On the way to the airport, what happened?"


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Nothing happened, it''s just that your parents and sister came, and they are a bit flustered and its getting very awkward."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "I will be there in a few hours, don''t worry."


    The young man was going to look into the truth of everything that happened, because today at the mention of his sister, his heart trembled unusually, this was a heart demon and needed to be solved.


    He boarded the flight, but as the flight climbed in the sky, he found themselves in a situation that could not be handled with ease.


    ...


    Dream''s Plea: Guys, we are lagging behind in rankings, please vote with as many power stones as you can. I am depending on you all. If you have any dissatisfaction about the plot, please comment, or contact me directly on discord, I will try to do my best to negate the issue.

 Chapter 137: Bonds (1)

    Hao Ren had texted the location of his teammates to Harvey Skye. He also told him what his plan was and Harvey Skye agreed to him, because he swore on his Martial Heart. If he was to betray Hao Ren, then his skills and cultivation will be destroyed.


    The young man looked outside the window and then calmed down to meditate and perceive spiritual energy. It was the most crucial step on the path of cultivation and he was yet to make any progress about it. As he focused on the chant of the Titan Sutra, he found his body warming up and he was trying to pull all the colored particles over to his side.


    ...


    In the Jade Capital, Han Lingshi was sitting inside the study and was reading the information she found about cultivators in a handbook she got from her Grand Father, Yue Chilong. She frowned and sighed as she leaned back in the chair. At this moment, there was a knock on the door, and she said, "Come in."


    The door slid open and Hao Mei walked in. She wore a white dress and carried a sword on her waist. Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "Do you want to leave already?"


    Hao Mei was not surprised and nodded. Han Lingshi smiled and asked, "You are worried that when he gets back, you will be overwhelmed by the emotions?"


    The former nodded, she did not want to hide anything anymore. Her heart was light but she knew that confronting Hao Ren was akin to facing a heart demon and it was a scary experience because he held her guilty.


    Han Lingshi nodded, she knew that it was very complicated and it was not her place to talk about this. She said, "If you leave like this, there is a chance that he might hold you even more guilty. Ma is sick, and Dad is also troubled with looking after her at this moment. If you also leave, then do you think he would be fine?"


    Hao Mei sighed and looked at the ceiling for a few minutes, before she pulled the chair across from Han Lingshi and said, "I have no idea what to do. When we executed our plan to send me to the Spirit Shimmer Continent, Maa made the decision and we had to follow because she is the strongest among all of us. So much that when Dad protested, she challenged him to a duel, and beat him black and blue."


    Han Lingshi was shocked, Hao Mei nodded with a faint smile and said, "Mom belonged to the Tang Sect, one of the most powerful sects in the Spirit Shimmer Continent. However, Tianjiao, meaning the Pride of the heavens, a warrior who could not be defeated by those of the same realm, had offended a senior from another sect that was even more power Tang Sect.


    The people hunted down the Tang Sect disciples, and Maa was one of those who walked through the rivers of blood and flesh, that is why she always focused more on strength and less on love."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Well, I don''t know what to say about that, but since we are talking about cultivation, how about you answer a few questions of mine."


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "Go on."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Whenever I meditate, I see flickering colors. Each one of them being very vibrant and warm. Why do they fly and invade my body?"


    Hao Mei said, "Those are energy particles, it is mentioned in your cultivation sutra. These particles are spiritual energy, once they are able to enter your body, that is when you have stepped onto the first level of the cultivation."


    Hao Mei sighed and said, "While I understand what you are trying to say, but he cannot cultivate, his meridians were blocked when he was born."


    Han Lingshi was shocked but then she replied, "How could that be, we both were cultivating together that day."


    Hao Mei was shocked, she stood up from the chair and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Han Lingshi began to tell her about the various things that Hao Ren told her, about the old man he met and all the things he could pull off. None of the people knew till now that Hao Ren was already capable of killing and torturing people. Hao Mei was really shocked she said, "We have to tell my parents about it."


    Hao Ren took a shower inside his bathroom before he changed into casual clothes. He sighed as he looked into his reflection and turned around to go and meet his parents. He was at the door of their room. He knocked gently and Hao Xinyuan said, "Come in."


    The young man pushed the half open door and went inside. He spotted Hao Xinyuan sitting on bedside holding Tang Zen''s hand. Hao Ren noticed that his ballistic mother was laying there with a pale face. He looked at the old couple and asked, "Old Boy Hao, what the hell did you do for Empress Dowager to end up like this?"


    Hao Xinyuan sighed and said, "Her heart meridian has ruptured. The spirit energy is leaking through and ravaging her body."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "So you decided to use your energy to save her. Are you a fool? How long will you do this for?"


    Hao Xinyuan did not look away from Tang Zen''s face and said, "Till my last breath."


    Hao Ren was speechless and said, "Well, keep holding her hand then."


    The room was well lit and he climbed up on the bed. The old man was surprised and Hao Ren grabbed on the void. He took out a box of golden needles and his spirit rejuvenation potion bottles too.


    He prepared everything and just when he was about to proceed, Han Lingshi and Hao Mei came inside the room. The two were surprised when they saw Hao Ren sitting this close to Tang Zen. The young man said, "Old Boy Han, tell your daughter to come and stand across me. I will need her help in a few things."


    Hao Mei moved even before her father could say anything. She stood before Hao Ren and asked, "Why didn''t you tell us that you could cultivate?"


    Her question caused the old man to look up in shock. Hao Ren gazed at Hao Mei as if she was a fool and said, "Did I know that my family is a bunch of cultivators? Did you ask me if I was doing okay? Before you ask me questions look at yourself. Now, if you are done with this interrogation, sterilize the needles for me, and stand in the corner."


    He was angry when the person who faked her death was accusing him of being secretive. What else could he do? He did not know Han Lingshi will change his life. With that, he began to calm down and treat his mother.

 Chapter 138: Bonds (2).

    Hao Xinyuan watched as his son collected the needles from Hao Mei and accurately drove them through the acupoints on Tang Zen''s chest. He did not even need to remove the clothes that the old lady was wearing.


    Hao Mei was also observing her brother displaying his brilliance from such a close distance, and this was for the first time ever she was watching him. For a moment she turned her head and saw Han Lingshi watching Hao Ren with a faint smile and brimming admiration in her eyes.


    She realized that short relationship between the two people had grown into something really strong and deep. Hao Mei could not understand the reason behind this but she knew that it was not a lie.


    When she first found out about Han Lingshi, she thought this woman was going to use her brother as a shield to get away from the troubles of the secular world, but the growth and trust they both showed baffled her.


    .net


    Hao Ren won her heart with his simplicity and down to earth effort. She wanted to ask her why did she choose Hao Ren to marry her, but she did not know how to approach the topic. After all, they were not at such friendly terms with each other.


    Han Lingshi asking for her help in cultivation was also a surprise, but she knew, Han Lingshi was an objective person, she did not care if Hao Mei was someone she disliked, knowledge was much more important.


    Hao Ren injected the seventh needle and said, "Withdraw your spiritual energy. Empress Hao, open your eyes and stop playing possum. What sort of a cultivator are you if you cannot even control your spiritual energy flow? Wake up."


    Hao Xinyuan glared at his son and said, "How dare you talk to your mother in this manner?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Have you finally turned senile? It was all her attempt to kill herself."


    The people were shocked, and Old Lady Tang opened her eyes slightly. Hao Ren shook his head and got off the bed. Hao Mei asked, "What do you mean her attempt to kill herself?"


    Hao Ren replied in a calm tone, "She has been a cultivator of at least six decades, do you think her emotional control is so shallow that it would cause her spiritual energy to rupture the meridians? When Old Boy Hao was holding her injury back she did not even try to control her situation, tell me if that was not suicide?"


    Hao Xinyuan looked at Tang Zen and asked with a saddened expression, "Why did you do you, Zen? Why?"


    Tang Zen looked at Hao Ren and then closed her eyes. Hao Ren scoffed and berated her, "When I was a child you didn''t love me. You put me through the illusion of my sister dying, and then you saw me getting better and stronger so you began to mellow out. However, now that I have learned the truth and hold you guilty, you wish to run away from it all without redeeming yourself?


    What a strong cultivation expert you are, no? Hmph."


    He paused and then continued, "The needles will remove by themselves when her energy is stabilized and the wound is closed."


    Hao Ren was looking at the trio with a calm face, and did not interrupt at all, and Hao Xinyuan continued, "I met your mother after the war came to an end. She was injured and tried to attack me. I stopped her and helped her. Gradually we started liking each other and then we got married.


    The Hao Family is a big name in the Northern reaches of the eastern provinces. We ruled a big part of that region, but there was always some conflict inside the family. My cousin brother, Hao Tian, decided that he wanted to seize the power and he planned to kill me, as I was the Heir to the Hao Family."


    Hao Ren was shocked and exclaimed, "Old boy, do you mean to say that not only was I born in a cultivation family, I was also born with a silver spoon?"


    Han Xinyuan clamped his forehead and Han Lingshi clear her throat to bring Hao Ren back to reality. The young man calmed down, and Hao Xinyuan continued, "I had no interest in the family leader position, and one day, my father and mother left for an expedition. After a week we found that they were attacked on the way and were missing.


    Your mother was carrying Xiao Mei in her womb, so, rather than facing Hao Tian, we decided to leave the family and hide.


    For an entire year we hid, but Hao Tian did not give up the pursuit. The Hao Family put a bounty on my head, and Tang Zen''s. Blaming us for regicide. The bounty was very attractive, and so, we faced a lot of struggle. Finally, we came out here. We covered our identities with the help of a few old friends who were forced to come here and sealed our cultivation to avoid the sights of DEHB.


    Had we told you, you would have followed Xiao Mei, and in that iron fist world, you would have died. Hao Mei was sent back so that she could avoid the DEHB who caught a scent of her when she broke through the core formation realm. We came up with other ideas, but they did not look feasible."


    Hao Ren asked, "Did you all never thought of saying, Ren, your sister is in a foreign country and is studying?"


    Hao Mei sighed and said, "Would you have believed that given how short we were of money?"


    Hao Ren retorted, "You are a bright student, you could have gained a scholarship."


    Hao Mei rolled her eyes and replied, "This is why we had to lie to you, because you were such a clingy child that you would have tried to follow me in all directions possible."


    Hao Ren glared at her and questioned, "I was the clingy child, or was it you who followed me everywhere with that pretty smile of yours? The entire group of children used to call me a sis-con. How many times did I tell you to not do that? But you never listened, since I had no one else, it was obvious that I would lean on you. I am a human for god sakes, and my mother did not like me.


    Was it wrong of me to look for her in you?"


    Hao Mei stood up quickly and said, "Do you think I did not like you? Did I not love you? I would beat up those kids who bullied you in secret, or did you think Hayden broke his leg just by kicking a pebble? I was elder to you, and I needed some space which I never found with you sitting on the windowsill with a sulky expression."


    Hao Ren clenched his fist, because it was true that he was the one who pestered Hao Mei a lot, and would often sulk about the shitty system he had. However, Hao Mei was not wrong, at this moment, a ding echoed in his mind, *Ding: Host, a woman respects a man who is honest, and also cares about their relationships.


    Issuing task: Strengthen the bonds. Find a mutual point of concession and mend your relationship.*

 Chapter 139: Calm After The Storm?

    Hao Ren took a deep breath and calmed himself. The voice from the system sounded right before the moment he was about to go ballistic. As he calmed down, he observed the expressions of the people around him.


    Hao Mei''s eyes were misty as if she was on the brink of crying, Han Lingshi was anxious and his parents were gazing at the floor or their hands. They could not raise their heads to look at their children because they blamed themselves for what was going on here.


    Hao Ren walked up to Hao Mei, and everyone watched him anxiously. He stood half a meter away from her and said in a calm tone, "All those moments when I sat on the windowsill sulking, I was actually thinking what I can do to get better. I was tired of being average, and always being the one who needed you to protect me. I did not want to be your burden. I just wanted to catch up to you."


    Hao Mei looked at him in surprised and asked, "Then why didn''t you tell us you could cultivate?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It was only after you left that I met an old man who was at the end of his life. He taught me for three years, and during that time he gave me a few elixirs to unblock my meridians. However, I could not practice spiritual cultivation or exercises, because the unblocked meridians were too weak, and they would shatter if I pushed it too hard.


    The ban was lifted on the day I met Lingshi."


    The people began to talk about a lot of things, they did not even feel hungry. After a few minutes the people were surprised when they learned about Hao Ren''s experiences. The young man had narrated them a story where he forced himself to stay average as he did not wish to cause trouble for his family or something by appearing to be too high key even though he had improved.


    His family bought this because in the world of cultivation they have seen many eccentric people who would help someone change their destiny. Han Lingshi was also at a loss on what to say, she sighed and said, "From the moment I met you, my understanding of the world around me has evolved so much that I feel like going crazy."


    Hao Ren chuckled as he patted her hand. He said, "After meeting you, I have also evolved. If not for you, I might not have the courage to face many things head-on."


    Han Lingshi looked at him and the two people smiled and Hao Mei cleared her throat. She said, "Well, while we have cleared up the past and the present, shall we look at the future too?"


    The atmosphere turned serious once again, and Hao Ren asked, "What do you mean?"


    Hao Mei looked at her parents and said, "Currently I am training under the wing of my Grandmaster. She was surprised to see me but she accepted me as her last disciple without any hesitation. She is the grand elder of the Tang Sect, although the sect has recovered, but it is still not yet back to its former glory. The hatred between the Oriental Sun Holy Land is still there but it is more controlled.


    At the same time, Hao Tian and his younger generation is still looking for Baba, so that they could kill him and strengthen their foothold in the family."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and asked, "They are still looking for them?"


    Hao Mei nodded and replied, "Big families and big forces all have a soul card which symbolizes your soul presence. As long as those jade cards are intact, it means you are alive. Grandmaster destroyed Ma''s soul card, so she is out of danger, but Baba is on the hot list."


    Hao Ren patted the back of her palm gently as he said, "Whatever comes, we will face it together. Alright?"


    Han Lingshi hummed and stood there. She was not afraid that Hao Ren would leave her, for some odd reason, she felt that an oddly strong connection and the bond between them has strengthened a lot since the moment they started cultivating.


    In the middle of all this, the system notified him of task completion but Hao Ren did not divert his focus and messed around with Han Lingshi.


    Hao Ren cooked and Han Lingshi helped him with the trivial tasks. The trio sitting outside could hear a chuckle or a light laugh from behind the doors. They smiled at each other, Hao Mei said, "He has never been this happy, has he?"


    The elder nodded and Han Lingshi came out of the kitchen, as she said, "The food is ready."


    Hao Mei and Han Lingshi helped Hao Ren move the dishes from the kitchen to the table, and Hao Ren said, "Mei, you owe me gifts for all the years you were gone. Empress Hao only cooked the longevity noodles and even that had too much salt."


    The old lady asked, "Do you think I cook bad?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Ask yourself if you wish to know the answer?"


    The old lady narrowed her gaze when the door bell rang. Han Lingshi went to open the door and received her family with Hao Ren beside her. The entire Han Family was here, and even Mister Yue Chilong was present there. This was the first time they came to Hao Ren''s house and they bought a lot of gifts.


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    After exchanging the formalities the young couple led the old people to the dining room where the Hao family trio was already waiting. Yue Chilong saw Hao Mei and froze in his spot. The latter was the same, as she cupped her fists and Yue Chilong said, "I did not expect your sister to be the famed Blizzard Blade."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Have a seat before you start fan-boying her, Grandpa Yue."


    Yue Chilong frowned and lady Gao asked, "I wonder what is the urgency of calling us over, Lingshi?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "We just found that Hao family''s past, I would like to know about you too."


    Boom!


    The Han Family was surprised and Old Man Han said, "A very nice reenactment of the Hongmen Banquet."

 Chapter 140: Getting Back On Track.

    The family ate dinner in harmony. It has been a long time since Hao Ren dined with his family with such ease. It would be a lie to say that everything cleared up. The crack between them had been there for a few years, it wouldn''t vanish with the snap of their fingers.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and looked at Han Lingshi, who took the cue and asked, "Grandma, I would like to know the truth about our family''s past."


    Gao Yue sighed and said, "I knew you were up to something."


    Han Lingshi smiled and Gao Yue spoke in a soft voice, "Gao, Han, Xia, and Yue. We were the four families who protected the borders of a small kingdom in the south of the Spirit Shimmer Continent..."


    Before she could say anything, Hao Xinyuan commented, "The four guardians of Moon Spirit Kingdom. A small kingdom, but a remarkable one."


    The people of the Han Family side were shocked and Hao Xinyuan began to briefly explain their own origin. Hao Ren leaned in close to Han Lingshi and said, "Royalty."


    Han Lingshi sensed his hand creeping along her thigh and she held it to stop his movement and said, "This is a capital offence."


    Hao Ren whispered, "I am forever your prisoner."


    Han Lingshi blushed a bit and Hao Mei cleared her throat. She looked at the two love sick people and said, "We are in the middle of a discussion. Behave yourself."


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and sighed, "Fine."


    Han Lingshi smiled as Hao Ren sat upright. Gao Yue greeted Hao Xinyuan and Tang Zen as she said, "Yes, Moon Spirit Kingdom was small but we were strong. However, the bigger the power, the greedier they are.


    The geographical location of the Moon Spirit Kingdom allowed us to harvest moon essence, one of the most sought after refining element. Whether it was an alchemist, formation master, rune master or other experts, they all came to buy the chance to trade the essence.


    The surrounding countries did not like that, and they staged a four directional attack. I was twenty seven years old at that time and fought for seven days before my father made me leave with a few other young members of the four families.


    We were discovered and to save us, Old Han exploded his golden core. Forfeiting his cultivation. Then, we decided to stay here. Old Yue enrolled in the military so that they overlook all of us. While we immersed ourselves in mortal lives.


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    Han Tang is my son, while Han Ming was a child we adopted. Xiao Yelia was caught up with him because of her father wanted her to live in a family he could trust."


    Then as Gao Yue continued speaking, they found out that Han Tang was a peak yellow realm or body refining expert and has been serving in the military to justify his cultivation. Yue Shi, Han Lingshi''s mother was a core refinement level cultivator. Xia Yelia was also initial core formation realm cultivator.


    However, to Hao Ren''s surprise, the strongest of the bunch was Gao Yue, as for Old Man Yue, he was only at peak of core refinement.


    Hao Ren gulped and asked, "Empress Hao, what''s your realm?"


    The lady took a deep breath and asked, "How dare you say that you will venture in before me?"


    Hao Ren held her close to his body and said, "How can I let you go to face danger alone? What will I do if something happened?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "Ren, I.."


    Hao Ren turned her over and kissed her lips passionately. The lady was confused but she gave in to desire. The young man broke the kiss after a few minutes and said, "I will not stop you, but you cannot go in alone. I will share your dream, will you share my fears? I will walk beside you, would you match my pace, dear?"


    Han Lingshi heard the phrases and nodded before she held his face and kissed him. They did everything but stopped before crossing the final limit.


    ...


    Hao Mei sat in her parents room, and Hao Xinyuan said, "When you return, gather more information but don''t put yourself in danger."


    Hao Mei nodded and asked, "Why did you push him so much?"


    She was pointing towards how her parents asked her brother to reach the core formation realm within the time period of a year. She thought this condition was unfair.


    Hao Xinyuan said, "I have started cultivating. It will take a few years to recover my foundation. They would be hard pressed to find off for themselves if they were to stay this week."


    Hao Mei sighed and said, "Fine, I will get going now."


    Hao Xinyuan nodded and hugged the girl before she vanished from her position. Tang Zen took a deep breath and said, "I am getting the silent treatment."


    Hao Xinyuan replied, "You deserve it."


    While the older couple was facing friction. The younger couple was laying together sensing each other''s warmth.


    Hao Ren waited for Han Lingshi to fall asleep and the system said, *Ding: Host, the task has been completed, do you wish to withdraw your reward?*


    The young man replied, "Yes."


    *Ding: Host, your are rewarded with ten steps of the lion technique. As long as you use those technique, your aura will increase at every step. This technique can be used to intimidate the enemy and gain an upper hand in the confrontation."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "I am grateful to you, System."


    *Ding: Host, be grateful to your wife.*


    Hao Ren thought this skill was good and handy. He looked forward to his daily life getting back on track from now.

 Chapter 141: Rise.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi woke up from their sleep and they went about their routine. Han Lingshi had began practicing Wing Chun alongside Hao Ren''s Jeet Kun Doo. However, the twist in this practice was that they were chanting and thinking about their own cultivation technique mantras.


    This appeared to be a small basic thing, but they were trying to sense the spiritual energy and draw it inside their bodies while moving a lot. Such a practice method was slow, but it would provide them with a stable and sturdy foundation.


    After the two people finished working out, Hao Mei came inside the gym room, and said, "Ren, Lingshi, can I talk to you both for a minute."


    Han Lingshi wiped the sweat on her neck and asked, "What is it?"


    Her tone was calm but it still had some distant feel to it. Hao Ren looked at his sister calmly as well, they might not have any ill-will for her in their hearts at the moment, but they were not exactly mellow either.


    Hao Mei did not mind the coldness, because she knew it would be like this. She sighed and said, "I would have gone crazy if you two were to welcome me with your arms open. I understand that you are distant, and I agree with your decision. I did not come here to tell you all that I feel, talk is cheap and some times words cut deep.


    I came here to suggest that you both hold back when it comes to consummating the relationship."


    Han Lingshi blushed while Hao Ren exclaimed, "Even you are not to ban this?! What is going on?"


    Hao Mei rolled her eyes and Han Lingshi pinched his waist hard, causing Hao Ren to wince. The former said, "The reason you need to hold back is to strengthen your Vital Yang and Yin energy."


    Hao Ren walked up to her and stood with his hands crossed before his chest and asked, "Can you elaborate?"


    Hao Mei raised her hand and knocked the back of her two fingers on his forehead as she said, "The vital Yang and Yin energy are the innate elements of a male and female. A normal human feels relaxed and energized when these elements are exchanged on a regular basis, however, if you do it too much, then you become the empty shell of your own self.


    When a cultivator exchanges this energy for example at the peak of core formation realm, they have the chance to break through to the Nascent Soul realm. It is like a breakthrough pill."


    Hao Ren pinched his chin and Han Lingshi pondered over the explanation before the two of them began to pick on Hao Mei''s brain and ask her many questions which she answered patiently.


    After an hour, Hao Mei left the house and vanished in the void. Han Lingshi and the young man took a shower, before they came to the dining area, where Old Man Hao was feeding Tang Zen a medicinal concoction.


    Xiao Mei who had taken over Grace''s body, said, "Boss, Manager Lynn is asking for a meeting. She says there are few things that you need to handle in person."


    The young man nodded and said, "I will be going to the office in a bit. Tell her to not worry. Also, umm, contact Lieutenant Xia Yun about a meeting with Commander Gao."


    Xiao Mei nodded and then said, "The E-mail has been sent."


    The people were surprised, and Hao Ren picked up a whiteboard marker and began to write on the whiteboard behind his chair. He said, "I see that the HR head has been replaced. Good Job finding her, Manager Carter."


    Lynn Carter smiled and replied, "Thank you, President Hao."


    Hao Ren nodded and turned around after he finished writing on the board and said, "Miss Tanaka, you are young and bright. From what I read on your resume, you are quite a gem. I expect big things from you, and please be assured that you are free to leave as soon as you find something better, but if you tried to follow the example of the old guy in your position, I will make your life, hell.


    Am I clear?"


    A young girl nodded her head and said, "I assure you nothing but honesty and excellence."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Then before we get on with the big agenda, I have a few things to announce. First, ten thousand raise in every employee''s salary. Regardless of their grade. Understood?"


    The people nodded, they did not both with the sudden increase because they were making a lot of money. Hao Ren then said, "Lose the formal dress code. We are a tech company and not stock market. Manager Lynn, please call some designers and have them design the offices in a new and relaxing manner.


    Install sleeping pods, reclining massage chairs, and indoor games on the top floor. It will be the new employee''s play area. They can used it two hours a day.


    Lastly, we need some good coffee in the cafeteria. Please see what we can do about that."


    The people nodded heavily, they all agreed with the last one. Hao Ren then explained his idea of creating a friendly ecosystem for the employees, and then said, "Let''s begin with the big thing."


    Then they discussed the issue of recreating the abandoned industrial zone. They bought off a lot of land there, and now the government has cleared the access for them after extensive negotiations and sensible pleas put up by Mister Leigh.


    Hao Ren leaned back in his chair and said, "Find the best designer and ask them to follow the ancient design styles for the schools, colleges, and the Research center, but equip them with the latest security and electronic features. The ceiling should be made of solar panels and erect a roof mounted small turbines in the place. Everything should be recycled and eco-friendly. Got it?"


    Lynn Carter nodded and said, "Yes, Sir. I will keep it in mind."


    Hao Ren swiveled his chair to look out of the window and said, "How about we make a campus there, and call it the Cloud Campus, the head office of Thunder Technologies?"


    The executives all looked at Hao Ren and then at each other as they smiled as Klaus said, "I was thinking about the same thing. Although, you bough Thunder Tech from me and my buddies, we never thought it would become a household name. We are doing something different than the rest of the world, and so, we should not have a tower or a sky scrapper but a campus. Chairman, your mind is so beautiful."


    Hao Ren looked at him and said, "I am glad your compliment is limited to my brain only."


    Everyone laughed and enjoyed the banter as they prepared for the rise of the Thunder Technologies to another level.

 Chapter 142: Motivated Hao Ren.

    Hao Ren spent the day inside office going through various documents and plans with the big shot. He also went through the reports from different departments. His day was stacked but he still took sometime to go and cook lunch for Han Lingshi. His appearance surprised the people, because they did not expect such a person to come over and cook.


    Hao Ren''s appearance in the rising young business men was known to everyone in the cooperate world. The young man came to Han Lingshi''s cabin and found her sitting in her chair with her eyes closed. He was surprised and then he sensed spiritual energy in the air.


    He took a deep breath and mumbled, "I did not expect her to turn into a cultivation maniac."


    Sensing his presence, Han Lingshi opened her eyes and smiled. Hao Ren complained, "You are trying to pull away in realms. We discussed no cultivation during office hours."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "Well, I was thinking about it and then I got an epiphany."


    Hao Ren nodded with a hum and said, "Come over, have some food."


    Han Lingshi saw that Hao Ren was somewhat annoyed and said, "Do you want to know why am I cheating?"


    Hao Ren was curious and it was one of the questions that was running through his mind. He nodded and Han Lingshi said, "Well, the truth is that I do not wish to push the consummation any further than the wedding night."


    Her voice was so light that had it not been for his enhanced senses, Hao Ren would not have been able to hear her. He took a deep breath and stood up from the couch, before he said, "You have a meal, I am going back. I have a lot of work to do as well."


    Then he rushed away before Han Lingshi even had the time to react. When the lady came to her senses, she could not help but laugh. Hao Ren rushed away with a blush on his face. She savored the meal, and Xiao Mei said, "President, Elvis has been taken care of. They cannot open a single store in the Han Nation now."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Good, they should pay the price for their actions. Now, let''s focus on the development of a better car design. Chariot Motors have yet to leave a mark in this segment of business."


    Xiao Mei replied, "While I do not mind designing a vehicle, but I think you should wait a little because, Boss Hao has started a big project coming up and it will really help the technological advancement."


    Han Lingshi thought for a bit and replied, "Fine, I will handle this time to look after the foundation."


    ...


    Gao had no problem, Han Military did provide job for the retired soldiers. In his spare time, Hao Ren would buy traditional herbs and refine elixir potions and pills that aided them a lot during the initial realms.


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    Han Lingshi was beginning to think that she was useless, when Tang Zen began to teach her the art of array formations. The families were really getting closer to each other and helping the youngsters learn from each other.


    Yue Shenlong and the few people from the Yue Family guards helped Hao Ren train and spar. Han Lingshi would also join them but she was still a bit short in terms of ferociousness and execution. The last bit of hesitation in her mind was holding her back, but Hao Ren, he was a different story completely.


    His execution and his logic to look at the combat situations was almost overpowering. Yue Chilong was in awe when he saw this young man toy around with his men, and the only person who could give Hao Ren some challenge was Yue Shenlong. The two men fought with each other with such intensity that Yue Chilong had to step in almost every time to prevent injuries.


    However, what he could not understand was how Hao Ren did not display any hesitation? Han Lingshi was standing next to him and asked, "What are you thinking about Grandpa?"


    Yue Chilong was surprised but then he smiled faintly and said, "I don''t understand what it could be that train Hao Ren to display the killing intent much stronger than a seasoned soldier."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "He is scary when he goes into that state. Also, he has killed a few mercenaries from the Red Banner. So, I guess he is relying on that to emit such killing intent."


    Yue Chilong brushed his beard as he watched his grandson to loss ground. This continued for several minutes and hundreds of moves were exchanged between them. Finally, the old man had to step in.


    ...


    It was Monday, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi had come to the site where the construction work was going on. The young man said, "I was thinking of coming here daily and help the laborers. It will help in muscle refinement."


    Han Lingshi replied, "You can do that, it will send out a good message to the people. How long do you think it will be before the campus is opened."


    Hao Ren replied, "It might take six months before it is completely functional. The equipment we need are being ordered and the sales are good. The research center is my primary concern and that part of the campus will be operational next month. The rest of the construction will keep going but it should not hamper the research for the chip development."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "If you managed to achieve results in that field, it would be great."


    Hao Ren held her hand and gently squeezed it as he said, "It will be."

 Chapter 143: Thunder Research Center.

    For the next month, there was not much turbulence and life passed peacefully. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were diligent with their cultivation and they were progressing forward quickly. To hold the spiritual energy within their bodies, the two of them needed to open their Dantian.


    It was a difficult and painful process and they were told to do it slowly. Even in their cultivation sutras it was mentioned that a cultivator should not attempt to force open the Dantian as it could lead to drastic consequences and even ending up being unable to cultivate was a possibility.


    The method that Hao Ren used was to control the spiritual energy and have it grind away at the opening gate of the Dantian which laid above the stomach. Dantian was the empty space between the organs which created a pressure inside the body to complete the breathing mechanism.


    In the past one month, Hao Ren had been going over to the construction site and doing tasks like welding, roofing and any sort of job that the engineer told him to do. At first everyone was surprised and the site was in an uproar but when Hao Ren showed his easy going side to the workers they began to accept him as one of their own too.


    All this hard work allowed him to understand the mundanity of life once more. He learned about a lot of stories where the workers needed money and everyone had a struggle of their own. He did not step in to help any one of them specifically, but he enrolled their children in a school run by charity, and the elders received a free medical treatment plan.


    He knew that if he did something special for one of them, they he would have to do a lot of things for all of them, but if he solved their general troubles, these people would be able to make something better out of their lives. This was why he created the foundation and it was doing a brilliant job.


    ...


    Today, Hao Ren was putting on a suit under the guidance of his wife. Han Lingshi was dressed in a moonshine blue gown and she looked so beautiful that people might go on a war to win just a glance from her. The effects of cultivation on both of them were amazing. They both had a super toned body that could shame any athlete if they were to flex.


    While Hao Ren was growing more handsome, Han Lingshi''s age seemed to have paused. The shallow traces of crow feet that were beginning to show at the corner of her eyes have vanished. Han Lingshi nodded to him and said, "How are you feeling?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Just another day at work. Shall we go?"


    The two of them held hands and left the room. Old Lady Tang and Old Man Hao were also there. The young man as usual greeted his father and left home. The lady took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Hao Ren had not talked to her in days now. The maximum interaction between them occurred on the dining table when the young man would ask her to pass something.


    She did not complain because it was the same treatment that Hao Ren had to put up in the past. Han Lingshi had tired to be the peace maker between them but Hao Xinyuan forbade her. He understood his son, he would not allow any third person to effect his decision.


    ...


    Han Lingshi sighed and asked, "How long will you give Ma a cold shoulder? Can you not see the pain on her face?"


    Hao Ren replied indifferently, "Did she see it on mine? I don''t want you to meddle in this. I have never asked you to treat anyone differently because I don''t mind and it is your personal opinion, but don''t tell me how to handle this. I request you."


    One of the reporters asked, "Can we take a tour?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Just for the day, I will allow you all to enter and watch the interior but no cameras. I hope you all can understand the security risks."


    The reporters were unhappy and Hao Ren said, "We will publicize the pictures after the entire campus is operating so please bear with us."


    The people calmed down and after a few minutes of question and answers, Hao Ren called the professors and the military leader to pull the curtain that covered the plaque on the side. Under the applause of the people, the curtain fell to the ground and everyone saw a golden font which said, "Thunder Research Center."


    The people were taken aback, because the font was made of solid gold and it was surrounded by gold dragons and phoenixes. The event kicked off on a high note and carried on like that till the evening.


    The reporters filmed various sides of the external, and they also took the trip inside without cameras. The market was bustling and Thunder Technologies was receiving a lot of attention. This company had yet to go public, and everything they did was generated from their own profit.


    Han Lingshi stood beside Hao Ren with a smile on her face. She answered a few questions about their relations and fed the reporters with good content.


    While some were happy, some were unhappy as well. However, the couple did not care about it, and left the place after the event, heading straight home.


    As soon as they entered the living room, Hao Ren fell to the ground with cold sweat covering his face and before Han Lingshi could react, the young man was drenched in sweat.


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    Han Lingshi yelled, "Ren!"


    ...


    Dream''s Note: From tomorrow I will be posting minimum two chapters a day, and if I receive a good response from you all, the word count might be increased. I have finally given up my job and can focus on writing the story, however, I cannot do more than two chapters because of my health issues and also the quality of the content.


    In the past few days there has been a significant drop in power stones and golden tickets.


    Guys, I don''t mean to play the victim card but please support me so that I can continue writing. Also, tomorrow we will begin a new arc too. Thank you.

 Chapter 144: Exiled.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were tired from the socialization. Many of the businessmen from all over the company were also invited and they were given a tour of the research center. This was done by Markus and Dion to ensure that people take them seriously and come forward with investment.


    Although Hao Ren said that they did not need money, but the two people told him how the competitive humans will try to stop him in tracks. Chip research was the biggest pie in the tech world, if Hao Ren did not share it, the people will tag him as greedy.


    The young man budged but he made it clear that none of the investors will get a voting right in the research direction and they will not be allowed to start any project of their own inside the research center. The two people were surprised but when they saw the list of projects Hao Ren had, they understood that he did not wish for anyone else to hamper his growth and ambition.


    They were excited and worried at the same time. To make things easy for them, Hao Ren said, "They will only invest in the chip development project, and the rest will be classified because these projects are too big and crucial to hand out. If we just allow anyone to step in and look into military level projects, then what is the point of all the collaboration?"


    The research center was open and Xiao Mei was arranging different level of security, and clarification to the staff. The system was managed by her, so if someone comes it and tries to force his way in, they won''t even know what hit them. Xiao Mei''s main servers were placed in the third basement of the research center.


    This was known to the construction workers who were created by the system. All the money that the world thought had been used in the construction of this massive place, it all would flow back to Hao Ren in terms of rebate and a part of the profit his company makes.


    ...


    Hao Ren spend the sleeping with Han Lingshi in his arms. They had yet to achieve victory over sleep, and needed to rest properly. It was during the morning exercises when the two people were talking to each other, and Hao Ren said, "I am begging to feel frustrated with the absorption step."


    Han Lingshi was hitting the mitts with him and said, "I know right, I am starting to get annoyed as well. The spiritual energy will sit on the skin but it won''t get inside. Are we missing something in the comprehension?"


    Hao Ren replied while moving his hands in different positions, "Yes, it is possible that we are missing or overlooking something in the technique. What should we do to get over these obstacles?" .net


    Han Lingshi began to think about it and said, "We can go and talk to our parents. They are all cultivators, and far stronger than us. You know."


    That said, Hao Xinyuan turned and left the living room with a ferocious expression on his face. Hao Ren was stunned by the outburst of his father. However, the old man did not hit him too hard. Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "Think of it as camping."


    Hao Xinyuan had yet to leave the living room when he heard this and turned around. He said softly, "Xiao Ling, you will not go with him. Your foundation still has room for improvement. So, you will stay behind and cultivate with Zen. The technique you practice is unknown to everyone and only she understands the rudimentary levels. So, it would be beneficial."


    Han Lingshi was confused and asked, "Dad, don''t I need to become one with the nature?"


    Hao Xinyuan nodded with a faint smile and said, "It is easy for women to comprehend, they are blessed by heavens. You will understand once you train with Zen."


    Han Lingshi nodded and Hao Xinyuan looked at Hao Ren and said, "You will go in the forest and you will be given a tactical flask and a knife. Nothing else. Do you understand?"


    Hao Ren couldn''t help but straighten up his back and reply, "Yes, Old Boy Hao."


    Hao Xinyuan clenched his fist and said, "Dumbass."


    Before he turned around and left in fury. Hao Ren was sincere and funny at the same time. Han Lingshi also had the urge to laugh out loud but she knew that it would be very disrespectful to the old man.


    Hao Ren looked at his wife and asked, "Did the old man just exiled me?"


    Han Lingshi stood up with a smile on her face and said, "You can have breakfast before you leave."


    Hao Ren looked at her in disbelief as she said, "I will have eggs, make them a little spicy."

 Chapter 145: Seclusion.

    Hao Ren was eating his breakfast and Han Lingshi was sitting next to him. She could see that he was not happy, but there was no other way to about this situation. Last night when they came home, Hao Ren fell on the ground with his forehead covered with cold sweat,


    Han Lingshi was scared and she called Hao Xinyuan and Tang Zen to check. However, by the time the old man came, Hao Ren had calmed down. It was just a moment of pain that rendered him so helpless. Being a doctor himself, Hao Ren knew what happened just now.


    Han Lingshi asked him what happened and he decided to come clear about it. Turned out, in the morning, he had forcefully tried to push the spiritual energy in a few pores and held it there through out the day, but when he returned home, he could not hold on and had to let the energy go back out.


    The entire day he had been consuming a lot of stamina to hold it in. He was scolded a lot and he apologized with a promise to never do something so foolish. Hao Xinyuan told him that spiritual energy was not something that could be used in such a manner. This human experimentation could have injured Hao Ren severely.


    Tang Zen looked at her son at that time and said, "A dragon is strong and proud, but what takes it down is its own arrogance."


    Hao Ren was not talking to her, but she could not hold back and had to give him a concise advice.


    As soon as Hao Ren finished his breakfast, Hao Xinyuan appeared in the living room and said, "Change into a proper adventure gear and leave. You have an hour before I personally dump you in some place you will regret."


    Han Lingshi was anxious, and she asked, "Dad, can we not go easy on him?"


    Hao Xinyuan shook his head and said, "Lingshi, it''s not that I hate him. The reason he needs to work hard is because he was born with blocked meridians. They might have been cleared over time but his physique has other shackles as well."


    Han Lingshi nodded, this path of cultivation was something they selected for themselves. How can they walk away from it? However, her heart was still not calm, the old man sighed and said, "Lingshi, why did you chose to cultivate?"


    The lady was surprised, she had never thought about it. Hao Mei gave the manual to her, and she memorized it. What other reason was there? Hao Xinyuan said softly, "In the coming next month, ponder over the question, what do you wish to achieve by cultivating."


    Then the old man looked at his son, who said, "I am cultivating to see the world with my beloved. To climb the peak with someone who can stay by my side and watch my back as I watch her back. I read somewhere, it is not possible to climb the peak of the tallest mountain on your own. You will always need extra rope and a handful of hope."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "You can drop me."


    Hao Xinyuan nodded and took out a talisman. He gave it to Hao Ren and said, "This is the only one I have on me. You can tear it and I will appear there in five minutes. However, you will need to channel the spiritual energy from your body to tear it."


    Hao Ren nodded and put the talisman inside his pocket. He picked up a water bottle from the table and said, "I am ready when you are."


    Hao Xinyuan smiled and said, "Just a second."


    He walked behind Hao Ren and said, "Next time you call me Old Boy Hao, I will throw you from the terrace."


    Before Hao Ren could turn around, Hao Xinyuan snapped his fingers, opened a crack in the void before his son and kicked him in the butt. The push shoved Hao Ren inside the crack and he vanished from the place.


    Han Lingshi was shocked and exclaimed, "Ren!"


    Hao Xinyuan said, "Don''t worry, Lingshi. This is a skill of a void transformation realm cultivator. You will comprehend it to increase your travel efficiency. He will be fine."


    Han Lingshi was rattled, she was not yet used to all the bizarre things in the world of cultivation.


    ...


    On the other side, the void crack squeezed and spat out Hao Ren thirty feet above the surface. The young man saw a water pond below him and yelled, "Old Boy Han!"


    Splash!!

 Chapter 146: Spirit Gathering Realm.

    Hao Ren fell into the pond from the get go, and when he swam up to the surface, he was shocked. There were crocodiles moving towards him. He grit his teeth and swam towards the shore as quickly as possible. Thankfully that direction was not blocked, but he cursed the old man for throwing him in such a place.


    Hao Ren knew that his father must have done this to teach him a lesson for not talking to Tang Zen, but he did not care. He looked at the crocodiles that were still coming at him and radiated his killing intent towards them.


    Predators were all creatures who prioritized their instincts. Hao Ren showed a strong intent to kill and the crocodiles knew that he was not someone to mess with. He fished out his phone and found it was still working, and asked, "Xiao Mei show me a map of the Chama forest."


    The AI followed the command and said, "Boss, I can only follow three commands, Mistress has asked me to not help you."


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and asked, "That old man asked her to do this right?"


    Xiao Mei replied yes, and Hao Ren clenched his fist and said, "He will come to know my wrath."


    Xiao Mei sighed and said, "Boss, they said it is to make sure you are disconnected from the secular world. Why do you misunderstand them?"


    Hao Ren snorted, and asked for the data of the forest. It turned out there was an ancient ruin located in the center of the forest but it none of the researchers have been able to locate an entrance of the ruin. They believe that the entrance was buried under the soil and the environmental factors prevented them from performing archeological procedures.


    The concentration of elements increased and they began to effect his internal function. Hao Ren sensed that the area where the green earth element was, his bones seemed to have gained a lot of weight and his muscles were strong too.


    The blood in the area where the fire energy was concentrated seemed to have a lot of vigor and vitality. The water element boosted his metabolism and and the wind gave him a sense of lightness. He thought about the essence of the spiritual energy and entered deep cultivation state.


    Two days passed in a blink before Hao Ren woke up, he finally was able to absorb the spiritual energy and condense it into a drill bit inside his Dantian. Although it was small, he could sense it grinding against his Dantian entrance as soon as he started chanting the mantra.


    The drill bit was also responsible for attracting more spiritual energy from the outside world. Hao Ren''s pores were open and the spiritual energy was inhaled through them as long as he chanted the mantra. However, as soon as the mantra stopped the pores would close to prevent from any leakage.


    Experience tales at mvl


    Hao Ren woke up due to hunger because even though he was sitting on the ground in meditation, he was using his brain and consuming a lot of energy. Two days was his limit and now that the sun was about to set, it was time for him to hunt.


    ...


    Dream''s note: Guys, please vote and comment. Also, the two main characters have been uploaded, you can access them from the front page of the book in your WN apps. Do leave your opinions on how they look like. Thank you.

 Chapter 147: Path Of Cultivation.

    Hao Ren stood up from the ground and picked up his clothes. He thought, ''Old Boy Hao said that I have to stay here till I understand the essence of spiritual energy. I can leave now, but I have to go and find that ruin and locate the chaos stone inside it.''


    The young man finished dressing up and took out his knife. He was famished and needed to eat something really quickly. The pond was occupied by crocodiles, so Hao Ren doubted the possibility of catching fish. The only other options he had at his disposal was to locate fruit, or small animals that could be used for their meat.


    In the forest he did not have the luxury to find chicken and toss it on the stove to make a nice stir fry chicken dish. He shook his head and headed inside the tree line. The forest was so dense that Hao Ren felt a little claustrophobic.


    He slashed his knife at the long grass to move forward. The wild grass had grown as tall as his chest thanks to the ample rain and shallow tree cover. After fifteen minutes, Hao Ren managed to come out of the tall grass, but suddenly he turned around and slashed the knife diagonally.


    The blade was like a silver flash and it collided with the skull of a viper that attacked Hao Ren from the back. The hit from the blade cut the viper''s head in two before the reptile fell to the ground. However, it was still squirming. Hao Ren knew that a viper''s head can attack even after being chopped.


    He thought of something and bent down and took out a glass beaker from his space ring and extracted the venom from the reptile before burying the head in a shallow pit. Hao Ren stored the poison vessel and the snake corpse in his space ring before he looked around and decided to keep moving for a bit.


    The forest looked all the same and the dense canopies blocked the sunlight. Hao Ren did not face the tall grass but the humidity was very annoying, within a couple of hours, his shirt was drenched in sweat.


    He was moving toward the ruin, and on the way he found a few herbs that would serve as a good insect and snake repellent. Hao Ren crushed the herbs and made them into a paste before applying it on his arms and the back of the neck. He also smeared some of it on his pants.


    He found a small water stream and sat down next to it before starting a fire. However, this time he did not use the wooden shaft but the spiritual energy particles of the fire element, and the wood caught fire on its own.


    Tang Zen nodded and said, "Take your time, the cultivation sutra you have will help you attain the peak in any path you wish, but it will come to your will."


    Han Lingshi nodded and took her leave to go to the office. It has been two days, and Maya Okudera had just came back from her recovery leave, it was not wise of her to shove all the work to someone else.


    ...


    Hao Ren did not stop until it was night and luckily he found a small hill in the forest. He climbed the top of it, and located a big tree. He climbed the tree with ease as well, and rested in the crown, with his yin and yang eyes, he could see everything vibrantly even in the dark of the night.


    He found many predators, like black panthers have come out of their nests and were hunting in the dead of the night. The life in the forest was much more active at night than it was during the day. Hao Ren lay on his back and looked at the stars peeking at him and he fell asleep.


    In the morning, Hao Ren woke up completely refreshed and he dashed through the forest, making his way to the ruins. The Yin and Yang eyes allowed him to avoid all the predators as they glowed with a crimson red energy. He was fast and restless. His physical capabilities were improving at a violent speed.


    In two hours, he reached the vicinity of the ruins. Even the beasts who were born in this place might not be his match. Hao Ren walked ahead and the trees vanished. Before him was a giant rectangular pyramid. The place was seven floors high and was made up of different type of stones.


    The young man looked around and found there was not entrance. He frowned and then moved ahead to climb the steps. However, suddenly he stopped, he could sense a gaze locked onto his back. He did not know why but he felt very uneasy. Thinking about it, Hao Ren sat down on the floor and closed his eyes.


    The feeling of being watched was true, Hao Ren''s meditation allowed him to sense the gaze even better, or shall we say gazes. He opened his eyes and said, "Hmm, I knew it won''t be easy."


    The young man stood up and asked, "Since you have come over to watch me, why don''t you reveal yourselves."

 Chapter 148: Bizarre Encounter & Alliance With Nagas.

    Hao Ren stood up when he sensed the gazes on his back multiply. He was surprised and used the Yin and Yang eyes, and the result shocked him to the core. Never did he expect that there would be some unique creatures in this place.


    The tree line was filled with them, Hao Ren counted at least ten of them and unable to bear his frustration, he called them to come out and show themselves. In response he received a few light and creepy chuckles. Hao Ren took a deep breath and turned around and cast his gaze in those spots where he saw the creatures and said, "Torso of a human, lower body of the snakes.


    You guys are the creatures from the world of cultivation, right? Why not show yourself? I can sense that you are stronger than me, so why hide like cowards?"


    Hissing sounds echoed in the forest and a calm voice sounded, "Human, you speak a little too much. Are you not afraid that you might die here?"


    Hao Ren assessed that the voice came from all directions. He raised the degree of vigilance and spoke softly, "I apologize, senior. However, the intimidation of your people made be a bit too frustrated."


    The calm voice replied, "Oh, so you do have manners, tell me, why have you come here?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I wish to explore the ruins and see if there is any treasure inside."


    He was honest to the point, to some people it might be a weak move, but when there is an entity that could make their voice echo from all the directions, one had to be careful. From what Xiao Mei had told, there had been many exploration teams, but none of the teams ever had a member die.


    Hao Ren could only think of three reasons. One, they did not care about normal humans. Two, they wished to keep a low profile, and three, they were bluffing Hao Ren. However, the young man was cautious enough, it was still too soon to make a choice.


    The calm voice replied, "Do you even know what this place is?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and the calm voice replied, "This place you see is a cage built by the human cultivators to seal our powers and make us stay in this darned forest."


    The young man was shocked by this, and it confirmed his doubt that these creatures were powerless. However, the next moment the calm voice echoed and said, "Don''t think that just because we are sealed here, we cannot do anything against you. We are strong enough to smack an ant like you under our tails."


    Hao Ren nodded calmly but his thoughts were rattled by the after effects of the booming voice.


    The calm voice asked, "Do you still wish to explore it?"


    Hao Ren thought for a second, the system sent him here to find the chaos stone. Forget about the value of the stone, but think of the danger involved in the process and all this to fulfill Han Lingshi''s wish. It is not a shallow task anyhow. Another thing that he learned from his time reading the comics was that the fortune favored the brave.


    He took a deep breath and said, "Yes, Senior. I would like to explore this place if you don''t mind."


    The next moment, lightning flashed in the sky. Ulupi took back her hand, but she began to shiver and a white tattoo appeared along her arm. She hissed multiple times, and Hao Ren took a step back with his grip tightening around the knife.


    After five minutes, Ulupi returned to normal and said, "Human, I have used the once in a lifetime blood pact with you, make sure you don''t make me regret it, or the consequences will not be simple."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "Why did you agree to it so easily?"


    Ulupi smiled and replied while gazing her left arm, "Nagas are born with Yin and Yang vision, so I can see that your aura is not common. We are the descendants of the dragons and your presence agitates us. The clansmen wished to eat you and strengthen themselves, but we are bound, and only you can enter that cage to free us.


    If you die inside, we will use our means to absorb your providence, but if you manage to make it through, we will be free and you will be our ally."


    Hao Ren was surprised and then smiled bitterly, "You tricked me, Your Highness."


    Ulupi chuckled and flicked her hair as she said, "You should get ready, its coming."


    Before Hao Ren could ask what, he sensed a burning sensation travel from his left wrist and move up to his shoulder. He trembled, and clenched his fist as he took off his shirt quickly to see what was going on. The pain reached the depth of his soul, and Hao Ren could not help but let out a muffled groan and punch the ground with his right fist.


    Ulupi nodded and said, "This is the cost of blood alliance. The mark of Naga will protect you from every reptile that roams this world or the Spirit Shimmer Continent. However, there will be some who deny the hierarchy and come after you regardless. So make sure to grow strong and kill them."


    She spoke with great ease as if killing a strong snake beast was a piece of cake, but thinking about it, for her it did seem to be a piece of cake. After half an hour, Hao Ren was drained of his energy completely and the pain receded. He was sprawled on the ground and said, "Oh lords, I knew there is no such thing like a free lunch in this world."


    Ulupi could not help but chuckle at his words and said, "Glad that you learned your lesson."


    Hao Ren raised his left arm and saw a tattoo of an emerald green coiling snake running from the wrist to the shoulder. The tattoo seemed to be shimmering as if a snake moving around. He looked at Ulupi and asked, "Your Highness, your tattoo is much smaller than mine, why is so?"


    Ulupi replied, "Because I am stronger than you, and the tattoo represents the gap between us."


    She was smug about it and Hao Ren was given a reality check. The young man sat up and took out a test tube of his spirit rejuvenation potion and gulped it down. Ulupi was obviously shocked when she saw the space ring on his hand. However, the shocking fact was that this ring did not seemed to be made of the usual material used for spatial tools.


    Hao Ren meditated for a bit and when his stamina was restored he stood up and asked, "Can you show me the entrance to this place? I wish to be done with it as soon as possible."


    Ulupi nodded and said, "Follow me."

 Chapter 149: The Naga Tomb.

    Hao Ren followed Ulupi, and they both circled around the ruin. Ulupi brought him to a big pit. Hao Ren could sense a lot of gazes locked onto him. He asked, "You have stationed a lot of people here, are they guarding the pit?"


    Ulupi nodded and said, "You are right, this pit is the entrance to the ruins. When you go inside you will see a restriction array. That is the gateway, and only humans can cross it. After you cross that restriction, it will be a death trap all the way to the center, and let me tell you, that center is seven kilometers away from the entrance."


    Hao Ren was surprised, and he asked, "Your Highness, just so you know, I have never been trained in solving arrays."


    Ulupi gave him an enchanting smile and said, "You have the Yin and Yang eyes. If you focus enough, you will find out that other than enhancing your vision, it can do a lot more."


    The young man was surprised, but looking at her, he could tell she was not lying. He nodded and asked, "Is there anything I should be mindful of?"


    Ulupi shook her head and said, "The traps were made to keep the weak Nagas outside. So, I cannot think of anything particular that you should be mindful of."


    Hao Ren nodded and he asked while looking around, "Well, last question. What could you have done for the humans to seal you here?"


    Ulupi smiled and replied, "The sin of being strong is that once you fall from the peak, even the insects think that they could do you one over."


    Hao Ren did not reply and Ulupi continued, "Three thousand years ago, my father and his clan came out to this world to experience the difference. But they were discovered by the prince of the ruling dynasty.


    My father managed to establish good connections with him. However, the worst disease of humans caught the prince. He was enchanted with my mother, and wanted to take her for his own. My father captured the prince and burned him alive at the entrance of the city.


    The Emperor sent his army to avenge the lusty prince, and my father along with his people killed them all. Flames of war erupted, the Emperor gave up his entire kingdom to the Taoist sect to defeat us. I was a young child and had no knowledge of the world. So, my father and all the elders imprinted their knowledge in our mind and hid us away.


    The elders all died in the war, and the Taoists made this monument to seal the souls of the fallen Nagas and all the others connected to them. They bound us to this forest. Over time many of the Taoists came over to the forest in order to tame us."


    Hao Ren looked at her rageful gaze and said, "I assume you have buried them all around the forest?"


    Ulupi smiled and said, "We did not bury them, but we burned them all alive. That way the souls will not bother us."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Well, give me a few minutes to eat something and then I will go inside."


    Ulupi nodded and Hao Ren sat down on the side to eat the pheasant he hunted on the way to the ruin.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was leaning in her chair and was zoning out. Across her a young lady was working through the documents on the table. The young lady was Maya Okudera, she had returned to work after recovering from her injury.


    She asked, "President, what are you thinking about?"


    Around the bridge was empty space on both sides. Relying on his Yin and Yang eyes, Hao Ren saw a few more array patterns and memorized them as he walked ahead. He could see the aura of death surrounding the patterns on the array in the empty space.


    He was scarred, because the bridge under his feet was wide enough to hold just one person, and it looked so fragile that one wrong step and Hao Ren would fall onto the killing arrays. Thankfully, after training in the body refining realm, he could control his steps. Hao Ren thought in his mind, "System, can I withdraw the rewards of my two tasks?"


    *Ding: Apologies Host, but no reward can be withdrawn when a rated level task is on.*


    Hao Ren frowned while walking and thinking about the danger that he would need to face inside the pyramid, he asked, "Can you not make an exception for me?"


    *Ding: Host, can you please act in accordance to your intelligence attribute? The readers think that the system is just plot armor. It was stated in the beginning, you have to work for things you want.*


    Hao Ren clenched his fists and wished to scold the system with the worst curse word he could come up with. However, it was of no use, he knew very well that this system came in his life to make things hard and not the other way around.


    After a few minutes, Hao Ren reached the end of the bridge and just as he stepped onto the solid ground, he sensed the stone sink under his weight and he thought, "FUCK!"


    He did not hesitate, and jumped forward with all his power, and managed to get through to the rectangular door, and a loud thud was heard behind him. Looking around he found that the entire ceiling had fallen down with long barbed spikes protruding from the stone blocks both above and below.


    Hao Ren gulped and said, "I seemed to have walked into a death trap."


    He saw the ceiling retracting back to it''s original position and the barbed spikes also went back in. The young man took a deep breath and turned to look at his right. He saw a narrow corridor with not much room to walk around or maneuver. The corridor in his sight was at least a hundred meter straight path that would allow only one person to either enter or to exit.


    Hao Ren sighed and remarked, "Those Taoists sure knew how to kill people."


    He sat down on the ground and looked at the floor of the corridor, he took out a bunch of needles from his space ring, and flicked it hard at the stone tile. The impact caused the stone tile to sink a little. Hao Ren was observing the situation with great focus and noticed this. He did the same thing for the seven other tiles and in the end his hair were standing on their ends.


    The entire corridor was loaded with triggers. Every tile for the first ten meters was a trap trigger, and that was the limit of how far he could jump while standing on one spot. He wanted to use the needles to check more tiles, but it would be a waste, because these needles could save his life in crucial times.


    ...


    While Hao Ren was thinking about how to move forward, a young Naga male stood before Ulupi and asked, "Your Highness, why did you give him the blood bond? What if he betrays us?"


    Ulupi shook her head and said, "Sanga, I have seen deep within his soul. He will not betray us or harm us until we don''t do anything to him. He does not have greed or lust in his soul. I wonder how can he be so loyal."


    The Naga women were very beautiful and despite having snake like torso, they could transform and move around like a normal human being. However, Ulupi did not like that, and tested Hao Ren by appearing in her true form. Yet, the young man was unabetted. Hao Ren did not know that Ulupi was impressed by his virtue. At this moment, he decided to do the only thing that he could.


    ...


    Hao Ren looked at the wall behind him and the corridor before him. He stood with his back facing the corridor and dashed against the wall. He planted his feet on the wall surface, and used it as a jump board to dive as far as he could inside the corridor. The wall support provided him with a boost that allowed Hao Ren to reach the mark of thirteen meters.


    Then as soon as he landed, he sensed the walls react and he did not bother to wait and dashed forward as spears and flames erupted behind him, missing him by a few millimeters.

 Chapter 150: Run!

    Hao Ren ran as fast as he could. However, the traps sent a chill directly to his soul. Within just the first corridor, there were spears, flames, and poison needles shooting at him from all directions. He did not dare to say that the worst was over cause it might jinx him. He ran without thinking about anything else.


    He did not have the luxury to think about anything else or it would be his death awaiting him.


    He ran with quick and light steps. The reason was to avoid tricking as many traps as possible. However, the pressure plates on the floor seemed to be hating him all their might. Everywhere he stepped it triggered a trap and to avoid it, Hao Ren had to jump ahead.


    Even if he wanted to find a place where their was no pressure plate he did not have any time to. While running he reached the end of the corridor and as soon as his foot landed on the ground, he saw a tile on the wall ahead of him slide up. His instincts wailed and he dived to the left, the only way that gave him some room to move.


    The next moment, a geyser of blue flames shot out of the wall and ran through the entire corridor where Hao Ren had been just now. The geyser stopped after five minutes, before Hao Ren could get up. The heat was so strong that it scalded the back of his hands. The young man was about to run once again, when he realized that there was no pressure plate under his feet.


    He was shocked and he looked ahead of him, and muttered, "Fuck!"


    Two meters away from where he stood was a pit at least twenty meters deep with stone spikes protruding from the ground. There did not seem to be any way to proceed. The passage was very nicely illuminated and Hao Ren did not even need to use his Yin and Yang eyes. Two hundred meters away stood a smooth two storey wall.


    Hao Ren was thinking of there was anyway for him to cover this distance. To take a closer look he leaned forward and a drop of sweat from his nose fell on the floor. Hao Ren heard a click and he leaned back quickly. The next moment grooves appeared in the walls on both sides and large axes began to oscillate between the walls at a high speed. Hao Ren counted seven of them.


    He was sure that the invaders would be torn to shreds.


    However, that was not all, above the death pits, many poles protruded from the wall and aligned with the ledge of the wall. Hao Ren calmed his mind and began to focus on the duration of the trap activation. From what he could gather after the dash in the earlier corridor, he found that the traps would only stay active for a certain duration and they will reset after the time is passed.


    They would run away as soon as a child wandered over to see the human kind. Pathetic."


    The people nodded and they began to talk about the old times when some of their children would disguise as snakes and move over to watch the humans, yet unable to control their skills they would appear to be gigantic cobras, scaring the shit out of the explorers.


    ...


    In Jade Capital, Hao Xinyuan was sitting in the balcony with a book in his hand. Tang Zen was also sitting beside him and asked, "How long do you think it would take for Hao Ren to learn about the essence of the spiritual energy?"


    Hao Xinyuan closed the book and looking at the horizon he said, "He should have managed to do it by now. Do not worry, I presume he must have been using the alone time to increase his cultivation base."


    Tang Zen nodded and sighed as she said, "I have been feeling a little uneasy since last night. You opened the portal by yourself, can''t you go in and check on him?"


    Hao Xinyuan shook his head and said, "You should be aware that place is filled with Nagas. They do not like strong human cultivators. So let us not do something that might cause the DEHB to look into us again."


    Tang Zen nodded, and suddenly the doorbell rang. Han Lingshi had come home, and it was time for them to resume cultivation and cooking classes.


    ...


    Hao Ren regained his energy and sat back up before he took a deep breath and mumbled, "I wonder how much longer does this trail of corridor move along the pyramid."

 Chapter 151: Last Boss.

    Hao Ren stood up on his spot, and looking ahead he found an empty corridor, however, he wasn''t so naive anymore. He took out the water bottle he had and dropped it on the ground, and the glass bottle shattered into many pieces. The young man picked up all the pieces and used them to gauge the degree of danger.


    As soon as the first glass shard touched the ground, a series of geysers erupted from the floor. The geysers were made of acid. Hao Ren observed the situation and clicked his tongue. He clenched his fists and said, "I swear to god, I will beat the Taoists into dumb zombies if they came across me."


    The acid they made was so strong that it was eating away at the stone floor. This was the first time Hao Ren saw such a quick corrosion. Then he noticed that the acid evaporated quickly as well. The young man quickly took off his shirt and tore a piece from it before tying it around his nose and mouth, as he lowered his body.


    The acidic fumes could cause him to hallucinate, and also suffocate him. He sighed as he looked at the drying water stain next to his feet. Had he not broken the bottle, he could have used the water to drench his shirt and prepare a make shift mask to prevent himself from the harmful fumes.


    Anyway, shifting his focus back to the problem, he began to observe the spots on the floor from where the acid geysers had shot up. He overlapped the image of the present scene with the one with geysers and found a few things.


    One, the geysers were narrow and they were shot from the floor with great pressure. It was only when the pressure force receded that the acid fell around the floor. The geyser tiles were only present within twenty meters distance and they shot up one after the other in a cascading manner.


    Two, if someone was quick enough, they would be able to cover the distance with a few steps and reach the end of the trap. So, if he wanted to survive, it would need a tremendous power outburst from his feet.


    Three, he was fucked as their was no wall behind him to be used as a spring board.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and lowered his body. He was crouching and a his weight was shifted forward on his fingers. Hao Ren was in a sprint stance, as if an Olympic athlete, not that they had the concept of Olympics.


    Thankfully, no other trap was triggered. The corridor turning left from where he stood. He sighed and used his sleeve to wipe the sweat on his forehead. He took off the cloth tied on his face and stored it inside the space ring. He took out the pieces of glass and tossed them on the floor.


    He saw the three meter wide corridor seemed to be turning ahead, but there did not seem to be any trap. Hao Ren frowned, it was a bit too suspicious. He prayed to the gods in heaven and took a step ahead.


    As soon as his foot came into contact with the tile, it sank down so much that Hao Ren almost lost his balance and fell ahead. However, he managed to stabilize him and then his attention was caught again by the constant clattering sounds. As he looked up, he found that many tiles fell down in the void, leaving behind stone pillars that were cracked stone pillars.


    Hao Ren sucked in a breath, these pillars would crumble as long as he stayed on them for an extended second. Forget that, but looking at the holes on the side walls he was shocked to the core of his being. This was designed for severe injury if not death.


    He shook his head and then he dashed. Hao Ren put fear and care to wind and just jumped on from pole to pole as if that was the purpose of his life. He was quick and sharp with his movement like a bunny. With every step forward, the hatred for the Taoists in his mind was increasing.


    To save himself from the needles, arrows and the flying chakras, he jumped on the pillars randomly. He only had the time to adjust his weight and move forward before the pillar would crumble with a eerie voice.


    After three hours of repeated hops, Hao Ren finally reached the place that was situated at the highest level inside the pyramid. The corridor finished seventy meters behind him, and only high pillars of stone stood in the void for him to continue.


    When he landed on the central pillar which was seven meters in diameter, he took a deep breath and fell down on the ground as he said, "Finally, I managed to finish that death course. Motherfuckers, come forward and I will beat your skull in."


    A calm voice echoed in the surroundings, "Young fellow, it is bad to curse in the place where elders sleep and disturb them."


    Hao Ren sat up straight as his senses tingled. There was a great danger around him, and he would have to face it to finish the final level.

 Chapter 152: Liberated & Return.

    Hao Ren sat up on the central platform, and stood up to look around. He could not find anyone around him, so he used his Yin and Yang eyes. Sure enough, things changed around him, at the edge of the central platform, Hao Ren saw silver energy pattern hovering in the void.


    He instantly recalled the energy pattern at the entrance of the tomb. These two patterns were similar, and they were meant to keep the Naga''s out of the tomb. Hao Ren looked beyond the pattern and he was shocked, there were at least thousands of Naga Skeletons laying around the central platform in a stack.


    The young man clenched his fists, he did not know why he felt such rage bubbling in his body. The calm voice sounded again, "Hmm, a human exhibiting the signs of rage at the sight of their common enemy skeletons."


    Hao Ren did not say anything and then he looked around to located the person who was talking to him. The person said again, "Hmmm, very eager to find me, who are you? Tell me, who are you?"


    The young man did not want to reply but he was feeling trapped by some power acting around his body, so he forces himself, "Who are you to ask me about who I am, tell me who are you first."


    A chuckle echoed in the surroundings and the person said, "Well, you sure have the pride of a cultivator. I have long forgotten the name I had, you may call me Jingwei, the guard of the Naga tomb. Now, tell me, why have you come here?"


    Hao Ren replied honestly, "My name is Hao Ren, and I came here to unseal the tomb."


    Figure of a man in white Taoist robes appeared before him, glaring right in his eyes. Hao Ren could only perceive a dreadful anger targeted towards him and said, "What did you say? How dare you step in this tomb and help our enemies?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "People like you categorize everyone different from you as enemies and everyone who gives you rebates as your ally.


    Your ancestors killed so many Naga tribe people, because they received money from the King who ruled here. So, do not preach to me who is my enemy and who is not."


    The spiritual figure standing before him was shocked. Hao Ren was using Yin and Yang eyes to look around and located a shining white stone embedded in the center of the floor. The spirit being roared, "Go away, get out of here or you will suffer the wrath of heavens."


    Hao Ren turned around to look at the stone on the floor and said, "With all due respect, if you are strong enough, you should through me out with your magical powers. Or just shut up and make peace with the fact that you are dead and the times have changed."


    He was not afraid of the spirit being, the system has told him, if an entity stronger than him attacks him, the system will start the self defense protocol. In reality Hao Ren was counting on the entity to attack him. However, when he found that the guardian spirit of the tomb was asking him to leave instead of directly taking an action. He knew that the spirit was bluffing.


    As Hao Ren neared the shiny white stone, the system notified, *Ding: Host has located the chaos stone. You are rewarded with a spatial ring, and you can customize it as you wish."


    Hao Ren nodded and thought, ''That was anti-climatic of you. Now can I withdraw the rewards of my daily tasks?''


    Thank you for saving me and my brethren."


    Hao Ren bowed his head to the void and said, "I only did what was right. Humans or Nagas, anyone who has not done any wrong shall not suffer."


    The voice chuckled and then the balls began to glow and vanish in the void quickly. It was as if fire crackers. The deep voice said, "When you go out, tell my daughter Ulupi to give you a jar of Naga Wine. We may not be as good as the monkeys when it comes to wine making, but we have our own specialty. That is all I can do to express my most sincere gratitude to you."


    Hao Ren bowed his head again and the place turned silent. He looked around and took out his knife to dig out the chaos stone embedded inside the central platform. As soon as he removed the chaos stone, the entire stone platform began to slowly descend the height. Looking around Hao Ren could see nothing but black walls.


    Finally, a thud echoed in the place and Hao Ren found a path appear before him. It brought him back to the gateway from where he had entered the place. The young man sighed and walked out of the place after chugging down a spirit restoration potion.


    ...


    Ulupi and the rest were kowtowing on the ground as they saw the lights flashing out of the pyramid. They did not know what happened, but the restrain they sensed on themselves seemed to have lifted. This feeling that haunted them for all their lives was gone.


    After paying respects to their predecessors, Ulupi and her clan members stood up, only to see Hao Ren climbing out of the pit. The princess had tears in her eyes, and she did not think twice before she moved like a typhoon and hugged Hao Ren with her six arms.


    The young man was taken aback and said, "Your Highness, it is not appropriate for you to hug me like this. I am a married man."


    Ulupi was dazed for a second and then she chuckled, as she broke the embrace and said, "I cannot express my feelings to you in words, Hao Ren. You are the biggest ally of the Naga clan, no, you should be known as the benefactor, for liberating us. Ask me, what do you want, weapons, techniques, elixirs, women? Anything that you want, ask."


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head while he said, "You praise me too much, Princess Ulupi. However, I will ask you for a few things, and it would be nice if they can be in pairs, one for males and one for females."


    Ulupi was surprised that he did not refuse the offer, and then she looked behind her, where a few old people stood. The old people nodded and Ulupi said, "Ask me, Hao Ren."


    The young man laid his requests before her, and then he he told her about the snake wine. Ulupi got emotional but she nodded, and fulfilled her fathers promise. She asked Hao Ren to dine with them but the young man refused and said, "I haven''t talked to my wife in the past week, and I cannot stay here any longer, forgive me." Experience new tales on mvl


    Ulupi knew he would not stay, and said, "Hao Ren, if you ever come to the norther ranges of the spirit shimmer continent, feel welcome to come over and visit us."


    She plucked out a scale from her tail and gave it to him as a token of identity. Hao Ren thanked her and said, "We shall meet again. So long."


    With that said, he tore the talisman his father gave him, and soon, a hand grabbed him back into the portal.

 Chapter 153: Reunion.

    Hao Ren was pulled inside the portal by Hao Xinyuan. The young man was dazed for a few moments before he found that it was his father who brought him back to the house. Hao Ren freed himself from the gaze and turned around to find his parents looking at him with eyes wide open.


    The young man asked, "What? Have I changed a bit too much?"


    Hao Xinyuan narrowed his gaze and asked, "How did you get that tattoo on your arm?"


    The young man smiled and replied, "Alliance with the Naga Clan. Is it a bad thing?"


    Experience tales at mvl


    Tang Zen mumbled, "Naga Clan was a behemoth existence in the northern region. With this, Hao Ren won''t be threatened by Hao Tian and his pursuit."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and asked, "Where is Lingshi?"


    Hao Xinyuan replied, "She is at her office, today she is meeting a few important people and might be late when she comes home."


    The young man nodded and then headed to his room to take a shower and shave off the stubble of hair growing on his face. The process did not take him long, after dressing up he was back to his business elite avatar, and headed out of the house with quick steps.


    The older couple knew that he was heading to meet Han Lingshi so they did not say anything to stop him as well.


    ...


    Hao Ren turned around and as soon as he saw Han Lingshi, he dashed forward. The two women had no clue that Hao Ren had come over, and Han Lingshi reacted in a different manner than what Hao Ren expected, and she quickly shifted her weight and retreated two feet away from his figure before she punched forward.


    Thankfully, Hao Ren was skilled enough to catch the fist and he exclaimed, "Lingshi, do you wish to kill your husband?"


    Han Lingshi and Maya were shocked when they heard this, and Han Lingshi looked at him with a surprised gaze. She retracted her fist and covered her face with the same hand. She was shocked and quickly asked, "Ren, are you okay?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and pointed at his chest where the heart is located as he said, "It hurts here, I came over as soon as I got back and this is how I am greeted."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and said, "Such a cringy line, for this you should be beaten."


    Hao Ren was surprised but then he chuckled and Han Lingshi threw herself in his embrace. The young man was happy to feel the familiar figure in his arms, and the warmth that came from her. He closed his eyes as he inhaled the faint fragrance emitting from her skin. It seemed to calm down his agitated heart.


    Han Lingshi was feeling the same, she missed the rigid, firm muscles and the heat, and the strong embrace that held her securely. She asked, "What took you so long?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Was earning your gift."


    Han Lingshi said, "You are the only gift I ever wished for."


    Hao Ren shook his head slowly and wanted to say something when Maya cleared her throat. The couple came out of the embrace, and the young man said, "You must be Miss Maya Okudera. Am I right?"


    Maya nodded and Hao Ren thanked her for supporting Han Lingshi when they were facing the terrorists. Han Lingshi let the two have a small talk before she said, "Maya, can you excuse us. I have a few things to talk with him."


    Maya nodded and then she left after turning around her wheelchair. The couple looked at each other, this was what they wanted, to be left alone with each other so that they could express their love for each other and talk about the secret lives they had.

 Chapter 154: Sharing The Loot.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi sat in each others embrace. They did not talk to each other, but only accompanied each other in silence. For Hao Ren it was a surreal experience to go through something like this. Han Lingshi enjoyed silence, while he was the opposite.


    After half an hour, Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, I have a few surprises for you."


    The lady replied, "I have a surprise for you too."


    Hao Ren was surprised but then he recollected himself and asked, "Well, I will show mine first."


    Han Lingshi nodded and Hao Ren asked, "So, if you can have a spatial ring, how would you like it to be?"


    After some thought, she said, "I would like to have a simple ring that does not seem too conspicuous."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "You are forgetting your identity. If you wear something that looks like a bit too cheap, it will draw attention. Well, give me your hand."


    Han Lingshi nodded and extended her hand. She did not have any doubt in her heart. Hao Ren took off the jade ring on her hand and thought in his mind, "System, can you augment this ring with spatial attribute?"


    *Ding: Command accepted.* Find more to read at mvl


    The next moment, the ring began to glow with a bright glow and Han Lingshi was surprised. A few minutes later, when the glow receded, Hao Ren put the ring back on her finger and said, "You would need to smear a drop of your blood to complete refine this ring as your property."


    He took out a golden needle out of nowhere. Han Lingshi was surprised, and opened her eyes wide. Hao Ren said, "I found a technique that allowed me to augment two objects with spatial abilities. So, I thought about our proposal rings."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "I swear to god, you were almost widowed by those traps."


    Then he began to tell her about what happened inside the pyramid, and lastly, he took out a bottle of wine and said, "This is Naga wine. One shot of it, and your eyes will awaken the Yin and Yang sight."


    Han Lingshi asked, "What is this ability?"


    She did not know about it, and then Hao Ren gave her brief detail of the skill. Han Lingshi was surprised to learn such a miraculous skill. Hao Ren said, "After you drink two shots, it can awaken the danger perception skill. However, for that, you would need to wait till you are in the foundation establishment realm. Don''t tell old boy Hao about this wine, he might betray his virtue for this wine."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and said, "Then when can I try it?"


    Hao Ren replied, "When we get home, I have no idea how it might effect us."


    The young lady nodded and said, "We will get home and then I will give you my surprise."


    Hao Ren smiled and then kept their weapons and armors and the young man reminded her to use the drop of blood to establish connection with the artifacts or someone might loot them. After it was confirmed, Han Lingshi helped Hao Ren sort out his clothes and then suddenly she looked at the figure of the dragon and the phoenix.


    Hao Ren said, "Well, I carved this as a piece of decoration in your office. This place is very minimalist."


    Han Lingshi clicked a picture of the figure and then posted it on her social media, Peek, with a caption, "When your husband spends a week away and comes back with a gift. Blessed to have the best husband in the world, @PrezHao."


    Hao Ren smiled, it was the first time, Han Lingshi posted something like this online on her own initiative. The two left the office holding hands with smiles on their faces and everyone who saw them could not help but wish them well.

 Chapter 155: PDA Presidents.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi reached home with smiles on their faces. On the way, the girl had told him that she had acquired twelve traditional medicine companies and wanted to merge them into one unit called Heavenly Medicine and run them with Hao Ren.


    She did not know anything about the medicinal formulas but she knew about the way to make profit in business. Hao Ren naturally agreed to her suggestion, he had many formulas to heal the people and Han Lingshi said that it would be nice if he could professionally practice for a few months beside running the business.


    It would allow him to gain more wealth and hide his providence sooner. The young man contemplated and said, "I will think about it, Lingshi. After all, becoming a doctor is a very responsible thing, I don''t want to do it if I cannot do justice to it. The patients hold doctors in a great regard."


    The young lady nodded as they parked the vehicle inside the parking area and entered the elevator. The couple was in a good mood, and Han Lingshi said, "Ma and Dad might be going back to the Golden Bloom Town."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "Why? I did not say anything for them to leave." Continue your adventure with §Þ??


    Han Lingshi replied calmly, "You don''t want them to leave? Ren, they know what they did was wrong, and now they are repenting. I know that you need some time to think things through and no one is denying that.


    However, Ma told me that whenever you see her she can sense the pain in your eyes, the questions you have in your heart whenever she is in your line of sight, and so, she does not wish to bother you any further.


    She said that it was her mistake or crime that harmed you and she is supposed to repent. In that process, hurting you even more is not a wise thing to do."


    Hao Ren thought and then he calmly nodded as he said, "You can tell them to go if they want to."


    Han Lingshi nodded and the elevator came to a stop. The couple came at the door of their house, and as they were taking off their shoes, they found the old couple sitting on the couch with their luggage packed up and placed on the side.


    Hao Xinyuan said, "Ren, now that you have stepped into the spirit gathering realm, you both will be able to figure your own path ahead. We both would like to go back home."


    Hao Ren looked at him and nodded as he said, "How are you going?"


    The old man said, "We will take the train, so that we can justify moving here and there."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will get Mick to drop you to station."


    After a few moments, Han Lingshi said, "Ren, the food will get cold."


    Hao Ren hummed in her ears and took a deep breath before breaking away from the embrace. He then helped Han Lingshi with the dishes and set up the table. Han Lingshi had a pink tint on her cheeks. She did not know for how long Hao Ren had been watching her, but she sensed his manhood bulging in his pants when he helped her set up the table.


    She would be lying if she never desired Hao Ren in that manner. However, she still wished to persist till the day of their wedding ceremony. The two of them ate the food in silence, and suddenly, Han Lingshi said, "I have developed the habit of cultivating the entire night and found that it is very helpful, I feel completely refreshed in the morning."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "When I was comprehending the essence of five elements, I learned that I can stay in the deep state of cultivation for two days, and that the spirit rejuvenation potion can be more effective. If we can develop a method to make that paste into a pill and purify it further. The impact will be drastic. Also, can we talk after I finish eating?


    I never expected for you to know my favorite food and make it so well. There is still some room for qualitative growth, but this is still the best meal I have ever had."


    Han Lingshi smiled and asked, "Why do you say so?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Because it is made for me, and only me. Because it is filled with love."


    Han Lingshi was stunned, she realized how Tang Zen said that she never cooked a meal specially for him. The young man said, "Back when Hao Mei used to cook, she would cook a few simple things, because she was a child as well. She would feed me with care and love, but that was it. The food was bland, it was her eyes that gave me the flavor and bliss. So, this is my first meal."


    Han Lingshi placed her hand over his and said, "I will cook for you, like you cook for me. Just wait a bit longer, and I will learn. I swear, I will cook for you everyday."


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head, "You being near and smiling at me is enough, love. Just cook once in a while, I will handle the kitchen, you have to rule our kingdom, no?"


    Han Lingshi was stunned and then the couple chuckled out loudly. They bantered around for a few minutes, as they ate the food. The meal was really made with love, and it tasted the same as well.


    Hao Ren had clicked a picture sneakily while Han Lingshi was stirring the vegetables. After he sent the lady to take a shower, he posted the picture on his social media and captioned, "Have you ever tasted love? I have, and believe me, it is heavenly. Thank you for the meal, Madam Hao @PresidentHan, for accepting me as your husband."


    The social media had exploded, as they both mentioned each other in the captions. Han Lingshi was the idol of the city people, and they were going bonkers over her docile and homely appearance in the picture. Many people had praised Hao Ren''s skills of gift selection as well and enquired where they could find the statues like the one Han Lingshi had.


    At this moment, the couple was given a title, the PDA Presidents.

 Chapter 156: Breakthrough.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi watched a movie on the Television after dinner, before they decided to sit down and cultivate. The urges they had to be controlled this way. However, before they did that, they did one more thing.


    Han Lingshi drank a shot of Naga Wine. The liquor travelled down her throat, but it did not give her a burning sensation. She gazed at the glass and said, "Ren, it was rather sweet."


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "Well, the fragrance alone is enough to knock out a normal man. So, I guess it really is different from the liquor. Start cultivating, and focus on your optical acupoints more. The wine will do the rest."


    Han Lingshi had a faint tint of pink on her face, looking very alluring. Hao Ren took a deep breath and sat across her, as he closed his eyes and began to cultivate. The two of them had a deep understanding of each others nature as if they had been together for ages.


    Han Lingshi also took a deep breath as she thought, ''It won''t be long before I am all yours, Ren. I am sorry to put you through this.''


    It was not that she did not wish to consummate her relationship with him, but she had been watching him do his best, and always be there for her. If not because of her demand, Hao Ren might not have worried about making a company. He might still be working in a company as a regular employee.


    She blamed herself for putting him in a pinch, but when she saw him working so hard and not hesitating even when it came to spilling blood he stood fast.


    Han Lingshi only recognized Hao Ren as her husband and had given him the supreme place in her heart, and when she told her grandma, Gao Yue about it, the old lady told her, "Wait till you have exchanged vows and bowed to the heavens before you escalate the relation to the next level, it will bring you massive good fortune." Continue reading at §Þ??


    Only now did she understand why Gao Yue said that. Gradually the two drifted away from their thoughts and entered the deep state of cultivation. The couple did not know that when they cultivated in close proximity with each other, the energies they exhaled and inhaled created a balanced spiritual energy inside their rooms.


    This energy was neutral, and they did not have to fight too much to refine it and thus their cultivation would increase quickly and even help them lay a foundation better than the rest of their peers.


    ...


    In Hao Ren''s Dantian, the drill of the spiritual energy had been spinning and grinding against the abdominal cavity. As the spiritual energy in his body drilled further, the spiritual energy inside the room seemed to began spinning like a small tornado as well.


    Han Lingshi''s body was reacting to the Naga Wine she had drank and the energy was warming up her eyes. In her mind, she could see the currents of spiritual energy spinning around her body.


    She was surprised but they she calmed down and began to absorb the spiritual energy with great evidence. With every breath, she inhaled strong spiritual energy and it coursed through her body, seeping inside her cells at a quick speed. Han Lingshi maintained a clear head, and the energy began to gather above her abdominal cavity.


    He opened his eyes in shock, thinking if his Dantian was as big as ten football fields, how big of a Dantian would Han Lingshi have?


    ...


    It was late at night and a few students from the Jade Capital University were working in the lab at the research center. The professors have given them a few assignments that needed to be completed by the morning tomorrow. Although it has been just a week since the research center opened up but the enthusiasm was high.


    The machines and the data processing abilities in the research center had ignited the old souls.


    At this moment, they were developing the material that was going to serve as the base of the new chipset. Suddenly, one of the technicians stopped, and exclaimed, "What the fuck!!"


    The three other people quickly reacted and looked at him, and one of them asked, "Matthews, did you drop your balls? Why are you yelling?"


    The young man turned to look at him and pointed at the sample on his machine, and said, "Tong, we have achieved it. The flake is ten micrometers long, and is conducting hundred MS/m. This will work, we have the super conductor."


    All the people ran over, and quickly they began to check the sample, before they all erupted in cheers, and they dialed the numbers of the professors. After the initial scolding when they reported the data, the old people were fired up and they departed from their homes. At the same time, Lynn Carter was also informed.


    At the moment, she was sleeping next to Markus Bourne. She picked up the call and then sat up straight when she heard this. Markus was startled by her laughter that followed and asked, "Lynn, what happened? What happened? Are you okay?"


    Lynn Carter kissed him and said, "The face of the planet is about to change. Thunder Technologies will reign supreme, Markus. We have managed to find Graphene. Hahaha, we are going to be busy and we will be fucking rich."


    They made a technological breakthrough that will create chaos.


    ...


    Dream''s Request: Hi guys, sorry, had a festival going on here, so was busy with family and could not write as much as I wanted to. However, thank you for your constant support. I would like to request you all to please vote with as many power stones and golden tickets as you can if you love the story. It would mean a lot to me.


    You can join and discuss many things with your fellow readers, and I will select a few moderators for the server from you guys. Thank you.

 Chapter 157: Sudden Development.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were immersed in cultivation and were absorbing as much spiritual energy as they could. Only in the morning, did they wake up. Han Lingshi smiled and looked at Hao Ren who was looking at at her with a smile and asked, "How big is your Dantian?"


    Hao Ren chuckled as he saw the sparks of excitement in her eyes as if she was a kid who got a new toy. The young man replied, "Fifty football fields."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and asked, "I thought the Dantian of a normal cultivator would be as big as five only."


    The young man shrugged and said, "Did you think you were the only talent?"


    Han Lingshi chuckled and shook here head as she said, "When I broke through, my Dantian was only seven football fields but now, it is seventy football fields big. I sensed an energy flowing through my body, which then molded my Dantian anew."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It is because I used the chaos stone with the help of a prescription I found in the ruins in the Chama Forest."


    Han Lingshi was already aware of what happened in the forest. While the two people were talking, Xiao Mei said, "Boss, there has been a big development."


    Hao Ren asked, "What is it, Xiao Mie?"


    The AI reported, "As you might know, the chipsets developed in the Han Nation could not compete with the ones made by the Ryuu Island nation or the western competitors because of the size limitations."


    Hao Ren nodded, and the AI continued, "The professors from the Jade Capital have managed to develop a graphene chip as small as 10 micrometers. We can go on to make processors now."


    The young man nodded and stood up from the floor, as he said, "That is good, we can now develop the tech as we want now."


    The AI said, "The lithography machine had been redesigned from the scratch and is going to make the first chip today. Miss Lynn asked for your attendance."


    The young man nodded and said, "I will be there."


    ...


    The professors were sitting inside the big conference room located inside the research center. Professor Duke L. Deen said, "Jiang, what do you think? How much can we improve?"


    The professors nodded with the look of validation. Hao Ren was just a business man, but he was able to keep up with the future of their research, that was the big thing. Following this, Hao Ren watched the robots design the circuitry and the components of a new mobile, and then he watched the professors operate the lithography machine to carve out chips from a wafer of silicon carbide.


    Your adventure continues at §Þ??


    Professor Kraft said, "President Hao, the process of developing a chip can take up to twenty six weeks, from design to production, yet, the data, and the designing genius you got has cut the period to one week. I wonder if we can meet such a genius."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "She will come forward when the time is right, Professor, but not now, I apologize."


    The professors sighed but that was all they could do. The expert they wanted to meet was Xiao Mei, and she was the one who designed the most efficient chip and the circuitry for the mobile after hacking through the various companies in the world, and even looking through their research data.


    She did this because she was to save time, and also, improving something was easier than to create from scratch in her perception.


    The test was conducted and the machines worked just as expected, and Hao Ren said while gazing at the operations room from a glass panel, "This graphene circuitry can be developed and designed to provide the house bots and med bots a better body. At the same time, the new silicone carbide chips can be used to increase their computing capacity."


    The professors were surprised by his presence of mind, and Hao Ren said, "Markus, contact the customers, and ask them if they wish to upgrade their bots. We will just uplift the ones out there."


    One of the professors asked, "Why not recycle them? Making new ones is cheaper."


    Hao Ren looked at the person and said, "The damage to the environment will be too much. We have to understand that we cannot keep on taking from the world. The researchers recruited from various backgrounds and fields will be coming over as soon as the dormitory building is completed, and then we will change the world."


    Han Lingshi smiled at his words, when suddenly, she received a call and frowned. Hao Ren asked, "What happened?"


    The young lady led him to a corner, and asked, "Can you home?"


    Hao Ren was surprised, and Han Lingshi said, "Someone has kidnapped Lingxue. Everyone is worried."


    The two of them departed quickly after leaving the formalities to the subordinates and the professors.


    ...


    Guys, please vote and support.

 Chapter 158: Off To Hawk Nation.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were rushing toward the Han Family manner. The system said, *Ding: Host, you are displaying signs of panicking, please understand that control over your emotions is the only way you can get the best results in the most difficult situations."


    The young man took a deep breath after calming down and said, "Xiao Mei, track down Lingxue''s location and activity pattern for the past week and also tell me her current location. Use any means necessary."


    The AI replied, "Yes, Boss."


    Han Lingshi turned her head to look at Hao Ren in surprise. He was driving the car with a solemn look on her face. Yet, his mind was working at a pace faster then hers. She took a deep breath and said, "Ren, I think we should leave for the Hawk Nation after meeting with the family."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Let us not react in such a hap hazard way. I promise to you, Xiao Xue will be back home safe and sound."


    His words sounded calm and it influenced Han Lingshi as well. She realized that she was asking to go over to a foreign country with Hao Ren without any proper data.


    Suddenly, Xiao Mei said, "Ummm, boss, it seems to me that it is the Hawk Nation Secret Agency, NSA that has detained Second Young Lady Han."


    The two people were shocked as they did not expect it to be like this. While Xiao Mei was telling them this, Hao Ren had driven the car through the doors of the family mansion. The couple got out and walked inside the living room with big strides.


    Inside the Living Room, Old Master Han, Gao Yue, Yue Shi, and Xia Yulie were sitting around the center table with angry expressions on their faces. Gao Yue looked up at the two people, and nodded.


    Han Lingshi sat down and asked, "Did they make any demands?"


    Yue Shi nodded and then looked at Hao Ren. The latter asked, "What did they ask for? My head?"


    Yue Shi shook her head and said, "Your head is not worth much to them. What they want to do is a trade in, for you to hand out the new military medicine that you have developed."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "Xiao Mei, can you contact Commander Gao?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, Boss."


    The people were surprised, and a few minutes later, the call was connected, and Commander Gao spoke in a very happy tone, "Hahaha, President Hao, I was about to come over and congratulate for the development of the Graphene circuitry and the chipset for the bots. Congratulations."


    Hao Ren replied in a calm voice, "I called you to address a situation in that regard. From today onwards, Thunder Technologies and the Heavenly Elixir Pavilion will cancel the contract with the military. Whether it is for the Medical Bots, or the Spirit Rejuvenation Potion."


    The Commander was shocked, and so were the people in the room. They did not expect Hao Ren to react like this. Commander Gao also took a stern tone after recollecting himself and asked, "What nonsense are you talking about? Do you even know what you are saying?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Yes, I understand what I am talking about completely. Your incompetent military has put the life of a family member in danger, because someone, somewhere inside the system could not keep the news about the Spirit Rejuvenation Potion a secret, as it was supposed to be.


    Do you understand what I am talking about? You should fix your group of losers before you yell at me. I will pull you and your two seniors down to the deepest hell if anything is to happen to my younger sister Han Lingxue. Do you get that? Now, fuck off."


    Then the call was disconnected, and Xiao Mei said, "Boss, I did not expect you to say such things to a Regional Commander."


    Hao Ren did not respond to that and said, "I want you to find out who did this, then shove that information in their faces. I want that arrogant old man to understand how serious the situation is."


    Xiao Mei got to work, and Xia Yulie asked, "What should we do now?"


    She was trying hard to maintain her calm. Hao Ren looked at her and said, "They want my potion recipe, they will get the recipe."


    Old Man Han glared at Hao Ren and said, "Brat, I will not allow you to commit treason with the nation. Even if we belong to the Spirit Shimmer Continent, but this nation had provided us with the shelter and support we needed in the most desperate times."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "Calm your titties Old Boy Han. They will get the recipe of death. I have made up my mind, I know what to do and how to do it."


    Harvey Skye replied, "Maybe, yes. Maybe, no. You will know when you face them."


    The call was disconnected, and Yue Shenlong asked with a surprised expression, "Brother Ren, do you think we really have to face against those demons?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "To be honest, I don''t even know what is going on. This chapter is a bit too fast paced for my mind."


    Shenlong sat back in his seat, and Xiao Mei said, "Boss, by the time you get on that plane, I will sort out all the important and classified data on the NSA cases and employees and have them ready for you to read through and come up with ways to handle the situation."


    Hao Ren smiled and complimented, "Atta girl, Xiao Mei."


    The AI asked, "Boss, actually, I wanted to ask you something."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Go on."


    Yue Shenlong was also looking at the mobile screen that was placed on the center console. The AI asked, "Boss, can I use the authorization to make a Mechanica for myself?"


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "Do you mean you wish to make a body for yourself?"


    The AI responded positively, and Hao Ren said, "You can make it but make it so that the people do not find out your secret."


    Xiao Mei let out a YAY! before she went silent. Hao Ren shook his head and Yue Shenlong was also surprised. He did not expect Hao Ren to agree about it so easily. He asked, "Are you not afraid that the Artificial Intelligence will take over the world?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "No, artificial intelligence does not have emotions, but they can imitate them and also look at the logical aspects of the things. They can aid the humans to make better decision, and better development of the technology, that is all."


    The two people began to talk about different things that they would need to mind on the journey. Xiao Mei had booked a couple of seats in first class and also they picked up a pear company tablet from one of the shops at the airport. The store knew that it was registered under Hao Ren''s name.


    However, if anyone was to check anything after an hour, they would found that one tablet was missing but how and where it went? That would keep haunting them.


    Xiao Mei was thorough in her swipe, and she did not leave loopholes. The two young cleared the immigration, and boarded the flight.


    ...


    At the same time, in a remote region of the Hawk Nation, Han Lingxue was sitting on a white bed with her eyes closed. She seemed to be dedicated to her meditation only. At this moment, the door of her room was pushed open and a blonde woman walked in gracefully. She smiled and said, "It is good to mediate when you are in captivity, it keeps you calm."


    Han Lingxue opened her eyes and asked, "Why have you come here?"


    The lady smiled and sat down on the side of the bed, and asked, "I just wanted to check if you have any naughty ideas to run away."


    Han Lingxue was aware of cultivation now. Her mother had decided to teach her after they decided to come clean to Han Lingshi. However, the young lady was also aware, that she was slightly stronger than an ordinary human being at the moment, and putting up a fight will only make things worse.


    Hearing her words, Han Lingxue shook her head as she said, "I am weak but not stupid. Please do not disturb me before my Brother-in-law arrives."


    Experience more content on §Þ??


    Then she again closed her eyes again as she thought, ''You better pray that he does not come over in a bad mood.''


    ...


    The next chapter will be posted late as it needs some rework. Thank you for your support.

 Chapter 159: Heading To The Lone Star State.

    Hao Ren began to go through all the information related to NSA agents who were involved in this issue. Xiao Mei was very through, she had located even the spouse and the children of these agents. Hao Ren frowned, because killing the people who had families did not seem to be a good idea to him.


    Then he looked at the file of the person who was spearheading this whole operation and found the person a bit suspicious. From the details, this man was called Amil Hernandez, and he was a former soldier.


    Through his top secret files, Hao Ren found that the person was a member of special forces, and had been deployed in crucial postings, one of the reports in the file recorded how he was injured with seven bullets and he managed to live through that.


    What raised the suspicion even more was the fact that the place of the injury was not recorded. Hao Ren frowned and mumbled, "It seems to me that just entering the country will not be enough, I will have to understand the dynamics perfectly before taking any actions."


    ...


    Back in Han Nation, Commander Gao and Lieutenant Xia came to find Hao Ren at home but only to learn that he was out of town. The young subordinate said, "Sir, how about we look for Miss Han? President Hao has instructed his office to not communicate with us and even put the trade on hold. They are not willing to even talk to us."


    Commander Gao sighed and said, "I have no idea what triggered such a reaction from the young man. I swear if he was in the corps I would have beaten his ass purple. Call Miss Han."


    Xia Yun was quick in his response and called Han Lingshi who told them to come to the Yue Mansion. Since this was a military issue, she will involve her forces as well. Yue Chilong was aware of the circumstances, and Han Lingshi was one of his reverse scales. The military administration had caused a big fiasco and Yue Chilong will make them pay.


    While the military operatives were traveling to Yue Mansion, Han Lingshi had already reached the place, she was there to practice with the old man to improve her understanding and skills of martial art. Thinking about it, she asked, "Xiao Mei, can you tell me who is responsible for the leak of information?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Mistress, the person is a plant in from the DEHB, which stands for the Department of Extraordinary Human Beings. He is a normal soldier who works for them."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and asked, "How did you find out about DEHB?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Recently, I have noticed that a lot of information from the world defense organizations is filtered and then channeled to a secret server. They hid it so well under the plain sight that I almost ignored it.


    This server is accessed by a man called Raven, he lives in the Stag Nation, and you won''t believe if I told you, that the reason they began to check details by using a backdoor is to keep up with time. I mean, the defense agencies have allowed them access to do so, but what a shitty method. They have no clue that I am onto them."


    Han Lingshi narrowed her gaze and asked, "Can you track the people this guys had been connecting with? I mean his complete trail, offline and online. When Hao Ren gets down, tell him about the people Raven connected with in the Hawk Nation. Also, monitor their positions with GPS."


    Yue Chilong came over and said, "Commander Gao and Lieutenant have arrived."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I am ready to see them, grandfather."


    These people have troubled her family, and more than that, her husband had to take a risky flight to the Hawk Nation, although Xiao Mei will make sure that he is off the radar, but it does not mean he was invincible.


    If a strong DEHB operative came after him, what would Hao Ren do, that was what Han Lingshi was worried about, so Commander Gao was going to face hell before she gives him any leverage.


    ...


    Hao Ren and Yue Shenlong landed and they went through the immigration process. However, while they were still moving through the terminal, Xiao Mei had informed Hao Ren about her new discoveries about the DEHB, this confirmed Hao Ren''s suspicion, Amil Hernandez was a member of the DEHB office in the Hawk Nation.


    Hao Ren replied, "I will have Xiao Mei pin point the location with that picture. Don''t worry. I will get her back home safely."


    Han Lingshi hummed and said, "Eat something when you have the time. Do not neglect your well being over all this."


    Hao Ren smiled in agreement and the call was disconnected, he then clicked the pictures of the place, as a child he wished to travel the world, but the first trip of his life was going to be an espionage of a sorts, that was beyond his wildest imagination.


    Yue Shenlong walked up to him holding a wrapped burrito, and said, "It smelled nice so I bought it."


    Hao Ren nodded and then they discussed the further actions. After a few minutes, Han Lingshi called him to inform him about the location of the vehicle. Hao Ren said, "Brother Shen, when we are done here, lets buy a few more things."


    Yue Shenlong nodded and said, "I can try to contact a few people on the dark net."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I will use Xiao Mei''s help in this. She has been dwelling on Dark net for a long time, so locating a weapons dealer would not be a big thing for her."


    Then they flagged down a cab, and headed to the location. Till now, they were going about everything smoothly. Inside the car, they found a two handguns, and a few magazines. Yue Shenlong was about to put one behind his back when Hao Ren said, "Put them in the glove compartment, I will hide them incase we ran into some cops."


    Yue Shenlong nodded and then he asked, "Where are we headed?"


    Hao Ren opened his mobile and said, "Xiao Mei, did you confirm Lingxue''s location?"


    The AI replied, "Yes, I have, the guards seemed to have multiplied, they have posted ten armed men outside the house, and five people are inside while one more is guarding the door of Miss Han''s room. I cross checked the location with the photo, they are located in a ranch house, located in Lone Star State."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Put up a navigation, and also find us a motel nearby the place where they have kept Lingxue. Arrange for a weapon and ammunition pick up on the way. Okay?"


    Xiao Mei replied in affirmation and Yue Shenlong took the steering for the first half of the journey, they had to drive for sixteen hours.


    ...


    Han Lingxue was eating her meal calmly, and the blonde girl was standing a few meters away. The latter asked, "Don''t you fear us? What if we poison you?"


    Your next chapter awaits on M V L


    Han Lingxue raised her gaze to look at the person but did not comment. She knew very well how important it was to stay calm. Her behavior had surprised the people. They all did not tell her who they worked for, but it did not mean Han Lingxue was a fool.


    The blonde frowned and asked, "Tell me, what gives you such confidence?"


    Han Lingxue sighed, and replied, "You will know when the time is right. You asked me to cooperate, and I am cooperating, please do not bother me, after all, I am a human and have a limit. You are not my friend."


    The blonde frowned but she could only clench her fist before leaving the place. Han Lingxue was actually very scared, but she had learned from Han Lingshi to not show her vulnerability before an enemy.

 Chapter 160: Prep & Rec.

    Hao Ren was sleeping with his seat completely reclined. He was cultivating, the next phase of the cultivation needed him to gather the spiritual energy and fill up his Dantian. There were three stages to the Spirit Gathering Realm, the first one was called Vapor Gathering.


    The spiritual energy would initially would be in the form of vapors, the cultivator would have to inhale the vapor and after channeling it through the body, they will collect it inside their Dantian. Once the vapors fill the Dantian to the brim, the cultivator would have to compress them into a liquid form.


    This would not be an easy process, but that was cultivation. After about five hours, Xiao Mei pinged, and Yue Shenlong said, "Brother-in-law, the arms dealer is here."


    Hao Ren opened his eyes and asked, "Xiao Mei, tell him to leave the merchandise in a secluded place and transfer the money. Make sure that he has no way to find us, and give him a threat that if he tried to trick us, you will crash his entire operation."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Alright boss, I was about to ask you all this, but sometimes, your brain works even faster than Xiao Mei."


    The two men surprised a bit as Xiao Mei went about her way. After a few minutes, she said, "Boss, the merchandise have been placed in a big black bag in a ditch a few kilometers away. They are leaving."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Keep watching them. When they are one kilometer away, tell me."


    He did not care if these people were related to any terrorist organization. Hao Ren was very subjective about this. People like DEHB operatives would not think twice before they make a move against an innocent person, and since the world could not judge them, then why judge a weapons dealer?


    Xiao Mei set up the deal, and did not need to threaten the people. The grey characters followed one rule with great dedication, be a crook with hundred percent honesty. Their business worked on the word of mouth, if someone blew a whistle, it will cause them great damage.


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the coast is clear."


    Hao Ren nodded, and Yue Shenlong drove over to the secluded place on the highway. The place was empty, their did not seem to be a single activity. Xiao Mei pointed out the location, and Hao Ren rushed through the dark to get the bag. It was a black bag, big enough to hold a sniper rifle, and two assault rifles along with ammunition and gear.


    Hao Ren placed the bag in his space ring and then he took the steering to drive.


    Yue Shenlong was tired as well. The young man sat down in his seat and said, "Xiao Mei, cover the speed cams and tell me if there are any traffic cops on the duty."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I did my complete homework."


    The people nodded and then they got out of the vehicle to rush through the woods. Finally, one kilometer away from the place, they stopped when Xiao Mei said, "Boss, they have surveillance in this area."


    Hao Ren looked around and then found a natural slope where he laid down, and said, "Brother Shen, the drone."


    Yue Shenlong nodded and took out the drone, and connected it to his mobile. He asked, "If Xiao Mei can hack into satellites, then why are we using a drone?"


    Hao Ren replied, "NSA or any secret agency would set up safehouses in a place which has a high magnetic disturbance, where satellites cannot track them. The reason we found this place was because we followed the mobile trail, and also the picture sent by the NSA. Xiao Mei back tracked it to this location as mentioned inside NSA servers. Now, we need to find out how strong they are so, the drone."


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    Yue Shenlong finished setting up the drone and then just when he was about to take control of the situation, Xiao Mei took over and moved the drone around the place. She was quick and precise, Yue Shenlong was surprised to see this. After a few minutes, Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the intel is almost correct, they have sixteen people. I am checking the details, give me a few minutes."


    The young men lay in the forest silently, and after a few minutes later, "They have two werewolves."


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "Brother Shen, you will be on standby. Attack only when the two werewolves come out."


    Yue Shenlong nodded and asked, "Would you be able to handle one of them by yourself?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I have my plans, big boy. Let''s go. Time to kill."


    ...


    Dream''s Request: I am thankful for your support. Please vote with power stones and more golden tickets. It will help the book in maintaining the ranking.

 Chapter 161: Secure.

    Han Lingshi and the rest of the family was gathered in the Yue Mansion. Yue Chilong, and a middle aged lady were also there. The middle aged lady was called Gao Ying. She was Gao Yue''s niece and the last member of the Gao Family, and also wife of Yue families, young lady.


    Gao Ying looked at Han Lingshi and asked, "Xiao Ling, why are you so worried."


    Han Lingshi had been fiddling with the ring on her finger. She smiled and shook her head as she said, "I am not worried even on the slightest. I am only curious what they might be doing at the moment."


    Gao Ying smiled and looked at Gao Yue and Yue Shi, before she asked, "Auntie, I see that your cultivation is growing back to what it was."


    The old lady smiled and said, "Yes, it is all thanks to the Hao Family."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and then she took a deep look at Gao Ying before she raised her brows and mumbled, "Yin & Yang eyes."


    Everyone was surprised, even Gao Ying too was surprised. She did not expect Han Lingshi to see through one of her biggest cards. She asked, "How did you figure out?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and her eyes flashed with a flicker of blue before it vanished. Gao Ying opened her eyes wide, and asked, "What the hell! How did you find this out?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "I have cultivated Yin and Yang eyes. Thanks to Hao Ren."


    Then they began to ask how it happened, but Han Lingshi only told them, that Hao Ren found a mystic pill hidden inside a ruin which allowed her to practice the Yin and Yang eyes.


    ...


    Hao Ren and Yue Shenlong were laying on the grass and the sun was about to set, when Xiao Mei asked, "Boss, how long do you want to wait?"


    The young man replied, "At the darkest hour, when the senses of the humans and the rest of the beings are at their dullest. No matter how well slept you are, or how fit you are, your senses will become sluggish."


    Yue Shenlong smiled and said, "That is a very apt definition. It is a well known tactic even in modern warfare."


    While they were waiting, somewhere far away in the Hawk Nation, a middle aged man was having a rare steak in a big restaurant. Suddenly, a young lady with sharp features walked over and said, "Director Hernandez, may I have a moment of your time?"


    The middle aged man was the director of DEHB in the Hawk Nation. This organization did not work as covertly as the one in Han Nation did. However, the people did not know their real identities.


    Hernandez sighed and asked, "What do you want to do with the moment of my time? The formulae is not easy to get. The Han government is holding back as much as possible. However, you guys took in the relative of the inventor. So, they will break, just give them one more day, and tell those men of yours to not go trigger happy."


    The lady furrowed her brows and commented, "I don''t know why you cannot understand this, but the order to acquire the formulae came directly from the president himself."


    Hernandez nodded and said, "The order came, but it was because I told him about it."


    The lady was surprised and then Hernandez said, "I am going over their tomorrow morning, so don''t worry, I will convince those people. DEHB cannot get involved in this directly, because the senior members of the Han Family have been DEHB members. It will breed distrust in the organization."


    The lady did not wish to budge and asked, "If they have been the members of your organization, then why can you not take it directly?"


    Hernandez rolled his eyes, put down his fork and knife, before he pointed his crimson eyes at the young lady and said, "Because the younger generation of those families are unrelated to the organization and the formulae was a business deal with military. You are just an analyst and not a diplomat so mind your business and let us handle the big game.


    Ben shook his head and said, "Come out, right away. Or I will dial the number right away. Your choice, you have three seconds."


    Echo clenched her fist hard, and it hurt Han Lingxue, who whimpered in pain. Ben glared at his counter part, who decided to get off the bed and left the room in a huff. Ben watched Echo leave and said, "I apologize for this."


    Then he locked the door from outside. Just when Hao Lingxue was about to tear up, she caught sight of a phone on the bed. She quickly picked it up and just when she was about to make a call, she heard footsteps. Thinking that Echo had come back to get her phone she placed the phone back and shrank back in her bed.


    Then she took some time to calm down.


    Meanwhile Hao Ren activated his Yin and Yang eyes, and he dashed out. The place around the house did not have much illumination. It was done to hide the safehouse from the eyes of the enemies or travelers. This place was located in the middle of the nowhere, just a shallow tree line separated them from the common world.


    Hao Ren could see the guards posted around the house. At the moment, there were seven people sitting on steel chairs. While three of them were moving around.


    During his reckon, Hao Ren found that these guards were on rotating shifts to maintain their best output. At this time, his biggest challenge was to take down the guards without raising an alarm. Thankfully, he had the skills that he needed.


    From his space ring came out several silver needles, and then he began to approach the guards and flick the needles aimed precisely at their acupoints. He aimed at their vocal acupoints, and then he approached them to give them some quick hard pokes and immobilize them before feeding them a few drops of paralysis potion.


    The count began, in the night, his black and dark grey camouflage covered up his outline and his work was done quickly. He knew that at night, their would be only hourly status check, and he had only used ten minutes dealing with the guards. He did not kill anyone because if he did that, the werewolves, who were extremely sensitive to the scent of blood would be alerted.


    Xiao Mei bought this information from the Dark net. There were a few people in the world who have worked along side Werewolves from the spy world, and knew what ticked them. After ten minutes, Hao Ren climbed the side wall by using the pipeline, and came to the terrace with soft steps.


    He was an assassin, and now a cultivator. His senses were under his control and they could compete with a werewolf. On the top of the ceiling was a central air conditioning unit. The young man smiled and took out a paper from his space ring, there he put some fine talcum powder on the paper and dropped it inside the vent.


    This was a strong sleeping medicine that he had prepared. In the reckon, he had found the exact location of Han Lingxue''s room. The picture was the major clue. Circling around the terrace he said, "Alert him, to be ready. It could be any moment now."


    Xiao Mei responded with a blink of screen light. Speakers emitted a frequency that wolves can catch. Hao Ren was so cautious that he made sure to cover as many bases as he could.


    He descended from the terrace to the first floor of the house, and just when he was about to enter the house, he heard a loud call, "Hold your breathe, we have a gas leak. Secure the target and move out."


    Hao Ren sighed and he jumped down before quickly dashing into the distance. The people would be coming out from the front. The back door of the place was a trap door on the back which was too much of an hassle, after all, they thought it was a gas leak and not an attack.


    Thirty seconds later, the door of the house was pushed open, and lights were switched on as people rushed out. Hao Ren counted seven in total, his gaze locked onto Han Lingxue. He shot six needles. Four of them landed on the human targets perfectly, but two people moved away and just suffered a light wound on their necks.


    These two people were Ben and Echo. The former narrowed his eyes and attacked Hao Ren. Han Lingxue noticed his figure and exclaimed, "Brother-in-law."


    Hao Ren winked at her and leaned to the left before his fist moved close to the torso of the burly male. Ben snorted and was about to move away, before suddenly, he could not. Then his belly ached with terrible pain, and he saw a sword driven through his stomach.


    Hao Ren then took the sword back, and knowing that the enemy would not die here, he took out the silver needles and moved around before flicking them at Ben''s acupoints. The werewolf was immobilized, and Hao Ren turned to look at Echo who was surprised for a second before she looked around and said, "You came all the way to save her, what if..."


    She was yet to finish her words when Hao Ren said, "Take it."


    Echo was confused, before she heard a puff at some distance, and was about to react but the silver bullet has already lodged itself in her side. Han Lingxue did not even get the time to react before Hao Ren was standing next to her, and he kicked Echo to the side.


    He asked with a smile, "Xuexue, did you miss me?"

 Chapter 162: Forced Agreement.

    Hao Ren asked Han Lingxue if she missed him, and the girl threw herself in his arms before she began to bawl. The young man sighed, he could not even imagine how hard it might have been for her to live here. However, now was not the time to get emotional, he patted her back and consoled her before he said, "Xuexue, I have to deal with the people here."


    He could still see Echo moving on the ground, and trying to stand up. Han Lingxue controlled herself and stood next to him. Hao Ren looked at the lady on the floor and said, "She is quite strong, if only she wasn''t an enemy."


    Han Lingxue clenched her fist and said, "She tried to rape me a few minutes ago."


    Hao Ren''s eyes turned cold as he looked at the face of the young lady beside him, and Echo said, "My superiors will make sure you die. No matter where you are in the world, they will locate you and kill you, bitch."


    Hao Ren walked over, and raised his right foot to stomp the spinal cord of the person with his heel. The impact was so strong that people around them, the immobilized enemy heard a few cracking sounds go off. The shivered and Hao Ren said, "I did not wish to do this, but your nation thinks they can manipulate everyone and any one.


    I believe in forgiving crimes, but the moment you touched my family, it became a sin.


    Crimes can be forgotten, but sins, cannot."


    Hao Ren took out the sword that he received from Ulupi and flicked it. He directly beheaded Echo. The people opened their eyes, and suddenly, Hao Ren heard a roar from behind him. Ben, the guy he had immobilized earlier had stood up and was roaring with his face aimed at the sky.


    Hao Ren said, "Brother Yue, shoot him in the head."


    The next moment a silver bullet shot through the void and hit the turning werewolf in the neck. The shot missed but Hao Ren had expected this and he moved to the side of the injured werewolf, and slashed at his neck. The attack directly chopped the head of the second enemy.


    His sword was not made of silver but it was a basic spiritual treasure and cutting through the head of a werewolf was still an easy thing for him.


    After this happened, suddenly, Xiao Mei said, "Oh, well, boss, it looks like they had placed a tracker inside his body. Now that he is dead, the tracker sent an SOS signal. We have four hours before someone can find this place."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Well, that much is to be expected. Let''s settle it all."


    The young man looked at Han Lingxue and said, "Brother Shen, come over and take Xuexue to the vehicle."


    Yue Shen Long came running from the tree line and did as he was told. Then Hao Ren flexed his neck and rushed over to quickly move the immobilized humans to the other side of the house. He was calm and after fifteen minutes, when he finished moving them. He sprayed over the scent removing potion over their bodies and it the surroundings.


    After that he said, "I know all your details, dear agents, and also the details of your families as well. Seven of you have children and one of you is looking to get married soon. However, that is not all, I have the information regarding all your colleagues as well.


    You must be thinking that I am bluffing, so, let''s do this. I will give you ten minutes to run all the checks that you want to, and then I will give you five minutes to watch a demonstration to show you my skills. Five agents, in five different countries.


    Also, as a gift of goodwill, the Director of DEHB in the Hawk Nation, Amil Hernandez will vanish from this planet. I will see you in fifteen minutes."


    The call was disconnected and after a few seconds, Director Trina yelled out orders one after the other. Ten minutes passed quickly and then the additional five minutes also passed quickly.


    Then, they received five alarms in five different countries of the world. The whole NSA was shocked, they finally realized that they have messed up with someone they could not afford to handle.


    The phone on the table rang again, Trina Cummins quickly picked up the call, and asked, "What do you want?"


    On the other side, the voice chuckled and said, "It is not what I want, but rather what my boss wants. It is simple, forget about having designs about Thunder Technology and their products. Do you understand?"


    Before Trina could say anything, Xiao Mei said, "I will give you three minutes to consider, see ya."


    ...


    Amil Hernandez was on his way to the safe house when he received the news that all the agents on the safe house were missing. The team spotted the agents alive outside the safe house and wanted to enter the house but when they heard that it was DEHB agents inside the house, they stood back.


    This was not their department, and so, only a DEHB agent was allowed to go inside first. Amil Hernandez sniffed the air and frowned, he thought, ''How could it be so clean?''


    Then with wide strides he walked through the front door, under the gaze of many people. However, two minutes later, everyone heard a loud scream, and they wanted to rush in when the entire safe house blew into a ball of flame.


    The people saw a figure standing amidst the flame, this person was slowly crumbling away as he turned to ashes.


    Hao Ren had laced the two bodies with fine silver powder bombs. He had cleaned the scents, so Amil Hernandez had to move the bodies to investigate. As soon as he lightly kicked Ben''s body to the side, the bombs were triggered and they released a quick spray of silver powder into the air.


    This much would not have been enough, but Hao Ren had also set up another bomb inside the house. It blew up a few seconds later thanks to Xiao Mei''s expertise. The flames scared Amil Hernandez, because he was a werewolf. Third blow came when Echo''s body exploded, and sprayed the silver powder directly onto his body.


    Amil Hernandez died without a clue.


    ....


    The situation had just been relayed to Trina, who received the call, and this time she did not give Xiao Mei the time to talk, as she said, "We agree!"

 Chapter 163: Cunning Man.

    Hao Ren''s flight landed and Xiao Mei told him what happened in the negotiation with Trina Cummins, the young man thought about it and said, "Well, we will be postponing the import business with the Hawk Nation particularly.


    The products we make will go to the Stags, the Grasslands, and even the most remote nation in the south western regions, change the world, but Hawk Nation will have to beg for us to go there."


    Xiao Mei responded in agreement. She was not designed to do something that the master did not want. They checked out of the immigration department and just when they came out of the airport terminal. Han Lingxue spotted Xia Yulie and dashed over to meet her.


    Hao Ren smiled and then said to Yue Shenlong, "Let''s have a party tonight?"


    Yue Shenlong smiled and said, "It''s on you. I will eat a lot."


    The men chuckled. They have been through a battle, although it was not very big, and they did not spill a lot of blood but they did go through some stress of handling the meta humans. Only Xia Yulie had come over to receive them because she could not help but worry about the safety of her daughter. The four people left the airport and reached the Han Mansion.


    Hao Ren learned that Han Lingshi was meeting with the military people on his behalf. Thinking about this, Hao Ren went to the side and asked, "Xiao Mei, what is going on in the meeting?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, Commander Gao is trying to force iron fist. He says that if we did not cooperate with them, they will pull back the security they have given to the research center."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Stop Lingshi from answering and tell Commander Gao to understand his place. If he cannot guarantee the safety of my family then what good is it to work with him?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Well, they said they can assign guards."


    Hao Ren clenched his fist and then he took a deep breath before he said, "Since it has come down to this, let us do this, tell Lingshi to agree with them for the time being we will give them what they want, but once I am strong enough, I will bring them down on their knees. They think that I will stand by and watch them pee in my face because of the spirit of patriotism.


    Hmph, they won''t even have the chance to beg once I am done with them."


    Xiao Mei asked, "Boss, what do you intend to do?"


    Hao Ren looked outside the window and said, "Grow rich enough to buy a big island network, and build a city of my own."


    Xiao Mei sighed and replied, "I really want to roll eyes at you. Do you think it is easy to do something like this? The financial side aside, the geographic factors are really not suitable. The water level increase, the tides and the cyclones. The construction process will stretch over for a decade."


    Hao Ren scratched the back of his head, he realized that in anger he said all those things. Then he asked, "What shall I do?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "You shall win the goodwill of the masses. Then you shall dominate the industry, and also, stop researching medicine that can be used by the military. At the same time, cultivate a force of your own."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "You are right, I shall do this. Xiao Mei, what would I do without you?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Maybe waste your money chasing after unrealistic dreams."


    The old chief opened his eyes wide, and stood up before he said, "Boss, please do not say anything more."


    Hao Ren smiled and waved his hand, and the next moment a bunch of needles appeared out of nowhere, floating above Hao Ren''s palm. This shocked Heath and made the old man sit back into the couch.


    The young man said, "I am also a cultivator, although just a beginner. You are right to be afraid of the DEHB, however, do not worry, I am not with them. On the contrary, I am one of their enemies."


    The two were surprised, and Hao Ren said, "Now, tell me, are you afraid of them because they have power, or are you afraid because you are weak?"


    The two people took a deep breath and then they calmed down after a few minutes. After a few minutes, the old man said, "Yes, I have had some encounters with them. It is not their number that scare me, it is their strength. We as military people are not allowed to divulge this information.


    Once every six months, they will send someone to come and talk to us, checking if we have divulged the information to anyone."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Well, either they have some deep secret they want to keep at any cost, or they are just bluffing to look big. How long before the next check?"


    Heath replied, "Five months later."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will ask you one more time, would you like to cultivate and join my forces? In return, I will give you resources and also, heal the injuries you and your fellows have suffered all these years."


    The two people were shocked, and Hao Ren said, "You know I made that Spirit Rejuvenation Potion, right?"


    Heath clenched his fist and then said, "Old Chief, please think carefully. It might be the only chance for all the brothers to accomplish something."


    The old man shook his head and asked, "Can I think about it?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "You can tell me everything by the evening tomorrow. Also, regardless of your decision, I will cure your lungs."


    The two people were surprised, they did not expect Hao Ren to know that the old man had trouble with his lungs. The two men were confused and Hao Ren stood up from his chair before he came to stand behind the old man, and then he quickly stabbed the tip of his thumb in his back area. The old man coughed a little, and Heath got worried.


    After the old man calmed down, he looked at Hao Ren in shock and the young man said, "This is a temporary remedy."


    Then he gave him a verbal prescription and said, "I will send it to you on your phone, brew it into a bowl of soup and have it in five portions. This will strengthen your lungs for the treatment tomorrow."


    The two were surprised and did not expect something like this to happen when they came here. They wished him well and left the place. Hao Ren smiled at their back and heard Han Lingshi say, "You are such a cunning man, Ren, tonight you broke my illusion where you were an innocent boy."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Then I shall show you how cunning I really am."


    Then he chased after her and the house echoed with laughter and babble.

 Chapter 164: Onwards.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were laying in the bed, and had just finished their daily cultivation. The lady said, "When you were saying that you wanted to make a force of your own, I was thinking about another aspect to gather strength."


    Hao Ren asked curiously, "What is it?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "If cultivation was all about fate and karma, then can we not do something to earn merit?"


    Hao Ren replied, "We are already doing charity through the foundation and Xiao Mei is keeping a track of the money trail. No?"


    In his mind, this was charity enough. Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I was talking about this with mom, and she told me that merit manifests to the people who directly credited for the charity or good deed. We are only getting a small amount of the merit.


    The more the masses believe in the king, the stronger the fate of the nation. However, that fate will not manifest it just upon anyone. For the manifestation of the fate the people need to have a strong impression of yours."


    Hao Ren thought about it silently, and the system said, *Ding: Host, this is a combined task for you and your wife. Please accumulate enough merit to manifest the providence of the phoenix and dragon. It will be helpful to you in your future path.*


    The young man took a deep breath and asked, "System, will it not pose a lot of threat for us to manifest the providence?"


    *Ding: Host, do you think manifesting the providence is as easy as cooking instant noodles? The nations that your wife used as an example, are all able to manifest a flood dragon as the highest form of providence after a lot of hard work spanning over to generations, and centuries.


    If you manage to manifest your providence, the providence gain enlightenment and protect you from a lot of enemies when needed.*


    Hao Ren fell silent. The system has scolded back some senses in his mind. The young man then snuggled with Han Lingshi and said, "You have completed the negotiations with the military people, and there is nothing much that we can do about them for now.


    How about we go to the mountains and a few more places that are operated by the foundation to meet the children after I am done signing the new contract tomorrow?"


    Han Lingshi thought about it and said, "Well, if not because we have Xiao Mei, I wouldn''t dare to go out for such a long time."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Xiao Mei, did you hear that? Thank you for your effort."


    The AI replied, "I don''t want to sound too haughty but it''s nothing, really."


    Hao Ren said, "I can see some mangled nerves around her spine. The vertebra is not obvious to my sight. I will need to examine her."


    Han Lingshi smiled and looked at Maya as she said, "He is a doctor, what do you say Maya? Give it another shot?"


    The young lady clenched her fists, and said, "It is not that I am being rude, but I am tired of these examinations. I don''t want to live with hope only to despair in the end."


    Hao Ren approached her and said, "Miss Okudera, I promise to you that I will not give you any false hope."


    She looked at his earnest expression, she nodded. In reality, Hao Ren had used the sooth saying skill, he stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders before he channeled his spirit energy in her body. This was the advantage of spirit gathering realm. He could finally channel a bit of his spiritual energy through other objects.


    As the energy moved through Maya''s body, she sensed a vague warmth running through her body. Their was a reason why he wanted to help her. He was genuinely impressed by her dedication and loyalty to Han Lingshi. He thought about it when he was coming up with the idea of cultivating his own force, that if he could heal Maya Okudera, she would become a loyal guard beside Han Lingshi.


    After a few moments, Hao Ren said, "Hmmm, there are spinal fractures, the bone is being held together with pins and plates. The bone regeneration potion can help in this. Her nerves will heal when spiritual energy is channeled through them and acupoints also.


    Miss Okudera, just so you know that I am not lying to you, tell me when you feel something in your legs."


    Maya Okudera was shocked at this last remark and before she could even retort back, she sensed something, the sensation in her lower extremities have returned. She said, "I feel itchy in my legs, what is going on? Am I hallucinating?"


    Hao Ren took his hands back and said, "You are not hallucinating, I only stimulated your nerves with spiritual energy. As for what that is, Lingshi will tell you what it is. as for your treatment, you would need to have the pins and plates removed before I can give you a bone regeneration potion. So, do take your time to decide anything."


    After he finished speaking, Hao Ren left the Empress International and reached his own company, where he signed the contracts and talked with the management about his decision to never sell even a single unit in the Hawks Nation market. He even said that as soon as any unit was detected to have entered the Hawks nation, it would be deactivated.


    The management was surprised and then Hao Ren told them how the NSA kidnapped Han Lingxue to force him into handing over the spirit rejuvenation formula. The management was surprised, and they supported his decision.


    Then Hao Ren said, "I read that the prosthetic program is progressing nicely, are we close to launching the initiative?"


    Klaus said, "Yes, we are, as soon as we can find a hundred volunteers."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I have decided to go out and inspect the locations where we are doing the charity and all. It won''t be long and during this time, I would like to convince a few people to join us. So prepare a team, that can go and demonstrate the effectiveness of the prosthetics."


    The people nodded and Hao Ren set off, tonight he was going to find out whether he would get a force of his own, or not, but he had stepped onto the path of cultivation in true sense and his ambition had been ignited.

 Chapter 165: Power Tide.

    Hao Ren was sitting in his cabin after handling the meetings. He was talking to Xiao Mei about planning an trip plan, when his door was knocked, he said, "Coming."


    The door was pushed and Carter Deng came inside and Hao Ren gestured him to sit down. The old man sat down, and Hao Ren noticed a trace of hesitation on his face. He asked, "What happened to you, Old Chief? This hesitation is so unlike you."


    Carter Deng smiled wryly and said, "Chairman, I drank the prescription you told me, and I can already sense that my lungs have grown stronger. The stiff feeling in my chest has vanished. I am grateful to you and do want to agree to your proposal, but their are so many people in the forces who have internal injuries and diseases that cannot be cured by the best doctors in the world. So, I..."


    Hao Ren nodded and cut him off, "You don''t have to push yourself too hard on this. Your doubt is genuine. How about this? After work, you can ask all the people from the security department to gather inside the reception lobby. I will treat you all."


    Carter Deng was surprised but Hao Ren said, "I will show you that it is not big talk."


    Carter Deng was a veteran and he could see that Hao Ren was truly confident in his words. Thinking about it, this young man had developed the potion for the military and it was really a miraculous medicine. The old chief nodded and said, "As you wish, Sir."


    Then he left the cabin, and Hao Ren texted Han Lingshi to bring over Maya Okudera to his office in the evening so that she could witness his treatment methods. Han Lingshi was surprised too but she understood what he wanted to do. She was not a fool, and vaguely could tell Hao Ren''s motive behind all this.


    Time was a fleeting element, it passed in a bit. It was evening and most of the staff had left the office. June was sitting behind the reception counter when Heath asked her, "Miss June, are you not leaving for home yet?"


    June smiled politely and replied, "Boss is still in his office, how can I leave?"


    Heath said, "Young Master will be working late on some project. He told that you can leave, don''t worry, we will handle the affairs."


    June found it odd, but then she heard the elevator ding, and Hao Ren came out. He stopped for a second when he saw her and then said, "June, you can go home. I have just having a meeting with the security team and observe a few drills. It might take long you don''t have to wait."


    June took his word and smiled before she picked up her bag and said, "Have a good evening, President. See you, Mister Heath."


    Heath smiled and June left the building. Shortly after, Han Lingshi came over with Maya Okudera. They were riding in a minivan that was specially designed with a folding ramp for the latter to conveniently get down the vehicle.


    Han Lingshi led her in and found thirty guards standing around Hao Ren, and Carter Deng was sitting on a stool with his shirt taken off.


    The young man smiled at Han Lingshi and, Heath pulled over a chair for her to sit down, and Hao Ren said, "So, Old Chief, Carter Deng suffered a shrapnel blast during his service, and although the doctors managed to save him and take out all the shards from his lungs, the damage had been severe and till this day it has not healed completely."


    The people nodded and Hao Ren said, "I will extract the blood that has clotted inside his lungs. Then with a prescription, in seven days he will be back to the peak of his health."


    After saying that, Hao Ren suddenly released a cold aura and said, "What you are going to see here should stay buried inside your hearts. If I found a single leak, I will come after you all. Do you understand?"


    His aura did scare the people and they all knew that he was a skilled fighter and did not hesitate when it came to killing his enemy. They were all military men and valued trust as well, so they replied to him in unison, "We understand, President!"


    He pinched the arm in some places before he began to channel a trace of spiritual energy from his body to the nerves. The damage was not much and it healed quickly under the nourishment of the spiritual energy.


    Hao Ren then went on to talk to all the guards. Each one of them had even brought their reports, and case files, but Hao Ren could tell them exactly what was their ailment and how it could be cured. He did not use heavenly means all the time, sometimes he only gave a verbal solution and the relief followed.


    Heath gulped a mouthful when he saw this. He did not expect Hao Ren to be such a genius doctor. Heath could see the awe in the eyes of the guards was increasing exponentially and he smiled as he said, "Old Chief, young master is a good bet."


    Carter Deng nodded and then he saw Hao Ren walking up to Maya Okudera. He asked, "Miss Okudera, what do you think? Do I have some skills?"


    Maya Okudera took a deep breath and asked, "Chairman Hao, I don''t intend to disrespect you, but can you tell me what is your motive to cure me?"


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded as he said, "Well, since you have asked me upfront, I will not hide anything. It is your loyalty. I intend to create a force of my own. The people who answer to me and protect the people close to me.


    The military contracts are good money, but I hate it when someone tries to bully me even when they are incompetent. You all might be aware of what happened a few days ago regarding the Spirit Rejuvenation Potion Contract. My sister-in-law, was kidnapped by NSA, the intelligence agency of the Hawk Nation. I had to spill blood to get her back.


    All of this happened because someone from the military leaked the news. This is why, I do not trust them to guard the Research Center as well. What would I do if they were to just unilaterally stand up and seize control of the place?


    This is why I wish to teach you all how to cultivate. You all we become strong, and capable of doing what I can. What do you think of this reason, Miss Okudera?"


    Maya Okudera was surprised by all this. She looked at Han Lingshi and then at Hao Ren. She said, "Miss Han was the person who saved me from a despairing life. She is my school senior. It is because of her benevolence that today I am even breathing. I owe her a lot, and I am willing to take this risk, Chairman Hao."


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded as he said, "Even I owe my life to her. We are all in the same boat."


    Then he turned to look at the big men and asked, "What do you think about it, Old Chief Deng?"


    Carter Deng looked at the men around him and said, "I will follow what these men want to do, Chairmen. Forgive me but it is too big of a decision for me to make. My men are all young and brave, but even then I will not ask them to commit mutiny."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Did I ask them to kill people without reason? I am asking you all to protect me and my interests, for the same thing I hired you all in the first place."


    One of the guards stepped out of the group and said, "Sir, old chief is worried you will send us to fight with those from the DEHB."


    Everyone looked at him and nodded, while Carter Deng sighed, and Hao Ren laughed out loudly, and he said, "Your job is to guard and protect. If there is a fight, you can just tell me, and I will handle it. Is that enough? If not, then forget what happened here. I can kill those DEHB people when I am strong enough so it does not matter to me."


    As soon as he said this, the people sensed his aura shift again. Carter Deng stood up and said, "Young Master, as look as you don''t as us to do something that harms the nation or disrespect us, we will defend you and your interests to the last breath in our body."


    The guards nodded and said, "Till the last breath!"


    The voice was akin to a tide of power that washed over Hao Ren''s heart and he nodded.

 Chapter 166: Surgery Success.

    The people in the security department all agreed to work with him and Hao Ren said, "Miss Okudera, when would you like the treatment to begin?"


    Maya Okudera was shocked and asked, "What exactly is the treatment?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I will need to operate and take out the plates and the pins. Then I will give you the bone regeneration potion. At the same time, I will handle the nerves. It would take two hours at most."


    Maya Okudera nodded and then she asked, "In which hospital do I need to get admitted?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Not a hospital. The methods I am using are not known to common men. It can only be done in secret. I wonder if that is okay with you?"


    Maya Okudera was surprised and asked, "Then what do you mean? Where will you operate me?"


    Hao Ren replied, "We will do it at Yue Mansion. They have all the medical supplies there, and I have already sent a few med bots over there for them to help me during the procedure."


    Maya Okudera looked at Han Lingshi who said, "Do not worry, I will not let you harm him even if he is my husband. Had I not been confident in this I wouldn''t have asked you to try it. The final decision is yours, if you don''t want to go on, you can refuse anytime before you are undergoing the operation."


    Maya Okudera was a beautiful person, and at this moment, while her heart was willing to go ahead but the logic behind everything was troubling her. All this sounded too fantastical and given her conditions, she had learned to be very realistic.


    Hao Ren sensed the hesitation and said, "Maya, I am not forcing you, but treasure and trouble walk hand in hand. If you are willing to trust me, I can assure you that I will not let any harm befall you during the treatment."


    He did not wish to resort to this move but Maya Okudera was going to be an important asset in the future, so he had to use his soothsaying skill on her. Along with the sincere expression, the evil capitalist influenced Maya Okudera to nod.


    Then Hao Ren said, "Heath, drive her to the Yue Mansion, I will follow you along with Lingshi. The rest of you, take a good rest today, and within a week, be ready to replace the military guards in the research center located in the core area."


    The guards gave him an affirmative answer and then everyone took off.


    ...


    After half an hour, Hao Ren and Lingshi went through the gates of the Yue Mansion followed by Heath, who was driving the mini van. After they came, Yue Shenlong met them along with Han Lingxue. The young lady had decided to learn martial arts and cultivation. So she had come over to the Yue Mansion to learn from Old Man Yue, because he was the best teacher.


    Han Lingxue was young and her family could not bear to treat her harshly, thus, Yue Chilong became the choice. He was strict as hell. Maya Okudera was being pushed by Han Lingxue and the former could not help but look at Han Lingshi from time to time.


    Hao Ren was also beside them, and he shook his head. Han Lingshi was the corner stone in Maya''s life. He wanted to know more about her so that he could understand the reason of her intense emotions.


    They came to the basement of the mansion, which had been transformed into a critical hospital ward. Yue Chilong said, "We had a small emergency room, but with the equipment you bought over, this place has become a state of art operation theatre."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It''s not a big deal."


    Xiao Mei had used her magic to get things done. She had also uploaded herself in the med bots inside the house so they would not function in the stiff manner like they did in the military. Hao Ren said, "Xiao Mei, get her prepared."


    One Med Bot stepped up and replied, "Okay, Boss."


    Han Lingxue was surprised, and curiously she followed behind the robot. Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Xuexue, do you want to be a nurse?''


    He was thinking about scaring the girl, but the young lady became excited and asked, "Can I?"


    ...


    Han Lingxue leaned closer to Han Lingshi and whispered, "Sister, see he is touching the back of another woman. Are you jealous?"


    Han Lingshi turned to look at her and shook her head as she said, "No, there is still a micron gap between his fingers and Maya''s back. He is pouring in the spiritual energy through her pores."


    Han Lingxue felt she had lost her chance to tease her sister and sighed as she said, "You have no idea about such things. My dormmate Aurora told me that if a man is not fed with flesh he will run out to find another nest."


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows and asked, "What does that even mean?"


    Han Lingxue smacked her forehead before she leaned over and whispered in her sister''s ear. Han Lingshi''s face turned red as an apple. She pushed Han Lingxue away and smacked her shoulder as she scolded, "What dirty things do you keep thinking about?"


    Han Lingxue snorted and said, "Wait till you consummate your relation, these dirty things will be something you look forward to."


    Han Lingshi was getting angry and embarrassed but she did not want to admit it and said, "Never."


    Han Lingxue shrugged her shoulders and said, "Is that so? We will see when other women chase after Brother-in-law and he brings some home. Hmph."


    The girl did not understand what she had done. Han Lingshi fell quite and began to think about something only she knew.


    ...


    Hao Ren was covered with sweat. Xiao Mei had been wiping his sweat diligently but that was limited to the face only. After half an hour of repairing nerves, his body was drained of spiritual energy and his stamina was almost at its last leg too.


    When he saw that everything was okay, he took away his hand and said, "Xiao Mei, you are in charge. She fell asleep when I was repairing her nerves, you can inform me when she wakes up in the morning.


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, Boss."


    Hao Ren then changed his clothes and took a shower before he came out with a pale face and tired expression. Han Lingshi held his hand and asked, "Are you okay?"


    Hao Ren smiled and then said, "Yes, can we go home? I am tired."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then turned to look at Maya who was laying in the bed. Hao Ren said, "She is fine now. Do not worry, in five days, she will be able to run around like normal people."


    Han Lingshi trusted him, and after a few verbal exchanges with everyone, they left the place. Heath drove them back to the apartment and the couple walked upstairs.


    Han Lingshi said, "I will take a shower, you should change as well."


    The young man nodded and said, "In a bit."


    Han Lingshi went to the shower room, and as she stood under the drizzling water, she could not help but think of the things Han Lingxue said to her. She knew that Hao Ren was not the person who would do something like cheating on her, but most of the time he has been catering to her and not the other way around.


    Thinking about her, she closed her eyes and wanted to meditate, when Hao Ren came to the cloaking room located on the other side of the stained glass door. She could vaguely see his shadow through the door as he took off his clothes.


    Han Lingshi blushed, she was a young woman at the peak of her youth and she had shared many first times with Hao Ren, so how could she not think about the consummation? As she was thinking about it, suddenly she took a deep breath and closed the tap to walk out. In her eyes a fire was burning strong.


    Would this fire consume her or will she tame it?

 Chapter 167: Flames.

    Continue reading at M V L


    Hao Ren was about to put on his shirt when he heard the washroom door behind him slide to the side. Instinctively he turned around and was stunned. Before him stood Han Lingshi, cloaked in the flickering cloak of water vapors. He beauty was on exhibition for Hao Ren to see.


    For a moment, he even stopped breathing. Han Lingshi came close to him, and they were standing just a few inches away, when the young man clenched his fist and said, "You are stoking a fire that might burn you, Lingshi?"


    The lady smiled enchantingly and replied, "So, what if I burn? Are you forgetting that I have the providence of a phoenix? It is sort of my talent to rise from the ashes after burning in my own flames."


    While talking, she had already put her arms around Hao Ren''s shoulder, and when she finished speaking, she kissed him. Han Lingshi had decided to give her all to Hao Ren tonight. She did not care if it would leave their foundation with some cracks. She wanted to have the night of her life.


    Hao Ren definitely wasn''t going to reject this approach. He was an alchemist and knew that only when they circulated spiritual energy while making love will they loss their vital energy. While kissing Han Lingshi, he cleverly created spiritual blockades in her body to prevent her from circulating her spiritual energy.


    After a minute when the kiss broke, he said, "Do not use your cultivation technique tonight."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then Hao Ren picked her up in his arms as he walked out of the cloaking room. His right hand was placed along her thigh while his left had supported her back, and Han Lingshi clamped her legs around his waist. A few moments later, the two of them were united.


    Han Lingshi grimaced from the pain that came before she could embrace the pleasure. Hao Ren was not blinded with lust, he also made sure that his movement did not cause her pain, and only when Han Lingshi urged him did he move.


    The room was echoing with moans and gasps. They were both burning with the flames of passion, and did not wish to stop at all. The bed sheet had turned into a mess from Han Lingshi''s intense pulls. They evidence of their joy and pleasure were spread over their bodies.


    After an hour when the two of the stopped, they lay on the bed in each other''s arms. Han Lingshi had placed her head on Hao Ren''s chest and she was listening to his still not so calm heart beat. She then sensed a sticky fluid on her belly and furrowed her brows before she smacked Hao Ren on his chest.


    Hao Ren was savoring the after taste of the union when he woke up by a smack and asked, "What happened?"


    Han Lingshi snorted and said, "Look at the mess you have made, now I have to go and clean up again?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I had the same thought, the western border of the nation has many remote villages located inside the deserts, and thus it becomes difficult to maintain them. We should go here."


    Hao Ren nodded and then said, "It would be better to ride on modified bikes. Cars won''t be able to last for that long distance and the speed limit is lower. Plus, Xiao Mei told me that we might need to go off roading on the stone hills. So, bikes are better. What do you think?"


    Han Lingshi gave him a thumbs up and said, "I know how to ride a bike. It would be nice to travel together."


    Hao Ren smiled and told Xiao Mei to place an order. They bought the bikes, and even got the modifications done within three hours. In the meantime, they shopped for clothes that suited a biker.


    When they received the news that the new bikes have been delivered, the two of them put up their jeans, shoes and jackets, before coming down. Heath was stationed at home, so he was unboxing things for the two of them.


    Xiao Mei had ordered smart helmets, and gloves for the two of them. They could now talk to each other with ease and the navigation will be displayed on the helmet visor directly. It was already evening when they took off.


    Heath and the rest of the people wanted to move along to protect them, but Hao Ren said, "Your presence will attract even more attention."


    Two bikes zoomed through the roads, and then headed out of the city. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were heading towards a village called, Sun God Village. Nobody knew why this place was named as such, but the natives did not agree with the government to change it.


    While riding the bike, Hao Ren asked, "Xiao Mei, why is this place named as such?"


    Xiao Mei accessed the archives and said, "Boss, it is a folklore. In the ancient times, this place was visited by a man who could control flames. However, when this man used his skills to help the people, unfortunately, he fell to his demise. The flames that resided inside him were lost in the desert after his death. Thus the people named their village, the Sun God Village."


    Hao Ren was wondering what the reason could be, when Han Lingshi said, "I wonder if it is a spirit fire that was lost to the winds. One thing is sure though, this person was from the spirit shimmer continent."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Let us see, if these flames really exist or not."


    With the turn of the throttle, the two of them dashed out of the city.

 Chapter 168: Sun God Village.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi rode the bikes for two days. They slept in tents, not to save money but to experience camping and they cultivated in the lap of mother nature. The increase in strength was constant and in the morning they would fight among each other.


    Now, they had paused using fists and kicks to spar only. Instead they used the new swords they got. They were learning the art of sword and had a knack for it. Xiao Mei showed them videos of the best mortal martial artists who used swords, and the couple was absorbing everything they saw.


    On the third day, they came to edge of the village. This place was located at the edge of the desert. The plantation was already getting scarce. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi rode inside the village and saw that the houses were made of earthen walls, and dried straw. They exchanged gazes and frowned, as they approached the only cemented building which was a small office of the Meiling foundation.


    Their arrival had already gained a lot of attention, because it was rare for bikers to come to this place. They had no tourist attraction and even the culture of the village seemed boring. A few children stood in the distance as they watched Hao Ren and Han Lingshi get off the bikes and take off their helmets.


    Hao Ren said, "Xiao Mei, can you use the drones to film the situation here?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, boss."


    Suddenly, a young man came out of the foundation office, and asked, "Excuse me, who are yu..."


    As soon as he saw Han Lingshi, he froze, but when he saw Hao Ren who was looking at him coldly, he shivered, and asked, "May I ask, what can I do for you?"


    Hao Ren was about to reply, when a house bot came out of the office and bowed, "Greetings, President Hao, Madam Hao."


    The young man heard the intro and he was shocked once more. He quickly lowered his gaze and said, "Greetings, President, Madam. I am Kane Wilson. Please forgive me for not recognizing you."


    Hao Ren sighed and waved his hand as he said, "Don''t worry, we came over unannounced, it is our fault."


    Kane shook his head and after some polite greetings, he called the two of them inside the office. The place was akin to a staff accommodation designed for seven people to live together. One chef, two teachers, and two doctors. The teachers were carefully selected and they were capable of teaching students to middle school level, after that, the house bots would take over. Read latest chapters on M V L


    The doctors were a general physician and a pediatrician. Children who grew up in such places needed more focus and care. This building had four rooms, and one living room. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were sitting in the living room and the House bot fetched them water.


    The elders greeted them back, after all, who would beat a smiling face? The middle aged people had complicated looks but they were because of the good looks of the young couple. The couple did not disturb the teachers or the doctors, and watched everything from the side. Hao Ren could have gone and given treatment to the elders but he was not here for that.


    Suddenly, a little girl about three years old approached the two people and placed her hands on her hips. Hao Ren smiled, because the girl looked like she was a jade doll. The girl asked, "Big brother, can you marry me?"


    Hao Ren was stunned and even Han Lingshi was stunned as well. Then they both chuckled and Hao Ren crouched down as he pointed at Han Lingshi before saying, "You see this fairy big sister? She is my wife. I will not marry anyone else."


    The girl pouted and then looked at Han Lingshi for a bit before she sighed and said, "You are correct, Big sister sure is the prettiest woman. But, if you did not marry me, I will have to settle for Xiao Ping. I don''t like that fatty."


    Hao Ren chuckled but then stopped, he could not help but pat her head and asked, "What is your name?"


    A wizened voice sounded, "Agni, are you causing trouble again?"


    Turning around, Hao Ren saw an old lady walking over. When the old lady saw Hao Ren and Han Lingshi, she opened her eyes wide. The young man was also noticing things, and suddenly, he could not help but open his Yin and Yang eyes, and the two people spoke at the same time, "Who are you?"


    Han Lingshi sensed the tension in the exchange, even though it sounded calm, it felt as if a battle was about to erupt. The little girl Agni dashed out from behind Hao Ren and said, "Grandma, I am not making trouble. I am looking for a groom, I don''t want you to send me with Fatty Ping."


    The old lady''s expression softened for a bit before she asked, "May ask who might young friends be?"


    Hao Ren took a deep breath before he cupped his fist and bowed, "Greetings, Elder. I am Hao Ren, and this is my wife, Han Lingshi, we are here to inspect the people working with the foundation set up in your village."


    The old lady took a few moments, before she nodded. Then she also thanked Hao Ren and Han Lingshi for putting in such effort. However, she did not expect Hao Ren to be so humble. After a few minutes, when she was influenced by Hao Ren''s soothsaying skill, she said, "Well, come along. I will serve you with tea."


    Hao Ren nodded, and suddenly he heard, *Ding: Host..*


    The young man was surprised, and followed the old lady with a numb expression.

 Chapter 169: Story Behind The Flames.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi followed the old lady but they were very cautious. The young man has seen aura fluctuate around her. Even though it was a fleeting moment, it was still something that bothered Hao Ren.


    The reason he used Yin and Yang eyes was because the person probed him first, and following that, the system announcement rattled his brain. Hao Ren gulped and thought, ''I walked into a fucking trial for life.''


    Han Lingshi sensed that something was wrong with him, but before she could say anything. Hao Ren wrote a few words on the inside of her palm with his finger.


    ''This old lady is a cultivator. Don''t act rashly.''


    Han Lingshi was surprised but then she managed to maintain a calm visage. Soon, they came to the biggest house in the village. Hao Ren was now using Yin and Yang eyes to check everything and everyone. To his surprise, only this old lady had a trace of spiritual energy in her body.


    When they came inside the house, the old lady gestured for them to sit down on wooden chairs. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi thanked her as they sat down and the lady said, "Agni, get some water and tea for the guests."


    Agni nodded and left the place. The old lady said, "My name is Rati, I am the village head. May I ask why your esteemed selves have come here?"


    Han Lingshi looked at Hao Ren who was sitting calmly, and said, "Elder, you have misunderstood. We did not come here with any purpose in mind, but we just wanted to check on the work of the foundation staff."


    Rati looked at her first and then at Hao Ren. She sighed and replied, "I apologize. It seems not every one who can cultivate is greedy for power."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and wanted to ask more when Agni bought over a tray with earthen cups. She gave the water to the two people with smile on her face, and then she said, "Grandma, I will go and sit in class or Teacher Amanda with pinch my cheeks."


    The old lady nodded and they watched Agni leave hopping over. Hao Ren then looked at the old lady and asked, "Senior, what can we do for you?"


    Rati looked at the couple and said, "Young man, do you really have no idea of this place?"


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi shook their heads and the old lady continued, "This village was established fifty thousand years ago. It was not always surrounded by sand and barren lands. This place was very flourishing, but one night everything changed. A piece of sky shoot through the clouds and fell on the ground. It destroyed the mountains and the ground was flattened.


    The heat was so high that everything turned to ashes."


    The young couple was surprised, they had no idea this village had such a great history. Hao Ren said, "If we can find that asteroid, we might be able to transform this place into a tourist attraction."


    ...


    Hao Ren took a deep breath, he was walking around the place with Han Lingshi. The lady looked at him and asked, "You have been overly quite? What is happening?"


    The young man replied, "Well, I did not expect such a thing to happen when we set off from home."


    Han Lingshi smiled as she held his hand and said, "You do not have to think so much. Grandpa says, whatever happens, whether good or bad, it will give you an experience to grow stronger."


    The young man sighed and said, "I have no idea what to say, but when we go to that place, I hope you can follow my word as much as possible, but if you think their is a way that can get things done quickly and avoid getting hurt, do it."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "I know you are worried about me, but believe me, I can handle myself."


    Hao Ren was anxious and she understood it. Time passed quickly, and soon, it was evening. The staff in the foundation office also returned, they all met Hao Ren and Han Lingshi with shocked expressions. However, Hao Ren then went on to cook some traditional dishes for them.


    When they were done with it, the young man made an excuse that he was going to meet the village head and discuss a few things before taking off with Han Lingshi. They quickly came to the house, and the old lady was waiting for them.


    Hao Ren carefully looked around and found that Agni was sleeping inside the room. Rati sensed his gaze and replied, "Do not worry, she will be fine. You two, come with me."


    The two people followed her into the backyard, and found a big old dead tree. Rati said, "Under the tree, you can find the stairs leading down to the underground cavern that my ancestors left. At the end of the cavern you will find the flames."


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and after a second he nodded, and proceeded to the tree. Han Lingshi followed him silently, she knew that Hao Ren had been through one trial already and so it was not a bad thing for him to probe first. She was worried for him, but that did not mean she would disturb him or tell him not to go. She did not wish to become his weakness.


    Hao Ren placed his hand on the surface of the trunk and then channeled his spiritual energy through it. Then the trunk split into two from the center and opened up. Hao Ren was calm, but Han Lingshi was surprised. The tree trunk parted into two, and it revealed deep stairs.


    Hao Ren looked at Han Lingshi and then they solemnly nodded before descending the place. They could see the dim glow coming from the underground. Hao Ren said, "The spiritual energy is very dense, try to run your cultivation sutra, we might as well advance a little bit."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and they began to descend. After an hour did they only reach the base, and found a cavern before them. However, what they saw shocked him, and Han Lingshi clasped Hao Ren''s forearm very tightly.


    She whispered in a shaky voice, "Can we go back?"

 Chapter 170: Dance of Dragon and Phoenix.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were standing at the base of the stairwell and what they saw made the latter''s heart waver. She clasped Hao Ren''s hand tightly and asked, "Can we go back?"


    Hao Ren looked at her pale face and patted her hand gently, "Don''t worry. Thinking about the meaning of your cultivation mantra. To climb the peak one needs to brave heavy winds, and horrifying storms. Also, I am by your side, do not worry." Chapter Explore:


    As he said this, a strong energy wave shook the cavern. The couple could not help but take a step back. Han Lingshi worriedly looked at the coiled sleeping silver dragon before her. The creature was gigantic, it made the young lady wonder how it even fits in this cave. On the other side of the dragon, a red and gold phoenix was sleeping perched on a parasol tree which was condensed of flames.


    This was the sight that scared Han Lingshi. These two creatures were regarded as the strongest entities in the myths, it was an obvious reaction from her. Around the dragon everything was frozen into icicles, and behind the phoenix even the air seemed to be burning.


    She turned to look at Hao Ren and was surprised. Hao Ren had a pale face, and his forehead was sweating, but in his eyes resided a spark of madness. She could sense his excitement and that surprised her.


    She wanted to ask him something when Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, those two creatures are the manifestation of the two flame energies. Can you imagine how strong someone would become if they held the power of these two?"


    Han Lingshi realized why Hao Ren was excited. While she saw death, and destruction in the two manifestations. He saw opportunity to gain power that could make him stronger. Hao Ren looked in her eyes and said, "In the world where strength is supreme, rules are made by the strong. Strength is not a weapon, but a capital that allows you to maintain peace and order.


    Only the strong have the right to forgive and forget. If you are an idealist, you would not be able to make it in the Spirit Shimmer world. Put that aside, even in this mortal realm, we have to hide from DEHB, and many people are plotting against us. Even our own government would push us in the corner at the moment''s notice.


    Why can they do this? Why can the so called elite decide the fates of the millions and billions? In this world wealth is power. They are rich and so they can buy arms and weapons and dictate fates. However, in the spirit shimmer world, the bigger the fist, the bigger the word.


    Think about it and tell me, if your parents and grandparents had the strength, would you still be here looking after a business empire? You might be an Empress, making the world a better place for the weak. Even to help someone we need to command strength and respect."


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath, she agreed with what Hao Ren said, but she still asked, "What do you think about the destruction done by the strong? What about the fates of those who wage wars against the weak? Why is power so important?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Power is not bad, but how you use it can be. Do you think I am someone who will go crazy because I have strength? Had that been the case, I would have used Xiao Mei to cripple the entire government and pull all sorts of strings."


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide in realization. Hao Ren had Xiao Mei for a long time now, yet he has always been using honest means to earn his keep and make his name. The young man raised his hand to cup her face and said, "My love, I also know that if I ever go crazy from the drug of power, you will keep me in check."


    Han Lingshi could not help but look at him and ask, "What would you do if I were to go crazy from power?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Have you forgotten what I promised you? I will protect you, even if it from yourself. I will never give up on you, and I will never let you forget who you are."


    Han Lingshi sensed his sincerity and sighed. Then she asked, "What shall we do now?"


    The flames had a natural consciousness, and wanted to consume each other to grow stronger, but this couple of weak humans dared to come closer to them. This was blasphemy and the flames wanted to erase them.


    Han Lingshi rolled on the ground and then she sensed a strong force coming towards her from the ground under her and she jumped. The ground had turned it a puddle of magma. She landed on the side and moved forward.


    On the other side, Hao Ren also stood up from the ground and began to dash around in an erratic pattern, because wherever he stepped, a six feet tall ice spike would erupt. The young man said, "Use your sword Lingshi."


    The young lady nodded, they had been practicing the sword skills left for them by Tang Zen. After the two of them took out the swords, they channeled their spiritual energy through the blades, and began to move around and use the weapons to hit the flame balls or the icicles that were close to their bodies.


    The two left behind dazzling streaks of ice blue and magma orange as they confronted the attacks. The cavern was echoing with weapon clashing sounds and explosions. However, the two people covered for each other as they advanced and the burden over their shoulders lightened. They were in perfect sync and could sense the movements they were about to make.


    They had covered a thirty meters distance, and now, the gigantic creatures looked like mountains, however, the core area where the real flames were burning was now in sight. It was still forty meters away from them and Hao Ren yelled at the phoenix that roared at him, "WHAT! Do you think I am scared of you? I will get you, just you wait."


    Han Lingshi saw that the magma orange flame paused in its attacks, and then she yelled at the roaring dragon, "Shut up! I am coming for you and that is your fate."


    The roles had reversed, the two weak humans were moving forward under their combined pressure, and they were now even scolding the spiritual fires. Han Lingshi and Hao Ren used the momentary stupor of the flames to dash, and cover up twenty meters before the attacks commenced once more.


    Now they could see the fumes of icy blue and magma orange energies floating around. The energies were absorbed by their bodies, and their bodies began to react violently to them. The attacks of the flames did not stop. The couple was again put under the combined pressure, and Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, fuck it all, lets make a run for it."


    Han Lingshi, who was busy waving her sword to deflect the icicles coming at her, saw the spark of mania flash in his eyes. She could not understand how this man wanted to put his life at stake for this power, but what she did not understand even more was the impulse that made her want to follow him in his every stupidity.


    Unknowingly, she smiled and her gaze changed. The two of them were jumping and dancing around with their blades, as they broke out into laughter. At this moment, their unity, and their combined confidence had reached to a higher level.


    They dashed forward in a straight line, a simple and the most efficient manner of movement, that could lead them to death. They were already covered with scratches and small gashes, this was foolishness, but they did it anyways.


    Suddenly, the two of them pushed each other to the side, and dodged an attack from the flames. The ground exploded with dust clouds. Then Han Lingshi took out a rope from her space ring and tossed it to Hao Ren.


    This was from the supplies of their road trip. Hao Ren caught the end of it, and increased his speed, before anchoring his feet onto the ground. This caused one more attack to miss him, before he pulled the rope with all his strength. Han Lingshi cooperated with him in perfect harmony and she made a quick circle around him before using the combined momentum of their movements to jump for ten meters.


    As she landed onto the so-called altar, the empty space before the icy blue flame. She pulled the rope with all her strength and Hao Ren also jumped to land beside her. The two were now standing before the two flames floating and burning in the void.


    A wave of energy disintegrated their clothes completely and Hao Ren said, "Sit back to back and cultivate like that night."


    They sat down and the flames began to drill through their pores. The final phase of flame refinement had began.

 Chapter 171: Flame Refined.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were sitting back-to-back again. Their bodies were covered with gashes and bruises they earned while rushing to their current position. The manifestations of the flames were roaring at them. The next moment, the phantoms dissolved and transformed into wisps of pure destructive energy and rushed inside the bodies of the two people.


    The couple shivered as a terrible pain courses through their bodies. Han Lingshi was about to scream when she heard Hao Ren''s voice as he recited his cultivation sutra. The voice was calm and it shocked her so much that she even forgot her pain. It was not that Hao Ren was invulnerable to pain, but he was tolerating it and focusing on the power that was testing him.


    She could sense his body shivering, and also his resolve. She grit her teeth and began to recite the cultivation mantra for her technique as well.


    The energy that the couple was trying to refine was so strong that it was freezing and melting the bodies of Han Lingshi and Hao Ren from the inside, respectively.


    While Han Lingshi was focused on cultivation and enduring the pain. Hai Ren yelled in his mind, "System! You motherfucking eunuch voiced piece is shit! Seal the flames, my bones are turning to ash."


    *Ding: Five minutes later, the spiritual flames will be seal. You will have to endure and use this opportunity to refine your body. Also, for cursing the system, the host recieves one minute penalty.*


    Hao Ren coughed up a mouthful of blood. No, it was not entirely the cruelty displayed by the system but also the damage left in his body by the flames. Now that he knew what the system was going to do, he just has to ball up and tolerate the pain.


    Hao Ren was also dedicated when it came to cultivation, so he focused on the wisps of energy that were moving inside his body and then the chant began. After just ten seconds, the couple was focused on cultivation, and the energy from the flames began to move through their bodies.


    It did not take for the two of them to enter the higher sync and the energy began to move from one body to the other. The cold and hot energies helped them sustain but at the same time it caused them to suffer as well. The sudden drops and rise in the body temperature was making them feel relieved but at the same time it was scary as well.


    The energy slowly began to move inside the dantian. While Hao Ren had only the Yang Flames inside his body, Han Lingshi was absorbing the cold Yin flames. Their realm was also increasing steadily. The wisps of spiritual energy were being refined into a purer quality as the flame energies accumulated above the spirit whirlpool.


    Hao Ren did not care about anything at the moment, because while he was refining the flame energy, a shared of it rushed to his mind and he felt as if someone has put a rotating drill inside his skull. Then a dull thunder echoed throughout his body. This was the impact of his soul sea being tore open.


    Now, Hao Ren found himself standing on a barren patch of land and before him a beautiful red bird was flying around. The width of the wings were enough to shame the world''s biggest plane, and the beauty of her eyes were something that could not be put into words.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and was about to think about what just happened, when the bird in the sky turned to look at him. Hao Ren shivered, the fear that he felt at this moment was something that a weaker species felt when looked down upon by a predator who sat higher in the food chain.


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "You are not worried about the Han Family issues?"


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "I will handle that when I am at least void shattering realm. Think about it, Old Boy Hao was so strong yet he was forced to run away from his home. I wonder how strong were the enemies. Just because we are getting stronger, it does not mean they are waiting for us to come down and beat them."


    Han Lingshi replied, "I understand what you are saying, but if you cannot confront your enemies until you are in the Void Shattering Realm, what is even the point to go to the spirit shimmer continent when you are just at core formation realm?"


    The young man replied, "It is because we need to face our own tribulations and grow stronger. We will need to form even better connections. That is why we need to get there."


    The lady sighed and said, "Why does life have so much struggle? Why can''t we just go and live at a farm and grow old?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "We can do that, how about it?"


    Han Lingshi pushed against him and said, "Cultivate already, why do you talk so much?"


    The two people closed their eyes and began to cultivate. Hao Ren was also trying to learn more about the boxing technique that he had just gained, and Han Lingshi was the same.


    ...


    Outside the cave, Rati was sitting on a rocking chair in the backyard of the house. She was staring at the sky, and just a few seconds ago, the clouds cleared and the stars appeared vividly. Rati was surprised by this, because even though the pollution in the area was almost negligible, she had never seen so many stars gathered in the sky.


    She mumbled, "The barrier is gone."


    The barrier that was erected by the spiritual flames to conceal their presence was now gone, it meant, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi had finished refining the flames. Just when the sun was about to come up, she saw two people stepping out of the stairwell.


    The sunlight broke through the dark of the night and illuminated their figure, and Rati could not help but say, "Couple of Dragon and Phoenix descends, when they soar the world will change."


    The two people came closer to her, and said, "Thank you for giving us this chance, Senior."

 Chapter 172: Dance Of Ice & Fire.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were thanking Rati for the chance she gave them but before the old lady could say anything. Xiao Mei said, "Boss, do you remember that I can now monitor every DEHB agent in the world?"


    Hao Ren had a bad feeling and he raised his brow as he asked, "What are you getting at?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "They have sent one guy to check the anomaly that just occurred here. If they find anything suspicious, it would not be easy for us to get away."


    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren frowned, Rati narrowed her gaze and said, "I knew they will not leave us alone. For the past seventy years, those greedy men and women will come over to the village in the name of tour and population survey, but looking in their eyes, one could tell that they were looking for something.


    Look at the sky, and you will know that the refinement of the flames have caused the atmosphere to change. They must have noticed this."


    Xiao Mei would not have spoke to Hao Ren in the presence of a third party, but in her protocol DEHB movement was set as a top priority that could not be bypassed at all.


    Hao Ren began thinking and asked, "Who is the person they have sent to investigate?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "His name is Nate Yeet."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Do we have to fight this person?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "That would definitely place us on the radar of that bunch of Jackasses."


    Han Lingshi asked, "What other choice do we have?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Let me check with Harvey and see if he can suggest us any solution."


    The lady nodded, and Hao Ren asked, "Xiao Mei, how long before that guy Nate arrives here?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Five Hours."


    Hao Ren then called Harvey Skye.


    ...


    Harvey had just gotten back home after a long day at work, and his phone rang. He sighed and mumbled, "I can''t seem to catch a break today."


    Then he checked the caller ID and he cursed, "Fuck, why is this guy calling me?"


    He knew that Hao Ren held the secret of his daughter''s life, so he could not afford to go against him and decided to take up the call. The young man on the other side did not even wait for him to greet, and said, "Mister Skye, I was beginning to think that you do not wish to talk to me anymore."


    Harvey Skye put on a wry smile on his face and replied, "How could that me, Mister Hao? I have just come home and so was relaxing a bit. Please tell me what can I do for you?"


    Hao Ren asked, "Can you tell me if you know anyone called Nate Yeet?"


    Harvey Skye was so shocked that he stood up from the couch and asked, "How did you come across him?"


    Hao Ren caught on to the surprise in his tone and asked, "Mister Skye, that man is being dispatched to check what is going on in the Sun God Village. That is where I am at the moment."


    Harvey Skye asked curiously, "What happened there?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Nothing apart from the fact that the sky looks much clearer tonight. I can see the big deeper, and I can also see the people from DEHB hunting your ass down for sharing a little secret with me. Now will you give me what I want?"


    Harvey Skye instantly got back on track and sighed, he knew this was going to happen anyhow so he said, "Nate Yeet, former intelligence wing operative. He had a knack for martial arts and is currently at the black level. However, what makes him scary is the soul search spell. Over the past five years, he had single handedly found five treasure sites, and turned sixty people into living corpses.


    He does not listen to any reason, he does not care about any law. He is the hound of the DEHB, they send him when they want definite results. You better get out of their. If you have found any big treasure, then leave that thing behind or remove all the traces that it ever existed. Because if he got a scent of you, it will be an endless chase."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and asked, "Can I kill him and get away with it?"


    Harvey Skye was so shocked when he heard this and his hand shivered. Hao Ren said, "Well, I will cover all my tracks. How about it?"


    ...


    After five minutes, he stood before two big clouds of flames that seemed to be battling against each other. Nate was shocked and then he began to laugh out loud, "Hahahaha, Hahahahaha!! Who knew that I would have such a haul?"


    He took out his phone and was about to call the people above him before he noticed that he had no network. Hao Ren had commanded Xiao Mei to do this, and Nate had vanished from the face of the connected world.


    After a few minutes of trying, he sighed and turned around to climb the steps. At this moment, a soft and ethereal voice echoed in his mind, "Why are you leaving?"


    Nate was surprised and he roared, "Whose there?"


    The voice turned into a chuckle, before a snort followed, ''Pathetic human weakling, how dare you raise your voice in the chamber of great nether dragon!''


    Nate was still trying to figure things out when a cold burst of flames shot at him. He hurriedly dodged the fire ball by rolling to the side, and found that the ground was covered with frost. He was a black level cultivator but he could sense that if he tried to fight this power, it will only kill him even quicker.


    The charming voice sounded again inside his mind, "Come closer, young man. You have a good composition and you can move away from my husband''s attack. Let us see if you can withstand our power and refine us. We are tired of being sealed in this cage for so many years."


    Nate was surprised that the flames were communicating with him and they even wanted to try and see if he was strong enough to absorb them. The thick voice sounded again, "Hmph, my dear, you are getting your hopes high in vain. This man is so undecisive, how can he withstand us? I dare him to come here and refine him. Hmph what a waste of balls."


    The words insulted and provoked Nate, he was angry. The charming voice followed, "Why are you being mean to him? If he became our master, he will bully you back."


    Nate raised his eyebrow and walked ahead. What he did not know was that the voices in his head belonged to Han Lingshi and Hao Ren. The latter was even using the soothsayer skill to lure Nate closer to the clouds of flames.


    As he got closer, Han Lingshi who was hiding in the dark said, "Sit down, close your eyes, and focus your senses to cultivate according to your mantra. Refine us and you will become the strongest. You will rule this world of mortals and even the world of immortals in the future."


    Nate did as he was told. The ambition in his heart was just a few moments away. So he sat down on the ground, closed his eyes, and began to follow the cultivation mantra.


    The flame clouds began to enter his body slowly, just when he thought the cold and hot would regulate each other and make him supreme, the energies began to destroy him from the inside out. Nate tried to stop but he did not even had a chance to open his eyes. The flames were raging and turning him into ashes.


    The process lasted just a few seconds before the flame clouds vanished and young couple came out of the dark, and Han Lingshi let out a sigh. She said, "That worked way better than I expected. But I don''t see the accident."


    Han Ren said, "Do you remember our experiment?"


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide and the two of them rushed through the cave, leaving a few blobs of flames all over the place. The thing with these two flames was that they hated each other, however, they were perfectly balanced when controlled. Just like how they did when they controlled to kill Nate.


    So, now, all they had to do was to make it so that these energies would get close to each other and condense into a seed. That seed would be unstable and it will go off. The impact will level the entire cave and all their traces with it.


    ...


    After a couple of hours, the entire village shook and the people all woke up. The ground had minimal cracks, and so did the houses but thankfully, no one was injured. Everyone was panicked and they gathered in the village square.


    It was only in the morning did they notice that the place behind the village, where the Village head lived, was now caved in. Instead of the plane ground, there was a crater, at least two kilometers in diameter.


    Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the media is on the way. You have to make a statement."


    Hao Ren looked at the sky and said, "I had good intentions, Xiao Mei."


    Xiao Mei replied, "I know you did boss, but it is what it is. You have to live with the consequences."


    ...


    Dream''s Note: So, I have been diagnosed with a slip disk, it is a back bone issue which prevents me from sitting for prolonged hours. However, the treatment has started and I will try to write using vocal keyboard, and other stuff like that. I know that last month many of you felt I had not been delivering enough. I accept it that I lagged, but I hope you give me one more chance.


    I did not lag behind by choice.


    Thank you for your constant support and love. @Dangerlives, that comment of yours expressing your disappointment really hit me hard. I apologize that you feel that way, but I swear, I didn''t mean to slow down, just that sometimes things go haywire and we cannot control them. I apologize.

 Chapter 173: Diamond Task Unlocked.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi arrived in the square with the people from the Foundation Office and Hao Ren began to check the elderly and children who were scared from the sudden earthquake, with the help of the other doctors from the foundation office.


    The shockwave from the explosion was really big, more than what the young couple had anticipated it to be. Hao Ren had instructed Xiao Mei to call the media, he had two reasons, one was to gain PR, and second was to make sure that DEHB did not dare to act wildly.


    Han Lingshi was busy entertaining the children with her stories and singing. This was the biggest problem they had at the moment, because the adults were busy with the houses and they needed all the hands they could get but when they found that Hao Ren was a big boss, they were afraid of making him work for them.


    After all, he sent four people over, and took care of their children''s education and medication of the elderly.


    Hao Ren was more than happy in the clinic and his skills shocked everyone, it was just a one glance diagnosis, and when he was done, he said, "The construction team will be coming over with the media. Guys, don''t tell the media about my skills. Okay?"


    The two doctors nodded and were impressed by his modesty. At this moment, a little head appeared in his vision. Agni had come over with her eyes wide open. Hao Ren placed his hands on her shoulders and asked, "What happened for you to open your eyes so wide?"


    Agni asked, "Are you really as amazing as Sister Long say you are?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and asked, "Why do you want to know?"


    Agni sighed and her lips turned into a frown, "Grandma is getting old, and I fear that she will go under the ground like Xiao Ping''s grandpa. What will I do then? Can you make her young again?"


    Hao Ren was surprised, her words turned his mood somber. He patted her head and said, "Don''t worry, when she leaves you can come and live with me."


    Agni shook her head and said, "No, can you not make her stop?"


    Hao Ren sighed and picked her up in his arms as he said, "No, I am not that awesome, Agni."


    The little girl was upset and she snuggled her head in his shoulders. Hao Ren sighed and patted her head gently.


    After a few minutes, a middle-aged man came running inside the make shift clinic and said, "Doctor, there are some reporters have come over."


    Hao Ren nodded and walked out of the clinic with Agni in his arms. The reporters were questioning the people and also checking the condition of the houses around. Han Lingshi came over with a bunch of children following her like a tail.


    Hao Ren looked at Han Lingshi and said, "I will make sure that our wedding is something that the entire world remembers."


    Han Lingshi blushed and Agni raised her head to look at the two adults before she went back to snuggle and said, "I am hungry."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Everyone, I will cook for you all today."


    Then Hao Ren led everyone to the square where the canteen was set up. The evening came to an end and the people all did some minor repairs before the reporters left the place. The young couple came to meet the village head, Rati.


    Agni was still being carried in the arms of Han Lingshi. The child was sleeping soundly after working hard. Hao Ren and Rati were standing in the disfigured backyard, and the young man said, "Elder, if you don''t mind, you can move to the city. We will make arrangements and you can live a better life. It would become easier for you to take care of Agni there too."


    Rati shook her head and said, "I told you earlier, my family line will end with me, and I will become one with the land of this place. Agni will be fine, the people of the village will take care of her just like family. However, it would be nice if you could look after her when I depart."


    Hao Ren was surprised, he did not know how to answer her, but suddenly a calm voice sounded behind them, "You don''t have to worry, Grandma, we will look after her as if she is our own sister. Though, I do wish for you to watch over her for a long time."


    Rati smiled and then she went to bed. Han Lingshi and Hao Ren also retired for the night. However, the young man''s head was occupied with the plans for his wedding. This thought kept him up for the entire night.


    Hao Ren sighed and Han Lingshi asked, "What is going on?"


    The young man kissed her cheek and said, "Go to sleep, I am going to cultivate for a bit."


    Han Lingshi thought it was his habit and went back to sleep. The young man came to the living room and then picked up his laptop. He typed, ''Xiao Mei, what are the chances for us to develop a holographic projector?''


    The AI responded, ''Boss, we have the technology required for it, Klaus is even working on a prototype. Why do you ask?''


    Hao Ren then began to type on the keyboard and the AI replied to him with great detail. Hao Ren intended to use this technology for his wedding. His quick thinking even surprised the AI, she could not understand how this guy was coming up with all these ideas and Xiao Mei asked, ''Boss, how are you so creative?''


    They were still using text messages because speaking might alert the other people. Hao Ren replied, ''I am a natural.''


    Then he spent the entire night discussing the development and the evolution of this technology with Xiao Mei. The AI used her capabilities to design the program according to his demands. One man with a computer was going to change the world in the next week and it was going to leave a significant mark in the timeline.

 Chapter 174: Agni Comes Over.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi spent a few more days in the Sun God Village, and during this time, they moved the houses of the people away from the crater. Then they used Han Lingshi to fill the crater with frost and Hao Ren melted the ice with his flame control to create a pond. This will restrict the movements of the investigative team from the DEHB.


    After they were done with the important things, they assigned the robot in the foundation office to look over the work and then packed up to leave the place. Rati came over to them with Agni in tow.


    The girl did not look happy, but she seemed to be behaving well. Hao Ren sighed as he knew what this might be about. Rati knew that the couple was strong and they were rich. She was getting old and as much as she cared about the little girl, the couple was the right people to look after her. There was nothing wrong in wanting the best for the ones you love.


    However, Hao Ren thought that the child might demand too much time and commitment from them and it would hinder the path of cultivation for the both of them. It had not been a long time since the couple had attained union, having a child around would put them through a great test.


    Hao Ren left under the excuse of packing his stuff but Han Lingshi, who had come to love Agni a lot, decided to stay and talk to the elderly lady.


    Rati looked at Hao Ren''s receding back and said, "It seems that Hao Ren is not happy with us coming here."


    Han Lingshi also knew the reservations he had in his heart, and replied, "It is not that he do not want to talk to you all, but he is a man with his own dreams and ambitions. All this while he had been working very hard, and he is afraid of the responsibility that comes along with a child. Please do not misunderstand him."


    Rati shook her head gently and said, "I am not misunderstanding him at all. However, I cannot help but act selfishly. After me, the village people might take care of her, but the resources here are very limited and a parentless child often gets sidelined.


    I came to you two because you two are the people who give hope to those around you. My village had never had such a positive air around. Only after the two of you came did the things change. Now that you have taken the flames away, the village will gradually prosper and I cannot rest in peace knowing the power struggle that would be coming in the future."


    The young lady smiled and clasped her hand before she said, "Elder, you do not have to worry, I will talk to him and it won''t be an issue to look after Agni, but I just hope that you look after her for a few more days. If you send her off now, it would be too abrupt and effect her mind badly."


    Rati nodded and said, "Then I will do it but I don''t think this body will hold for much longer."


    Han Lingshi was now a cultivator and using the yin and yang eyes she could see a little grey aura around Rati, the spark of spirit energy that had been extending her life would now run out and then her health would decline and death was imminent. After talking with the old lady for a few minutes, Han Lingshi walked up to Hao Ren who was dusting the bike.


    As he sensed the young lady approach him, he said, "I know what you want to say, but can you tell me that Agni''s presence will not ask too much from us?"


    Han Lingshi smiled at him and said, "I did not expect for you to know my heart so well. But similarly, I also know that you are afraid of the responsibility. You are worried that she will hinder us, but you are forgetting one thing."


    Hao Ren frowned and the young lady said, "We have our families to look after her. She will grow up to be a fine human. If you are worried that she will not understand things, then we can teach her cultivation or such things. However, she will not be a hinderance, and I promise you that."


    Hao Ren sighed and asked, "So do we have to bring her along now, or later?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Later, for now, it is just us."


    On the other hand, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were riding their bikes through the night to reach the Jade Capital City faster. Han Lingshi asked, "So, we have three months left before the wedding ceremony, any ideas how you want it to be?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Yes, you can handle the business and sit back while I get you a dress, and fix the venue."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and asked, "Why does it seem like you are going to give me a big surprise?"


    The young man lined his bike beside her and turned to look at her as he said, "Yes. I do, actually."


    After a few minutes, Han Lingshi said, "How dare you keep me in the dark when it is about my wedding ceremony?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and turned the throttle to full as he rode away, and Han Lingshi chased behind him. Han Lingshi had tried asking Xiao Mei about it all, and found that Hao Ren has put a password that she could not crack.


    ...


    After they reached the city, life returned to normal. Hao Ren dedicated himself to the holographic projection project, cooking meals for his wife, and cultivating like a maniac. After two weeks, Han Lingshi got a call that Village Head Rati has passed away. She took a flight and went there to pick up Agni. She delivered on what she promised and Rati had prepared Agni for this too.


    She even went ahead and named the young couple as the potential nominee as Agni''s guardians. Han Lingshi came along with Hao Ren''s signed letter and the city officials approved the proceedings. Two days later, Han Lingshi flew in with Agni, and Hao Ren went there to pick them up.


    The young man drove an off road vehicle, and he found Agni following the young lady wearing an identical pair of clothing. He smiled and embraced Han Lingshi before he said, "You look so nice."


    Han Lingshi pinched him sneakily and said, "Don''t act like this, I was only gone for three days."


    Hao Ren winced but then he spotted a little head looking around with almost no emotion flickering through her eyes. The young man sighed, he could understand, that Rati was the only person she could have called family and now that person was gone, so she was indeed detached from the world.


    He crouched down before her and said, "Agni, are you not going to greet me?"


    Agni looked at him and said, "Good Evening."


    Hao Ren reached out and patted her head as he said, "Would you like to eat something nice?"


    Agni shook her head but Hao Ren knew how to make her eat and how to bring her back to full bloom. Then they drove back to the villa, and Hao Ren entered the kitchen directly. Han Lingshi went in to change, and Agni was left alone in the living room with Grace.


    When Han Lingshi returned, she found that the girl was no where to be found. It turned out that Hao Ren had made a soup and awakened the demon in Agni''s stomach.


    The time seemed to have grown wings and in a blink two months have went by, today, Hao Ren was holding a press conference.

 Chapter 175: Reward.

    Hao Ren was sitting on a chair on a reception counter while the press reporters sat across him, with many cameras set up behind them. The young man smiled and asked, "Are you all ready?"


    The reporters nodded, and were about to go crazy when Hao Ren narrowed his gaze. The level of command he had over the crowd was really shocking. At the moment, he was at the peak of spiritual gathering realm and was able to coerce these people with just a slight stare.


    One lady raised her hand and said, "President Hao, I am Miriam Tenor from Hua Xia Times. Can I ask you the purpose of this conference?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I wish to show you all some magic."


    The people were perplexed but then Hao Ren snapped his fingers and a coin appeared between them. The he stood up on the ground and tossed the coin in the void. Then he caught the coin in his hands, then he said, "Are you ready?"


    The reporters were curious and to their surprise, when Hao Ren opened his hands the coin had turned into a bouquet of marigold flowers. What surprised the people was that just when they were trying to figure out what was going on here, the bouquet turned into a bunch of butterflies that were fluttering around Hao Ren''s wrists.


    The young man said, "Ladies and Gentlemen, I, Hao Ren, proudly present to you, the latest product of the Thunder Technologies, Lighting Hologram Projector."


    The people were left stunned, and Hao Ren raised his hands and said, "Do you all see my rings? It is because of these rings I could create the hologram."


    One of the reporters stood up and excitedly asked, "President Hao, can you explain the technology behind this gadget?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "With the breakthrough of graphene chip tech, we have managed to develop a ring that will allow the users to cast hologram by the causing collision of lasers. The lasers are of a smaller wavelength and do not harm the body of the user."


    The question and answer session picked up pace and when asked the usage of these rings, Hao Ren displayed the prowess of the device to the best that it can. Hao Ren said, "This is only the first version this device and it will be improved further as the time passes and the technology advances.


    Thunder Technologies has filed a standard patent for this technology, we will also welcome individual developers to come and join us. It does not matter whether you are from a tech background or not. As long as you pass a test, we will train you and we will also give you a job."


    The people were surprised, by doing this, Hao Ren was going to rob a lot of hidden talents in the market. After this, the people from marketing came along with Klaus, they handled the variety of questions and Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the valuation of our company is soaring."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "Does not matter, is the plan ready?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "The rings will be going on sale in the next five days and we have launched the campaigns for advertisements. The data will be collected and the renders will be coming in. I will begin designing the dress and the venue so you don''t have to worry about that. However, Madam needs to you develop a few formulas so that the medical research can move on.


    The prosthetic project has found hundred volunteers and we will be getting the confirmation from the government soon."


    Hao Ren nodded and then left for him. His wedding was just thirty days away, and he needed to finish a lot of things. In the Industrial area, right next to the campus of his company was a pavilion that was surrounded by an artificial pond.


    After the ding sound, a holographic window appeared before him. Hao Ren raised his brows and he saw a variety of products being sold there. He did not react happily, and turned to look at the prices of the things.


    He said, "System, can you segregate the products into different types?"


    *Ding: Segregation complete. The items are now divided in two basic categories, mortal and immortal. There are sub categories that separate the items even further.*


    Hao Ren replied with a thanks and found that his conjecture was correct. The mortal items costed him money. He could buy technological research and blueprints with money. At the same time he could buy spiritual techniques, weapons and also ask the system phantom for guidance in some techniques that he had a tough time cultivating in exchange of spirit stones.


    He could also use money to convert it into spirit stone and buy things, but that was very impractical, one spirit stone costed him around ten million yuan. This was very wasteful.


    As he was thinking about which product he needs to buy, the soup and the main course was finished, and the doorbell rang. Hao Ren found Agni had come back with Han Lingshi. The latter did not say much and asked, "Do wish for me to die?"


    Hao Ren was surprised, and so was Agni. The young man bent down and carefully took off her heels before he asked, "What happened?"


    Han Lingshi grabbed the collar of his shirt and said, "Do you know there is a billion dollar bounty on your head, globally?"


    Hao Ren raised his head and asked, "I didn''t know. Xiao Mei, why didn''t you tell me?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Madam has told me that she will be talking to you in person."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Whatever you wish to do, let us do it after dinner. Please? I am hungry."


    This news was a shock to him but nothing that big. However, the impact on Han Lingshi was very unsettling. He could see that her aura was fluctuating. The dinner made her calm down a little, and she said, "I won''t have reacted this way but the enemy has hired special people. It is the strongest mercenary team from the Hawk Islands, the Alpha Blade.


    Nobody knows what they look like, where they are from and when they might attack.


    I asked Xiao Mei to conduct an investigation, but it turned up with nothing. No data at all and they are all the most wanted people on the planet."


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "How much is the bounty again?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Five hundred Million Dollars. It is a bit less, they did it shortly after you launched the Lightning Holographic Projection rings."


    Hao Ren was in shock, he did not expect he had an enemy who could do such a thing. The mode became somber and the young man said, "Calm down, it will be fine."

 Chapter 176: Battle Preparations.

    Hao Ren consoled Han Lingshi profusely before he sent her to cultivate. Agni had fallen asleep after dinner as well. All day long she would have fun at the Han Mansion and on the weekends Hao Ren and Han Lingshi would take her out as well. She was having a happy childhood.


    The young man took a deep breath as he sat in the study room. He knew that Lingshi was not concerned in vain. If Xiao Mei cannot find the existence of the people who were coming after him then the degree of danger was really high.


    He asked, "Xiao Mei, who initiated this contract?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "The Rose Family of the Hawk Nations, they have a chair on the big tables of almost every bank in the world at the moment. They work from the shadows and they hate when someone make major achievements in the field of business. The lightning projector will leave the companies backed by them in dust and thus they hired the best mercenary to be done with you."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Is there any way for you to hammer them?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "There are many people in the world who have placed bounties on some of their members. However, they have a private army. So, it is a bit difficult."


    The young man nodded and leaned back in his chair as he said, "Make sure that all the contracts against them are taken care of. Handle the private forces neatly. Okay?"


    Xiao Mei paused and said, "Boss, someone has even placed contracts against a few year old toddlers as well."


    Hao Ren replied, "Thank you for the reminder. Ignore the contracts targeting the children. Deal with the dirty ones first. Clean up the trash."


    Xiao Mei acknowledged and then got to work. In the meantime, Hao Ren began to go through the system mall. He was carefully searching for the means that could allow him to detect and diffuse this situation. He was not afraid that the enemy would hurt him, because he was a cultivator, his strength and senses were stronger.


    Han Lingshi was aware of this, the only thing they were worried about at the moment was Agni. The people who were ready kill someone for money, they would not mind harming a child to push the target into a corner.


    After half an hour, Hao Ren shortlisted three things, one of them was called a book on protection jade. This book described the creation method of a pendant that could be worn by the person and infused with a wisp of spiritual energy to create a protection barrier around the wearer in times of danger.


    The second was the location talisman. This talisman would allow you to find the location of a person as long as you have something that belongs to the person. And the last one was a straw doll. This doll was not exactly a cultivation artifact, but a witchcraft one. It was just as big as a palm but it cost a bulky hundred billion.


    These three were going to be Hao Ren''s trump cards to protect those around him. He made the purchase and Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, two hundred million dollars just vanished from the Red Banner secret account."


    Hao Ren replied, "Do not worry, I know where they went."


    The system had tagged all the dirty money to be his personal assets and how he used them did not matter. So, it deducted the money from that account only. Hao Ren asked, "System, where are the goods?"


    Number Four, sounded a bit ahead in age, and sighed, as he asked, "How do you want to do this then?"


    Number One replied, "We will observe the target for two days, then we will discuss further action. Number Five, you will look at the vulnerabilities around the subject. Find a leverage point."


    Number Five nodded, silently. Then they all vanished. Number One stayed at the top of the building for half an hour before he also left the place undetected.


    ...


    Hao Ren had received the material and was now carving out beads as big as a bodhi seed. His hands were stable and his operation was smooth. After an hour, he finished four beads, this meant four chances at life.


    Hao Ren was about to get happy when Han Lingshi came over, and asked, "Ren, what are you doing?"


    Hao Ren told her what he was doing, and the lady frowned, she said, "Xiao Mei, from this moment on, you are going to monitor every human being from every mean possible within the three kilometer radius of me, Ren and Agni."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, Madam."


    Han Lingshi then went on to say, "The people who cannot be detected have two methods to do so. One is to avoid using technological devices. Two is to have a second identity and buy the devices they need from black markets.


    You will find such people, and if you find anyone who does not have a mobile phone, you will tag them and follow them. You will find out their identity and tell us. Alright?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, Madam."


    Hao Ren had to say that he did not expect such a solution to such a case. Han Lingshi could even thing of a way to locate and identify these people. He was too worried for the people around and that was why he was casting Jade beads. The two of them balanced the equation, made up for what the other lacked.


    Han Lingshi picked up one bead and asked, "I also want these."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I will make you a bead bracelet and a pair of ear rings, identical to that of Agni. It will become a matching set. Then you girls can twin."


    Han Lingshi smiled and nodded. She could see Hao Ren was very good and carving and then when he became focused, she left him to rest for the day. The focused look of her husband was a killer move that made her feel butterflies in her stomach.


    Hao Ren spent the entire night making beads, and the new day began. He stood up from the spot and stretched a bit before drinking the bottle of spirit rejuvenation potion as he looked out on the horizon and said, "The Battle is about to begin. I hope you are a good enemy."

 Chapter 177: Demons Come Knocking.

    The next morning when Agni woke up, she brushed her teeth under the supervision of Grace, the house keeping robot. After a few minutes, the the little girl came out of the room and found Hao Ren handing a few things to Han Lingshi.


    She walked up curiously and asked, "Brother Ren what are you giving to Sister Ling?"


    Hao Ren smiled, her voice was like a wind chime and it soothed his thoughts. He picked up a necklace from the table. It was a bead necklace that he made with great care and precision. He said, "This is a jade protective necklace. If someone dares to come close to you and harm you, it will protect you."


    Agni did not seem to listen to his words, she had stars in her eyes, and said, "It is so pretty."


    Han Lingshi smiled, Agni was a child after all, and did not know the significance of this necklace. There were fourteen beads of emerald green jade. If she was to go out wearing this, who knows how many people would develop ill-intentions towards her.


    Hao Ren gently put the necklace around Agni''s neck and said, "Agni, sweetheart, this necklace was a gift that Grandma Rati left for you. She wished for you to wear it always, and never take it of."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, but when she saw the child clasping her tiny hand around the beads, she understood why Hao Ren lied. He needed to make sure that she does not take it off willingly. Then he took out the small straw doll.


    Agni was taken aback and Hao Ren said, "This is a lucky charm that Grandma sent from the heavens. She said that if you keep it hidden in your clothes, it will become the guardian and if someone comes to harm you, they will suffer badly."


    The little girl was hesitant but thinking that it was something that her grandma has sent, she took it. She asked in her innocent voice, "Brother Ren, why do you think someone will harm me? I have done no wrong."


    Hao Ren nodded and picked her up in his arms as he said, "The world is a cruel place, my dear. There are demons, who hunt for good children like you. If a demon takes you away, remember to stay calm, and hold onto the necklace. Do not fight them, I will come and save you. Okay?"


    Agni was under the sooth saying skills effect and she agreed to whatever Hao Ren told her. The young man took her to the kitchen and fed her a scrumptious meal while teaching her the things one should do when facing a demon.


    Han Lingshi got ready for work and left the house. She wanted to take Agni to the Han Family mansion, but Hao Ren said that he would bring the girl to his office. The young man had his own plans.


    Firstly, he did not want the enemy to know that he was onto them. Second, he would be able to protect Agni better if she was around him, and lastly, the enemy would not be able to figure out his routine.


    From the details he had found about the Alpha Blade group, he had come to know that this bunch of people would not attack just anyone. They would always carry out precision hits. However, one never knows when things might change. Hao Ren did not wish to put his people at risk at all.


    Hao Ren said, "Bring up their information on the screens."


    The information was directly placed on his screens and the Hao Ren said, "Call a meeting for the two department. Tell them I wish to hand out reward checks to celebrate the success of the Lightning Projector Rings."


    The product was a hit and they had millions of pre-booking orders. Xiao Mei sent out the memo and all the people were given fifteen minutes to meet Hao Ren in the reception lobby. Xiao Mei asked, "Boss, did you find anything?"


    Hao Ren replied, "In the past two days, they have stuck to there routine like a machine. It is very precise of them. Such a thing does not happen with normal people. Look at the call time stamps, they are all a few minutes, but not deviating any longer than two minutes give or take. I will know for sure when I see them face to face."


    He arranged the finance department to bring out checks and then headed to the reception lobby. Today he was dressed in a white shirt, blue denims and a pair of white sneakers. The young man crackled his neck and flexed his arms inside the elevator. He was ready to fight at the moment''s notice.


    In the reception lobby, he found all the staff members from the security team were present, and the sanitation personnel were also there. He ran his gaze over everyone, using his Yin and Yang pupil, he could see the aura that was hidden by the two enemies. The blood aura around them looked very subtle but it was visible.


    Given that a security personnel would have been exposed to war and battlefield as they were all former soldiers, it was understandable for them to have a blood aura, but the janitor, humph, Hao Ren wanted to laugh out loud.


    He began to distribute the checks and also shook hands with the people. When it was his turn to shake hands with the two enemies, he secretly channeled his spiritual energy through their bodies.


    Spiritual energy was a boon for those who cultivated it. However, if the people were to be exposed to an unfamiliar trace of this energy, they would wish for death. Hao Ren did not cause his spiritual energy to explode directly.


    Since it has been confirmed that these two people were enemies, and in all likelihood, they might have kidnapped his employees and had disguised themselves with some advanced make-up.


    He wanted to find if the real employees were safe. The meeting did not last long, and the people dispersed with big smiles on their faces. Hao Ren did not stay for too long, he came back to his office and said, "Xiao Mei, keep an eye on these people. I want you to use satellites if you have to but do not lose them."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Acknowledged boss, also, someone just took off with Young Miss Agni. Lady Yue Shi managed to find out that one of her maids were an imposter, but that woman had already taken the young miss to be her hostage. I cannot track that person on the camera anymore."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "It is not necessary. I have the means to locate them."


    ...


    Half past ten, Agni woke up in a cold and dark place. She was scared but then she calmed down, grabbed her necklace, and the straw doll hidden inside her clothes. She looked outside and found a bunch of men and women. They seemed to be dressed in black clothes, and the girl opened her eyes wide as she exclaimed, "Demons!!"

 Chapter 178: Showdown (1)

    Five people stood inside a desolate dark warehouse. They were talking about something when they heard a crisp voice exclaim, "Demons!"


    They turned around only to find that Agni had woken up. Four asked, "Five, did you not give her a proper dose of ketamine? Why is she up so early?"


    Five turned to look at the old man and said, "She only woke up half hour earlier, it does not make much of a difference. In that mansion, I felt as if I was being stared at by monsters."


    Four said, "This reminds me, today when I was in the office of Thunder Technologies, Two and I shook hands with the target. That man is not easy to deal with, his gaze seemed to have peeked into my soul."


    Three chuckled and said, "Do you even have a soul left, old four?"


    They were talking about the issue without any stress on their faces. One raised his hand and the banter stopped. He said, "Make a video, and have it delivered at his home. Threaten him that if he did not come to surrender by the evening tomorrow, we will dispose of the kid and leak the video to the media houses, blaming him for abandoning her because she was not his real family.


    Either way, Thunder Technologies will not stay afloat."


    The plan was simple, they were going to use Agni as a bait, if Hao Ren took the bait then he would die for being a loving human and along with him the company will die as well. If he did not come, then the people will boycott him for being a shallow person.


    Even if the company had ways to revive itself, the damage will be significant, and when Hao Ren gets to his weakest, they will get a chance to kill him.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was gazing at Hao Ren on the screen. She asked, "Where is he headed?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "The eastern district, they have taken shelter inside an abandoned villa."


    Han Lingshi pressed the button on the screen and asked, "Ren, are you sure that is the correct place?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Even with all the tech these people can evade the world, so, even if Xiao Mei could locate them, I not sure if I will find them there. However, they must have left something behind, everyone does. That is what I am looking for."


    He was not a fool to think that catching the enemy would be this easy when the group of people before him were all trained soldiers and assassins. The only reason he did not act rashly was because he did not wish to startle the snake.


    After a few minutes, Hao Ren parked his car a few blocks away from the place inside an alley, and got down from the car. He jumped up high and used the terrace to dart straight to his destination. It was a common neighborhood. The security was laggard, and this house was abandoned because the owner had passed away recently.


    This place was used by the government to provide homes for the old officials who retire and seek peace while being close to the city. Since the government was a bit late, the Alpha Blade decided to come over and use it.


    Hao Ren reached the location and used his Yin & Yang eyes to check for traps and anything else. He did not find any of those, and moved inside the villa with soft steps and cautious nerves. He even held a suppressed gun in his hand to shoot.


    Infiltration was simple and smooth. He came to see the situation and found the place empty, however, his nerves did not calm down. He began to comb every inch of the place. The place appeared be empty, after an hour, when Hao Ren did not find anything useful, he was disappointed and a bit annoyed.


    At this moment Han Lingshi''s voice sounded through his ear piece, "Ren, just now, David bough over a disc, it has a video recording, they did not tell where they are holding Agni, but they did say that you should go and meet one of them at the north east suspension bridge in one hour, that is all the time we have before they release the footage to the media."


    It was clear that the mask belonged to Five and not Two himself. Hao Ren looked at the man and thought if he should interrogate him, but then he shook his head, it would be a waste of time, because this man won''t say anything quickly and he did not wish to waste time.


    Even if the mercenary group had given him time in the video, they had asked him to meet over at this place, so they did intend to kill him. Had he not come over, they would not follow the time agreement and the video would have been delivered to the media outlets.


    Hao Ren took out the location talisman, and held it together with the mask, as he channeled his spiritual energy through the two objects. The paper caught fire, and the yellow radiance caused Hao Ren to close his eyes.


    After a few minutes, when he opened his eyes, the ball of yellow radiance condensed into a small firefly, which shot off into distance. Hao Ren was surprised, and he quickly picked up two and flung him over his shoulder as he dashed behind the firefly at a high speed.


    He was sure that Two will not wake up any soon, the impact of his kick was held back, but it was still enough to knock out a bull. Hao Ren dashed at the fastest speed possible. The dragon fly was moving in a straight line, it did not take turn.


    After thirty minutes, Hao Ren arrived in the center of the city. He only knew how difficult it was for him to avoid the gazes that longed to see something strange. The young man was standing on top of a building and the dragonfly had just vanished into a puff of flames.


    He could sense that the location of the enemy had been reached, but what shocked him was the fact that they were hiding inside a bank. Yes, this place was a bank called the International Commercial Bank.


    Hao Ren sighed and asked, "Xiao Mei, ICB is owned by the Rose Family?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Ren, what do you wish to do now?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "Just going to have a showdown with these people and bring Agni back home for some cheesecake, can you order some hamburgers and fries for her? I doubt she had anything to eat since noon."


    As he said that, he flung Two off his shoulder. The man woke up from the sudden impact, and when he looked up in a daze, all his saw was a foot that stomped on him, sending his consciousness into the embrace of eternal darkness.


    Hao Ren initially had the idea of taming these people, but now, his mind had changed. Any enemy who dared to stand in his way shall die.


    He then walked over to the door on the terrace that led to the floors below. He said, "Xiao Mei, I want all the doors and surveillance dismantled."


    Xiao Mei replied in positive, and Hao Ren opened the door by yanking the door hard. Xiao Mei had shut down the entire security system and none of the alarms were going to work anymore.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was watching the entire thing on the screen through satellite monitoring. Xiao Mei asked, "Madam, why are you watching this with such a focus?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "Future reference."


    Xiao Mei did not understand this, but this footage was all great lessons for her. She knew that her future would not be easy and would need to act in certain situations so this will help her navigate a bit.


    Hao Ren would not be by her side always. Even if he was to stay beside her, she wanted to carve a path of her own and not become his dead weight. She wanted to be called an expert because of her skills and not because her husband was an expert.

 Chapter 179: Showdown (2).

    Hao Ren stood on the terrace for a few seconds, thinking about the power of his enemies. The guy who came to fight him on the bridge one thing was sure, they were all cultivators. The sniper guy was strong enough to deal with any normal human, so the rest of the people should have either similar or slightly higher strength.


    The young man took a deep breath and pushed open the door on the terrace, and headed down stairs. Xiao Mei had taken control of the entire security network, so it was not a problem for him to move undetected. He came to the ground floor and then moved towards the basement.


    On the official blueprint, this place had one basement where the security team stayed, and the vault was located, but in reality, there was a second basement where a bunker was located.


    Hao Ren did not know the exact location of the door, only the rose family people and the contractor who was killed after making the door know about it. His Yin and Yang eyes could not see through the metal.


    He was thinking about how to locate the bunker when Xiao Mei said, "Boss, the best place to hide the bunker entrance is inside the vault. That place is big, and also happens to be the most secure place. From the designs plans I also found a small network of vents connected to the vault which is unnecessary."


    Hao Ren looked at the huge vault door and asked, "Can you open it?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I cannot do anything, it is a manual lock, cannot be picked up remotely. It is also the safest lock available in the entire world at the moment. They change the code everyday."


    Hao Ren thought of something and placed his hand on the vault. He said, "What would happen in I set the bank on fire and reduce it to mounds of ashes?"


    Han Lingshi was shocked, and she asked, "Ren, you will harm a lot of people in the process of harming the Rose Family."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "How will you justify the hole in the vault door?"


    He channeled the flame energy from his palm directly to the door. The eleven inch thick titanium door began to soften as it turned red from the heat. Hao Ren did not know that his flames were capable of reaching such temperatures and after a couple of minutes, the vault was open.


    With the violin music playing in his ears, Hao Ren entered the vault. The currency notes on one side, there was a huge area with gold bullions placed in a pile with looked like a small mountain. Hao Ren walked while tapping the floor with his feet and sat down to use the same trick to open a hole in the floor.


    ...


    Alpha Blade mercenaries were eating rations, and Agni was sitting on a side. She rubbed her tummy but did not ask these people for food. She had her own pride, at this moment, Three stood up and came to her side. She said, "Kid, have some food."


    Agni looked at her and did not reply before turning around and closing her eyes. Three found it surprising, unlike the usual behavior of children, this girl showed no sign of struggle and nor did she create a fuss. On the other hand, Three felt compelled to help her.


    Just when she wanted to say something, Old Four said, "Two should have come back by now."


    One nodded, and said, "I wonder if Hao Ren decided not to come."


    They both looked at Five who was sitting on the side, seeming lost in thoughts. Suddenly, the air inside the bunker began to warm up. The mercenaries were cultivators so they did not notice the change, but Agni was a normal child and she was sensitive to the temperature, and mumbled, "Finally they turned that cold machine off."


    Hao Ren turned around while holding Agni in his arm and said, "You think too much woman, this necklace is just a protective charm. She is calm because I told her that you bunch of clowns are useless."


    His words shocked everyone, they did not understand why Hao Ren called Old Four as a woman. The young man looked at the big guy on the side getting up and said, "Agni can you stay here in the corner for a few minutes? I need to deal with these people."


    Agni nodded and said, "Can you make pasta when we get back home?"


    Hao Ren nodded with a smile on his face. Then he let her down on the ground and crackled his bones. He looked at old four and said, "Are you thinking why did I call you woman? Well, you might be able to fool your folks, but your Yin energy is a bit too strong. I can basically smell it."


    Then he looked at the rest who were ready in the battle pose and tossed out the mask he had taken from Two. The mask dropped on the ground and he said, "Whichever of you is Five, take your mask. Your lover died in peace."


    Five looked at the mask that was placed over the molten metal and then she gazed at Hao Ren. She did not say anything and just charged at him with all that she had. Old Four yelled, "No, Five, wait."


    However, the latter was already close to Hao Ren who smiled and turned his head to the side before delivering a punch directly at her face. The impact of the counter punch was so strong that it broke the mask and the cheeks. Just one punch, and Five was done for.


    Hao Ren sighed as he looked at her corpse stuck to the wall, as he said, "I have united the two lovers for eternity. What a good deed."


    Three, Four, and One were both shocked when they saw Hao Ren killing one of them with just a punch. The brain matter from Five was dripping out from the big crack that appeared on her skull. Hao Ren did not hold back at all.


    One thing had been clarified, this was a fight for their lives. Hao Ren smiled at them and said, "You all look so serious. Do you really think that you can kill me with your yellow level strength?"


    Hao Ren wanted to use his cruelest means to kill these people, but recalling that Agni was there as well, he tamed the psychopath sleeping inside him.


    One and Three exchanged gazes and they vanished from their spots. However, in Hao Ren''s vision, they appeared to be moving normally. Thanks to his Yin and Yang eyes. Whatever, happened in this room was not visible to Xiao Mei or Han Lingshi, but Agni was watching the scene with her eyes filled with sparkles.


    Hao Ren raised his hands and caught two fists. His defense and reaction once again shocked the two people and just when they were about to use their other hands, a sense of overwhelming heat enveloped them.


    Hao Ren said, "I have a spiritual flame, and I do not know how to manipulate it well enough. Have fun."


    He pushed the two of them away and the flame energy began to char them from the inside out. Hao Ren looked at the only survivor of the group and said, "I can kill you with ease, but I am curious about your truth. Tell me who you really are, and I will give you a quick death. Otherwise, you have the examples."


    Four turned his head to look at his burning friends and shivered, before he raised his hands and took off the mask on his face. Everything changed in an instant. The old man became a young lady with features to kill for. Even her physique changed considerably.


    Hao Ren conjured a ball of flame in his palm and the lady directly knelt on the ground as she said, "Young Sir, please listen to me. If you are not satisfied, then you can kill me."


    Hao Ren paused, but he did not give up his guard and asked, "Tell me what do you have to say."

 Chapter 180: Scary Couple.

    Hao Ren was standing before the lady who was hiding and acting as Four, one of the Alpha Blade mercenary group members. He was about to kill her when she asked him to hear her out. This whole thing did not sit well with Hao Ren but he decided to listen to the person.


    Hao Ren looked at her and said, "Go on, say whatever you want to say."


    The young lady before him said, "I am Yin Ye. I was a child when my parents bought me over to this world. However, they were hunted down by DEHB members."


    Hao Ren narrowed his eyes and asked, "Can you prove what you say is the truth?"


    Yin Ye thought for a bit and took out a couple of notebooks, and said, "These are the cultivation skills that my parents left for me. You are a peak black realm cultivator, so you might be able to tell that it is all realm."


    Hao Ren did not touch the books and shook his head, "This is not enough. Can you tell me where your parents came from? Were they members of a big family?"


    Yin Ye nodded and said, "They were the descendants of the Blood Feather Tower. My father was an assassin, however, the tower had fallen in power a long time ago. Someone from the left over people assassinated a big shot and the people began to hunt all and every member who survived the first purge. My parents were just young adults when they had to flee and come here."


    Hao Ren thought about it and flicked his finger. A needle was embedded in the neck of the young girl. Yin Ye was shocked, she looked at Hao Ren with eyes wide open and the young man said, "I stabbed you with a poison needle. We will go out of here, and then I will verify your claims. However, if you dared to use spiritual energy, the poison will eat you up with in a few seconds."


    His words were true and Yin Ye shivered. She was an assassin and had killed many people, but she had never felt fear like this. Looking at the opening in ceiling she gulped, because not only was this man strong, he even managed to melt the vault which was eleven inches thick. She had no choice but to follow what he said.


    Yin Ye nodded, and Hao Ren picked up Agni who was gazing at him with sparkling eyes. He looked at her in askance and the little one shook her eyes. The young man then came to stand below the hole in the ceiling and said, "You will follow me up, and then we will see through the entire situation."


    Yin Ye agreed and Hao Ren jumped up through the hole with Agni in his arms. Yin Ye looked around at the fallen corpses and then she sighed before following the young man. Hao Ren stood in the vault, and Agni was still gazing at him. She did not know the value of all the things here and Hao Ren was her hero.


    The young man gestured at Yin Ye and said, "Go to the terrace."


    Yin Ye walked ahead of him and the young man said, "Xiao Mei connect me to Old Boy Hao, we have a hostage whose identity needs to be confirmed."


    Xiao Mei was as quick as lightning when it came to executing commands. It was already two in the morning, and after a while the call connected.


    Tang Zen spoke from the other side, "Old Hao is sleeping. He has been cultivating for the past week and just decided to get some rest. If it is something urgent I can help you."


    Hao Ren did not expect this to happen but then he sighed and said, "Ma, there is a girl here, Yin Ye, she claims to be the last surviving descendant of the Blood Feather Tower. Can you confirm it?"


    Tang Zen thought for a bit and asked, "Ask her if she has a death flower."


    Hao Ren looked at Yin Ye and asked, "Do you have a death flower?"


    Agni opened her eyes wide and nodded like a chick pecking grains, and the two of the jumped off the bank terrace. It was not high, just seven floors, easy for Hao Ren. Yin Ye also followed along. She was a yellow realm cultivator, it was easy for her as well.


    The lady drove her own vehicle and followed Hao Ren to his house. Bringing her along, Hao Ren had an idea, and when they reached home, he explained it to Han Lingshi, "You will be the Empress when we go back. You will need a trusted minister who can handle diplomacy, Maya fits that role, and you will need a blade that mows down your enemy in shadows, for that Yin Ye is apt."


    Han Lingshi nodded but then solemnly asked, "I understand what you are saying, but how can we trust her just like that?"


    Hao Ren was prepared to deal with it and took out a scroll that he had bought from the system mall. He said, "This is a spirit contract scroll. You will be the master, and she will be the servant. You will have complete control over her life. She won''t betray you, and I will also keep an eye on her. I will not let her act wild."


    Han Lingshi did not ask where he got this scroll from. She nodded, and the young man taught her how to use the scroll. Then he went to the kitchen to cook a serving of pasta for the little one.


    Meanwhile, Han Lingshi sat across Yin Ye with a cold face. The latter could tell that the lady before her did not have any malice, but the aura was so cold that it made her shiver, and she thought, ''Oh god, what sort of demon couple did I meet? Please save me from this hell.''


    Hao Ren had shocked her when he killed the entire squad with ease. Then he confirmed her identity and everything else on just a call. Then here sat Han Lingshi, the business mogul and the demon with a gaze that could freeze her soul.


    She could not help but say, "Miss Han, you and Mister Hao, are a match made in heavens."


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath, she was happy with the complement but she did not want to show it on her face. She tossed the scroll in the air and said, "This is a spirit scroll. If you mark it with a drop of your blood, you will become my subordinate. Shall you ever try to harm me, or the people I care about, it would be your last day alive. Other than that, you have full freedom.


    In return, I will not bar you. If you need help, I will be there to support you. If you do not mind, then go ahead and sign the scroll with a drop of your blood. Otherwise, you are free to leave."


    Yin Ye was surprised to hear this. She was hesitant, after all who wanted to be a servant to anyone. Han Lingshi was gazing at her without blinking and raised her palm. The next moment, a snow flake condensed above her palm and the temperature of the room dropped.


    Yin Ye did not hesitate, she pricked her finger and dropped the blood on the contract. She could tell that these two people were different than the rest of the rich people, and the same time, they were scary as monsters.


    The contract was signed and Yin Ye could sense a connection in her mind. Just at that moment, Agni came out holding a big bowl of spaghetti and said, "Sister Ling, food."


    Han Lingshi smiled and patted her head gently as she said, "Miss Yin, I would like to see you at the Empress International office in the morning tomorrow. Dress appropriately."


    Yin Ye nodded quickly and bowed before leaving the place. This eviction was sudden but relieving.


    Han Lingshi looked at Hao Ren who was feeding Agni, and asked gently, "What do you plan to do next?"


    Hao Ren smiled and the young lady sighed, "Poor people."


    Now that the calamity had been averted, it was time to counter the master mind.

 Chapter 181: Counter.

    In the morning, the Jade Capital City was stunned by the news that the ICB branch in the Jade City was breached and the people who did it melted the doors and the floor of the vault. The police was shocked when they found that not a single dime was missing and that their existed a room under the vault which did not match the blueprint.


    The hidden door ticked off the police. They directly went to the higher authorities and asked for a ''show cause'' commission. They questioned the bank people to give a detailed letter about why this room was built and kept off the blueprints. Although the impact would not be much, but the momentary instability in the stock market would effect the board members.


    Hao Ren sat in his cabin, leaning in his boss chair and said, "Xiao Mei, did the Rose family cry?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, they did. Five members died in a night, obviously they cried. They have basically closed off themselves. Rich people are so afraid of death."


    Hao Ren smiled at her remark and said, "Find out if their is any illegitimate off spring of the Rose family."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Were I to be a human, my eyes would open wide. Boss you are wish to change the entire Rose family?"


    Hao Ren shook his head while swiveling in his chair, "I wish to change the one who holds power in the Rose Family. These entitled pricks do not even know what the world needs. They just feed off of the weak and poor, target those who try to stride ahead. Fuck them and fuck their interests. They wish to treat the world as a chess board, then why can''t I treat them as chess pieces?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "For someone who is afraid of his wife discovering the habit of stealing ice cream, you sure sound dominating."


    Hao Ren sensed his eyelid twitch hard. Last night he felt like eating Ice cream and so he had to steal a portion from the one Han Lingshi set aside for herself. He was afraid that she would kick a fuss about it, so he went to the store bright in the morning and got some more for her.


    Xiao Mei was snarky as hell, and she did not spare anyone. Hao Ren did not reply and said, "What do you know, go get things done."


    Xiao Mei chuckled and said, "Embarrassment begets anger."


    Hao Ren wished to beat her up, but he decided to change invest his energy in plotting how to get rid of the Rose family.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was having a cup of tea, when the door was knocked. She said, "Come in."


    The door opened and a calm cold voice said, "President Han, Good morning."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, she raised her head and found Maya Okudera, standing across her. She stood up from her chair and walked around the table. She knew that Hao Ren promised of restoring her ability to walk, but still it was really shocking.


    ...


    In the meanwhile, the Rose Family was holding a meeting in there family mansion which was literally a small palace located in the Stag Nation. They were so rich that they had multiple palaces located in different cities of the nation. There was a rumor that the Rose Family was actually the one that controlled the finance and the economical veins of the nation and not the government.


    In the head of the family seat, an old man was sitting looked at the ten men and women sitting in different seats. He asked in a somber voice, "Who? and Why?"


    Three words, and the temperature of the meeting chamber dropped. One of the young men replied, "Great grandfather, we are still looking into it. The information from the dark web should return in a bit."


    The old man gazed at him sharply and asked, "Do you all have no idea why this could have happened? Five people died, such a big security lapse, who did you all provoke to incur such wrath?"


    A voice echoed in the room, "Me. Greetings, Mister Onyx Rose, I apologize for abruptly coming to your family meeting, but I was wondering if you had been looking for me. Allow me to introduce myself, I am Hao Ren, a few days ago, Late Damion Rose put out a kill contract on my head. He appointed the best mercenary group in the world, the alpha blade."


    The old man had already clenched his fists and said, "So you killed him and four others of my family. Do you even know who you are talking to?"


    Hao Ren''s face appeared on the screen before him. They were now connected on a video call and the entire Rose family was shocked to see such a young man was so calm while facing Onyx Rose, who made even the world leaders fear him.


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "It would be nice if you reined your temper. Had it been just me that you came after, I would have only retaliated in kind. Your ambition implicated my family, and so, I had to give you an answer as well. In the Han Nation, we have an idiom that I believe in. Return a favor hundred times, and return a grudge thousand times."


    The old man was so angry that he broke out in a laughter and said, "Do you really think you can do anything to us at all? I will destroy you..."


    Hao Ren said, "Onyx Rose, you better keep that kill you and kill your family for the ones who fear them. I have dealt with your dogs. Now, you will never get a chance to do so. As of this moment, I have put out an open contract on the heads of the Rose Family members, One Billion Dollars per head. Anyone who can make a kill, will get the money. Wish you all the best."


    The call was disconnected, and the people were left in a daze, the old man was so angry that his face was flushed. He had never been talked and threatened in this manner. Even the rich and powerful were scared of him and then there was this guy. Not only did he barge inside the personal space but also humiliated him before the entire family.


    He yelled, "Find out how he did it, and call Master Night for me, right away."


    The people got to work and calls were made soon enough the young man said, "Great Grandpa, he really placed open contracts on all of us. They just appeared five minutes ago. This guy recently launched the holographic technology and this has created ripples in the market. The companies where we made investments, are all suffering because of this."


    The old man yelled, "Veronica, is your investment team feeding on shit? I do not care how you do it, I want him to go bankrupt within two days. I want to see how he will fulfill those contracts. I want him dead. Do you all hear me??!!"


    The war had begun and Hao Ren had already planned his moves.

 Chapter 182: Making Moves.

    Onyx Rose was sitting in his study and a middle aged man dressed in black clothes was sitting before him. His face was as pale as milk, and his eyes were brimming with some maniacal spark.


    Onyx Rose spoke in a soft tone, "Master Night, I apologize for calling you over at such a short notice."


    The middle-aged man waved his hand and said, "You do not have to apologize like this, Sir Rose. We have been business partners for a long time. You can tell me all that you are worried about, as long as the price is right, I will help you."


    Onyx Rose nodded and said, "A man named Hao Ren caused the death of five of my family members. I hope you can kill that man and all his family members as well."


    Night smiled widely and said, "I will help you avenge with pleasure, but can you tell me how many people are we exactly talking about here?"


    In their eyes, Hao Ren was a normal human who used the technological means to get the best of them. But what they did not know was that even now, Hao Ren was listening to them. Yes, Xiao Mei was now monitoring the Rose family very closely.


    After a few minutes, Master Night left the place, and the young man from the meeting earlier came in holding a tray filled with medicine. Onyx looked at him and sighed as he said, "Silvester, I did not mean to be so hard on you in the meeting room."


    Silvester shook his head and replied, "I don''t mind that, Great Grandpa. It was right of you to do so, because, even if we have disputes among ourselves, it is not up to some outsider to come in and point fingers at us. Let alone killing our family members."


    The old man sighed and said, "If only the others also understood this."


    Silvester nodded and then he asked, "I apologize for asking, but why did you call Master Night? Can he really do what the Alpha Blade could not?"


    Onyx Rose nodded calmly and said, "Master Night is a man who can bring dead back to life, or even set ghosts out to hunt the people. His methods are horrible but they are sure to work."


    ...


    Hao Ren received a flag from Xiao Mei and she played the conversation for him. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Since they have decided to set a necromancer to deal with me, I must not allow them to get ahead. It would be tricky to deal with this guy if he managed to come here and attack."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, all this while we have been facing attacks and these people do not let us catch a break. Your wedding is just three weeks later. How are you going to handle it if you are worried about the enemies lurking in the shadows?"


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "Can you locate this guy called Night?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I already have his address down to the Zip Code."


    The young man was surprised and asked, "What about the unaccounted children of the Rose Family?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Damon had a mistress who gave birth to a daughter seventeen years ago. Damon was just a young teenager then. Talk about being a debauchee."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "I will go cook a meal for Lingshi and tell her that I will make a three day shopping trip to the Stag Nation."


    Xiao Mei nodded and said, "I will get the process sorted, and also, we should fly chartered. It saves time."


    Hao Ren closed his eyes, took a deep breath and then replied, "You do not have to state the obvious, but I do not want Night to anywhere. I wish to kill him their."


    Xiao Mei replied, "That can be arranged, I can simply leave his passport invalid. He would not be able to go anywhere, while you can enter the Stag Nation unnoticed, and I will cover you."


    Hao Ren replied, "You are a genius."


    Xiao Mei replied, "I am aware."


    The young man boarded the plane and on the other side, Xiao Mei blocked Master Night, who was ready to fly over to the Han Nation. Hao Ren did not wish to kill these people when they come to his home, because that would bring a lot of scrutiny from the world media.


    Things were different in the Stag Nation, Rose Family was a celebrity but they did not get the media attention at home. The darkest place was under the lamp.


    After ten hours of flying, Hao Ren reached the Burmont City airport. He got down, went through the immigration and then left the airport. Xiao Mei had arranged for a car rental and it was a black Hornet Wisp. The model and the performance were similar to the white one that Hao Ren had, so it would be easy for him to drive it.


    After from the driving lane change the rest was fine. Xiao Mei asked, "Boss, where do you want to go?"


    Hao Ren replied, "To the location where the child is."


    Xiao Mei replied, "The Burberry bar, that is where she works as a waitress."


    Hao Ren nodded and using the navigation he moved quickly. The time difference has shifted and it was still just the breakfast hours in the Stag Nation. The young man came at the right time, he was hungry.


    After parking the car, he tapped his card on the parking toll machine and paid for six hours, just to be safe. He placed an earpiece in his ear and said, "Xiao Mei, is she here at the moment?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, she is inside, and her information is..."


    Hao Ren was at the door of the bar when he said, "You sure are thorough in your job Xiao Mei. I am proud of you."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Please give me the chance to say the same thing boss."


    Hao Ren felt pain in his heart from the snide remark once again. With a deep breath he pushed open the door and went inside the bar. The place was dimly lit, but some rock and roll music was playing in the background. A few people were having breakfast, while Hao Ren headed for the Bar counter.


    His arrival did attract a lot of attention, after all, an Han Native did not come to such places daily. Hao Ren nodded and greeting everyone, and sat down on the barstool, when a young lady asked him from the other side of the corner, "Hi, good morning, what can I get you?"


    Hao Ren looked at her face and with a smile he replied, "Good morning, I would like a glass of iced lemon tea, and a vegetable sandwiches, thank you."


    The lady replied with a professional smile as she said, "It will be a few minutes."


    Hao Ren nodded and waited, he wanted to talk, but abruptness was not going to help, patience was the key.

 Chapter 183: No Rules.

    Hao Ren sat in the bar, he communicated in the native language of the Stag Nation and not the Han Nation language. In this past few months, he learned many things and languages were one of them. Xiao Mei was his life coach and she would often poke him saying how Han Lingshi was so capable that she would deal with international clients without any external help.


    Hao Ren also wanted this, and so, he learned. A few minutes later, his order was served on the counter. As he was eating he looked the the waitress before he asked, "Excuse me, is your mother''s name Diane Murphy?"


    The waitress was surprised and nodded. Hao Ren revealed a pleasant expression, and said, "I did not expect to meet you as soon as I came to this place. How is Diane? I lost touch with her when I moved to Han Nation."


    The girl frowned and said, "My mother passed away seven months ago."


    Hao Ren opened his eyes wide and the fork in his hands dropped on the ground with a clank. His shoulders shivered and his eyes glistened as he asked in a shivering voice, "Diane died? How? What happened to her?"


    Xiao Mei had already filled him up with the details while he was waiting for the meal. Combined with his acting, the young girl was shocked to see, she replied, "She had an accident on her way home."


    Hao Ren clenched his fists and his sorrow turned into rage as he said, "An accident that can kill someone in this city? Does the Rose Family think we are fools? Motherfuckers, first that bastard Damon broke Diane''s heart and abandoned you two, and now this. This bunch of bastards, don''t worry, I will make them pay."


    His words confused the young lady. She asked, "What are you rambling about?"


    Hao Ren replied with a sigh and said, "You don''t know what is even know your real name."


    The girl furrowed her brows and asked, "What do you even mean by that? How can I not know my real name? Also, who are you to say all this? How can I believe that you even knew my mother?"


    Hao Ren said, "I will show you the proof, give me a second."


    He took out his phone, and typed, "Xiao Mei, synthesis pictures of me and Diane Murphy, be quick."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Thirty seconds."


    Hao Ren looked at the girl before him and said, "I will give you the proof but before I do that, tell me one thing. If I could prove that your mother''s untimely demise was actually foul play, would you agree to avenge her?"


    He voice was calm but it resonated deep within the soul of the young lady. She nodded and said, "I will."


    Hao Ren nodded, in this brief moment, Xiao Mei had synthesized a few pictures, where the young man appeared to be friends with Diane Murphy. He placed the phone on the counter for the young lady to see.


    She was swiping through, when a video popped up, where Diane and Hao Ren were playing beer pong. Hao Ren did not know what was Xiao Mei thinking, but he did not say anything against it at the moment.


    However, Diane knew about his identity, and tried to contact him, but Damon did not listen. He broke Diane''s heart when he refused to acknowledge that you were his child. From that day on, Diane had been trying to gather some material that could help you gain what was rightfully yours.


    I know she was no saint, but she loved you. She wanted you to have a life that belonged to you. If you trust me, I can tell you what really happened to her, because given the laws and the discipline, people don''t drive fast enough to kill someone in this country at least."


    Eden was shivering and her eyes were glistened with tears. She asked, "Do you mean that my mother was killed?"


    Hao Ren nodded as he asked, "What else could be the reason for the police to not arrest the car driver who hit her?"


    Eden was shocked, now that she thought about it, it seemed to make sense, and she asked, "Why didn''t they kill me?"


    Hao Ren replied, "The Rose family does not take any action without benefits. You have the blood of the Rose family coursing through your veins. You are young and you are beautiful. You are the perfect person for a marital transaction in the future, no?"


    Eden was just in her late teens, but she had been working for a long time and had the street smart so she knew what Hao Ren said was true. The Rose family was famous for being rich and they saw everything as a transaction.


    She looked at Hao Ren and said, "I will wait for you to bring me the proof tomorrow. I will not let these people walk away after killing my mother."


    Diane was no saint just as Hao Ren said, however, she had never wronged Eden, and even supported her with all that she had. Maybe she did it for selfish reasons but Eden saw this as love, and that was all that matters.


    Hao Ren told her to stay home for the entire day, exchanged his phone number and then left after dropping her home. He was going to do two things, one was to kill Night, and the second was to come up with the proof of relation between Eden and the Rose.


    Then he will handle the Rose family. He got in his car and said, "Xiao Mei, book an appointment with the tailors, I want to get a tuxedo stitched for the reception, and give me the details of where Night is."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Alright boss."


    The game began and Hao Ren broke the rules, he did not allow his enemies to have a chance to strike, as he was going to put them through the blitzkrieg.


    ...


    After an hour, Hao Ren found himself standing before the apartment building where Night lived. He was wearing a black hoodie under a black leather jacket, and black jeans with black sport shoes.


    He pulled up his hoodie and used his Yin and Yang eyes to observe the situation remotely. Then he raised his eyebrow as he said, "Well, this guy will be tricky to deal with. But fine, whatever it is."


    That said, he walked across the road and entered the alley beside the building to meet with his enemy.

 Chapter 184: Thorn In The Rose.

    Hao Ren stood in the alley, and waited for the sky to turn dark. This place was bustling with activity. To avoid alerting the enemy, he had to hide and strike when he had a clean shot. This alley provided him with a proper cover.


    No one would associate someone dressed like him to be linked with the wisp that stood across the door. The car was his tool to create a deception. Super cars were admired by all the males, and the females held a curious mindset towards these males who would splurge so much.


    The car will hold the attention of the people while Hao Ren went about his work. After a few minutes the sky began to dim and Hao Ren climbed the fire exit ladder and then made his way to the sixth floor, just one below where Night lived. Looking through the Yin and Yang eyes, Hao Ren detected a spiritual barrier spread around the house.


    Night made sure to keep everything away from his territory. Inside the barrier, Hao Ren could see a lot of blue specks floating around. He was sure that these were the spirits that Night had captured. The spiritual barrier seemed to be serving another purpose as a cage.


    If Hao Ren was to enter this place, he would alert Night for sure. Another way for him to handle this was to use multiple Yang talismans. He browsed through the system mall and after a few minutes, he bought a peach wood yang sword. This sword was worth five spirit stones, but it was much more effective than the simple one spirit stone worth Yang energy talismans.


    The Yang energy talisman would handle lesser ghosts, but if it was a vengeful spirit then Hao Ren would need something bigger, however, one peach sword could be used three times and it could take down bigger vengeful spirits, and the lesser ghosts would be killed as a by product.


    Lesser Ghosts were entities that could not do much harm but siphon off the vital energy of a person, while the Vengeful spirits could do physical harm as well. Night was a necromancer or a ghost cultivator. If he had any corpse puppets, then phoenix flames would deal with them.


    After carefully weighing the odds, Hao Ren moved upstairs on the side and channeled the spiritual energy in the peach wood sword. The sword was just as big as a palm, but as soon as it was channeled with spiritual energy, it began to shiver, and levitate over Hao Ren''s hand. The young man turned his hand in the direction where the most concentrated yin energy could be found and said, "Go!"


    The peach sword went through the barrier. It was nowhere close to being as strong as the one Hao Ren faced in the Naga Tomb. The peach sword went through and shortly after a scream rang out.


    "Argghhh! Who is it?!"


    Hao Ren quickly climbed the stairs and rushed in through the open window. He sniffed the air filled with a burnt aroma in the void, and a few moments later, the peach sword appeared in the void before him. Using his Yin and Yang eyes, Hao Ren found the place where the Yin energy was located.


    It was significantly lesser than before but Hao Ren did not wish to take any risk and channeled the energy in the peach sword once more before he approached one more time. The person let out another horrific scream, and this time the young man walked out inside the bedroom.


    He found a man sitting inside a hexagram. His face was pale and his mouth was stained with dark red blood. It did not look like red blood at all, it seemed to be tar. Hao Ren looked around, and asked, "I apologize, did I come over while you were in the middle of something important?"


    Xiao Mei acknowledged and then she also booked a cab for Eden to meet Hao Ren near the tailor shop where he was going to give his measurements. From what he knew of Rose, she was a dedicated girl and was studying in the high school and the teachers had great impression of her.


    At the same time she was working to support her education, and recently she lost her mother. The police did not take action even when they had proper evidence, and not just that, they even destroyed evidence to support Damon Rose.


    This was going to set fire to the entire Stag Nation and also to the world. What will happen in this case, Hao Ren will get revenge and the Rose family will get a new leader.


    The process was seamlessly organized with Xiao Mei without a single gap or loophole. It was done in such a way that the Rose Family did not get any whiff of the news. Xiao Mei blocked all the news from reaching them at all.


    ...


    It was noon, Hao Ren had taken Eden to a saloon and gotten her a hair wash and also mild make up, then some new but fair clothes were bought so that she could look a bit presentable before the press. After all, she was the heir apparent of the Rose family.


    The two of them were in the car heading toward the hotel. Eden was visibly nervous and Hao Ren sighed as he said, "Are you worried that those people will question you too much?"


    Eden nodded, and Hao Ren sighed as he said, "Can you remember why you are doing this today?"


    Eden replied, "To help my mother get justice she deserved."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "If you act selflessly, the people will come seeking gaps in your armor. Take a stand for yourself, and the rest will fall into place. Remember, that everything your mother went through was to get justice for you and to give you a life that you deserved."


    Eden clenched her fists and asked, "What if they say that I am just an Illegitimate child? What will I do then? The people of the world will stain my mother''s name."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "When you get what is yours the same people will look up to you as an idol. The people of the world are just sheep that follow the trend and pick the easy way out of everything. Do not worry about them. The one who has power is the one to command the sheep.


    The choice is yours, whether you want to be the sheep or the one who drives them."


    The car reached the hotel shortly after the conversation and Eden decisively got out of the vehicle and Hao Ren watched her enter the hall. Eden was going to take the stage and he was going to work in the shadows.

 Chapter 185: Critical Blows.

    Hao Ren dropped Eden at the hotel and then headed to the Rose Family Mansion. He was going to subdue them the same way as Night did, but his methods were going to be rather drastic.


    ...


    In the hotel the journalists were curious about the person who sent them the DNA test report. Just when they were beginning to think that the entire thing was a sham, a young lady entered the lobby under the guidance of the hotel staff. Hao Ren made a proper arrangement for everything.


    Eden was led to the podium where she sat down on the chair and the media people began to buzz. What the people did not notice was that she had an earbud placed in her left ear which was covered with her hair.


    Xiao Mei was instructing her to take control of the situation. The first tip was to look over their shoulders and not make eye contact in order to maintain focus and appear confident. She tapped the tip of the mic and said, "Greetings, I am Eden Murphy, biological daughter of the late Damon Rose."


    These words were like blood and the journalists were vampires, they lunged at her with a plethora of questions. The atmosphere was loud and chaotic, Eden could not make the head from the tails of the scene when she suddenly raised her hand and slapped the table top.


    The loud and abrupt reaction stunned the people and Eden asked, "Can we act civil?"


    The reporters saw her reaction and were surprised. Her aura was not strong but her gaze was unwavering. One of the reporters asked, "What makes you think you can talk to us like this?"


    Eden replied after a few seconds, "The fact that I am not using a social media platform to reach other and tell my story is a good enough reason for you to be respectful. If you all have a problem then you can walk out and I will take this matter to the court and and social media. I might not gain a lot but you will lose out a lot."


    She was not sure what to do, but Xiao Mei told her to threaten the people, and it worked. Everyone calmed down, and one reporter raised her hand. Eden nodded to the lady who asked, "Miss Eden, can you tell us your full name and why did you seek us out today?"


    Eden nodded and replied, "My full name is Eden Murphy. I took my mother''s family name. The reason I called you all over because I wanted to tell the world about what a heartless bunch of people the Rose family members are."


    The journalists were surprised, another person asked in follow up, "Why do you say that, Miss Murphy?"


    Eden nodded and said, "After all these years, my mother sought acknowledgement from my father but all she received from them was a painful death."


    The cameras were recording it and then someone asked, "Miss Murphy, did the police not support your claims?"


    Eden revealed a bitter smile and then said, "Would you support any claims that would bring bad PR to your benefactor? We all know the pull Rose Family has, and how deep their pockets run. The most surprising thing to me was how the police destroyed the evidence."


    Everything she said was a material that caused sensation. Eden looked at the floor manager on the side and said, "Can you please bring down the projector screen?"


    After a few seconds the guards moved away, and Hao Ren relaxed. He crouched on the ground and looking around for a few minutes, he planned his route.


    ...


    Onyx Rose was sitting in his study, reading through some documents when a servant came to the door, and said, "Master, Steward Alpine just received all of the Rose Family members in the living room. They all say you called for a meeting."


    Onyx Rose furrowed his brows when he heard this and said, "I never called any meeting, are these useless people high on some drug? Do they have nothing better to do then to come here and disturb me?"


    Apart from the main members, he did not allow anyone to stay in this mansion for the past few days because of the deaths. Now they all came here all of a sudden, who knew was going on. The infighting in the big families was a common thing and Rose family was no different at all.


    The old man sent away the servant and said he would come after finishing his job, when suddenly, he saw a flicker before him. Onyx Rose was very agile for his age, but he could not match Hao Ren''s speed.


    The young man had infiltrated the mansion and was now standing behind the old man with a needle sticking in the wrinkled skin of the latter. The old man had a stiff neck and could not move. Hao Ren said, "Nice to meet you in person, Mister Rose. I know you want to ask a lot of questions, but the fact is everything that you are thinking about is true. I am Hao Ren, and I came in here to kill you.


    Also, that necromancer of yours, he is dead. I burned him alive."


    Onyx Rose opened his eyes wide and his pupils constricted in fear. Hao Ren continued, "At the moment, I have pricked an acupoint of yours to paralyze you, and also injected you with an undetectable poison. You will die in a few days, and so, to right all your wrongs, you will now follow me wish, and set up a trust fund.


    The living members will lose right to all the family properties and only their personal assets will remain under control. Then you will donate all these assets to various charity organizations, and set up a trust fund that will give twenty percent of your net worth to Eden Murphy, and also she will have the right to run all your business with the help of a few people she trust."


    Onyx opened his eyes wide and shook his head with all the strength he had. Hao Ren walked around him and with a smile he said, "Did you think I was asking you? It is all done. Just wait for a few minutes."


    That said, he took out the needle and rushed out of the window. This was his purpose. While they were talking, a message was sent to the attorney, who was shocked at first but then a video call from the study room was made in which Onyx Rose changed his will under the realization of his deeds and to clear his conscience.


    A few moments later, the members of the Rose family also received the news about the conference held by Eden Murphy and rushed over to the study to find a stiff and paralyzed Onyx Rose. They arranged for a medivac, and Onyx Rose was rushed to the biggest and the best hospital in the Stag Nation for treatment.


    Hao Ren sat in his car as the helicopter flew by in the sky with a smirk on his face. Xiao Mei said, "Boss, you dealt a really critical blow."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Make sure everyone with ill-intentions feel the pain as if it is there own Xiao Mei. I want to hold a peaceful wedding."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Roger that, Boss."

 Chapter 186: Wedding Fever.

    Hao Ren moved back to the hotel and found Eden Rose sitting in the lobby, waiting for him. The young man went up to her and said, "You did a good job."


    Eden revealed a hesitant smile and asked, "Can we really get justice?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Do not worry, it will be all clear very soon. The government has always been looking for a chance to kick down the capitalist to regain power and for that they will not let go of this incident."


    Eden nodded and after a few moments she said, "But, Damon Rose is already dead. What is even the point?"


    Hao Ren smiled and patted her head like an elder brother as he replied, "You will know everything by tomorrow, I have hired you the best civil lawyer in this nation. That man will escort you to the supreme court, remember one thing, do not let anyone take control of you. You have my number, as long as you come across a trouble that you cannot handle on your own, come to me. I will help you."


    Eden nodded and then thanked him with tears in her eyes. Hao Ren consoled her briefly and gave her the number of the lawyer he hired for her. He did not tell her but he already transferred ten thousand dollars in her account so that in the coming days her life carries on normally and smoothly.


    In the evening, Hao Ren visited the tailor shop to pick up the tuxedo he had ordered after a final trial. The young man then moved around the market and selected a few more things for Han Lingshi and then went directly to the airport.


    Xiao Mei had already reserved the passage for the charter jet. Hao Ren said, "I should also buy a private jet, it will save a lot of time and provide a privacy as well."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, can we build our own server farm?"


    Hao Ren asked, "Tell me more about it."


    The two people began to talk about the ideas they had regarding the tech company. While they took off the Stag Nation was shell shocked. Onyx Rose was admitted in Saint-Loraine Hospital. The cause was a paralysis attack and the reporters said that the condition was critical.


    At the same time, in the shadows, the next generation had began to pull strings and drive people over to support their claims for the succession as the head of the family. Another thing that made everyone worried was the will. They were sure that the old man would not make it out alive of the ward at this age.


    Onyx Rose had never shown much love to anyone. He was born with the golden spoon and so he learned to value everyone based on the benefits they brought. His family was treated the same way so the people did not have much affection for him.


    While everyone was wondering what would be the fate of the Rose family, the video footage of Eden Murphy''s interaction with the media surfaced on various channels and the chaos intensified.


    ...


    Hao Ren landed in the Jade Capital and Heath came over with a convoy. The young man was surprised and asked, "Well, Brother Heath, what''s up with all the hub bub?"


    Heath smiled and replied, "Miss Han announced the wedding date and now you the media is sniffing for your scent like hound dogs to get a confirmation. Madam told us to keep you safe."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Are they gathering outside the airport?"


    After a long hour, the door was knocked and Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide. Hao Ren sighed as he got up and said, "We are discussing something important, come back later."


    Maya replied from outside, "Okay, President Hao."


    Then she left. Han Lingshi suddenly turned red as a tomato. She looked at him and said, "They must have heard the voices outside the door, right?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I cast a spiritual barrier around the couch, they heard nothing."


    Han Lingshi relaxed and pinched his waist as she said, "You pervert, we are never doing this again?"


    Hao Ren smiled lecherously and said, "Weren''t you having fun?"


    Han Lingshi blushed and pinched him hard. Hao Ren begged for mercy and rubbed his waist while putting on his clothes. Then he carefully helped Han Lingshi with her clothes. The two knew they were going crazy so they had been careful to not wrinkle the clothes before getting on with the deed.


    The young man said, "The wedding dress is set, but you will only get to wear it on the day itself, is that okay with you?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I am fine with it, but I will be in charge of the menu and guests."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Allow a few media houses to come and take the footage if they want to."


    The lady agreed and then said, "You will have to make the cake for the reception."


    Hao Ren asked, "What do you think the theme of the wedding should be?"


    Han Lingshi pondered about it and then said, "I want flowers, and colors. The rest is up to you."


    The young man nodded with a smile as he said, "As you wish."


    After a smile, Han Lingshi said, "Call Ma, it is an important event, she has faced enough these days. You can continue to be estranged and aloof, but on my wedding day, I don''t wish to see the cracks in the relationship. I will not ask you for a gift. Call them over, that would be enough for me."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and nodded. He agreed with her that it was a special event and he should call them. Even when he was being sidelined by his mother, she would always look forward to his wedding. Thinking about it, while Tang Zen had her flaws, she was not inhumane.


    Hao Ren had lunch with Han Lingshi and used his flame control to evaporate the aroma of their spring and left the office.


    When he moved out of the office, he thought of something and said, "Xiao Mei, get me the finance department."

 Chapter 187: Preparations complete.

    Hao Ren and Xiao Mei had been talking about something and a meeting with Dion was arranged. The middle-aged man was meeting Hao Ren for the first time in weeks. In his views, every time this young man came, he would come with a genius idea. The growth of the company was all because of his brain.


    Dion admired Hao Ren from the bottom of his heart. He used to think that handling a big amount of money would be easy, but he never got the chance to. It was only when Hao Ren gave him total control did he realized what privilege could do to a person.


    Hao Ren looked at his finance head and said, "Is it too much work for you to handle the investment and also the company finance? If so you can ask the HR department to find you a competent person to help you out."


    Dion shook his head and replied, "Frankly speaking, handling so much money is not easy but it sure is addictive. I would have a hard time handing over authority to other people in this aspect."


    Hao Ren raised his brows and remarked, "As long as you do not forget who this money belongs to, I won''t mind you sleeping on a mattress made up of red bundles."


    Dion nodded with a smile and asked, "So, Chairman, what can I do for you today?"


    Hao Ren said, "I wish to give out bonus or a celebratory gift to all the employees throughout the two companies."


    Dion was shocked but then he asked, "How much do you want to give out?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Giving out money would seem very classless. I am marrying the Empress, you know."


    He chuckled and Dion smiled before Hao Ren continued, "Get the research department interns to conduct a survey, and visit all the employees. Ask them what they need the most or what is it that they want the most. It does not matter whether it is medical aid or financial. Give them all that we can, you have a month to plan and execute all this.


    The income from investments will not be used for expansion this time, but for this give away."


    Dion frowned and said, "Although we can hold the expansion but looking at the growing demand of things, it might put a lot of strain on our employees."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "After the wedding, the entertainment company we acquired will become the biggest cash cow, so be sure to reap the benefits."


    Dion was confused and Hao Ren said, "Trust me, when have I ever done a money losing business?"


    ...


    He had forgotten about the fact that he has Xiao Mei in the phone and she could even directly place an order for the things the old lady tells him to buy. The young man moved to a worker and asked, "Brother do you have any pen and paper on you?"


    The middle-aged man was surprised to see his boss coming over in a rush and quickly gave him a pen and paper. Hao Ren thanked him and moved to the side as he said, "Yes, Ma, tell me."


    Tang Zen sighed and said, "A pair of Dragon and Phoenix candles for the bride and the groom. Xiao Ling does not lack jewelry get her some gold ingots around a kilogram. High grade Tea Leaves and Sesame seeds. You have good cooking skills get a good cake for the family...."


    Hao Ren kept nodding and writing while the old lady kept listing things. The young man did not mind buying so many gifts it was not a burden. After a few minutes, the old lady said, "Go and rent good cars to drive you to pick up the bride."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "No, we are having a traditional old style wedding where the couple will bow to each other, the parents and then the heaven and earth. There is not need to make things complicated with those stupid things like the blocking the door. Given my temper if someone tries to stand in my way I might beat them up."


    Tang Zen rebuked him, "Brat, are you getting to high on power? How dare you throw a tantrum?"


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, "Ma, this..."


    Tang Zen calmed down and said, "I am not saying that you should not do what you wish to do. However, do not make such remarks. People have their own values."


    Hao Ren nodded obediently and said, "Alright, I am going to disconnect, I have a lot of things to do. I will send someone over to bring you guys."


    The old lady agreed and disconnected the call. Hao Ren also thanked the worker who helped him just now and delegated the task of ordering things to Xiao Mei, then he began to work on the two dresses.


    Xiao Mei had already asked Han Lingshi what sort of a wedding dress she would like. The latter told her and then Xiao Mei and Hao Ren began to design and make a dress for her. Hao Ren could not see her in the dress before the wedding day, but Xiao Mei could and she became his prime consultant.


    Days passed, Tang Zen and Hao Xinyuan came over and Hao Ren went to the stores to shop with them. He also got three cars for a small convoy that could handle the parents and the couple. At the same time, he got two big cars for the guards.


    The convoy will move from Han Mansion to the cloud pavilion. The guests from Hao Ren''s side will join him from the apartment to the Han Mansion and then both groups will converge and move to the pavilion.


    A week before the wedding, Han Lingshi and Agni moved to Han Mansion, leaving Tang Zen and Hao Xinyuan with the young man. Hao Ren was dragged out by his college friends for a bachelors party and Han Lingshi had gone out with Maya and Yin Ye to celebrate her bachelorette.


    The entire city was buzzing with the news of this wedding and this was the number one trending topic on the net. It was the wedding eve when Hao Ren did something that broke the internet.

 Chapter 188: Flames Of Love.

    Two days passed in a jiffy, and finally the day of the wedding had arrived. Hao Ren was wearing a crimson red tang jacket where a dragon seemed to be embroidered, with black pants, and shoes.


    He looked very handsome at the moment, and asked, "Xiao Mei, has the dress been delivered to Lingshi?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, Boss. It was delivered last night only and madam is satisfied with the fitting. She did ask me about the material used in the dress but I tactfully told her that it was a surprise for later."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "You are so smart. Now, shall we get going, it would be awkward to arrive late to pick up the bride."


    Xiao Mei nodded and the young man exited the cloaking room while fastening his watch around his wrist. Tang Zen and Hao Xinyuan were dressed in matching black dress and suit, after they restored their cultivation, they both looked very young and pronounced.


    The old lady nodded to Hao Ren and said, "Is everything ready?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Heath is attending to the guests downstairs and they are all ready to leave."


    Tang Zen nodded and then after some hesitation she said, "Mei wanted to come but she has gone on a trial from the sect so she cannot come for the time being."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It''s alright, I understand, plus if she appeared before all the people from the village, it would be hard to explain things. I understand."


    He spoke calmly and Tang Zen sighed. She wanted the relationship between her children to grow quickly but she also knew that things could not be pushed or things might get even more complicated. Hao Xinyuan patted her shoulder and said, "It is fine, let them handle things slowly. At least he is acknowledging her presence."


    Tang Zen nodded and said, "This whole thing is one of my biggest regrets."


    Hao Xinyuan shook his head and replied, "Do not think so much, today is a joyous occasion let us not ponder over the the spilled milk."


    Tang Zen nodded and calmed her mind before following the her husband outside the house. Hao Ren had already gone down and was greeting with people. Mostly his subordinates from the Thunder Technologies and some of his friends had come over to congratulate.


    The young man bore a big smile on his face, and finally a loud voice echoed from the side, "Old Hao, you rascal, how dare you put up the bachelor party video online, I am being roasted by everyone."


    Everyone turned to the side and they found a slightly chubby young man walking over in a black suit and they could not help but smile at him. This man was Jin, Hao Ren''s only friend when he had first come to the city.


    Jin was an amiable guy but has been away working for the Elvis Clothing Brand. Hao Ren chuckled and said, "You should be happy that I made you a star."


    Jin placed his hand around Hao Ren''s shoulder and scolded him, "If sister-in-law fired me for bad mouthing Elvis, then you will have to hire me."


    Everyone laughed. Hao Ren had put up the clips from his bachelor''s party and the people were surprised to see the boys having fun. They did not do much alcohol or anything but just messed around with each other inside a villa and had a barbeque party. They were just being boys.


    After everyone was assembled Hao Ren and his parents got inside the big luxury sedan car, and moved to the location. Heath confirmed the situation with the convoy and everyone gave him a green signal.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was sitting before a vanity mirror with Agni filling colors in a color book on the side. Yin Ye had become a close confidant and helped Han Lingshi with the make up while Maya was managing the guests with the Han Family.


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and said, "Do you have any instruments?"


    The people shook their heads, and Hao Ren said, "I cannot sing but I can recite a poem. Words cannot do justice to the emotions I have for Lingshi. So a poem is better, no?"


    His soothsaying skill worked and the people nodded. Hao Ren then took a deep breath and said,


    "You crept up in my heart without a sound.


    Without you, I am hell bound.


    You are the one I will always seek.


    Come out my love, let me have a peek.


    You have my heart, and in my heart I have you.


    I would rather close my eyes forever then looking at the world without you."


    The people were shocked to hear such words. They could see his eyes sparkling as he recited the poem and many girls covered their mouths. They did not expect Hao Ren to be so talented that he would compose a poem for his wife on the spot.


    The people clapped and Yue Shenlong took a step to the side. Maya Okudera smiled at Hao Ren and said, "You can proceed to the last stage."


    Hao Ren thanked them and made a beeline towards Han Lingshi''s room. He was surprised to find a little girl dressed in a lavender colored frock standing there. Hao Ren smiled and crouched down as he asked, "So the final gate keeper is Agni."


    Agni raised her chin and then nodded forcefully. She said, "Hear this, oh traveler. To reach the treasure you have to do...."


    She stopped while speaking, and Hao Ren realized that the girl had forgotten what she was supposed to say. Hao Ren caught the chance and asked, "Do I have to kiss you to go through, oh mighty gate keeper?"


    For Agni all this was a game, so she nodded with a big smile on her face. She was happy when Hao Ren pampered her. Han Lingxue exclaimed, "Baby no..."


    However, Hao Ren had already scooped up the little one in his arms and pecked her cheek. Agni giggled and said, "You can pass."


    Hao Ren then passed the child to Maya Okudera and knocked on the door.


    Everyone could see the door opening and Han Lingshi appeared dressed in a red qipao. A beautiful and intricate Vermillion Phoenix was embroidered across the front.


    The two people saw each other, and all of a sudden, their dresses flamed up. The people gasped, even Han Lingshi was surprised, but the next moment, the dragon and the phoenix began to move around the dress.


    The entire crowd was stunned to see this. The two creatures popped off the dresses and began to fly around the couple. The sight was so fantastic the people were frozen. They watched Hao Ren step forward and extending his hand towards Han Lingshi as he knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, may I?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and held his hand as she lifted him up and replied, "You may, my love."

 Chapter 189: Fantasy Wedding.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were facing each other, the young man kneeling on one knee, while holding the jade-like hand of the beautiful girl before him. Han Lingshi was smiling at him because she did not expect Hao Ren to prepare something like this.


    Hao Ren stood up at the gentle pull from Han Lingshi and the phantoms came back to rest on their clothes once again. However, this time, Hao Ren had a golden phoenix on his back and Han Lingshi had a golden dragon. The young man walked closer to her and then led her out of the room.


    The people clapped and made way for the two, they were mesmerized by the aura radiated by the couple. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi had decided earlier that they would hide their cultivation as much as they could today because the entire world would be watching them once the cloud pavilion was opened. The risk of exposure was high.


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi came downstairs, where the young man poured some tea for all the elders of the family. Han Lingshi also did the same for Tang Zen and Hao Xinyuan.


    After they were done, the elders exchanged red envelops and wishes. It took them an hour before they got into cars and left for the Cloud Pavilion. Agni was also in the vehicle and the little girl asked with expectant eyes, "Big Brother Ren, can I also have wings like you and Big Sister Ling?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "When we reach the venue, you will get wings, later I will make you a dress like the two of us have. Okay?"


    Agni clapped her hands and exclaimed, "You are the best."


    Han Lingshi poked her little nose, and said, "You sneaky little one, I was the best yesterday."


    Agni scratched the back of her head and replied, "You both are the best, okay?"


    The couple chuckled as the convoy drove. They had more then sixty vehicles following each other in one lane, including big security SUVs. The entire city was captivated by them. The topic was raised on the social media. A few people who were standing next to Hao Ren and Han Lingshi earlier and they had posted the clips of the dragon and the phoenix phantoms coming to life and exchanging places.


    The netizens had gone crazy...


    "What the hell!!!! Did they edit the video with VFX so quickly now. The quality is impeccable."


    "Yo, upstairs, have you not read the caption? The two beasts seemed to be embroidered on the dresses, they came "alive. I am sure President Hao Ren used the hologram technology. Damn, he knows how to make a statement."


    "I agree. They look so good together."


    "Even though Han Lingshi is my idol, and I never thought of anyone to be worthy of her, but Hao Ren surely has some capital to touch the threshold. I hope his future performance is nice too. All the best to them."


    There were praises, but their were critics too, calling them extravagant. Xiao Mei had taken up the habit of smacking such people, and when someone called them extravagant, she began to dump the data of the charity they had been doing and also the fact that all the money Hao Ren spent on his wedding came from his own pocket and not the company shocked people.


    The people had to agree that they deserved to be extravagant, after all, wedding was a special event.


    Han Lingshi blushed and poked his waist. The young man woke up from his dream, and they kissed each other lightly. The wedding had been completed, and the clips had been posted on the internet causing the world to erupt in shock and awe.


    Many of the film directors who were present at the venue were excited, because they could exploit this technology and achieve a new level in the field of entertainment.


    At the same time, Military officers were thinking about making a deal with Hao Ren as well. The young man had planned this perfectly. Just when the people thought it could not get any better, Thunder technologies updated their website and simultaneously launched trailers of their new product that was already put up for sale.


    A mobile with worked with a hologram projector, called Memory. It was way more efficient than the ring Hao Ren had launched.


    After the wedding, the people bought out a cake, which was made by Hao Ren himself. The couple held the knife together and sliced the cake under cheerful gazes and loud applause. Emily Parkins then said, "Since everything is almost done, let us have the couple dance with each other."


    Hao Ren looked at her and said, "Old Classmate, you are very suitable to be a host."


    Emily Parkins raised her chin, "It is all thanks to the script and the director speaking in my ear."


    Xiao Mei was pulling the strings from the shadows.


    Hao Ren nodded and held Han Lingshi''s hand before he asked, "Shall we?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and the couple came to the slightly open place where an orchestra was arranged by Hao Ren. The band played a love song that Hao Ren had borrowed from his old world. It was a song that he always wanted to be played on his wedding.


    (It is something I want to be done, a song from the movie called ''Tangled'' I see the light. I am pasting the spotify link to the instrumental version so that all of you can imagine them better.


    /track/3gnN20YU98eDbOhvuYaxvI?si=236b8c21ad104d7f )


    As the music played and the two people danced, fireflies surrounded them. The surroundings turned dark and it seemed as the two of them were dancing in the moonlight, and they were lost in a world of their own. Han Lingshi was very touched by what Hao Ren had done today.


    She could not have put so much thought for her own wedding even if she wanted to. It was not that she loved him any less, but she had no idea what to do. This was the first of its kind wedding. The first song came to an end but the couple did not stop dancing.


    The orchestra started playing waltz music and the couple displayed their command on their moves. They began to waltz never breaking eye contacts with each other. Han Lingshi had let go of all hesitation, and was gracefully expressing to the world that she loved Hao Ren and the latter reciprocated her emotions.


    The people watching the scene were left speechless, entranced by the beauty of the scene unfolding before them. Many couples held hands with each other as they gently swayed to the tunes. Everyone was dancing to the beats of their hearts that screamed love.


    It was not a fantasy wedding for just Hao Ren and Han Lingshi, but everyone who was around them could not help but walk into the world of fantasy where the only thing they had going on in their minds was the memories or the thoughts about their loved ones.


    While Hao Ren was dancing, the system spoke for the first time in ages, *Ding: Diamond Task complete, assessing performance.*

 Chapter 190: Rewards.

    Hao Ren heard the notification while Dancing with Han Lingshi, however, unlike the other times where he would get excited, he did not feel anything.


    Han Lingshi asked in a low voice, "What are you looking at?"


    The two had been looking into each others eyes this whole time, and while Han Lingshi asked him the question a subtle blush crept up her cheeks. The young man replied while maintaining the eye contact, "I am at peace. In this moment, all that is left is your eyes that are so deep that I feel my soul drowning in them and achieving Zen, I have no idea how else to express what I am feeling."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, she did not expect him to say such a thing. The blush on her face intensified and her moments slowed down. The music also came to an end after a few moments, and the two stood gazing into each others eyes while holding the dancing pose.


    The cameramen and the people began to click pictures and record the scenes from the best angle they could find. Just when they were done, everyone felt a gust brush around the people and the petals of the cherry petals rose up from the ground and surrounded the young couple.


    The pictures were clicked very quickly and then they were posted on the internet as well. The people clapped and then the couple woke up from the daze. Then began the fabled photoshoot. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were clicked from multiple poses and in multiple scenes.


    There were many people in attendance and they all asked Hao Ren if they could change the settings and Hao Ren told them they would just need to tell the key words to the AI Knowell and things will change.


    Many people tried it and the venue turned into a place where fantasies came true. The internet was exploding and the evaluation of the company was soaring high. Hao Ren and his management had already placed ten percent of the shares in the market. They had gone public.


    However to make sure that the greedy capitalist did not get any advantage from him Xiao Mei made sure to monitor the trade of stocks and stuff like that.


    Soon the young couple began to visit the tables and take a sip if wedding wine. This was arranged by Lynn Carter, so the wine was of high quality and the people were having a good time.


    The sun set and Tang Zen stood up at the stage next to Emily Parkins. Hao Xinyuan and Han Lingshi''s father and grandfather were sitting in the distance. Tang Zen asked Emily Parkins to make an announcement.


    Emily said, "Everyone, may I have you attention please. After the cake cutting and toasting to the couple, it is now time for the close ones to offer a congratulatory speech. To kick of this part of the wedding, we have the mother of the groom, Madam Hao, Tang Zen."


    The people cheered and applauded. Tang Zen smiled humbly and bowed to everyone slightly, as she took the mic in her hands. She looked over at Hao Ren and Han Lingshi who were standing in the distance and said, "Congratulations Ren, you finally found someone who truly loves you."


    The people nodded, thinking that Tang Zen was really congratulating her son. However, the few who were aware of what the relationship between the two was like at the moment understood the hidden meaning.


    Hao Ren nodded and Tang Zen continued, "There are times when I think about how I did not do the best I could as a mother. However, you have always done the best as a son. I am proud of everything that you have achieved and done so far in your life. I hope that you become as good as a husband as you were as a son."


    She wished his son and owned her flaws at the same time, the people clapped one more time before she continued to wish Han Lingshi, "Lingshi, my dear, thank you for accepting this brat and easing my stress. I hope that you stay the way you are and guide our family towards a better future where we are united and happy. I wish you both a happy married life."


    ...


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi sat in the back of the luxury sedan and the young man raised the partition between him and the driver seat, surprising the bride. Han Lingshi looked at him and asked, "Can you not wait at all?"


    The young man sighed and said, "You naughty girl. I did this for some other reason."


    Han Lingshi blushed hard, and the young man asked, "Xiao Mei, show it to me."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Okay, boss."


    The next moment the footage of the young man and the girl on top of the building across the Cloud Pavilion appeared on a hologram. Hao Ren was wearing the ring from his company. After some basic scrutiny, he asked, "Did you manage to identity them?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "They are from the DEHB, I tracked them back to the Shangri-la mountain range up north. From their speech, it can be confirmed that they have some elders supervising them and also they intended to have you both disposed. This lady and young man took a mutual decision not to in return for the good things you both did by donating."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and asked, "Xiao Mei, why could you not see inside the Shangri-la range?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I can, but they just vanished from the sight of the satellite."


    The two humans exchanged glances and nodded as the young man said, "Forget it. We will deal with it after our honeymoon."


    Han Lingshi blushed and said, "I thought we had no layers left between us, but not that we held the ceremony, I fill very excited as if this is the first time I am going home with you."


    Hao Ren smiled and hugged her as he said, "This is my love speaking."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and Xiao Mei remarked, "Cringe!"


    The two humans erupted in laughter.


    ...


    When they reached home, Han Lingshi had gone to take a shower, and the young man was sitting in the living room as he asked, ''System, what is the reward?''


    *Ding: Host, congratulations for achieving S rank in your task. You are rewarded with Peerless Foundation Pills and a heart soul pendant set, along with skill of sensory data modulation.*

 Chapter 191: Qualitative Change.

    Hao Ren was happy with the reward, and began to check what each of them did.


    He saw the details on a screen before him. This screen was similar to the interface of his system mall. He used his thoughts to scroll through the three rewards and there details flowed in his mind.


    [Peerless Foundation Pills: These pills were refined by an ancient alchemist, and were one of a kind. After the alchemist passed away, his legacy was lost and none of the people could find the recipe.


    This pill will allow the consumer to increase the quality of their spiritual energy and also help them gather the energy in one place as she condensed the spiritual lake in the Dantian into a stele. The user will break through to the Foundation Establishment realm for sure and there was not risk involved]


    Hao Ren understood why this pill was called to be Peerless Foundation. Then he moved his conscious to select the icon of a heart, and the information appeared in his mind.


    [Heart Soul Pendant: This is a communication artifact forged by the Star Blood Iron. If two different people drip their blood on it to form a contract, they would be able to contact each other even if they are in different dimensions. Their heart and souls would be closer to each other even if they are world''s apart.]


    Hao Ren sucked in a cold breath, this was a miraculous. This could allow him and Han Lingshi to maintain connection seamlessly. He smiled, and finally moved on to the last reward. The information that came to his mind surprised him.


    This technique of spirit modulation would allow him to enhance his senses and provide a three dimensional model of his surroundings. The young man was confused as to why he would need such a skill when he could see and already could things around him. his spiritual sea was already open, and when he crosses the golden core realm, his soul sea would be stronger than the other people.


    When Hao Ren and Han Lingshi lay beside each other, they were surprised to notice the change. The energy gave a surreal feeling. Their spiritual lake was not purple gold in color. In the texts and information they received from their families, this color of spiritual energy was among the supreme in terms of quality.


    This purity alone would enable the two of them to be stronger than the rest of the people. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi smiled at each other faintly and the young man sat up in the bed with his lower body covered with a sheet. He took a deep breath and said, "Lingshi, do you want to breakthrough the foundation establishment now or after a few days?"


    Han Lingshi spoke thoughtfully, "How about we do it after our honeymoon? We will use this time to consolidate the gains of tonight."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "That is good, but when we do so, make sure you tell me about it. I have a pill in my possession that will allow us to form peerless foundations."


    Han Lingshi was surprised but she did not ask where it all came from. She said, "Well, I have a gift for you. Wait here."


    Then she picked up her robe and put it on before walking out of the room. Hao Ren was stunned when he learned about the gift and at the same time he thought, ''I think Lingshi has become even more sensual after tonight, ufff, life won''t be easy after this.''


    He was always on the look out for other males who might try to scheme against Lingshi. As he was thinking, Han Lingshi came back with a small box in her hand. She smiled at him and said, "Are you ready?"


    ...


    Dream''s Note: Hey guys! I have been cleared to work and sit but will need to take some precautions. So, please support me, thank you.

 Chapter 192: Gifts.

    Hao Ren watched his wife carrying a small box with a red ribbon tied on it. The young man nodded and Han Lingshi opened the box before him slowly. From inside the box, Hao Ren found a jade knife. It was one of those ceremonial weapons that was used by the ones in authority.


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "When I was researching about the history of the lost kingdom, Grandma told me about this. My great great-grandfather was the general in the lost kingdom army, and he held a blood jade dagger which represented his authority. A tiger head was carved at the tip of the hilt."


    She passed the dagger to Hao Ren, who admired its beauty and then asked, "Huh? This one has a dragon head."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Stupid, dragon represents the Emperor. If I am going to be the Phoenix, you will become the Emperor, and also a general."


    Hao Ren was surprised and replied in a soft voice, "I did not expect you to have thought so far ahead."


    Han Lingshi smiled at him and held his face in her hands as she kissed his lips. Hao Ren reciprocated it and then Han Lingshi sat down next to him. Hao Ren thought of something and said, "I have two gifts for you."


    Han Lingshi raised her eyes to look at him and asked, "What are they?"


    Hao Ren took out a delicate jade ring from his space ring. It was a pair of rings, both looked the same. He smiled and said, "This is the wedding ring I made for you. It is made from Blood Jade."


    The ring was very slim and Hao Ren had carved a dragon and a phoenix on it. The technique used on this was very intricate and while the ring appeared to be super minimalist, but once someone paid attention they would find that the craftsmanship had exceeded the level of human capabilities. Hao Ren had used his outmost control to design these rings.


    In a Han Country wedding, exchanging the rings was the most overlooked thing.


    Even in his own wedding, this step was overlooked as the world knew they were already married lawfully. Han Lingshi was in awe when she held the ring in her hand and said, "Ren, you are so versatile."


    The young man smiled and said, "Shall I put it on your finger?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and raised her chin as she placed her hand in his hand. The young man smiled and replaced her space ring with the wedding ring. Then Han Lingshi did the same for him. She said, "Let me click a picture of these rings. Xiao Mei, you are responsible for the captions."


    They both wore the space rings in a different finger, and held hands before clicking a nice picture and Xiao Mei posted it on their social media accounts with a nice caption, "Forever and more with you."


    Hao Ren had not allowed Xiao Mei the authority to post things without confirming with them first. The young man did not believe much in the allegiance of the AI. This whole scenario reminded him of one more thing, that was to introduce Xiao Mei to someone he could trust completely when he ventures in the Spirit Shimmer Continent so that Xiao Mei does not run wild.


    Hao Ren parked the car on the side and said, "Why not let them have a glimpse of us then?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and the two people stepped out of the vehicle. The cameras came to life and began to flash every few minutes. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi posed for the paparazzi and then waved to leave after telling them to go home and rest.


    ...


    The couple arrived at the Han Mansion, and found the elders having tea. They seemed to have just woken up, and Gao Yue beckoned Hao Ren to sit next to her, while Han Lingshi sat down next to Tang Zen.


    Gao Yue looked at Hao Ren and asked, "Show us the purity of your spiritual energy. Your deadline of upgrading to the core formation realm is close."


    The couple nodded and waved their hand, which gave a shock to the family. Han Lingshi said, "Actually, we have something else up our sleeves too, but we will keep it a secret."


    Tang Zen nodded and said, "Never reveal your full strength unless it is a do or die situation. We have a gift for you both."


    The two looked at her and Tang Zen said, "Agni has a rare Dao Physique."


    The couple was perplexed and the old lady said, "Agni is blessed by the heavens. If she cultivates, she will be able to master both the Yin and the Yang elements of the cultivation on her own. Although the progress will be slow, but once she grows up, she will be a genius. We found it last night when she could detect some subtle traces of spirit energy."


    Hao Ren asked, "It is good, but how is she a gift to us?"


    Gao Yue said, "As a cultivator grows stronger it becomes difficult to have children. Even if you have one, it is not sure if the mother would survive. This is why I only had one child. Your grandparents had one child as well. In the future we do not know how lives will turn out but one thing is set in stone.


    You two are destined to make a lot of enemies. If you have a child early, you will be safe, but the child will suffer if your enemies give up on morals which they would. After all, only the strong have the right to preach in that world. Thus, we thought it would be nice if you adopt Agni as your child.


    She will stay here with us, but learn all that she should and when the time comes, you can pass everything to her. No?"


    Han Lingshi looked at Hao Ren who nodded to her, and said, "It depends on Agni. She is too young to understand any of this so let us give her some time, and when she is ten, we can decide about this matter. Okay?"


    The people nodded after all seven years in the life of a cultivator was just a blink. They all were sitting around chatting when Hao Xinyuan came over and said, "Ren, let''s spar, I want to see how strong you are."


    Everyone was surprised at this moment. However, Hao Ren stood up and said, "Old Boy, go easy on your bones, don''t blame me if you break a few of them."

 Chapter 193: Difficult Task.

    Hao Ren and Hao Xinyuan stood facing each other in the garden of the Han Mansion. The young man said, "Wait for a minute. Xiao Mei check the surroundings, is anyone keeping an eye on us?"


    The AI replied after a few minutes, "No, it is all clear."


    Hao Xinyuan asked, "Are you done, can we begin?"


    Hao Ren nodded and then he saw his father vanish from his initial position and he was overwhelmed with a great sense of danger. Hao Ren ducked and rolled on the side, and sure enough, the old man had appeared behind him with a spear stabbing where Hao Ren was standing.


    The young man understood that his father was serious and this was not going to be a fair fight. He got back on his feet and wanted to take out his sword but Hao Xinyuan did not seem to be in the mood to let him do that.


    Hao Ren was overwhelmed by the strong attacks coming his way. The elders were present on the side. They were watching how things were and Han Lingshi asked anxiously, "What is Dad doing?"


    Old Man Han replied, "He is trying to have Hao Ren understand the difference between a true cultivator. You two have no exposure with the things in the Spirit Shimmer Continent, this is why you do not know that even a teenager is more powerful than the two of you.


    It is not in the terms of spirit energy quality but the battle experience. If you were to enter that world as you are now, you will be nothing but mere canon fodder."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Why must dad handle Ren this way? I will also enter the place, so why am I not being put through the same?"


    Tang Zen sighed and replied, "You still have some time before you will go in that world, but Ren must enter the world before you to improve his foundation. He was born with blocked meridians, and only when he can find a spirit energy rich environment can he get rid of the ailment."


    Han Lingshi still asked, "Why can''t I go with him?"


    Yue Shi replied, "For the next two years, you will consolidate the yin energy that you have lost in the consummation in seclusion. Only then you will be able to go there and walk through the Forbidden Zone of the imperial family to awaken the fate of the nation. Before that you will be too weak to fend for yourself."


    Han Lingshi clenched her fist and said, "That means I will have to stay away from him for two years. How is this even fair?"


    Yue Shi smiled helplessly and patted her shoulder as she said, "Child, only when you two are stronger can you rely on each other. To gain control of the lost kingdom, you need him by your side. Only when he is totally fit will he be able to stand firm beside you."


    ...


    Han Lingshi asked when she heard Tang Zen guiding Hao Ren, "Ma, why did you test him then?"


    Tang Zen shook her head and did not reply until a few seconds later, she said, "Old Hao is a good appetizer, I will be his main course later."


    Han Lingshi was shocked, when Yue Shenlong come closer to her and he said, "Madam Hao beat Grandpa once yesterday night. He wanted to be your instructor. Aunty took control."


    Yue Chilong looked at his grandson and snorted at him. Han Lingshi was shocked by things. She did not expect such a story. Yue Chilong said, "I sought Senior''s guidance."


    Han Lingshi did not say much, she knew that Tang Zen was the strongest of them all here, and if someone who could guide them to become stronger then it was her.


    Hao Ren did a roll on the ground to dodge the spear thrust and he picked up a few pebbles with his left hand. Hao Xinyuan was a tad bit slow to turn around and attack him and the young man pinched a small pebble between his fingers and shot it at the old man''s joints.


    Hao Xinyuan was surprised by this and was caught unprepared. The stone hit his joint. Although he was not super strong, but his joint still ached slightly from the impact. He was sure that Hao Ren did not use spiritual energy, so how could he generate so much strength, this surprised him.


    The old man was occupied with his thoughts and Hao Ren shot multiple stones landing on different spots but just when the annoyed Hao Xinyuan wanted to charge forward he found he could not move.


    He opened his eyes in surprise when Hao Ren erupted with explosive force and came to his side, and he felt a cold blade resting against his nape. The young man said, "Old boy, you lost."


    Hao Xinyuan nodded and said, "I did, good presence of mind and usage of hidden weapon handling skills. You are not cultivating in vain at least. Now, unlock my movement."


    Hao Ren replied, "Five minutes, and it will unlock on its own."


    Hao Xinyuan knew this guy was very vengeful and said, "After your honeymoon, you will be sparing with your mother daily and learning closely. Do not reject, use her skills, it will be good for your future path."


    Hao Ren hesitated for a bit but nodded before he headed to the family. At this moment, a notification went off in his mind, *Ding: Host, your wife is upset and it is your duty to coax her. While the relationship grows when two people are close, it thrives when they survive the challenge of distance.


    Task objective: Away but never gone.*

 Chapter 194: For Each Other.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi came back to their apartment, and strangely the two of them did not talk much. While the young man was pondering over how to get stronger and how to coax his wife, the young lady was thinking about if it was really necessary for her to stay at home and replenish her energy and things like that.


    They were in the elevator when Hao Ren asked, "Are you thinking about what Grandma said?"


    Han Lingshi nodded without hiding anything. She said, "Ren, I understand that communication can make a relationship smooth, but somethings can never be talked out of. I will never agree about you venturing in that world alone."


    Hao Ren smiled at her and said, "Lingshi, you are thinking too much. Do you think I wish to go their alone?"


    Han Lingshi turned her head to look at him and the young man said, "The old people said that I need to go there and remove the slight issues I have with my weak meridians, well, I can do that later as well, no?"


    Han Lingshi frowned and said, "Didn''t Ma say that if you did not get this fixed by the age of twenty five your meridians will calcify? It will become uncurable then."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I don''t think so, there must be some solution to do it after all, there are so many alchemists there."


    Han Lingshi frowned, but she did not say anything. She did not realize that Hao Ren was trying to lead her into thinking that he was willing to sacrifice his future. They reached home, and after a quick shower, Hao Ren began to pack bags for the two of them. He was very thorough in such things Han Lingshi watched him deal with all these things and kept on pondering.


    Women had a skill of overthinking things and end up doing opposite of what they wanted to do initially. Han Lingshi watched him for two hours but Hao Ren did not show any concerns over him not going to the Spirit Shimmer Continent. All he did was asking Han Lingshi if she needed certain things, to which she nodded absent mindedly.


    They had dinner, and it was when Hao Ren served her with a lightly spicy lemon fried rice that she said, "Ren, I think you should go to Spirit Shimmer Continent and we should follow the arrangement of the elders."


    Hao Ren raised his head to look at her and sat down beside her as he asked, "Why do you say so?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied, "I do not wish for you to suffer a chronic ailment that would limit your future because of my selfish reasoning."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It is not your selfishness, I am willing to stay here for you. We have not been together for even an year yet and we have to part for such a long time. This is not fair."


    The two people were in the open seas, they were not afraid of the waves and the bumping ride as cultivators they were quite sturdy.


    Han Lingshi turned to look at her husband and took a step closer. Hao Ren tactfully coiled his arm around her waist. Han Lingshi raised her mobile and Xiao Mei shot a small video of the two people kissing and smiling at each other.


    Han Lingshi posted the video and captioned it, "Drowning in the waves of your love, lost in the wide open embrace."


    The video created a sensation once more, and the two people forgot about it. It took them seven hours of riding the boat at a speed of forty nautical miles an hour.


    When they reached the island, Hao Ren slowed down the boat before they stopped as the boat was already half out of water. Han Lingshi and the young man moved their luggage inside their space ring, and then they jumped into the water to push the boat out of the water completely. They made sure to raised the back high so that the propeller does not get damaged.


    When they were done, Hao Ren said, "I will make a platform to secure the boat in a bit, can you handle the fire and a temporary shelter?"


    Han Lingshi saluted him and said, "Aye, Aye Captain Hao."


    The couple chuckled and they got to work. The two of them had come here to be away from everyone and just enjoy their time together whether it was training or anything else without any distraction.


    This Honeymoon was also the last time they would have such peace in their life before a long time in the future. The two did not know what tribulations they would have to face in the future and how they would grow closer because of the memories they were about to make on this trip.


    Hao Ren quickly used a long machete to chop of some wild bamboos and vines to tie them together into a raised platform. He was not sure if the bamboo would be able to take the weight of the boat so he asked Han Lingshi to use her flame to freeze it and make it harder to break.


    Yin flames would freeze the things completely and normal heat could not make it melt. After they were done, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi exerted all of their strength to lift up the boat and move it over the platform.


    If the world was to see them like this, they would probably say it was fake and edited. The couple spend the night looking at the clear skies and gazing at the stars as Hao Ren kept them warm. They decided to skip the meal as it was already late. While gazing at the stars, Hao Ren took a vow that even if he had to go against the heaven for Han Lingshi he would never hesitate.


    Han Lingshi was also the same, in this world, she might not have her parents by her side and might not even have children but Hao Ren, he would forever be with her and in her heart, so if there came a day when she has to descend to the deepest level of hell for him, she will do it.


    As if something clicked in their minds, the two looked at each other and exchanged a deep kiss under the wide open sky.

 Chapter 195: Near Miss.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi had come to the secluded island and they had secured the boat they rented on a bamboo frame. They spent the first night on the sandy shores making wild love to each other. They did not cultivate and just enjoyed the fleshy pleasures of life.


    In the morning, Hao Ren woke up early, and Han Lingshi followed him, the young man took a dip in the ocean and came back with a few fishes. He used the suction of the space ring to directly suck the creatures inside his space ring and dumped them on the ground when he came back.


    After changing his clothes he used the spiritual energy to dry off the water on his skin. Han Lingshi looked at him and remarked in a snarky manner, "My, my, the extravagance of spiritual energy. Mister Hao, where did you learn to show off like this?"


    Hao Ren looked at her with narrowed eyes and then said, "Come here, I will tell you."


    Han Lingshi leaned forward with her hands on her waist as she said, "Mister Hao, why is it that you eyes do not match your tone? You are going to do something naughty again, aren''t you?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and replied, "Oh, Miss Han, if memory serves me right, the one who acted naughty was you."


    Han Lingshi was frozen and then she saw Hao Ren dashing towards her. The young lady ran away quickly and the couple happily played a small game of tag before they set up the kitchen and Hao Ren began cooking.


    Han Lingshi took a dip in the ocean cleaned her hair with a shampoo and then used the spiritual energy in her body to shake off all the salt particles over her body. The couple had a nice roasted fish for breakfast, and then Han Lingshi asked, "We came to this far away place where we can be alone, but now I feel a little bored."


    Hao Ren smiled faintly and said, "This island is stretched over fifty kilometers, on feet it would be a nice trek. Who knows if there is any pirate treasure buried around?"


    Han Lingshi chuckled and they put on trekking shoes and holding machetes they left the shore and moved deeper inside the forest. The shore was clean, but a few meters from the shore lay a thick forest with vegetation intending to climb the heavens.


    The couple found a lot of coconut trees, and the ground was littered with rotten tree trunks. Han Lingshi said, "There are so many bugs."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Channel your spiritual energy, it scares them away."


    Han Lingshi could not help but ask, "How does this even work? I used to think every being would like to absorb spiritual energy. Why are they afraid of it?"


    Hao Ren replied, "They cannot handle the amount of power of the energy. They instinctively fear death and so they run away from it."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and after half an hour, Hao Ren stopped and the young lady asked, "What happened?"


    Hao Ren said, "The forest just turned silent. Even the wind is not making any sound."


    Han Lingshi was stunned and then she observed the situation calmly as she said, "You are right, what is going on here?"


    Hao Ren replied, "We need to head back."


    The young man took out a gun from his space ring and fired two shots at the heads with pin point accuracy. The bullets hit the beast directly inside the mouth and caused a lot of pain but it did not leave any damage.


    Hao Ren yelled, "Shit!"


    He landed on the ground and ran away quickly. Han Lingshi was shocked, she regained her senses after a few minutes and dashed after them. The snake was moving very quickly now.


    Hao Ren was also doing his best and suddenly he recalled something and took off his shirt. He channeled his spiritual energy in his right arm where the Naga tattoo lit up. The snake chasing behind him had yellow eyes, but as soon as the emerald green glow from the tattoo reflected in its those dreadful orbs. They became red, and the two headed snake seemed to have gone insane.


    It chased after Hao Ren at a higher speed and left destruction in its wake. Hao Ren cursed the naga princess but he discovered something. His movement became more agile and unpredictable when he channeled the energy through the tattoo.


    A voice rang in his mind, ''Ren, I am sorry, what should I do? Please, tell me are you safe?''


    Hao Ren replied, ''I am fine, but the snake is going crazy, can you catch up with it?''


    Han Lingshi replied, ''I am almost able to touch it''s tail.''


    The young man thought of a way and said, ''Forget about training, fucking set this bastard on fire. Freeze it.''


    Han Lingshi did not delay and shot a ball of silver flames at the tail of the beast. The freezing effect was so strong that the enraged beast became sluggish in an instant, and hissing loudly. Hao Ren stopped, he took out the sword and rushed towards it intending to chop off its head.


    He did not use his flames because this cold blooded animal relied on heat absorbed from the outside to cultivate. The reason it grew two heads was probably because it did not have a cultivation technique and the inflow of the energy caused it to mutate.


    As Hao Ren jumped in the void and slashed with his weapon, the head fell down on the ground with a thud. The young man, however, did not waste another second to enjoy and jumped off the ground with his blade horizontally slashing at the second head.


    He landed on the snake''s body that was still squirming and found Han Lingshi running up to him. The young man looked at the snake heads carefully, a snake head could still bit even after being chopped off.


    Han Lingshi hugged Hao Ren and apologized profusely, "I am sorry, I did not realize that my hesitation could cause such trouble. I am sorry, are you okay, Ren?"


    Hao Ren patted her palm and said, "I am fine, can you freeze both the heads, I don''t know why but I sense a strong fluctuation from them."


    Han Lingshi did not say anything else and quickly shot two silver flame balls and froze the snake heads. The young man said, "Let''s come and check this guy tomorrow."


    Han Lingshi nodded, she still could not get over the guilt of her mistake even now. Hao Ren knew this and said, "Love, am I not fine now? Let''s go and see where this big guy came from."


    The two then headed to follow the snake trail. They were going to find the place where this guy resided and see if it left behind any treasures.

 Chapter 196 Treasure Trove.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi held hands and moved through the dense forest. It was easy for him to track the snake trail. Han Lingshi was still shaken from what happened just now. He could sense her heart beating at a high rate.


    He said, "This was the first time you came across something like this. It is not a big mistake, in the end, didn''t you save me?"


    Han Lingshi replied in a soft voice, "It was also my mistake that put you in the spot in the first place. I cannot shrug away from that."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I am not denying that you made a mistake. All I want you to do it to learn from it and make sure to not repeat it."


    Han Lingshi looked at him and said, "You know, sometimes your words cannot make me feel better."


    Hao Ren chuckled as they moved. After fifteen minutes, they were standing at the mouth of an under ground cavern. The couple exchanged gazes, and took out their spirit swords. Thankfully they had the weapons that were very powerful. The concept of a weapon made humans feel more confident.


    The couple raised their vacant hands and ignited the flames on their palms and entered the place cautiously. Han Lingshi asked, "How do you know that their might be a treasure here?"


    Hao Ren replied, "What else could have caused that snake to mutate? The normal animals in the world do not have much chance to evolve like that guy, and the spiritual energy in the world is already negligible. Without the aid of a treasure it should be impossible for the beast to grow that big."


    The two slowly walked inside the cavern, and Han Lingshi said, "The snake scales seemed to have smoothened the cave walls."


    Hao Ren nodded, and suddenly he said, "Did you notice the smell? That snake was emitting poison mist from its mouth when I shot at it. The smell is similar to that poison."


    Han Lingshi said, "Your flames might be able to evaporate that smell."


    Hao Ren nodded and waved his hand and a wave of flames travelled through the cave. The two of them had learned how to control the flames better thanks to the system. They traveled for a fifty meters, before they stopped all of a sudden.


    A few meters away, there was a skeleton sitting cross legged. The person was dressed in a silver white robe. The cloth was damaged from different places and Hao Ren stepped closer with caution. He bowed to the skeleton and said, "Forgive us for disturbing your rest senior."


    Han Lingshi followed him as she thought, ''The resentment rising from this skeleton vanished after you bowed to it. I wonder if the spirit of this senior is still lingering in the vicinity.''


    They both were using their Yin and Yang pupils as soon as they came inside the cave as they did not know what might be hidden here. So, when they came across the skeleton, they noticed that the skeleton was surrounded by red mist. However, after Hao Ren bowed and paid his respect, the mist vanished.


    Hao Ren replied with the heart soul communication, ''It must have been a trap to prevent people from attacking. Those who have greed and ill will in their hearts will not be able to get anything from what the senior left behind.''


    Han Lingshi nodded and after a few seconds, Hao Ren said, "Look, there is a wound mark on the torso, this is the only thing that looks critical to me."


    Han Lingshi walked around to check the cave and said, "This place does not have any of the rubbing marks like the walls outside. It is smooth as if man made."


    Hao Ren thought for a minute and said, "It could be that the senior used some means to build this place as his resting place, and the snake found it by chance."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied in an obvious tone, "Oh no, I just wanted to use you as a shield, Sir, but you turned out to be a total package. Though your cooking skills are the best thing about you."


    Hao Ren snorted and replied, "Sometimes your words do not console me enough."


    Then the two looked at each other before they started laughing. After the dinner was done, Hao Ren said, "These two eggs have yet to receive any nourishment. The snake must have just laid them when it came out hunting for us."


    Experience more content on empire


    Han Lingshi replied, "That explains the early sluggishness. Otherwise she had enough strength to cause serious trouble."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Well, so now we need to give them our own blood first, and then have them recognize us as their masters in the early phase, otherwise when they come out, it will be difficult."


    Han Lingshi nodded, she was not afraid of pouring out some blood. They all had some exposure to the world of comics. They both made a slit on their palms and allowed the blood to drip on the silver eggs. Sure enough, the silver ingots began to absorb the blood and they changed appearances.


    A faint scaly texture appeared on the surface of the egg, and after the couple lost a considerable amount of blood they took their hands back to see their had turned slightly pale. They both took out a bottle of rejuvenation potion and chugged them down.


    After they were done, Hao Ren dragged the big snake back, and extracted all the blood from it and let it pour into a shallow pit he had dug on the ground. Then both the eggs were placed in the pit. This will allow them to absorb the best spiritual blood apart from their own.


    Han Lingshi asked, "What is that ring that you took from the senior?"


    Hao Ren took it out and said, "It is a space ring, let us see what is inside."


    Then the young man began to pour out the content from the ring. Soon a small pile of shiny stones was ready on the side, and then there were several books, and a few weapons. There was also a very delicate jade box which was engraved and embedded with patterns. It was empty.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "We are rich, these stones are spirit stones."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and the young man explained to her that these stones could be used as the currency in the spirit shimmer continent. Then they determined that the books were cultivation and spirit spell techniques.


    However, Han Lingshi said, "What is the point of this empty box?"


    Hao Ren sniffed and said, "I can detect some vague medicinal scent coming from this box. I think it might have contained a pill or some herb that the senior was trying to consume but he passed away before he could and the snake reaped the benefits."


    Han Lingshi looked at him as she said, "As absurd as it may sound, that is the only thing that is making any sense here."


    Hao Ren shrugged and the two began to go through the books. While he was reading, he was communicating with the system as well, ''System, I have been pilling up my monthly lottery for six months now, what level of reward can I get now?''


    *Ding: Host, you have ten percent chance to get a golden reward, twenty percent chance to get a silver reward, and seventy percent chance to get a bronze reward. Would you like to start the lottery?*

 Chapter 197 Couple Goals.

    Hao Ren heard the probability and decided to keep stacking and use the lottery for the moments where he might actually need something. Han Lingshi said, "Ren, you should take all the spirit stones with you when you enter the spirit shimmer continent."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It is not advisable to do that. I suggest we split this in three portions. One for you, one for me, and the third one for cultivation. These stones content very pure spiritual energy and it will help us a lot in the coming days. I have the skills of alchemy so I would be able to earn my keep in that world, do not worry."


    Han Lingshi thought about it and nodded. Then she picked up a book and read the name, "Cloud Breeze steps. Umm, seems like a movement technique."


    Hao Ren nodded and they both huddled together to read the book. The essence of the technique laid in lightness and speed. Once the technique is mastered to a the pinnacle the person would be as fast as a wind and his steps would be so light that they would be able to walk above the clouds.


    The couple was very interested in this, and after putting down one book, they went through the other. The rest of the books were also techniques. Out of the seven books, three turned out to be spiritual cultivation techniques. Hao Ren said, "They can be used to nourish the people under us. They will be of great help if they could even reach the spirit gathering realm."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I agree with you. What about the rest? Shall we practice them?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and replied, "I do not see why we shouldn''t, after all, we have no skills to even defend ourselves, and from what the elders have told us, that world is particularly defiant when it comes to laws, and only strength is worshiped. We are still ants, imagine of Old Boy Hao and Madam Tang had to run away, where do we stand in all this?


    Old Boy Hao has the skill to tear open a tunnel in the void. His enemy must be significantly stronger than him. So, the more skills we have the better."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Good, we can start in the morning. Anyways we don''t have anything big to do here."


    Hao Ren nodded, and the two of them went to sleep. Hao Ren had brought a pair of sleeping bags with him that were big enough for the two of them to squeeze in. The young man took a deep breath as Han Lingshi burrowed in his chest and then he focused on the system interface and a holographic screen appeared in the void before him.


    He accessed his inventory and an icon appeared there. The icon was that of a wooden mask, Hao Ren brought up the details of the item and it said, [Thousand Faces Mask: This item is a lost treasure of a taboo assassination guild, Death Face.


    They used to wear these masks and change their appearance completely to invade the enemy camp and assassinate the target cleanly. Only people who are two realms above you can see through this mask.]


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and agreed that this was still a good item, after all, he would not be be coming across such strong people often. Also, he would not have to use this mask a lot. Since this was an assassination tool, it would be better to use it for that, he was sure that there would be enemies that would make him use his assassination skills. Experience more content on empire


    ...


    The night passed very quickly and in the morning, Hao Ren got busy with cleaning his teeth, taking a shower, and then cook a meal for Han Lingshi. While the lady went to check on the snake eggs. When they were eating, she said, "The eggs have absorbed a lot of blood, we need to find some way for them to grow and hatch quickly."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will handle it, you go and cultivate."


    The young man said, "The basic goal is to channel the energy outside the body. So, I am trying to do that."


    Hao Ren moved his hand but only created a gust. Han Lingshi sat down beside him and said, "The spirit energy will be projected out of the body when we reach the golden core realm, how can we do it now."


    The young man thought for a bit and said, "How about trying the same passage that we use to absorb it?"


    Han Lingshi raised her brows and they both closed their eyes to channel the energy out of their pores. After ten minutes, they smiled and Han Lingshi, and they began to walk around slowly. They were able to create a platform under their feet. The movement speed was slow, and many times the platform they made hit the ground under their weight.


    After half an hour, Han Lingshi dashed forward, and managed to take three steps without leaving an impression on the ground. Hao Ren followed her and he also achieved the same. They cheered, but now they had to achieve a higher step count. Thus began the training.


    Time passed quickly and they discovered that the spiritual energy could stay afloat if they do not step on it, so the two began to practice how to achieve this when they step on the platform.


    One night the two of them were discussing the movement technique, when Han Lingshi suddenly said, "It would be so nice if we could do something that regular couples do."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I do have an idea."


    He held her hands and pulled her along him on the beach as he said, "Record a video."


    Han Lingshi smiled and her eyes came alive as she recorded the two of them running at the shore leaving their footprints on the ground. They changed position and Hao Ren filmed her and shared the clip on social media.


    It was just then, he realized something and pulled Han Lingshi towards him as he ran. The young lady realized that Hao Ren did not leave any print on the ground. She was surprised and asked, "How are you doing this?"


    The young man replied, "If the spirit energy moves like a breeze and is as thin as a cloud. It is possible to master the cloud breeze step."


    Han Lingshi realized something and after a few minutes, she could also walk without leaving any step and the consumption of spirit energy has come down a lot. The young lady hugged her husband and said, "Growing together is the best couple goal ever."


    Suddenly, a roar echoed from the core of the island and it shook the land under their feet. The two of them were shocked, and stood at the shore, looking at the depths of the island. There was something scary in there, and it did not seem friendly, and it seemed to be heading their way.


    ...


    Dream''s Note : Please vote with power stones and golden tickets. I am going to increase the output as much as I can without flaring up my back injury. I am in dire need of your support. Thank you for all that you have done till now. Really appreciate it.

 Chapter 198 Return.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi both were cultivating and having the undisturbed time with each other. They came to understand many secrets of the cultivation together. One of the biggest secret was the fact that spiritual energy was similar to nature.


    This helped them master the movement technique, Cloud Breeze Steps to the minor success realm. The couple then moved on to practice fist techniques and sword techniques. Although they did not have any guidance, they both were able to analyze things on their own and help each other progress slowly.


    They did not expect themselves to grow into some over powering existence. However, some basic practice would allow them to save some time when they return home.


    An entire week passed and the two of them were sitting on the ground inside the cavern of the snake they had hunted. They had used up a lot of their supplies, and the space in their space rings had opened up as well.


    Thinking about it, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi extracted a total of three hundred seventy scales from the big snake, four pairs of big curved ivory fangs, four eyes, one spine, tendons, and the gall of the beast that could be used as medicinal ingredient.


    They also extracted the venom bags from inside the snake skulls and Hao Ren kept them with him as he had the skills of an assassin and this poison would come in handy in the future.


    The couple was sitting next to each other, gazing at the stars, when the lady said, "Ren, do you ever feel bored here? Don''t give me the same, I am with you, how can I be bored answer like always."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Why can''t I? Is it not the truth? Living here, we do not have to worry about the world. We have a cavern for ourselves, the ocean is filled with a lot of sea food, and we can now even use the flames to filter the water."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Why do you sound like an introvert?"


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded, "I was an introvert before you came along."


    Han Lingshi was surprised internally but then recalling how humble Hao Ren was when she met him she believed him. She leaned to the side so that her head rested against his shoulder and said, "That means I am your savior."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and chuckled loudly, "Yes, you are my savior."


    The two people joked around for a bit before they sensed the barrels trembling. Hao Ren quickly got to his feet and took off the lid. He found that the two beasts have finished absorbing the blood essence completely. The entire barrel was as clean as it might have been when it was first manufactured.


    The young man reacted quickly and took out the eggs from the barrels before putting them on the ground. Han Lingshi came rushing over and asked eagerly, "Are they about to come out?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It appears to be so. I am not sure though."


    They could not store it inside their space rings to bring back home, and who knows if the older people would eat it or not? They picked up their boat and got in to head to the mainland. This island was considered scouted and this will become their retreat in the coming months.


    ...


    The older people had gathered together in the evening. Han Lingshi and Hao Ren had told them that they will have the dinner together. The moment the young couple came in the people noticed something.


    Han Lingxue skipped over to ask how the honeymoon was, Hao Ren told her a lot of things they did to take a break from cultivation. They showed everyone the pictures and stuff as well too.


    After exchanging pleasantries. Hao Ren said, "Yin, come out."


    A drowsy little snake crawled out of his sleeve and sat on his palm. The people were surprise, and Han Lingshi said, "Yang, greet everyone."


    Yang also came to sit on her palm as he looked around at the people. Gao Yue asked, "Where did you find spirit beasts?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "On the island. We fought a big two headed snake."


    They narrated the entire incident to the old people and Hao Xinyuan said, "It is indeed possible for the off springs to mutate or evolve because of the stronger nourishment. However, it is not entirely true that your blood tamed them. Hao Ren has the mark of the Naga clan on his body. This mark will emit a scent that can be detected by the snakes only.


    After the exchange of your innate energies, that scent has washed over you also, Lingshi. Thus, make sure you do not harm a snake if they do not attack you first in the future."


    Han Lingshi replied, "Yes, Father."


    Tang Zen said, "Lingshi, Ren, you have one week to arrange your matters here. You have been away from office so do look into that. After that, you will go through harsh training. Old Hao will teach you about tactics, and things to look out for. Old Madam Han will teach you etiquettes, and I will teach you combat."


    Hao Ren asked, "Is there no time to sleep?"


    Tang Zen shook her head and said, "You can survive for twenty days without sleeping. Do not worry about that, try to learn as much as you can as it will be helpful when you go to the spirit shimmer continent."


    So, the training was about to begin and the young couple had no idea what was about to happen to them.


    [I apologize, I messed up the update by mistake.]

 Chapter 199 Xiao Mei Is Alive!

    The elders gave the young couple a weeks time to settle down and handle business. They returned home, and Han Lingshi fell asleep holding the young man and the young man spent his time looking at the ceiling.


    In his mind there was a battle going on. He asked, ''System, you claim to make me into the omnipotent husband in all manners. However, I don''t think that I will ever transform into the genius that you said I was supposed to.''


    System replied, *Ding: Host your accusation is baseless, the system exists with one goal only.*


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, ''Had that been true, I would have been a hermit with skills that could have helped my wife from the shadows. I would be omnipotent as a husband and it has nothing to do with the world but my wife.


    Earlier when I was helping her take care of things from the shadows, I was at peace but now, I feel like a slave of yours. There are no tasks for me to complete, why is it so?''


    *Ding: Host, it is because your wife has no idea of the immensity of the world. She feels that because you are rich and that you look after her more than how much anyone else would, her heart is content. However, things do not always remain the same. Please have some patience.*


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, ''System, you should be a manifestation of the heaven and earth, and that is why you do not understand the turmoil of a human with seven emotions and six senses.


    I wanted to be rich, and strong. However, now that I have some strength, and I am rich. I realize that nothing really matters at all. If the people around me stop having expectations from me, then what is even the point of this whole thing? Stagnation in a relationship is the reason of its demise.''


    *Ding: Host, what you say is true. Usually the system would not have helped you clear the doubts in your heart, but since you have grown into a young man who knows what matters the most in this world. Allow me to tell you, in the coming decade the world will change drastically. At that time, you will realize that all this time you have spent hardworking, is worth it all.*


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and sighed as he closed his eyes and fell asleep.


    ...


    The next week passed rather quickly, and Hao Ren was immersed in business. The company was coming up with so many projects and launches, the business was booming. The research center had produced a graphene chip and they were intending to dabble with higher technology.


    Xiao Mei had taken control of the business and she was very efficient about it. Hao Ren did not realize when he had become a tycoon that the world wanted to meet. He was sitting inside his office and said, "Xiao Mei, are you a business oriented AI?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, I am your AI, whatever you tell me I will do. When you do not tell me, I simply make sure to take care of the things that you created."


    Hao Ren was surprised and said, "I did not expect you to speak so sensibly."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Did you expect me to say that I want to conquer the world? Boss, you know sometimes I wonder if IQ can drop negative in value."


    Hao Ren choked on his own saliva, he understood that it must be the system that has given Xiao Mei this command. After thinking about something, he said, "Xiao Mei, from now on, you should monitor the development of all the artificial intelligence in the world. Spare none, and embed the code in their source.


    Xiao Mei raised her chin and said, "Why do you need to know? Are you going to create it at home?"


    Hao Ren was mocked and Han Lingshi chuckled. Xiao Mei said, "The company has a patent pending for this technology. It can be used in prosthetic coverings and cosmetic surgeries. We have also applied for a medical license with the government. Once it comes through we will be providing services at a low cost. You will gain a lot of fame."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Xiao Mei, the more I look at you, the more I feel like you are my little padded jacket."


    After the banter, Xiao Mei had the two people walk through many scans and measurements. The couple could see two robots have already been manufactured, and after half an hour, Xiao Mei printed the silicon skin for the bots and manually covered them.


    Hao Ren asked, "Xiao Mei, you have even made artificial muscles and tendons. You are a genius."


    Xiao Mei rolled her eyes and said, "With the vast memory and the knowledge I have thanks to the storage units and the internet. If I cannot even do this, then shame on me."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Good. What do you plan to do next?"


    Xiao Mei thought and said, "Merger of the two companies. That will ease out the work load for me, and I would be able to develop better tech."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Lingshi, what do you think?"


    Han Lingshi was checking the robots that were being input with a lot of codes, and said, "Yes, after you go to the spirit shimmer continent it will be easy for me too."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Then get through the legal and documentative formalities within the week. Also, Xiao Mei, how shall we celebrate the fact that you have come to life?"


    Han Lingshi immediately turned around to look at the two of them and thought Hao Ren was correct. The robot was confused and said, "Boss, I am not a human."


    Han Lingshi walked up to her and said, "Even if you are not a human, we do not see you as a tool. You are alive, and a very trusted confidant."


    Xiao Mei rubbed the back of her head and said, "How about you take me out on a rally drive? I have been trying to simulate human emotions so that would be helpful."


    Han Lingshi thought for a bit and said, "Well, Ren how about we show her something even better and more simulating?"


    Hao Ren wanted to say something when the system said, *Ding: Host, shock the robot Xiao Mei, and fill up the shocking meter before you. The higher the completion the more happier your wife will be.*


    Hao Ren thought the system was trying to make up to him, but he did not mind. Since Han Lingshi has said, he would try his best.

 Chapter 200 Path?

    The young man looked around in the lab and said, "Xiao Mei, come here." Explore stories on empire


    The two stood in the center of the room and the young man waved his hand. Xiao Mei opened his eyes wide and exclaimed, "Boss, how did you..."


    Hao Ren saw ten points appearing on the hologram window before him. Xiao Mei quickly dashed to the side and looking at a computer screen she said, "Indeed, for a second I thought that my sensors were malfunctioning. Boss, what did you do? The intensity of that gust was simply beyond human capabilities."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "If I told you that in this world, there exist people that have exceeded the limits of a human body, would you believe me?"


    Xiao Mei nodded and said, "I will because I have seen such people. They vanish so quickly that even with the strongest detection technology in the world, I can not spot them."


    Han Lingshi nodded as she said, "Producing a gust with the motion is not a big deal."


    Xiao Mei was surprised and then she saw Hao Ren teleport around in the big room at a speed that her cameras could not focus at. She opened her mouth wide at the display and shook her head, "Boss, are you one of those super humans as well?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "I have no idea what their level is. If you ask me, I would say that I have only managed to touch the surface of that power."


    Xiao Mei nodded solemnly, and Hao Ren kept showing her the things that he could do and gained surprise point. However, as he continued, the degree of surprise dropped significantly. After showing ten different tricks, he managed to get only seventy-five points.


    A minute later, he came out to lay on a recliner in the balcony as he gazed up at the sky. The clouds parted and Hao Ren spotted the moon peeking down at the world. As the rays of moonlight fell on his body, Yin crawled out of his sleeve and slithered on his chest. Looking at the tiny gentle looking snake, Hao Ren smiled and caressed her head gently.


    The snake seemed to have liked his actions as she reciprocated by rubbing her head against his fingers as well. After a few moments, Yin lay under the moonlight and her body began to glow. Hao Ren was surprised but then he recalled how the elders told them that the beasts can absorb the essence of the sun and moon.


    Hao Ren wondered if humans could do it as well. However, he was not yet strong enough to find answers to these questions. He closed his eyes and fell asleep gradually.


    ...


    The next morning, Hao Ren woke up in accordance to his bio-clock. He found Yin had returned to rest inside the sleeve. After a few minutes, the young man got up to hit the gym and finished his routine. However, he left Yin outside the washroom when he was bathing, because he was afraid that she might enter any of the drains.


    He came out of the room and entered the dining room to find that only Tang Zen was present there. He asked, "Where did Lingshi and the rest of them go?"


    Tang Zen put her cup of tea on the table and said, "They took her to the office, she will learn to cultivate while working. That is her training. In the evening she will learn how to fight with your father and the rest."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Why are we both being trained differently?"


    Tang Zen said, "That is because you both have different paths. Her path is chosen by fate. She is going to strive and take back her kingdom, avenge her ancestors and family members who fell to ensure their survival. This is why she must become apt at all the things that a Queen needs to know and do."


    Hao Ren nodded and did not interrupt her. Tang Zen saw this and said, "Your path is for you to decide. However, since you are her husband, unless you decide to forgo of the relationship, you would need to strive ahead with her. I want to ask you, what do you want to do?"

 Chapter 201 Paths Of Dao.

    Tang Zen asked Hao Ren about the path he wanted to walk. The young man began to contemplate as he sat down on chair. After a minute, he asked, "I read that everything will lead to Dao. Why do we have to choose a path?"


    Tang Zen shook her head and replied patiently, "Everything you do holds the potential to lead you to the Dao. Those actions are just the mean. However, path is too multidimension and at the same time it is very simple."


    Hao Ren frowned and Tang Zen continued with a faint smile, "The paths are classified in macro and micro. There are too many micro paths, but the macro paths are limited. Many people use them as primary while also dabbling in the micro paths.


    Path of the sword, Path of the spear, Path of the Saber, the most widely used spiritual weapons is a major path. The hidden weapons and long range weapons are micro paths. These are the paths of weapons.


    After this comes the path of Alchemy, Forging, Inscription, and Beast Taming. These are the four macro support paths. If one follows these paths, he would not be lacking compared to those of the weapons path.


    The people who seek Dao through music, fishing, and other vocational activities are the followers of the micro path. The insights of the micro path are very hard to perceive and that is why if a fisherman rises to the pawer, he would be treated as a legend and have the power to use the sky as his fishing grounds."


    Hao Ren opened his eyes wide, as he did not expect anything like this. He asked, "What about the path of an emperor, the invincibility path and all?"


    Enjoy new adventures from empire


    Tang Zen sighed and smacked the back of his head as she said, "That is not the path but the Dao Mind. A cultivator has three things that defines him. His Dao Heart, which helps him perceive the path. Then comes the Dao Mind, which allows you to forge your character.


    There are many types of sword users, all different from each other. Their path is of the sword because they will only use the sword. Their Dao Mind is invincible because fighting against a sword cultivator is difficult and they hardly lose. Their heart is called the sword heart because they seek the different secrets of their weapon."


    Tang Zen thought for a bit and replied, "Good. Since you know what you want, it makes things easy. You wish to support Lingshi, so you should master some skills before you go to the Spirit Shimmer Continent. The reason we wish for you to go first is simple. You are stronger than her, and if you stay here, you will not grow any stronger.


    This world does not have any potent treasures of heaven and hell that could allow you to regain your innate yin or yang essence so that you can dual cultivate either. Also, since you wish to be by her side, you will be her first sword. I think you know what that means."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I understand. I will be the first scout and at the same time, I will be gaining strength and establishing connections. She must ascend the throne, and I will help her with that. The helping hand needs to be stronger to pull someone up or it will be dragged down."


    Hao Ren looked at his mother nodding at him, as she left the table promising that she would be back soon. He decided to talk to the system, ''System, you have always given me tasks, and only one time you gave Lingshi the instruction to channel those flames. Why is so? Can she rise to become the strongest peak by herself?''


    *Ding: Host, you are over reaching your authority. You are not yet strong enough to peek through the heavenly secrets.*


    Hao Ren asked, ''Then can you tell me why do the elders say that our fate is dependent on each other?''


    *Ding: Fate works in mysterious ways and not everything needs a reason. When you are strong enough, you will find out the reason about why your fates are connected.*


    Hao Ren wanted to ask more questions but the system said, *Ding: Host, please do not talk to me as if I am your therapist. Learn to deal with things yourself.*


    Hao Ren was stunned, and now Tang Zen had come back she said, "Let''s go."


    The training was about to begin.

 Chapter 202 Training Begins.

    Hao Ren did not know where Tang Zen intended to take him, but he followed behind her. She came out in the living room, waved her hand, and opened a void tunnel. She held Hao Ren''s hand and tugged him gently to follow behind her.


    The next moment, they appeared in an arid place. The cold wind made Hao Ren shiver, and he looked at Tang Zen who said, "Use your spiritual energy or the flames to keep warm. This is the training ground and not home. On the other side, all that you will have is yourself. Even Mei might not be of help to you when you face something unexpectedly strong."


    Hao Ren channeled the energy of his flame as the two people walked slowly to climb the summit. The young man asked, "What are we training here?"


    Tang Zen replied, "Resolve."


    Hao Ren was confused and the next moment Tang Zen said, "Gradually lower the usage of spiritual energy and the flames. The cold you see here is nothing compared to the southern Yin River. It is said that one drop of water from that lake can freeze the souls of the people."


    The young man was surprised, Tang Zen said, "Do not think that I am exaggerating anything, I won''t gain anything by doing that. I only wish for you to be safe."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Even if you want me to lower the usage of the protective energies, that means my body will develop stronger. However, what does it have to do with my resolve to get stronger?"


    Tang Zen stopped in her tracks and raised her hand to point at the summit laying in the distance as she said, "When you reach the peak, you will find out about it."


    Hao Ren did not understand but he was not here to doubt the old lady. She was sincere to the process of cultivation and even now, her looks have started to revert back to the times when she was slightly younger.


    Hao Ren walked on the black ground as the wind currents hit against him. The young man had been putting his hands closer to his body but now, he realized that it was not possible to continue trekking after the winds hit him so hard that he almost lost his balance. Hao Ren gradually had been lowering the circulation of the flame inside his body.


    With every step he took a deeper breath, the cold was freezing, he did not know where he was, but the cold was so much that he really wished to cover himself up. Hao Ren did not expect that even after being a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator, he would be so troubled.


    He wanted to cover himself up with spiritual energy when a calm voice sounded beside him, "You are not the strongest person in the world, even the ones who transcend the known peak to the cultivators can fall to their demise if they take a wrong step.


    You said that you wish to walk the carefree path, but do you know, those who do not care about the ranks and the titles have to face the most competition?


    Han Lingshi nodded, and Gao Yue made her first move followed by Han Lingshi and the training of chess began. Gao Yue also told her that she must not overly trust anyone other than herself and Hao Ren. As the game progressed, Gao Yue explained various conspiracies through the means of the chess pieces.


    One had to say, despite her old age, Gao Yue was a very cunning person. Han Lingshi was not a noob but she still could not push the old lady back. After the chess game, Yue Shi guided her daughter about the importance of public relations with the citizens and the neighboring countries.


    It was not that the young lady had no clue, but she had people under her who handled these things. This time when she learned about the importance between communication, she was surprised. Xia Yulie coached Maya Okudera and Yin Ye over the skills of a minister and an assassin. They both relied on information and information was the biggest weapon so they should know how to gather it.


    Maya Okudera and Yin Ye did not expect such deep principals and the means described by Xia Yulie to exist, and they learned with great patience and enthusiasm. Stay tuned with empire


    Finally, Hao Xinyuan cast an illusion on Han Lingshi and asked her to chose one among the two; The power or the people.


    Han Lingshi chose the people.


    Hao Xinyuan asked her to chose again, but this time the options were changed. After six such questions, the final question was, Hao Ren or the throne?


    Han Lingshi replied with the former. Even though she knew that the hypothetical question stated, choosing one would lead the other to death. Still she selected Hao Ren.


    This did not speak volumes of their love, but the lack of the compassion and sacrifice for the masses raised a big flag. Hao Xinyuan undid the illusion and asked, "Why did you choose Hao Ren and not the masses?"


    The young lady replied, "Should I answer in the capacity of his wife or the empress?"


    Gao Yue raised her eyebrow and asked, "Both."


    Han Lingshi replied, "As a wife, my husband is my everything and nothing holds a candle before him. As an empress, as long as my general is alive, I can enact revenge."


    The two elders were surprised to hear something like this. They did not expect that Han Lingshi would look for such a solution.

 Chapter 203 Terrifying Perception.

    Gao Yue and Hao Xinyuan looked at the young lady sitting before them with a stunned expression. They did not expect her to answer their question like this. However, they could not find any loophole to denounce her either. Gao Yue said, "Your thoughts are correct but they are a bit too straight."


    Han Lingshi smiled and picked up a piece of black stone from the box on the side of the chess board. Then she placed the piece and said, "Grandma, a sword that strikes straight at the target is far more terrifying than the knives covered under the smiles. It is not about the damage but the anticipation of the damage that makes the people fear those who wield power."


    Gao Yue turned to look at the chess board and found that the game had come to an end. She could not win Han Lingshi. From the starting, the two elders thought that Han Lingshi was desperately trying to defeat Gao Yue and was being pushed back.


    The young lady said, "Grandma, while it is true that the attackers only need one chance to kill the prey, the same applies to the prey. If I give up the battered and dingy shield to slash with the sword. I will also need one chance to slay the enemy."


    Gao Yue sighed and said, "Indeed it is true, when you have been on the back foot constantly, it will make the enemy to overlook something and put down his guard. That is an apt chance, however, one must never underestimate the enemy."


    Han Lingshi replied, "When the weak collide against the strong, they do not underestimate the enemy but they are desperate. The tactic I used has a high chance of failing, however, since I am to sit on the throne, I cannot make any move until I have all the pieces in the places I want them to be."


    Gao Yue looked her granddaughter for a prolonged second and she realized that Han Lingshi was no longer the little girl she always had been in the past. This time, Han Lingshi revealed the thought process of a wise Queen. She knew what her strength was and what the enemy was doing.


    What surprised Gao Yue was the fact that the young lady learned all this within a day. She looked at Hao Xinyuan and said, "Your turn."


    Old Man Hao nodded and he became the opponent of the young girl.


    ...


    The connection was disconnected, and Tang Zen looked up. The wind current had changed the direction and it was now spinning around Hao Ren, Tang Zen flickered from her position, appeared next to Hao Ren, and cast a layer of spiritual energy around him. She did this to prevent the vortex to spread around with the young man as a center and alert the people from the DEHB.


    Stay updated via empire


    Although the higher ups of the DEHB were not all big shots, and she was capable of erasing their existence. She did not want to alert the people who were handling these forces, the big shots in the spirit shimmer continent, because she was not a match for them yet.


    The vortex shifted slightly, and above Hao Ren''s head, a vortex appeared. Tang Zen sensed the vortex to absorb the spiritual energy from the surroundings and funnel it all in Hao Ren''s body. As the old lady was surprised, Hao Ren was sitting calmly as the snow on his body was sent flying.


    Inside his soul sea, the spiritual energy was working like an ink. The thick and pure energy was moving at a fast speed and condensing into a rune character which spelled, mountain. This was not all, on the other side, another rune was forming which spelled, wind.


    Yes, Hao Ren had comprehended the true meaning of the winds and mountain. In the future his physical defense and speed will but increase. If he uses a long distance weapon like a bow, his accuracy would increase as well. His physical attacks would have the momentum of a mountain behind them. The intimidation would also become a passive skill.


    As he cultivates more, the impact would become better. Tang Zen gulped a mouthful and said, "What a terrible perception do these two youngsters have. I wonder if Ren would create chaos in the spirit shimmer when he moves there."


    Another day passed and Tang Zen looked forward to what the youth would achieve. At the break of dawn, the sun for the first time in ages peeked through the clouds and lit up this part of the world.


    As the sunlight fell on Hao Ren''s visage, the young man opened his eyes which appeared to be calm and serene, but they gave off such a pressure that even surprised Tang Zen for a second. She nodded and asked, "Are you ready for the next round?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "After some food."

 Chapter 204 Bitter Love.

    Tang Zen opened a portal that led the two of them to a forest and then she said, "You have the bottle of that spirit rejuvenation potion. Drink those, we are not heading home before you complete the training."


    Hao Ren was surprised but looking at her stoic expressions he nodded. He obediently took out the bottle of spirit rejuvenation potion and consumed two of them. He sighed and said, "This thing loses its effect as the realm gets higher."


    Tang Zen nodded but did not say anything. At this moment, Hao Ren heard a calm voice in his mind, "Ren, are you there?"


    Hao Ren smiled as he realized that Han Lingshi was contacting him. He replied, "Yes, Love, always. Are you okay?"


    Han Lingshi replied in a calm manner, "I am okay, but I am missing your cooking. How will I survive after you go to the spirit shimmer continent."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "I will cook the entire two years worth meals for you and you can store them in your space ring. What do you say?"


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "I see, so the space ring is our fridge now. How disgraceful."


    The two joked around before they were called over to continue their practices. Hao Ren stood up and Tang Zen said, "For the next ten days, your task is to locate a herb hidden in this forest. While doing this, you will face challenges and the condition is that you cannot stop.


    If you take a pause for any longer than ten seconds, I will beat you with the spiritual artifact, and the bruise will not heal for ten days."


    Hao Ren was shocked and exclaimed, "Are you going back to being the Tiger Empress?"


    Tang Zen smiled warmly and replied, "When was I ever mellow? Also, before we begin I will seal your vision ability. You will have to hone your other senses as humans depend a bit too much on their eyes."


    Hao Ren opened his eyes wide, and Tang Zen had already sealed his visual acupoints. She said, "I am aware of your medical prowess but you cannot get away from this poison without a special antidote. Also, I am sealing your spiritual energy as well."


    Hao Ren began to accumulate the spiritual energy in his nose as he walked around in a small circle. After eight hours, he caught a faint scent that was different that the entire forest and also caused his spiritual energy to react a little more vigorously.


    He changed his direction and followed the scent, but now he was alternating his spiritual energy in his ears, and nose. His pace was still slow, but he did not stop. In the hundred meters that he had walked, he had collided with seven trees, and countless shrubs and branches have left their marks on his face.


    However, he was not impatient, and gradually manage to sense the surroundings better. He had stopped using the sensing ability because as he proceeded, he realized that it would only hinder his growth and he only should use it in times when he was in dire need or ambushing someone.


    As the young man was stumbling and getting cut in different places, he heard Tang Zen talking to Old Man Hao.


    "Yes, tell her not to worry, he is fine and only going through training. I have an eye on him, and just blindfolded him. Yes, he is totally fine, you will see him after the training, my child."


    He snorted and said, "How come you have love for everyone but me?"


    Tang Zen replied, "I have love for you as well, but when I see that you have such a high potential yet you slack of so much, I cannot help but feed you the bitter medicine."


    Hao Ren sensed his lips twitch and asked, "Can you tell me when have I not done anything?"


    Tang Zen replied begrudgingly, "Even when your meridians were blocked, you had a sound brain. You probably don''t remember but you were able to make out words when you were one. None of the normal human children are able to call names at that age. Yes, I loved Mei a lot, but it was not because I did not like you or because she was talented in cultivation.


    But because she was my first born and had always understood me like a friend.


    That day you stood up and distanced yourself from us. You did not even talk to me, and knowing that I was wrong, I accepted it. It was not that I did not love you, but it was because I had fallen prey to the obsession of returning to the world where I once made a name for myself. That was all there is to it. So now, you better start moving again or I will break your butt into new fragments."


    Hao Ren was scared and jumped up to move forward. He began to think about what his mother said, and realized that her words did have some truth to them. He swallowed the bitter love quickly and moved through the forest again.

 Chapter 205 Undoing The Knot.

    Dream''s Note: Will resume the bonus chapter trend for every 500 stones. Also will try to thrive and do 2 chapters a day coming next week. Please vote with power stones and golden tickets. I will be naming the top readers every week starting now.


    ...


    One week had passed and Hao Ren had been traveling the place on his feet. However, the growth he had accomplished was astounding. His speed was faster, and he had stopped stumbling completely. Yes, it was not as exaggerated as him running around like a cat, but the situation was not as bad as it was in the beginning as well.


    At the moment, he was drinking the potion to recover his energy as last night he had to cross through a swamp and it consumed a lot of his energy. He removed the leeches that have been biting on him and the potion was healing him.


    Tang Zen was following behind him, at some distance, the two of them had not conversed for even a moment in the past seven days. Tang Zen did not wish to bother him or help him with the training, as she has said before, the path of cultivation was not an easy one.


    Hao Ren suddenly began to mumble as he walked through the woods, "I can sense vibrations through every inch of my skin, however, to increase my speed even more, I need to be able to perceive things at far greater distance."


    Tang Zen smiled amusingly as she thought, ''Finally, he sees the crucial part of this training.''


    Indeed, as a cultivator, knowing the situation around him was not enough. Hao Ren could now sense the vibrations from everything five meters away from his body. Heavens knew how it worked, but that was how it was.


    Hao Ren needed to be quick and he could come across people who might block his vision or other senses using various means. He realized why his mother was so hard on him. While they trained Hao Mei, and did not pay him much attention, their goal had been to send the girl away to protect her.


    These past seven days, he had been pondering over these things and could not help but empathize with them. If he was to be put in a place where his daughter could have been targeted by someone who held a significant backing and could create a lot of trouble for them, he might have done the same.


    They had already left the Spirit Shimmer Continent, and this world was their last option. If they were to be chased even here, it would indeed cause a great deal of trouble for them. As he was thinking about these things, the knot in his heart was coming undone.


    His knot was not caused by the fact that his parents did not love him or they lied to him. Many parents hide things so that their children does not feel troubled. They loved him, but they could not express it to him. Yes, his mother embarrassed him many times and seemed to be toxic, but probably that was because she was trying to hard to fit in the shoes Hao Mei left.


    Hao Mei also teased him about things in the past. Probably, Tang Zen was trying to copy her daughter and failing at it too hard. A gentle gust blew through the woods, and caressed Hao Ren''s skin. The young man appeared to be shocked, and he froze in his footsteps.


    Tang Zen narrowed her eyes, and began to count down to ten. If the young man did not move, then she would not back off from her words earlier. After ten breaths, she took out a white stick from her space ring and walked over. The stick was glowing with light. Tang Zen appeared next to Hao Ren and she swung the stick, aiming for his buttocks.


    Suddenly, his lips turned up. Earlier on the mountain summit, he had not only comprehended the Heart Of the Mountain, but also the True Meaning of the wind. This was something Tang Zen did not know. The gust of wind earlier, had triggered something inside him.


    In his soul sea a character was glowing faintly, the character spelled ''wind''. Hao Ren was one with the wind, and he could not manipulate it. The gust that hit him illuminated the surroundings as it passed through them.


    The stick was about to land on his butt, when the young man dashed forward as he said, "Ma, you are so slow."


    Tang Zen was surprised to see the sudden change in his movement and could not understand what was going on. All she could see was the figure of her son dashing through the thick forest, jumping from one tree to the other, and accelerating even more. She chased after him but even after a day she could not understand what was going on.


    It was night when Hao Ren was standing a few meters away from a herb that smelled like chili. However, the young man was not eager to harvest the herb. He waved his hand and located a wolf pack in his surroundings.


    I set a barrier around her to prevent it from being discovered by anyone else. That barrier vanished three years ago, because I did not come to replenish it."


    Hao Ren asked with a surprised expression, "If you planned things for me from such a long time, why didn''t you show affection to me? Why did you force me away?"


    Tang Zen revealed a bitter smile and said, "It was because we knew that someday we will have to go back with Mei, and fight there. We did not want for you to have any emotional entanglement with us that hinders your life."


    Hao Ren was shocked as he heard these words. It turns out they really did all this so that he could sever his bonds with them easily when the time comes. His father and mother has always said the same thing, but due to his anger earlier, he never cared about it.


    Now his temper had calmed down a lot and over the past few months, his parents had really been repenting their behavior sincerely. He had seen that his mother had never been able to look him in the eye and Hao Ren did not know why, until now. She felt guilty and ashamed of her own actions. However, she never stopped loving him.


    Suddenly, all the burden that had been stuffing his chest seemed to have vanished. He said, "Can you take off this necklace?"


    Tang Zen nodded and took it off as she asked, "How did you manage to accelerate so quickly? By my estimation it should have taken you three more days to reach this point."


    Hao Ren smiled but did not say anything and Tang Zen also did not ask much because who in this world did not have secrets? After Hao Ren finished cleaning the wolves, he collected their pelts, and claws. Tang Zen said, "These things have no use in the spirit shimmer continent."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will give them to Xiao Mei, they will serve a security purpose for the company."


    After he was done, he quickly called back Yin, who had finished absorbing the blood from the two wolves. The two humans then found a place to seat at the bank of a stream and Hao Ren set a bonfire to roast the meat. As the meat was being prepared, he asked, "I always wanted to ask you something."


    Read exclusive chapters at empire


    Tang Zen looked at his visage reflecting the glow of the flames and said, "Go on."


    Hao Ren asked, "Why did you name us siblings in such a simple fashion?"


    Tang Zen smiled and said, "Only you are named this way. Your sisters full name is Hao Ling Mei. Your father wanted to name you, Hao Hu Shan. However, when I found that your meridians were blocked, we only wished for you to grow up to be a good man. That aligned with the last name Hao, so we named you Ren."


    Hao Ren chocked on his saliva, and said, "Thankfully, you did not name me Hu Shan. I cannot imagine the nickname, Xiao Hu, or Xiao Shan. Thank heavens."


    Tang Zen mumbled the nicknames and said, "You would have been bullied by the people for such a domineering name."


    Hao Ren nodded quickly and the two looked at each other before they began to laugh out loud. The knots in their hearts have come undone, and Hao Ren was very relaxed. After the meal, he was ready to go back home when Tang Zen said, "After fifteen days, the entrance of the guards in the DEHB will change and the array around the entrance will weaken. That is when you should enter. What do you think?"


    Hao Ren thought and said, "Let me talk to Lingshi about it first."


    Tang Zen nodded and the two of them sat around the fire looking at the starts and listening to the wind.

 Chapter 206 Preparations.

    Hao Ren and Tang Zen returned home, the young man did not look good as he was covered with mud, twigs, and scratches. The first thing he did was to hit the shower, and clean himself properly.


    Then he decided to rest a little. As he closed his eyes, he realized the subtle sound emitting from the air conditioner, and he could see the entire room in his mind in the form of a three dimensional model. Even his own figure on the bed was visible to him. After he closed his eyes and gradually fell asleep, the map still stayed active in his mind.


    His consciousness was off, but his senses were subconsciously working fine. Yin was also resting on the bedside table with her master. After a few hours, Han Lingshi and the rest of the people came home. When the young lady saw Tang Zen, she asked where Hao Ren was, and her figure fluttered over to the bedroom.


    She found him sleeping and approached him with silent steps. Yin raised her head to look at Han Lingshi, but the latter froze and made a quite gesture to the white snake, and Hao Ren chuckled lightly in his mind, he woke up when the door was pushed open, and he was ready to pull a prank on the prankster herself.


    Han Lingshi put her knee on the bed and then leaned over to Hao Ren''s ear, as she wanted to give him a jump scare, but she did not expect the young man to turn over and held her face to kiss her lips.


    Han Lingshi was so shocked that she opened her eyes wide and flailed her arms around like a chicken. Hao Ren let her go after a few seconds, and the young lady smacked his shoulder. She complained, "Why didn''t you react when you were awake?"


    Hao Ren pulled her in his arms and said, "It was because I wanted to see what you would do. You naughty wife, you tried to scare your husband? What if I had a heart attack?"


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes at him and said, "You are a cultivator of the foundation establishment realm, have some confidence in your ability."


    Hao Ren smiled as he looked at her and said, "I missed you, Naughty President Han."


    Han Lingshi put away her upset expression and smiled while replying, "I missed you as well, Husband."


    The two of them kissed each other and Hao Ren said, "Yin, can you close the door?"


    The white snake flickered from her position, smacked the door with her delicate tail and the door was closed. Han Lingshi was surprised by this and then said, "Yang, go help her."


    Yang got down her wrist and dashed over. She said, "These two are really strong."


    Hao Ren did not reply, and pinned her down, before he claimed her lips and then the session of love and spring began. The young couple was busy upstairs, and the elders gathered in the living room.


    Gao Yue asked, "How is Hao Ren''s training coming up?"


    Tang Zen smiled and replied, "His talent has surprised me and exceeded all that I expected of him. He will be fine when he goes in there."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied softly, "The meal?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "Good, you begin tomorrow."


    The two of them spent the night holding each other in their arms. After the sun rose, Hao Ren cleaned up and decided to go back to his home and cook. He did not want the staff here to go crazy.


    As he came to the bedroom, he found Han Lingshi sitting in a daze. He could not help but reach out to ruffle her hair and then he held her face gently and kiss her sweetly. Han Lingshi looked at him and said, "Did I not have enough of a bed hair that you had to do this? If I did not look good in the meetings, I will make you pay."


    Hao Ren smiled and tapped the tip of her nose, "You are a cultivator, have some confidence in you."


    Han Lingshi snorted, and the young man told her that he was heading back to the apartment, and the former nodded.


    On the way out, Hao Ren met his mother, who was walking in the lawn of the Han Mansion. He approached her and said, "Ma, Lingshi agreed, we will leave at the decided time."


    Tang Zen nodded with a smile, and then Hao Ren left in his car.


    ...


    As soon as he sat down in his car, he asked, "System, what did you give me?"


    *Ding: Host, please check the inventory and you will know.*


    Hao Ren checked the inventory, and found a small hour glass, the size of his palm. He checked the information and his eyes opened wide. However, when he looked at the cost of using this item, his shock froze his soul.


    He then thought about it and said, "Well, it is indeed a good device. I wonder if I will become OP by the time Lingshi comes over."


    Then he laughed like a maniac, and then only after ten minutes, he drove away.


    ....


    Dream''s Poll: I want to ask you all to comment on this paragraph, whether you wish to see Hao Ren grow stronger step by step, or do you want a time-skip where he becomes the OP person who spoils his wife to no end?


    You have two more chapters left before I decide.

 Chapter 207 Status Upgrade.

    Hao Ren reached home and said, "System, open my stats."


    *Ding: Name: Hao Ren


    Age: 23


    Species: Human


    Cultivation: Early Foundation Establishment Realm


    Life Span: 300 years


    Spirit Pet: Yin (Snake)


    Artifacts: Moon Time Acceleration Hourglass, Spirit Voucher.


    Talent: Yin & Yang Eyes (First Level), Assassination Skill (Master), Cooking (Master), Music (Master), Soothsaying, Alchemy (Novice), Eidetic Memory.*


    Hao Ren was stunned by the changes in his stat panel. He asked, "When did my stats change?"


    *Ding: The day you entered the spirit gathering realm.*


    Hao Ren understood the logic behind this and asked, "Can you tell me, why I was not informed?"


    *Ding: You did not ask to see your stats.*


    Hao Ren clenched his fist and then sighed as he forced himself to calm down. Then he thought for a second and asked, "If I have this much lifespan I can use the Hourglass without any worries."


    Hao Ren said, "Are these holo-screens cleared for production?"


    Xiao Mei nodded and said, "Yes, it is. They are producing the first batch at the moment. The product will be launched in the evening, and your doppelganger will make a debut."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Good. Make sure his circuits do not malfunction."


    Xiao Mei chuckled and replied, "Boss, your joke, I understand, but I feel offended."


    Hao Ren laughed as he began to cook the food. His speed was fast, had it been the past he would have been held back by the problem of heat and cooling. However, with his flames, he could boil things even in an instant. His spirit energy was helping him cleanse the ingredients faster and more thoroughly than water. Stay tuned with empire


    Xiao Mei watched him and said, "If the people of the world watched you cooking like this, I am sure they will try to put you under the blade and see what is wrong with you."


    Hao Ren nodded solemnly as he was focused on making a presentation of the dish. The next three days, he only stopped cooking when Han Lingshi came home and they had dinner. He did not realize but the usage of spiritual energy circulation and the flames made his cooking proficiency increase very quickly.


    He cooked a variety of dishes and labeled them before presenting them to Han Lingshi who stored them with a surprised expression. Hao Ren had also bought a lot of cutlery for his wife to eat the food in very well plated dishes.


    He took one week to finish seven hundred thirty desserts for the lady. As soon as he finished the desserts, the system notified, *Ding: Host, your cooking talent has evolved, would you like to check the details?*


    Hao Ren nodded and checked the details, he was surprised to see that the cooking talent had been replaced by Spirit Cooking. Hao Ren checked for more details.


    Spirit Cooking: Using spiritual herbs, and spirit beast meat, you can cook dishes that have rich spiritual energy and can provide you a greater nourishment then consuming the beast meat or pills.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "Xiao Mei, get me seeds for the spice herbs, and the best set of knives in this word. You have seven days."


    Xiao Mei asked, "I just detected the hint of excitement in your voice, boss, what are you up to?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and then he laughed like a maniac as he said, "I am about to become a tycoon, a fucking tycoon. I will conquer the world."


    In his mind the plan to capture the world was brewing and thickening very quickly.

 Chapter 208 The Hearts Beat For Each Other.

    After two weeks, finally the day had come. Hao Ren was given a traditional tang suit. Tang Zen said, "Inside the spirit shimmer continent, the modern clothing is not appreciated and it also hinders movement. Also, in my clan it was a tradition that when the son goes out of the house to begin his martial journey, his mother weave and sew a suit for him. This suit is the manifestation of her blessings."


    Hao Ren accepted the black tang suit with a smile and felt the fabric with his palm gently before he said, "What a fine weave, thank you, Ma."


    Hao Xinyuan took out a knife that seemed to have been made with jade. He said, "This is the ceremonial knife of the Hao Family. This is the reason why Hao Tian had been chasing after me. Without this, he would not be able to accept the ancestral heritage of the family and will be the family head in name."


    Hao Ren was surprised and remarked, "Old Boy Hao, you are so cunning. No wonder that guy is pissed at you."


    The old man smacked the back of his son''s head and said, "Be serious. Do not bring this out until you have gained enough strength. Or that guy might sense it and hunt you."


    Hao Ren nodded and stowed it inside his space ring. Then he turned around to look at the rest of the relatives, the Han Family. Everyone gave him some gifts. Yue Shi gave him a hand made safety charm and kissed his forehead according to the tradition of the Yue Family as a mother bestowing the blessing of fortune to her son.


    Han Ting, Hao Ren''s father-in-law, gave the young man an talisman and said, "This is a protection talisman, it can take a blow from the core formation realm enemy and give you the chance to get away."


    Hao Ren thanked him and accepted the talisman. Gao Yue took out a book and a chess book. She said, "You will take command of the military in the future. This is a book on tactics and formations. I have nothing else that could be of use to you. This chess board will help you pass time and train your mind to perceive the unexpected."


    Hao Ren accepted that too. Old Man Han and Xia Yulie also gave him gifts that would help him in the future, and Han Lingxue gave him a Qin. She said, "You have mastered the violin. It is time that you embark on a new journey and master a new instrument. This Qin will help you remember that even though you master one thing, you have a lot more to learn in the world."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he looked at Old Man Hao, who waved his hand to open the portal in the void, and the young man walked up and said, "Lingshi, you better come soon. All of you take care of yourself. We will be together soon."


    The people nodded and Hao Ren vanished inside the portal. He did not turn back because he was feeling very emotional. He did not wish to leave, but the circumstances needed him to.


    On the other side, Han Lingshi was the same, from the corner of her eye, a drop of blood trickled. Her grief was so intense that it seemed like someone was tearing her heart apart. Tang Zen appeared beside her and patted her shoulder.


    Han Lingshi said, "Ma, can you seal my eyes like you sealed his?"


    The people were shocked, and Gao Yue asked, "What are you saying Lingshi, why do you want your eyes to be sealed?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "I do not wish to see the world where he does not exist. Without him, there is no color, there is no joy, and their is not peace. What is the use of this world that does not have his smile? It is better I do not see it."


    As she spoke, her expressions turned cold. Yue Shi glared at her daughter and approached her as she said, "If you closed your heart now, then it will be difficult to open it in the future."


    Han Lingshi looked at her mother and said, "The technique I practice, you do not know it better than me. My heart is of the queen, and my real self will be enclosed inside it. Only he, deserves to see me, and so I will only open my heart to him."


    She was going to enter the next stage of the Empress Nine Revolution technique and seal her emotions, or the most of them. Hao Ren was not the only one who would go through training, she would too.

 Chapter 209 Spirit Shimmer Continent.

    Hao Ren and Hao Xinyuan left the house through the Void Tunnel, and they appeared on the peaks of a snow covered mountain. The wind was whooshing around, creating a roaring sound. Hao Xinyuan looked around and said, "Can you see what is there on that ledge?"


    Hao Ren turned to inspect the location pointed by the old man, and narrowed his gaze as he used his Yin and Yang eyes. After a few minutes, he said, "Do you mean that pavilion?"


    Hao Xinyuan nodded and replied, "That Pavilion is the base of the DEHB."


    Hao Ren was shocked, he did not expect this thing to be so close to them. For a cultivator, two kilometer was not a big distance. He asked, "Why did you open the portal so close to them? What if they detect us?"


    Hao Xinyuan shook his head and waved his hand. The wind blast he created caused the snow to move, and five stones were revealed. He said, "This is the illusion and spirit isolation array. The spiritual fluctuations inside this array are nullified, and they are not able to detect a single thing. The reason we choose this location was because it is the darkest under the lamp.


    The people responsible for this place are all just disregarded young masters of the so called big families of the southern continent. They think they are doing something important here."


    Hao Ren channeled his spiritual energy to keep himself warm, and then he asked, "Why do they even need to guard this place?"


    Hao Xinyuan said, "For what I know, this place was a world of dragons. A young man accidently stumbled through a wormhole and he was chased by the beasts. However, his father was a void transformation realm cultivator. He rescued his son from this spirit less world, and then directly used a punch to destroy the maximum population of the lesser dragons."


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and asked, "Wait a minute, do you mean the asteroid hit 65 million years ago?"


    Hao Xinyuan rolled his eyes and said, "The time is correct but the asteroid was not there. Any how, after that, the people established an outpost here to prevent any of the people to stumble in and out of the wormhole."


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "If someone willingly want to go in? Why do they stop them?"


    Hao Xinyuan replied, "How can someone with shallow talent allow someone with great potential to go over to the world where they might truly achieve something and shine. Once they shine, the guards here will always live with a chip on their shoulders. They are also trying to prevent criminals from crossing the borders."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Well, it makes sense now. Humans are in the end slaves of their desires."


    Hao Xinyuan nodded and the two waited in silence. After a couple of hours, the few figures sitting under the pavilion vanished, and the old man said, "Hold on to me, we are leaving as well."


    Hao Ren did not question and reached out to hold the hand of the old man, and the next moment, they both vanished from their spot, and appeared under the pavilion. Hao Ren asked, "What about the human guards sired by them?"


    Hao Xinyuan replied, "They are very cautious about their secrets, so the day when they are changing the guards, the humans of this world are not allowed to come close to the Shangri-la mountain. Even the satellites are not supposed to fly over."


    Hao Ren nodded silently as Hao Mei told him a few things. After flying for half a day, at the speed which was equal to the speed of sound, they reached a mountain range. Hao Ren could not help but ask, "Why are there mountains in this place? This terrain seems to be like a plane, there was not a single bump on the way."


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "Good observation, these mountains are indeed odd, but these nine peaks are a natural formation. It is not easy to get in, but once you get in, the spiritual energy condenses into something that only the holy lands of cultivation have."


    Hao Ren looked at his sister dubiously, and the latter said, "This place is surrounded by demon beasts, and cultivators below core formation realm, cannot enter here or they might be made into meat paste. Only a few of the escapees know about this."


    Hao Ren asked, "Why so?"


    The young lady smiled and replied, "It is because the average strength level of people in the southern region is very low, and this is more of a barren land where demons hold a lot of sway. I am somewhat of a small big shot in this place. This mountain range is where I come to relax at times."


    Hao Ren did not ask how she managed to travel such wide distances in such a small period of time. She led him through the mountain range on foot, and Hao Ren memorized the step sequence needed to breakthrough the formation. When he came to the core valley, he was shocked, the place was shrouded in a light golden mist.


    Hao Mei said, "I call this place the Spirit Basket."


    Hao Ren nodded as he absorbed the spiritual energy at an almost maddening pace. Hao Mei placed her hand on his back and said, "Ren, you need to calm down, this pace can harm your body rather than doing you any good."


    The young man calmed down upon the reminded, he took out a wine bottle and said, "You should take a sip of this wine and it will help you gain the Yin & Yang eyes. Also, do not take more than a sip."


    Hao Mei was surprised and Hao Ren dissolved her doubts, "This is snake wine, a gift from the Nagas."


    As he said this, Yin, who had been hiding in his sleeve, came out and stopped on his wrist, staring at the wine with hell breaking focus. Hao Ren sighed and said, "Okay, you little glutton, Big sister Mei will give you a cup of it too, but no more, you are still young and drinking wine is bad. Plus we need to save some for Yang as well."


    He did not remember that he still has this wine back on the Blue Star, otherwise, he would have given it to them there only.


    After stuffing the bottle into Hao Mei''s hands, he walked ahead and said in his mind, "System, what grade of reward will I get if I redeem the voucher here?"


    *Ding: Host, it will depend on your luck, but the place has enough energy that might lead you to gain a gold level reward.*


    Hao Ren did not wait and said, "Redeem the spirit voucher."


    *Ding: Redeeming....*

 Chapter 210 Special Physique.

    As Hao Ren was about to redeem the voucher, he thought about the people back at home, so he focused his thoughts on the Heart-Soul pendant, and he sensed the connection with Han Lingshi. He said, "Lingshi, can you hear me, Love?"


    The other party replied, "Yes, I am, are you okay?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "I have reached the Spirit Shimmer Continent and at the moment I am with Mei."


    Han Lingshi replied with a surprised expression, "Hmm, you reached so soon? It has just been a few minutes here."


    Hao Ren raised his brow, and then said, "It could be because of the time flow here. I will ask Mei about it later. Are you okay?"


    Han Lingshi replied candidly, "Yes, I am fine, but I am heading for a meeting."


    Hao Ren wished her well and told her to eat some of the food inside the space ring. Han Lingshi obliged and the connection was ended.


    *Ding: Host, congratulations for gaining a special physique. Would you like to fuse with it?*


    Hao Ren was surprised for a second and then asked, "What sort of special physique it is?"


    *Ding: It is called the Dragon Titan Physique. This physique will increase your cultivation speed by ten times, and also refined to the peak level, your physical strength alone would be equal to hundred dragons. One punch from you would lay waste to cities.*


    Hao Ren was shocked but then he calmed down and began to think about how this physique would be refined. He asked, "How do you suggest that I refine it?"


    *Ding: Absorbing beast blood essence, specially elephants, tigers and flood dragons. They will have the most effect on your physique.*


    The young man took a deep breath and then decided to approach his sister. Hao Mei was watching Yin cultivate after drinking a cup of wine. The young man asked, "Mei, are special physiques a good thing in this world?"


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "Yes, they are. Actually, if someone has a special physique, they would be able to enter a stronger force with ease and gain more cultivation resources to practice as well."


    Hao Ren then asked, "Is the flow of time in this world different than what it is back home?"


    Hao Mei was surprised that Hao Ren noticed this and said, "Yes, it is ten times faster."


    He fell down from the boulder and onto the ground shivering like a snail being sprayed with salt. In his mind, he was wailing, cursing everything and everyone. He did not even spare the system itself.


    What seemed to be the eternity to him, was in reality was just a few seconds, and the progress bar available for him was moving at a crawling speed. After ten minutes it moved to one percent.


    ...


    Hao Mei took an hour to refine the wine and she woke up with Yin & Yang eyes. She turned around and found that Hao Ren was not on the boulder. She walked over to the boulder and found Hao Ren on the ground, covered in blood. She froze up for a second and then reached out to touch him but she was repelled by a strong force.


    The young man was not looking good, and Hao Mei was getting anxious. She used her spirit sense to check him and found that Hao Ren''s body was changing from inside out. The blood that was pouring out of his pores was being replaced with new blood.


    She realized something and mumbled, "Awakening a special physique."


    She could not suppress her shock. Just when she was thinking what was going on, Yin, who was sleeping on the side, woke up, her size has increased from as big as a palm, to three meters and she had grown as thick as an adult''s forearm.


    She slithered around and approached Hao Ren at a quick speed, but she did not touch him. Yin coiled herself and raised her head to look at Hao Ren. Hao Mei noticed a red pattern appearing on the forehead of the white snake.


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    Yin also looked at her before turning her focus to Hao Ren. The young man held onto his consciousness with the difficulty that could be defined equal to defying heavens. However, after a couple of hours the fusion stopped, and he opened his eyes accompanied by the notification, *Ding: Fusion Complete.*


    Hao Ren sat up, and the dried blood on his skin began to crack up and fall around him, just when he was about to stand up, the spiritual energy around him began to manifest into a vortex which gradually turned into a dragon.


    Hao Mei mumbled, "Providence Awakening and Evolution."


    Then she looked at her brother with an expression which said, ''What a monster.''


    The dragon roar shook the world as it revolved around Hao Ren and shot through the heavens. Hao Mei looked at the scene and said, "Fuck. We need to leave or we will be discovered by the old antiques."


    Hao Ren did not know much but he knew that he was not strong enough to handle the older experts. He waved his hand and set the valley on fire. Yin transformed back to her real size and moved inside his sleeve, while Hao Mei held him and the two fled the place.


    Sure enough, after a few minutes, a few figures and some strong spiritual senses appeared in the void, scanning the valley that had turned to nothing but charred ground. One of them said, "Either a talent has fallen, or a talent is born. If it is the latter, the world is about to change."

 Chapter 211 Power Distribution.

    Hao Ren and Hao Mei stood at the edge of the wilderness. The young man asked, "Those old ones that you are so worried about, what will they do if they found me?"


    Hao Mei sighed and replied, "There are good and bad people on the Blue star. However, here there are only strong people. Nobody knows what the strong ones would do when they get to you. Those from the wicked forces might refine you into a pill. Those with good intentions might take you in as a disciple. No idea.


    You have a special physique, your potential can only be seen at the place where you can find huge amount of resources. So only the holy lands are the suitable place for you."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "You are wrong. If those holy lands find out that I have a special constitution, they might keep me indoors to nurture, and watch every move I make. I will become a target for the ones with malicious. I will not be able to acquire any information about my first mission here."


    Hao Mei frowned and began to think. After a few seconds, she asked, "What do you intend to do?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I will find a city, open a restaurant and slowly gather strength as well."


    Hao Mei frowned, and asked, "How does that even work?"


    The young man replied, "I will cook dishes that are useful for cultivators."


    This was the first time, Hao Mei heard something like this. She shook her head and said, "If you want me to believe it, then you have to show it to me."


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    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yin, can you catch a pheasant for me?"


    The small snake poked her head out of his sleeve, and dashed into the forest. Hao Mei said, "Your little snake is not ordinary. It grew from a few inches to an astounding three meters in a blink. She also has a spirit pattern on her forehead."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I used to watch you when I was a kid. When you left I decided to copy you so that I could try to become like you."


    The bond of the siblings was very strong and now that they have reconciled, the sparks of affection were igniting once again. Hao Mei smiled and then after a few seconds she said, "The major forces in the southern region contain the four royalties, and eight sects. They have a very stringent connection between the spiritual cultivators and the buddhist sects.


    The four kingdoms are called, The Rising Sun Dynasty, The Cloud Empire, The Zen Kingdom, and The Warring Nation. I mentioned them in the order of their strength. From what I have gathered thus far, there is one half-step Dao Integration realm cultivator in the Rising Sun Dynasty.


    The rest have three void transformation realm cultivators. Rising Sun have five of them. The difference in terms of number does not seem to be too big, but the strength is completely different. Rising Sun Dynasty has four forbidden places that are used to train the young talents. However, they are the only ones who have some virtue and keep the nobels under a strict control.


    The rest are just too lax and thus they can never surpass the Rising Sun Dynasty."


    Hao Ren thought about it for a moment and then took off the meat and served it in a platter before glazing it with the honey and pepper dressing. He passed the plate to Hao Mei, who had been looking at the meat for quite some time. The recipe appeared to be simple, but when Hao Mei took a bite of the meat, she closed her eyes in delight only to open them wide in shock.


    She looked at her brother, and asked, "How is this possible?"


    Hao Ren replied, "What are you talking about? How much spiritual energy can a pheasant have?"


    Hao Mei glared at him and said, "What do you mean? This much energy is enough for a body refinement cultivator to break through the spirit gathering realm. Where did you find these herbs and honey?"


    The young man shook his head and replied, "The pheasant was hunted by Xiao Yin just now. As for the herbs, I bought them from home. I used my own skill to infuse energy into the food. What do you think? Will it work?"


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "Work? This is going to shock the entire world."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "That is what I just plan to do."

 Chapter 212 Salt Wind City.

    Hao Ren and Hao Mei finished their meal and the young lady took out a veil and tied it around her face. The former raised his brows and the latter replied, "It is to avoid too much attention."


    Indeed, she was just that pretty. Although she was strong, the reason she managed to survive and found so much information about the places of action. Hao Ren stood up and the two began to proceed towards the city gate. He asked, "What is going on in the northern region? The Hao Family seems to be a big shot. Given the time flow, I do not think they should be having an easy time."


    Hao Mei shook her head and replied, "You underestimate the foundation of the big forces a bit too much. The legacy of the Hao Family is more than four thousand years old. The lapse of a two hundred years does not make any difference to them. Also, Hao Tian seems to have held a fake ascension ceremony in order to establish his position among his peers in the northern region."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and Hao Mei nodded while walking ahead, "Yes, I am not joking, the bigger the force, the more facade."


    The young man nodded and said, "So, it seems to me that in order to become rich, I must start from the ground, build some prestige, and then open a place where the rich and the strong dine."


    Hao Mei asked, "What is the logic behind becoming a Hotelier?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Wine has the properties that can make people spill the truth. The best way to gather them all inside one place would be a hotel."


    Hao Mei looked at her brother with a surprised expression, before she asked, "Who will be gathering this information for you? Do you think that the people will trust you?"


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "I heard from Old Boy Hao, they sell slaves here, right?"


    Hao Mei was shocked even more. Indeed, who else would like to watch the world burn rather than the ones who had been betrayed and tormented by the world. However, she frowned and said, "I did not expect you to be this cruel."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I am not cruel you will know what I am about to do. However, you would need to help me financially, I do not have anything but a thousand spirit stones."


    Hao Mei rolled her eyes, and said, "You can buy mortal slaves with gold, only cultivator slaves will cost you spirit stones."


    Hao Ren nodded and realized that his sister was not as simple and delicate as she seemed. Hao Mei said, "Reni."


    A young lady walked out from inside the courtyard, and greeted Hao Mei. The girl seemed to be around sixteen or so, and Hao Mei said, "Reni is my first retainer, I saved her from a brute who killed her family and had been torturing her for pleasure. He even made her consume the ever youth pill. That caused her appearance to stop changing.


    She is a core formation realm cultivator, and is almost reaching nascent soul realm She will be your liaison here and your first attendant."


    Reni looked at Hao Mei, and the latter introduced her to Hao Ren, before she said, "Reni, you will follow him for now. Once you have reached the nascent soul realm, I will call you over. Okay?"


    The young girl nodded and bowed to Hao Ren, "Young Master Ren."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Big Sister Reni, you do not have to bow to me. I am younger and also a junior in cultivation. My elder sister told me that you are like a sister to her, so from now on you are my sister as well."


    Reni was surprised but then nodded with a faint smile which added some color to her otherwise, pale and cold face. Hao Mei said, "I am leaving to track the progress of an important matter up west. You better not make too much trouble and attract attention when I am gone."


    Hao Ren nodded, Hao Mei gave him a ring and said, "Use the money in here to start a business."


    The young man nodded, and just when Hao Mei was about to vanish, he embraced her and said, "Meimei, you better be careful out there, do not get hurt."


    Hao Mei was surprised and then instinctively she patted his head and said softly, "I will be fine, you look after yourself okay, Xiao Ren."


    The young man took a step back and waved at her as she left, just like how they used to say bye to each other when they were children. He was not acting like a child but he wanted Hao Mei to know that she was not alone anymore.


    The cold that was visible on her face, seemed to have found its way to her heart and he needed to thaw those flames so that his sister could resolve the knots in her heart as he did.

 Chapter 213 Acquiring Slaves.

    Reni and Hao Ren were the only ones standing inside the courtyard, and the young lady said, "Young Master, Lady Mei said that you wish to acquire some slaves. We can go there now if you want to."


    Hao Mei had just left her a silent instruction and Reni would follow those words to death. Hao Ren nodded to her and said, "Sister Reni, please lead the way."


    Reni smiled faintly and led the young man out of the courtyard. The two of them walked silently and Hao Ren was observing the city scape silently. He noticed a few big places and the crowd that was moving around the place. He smiled and asked, "These places are operated by the big families?"


    Reni nodded and said, "Yes, the Zheng Family is an expert when it comes to clothing. They are known for their designs but if you ask me, they are just country bumpkins. The Tao Family owns the biggest restaurant in the city, Fragrant. The taste is sub-par but it''s extremely costly. The rich people go there because they have very beautiful attendants."


    Hao Ren asked, "What about the Cui?"


    Reni replied, "They are the overseer of the Oriental Trading House. They operate from the Thousand Wonder Tower under Elder Kun, that guy is an early core formation realm old man. Tch, such arrogance he has."


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "Then, we might not be able to find any Nascent Realm slaves in this place, would we?"


    Reni nodded and replied, "Lady Mei will be sending back Sister Jan, that would be enough for the time being."


    Hao Ren thought for a second and asked, "What is the peak strength of the City Lord?"


    Reni replied, "Peak Nascent Soul Realm. That is why his position in the city is unshaken."


    The young man nodded, and soon they came to a place which appeared to be a slum. Reni said, "This is the slave market, the people who here are either criminals, or some unfortunate ones who could not afford to live and fell in the debt trap of some sick merchants."


    Hao Ren frowned at this condition and waved his hand to drive away the smell around him. His eyes turned cold as he said, "Lead the way."


    Reni was surprised but she nodded and then took Hao Ren inside the slum. They saw many people laying on the side of the road with torn clothes and dirty faces. The young man did not say much but he could sense the fear and the gloom they held in their eyes. After a few minutes, they came to a big tent, and Reni led him inside.


    There weren''t many people in this place who would be able to pay for a slave. Inside the tent a fat man was counting the gold coins on his table with a gleeful expression on his face. He sensed someone arrive and stood up with a big smile and said, "Are you here to buy slaves, Young Patrons? I apologize all the people you saw outside have already been bought out by Young Master Zheng Jiang."


    It was there first time, they will be coming around in a few hours."


    Hao Ren nodded, and using his Yin and Yang eyes, he checked the condition of the children. The bunch was awfully malnourished. He asked, "Can I check their pulse?"


    The fat man nodded and said, "You can, I will charge you five gold coin for each one, how about that?"


    Reni shook her head and snorted. This shocked the trader and he shivered. The young lady said, "They are half dead, and you wish to make a fortune on it? We will pay you two gold coins each. Before you open your mouth, you should consider the condition of your goods or the people might call you a crook."


    The fat man chuckled and then said, "Okay, two gold coins per head, I will take it."


    Hao Ren on the other hand checked the pulses of the children and found them to be relatively weak than a normal child, however, given their condition, even the fact that they were breathing was a blessing. He looked at Reni and stood up as he turned to the fat man and said, "Twenty slave children, means forty gold coins."


    The man nodded, and Hao Ren took out forty measly coins and handed them over to the man. Then the trader arranged for a few people to bring out the spiritual contracts which were called the blood bonds, and handed then to Hao Ren. The two of them left, as the trader will be sending the children over in a bit accompanied by his men.


    ...


    In the market place, Hao Ren said, "Sister Reni, I think that fatty would be leaving the city soon."


    The lady asked, "What do you mean, Young Master, how can he do that?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "That is what the strong and powerful do. However, what I want you to do is very satisfying as well."


    Reni was confused, when Hao Ren said, "When he leaves the city, kill him and feed his corpse to the spirit beasts. Also, please loot everything he has."


    Ignoring the shocked look on her face, Hao Ren gave her a few bottles as he said, "They have a scent removal liquid, spirit rejuvenation potion, and corpse melting liquid. It will help you erase your traces."


    Reni woke up from her daze and nodded. Then the two entered a few stores to buy stuff, which again shocked the lady. She could not help but ask, "Why are you doing this?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "You will see in the due time."

 Chapter 214 Mastermind.

    Hao Ren and Reni were sitting in the yard, the former had brewed some tea and the latter was having a refreshing moment. She took a sip and a sigh escaped her lips as she said, "Young Master, you are very skilled in tea brewing. This is very refreshing."


    Hao Ren thanked her, and suddenly they found someone standing at the door. Reni received the people, and soon she brought in twenty children in there early teenage. Hao Ren said, "You go about and deal with that thing, I will handle the children."


    Reni was confused but she nodded and left to deal with the slave trader. Hao Ren looked at the children who were standing in the yard with their heads down. They were all sticking to each other, as if looking for a familiar presence in this new atmosphere. Reni set up an illusion and defensive array outside. The yard would appear empty to the people who try to spy on them.


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "You all do not have to worry. I am not a monster. I know that I am not able to understand your pain, but I promise that not only will I not add to your pain, I will make you strong enough to trample the ones who caused you to be here in this miserable state."


    Hao Ren had the sooth saying skill, and it worked in accordance with the psychological state of the target. The children were innocent and traumatized. It did not take much effort for Hao Ren to get through them. After fifteen minutes, all the children were crying and pouring out their grief.


    After an hour they all calmed down, and Hao Ren fed them with some tea. Reni came back and looked at the scene with great awe in her mind. The fact that this young man could make these children look at him and appear to be relaxed was something that shocked her.


    Hao Ren asked her, "How did it go?"


    Reni nodded and replied, "It was exactly like how you said. The slum is empty, and only a few old people were left there to die. I gave them all some money discreetly on my way back. The slave trader is done for."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will take the boys and you can take the girls. Have them all clean up and rest for the coming two days. We will settle the deed of a shop in the mean time."


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    Reni nodded and she did as she was told. There were seven girls and thirteen boys in the group. Hao Ren knew what he needed to do, as he sat calmly on the ground and asked, "Tell me your names."


    The boys were surprised and then one of them said in a soft voice, "Jian."


    Followed by him the rest also reported their names, Ding, Ming, Alan, Trent, Noel, Jing, Peng, Ryu, Arrow, Rin, Lang, Teng.


    Hao Ren found that there were many children who had a name that did not sound oriental. He did not think much about this, because he was used to this when he was on the blue star. When Reni came back, she was followed by seven little girls, who were very clean and pretty. They were dressed in new clothes adding to their charms.


    Hao Ren nodded with a smile and then he led the guys to wash up behind the house. They cleaned up the place after them and Hao Ren gave them new hanfus as well. Then they all gathered in the courtyard.


    Reni came and stood behind Hao Ren. The young man asked for the girls name, and they were called, Jill, Kim, Lin, Lan, Yue, Si, Li.


    Reni nodded and then left the house. Hao Ren then said to the group, "It will be a very hard process to cultivate, but it will help you all a great deal. I hope you can preserve for as long as you can. Even if you feel like dying, grit your teeth and continue. I guarantee you that I will be there and ensure that you come out safe and sound. Do you trust me?"


    The twenty children replied in unison, "Yes."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "From today, the girls will call me Young Master, and Sister Reni will be addressed as Senior. Okay?"


    The children nodded and replied in unison once again. Hao Ren thought of something, and took out a house bot from his space ring, and placed it in the living room. Xiao Mei had made the necessary modifications and now this guy could work with solar powered batteries.


    The children were surprised, and Hao Ren said, "This is a high quality puppet. He is called Onyx, and he will teach you how to read, and write, and it will teach the boys how to gather information."


    The children nodded, and Hao Ren said, "In this world the strong misuse power, weak girls are targeted the most. I will teach the girls how to cook and you will help me out in the kitchen in the future. The boys will serve the tables, but your main task will be to collect information. For that, you will learn how to read lips. Okay?"


    The people nodded, and one boy asked, "Young Master, can I ask you something?"


    Hao Ren nodded and Peng asked, "Young Master, will those people beat us if we did anything wrong?"


    Hao Ren froze for a second and then he shook his head and replied, "I will not let them beat you. Do not worry. You just have to make sure that they do not find out about you gathering information. Okay?"


    The children nodded, and soon Reni came back. Hao Ren then found out a few barrels inside the house, and began to concoct a mixture of herbs and water that was placed over some wood.


    Hao Ren called the children over, and said, "There are ten barrels of top quality marrow washing fluid. The liquid is cold at the moment, but if you enter the barrel, I will light up the fire under it, and your body will start to absorb the herbs mixed inside. The longer you persist, the stronger you will become. I will make sure that you do not die, so, who wants to go first?"


    The children exchanged glances and almost at the same moment, all of them stepped up and said, "Me!"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "From now on, you are not slaves, but soldiers, my soldiers. Do you understand?"


    "Yes! Young Master!"


    Reni saw this and was surprised, she did not expect that such a small trace of warmth would make these children willingly follow what Hao Ren said. She looked at the young man before her and could not help but think of the times, when Lady Mei had told her that her brother was a mastermind and tricky.


    Hao Ren had a lots of work to do, and he had been making moves at multiple fronts to complete things. Reni thought, ''I pray for his enemies.''

 Chapter 215 Scent Of Success.

    Hao Ren watched the kids enter the barrels and he waved his hand to use his flames and lit up a fire under them. The liquid began to heat up and soon it the boys began to groan. Hao Ren said, "The longer you endure, the better your physique will be. Toughen up, or the strong will trample you."


    The groans subsided, and Hao Ren said, "Half an hour is enough for you to be a normal cultivator, one hour means you will be above average and have some strength to lead the people. What you want depends on your own effort."


    Peng asked in a loud voice, "Young Master, what if I want to be peerless."


    Hao Ren looked at his blushing face and walked over as he said, "That will depend on your courage. If you tread against the wind, gradually you will become peerless. However, you must never underestimate the others."


    The child nodded and then he clenched his teeth to tolerate the pain. Hao Ren was surprised, because he found that all twenty of them lasted for more than fifty minutes at the least. Jian, Peng, Lan, and Jill managed to stay for an hour. The young man clicked his tongue because Jian almost fainted in the process.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said. "Jian, Jill, Lan, and Peng. You four will be looking after everyone together. Okay? You all also happen to be the oldest of the group. Everyone, in this world, strength is very important, but trusting people is important as well.


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    From this moment on, you all will bear the surname of Ye. You will be brothers and sisters to each other. Do you understand?"


    The children nodded, and Hao Ren told them about the things they needed to do. He did not give them menial work, but asked them to practice and workout to build a stronger physique. He sighed at the fact that he did not bring along the virtual reality tech with him these kids would have learned a lot of things, and he could have asked Xiao Mei to remove the physical pain limiter.


    Yes, the young man did not deny it, he did not deny the fact that it was his food that helped the old man. However, before the people could doubt him anymore. Three such people appeared and they all broke through the bottlenecks of their cultivation. All of them with different age groups.


    One of the old man chuckled and said, "I am a foundation establishment realm and even I can sense my spiritual energy increasing by a bit."


    The people swarmed over, and within half an hour, the entire stall ran out of the material. Hao Ren apologized to everyone and said, "Thank you for your patronage, I will set up the stall here in the evening. If you wish to eat, then please come over."


    The people agreed with enthusiasm. Those who had already eaten left, but the rest decided to wait and stay ahead of the others for the evening meal.


    Hao Ren was not surprised by this, his food did have this effect on the people. He came back home, fed the children and then asked them what they have learned. The children were all smart, and with the homebot teaching them, they learned a lot and very quickly.


    Hao Ren then asked Reni to get the children a uniform with the crescent moon logo on it. Then he went to the market with another batch of material and cooked for the people. After coming back, he guided the girls to cook food, and his meticulous behavior proved to be the key point for teaching.


    ...


    In the city, everyone was talking about the taste of the food from the stall. This reached the ears of the Tao Family, and a manager reported it to the Master of the Tao family, to which the latter said, "Hmph, how can a measly hawker compare to the elegance of our place. Go back, and focus on your task."


    He did not know, that Hao Ren was about to raise a storm in the place which he thought was his backyard.

 Chapter 216 Crescent Moon Restaurant.

    Hao Ren continued with his daily routine for the coming fifteen days. The children had learned how to temper body from the cultivation techniques Hao Ren gave them. These days he had been earning enough money to but the techniques from the system mall. With Reni living with them, there was not issue of imparting the teachings.


    During this time, Hao Ren had been regularly setting up his stall and he had gained quite a reputation in the city. A few days ago, the city guard came over to make trouble on purpose, but Reni sorted the matter by showing a letter of authorization with the city lord''s seal on it.


    The two of them had paid a big amount to the city lord to get this letter. The city guard were acting strictly but they mellowed out after seeing the letter. Reni traced the people and found that the Tao Family was pulling the strings from the shadows.


    Hao Ren had not operated at his full capacity or he would have started the battle with the Tao Family already. He was dividing his time between teaching the children and setting up the stall to make people curious about himself.


    Today was the day the restaurant will be opening. Hao Ren looked at the children and said, "Jian, Peng, you both will mind the two private rooms, and escort the rich people there. The rest of you will stay on the ground floor, there are ten tables and you will mind those tables. Today you will be tested, everyone knows what you need to do?"


    The boys nodded, and Hao Ren watched them all before he turned his attention to the pretty girls. He said, "Lan, Jill, you will take lead in sorting the orders, and everyone else will help me handle the ingredients. Okay?"


    The girls nodded crisply. In the past few days, they have taken to Hao Ren''s gentle behavior and warmth. Lan even mustered courage to ask him if they could call him big brother. Hao Ren was more than happy to have seven little sisters. The youngest among the girls was Si, she was just seven years old, so she had one task, and that was to sit and look after Yin.


    The tiny snake did not like to stay near heat. This little one looked very fragile but she was very clever, and none of the kids could escape her keen gaze. Hao Ren almost wanted to appoint her as the monitor but he did not wish to put too many responsibilities on her shoulder.


    Hao Ren recalled how he almost touched his eyes with his hands stained with garlic. He smiled and thanked her for the reminder and asked how things were at home and Han Lingshi told him that everyone was doing good, and that she was also learning the art of war and his parents were teaching her martial arts as well.


    Hao Ren nodded and told her to look after her as it could be dangerous. The two chatted for a bit, before Han Lingshi left home. She would call him in the morning only and night. Hao Ren really wished to tell her about the time flow but then thinking how it would effect her, he held back.


    *Ding: It has been detected that Host is willing to sacrifice his comfort and desire for the sake of his wife''s mental peace. You are being rewarded with the six month fortune protection charm.*


    Hao Ren raised his brow and chuckled as he said, "Such a timely reward system, you are great."


    *Ding: Stating a world known fact for brown-nosing will not get you anything extra, please get to work.*


    Hao Ren sighed, and they all reached the restaurant. The crowd of his regular customers was already queued up. When the people saw Hao Ren, they found him bypassing them, and walking up to a newly set up restaurant.


    The crowd was stunned and then Hao Ren turned around to look at them and said, "Everyone, thank you for your love and support. These past few days, I have enjoyed cooking for you one by one, but from today onwards, you can sit down in the restaurant and enjoy a meal with ease. The price and the taste remains the same. I guarantee you that."


    At this moment, a discordant voice echoed from the crowd, "Tch, if only speaking was equivalent to your words?"


    Hao Ren smiled at the person and said, "Sir, if you ate my food, and after that if you are able to stick to your opinion that I am a talker, I will be your slave. I swear on heavens."

 Chapter 217 Evil Capitalist.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were talking to each other, and the latter asked, "Ren, how was your day?"


    The young man smiled and replied, "It was good, I set up a stall and made a name for myself. The people are lining up for a whole kilometer. They do not even make a fuss. How about you?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "I learned how to use a sword from Ma, it is so difficult, I wonder when I will be able to get up to her expectations."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "It is definitely a difficult thing to master a weapon, but make sure you endure and prevail. How is work going?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "Phew, thank heavens for Xiao Mei. This girl is a heaven''s messenger. She had almost taken over the company. Everyone in the administration also accepted her when I said that she was your sister. Many of them had been asking about where you have gone, but Xiao Mei told that you intend to be the hands-off shopkeeper."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Well, please tell her that I am missing her as well. I swear to god if I had access to the virtual reality technology, half of my future concerns would have been sorted with ease."


    Han Lingshi replied, "Dad was talking about visiting you, however, Big Sister refused it, saying that your pace is fine. Ren, are you hiding something from me?"


    Hao Ren was startled and took a mental note that he needed to stop Hao Mei from talking with Old Boy Hao, when Han Lingshi was around. This girl was a bit too smart and she caught onto even the slightest of discrepancy.


    He cleared his throat and said, "The time flow in this world and the Blue Star is different. One day there is two days here. So I have been here for six days now."


    Han Lingshi was surprised when she heard this, and said, "That means two years for me will be four years for you? Why did these old people hide such an information?"


    Hao Ren detected some rage in her voice, well it would be a lie to say that he did not feel the same when the old people had hidden this from him. He took a deep breath and said, "You can go and give them a piece of your mind, they really need it."


    Han Lingshi whined angrily, "Why did you not tell me when we were talking earlier? Have you also joined their ranks in keeping things a secret? Do you think I won''t be able to handle it? Yes, I accept that I was selfish but it does not mean that I do not care about you." Find exclusive stories on empire


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "When did I ever say that you do not care about me? Why do you even think on that tangent. We maybe far, but our hearts are connected, are they not? I did not purposefully hide things from you, but there is so much work to do that I thought about holding the news for the time being.


    Once the restaurant is set up, I will have more free time on hand and tell you what is going on."


    Han Lingshi groaned and said, "I don''t know Ren, I don''t like this."


    Hao Ren coaxed her gently and then said, "I acquired twenty children from slave market. They are all good, and have opened up to me. They will help me with gathering intelligence, and at the same time, I will train them to grow stronger. They will definitely be able to grow into power houses and hold the flag of the empire high."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and asked, "They have slave trading in that world? How backwards can they go? In the name of feudalism every malpractice is tagged as a business."


    The young lady asked, "Are you sure that you want to go out on an all out war with the Liangs? They have allies in different cities."


    Hao Ren replied, "In this world only benefit is eternal. Allies change when the current shifts. We do not need to hurry and gain allies, first we grow our place into a level where the rich and the powerful seek us for investments."


    Reni was about to play a piece when she was shocked as she heard this. Suddenly, she asked, "What are we going to do about the spirit herb?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "It is simple, no? We will go and find it before the kid from the City Palace."


    Reni said, "There is a Seventy years old Crimson Kelpie guarding the herb. This is why Young Master Liang has called for external help. They are all foundation establishment realm."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Does not matter, you are a core formation expert. You do not have to kill the Kelpie, just immobilize it, and I will steal three quarters of the herb."


    Reni raised her head and asked, "Why not all of it?"


    Hao Ren smiled and went on to tell her his entire plan. The more Reni heard, the more she prayed for the Liang Family people. When the two of them finished discussing, Kim came over. Hao Ren looked at her and asked, "Finished counting?"


    Kim nodded with a smile and said, "Big Brother Ren, we have accumulated a total of twenty thousand spirit stones in the past month."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "It is not bad, we can expand the business."


    He looked at Reni and said, "Sister Reni, try to negotiate the price for the shop next door, and set it up with private rooms. We will shift the boys from the tables to the private rooms. It is time."


    Reni nodded and said, "I understand Young Master. The people from Lady Mei''s side would be coming over tomorrow, so it will be very helpful for us."


    Hao Ren nodded as he looked at the moon and said, "Tomorrow is a big day for the city. I wonder if the city palace will collapse from the impact."


    Reni took a deep breath and said, "Young Master, you have made me realize the cruelty of an evil businessman."


    Hao Ren chuckled as the night darkened.


    ...


    3 chapters tomorrow.

 Chapter 218 One Punch.

    The next day, Hao Ren showed up for work and put out a notice on his shop front that the restaurant will be open for half a day only. Everyone was surprised, and some people who would come here daily put up an effort to plea him but the young man did not change his mind.


    Today, they would be leaving the place to go in the wilderness where they will look for the Crimson Kelpie and also take time to train the twenty children. This was an important task for them.


    The day passed quickly and Han Lingshi also contacted him, the young man was happy that his wife was considerate towards him. They would be now calling four times in ten days, this was better than before.


    Soon, the sun rose up to the peak of the sky and Hao Ren closed down the shop, and everyone left. The reason he gave was that his wife was coming to visit him after three months. The people could not say anything to this.


    Hao Ren and the group divided in two, and exited the city. In the past month, Reni had been studying the children carefully and taking their speciality into account she determined the weapons that suited each one of them.


    Jill, Lan, Jian, Noel, Ryu, Rin, and Lang all suited the sword. Kim, and Arrow were apt in using bow and arrow. While Lin, and Trent had potential to master the short sword. Yue had a knack for using hidden weapons, and Peng had great strength to use the War Ax. Jing and Liu were the pair that liked Halberd and were determined to master it weapon. Leaving Teng ,and Alan as a pair of spearmen. Experience new stories with empire


    Hao Ren and Reni had procured the weapons from the shops, and they only bought low levels spiritual weapons. After working the entire day, the children spent the night practicing. They did not slack even a little because they wanted to pay back Hao Ren for his generous care and nourishment.


    Not only did the young man give them tailor-made techniques, but also fed them and allowed them to wear good clothes. In the past few days, they had seen a lot of slaves following their masters. Only women were given decent clothes to wear but the rest were treated in a rather miserable manner.


    This made the children vow that they would not let Hao Ren down. After they came out of the city, they all began to run in a formation. Yue was travelling light so she was the scout. The swordsmen and the saber practitioners were in the front followed by spears, halberds and war ax. Leaving the short sword people to protect the archers.


    Reni said, "This is a level three beast, spike tailed hound."


    Looking at the beast carefully, Hao Ren found that the tip of the tail was covered in sharp metallic spikes. As the dog landed on the ground it flicked its tail shooting several spikes at Hao Ren. The latter avoided the attack by jumping to the side.


    The young man clenched his fist and began to use his Cloud Breeze Step. His execution allowed him to evade the beast, and at the same time he began to comprehend the technique even better. His speed was quick and his steps were erratic. The Spike-tailed dog tried hard but it could not catch Hao Ren at all.


    As Hao Ren was getting more confident, the beast suddenly let out a bark. The vibrations from the bark cause the young man to be dizzy, and the beast lunged at him. The dog was similar to the normal dogs in the blue star, but it had saw like teeth that seemed to be strong enough to tear everything to shreds.


    Hao Ren shook his head, and tried to find his balance. Reni in the distance was ready to attack, if Hao Ren failed to defend himself, but just when the beast was a two feet away from him, Hao Ren instinctively shot a punch.


    Boom!!!


    The spike-tailed dog was sent flying into the trunk of a big tree and it fell down motionless. Everyone was shocked to see this and Reni mumbled, "He killed a level three beast with just a single punch?"


    ...


    Please vote with power stones and golden tickets. Thank you for your support.

 Chapter 219 Terrifying Physical Power.

    After the dog died, Hao Ren took a few minutes to gather himself, and hurriedly looked around. He was surprised to see the dog on the ground and it was not moving. He looked up at Reni in a distance to see her looking at him with a surprised expression. At the same time, Si clapped her hands, "Big Brother Ren is the strongest."


    Hao Ren walked over to the dog and then at his fist. He looked at the situation and then asked internally, ''System, is this the strength of my special physique?''


    *Ding: Host, it is the strength of your special physique.*


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and calmed his mind before collecting the tail and talons from the dog corpse. As for the rest, it became Yin''s food. The young man ventured deep inside the wilderness, they were heading towards the water source where the Crimson Kelpie could be found. The children were all sitting over the top of a huge tree crown.


    The tree was surrounded with an isolation array. They all understood that they were not strong enough and it would cause them to become a burden for the two elders.


    ...


    Hao Ren suddenly stopped and looked at the bluish grass under his feet. He took a deep breath and said, "I think we are close. Whisker Gendorema grows near blue grass."


    Reni nodded and said, "Yes, I will scout ahead and lead the guarding Kelpie away."


    Hao Ren nodded and tossed a veil of scent removal potion to Reni, who applied the liquid over her and moved ahead quickly. A few moments later, a loud neigh echoed through the woods. Hao Ren dashed forward and noticed the shallow footmarks on the ground. The two of them had discussed this earlier.


    The blue grass was a mutation that was caused because of the Whisker Gendorema trying to cast a camouflage effect.


    Hao Ren found that the Kelpie had been led away by Reni. He looked around and quickly found the Whisker Gendorema growing under and around the truck of an old tree that restricted the sunlight from shining on the ground.


    Hao Ren smiled and rushed quickly with his knife and began to extract the gendorema on the ground with great efficiency. He was very quick and stored everything in the jade box to prevent them from losing the spiritual essence. The young man did not take it all, he saved a quarter of it that was growing on the front of the tree.


    Then he dashed issued a whistle and dashed away after putting the jade box in the space ring. He rushed up to the tree where the children were resting, and he rushed up to tree. A few minutes later, Reni arrived and said, "Young Master, the Kelpie is enraged."


    Wan raised his brows and asked, "Lady Mei is fine. She is just busy with something."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Sister Reni, I will go and handle the kids with the food. You can bring them up to the pace here."


    The girl nodded and Hao Ren left the room. He did not wish to mingle much, Wan''s little reaction did not escape his eyes at all. He stood in the courtyard watching over the children and then he walked up to the maple tree inside the courtyard and sat down with his eyes closed.


    Si wanted to rush up to him, but Jian stopped her saying, "Young Master is cultivating, do not disturb him."


    ...


    Hao Ren meditated to calm his mind for a second before he took out the Qin that was given to him by the Hao Lingxue and began to stroke the strings gently getting used to the notes and the keys. After a few minutes, he plucked the strings and music began to pour out.


    At first it was not very good, but then the passive skills of augmented hearing and his senses that had been enhanced by the training with his mother kicked in. He began to improve his skills as the people inside the house discussed the situation.


    Reni watched the three people drink tea and she said, "You all may think that you are here for babysitting, however within the past one month, Young Master has climbed from the initial level of Foundation establishment to the peak. He is a step away from Core Formation realm without taking any single supplement."


    The people were surprised, Reni continued, "We have started the business battle with the Tao Family and have a strong lead, we are ready for them to cause trouble so that we can retaliate. Also, the Liang Family has gained Young Master''s attention, we plan to make a move."


    Wan was surprised and asked, "What do you mean? Do you think it is a good thing? If the Liang family found out we will become a hunted target."


    Reni frowned and said, "Brother Wan, we are not fools. Young Master had a plan that will make sure things go the way he wants them to, you do not have to worry."


    Wan frowned hard when Yan said, "It would be a good thing if we can get through the Liang Family. They have quite a pull in the Warring Nations. I want to know what the Young Master has planned."


    Reni nodded and said, "You should visit the wilderness in the morning. It would be fun."

 Chapter 220 Moves. (Bonus Chapter)

    Hao Ren did not bother with anyone that night. He spent his time playing the Qin under the Maple tree. The children all cultivated around him, and the newcomers were discussing different things inside the house.


    Soon, the sun came up on the horizon, and Yin opened her mouth wide to yawn. Hao Ren stopped playing the Qin and began to absorb the strong Yang spiritual energy in his body. Reni came out and woke up the girls and the boys to go and set up the shop. The children nodded and they left the house.


    It was early in the morning and there was not much of a crowd in the streets. The city patrol has noticed this batch many times so they did not bother them either.


    ...


    Hao Ren opened his eyes and saw that Reni was beside him, serving him tea. He looked at the sun in the sky and picked up the tea cup before he said, "Did they set off to observe Young Master Liang?"


    Reni nodded, she could sense that the young man had become somewhat colder ever since last night. Hao Ren said, "Next week I will go and condense a core. I am going to face the tribulation."


    Reni was surprised but then she nodded, thinking that Hao Ren was strong enough and his foundation was already sturdy.


    ...


    While in the Spirit Shimmer Continent, Hao Ren was handling business, Han Lingshi had also just finished a meeting at her office and was talking with Xiao Mei, "Do you really think this levitating vehicle system would work?"


    Xiao Mei nodded and said, "We can release the patient to the world once we are done with the testing and gathering enough data. We will not share the data with them and it will be easy."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Xiao Mei, help me design a lev-bike for two people. When I go to the other world, I will take Ren for a spin."


    Xiao Mei chuckled and said, "Okay, Big Sister Han. By the way, can you also bring me there?"


    Han Lingshi asked, "Why do you want to go there?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I am not capable of doing magic but I want to see the world of magic. Also, I can help Boss whenever he needs an extra brain."


    Han Lingshi replied, "Sweetheart, they do not have internet in that world."


    Xiao Mei opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, "WHAT! They are so backward."


    Han Lingshi erupted in laughter as she watched Xiao Mei shocked.


    They both did not realize that Xiao Mei had just comprehended the human emotion of surprise.


    ...


    Three figures were moving through the clouds, and looking at the group of young people under them. The younger people could not sense them thanks to the realm limitations.


    Yan said, "Wan next time you better mind your manners when facing Young Master."


    Wan clicked his tongue and said, "In this world, I do not follow or submit to anyone other that Lady Mei. One day I will catch up to her and then I will have the right to pursue her."


    The third Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator took a deep breath and said, "Old Wan, forgive me, but at this statement I cannot help but look down on you. Do you even know that the Young Master is the most loved and dear person to Lady Mei? Have you not seen her punishing her over the years? The first time I saw her smiling was last month when she came over.


    She smiled when she talked about the Young Master. Also, you wish to pursue her? With just your skills and virtue? You better give up these stupid dreams, Lady Mei cultivated the Ice Heart Sutra, she will never have a significant other, if you pushed for it, you will end up died and you won''t even know how."


    As he said that, the young man threw the talisman at the beast. A phantom materialized between them, and swatted the Kelpie to the side with a palm.


    The phantom said, "Xiao Mo, come home."


    Young Master Liang nodded, and said, "I will kill this beast and come soon father."


    The young man looked at the bleeding beast and begrudgingly said, "You stupid thing, you made me use the Spirit Protection Talisman. Even if I sale you alive, it will not make up for the losses. Hmph, now die."


    The moment he said this, he picked up his sword and rushed towards the fallen beast. However, the Kelpie used all the energy it had left to raise his head and opened his mouth wide. A red ball was spat out of the big mouth, which was floating in the void. The next moment, Young Master Liang froze and his eyes widened.


    He turned around to run, but before he could even do that, the red crystal began to glow and then it exploded.


    The explosion was loud, and even caused the ground do shake, alarming even the city.


    ...


    In the sky, Xi, Yan, and Wan were shocked, they did not understand how it happened, but the young master just staged a perfect assassination and none of the people would be able to catch him. The three of them inspected the situation with their spirit senses and vanished from the place when they found no traces of Reni or Hao Ren.


    ...


    In the lavish City Lord, a middle-aged man was feeding a big and beautiful peacock, when suddenly he heard his wife running over, yelling. "Husband! Husband! Please save Xiao Mo."


    The city lord frowned and turned to look at his wife, who was bawling like maniacs. She even dived at his knees and begged him. The lady said, "Please, Husband, please help your son, just now his soul token broke."


    City Lord Liang froze and then his eyes opened wide as he shivered.


    ...


    Hao Ren was in the restaurant when he heard the commotion, and found that the City Lord has already mobilized the City Guards to escort him in searching for his son.


    He smiled and was about to close the shop when Reni, Yan, Xi, and Wan came back to the restaurant holding the news of what transpired in the wilderness.


    Hao Ren listened to it all patiently and then said, "It is a shame that the Kelpie died. We could have sold its kebabs."


    The four people was humbled in a minute, and the young man said, "I am going back to work. Make sure it does not track back, Sister Reni."


    Reni replied, "Rest assured, Young Master."


    ...


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 Chapter 221 End Of Wan.

    Salt Wind City was not like the usual. There were many people who were being captured and then sent into interrogation to find out who killed the Young Master of the City Palace. The City Lord was so angry these past few days, that even if someone was passing by, they would be dripping with cold sweat.


    Liang Ding loved his son, as he only had one child. His wife had been distressed and dispelled her cultivation in grief. The City Palace was shrouded in gloom. Meanwhile, in the city everyone was laying low. The brothels had been closed down and even the restaurants were shut down for fifteen days.


    Hao Ren did not mind, he was using this time to cultivate. In the past week, Yan had been busy carving complex symbols on the walls of the courtyard. Hao Ren did not ask her what she wanted to do, he seemed to have become a boulder, sitting under the tree with cultivation being his only task.


    In the past few days he woke up only three times. Those three times happened to be the moments when he was taking to Han Lingshi. However, last night when they were talking, Han Lingshi apologized to him saying that she would be entering seclusion.


    This was a good thing for Hao Ren, he could also dedicate his time into cultivation whole heartedly. He opened his eyes as he sensed the heat coming from the east. In the past week, he has been absorbing the strong Yang energy regularly and his vigor was improving at a visible pace.


    Hao Ren circulated his cultivation technique, but suddenly the yang energy was attributed by Wan, who was sitting cross legged on the beam of the roof. Hao Ren frowned and he looked in the direction of the man. These past few days, this man had been cultivating and absorbing the Yang Energy as well, but today, he absorbed all of it.


    Yan noticed this and frowned, she wanted to say something when she saw Hao Ren stand up. His body emitted crackling sounds. The young man flexed his neck and said, "I have come to understand that one needs to fight with the people who are in the same camp for resources."


    His voice was calm, but the coldness was evident. Yan was surprised, she did not expect that the Young Master had such a temper. This was obviously heard by Wan, and he raised a brow before he jumped down in the courtyard and said, "What you said is true, one does need to fight for the resources, after all, there is only so much of them."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Wan, how about a fight? The winner call dibs on the Yang Energy."


    As soon as he said this, Wan froze, Yan was shocked, and she wanted to dissuade Hao Ren, but the Nascent Realm man erupted in laughter. He was so loud that it was disrespectful and insulting to Hao Ren.


    Yan glared at Wan, and the latter acted as if he did not see and said, "Young Master, you are too young and inexperienced to understand the depth of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator''s capabilities. Please be mindful of the realm gap."


    Hao Ren replied, "It is not me that is out of his depth here, Wan. I call you Wan, because I think of you like that, a man with a shallow character who does not beget respect. You are superficial, and more than that, do you really think someone as pretentious as you can win over my sister? Pathetic."


    He did not hold back when it came to showing the people there places. Wan was stunned, he clenched his fist and Hao Ren said, "You are strong because you were born early, and if I am not wrong, my sister saved you. You think you are worthy of holding the hand that fed you? Hmph, don''t joke with yourself."


    Wan was shivering in rage, Yan quickly came to stand beside Hao Ren, she was ready to defend the young man if the former attacked him. She said, "Young Master, I will talk to him. Please, let us not escalate this situation."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "Senior Yan, I do not like entitled people. These days, you all have been doing your own thing and never did I say anything about it. However, for the last one week, this guy has been eating the food I made, and also snatching the energy that is vital for me. I have tolerated all of it, even the lecherous emotion that I see in his eyes whenever someone mentions Mei.


    Xi sighed and replied, "Yes, my lady."


    She and Hao Ren left the house.


    Wan stood frozen before Hao Mei, as the young lady looked at him with deadpan eyes. Yan gulped from the tension, recalling the battle, she found that Wan did radiate the intention to kill Hao Ren after the first punch but it was just fleeting.


    She wanted to say something when Reni''s voice echoed in her mind, ''Don''t, that would be for the best. Miss is angry."


    Yan shook off her compassionate emotions and noticed a subtle white mist around Hao Mei. The lady said, "When I sent you here, I gave you one task, that was to look after my brother. However, there was another reason I sent you here."


    The trio all had different expressions, Reni was curious, Yan was surprised and Wan lost all blood from his face. Hao Mei said, "You have been in the Glimmer City for ten years, and you have killed one hundred and twenty prostitutes. All of them tortured and raped on the full moon nights. One for every month. Did you think that no one will notice? Or that no one will care about them?


    One of the people you killed was not a prostitute, but the bronze mask who was there on my instructions. She sent me a transmission before her death and told me about your occult inclination."


    The women were surprised, and Wan suddenly turned around to leap in the void, trying to flee. However, his held was pressed upon by Hao Mei. The young lady said, "Hmmm, your death would be easy to justify now."


    Wan froze into an ice sculpture at a visible pace. Then Hao Mei waved her hand and the sculpture scattered on the side like fine powder. She looked at Yan, and said, "Come here, Xiao Yan."


    The latter was scared but moved forward.


    ...


    Xi led Hao Ren to the wilderness, and said, "Young master, you can cultivate here, I will maintain the order for you."


    Hao Ren thanked her and sat down before the system pinged in his mind, *DING: Explore more adventures at empire


    ...


    Major system update coming tomorrow. Please vote with power stones and golden tickets. Was thinking about the plot these days, so the quantity dropped. Resuming tomorrow.

 Chapter 222 Goals.

    Hao Ren had just sat down to cultivate on top of a boulder, when suddenly, a system notification echoed in his mind, *Ding: Host, it has been detected that you have set out on the path of invincibility. While the system has not given out much tasks to you, it is deemed necessary that you have a direction to proceed. Thus, the system has set a few goals that will help you along the way.*


    Hao Ren raised his brow and thought, ''System, I often thought why you did not hand me out the tasks that made me a pampering husband and stuff like that. To think you are still willing to guide me means you are not a dummy.''


    *Ding: Host, the tasks systems gives out are based on the needs of the target. To make you the omnipotent husband, system has done what it should. Your wife is six years older that you, how can you pamper her like a child? She is rich and wealthy, how can she still like materialistic things that you might have given her? Love is a mix of seven emotions, it is not as straight as you might think of it.


    Everyone has a different path to reach the pinnacle of love. Same applies to your wife.*


    Hao Ren nodded in understanding, he might have read a lot of novels in his teenage, or in his past life, but he never wanted to indulge in the silly tasks. Yes, he had a system and mostly he did things because he wanted the rewards, but as he got closer to Han Lingshi, he realized that love was not a click, but more like a brew. It took time to fall in love with someone.


    He had a typical proud male mind, when the system enabled him, the young man began to create a name for himself. He did not wish to be the most prominent person, but he did not wish to stay mediocre either.


    He said, ''What are the goals system?''


    *Ding: The passive goal is to advance your cultivation realm. Other than that the primary goal is expanding the business, establishing a spy network side by side. For the moment, this is what host should focus on.*


    Hao Ren nodded, he was not eager to know everything anymore. He closed his eyes and began to concentrate on the slab of spiritual energy that was hovering in his Dantian. This slab was the reference of his cultivation foundation. The bigger and thicker the foundation, the better the cultivation potential.


    The system has given Hao Ren a so-called, perfect foundation. However, when the young man cultivated with Han Lingshi, his golden foundation turned into a better version with purple gold color.


    As the young man dwelled on the next step of his cultivation, he understood that to improve his realm he needed to extract the spiritual energy from his foundation and condense it into a core.


    The core would then spin inside his Dantian on its own, absorbing the spiritual energy from the nature. When the storage of energy reaches to the level where it condenses into liquid, Hao Ren would reach the peak of golden core realm. The young man focused on cultivation and forgot about everything on the outside.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was holding a sword in her hand and she was sparring with Tang Zen. The old lady was so well versed in her art that she blocked all the attacks with great ease. She was caring and pointed out the mistakes and the loopholes that Han Lingshi made.


    However, she was ruthless, and did not hold back in handing out punishment either. Han Lingshi was covered in bruises, she was hurting in all parts of her body, but she did not stop. These days, she had reached the peak of the spirit gathering realm and her body refinement had improved a lot as well.


    Hao Mei appeared beside her and waved her hand to isolate the area from the world. Xi stood up and said, "Miss, I was not coveting, I am just curious."


    Hao Mei smiled at her faintly and said, "Wan has been dealt with and Yan will take command here. Make sure you protect him."


    Xi nodded and asked, "Young Master is talented and strong. He broke Wan''s arm with a punch. By the way, Miss, why does it sound like you are going out again?"


    Hao Mei nodded and replied, "We found several evil cults have infiltrated the ranks. So we need to clean them up. If I were to stay here, I will attract attention and that will hinder his plans."


    Xi nodded with a thoughtful expression and asked, "Young Miss, may I ask, why did you not show up earlier when Young Master was fighting with Wan?"


    Hao Mei smiled, indeed, she had arrived before the fight started but did not appear on purpose. She said, "I wanted to see if this brat has the skills to deal with Wan on his own or was he just throwing his weight around. Thankfully, he has grown up to be self reliant. Now, I can go out with ease."


    Xi nodded with a smile, and the two watched Hao Ren slowly rise in the void. Yin raised her head to look at her master, and decided to move aside. The sky was filled with dark clouds, and red lightning was squirming through them as if a snake approaching its prey.


    Hao Mei frowned and said, "Fellow daoists, please give me face and do not intervene in this tribulation."


    A couple of figures appeared in the void, some distance away from Hao Mei. It was a middle-aged man wearing a silver robe with a phyton printed on his sleeves. He said, "I did not know that a fellow daoist was visiting the Salt Wind City."


    Hao Mei smiled and cupped her fist as she said, "City Lord Liang, it is a pleasure to see you here. I heard about your son, please accept my condolences."


    The man who appeared in the void was the city lord, Liang Kun.


    He asked after nodding, "May I ask what is going on here?"


    Hao Mei replied, "My brother wishes to establish a business of his own, he recently opened his first restaurant in the Salt Wind City. Today, he reached the peak of foundation establishment realm and is about to break through the core formation. I hope you do not mind."


    Liang Kun nodded and said, "I do not, it was just that the mood in the city had been quite low, This tribulation might be a good thing. Please take care."


    That said, the man vanished, but Hao Mei did not give up her guard, because she could sense that something was wrong with this man. Just when she was trying to figure out what it was, the first bolt of lighting appeared.

 Chapter 223 Core Formation.

    Hao Mei had just sent the City Lord away, but that was only temporary, she could tell that the City Lord was not in his sound mind. His gaze was a bit to indifferent for a city lord.


    Xi asked, "Young Miss, do I need to make a move?"


    The calm and aloof Xi had changed into a cold person that could make people shiver. Hao Mei shook her head and said, "If it comes to that I will handle them. They both were not stronger than Nascent Soul Realm. It would not take much time."


    Xi nodded as they both remained vigilant and watched the bolt descend.


    ...


    In the distance, the man beside Liang Kun stood in the void and the man beside him asked, "Sire, why don''t I make a move and take them down?"


    Liang Kun shook his head and said, "I could not see through the realm of that woman dressed in white. She is stronger than us, and I had people look into this guy. He is nothing suspicious, just a naive young man who wants to make name based on his skills."


    The other person said, "But, Sire, he seems to be rather young to reach the core foundation realm. The color of the lightning is red, that is no ordinary tribulation. Only the crown prince had faced this level of tribulation."


    Liang Kun nodded and said, "Fu, I know what you mean, but there is no evidence that links him to Xiao Mo''s death. He is a talent but he is not close to the level of touching the crown prince. While the people walk the path of a warrior, this guy is walking the path of a chef. What a waste of talent and cultivation aptitude."


    Fu was not convinced by this argument. His instincts told him that Hao Ren had some link with the death of his young master. However, since the lord has spoken, he would not protest, but that did not mean he would not investigate on his own.


    The two of them watched the tribulation bolt descend and left the place.


    ...


    Hao Ren was sitting with his eyes closed, as the first bolt of lightning hit him, the boulder under him exploded. Yin hissed at the scene as she worried about her master. Hao Ren was jolted from the blow, but at this moment, a pneumonic chant echoed in his mind.


    This chant was not a part of his cultivation technique, but as Hao Ren subconsciously repeated it, the lightning energy that was running wildly through his insides, began to seep deeper into his cells refining them into a better version.


    Hao Ren did not know what was going on but he could feel that his body was drinking the lightning as if it was rain pouring down on a drought struck land. He was overcome by the sense of comfort.


    He could not help but cough up a mouthful of blood from his body, as he felt his bones rattling under the pressure of the heavenly lightning. His consciousness was on the edge of doom, but he kept reminding himself that if he did not stay awake, he would die.


    He was now practising the Titan Sutra, and absorbing as much of the heavenly energy in his core as possible. His core was golden with a purple sheen to it, but after absorbing the lightning, it had began to display a few streaks of crimson as well.


    However, the young man did not have the time to pay attention to these changes in his body, as all he could do was to absorb as much energy as possible and use it to counter the wild energy and cancel them out. However, was it that easy to tackle the heavens? No.


    The ninth tribulation bolt fell from the sky and hit Hao Ren squarely on the chest. Then the black clouds began to thunder as Hao Ren''s skin began to char. He was burning, and he could not do anything about it.


    It was as if the lamp''s flicker, he thought about diverting the energy into the heavenly spirit flame that he had acquired earlier. Coincidently, the two energies were different forms of the heavenly energy in its purest form.


    Hao Ren''s flame began to fight and devour the lightning energy. While the process was beneficial for the young man, his body was set aflame. The scene shocked Hao Mei and Xi. They wanted to move forward but the clouds thundered.


    The tribulation was not yet over, only when Hao Ren finishes dealing with the last shred of the heavenly lightning energy would the clouds disperse. The young man had stopped caring about his external body at the moment. He focused on running the cultivation cycles at a fast speed, and checking up on the core inside his Dantian.


    The purple gold core was spinning and absorbing the rampant energies inside his body. The absorption was getting faster with every rotation and this bought a big relief to Hao Ren. He lost the sense of time and only when the rotation speed of the core slowed down to the minimum did the young man let out a sigh of relief.


    He could not open his eyes as they were charred and closed shut. However, as the clouds parted, his body began to heal. The golden rays of spiritual energy condensed in the void and began to drill in his body.


    Hao Ren was healing at a speed visible to naked eyes. He recovered his skin, and they his touch, followed by his hearing, and smell. Finally, he opened his eyes and found Hao Mei looking at him with concern and behind her was a clear starry sky. The young man sighed and said, "Next time, I will wait to prepare myself mentally."


    Hao Mei smiled at his words and did not say anything other than, "You should get up and put on some clothes."


    The young man jumped up and quickly put on a set of clothes, before he glared at Hao Mei. Hao Mei said, "Congratulations on promotion."


    Hao Ren thanked her, and the lady said, "Shall we get back home?"


    The two of them left after cleaning up the spot. Han Lingshi said using her spirit sense, "Do not panic, we are being followed. Let us play until it is absolutely necessary to take action."


    Hao Ren nodded, as they flew back to the city with Yin coiled around Hao Ren''s wrist again.

 Chapter 224 Strategy Meeting.

    Hao Ren and Hao Mei returned to the courtyard. It had been fifteen days since they left and the people heaved a sigh of relief when they saw him return. The children were very reliable on him. Little Si trotted over and said, "Jian, Peng, and Ding bullied me, they did not let me eat drumsticks, and..."


    Hao Ren had just landed on the ground when he heard the little one complaining. He chuckled and scooped her up in his arms. He asked dotingly, "Why did they bully you?"


    Si replied, "They call me little fatty. Boohoo, they are bad.."


    As she said this, she buried her head in Hao Ren''s shoulder and cried. Hao Mei saw this and was surprised to see how much these children trusted her brother. They did not have any barriers with him as if he was their friends. Specially the girls, they all saw him as the reliable elder brother. She could see the affection and respect they held for him in their hearts brimming through their eyes.


    The young man coaxed Little Si before he looked at Reni and asked, "Sister Reni, can you tell me what is going on?"


    Reni nodded and replied, "Little Si has been tasting the drumsticks cooked by the girls these days, and she likes them. The boys do not want her to gain too much weight and become unfit before she starts her training."


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at the guys before he said, "I understand that you mean well, but understand the fact that Xiao Si is the youngest and there is still some time left before she starts training. Let her be, if she gains weight, she will work harder. Gaining weight is not a problem. Look at her, she looks like a cute little dumpling and I cannot wait to pinch her cheeks. She is so adorable."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Xiao Si was indeed so adorable but when she heard Hao Ren wanted to pinch her cheeks, the little girl moved like a loach and escaped his arms running around the courtyard, "Big brother Ren is a baddie."


    Her antics caused everyone to erupt in laughter. After a few minutes, Hao Mei called the young man to the living room with Reni, Yan, and Xi.


    She said, "So, why did you do it?"


    Hao Ren smiled at her and said, "Because they are linked with the royal family. Wonder what will happen when a royal relative is no longer invincible or protected?"


    Hao Mei frowned and Hao Ren replied, "Once you manage to kill someone that may appear to be invincible, other people will follow the example."


    You say that your operation will make us come to the light and have a rather legitimate identity, why so?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "The senior operatives would assume the role of the restaurant manager. I do not want to go over to every city and have a shop there. I wish to target the capitals, the ports, and the borders. The information hubs where the rich and the powerful meet and gather.


    The information will then be used by a force which is in reality your Tower of Light, but we will rebadge it for the public eyes, Thunder Group. This world has a lot of cultivators that dwell around in search of medicinal herbs and also spirit beasts materials. They will train, and they will grow stronger under public eye. They will infiltrate the royal households, and win favor from the people.


    Do you understand what I mean?"


    Xi stood up abruptly and said, "Young Master, can you allow me to follow you closely? I wish to learn these tactics."


    Find your adventure at empire


    Everyone was surprised, but Hao Mei chuckled and burst out in loud laughter. Hao Ren was unsure of what was going on and asked, "What is going on?"


    Hao Mei said, "Xi is the strategist, usually she is the one who is making plans for us to focus, but your words probably won her over. Well, I will let her follow you as you will need someone to come up with exact plans. I will go back."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Countering Evil?"


    Hao Mei shook her head and said, "I have to visit the Sect as Master''s birthday is near. Please prepare a good dish for her."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Fine, tonight we celebrate my realm promotion."


    *Ding: Congratulations on the promotion, you are rewarded with...*

 Chapter 225 One Punch.

    Stay tuned with empire


    The young man came to the kitchen and in his mind the system notification sounded, *Ding: Congratulations on achieving the first goal, the realm advancement. You have been rewarded with the skill mastery card. Once you have used this card, you would be able to master one of your skills to the peak.*


    Hao Ren was surprised and wondered if the reward for every realm advancement would be the same, but the system replied, *Ding: Host, you are forgetting the essence of it all again. Please focus on the task at hand and leave the reward distribution to the system.*


    After calming his mind, Hao Ren cooked up a feast for everyone and packed a big amount of food for Hao Mei. The latter left the Salt Wind City in the morning. However, she did not forget to give the young man a few protective means. Last time she did not expect him to kick up such a storm.


    Hao Ren''s life resumed the daily pace. Hao Mei told him that she would first discuss the idea of merging the two forces with her people before she gives out any answer. Hao Ren was not in a hurry, because it wasn''t like he needed to conquer the four kingdoms tomorrow. He had twenty years, to make his way to the top and also infiltrate the strong ranks.


    Hao Ren went back to cooking but he discovered that the girls were able to cook as better, and he guided them to make a few dishes that were liked by the crowd. To make things look fair and gain more profit, Hao Ren began to charge the dishes based upon who cooked the food.


    The customers were surprised, but they all asked Hao Ren to cook, and the coffers began to overflow. It was not that Hao Ren did not want to cook, but he wanted the young girls to gain experience. The food from the Crescent Moon Restaurant was considered to be a luxury, but after Hao Ren made the change, the slightly less wealthy people also began to folk over.


    The routine was set, for five days the restaurant thrived and for two days, they would take rest and prepare the sauces and stuff. Yan was an array master, she had set up illusion arrays inside the courtyard for the children to train the basic skills.


    They balanced work, training, and rest. At the same time they were receiving cramming sessions with Onyx. Xi had joined them for this and was learning about tactics and other things.


    ...


    Han Lingshi replied, "I love you."


    Hao Ren also reciprocated, "I love you too."


    As soon as he finished the message and was about to enter the wilderness, he stopped in his tracks and asked, "Whose there?"


    He vigilantly turned around to observe his surroundings. His reaction shocked Fu, the old butler of the city lord palace who was following Hao Ren for the past few days. He did not expect to be detected by this young man. However, thinking that they were both in the same realm. Fu decisively stepped out of the cover, and said, "I have been the one following you."


    Hao Ren took a defensive stance and asked, "Who might you be? Why are you following me?"


    The old man smiled and replied, "I am the butler of the City Lord Palace, and I came here to bring you to the City Lord, and let you confess for the sins that you have committed."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "What do you mean old man? Have you gone senile to accuse me as such in the dark of the night? Do not meddle with me, I have to go and train."


    The smile on Fu''s face vanished and he said, "I see, so you will not repent until you die. Good."


    He flickered from his position and appeared before Hao Ren, swinging his fist. However, the young man was not scared in the least. He clenched his own fist and said, "You chose the wrong way to fight."


    He stepped up and attacked Fu with a blow of his own, unlike the last time, he did not have the intention to block the enemy''s attack, and his punch landed squarely on Fu''s chest. The silent scenery echoed with a chilling cracking sound, before Fu opened his eyes wide and coughed up a mouthful of blood, before flying into the treeline.


    Hao Ren looked at his fist and clicked his tongue, thinking, who would be able to fight me like this?

 Chapter 226 Rock Tiger.

    Hao Ren looked around with his spiritual sense after punching the man to check if Fu had any accomplices. After confirming that there was no one else, Hao Ren walked over to the groaning victim who was choking on his own blood.


    Fu was shocked to see Hao Ren come over and he tried to stand up but he could do nothing more that shiver. The young man came next to him, and stabbed him with a few pins, then he channeled some spiritual energy in Fu''s body before he took out a glass vail, and poured its content inside the mouth of the old man.


    Fu wanted to struggle but after a few seconds of drinking the potion he was struck in a daze. Hao Ren checked his pulse and dilation of the pupils before he asked, "Does anyone knows you are here?"


    The man shook his head. Hao Ren asked, "Who are you?"


    Fu tried to speak but his injuries were quite severe. The young man frowned and Yan appeared next to him. Hao Ren looked at her and sighed, "I did not expect you to be following me, Sister Yan."


    Yan smiled and said, "I did not expect you to have medical skills as well, Young Master."


    Hao Ren revealed a faint smile and asked, "Do you have any healing medicine on you? I will compensate you when we get back home."


    Yan was surprised and said, "Young Master, you do not have to compensate me anything. I have several of these pills. Do not worry."


    Hao Ren wanted to say something before he saw Yan shoving the pill down the throat of the injured man. The spirit pill was quick to take effect and the injuries began to heal. However, Fu still appeared to be stunned. Hao Ren took some more needles to block off the spiritual circulation in his body quickly.


    He asked, "Who are you?"


    The man replied, "Fu, servant to master Liang Kun and his family."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Does Liang Kun suspect me of killing Liang Mo?"


    Fu relied, "No, he thinks of you as a naive chef."


    Hao Ren almost burst out in a chuckle, he said, "Good, are you bind with any contract?"


    Fu shook his head and said, "I am not, I serve my master because he saved me."


    Hao Ren nodded and after a few moments, he placed his hand on Fu''s forehead. Yan was wondering what Hao Ren was doing when a rune mark appeared between Fu''s brow. The young lady was shocked and Hao Ren simply smiled as he said, "You can leave now, come by to the Crescent Moon Restaurant to share what Liang Kun has been doing every few days. Okay?"


    In a daze Fu nodded, and then Hao Ren left the place allowing the man to rest. Yan was still in a daze, before she dashed over to follow the young man. When she caught up she wore an uneasy expression on her face. Hao Ren smiled and asked, "You want to ask where did I get that rune?"


    Talent: Yin & Yang eyes (First Level), Assassination Skills (master), Spirit Cooking (Master), Music (Violin Master, Qin Beginner), Soothsaying, Alchemy (Novice), Eidetic Memory.*


    Hao Ren was thinking about how he should go about improving his skills, he heard a roar in the distance. Yan checked with her spiritual sense and said, "It is a Rock Tiger, level five."


    The young man thought for a bit and said, "Let''s go, we will hunt the tiger."


    Yan nodded, and the two flew over. She saw that Hao Ren took out a talisman and pasted it on his forearm. She found it unfathomable on how Hao Ren had a solution to solve the problems that he faced. After the talisman was applied, she sensed that his physical aura had been sealed.


    She was informed that he was a disciple of a very powerful person so she was not too surprised anymore, but on the other hand, she also thought that it was a waste to use such things for these silly troubles.


    Hao Ren had come to understand that something that could be solved by spending money was not a problem at all. He did not care about money, but about strength and power.


    ...


    After a few minutes of flying through the woods they came to find a tiger feeding on a stag three times its size. Yan said, "The rock tiger is a rare creature, although it is half the size of any other tiger beast, its strength is superior. It is said that if this beast is found it the mountains, one should run whether you have the cultivation advantage or not, doesn''t matter."


    Hao Ren was surprised, but then he thought about it before commenting, "The rocky skin serves the perfect camouflage. I think this guy also has a lot of spiritual skills as well."


    Yan nodded and admired how perceptive the young man was, and said, "Please approach with caution, young master."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Thank you."


    Then he jumped of the tree, and walked toward the tiger beast. His movements have been noticed by the beast as soon as Hao Ren touched the ground. The tiger raised its head, and turned to look at Hao Ren, and roared loudly, displaying the blood stained teeth and mouth to project intimidation.


    The young man smiled, he could sense the earth trembling from the roar. The might of the tiger was higher than that of the enemies he had faced. His body was pumped with adrenaline. Suddenly, his instincts kicked in and he jumped back. On the spot he was standing, a huge earthen spike appeared.


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    Hao Ren''s face turned serious, as he calmed down and realized that he was about to underestimate his opponent. The young man began to move, and from a distance the Rock tiger continue its attacks. After circling the tiger two times, Hao Ren dashed forward.


    The tiger also did not ignore the challenge and moved ahead roaring with rage. This human dared to come to his territory and laugh in provokation. Not only that, but he dared to charge ahead knowing my might. Since he wants to die, let me be his benefactor.


    This was the thought process of the beast, and it slashed out at Hao Ren with rocky claws that tore apart the wind and looked menacing. Hao Ren suddenly ducked and weaved his head to avoid the slash before his left hook landed on the tiger''s shoulder.


    The beast was obviously unprepared, it looked down on the human race. The impact sent it off balance, and it landed on the side, shaking its head. The beast looked at Hao Ren and roared, as if saying, ''How dare you trick me?! Bastard!''

 Chapter 227 Ferocious.

    Hao Ren punched away the rock tiger, and the beast snarled at him in fury. The battle continued, and Yan watched it from the side. She was surprised when she saw how quickly Hao Ren was improving. His movement technique was increasing, and his punches were becoming stable and lethal with every attempt.


    It was not like he was overpowering the tiger. He was here to get used to his new enhanced power. The Rock Tiger was moving around very quickly and it was trying to kill Hao Ren with all seriousness. The young man was not careless.


    After fifteen minutes of the stalemate. The Rock Tiger roared, and the cracked stone spikes, began to levitate in the void. Hao Ren was surprised, when the shards began to fly towards him at a high speed.


    The young man exclaimed, "Shit!"


    He was not prepared for this, he dashed around quickly and avoided as many shards as he could. The surrounding trees were riddled with holes from the shard bullets. Hao Ren had cold sweat dripping from his forehead when suddenly a shard that he thought had been dodged changed its trajectory and hit him in the back.


    Hao Ren felt as if he had been stabbed, but the pain only lasted a few seconds before it vanished completely. The young man took cover behind a boulder, and sensed his body, it turned out apart from a slight bruise, there was no impact on his body.


    Hao Ren understood that not only did his special physique provided him with strong force, but also defence. He hurriedly dashed out from behind the boulder, and found the Rock Tiger to brutalize the boulder with its claws.


    Watching its prey getting away, the Rock Tiger roared, and another round of stone bullets was fired at Hao Ren. However, the young man did not stop, he circled the beast, and while doing that he zeroed out the distance. Hao Ren carefully used his arms and sideward movement to protect his head and vital parts.


    Even if the stone bullet did not do any serious damage, being hit in any vital location would cause him to suffer more pain and he did not want that.


    As soon as he came close to the Rock Tiger, the beast raised its paw and clawed at the young man. However, Hao Ren seemed to have known this, and rolled on the ground, before he regained his footing, jumped off the ground and his kick landed on the Rock Tiger''s face. The beast was shaken and the attacks were disrupted.


    This time Hao Ren did not give the beast any time to fight back, and used his hard punches to bludgeon the beast to death. His punches were compact and they were very ferocious. Hao Ren did not stop until the a few drops of blood splattered upon his face.


    Yan appeared from the side and stood there silently. Hao Ren came back to his senses and said, "Let''s head back. This guy is enough for me to train and understand the extent of my strength."


    Hao Ren was not lying, was he to fight a human with his full strength they would die in a very gruesome manner. The young man took a deep breath before he stuffed the Rock Tiger body inside his space ring and the duo walked up to a small stream where Hao Ren cleaned himself up the blood on his face and fists.


    The two then returned home. Xi and Reni had also came back with the kids and the kids were practicing martial arts in the courtyard.


    When Hao Ren came in they began to discuss the situation around the city and the chances where they could make use of other people to strengthen themselves.


    She opened the tunnel with a wave of her hand and the two of them vanished from the place.


    ...


    The first thing Han Lingshi did after getting back home was to clean up and take a nice hot shower before hitting the bed and talking to Hao Ren, who told her that he has awakened a special physique and it gives him good strength. He also told her that he was now accumulating a lot of things for their future.


    ...


    For Hao Ren, it had been more than four months since he came to the spirit shimmer continent. Out of the twenty two cities, in the Warring Nation, his restaurant was not operating in eighteen cities. They all followed the same model, and they also had a very effective information gathering network. Discover more stories at empire


    Today, Hao Ren and his clutter was moving to the capital of the Warring Nation. The Primus City, this place was bustling, even some metropolitans on the blue star might not be put to shame.


    The group traveled in three phrases. Hao Ren was the last to come after making sure that the hand over in the Salt Wind City was smooth. The people from the Tower Of Light were very efficient, they found a few talented chefs from various restaurants, they poached them, and Hao Ren trained them with a few soul patches.


    They saved children from slavery and gave them a new place. All of them were stunned but Hao Ren and his first batch of rescues worked in and they adapted very quickly. The flow of information in the eighteen cities made things very easy. The only reason Hao Ren did not enter the other four cities was because they were military capitals.


    He did not wish to touch those places, and this was an obvious move on his hand, to attract attention of a big player, and acquiring a better chess piece. Hao Ren was a ferocious general, who did not mind using all methods at his disposal to deal with threat.


    ...


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 Chapter 228 Meeting Grandma Teahouse.

    Hao Ren had reached the Primus City, where Xi and Reni had taken the charge of a big villa that was renovated as the store front. The young man was surprised when he saw how luxuriously they have decorated the place.


    The young man saw the place and then finally they added one last change, that was a small pavilion from where the moon could be seen in its full splendor. They were all gathered in the courtyard connected to the villa.


    A young boy stood beside Xi and said, "Young Master, the business is not as good as we expected it to be. The dishes are all made with consistent charm and standard, but we are having a hard time retaining the guests."


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and said, "I told you all to ask for a feedback, did you get any insights?"


    The young boy, Jing replied, "One of the patrons told me that we lack vanity, he said that the food was amazing but he felt that the dinner seemed more like a dutiful process. Wine should be accompanied with dance and music."


    Hao Ren leaned back in the chair as his fingers rapped on the wooden table surface. The courtyard was decorated rather minimalistically. Hao Ren did not prefer to live in a luxurious space because he had yet to temper his mindset and vanity could distract him easily.


    The young man thought for a minute, and the others did not bother him. In the past few weeks, they have come to understand the terrifying business acumen he had and how he used the information to his advantage. The experts from the Tower Of Light have all gained an identity among the normal people and used the humble attitude they have managed to gain some connections as well.


    One thing that changed the entire course of their progress was Hao Ren''s decision to feed the poor and the under privileged. The people who could not even find a shelter were being fed with such good food, they were obviously very grateful to him, and they became his ears in the street.


    Throughout the Warring Nation, as long as it was a word on the street, Hao Ren would get to know about it. The nobles were too busy with their issues, but they often liked to stay in the shadows, and used external hands to get their work done.


    The result was information leak, the wandering or solitary cultivators would discuss these things with each other and the beggars would transfer the information to Hao Ren efficiently.


    Hao Ren had not talked to Han Lingshi in the past hundred days. He was very anxious, but he could not say anything about this because his hundred days meant Han Lingshi''s ten days. This was not a big enough period of time for the young lady but he had been lonely.


    Hao Mei had been busy with convincing her people about the transition and also finding information about the royal families. The young man clasped his hands behind his back when he came to the entertainment area of the city and suddenly, he saw a familiar face.


    He could not help but smile and walk inside a shop. The shop was small, but it was filled with people and there was a small couple of little children who were playing music with their Guqins.


    Hao Ren walked up to the reception counter and greeted the person, "Grandma Hua, long time no see."


    The person behind the counter raised her head to look at Hao Ren and then revealed a surprised expression before she calmed down and said, "Long time no see, indeed. I did not expect you to have come over so quickly."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I loved the food I ate at your place so much that I could not resist coming over."


    Hua Shayun smiled faintly and said, "I thought you will hold a grudge against me for hiding the truth."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I don''t think you hid anything from me. However, I do have a few questions."


    The old lady nodded and Hao Ren asked, "Why did you suddenly came here?"


    Hua Shayun replied, "It is because my vacation had come to an end."


    Hao Ren was surprised and then chuckled as he said, "To think that you set up the teahouse over their to enjoy a vacation, quite remarkable."

 Chapter 229 Imperial Dynamics.

    Hao Ren and Hua Shuyan were sitting across each other and they were having a cup of tea. The young man replied, "This is good tea."


    The old lady nodded, and asked, "You have grown quite strong, but why haven''t I seen your name in the fame list?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Fame list records the people who have displayed great martial prowess. I, on the other hand, happen to be a businessman. I have eighteen branches of a restaurant called the Crescent Moon Restaurant, how will I appear in the list."


    Hua Shuyan nodded and said, "While you are correct, if you want to it will help you in your future goals."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and the lady said, "I am one of the Envoys of the Tower Of Light. Although I do not work with them directly, I still correspond to Lady Mei."


    The young man was surprised and asked, "How do you know her? I thought that the story about her helping you with the business was a cover."


    Hua Shuyan shook her head and replied, "Lady Mei did help me with my business, but that was not on the Blue Star, but this world. So, it was not a lie."


    Hao Ren understood and nodded, before he asked, "Well, what sort of gains are you talking about Grandma Hua?"


    Hua Shuyan thought for a bit and took a few sips of tea from her cup before she said, "Well, in a few coming months, there is going to be a martial arts and spiritual arts competition in the City. If you can climb the top ranks, not only will you make direct contact with the rich and affluent, but also get first hand information.


    To achieve a goal you must participate in it actively, for now, your approach is quite passive."


    Hao Ren nodded in understanding, Hua Shuyan was correct, he had been gathering information but it was still not yet convenient for him to make a move. He mumbled, "In the jungle only strong can make ripples."


    The old lady was shocked and asked, "Do you really have such a technique on your person?"


    Hao Ren nodded, he was not lying, forget about an Earth Level Technique, even if she wanted a Heaven Level Technique, he had hundreds of them in his system mall. He would be able to exchange them with spirit stones. This was the key to why he asked her to place her demand.


    Also, being a businessman, he knew what Hua Shuyan wanted and given her surprised reaction, it seemed to be very urgent, and since he had it in his hand, he could control the initiative.


    Hua Shuyan took a deep breath and said, "There are five forces in the capital city, Zhen family, they are orthodox Buddhist people, and one of the King''s four concubines happen to be one of their gems. The second is the Shen family, they are always at odds with the Buddhist and the literary people. The Shen family is responsible for the northern front, Tiger Sabre Mountain."


    Hao Ren furrowed his brows, and Hua Shuyan continued, "The Jiang Family is the second military family, they are a bit lower in terms of status from the Shen Family, and handle the western front, the Napah City, and finally comes the Liang family, they are the descendants of the dukes, that handle the southern front and the governance of the cities all over the kingdom.


    Their ancestor is one of the royal guardians and thus they have high loyalty and high strength.


    Finally, the royal family, Hu. There are seven princes, and two princesses. The king is reaching the end of his lifetime and within another two decades the struggle for the throne will kick off. In this country, you need to showcase your strength to make them submit."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Your information is very useful, here is the technique you asked for.."


    ...


    After another hour Hao Ren came out of the teahouse and mumbled, "Well, it


    is about time to change gears."

 Chapter 230 Arrival Of The Princess.

    Hao Ren returned to his courtyard and entered the kitchen, he began preparing the ingredients and the condiment for the coming days, he was going to cook the entire night and then leave the rest to the others.


    He was cooking because he wanted to but to sort his thoughts. From the meeting with Hua Shuyan he discovered about the importance of the competition and at the same time, he learned about the dynamics of power in the Primus city.


    After he cleared his thoughts, it was already the break of dawn, he went back to the courtyard and found that everyone was getting ready to open the shop for the day. He let the children go and waved his hand to the three ladies.


    Xi, Reni, and Yan stood before him with a curious look on their faces, and Hao Ren said, "You need to be mindful of the Zhen, Jiang, Shen, and the royal family, Hu.


    I want to know the details of their young talents, and also what they are truly capable of. For the next week, I will be practicing before I go to the wilderness to face a tribulation. Do not make any moves, but find me all the information that you can."


    The three did not know what spurred Hao Ren but they nodded and got to work. Hao Ren entered his room, and sat down on a rattan mat. Just when he was about to focus on cultivation, a calm voice sounded in his mind, "Ren, are you there?"


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, "Where have you been, Lingshi?"


    Han Lingshi had contacted him, after a full hundred days. The young lady replied, "I apologize but I had gone into seclusion at a remote island and was busy fighting spirit beasts."


    Hao Ren shook his head, it was obvious that such a situation would occur frequently as they cultivated and he did not really want to blame Han Lingshi because it was his decision to not inform her about the time flow difference. He asked, "Are you okay? You did not get injured did you?"


    Han Lingshi said, "I am fine, I even tamed a beast, and when I bought it back thinking Xiao Xue will form a spirit contract, the beast protested, and it chose Agnee as his master. Mom said it could be because of her talent."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It is good, Agnee will also get an early exposure to the cultivation world and the shift won''t be too big. How is everyone else doing?"


    Han Lingshi and the young man exchanged a small talk, before the latter said, "I met the old lady from the sunshine teahouse. She is a member of the Tower Of Light. We exchanged information and from the looks of it, I will be participating in a martial competition to establish my prestige."


    He did not tell her the date, but he only told her what he was going to do in general. Han Lingshi also began to talk to him about the advancements she has made in cultivation and business alike. Hao Ren also told her about some basic expansion. He did not tell her that the network was growing at a fast speed.


    The couple took their sweet time talking to each other before Han Lingshi was called away by Xiao Mei because she needed to attend some meetings. After the merger of the two companies have been renamed and they were called, Thunder Spirit Group. The latest product that rolled out in the market was virtual reality pods, that could stimulate a lot of scenarios.


    At the moment, Thunder Spirit Group was busy creating a virtual world. Hao Ren told Han Lingshi, to adjust the virtual reality pod and fill it with the martial art scenarios. Or better, the next time Hao Mei went over, she could send one of Xiao Mei''s copies and some high speed server equipment in multiple space rings for him to set up and calibrate the equipment on his own.


    Hao Ren just put up the facade of fetching the food to the respectable guests. However, looking at the atmosphere of the place, the young man frowned. He arrived before the courtyard where a couple of foundation building guards stood with stoic expression on their faces.


    They raised their spears and said, "Men cannot enter the courtyard of the Princess. Leave."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "I am the owner of this place and came to fetch the food I cooked for Her Highness personally. This is my way of showing respect to the guests. Also, I would suggest that you ask the Princess and not make decisions for her."


    The young man did not lower his voice deliberately, the surrounding guests saw that Hao Ren was unafraid in the face of royal guards and were impressed by this. Almost no one dared to stand so firmly before the guards. The armored guards felt embarrassed and they revealed their aura.


    Hao Ren snorted casually and dispelled the aura. The guards were shocked to see that this young man was a peak core formation realm expert. They were scared by the aura that covered them after the snort, but they could not let him go in.


    At this moment, a voice sounded from the courtyard, "Owner Hao, please come in."


    Hao Ren took back the pressure and the soldiers moved to the side before gesturing him to go in. Hao Ren was not someone who would bow his head to just anyone.


    The crescent moon hotel of the Primus City was set up between a cluster of courtyards and this courtyard was reserved for the royal family. The decorations were natural luxury consisting of exotic flowers, small pond with fish inside, and rockery.


    As Hao Ren entered, he located three people sitting under the pavilion near the pond. He walked over pushing the trolley. Outside the pavilion be bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."


    He did not even look at her, and just greeted. The princess was dressed in a red and gold warrior robe. She asked in a calm voice, "Owner Hao, are you not looking at my visage because you respect me or is it because you think I am too ugly?"


    Hao Ren raised his head calmly and said, "Beauty is a subjective thing, Your Highness. Pardon me but I am not aware of the royal etiquettes, if my gaze were to offend you, the repercussions would be too much."


    The lady smiled and said, "You are a bit to cautious, Owner Hao."


    Hao Ren smiled gently, his eyes did not fluctuate even when he saw a scar running along the cheek of the princess. He calmly served the food, and guessed the identity of the two people beside her. One was a golden core expert, and other was a body refining rookie. Hao Ren could say that the former was a bodyguard and the latter was a maid.


    As for the cultivation base of the princess, he could not sense and neither did he wish to. The princess said, "Have a seat, Owner Hao, I would like to discuss a few things with you."


    Hao Ren knew that the Princess had come over with some agenda, and sure enough, she did not beat around the bush.

 Chapter 231 Opportunity. (Bonus Chapter)

    Hao Ren wasn''t surprised by the fact that the lady wanted to talk to him, after all, with the wealth that was flowing in was indeed attractive, and for him it was better that someone from the royal family had come over to talk.


    The young man took out a wooden stool from his space ring and placed it a few meters away from the table where the food was. The bodyguard of the princess asked, "Why do you sit so far away?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I am not yet capable of sharing the dining table with the Princess. Plus, none of our hotel staff dine or share the same sitting space with the guests."


    His voice was calm and firm, his eyes gazed at the lady for a moment before returning to the Princess. This time Hao Ren saw properly that the princess had a long scar on her face, her shoulders were square, and he even noticed the callous and scratch marks on her fair hands. The princess asked, "What do you think, Owner Hao, are my scars fearsome?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "In this world, one has to be strong and scars from battle and martial practice are all akin to medals you won for surviving those situations, Your Highness."


    The princess tasted a morsel of food and raised her brow at his words, as she remarked, "Then looking at you it seems to me that you have never walked into the life and death situations."


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded, "You caught me, Your Highness."


    He paused and asked, "May I ask what did you wish to discuss?"


    The Princess said, "I reckon that you have been earning a lot of money. You have been paying your taxes as well, but why have you been feeding the poor by yourself, could you not go through the palace management?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Your Highness, is it wrong for me to distribute the surplus food to those in need? Why bother the palace for such an insignificant task?"


    The princess looked at him for a prolonged moment, and then asked, "Don''t you think that your actions could cause the people to harbor ill will towards the authorities?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and shook his head as he said, "If you say it like that, Your Highness, it sounds more like you are aware of the mistakes made in the administration and also of the sufferings of the masses."


    The bodyguard narrowed her gaze and her grip on the hilt of the sword tightened. The maid also looked at Hao Ren with anger. After all, this commoner just denounced the Princess. However, the Princess cleared her throat and the atmosphere eased.


    She asked, "I am just a wildling in the eyes of the King, and my powers are limited. How can I do anything about the mess they have made?"


    Hao Ren smiled, he thought, ''This girl is ambitious but is holding her own against the King because of her battle skills. There must be one of the military factions or the Warring Peak sect that supports her.''


    He said, "Your highness, your powers may be limited but they exist, nonetheless. When I was a kid, my sister used to cook for me with whatever skill she had and although it was not heavenly, it gave satiated my hunger. I have always been thankful for her for that.


    The policies are made by the strong, but sometimes the strong forget a very basic thing."


    The princess asked, "What basic thing?" Experience new tales on empire


    Hao Ren replied, "You do not have to undermine someone else to glorify yourself. Everyone is aware that at this moment, the political lobby of the great Warring Nation is rather chaotic."


    The Princess smiled and replied, "Owner Hao, you are quite insightful."


    The young man bowed and said, "Right away, Young master."


    ...


    Hu Baihe was riding in her carriage, when her maid asked, "Your Highness, how presumptuous of that Owner Hao to joke that he would ban you. How could he?"


    The princess smiled and said, "He was not joking."


    The face of the two ladies changed and the princess continued, "Food is a luxury, and wasting it is a bad thing. On the battlefield many times we have to go without eating anything for days, so we know that wasting food is a bad thing. We even have a punishment for those who waste food, so he is right."


    The maid did not like this and wanted to say something when Hu Baihe, said, "Sister Ao, inform Master, I would like to meet her."


    The bodyguard was surprised and asked, "Miss, are you sure about this?"


    The princess looked out of the carriage window and nodded resolutely. She was going to join the fray and compete for the throne.


    ...


    Hao Ren came back to his courtyard and sat in a rocking chair. As he was thinking about things, he made five small flame balls, all as small as specks of grain and they were revolving around his head. This was a method he had come up with to learn flame control. The darkness of night shrouded the world and Xi, Yan and Reni came up to him.


    They had been waiting to report about the crucial details they found about the royal family.


    As they reported Hao Ren began to take note of a few things, and when they were done, he asked, "The Princess, Hu Baihe, her standing in the royal family is that of an outsider, you said that the reason she has not been murdered by the people just yet is because she has support from the Grand Elder Of The Warring Peak, right?"


    The three ladies nodded, and Hao Ren said, "Hmm, the upcoming competition is not only a chance to get on the heroes list, but also an opportunity for the king to decide who will become the next heir."


    Yan nodded and said, "The king did not even announce who the crown prince would be to avoid the conflict as much as he can but now his cultivation has regressed because he has been embroiled in the affairs of the secular world. To extend his life, he will retire within five years at most. This is a crucial time for them."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Well, the strength of the other Princes is below Hu Baihe, because she is not a green house flower like them. So even if they have skills they will not last for too long. Keep an eye on them, the moment she announces her intention to participate, they will try to attack her. Unless they use poison or similar means for assassination you do not need to act. Can that be done?"


    Xi nodded and said, "There are four princes that are the mastermind of such things, we will be placing in pawns with the help of the soul slaving talisman. It won''t be difficult."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Good, lets go and have dinner."


    Today was not an opportunity for Hu Baihe, but also for Hao Ren. He was going to use Hu Baihe to win the Warring Nations'' throne. The game was sinister, but it will get him results. Hu Baihe wanted to pursue the peak of martial arts, and Hao Ren wanted the throne. He will use Hu Baihe to make a deal with the Warring Peak as well, to make sure that when Han Lingshi arrives, everything is ready.


    ...


    Looking at the declining amount of power stones, I will try to update a bonus chapter (2000+ word count) every 150 power stones.

 Chapter 232 Close Call.

    Hao Ren spent his days cultivating, things in this world did not move fast, from the slave seal put on the maids and the eunuchs in the royal palace, Hao Ren found out that Hu Baihe has laid down the gauntlet by announcing her ambition to compete for the throne which shocked the entire royal household.


    Some people tried to hold her back by saying that the throne can only be governed by a male and not a female. However, Hu Baihe was strong and said, "If there was no need of a woman in the world then all the males would have been queer and sterile."


    She was grounded and reprimanded by the King, but she protested and even said that if someone in the same realm as her could defeat her she would take her own head off. The king was left helpless and told her to stay inside her dwellings this entire time.


    Explore more at empire


    Hao Ren couldn''t help but sigh and look at Reni, "It would be best if she used this time to stay inside and calm her temperament. This is better because now she does not have any other thing to do and can focus on her martial arts without worrying about her safety. If any of the princes made any move, they will be incurring a death penalty for defying the King''s command."


    Reni nodded and asked, "Young Master, the other members of the royal family have also come over but you always say that you are at a crucial stage of your cultivation and excuse yourself. Why so? Having more pawns will mean having more ways to move, right?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "You are not wrong, but according to the information we have, the character of these pawns is not worth betting on. Just yesterday, the fourth prince was found meddling with the people from the Bright Peace Temple, and was sent to nether prison. Do you think the other princes would let that young man come out alive?"


    Reni shook her head and said, "I doubt that, Sister Yan found out that the people are using every spare moment of their time to attack the forces and the family behind the fourth prince. The Zhen family has suffered great losses this time. I speculate that after this whole turmoil comes to an end, the Zhen Family might loss their position in the court or cease to exist altogether."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "It is not yet set in stone. These old families have a foundation deeper than we think. Thankfully the Warring nation is a weaker country than the others, and we can use it for practice and assessment of the future."


    Reni smiled and said, "If the old people hiding in the royal tomb heard you, they might cough up blood."


    Hao Ren smiled and closed his eyes to start cultivating again.


    ...


    Han Lingshi took a sip of tea, as Xiao Mei said, "Sis, I wonder how did these officials agreed to letting us have the rights."


    The young lady unbuttoned her professional coat and leaned back in the chair. She said, "They agreed because they know that the Thunder Spirit Group has been contributing in the national economy and infrastructure. Thanks to you, the technology growth in the country has accelerated by at least twenty years give or take. We are now the leaders of technology in the world.


    The three girls talked about topics that varied from the ground of cultivation to the imperial family when suddenly they received an alert message. They all trained their gaze to the west. Xi said, ''I will talk, you all be prepared to attack as soon as you sense any ill-will.''


    Soon, they saw a carriage being pulled by two lions as big as a horse. Xi said, "Fellow Daoist, please take a detour, my young master is cultivating here."


    Her voice was loud, and her tone was calm. However, it did not seem to affect the riders in the carriage. Xi took out a chessboard in her hand and was ready to make a move when the carriage stopped and a dignified voice sounded from the cabin, "It seems that the royal family is losing face in the Warring Nation since I was away."


    The faces of the three ladies changed and they saw the crest of the royal family engraved on the doors of the carriage. Yan said, ''Xi, the third prince.''


    Xi immediately cupped her fist and bowed her head as she said, "We beg your pardon, Your Highness, our young master happen to be in a crucial stage of his cultivation so we had no choice but to ask for your understanding."


    The person snorted and a strong pressure radiated from the carriage. It did not affect the ladies much. They were not afraid of the Prince, but the shadow guard that was protecting him.


    Sure enough, the Prince said, "Master Gan, please clear these insignificant people. I am getting late for my reception with Father."


    The door of the cabin was pushed open and sure enough a Soul Transformation Stage expert walked out. This person wore a grey robe and his head was full of silver hair. His gaze was locked onto the three ladies, the difference seemed to be that of a realm, but the difference was that of one elephant facing ten.


    Just when the old man was about to make his move, a calm voice sounded, "It has been a long time since I saw someone who think they can hold the sky with one hand."


    Hao Mei appeared between the three ladies and the old man. Her appearance shocked the old man who said, "Lady Blizzard Blade, what brings you here?"


    Hao Mei smiled and replied, "My brother is going through a tribulation, where else should I be if not here? This kid is rather careless, you see, Master Gan, he does not know that one should choose hidden places to go through tribulation. Tch, I will have to scold him later. However, since you have come out, would you like to try if my blade can chill your soul?"


    Her words made the elder''s face change and he stayed silent, before he said, "His Highness is magnanimous, he understands your situation and agrees to take a detour but I advice you to teach your brother better, to not cause trouble to others in the future."


    Then with a flick of his sleeves, he went inside the cabin and the carriage drove away. Reni remarked, "You came at the right time, My lady."


    Hao Mei sighed and said, "I was coming to watch him participate in the battle tournament, but did not expect to find such a scene before me. Well, let us talk later, the tribulation is descending."

 Chapter 233 Battle Tournament.

    Hao Ren passed the tribulation without much difficulty. His special physique improved to another level. The wounds he suffered healed when the heavenly providence rained upon him. His spiritual sense increased and anything within the range of one kilometre was not too far for him to detect.


    As he stood on the ground, his eyes flickered, the sparks of the golden spirit flame inside his body flickered through his eyes. The young man took a deep breath as he retrieved a set of clothing as he looked at his sister who was watching him from a distance.


    He used his Cloud Breeze Step and came closer to her in a blink. He asked, "How have you been?"


    Experience new stories on empire


    Hao Mei patted his head and said, "I am having an existential crisis."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "What happened?"


    The young lady said, "You are catching up to my cultivation and I am beginning to doubt life."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and asked, "Let''s go back, I have somethings to discuss with you."


    The people quickly moved away from the place; they did not mind the fact that someone was stalking them in the distance. Hao Ren was able to sense some fluctuation but since Hao Mei did not say anything, he did not kick a fuss over it as well.


    ...


    In the distance, two people, one young and one old, stood in the void with their eyes trained at the group that was headed back to the city. The old man was none other than Elder Gan who had been told to move away by Hao Mei and the sturdy young man happened to be none other than the Third Prince, Hu Jitian.


    Hu Jitian asked, "Master Gan, why didn''t you fight that woman?"


    His tone was authoritative and his gaze was cold. The old man replied, "Your Highness, that lady is a famous bounty hunter from the northern region. The technique she practices is strange and is capable of freezing the souls of the enemies she confronts. Let alone me, someone at the peak of Soul Transformation wouldn''t guarantee total victory against her."


    Hu Jitian frowned and asked, "To think that she is such a strong person. However, not giving face to the royal family. They need to be taught a lesson."


    Gan did not say anything because it was not his place to. The royal family of the warring nation has always been arrogant because of their strength. Sighing internally, he said, "Your Highness, we shall get to the city. Making his Majesty wait is not right to do."


    Hu Jitian nodded and then they left.


    ...


    Hao Ren and Hao Mei sat facing each other and the two of them were playing chess. The young man asked, "Who was that guy?"


    Hao Mei replied, "It was the Third Prince of the Warring Nation."


    Hao Ren nodded thoughtfully and placed the stone on the board as he asked, "What do you think?"


    He was asking her if they should be worried about his retaliation. The young lady replied calmly, "Well, these royal wards are all haughty. He will certainly try to do something against us."


    Hao Ren put away the Qin and stood up and said, "I will go now. Would you come?"


    Hao Mei shook her head and said, "It is just going to be preliminary, the final will start tomorrow. I will go if you make it there."


    Hao Ren nodded and then left the place with Reni in two. He asked, "Sister Reni are you also going to participate in the tournament?"


    Reni nodded and said, "Young Miss said I should do it."


    Hao Ren asked, "Well, do your best."


    Reni nodded and replied, "I am thankful for the fact that you will be participating in a different category."


    The young man smiled as they reached the venue. The competition was held in the ground of the royal palace. A lot of people were gathered together at the gates of the grounds. There were four gates of the ground and royal guards were keeping order. Everyone was standing in a queue and they were seemingly waiting for their turn.


    Hao Ren saw a few familiar faces and he also saw some new faces. He stood behind a middle-aged man and said, "Sister Reni, what is the first test?"


    The young lady said, "Young Master, the first test is the identity confirmation, and strength confirmation."


    Hao Ren nodded and the crawled over behind the crowd before they heard loud gasps coming from the front of the crowd, someone exclaimed, "The third prince has a hitting power of ten tigers."


    The people were surprised, Hao Ren looked at Reni and asked with his spirit sense, ''Is the power of ten tigers considered very strong?''


    Reni smiled and replied, ''The power level is divided in three levels, bulls, then tigers, and then dragons. Ten tigers are the strength of middle nascent soul realm. So, given his age, this is considered to be a good, one of the geniuses.''


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head, before he said, ''I wonder how much strength shall I display.''


    Reni said, ''Try to hold back some strength, no one here is revealing their complete strength. They are all holding back for the real competition tomorrow.''


    The young man nodded and then after an hour it was their turn. Hao Ren was about to go ahead when Hu Baihe came over with a smile on her face. She patted him on the shoulder and asked, "Well, I did not expect that you came over."


    Hao Ren cupped his fist and said, "Greetings, Your Highness."


    Hu Baihe smiled at him and said, "Are you drawing lines with me?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "It is not drawing lines, but maintaining proper manners."


    The princess nodded and then said, "Go and check your strength, then we will talk."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he walked up to the pillar. The official standing under the pillar first inspected the identity pass, and then said, "Please hit the pillar with your best attack, strength of ten bulls is considered to be eligible for battle competition."


    Hao Ren nodded and took a deep breath while walking up to the pillar, before he stepped forward and his punch landed on the pillar. The seemingly unremarkable punch shook the crowd into silence.

 Chapter 234 Simple Needs.

    Hao Ren stood under the pillar, took a deep breath and then he stepped forward to hit the pillar with a seemingly unremarkable punch. The impact caused the space to tremble. The crowd fell silent completely, even if someone was to breath a bit heavier, it was heard by everyone.


    The fifth Princess opened her eyes wide when she looked at the gems that lit up on the pillar. The stone pillar was embedded with crystals that lit up when a strong vibration rushed through them. One gem was equal to the strength of ten bulls. Ten gems were equal to ten tigers, and Hao Ren just lit up eleven gems, that classified his strength to be equal to that of a dragon.


    He displayed the strength of one hundred and ten bulls in one punch that was not even his best.


    The shock that ran through the minds of the people was obvious and it was expected. Someone exclaimed, "Strength of a Dragon, he is the strongest participant till now."


    Reni furrowed her brows as she looked at the person coldly. Hao Ren looked at the soldier and asked, "Is it okay for me to participate?"


    The soldier shivered and then nodded before handing over a small token before saying, "Please wait around till this round is finished and then you will have to make a draw."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he turned to look at the shocked Princess, "Your Highness, shall we go to the teahouse outside the ground?"


    Hu Baihe woke up from her daze and nodded to him before they both left slowly. Reni stepped up and quickly finished her assessment. Then she followed Hao Ren and the princess silently.


    The crowd all looked over at them, as they left the stadium.


    ...


    Inside the teahouse, the Princess reserved a private room and them erected a spiritual barrier around them. She remarked, "Your strength is superb, I did not expect you to have such talent."


    Hao Ren smiled faintly but did not comment on this. Instead, he asked, "Can you tell me what do you mean by the message you sent yesternight?"


    Hu Baihe nodded and said, "Among all the princes, only third brother is capable of snatching the Throne from me. It is not because of his strength, but it is also because of the connections he has won over the years with his battle skills. The Shen family supports him and the Second Prince.


    The second prince has a weaker strength and martial talent, so he willingly gave in to work under the command of his younger. He is making up for the political weakness of the Third Prince.


    Hu Jitian has at least half the court in his pocket. So, the first thing he did at the reception yesterday was to rally his people to teach the owner of the Crescent Moon Restaurant a lesson as they dared to ask him to take a detour and overruled his dignity."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "I am not sure if they allow killing the opponent in battle."


    His special physique and his eidetic memory enabled him to experiment with skills and techniques. In the world of martial arts the best that one could do was never to imitate the technique they inherited from someone but to find a way that was the best suited for them. Hao Ren was doing just that. His mind worked fast and he began to understand the meaning of the fundamental boxing technique.


    The young man practiced till the sun rose on the horizon and even then he did not stop. The children all watched him and they began to comprehend the boxing technique. Although they had not talked about this subject but in their hearts Hao Ren was their master for their lives. Hao Ren also did not step back from giving them the guidance they needed.


    Apart from some special things he did not hide anything from them, especially martial arts that could make the children stronger.


    Hao Mei watched him practicing from the side and when he stopped to absorb the Yang energy radiating from the sun, she said, "Ren, you are getting late for the tournament. Go."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Alright." Your next chapter is on empire


    He smiled and walked over to hug her. She was surprised by this sudden display of affection and embraced him back. The young man asked, "If I win the competition would you bake a cake for me?"


    Hao Mei was surprised but then she smiled and said, "I will and I will also make a flower on it."


    Hao Ren used to love the cakes she baked whenever he did something good. The young man was not acting like a child, but it was the mystery of his cultivation technique that made him true to his emotions.


    ...


    The crowd was gathering at the stadium when someone exclaimed, "Look, there are the Princes."


    The people paid attention to the princes, and the arrogant royal wards raised their chins before someone said, "Look, there is the dark horse."


    Hao Ren arrived at the venue wearing a black silk tang suit. It was one of the suits that his mother has packed for him and Han Lingshi liked it. The young man wanted himself to be painted by the imperial painter to show Han Lingshi later.


    Just when he was about to enter the competitor''s gallery, a young man dressed in a white and gold python robes came over and said, "Owner Hao, greetings. I am Hu Tiagun, I have wanted to meet you for a long time."


    Hao Ren looked at the man and cupped his fist, he was not a fool to not guess the identity of this person and asked, "Greetings, Fifth Prince, I wonder what you need of me?"


    The young man chuckled and said, "Not much, my needs are very simple. I just want to make friends with you."


    Hao Ren smiled faintly but he did not say anything. This guy had come over to win favor, but Hao Ren was not a fool.

 Chapter 235 Round One.

    Hao Ren had a faint smile resting on his lips as the Fifth Prince stood before him asking to be friends. The former smiled and asked, "Your Highness, what status do I have to be your friend?"


    The fifth prince shook his head and said, "Brother Hao, you should not say this with just the strength you displayed, I am inferior to you."


    At this moment, a voice was heard from the side, "Since you know your place, why must you act out to reach high?"


    The discordant tone made everyone to look over, while the guards and the participants found themselves useless against this person, the spectators were shocked. The speaker was none other than the Fifth Princess, Hu Baihe.


    The masses were surprised because, although they knew about the Princess''s temper but they did not expect her to speak so blatantly even when she faced her own brother.


    Hu Taigun turned his head to look at his sister and asked with a cold face, "Have you literally lost your mind? How could you act like this in front of the people?"


    Hu Baihe smiled but her eyes were cold. She replied calmly, "I can talk anyway I want, at least, I am not desperate to befriend the people like you lot. Am I?"


    Her criticism was not limited to Hu Taigun but to the young men and women standing behind him as well. She approached Hao Ren and patted his shoulder, "Let''s go, I will take you inside. No need to waste time here."


    Hao Ren simply nodded and followed behind her. This made the faces of the people scrunch up bad. They did not expect that Hao Ren would ignore the Prince and the Scions of the Shen family so blatantly. They were counted as the rising young stars of the Primus City. Not only that, these people held great prestige throughout the Warring Nations.


    The only ten more people could compete against these guys, they were the disciples of the two sects. Hu Baihe was one of those disciples, and she was not at the top of the list. The power dynamics between the Royal Family, and the two sects was akin to a man balancing on a rope between three mountains. What Imperial family lacked in quality, they made up with quantity.


    Hu Baihe and Hao Ren entered the arena, and a guard came up to hand them two tokens. Hao Ren looked at his token and it had a character ''Zhe'' engraved on it, with a number written on the back, his was twenty four.


    He looked at the young lady beside her, and asked, "Why does your brother hates you so much?"


    Hu Baihe was shocked and looked at him, "How did you figure out he is my brother?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "You two have a striking resemblance. So, would you tell me what it is about?"


    Hu Baihe took a deep breath and slapped his shoulder as she said, "We were good when we were children. Our mother was a concubine coming from a low rank noble family. When she gave birth to us, they called us the pair of Phoenix and Dragon. The King doted on us, and favored our mother.


    However, one time she fell prey to the politics that went on inside the palace. She was framed of providing her low rank family with gains and money from the coffers. She was exiled by the same man who doted on her. Then outside the palace she was killed. I loved her, so I had snuck away from the palace to live with her.


    My brother, whom I thought was the same as me, turned out to have a heart of gold and it could not tolerate the winds of poverty. He betrayed me and told the Queen about me. They sent assassins, my mother was cut down along with her entire family. When I was brought back to the palace, I used the ceremonial knife from the king''s chamber to cut up my face.


    This mark reminds me of betrayal, and the hatred I harbor in my heart. This mark is my biggest pain, yet it is my armor too, otherwise, they might have sold me over to some nation for favor. There, now you know it."


    He looked at the other participants and found that they were also gazing at him after all they had noticed the guy who walked past the Prince and the young people like they were nothing but air.


    The proctor said, "Enter the ring and you have ten minutes to decide the outcome of the battle."


    Hao Ren jumped over followed by the rest of the people. The old man waved his hand and a barrier was erected. Someone among the twenty five looked at Hao Ren and said, "What do you guys say? How about we handle this kid first, I am sure the Princes will like it and might reward us?"


    That''s the reality of life. The wandering cultivators all lusted for benefits and they were very selfish. Hao Ren had expected this but then he sighed and vanished from his spot. He did not use any movement technique, but only his physical strength. The people were surprised but before they could react, Hao Ren appeared next to the speaker and his fist knocked the man out in one punch.


    He looked at the rest of the people and said, "If you wish to advance, fight. If you want to die, then come at me, I will kill each and everyone of you, and advance alone."


    His words shocked the people and also enraged them. They looked at Hao Ren and cursed him. "You think you are better than us all, huh? Sneak attacks does not prove strength. We will fight."


    Cultivators had there pride and so did these guys, Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders and vanished from his position before he said, "I warned you all."


    He punched all of them and all it took was an exact number of twenty three blows to knock out every one. The proctor was surprised and using his spiritual sense he realized that although the young man did not spill blood, but he indeed incapacitated the competitors.


    As the proctor he wanted to make a decision but then he turned to look at the chief inspector who said, "The seven cultivators who fell later will qualify along with this young man."


    Hao Ren sighed and though, ''I thought I would gain a direct entry to the semi finals. The position in top ten is ruined again by this bunch of people.''


    He retreated from the arena, and sure enough after ten minutes the battle in all the four sub-arenas came to an end. Hao Ren thought for a bit and then he looked over to the place where the martial artists were getting treated, and found Hu Baihe among that group. Some of his worries were sorted at this moment.


    Hu Baihe needed to advance to the higher ranks and then only would he be able to use her for his own gains.


    The first round of the competition came to an end, and the crowd became excited thinking about the one on one fights that were lined up for the upcoming rounds. The chief examiner said, "The second round will begin in one hour."


    Hao Ren found a relevantly secluded place and sat down to cultivate. He did not wish to delay his progress, in the first round he had not used an spiritual energy so it was easy for him to do this.


    In his soul sea, the spiritual energy was flowing in slowly, one drop at a time. Soon, the time was up, and the Chief inspector said, "The second round will now begin. Your name will be called upon once, and you will have one minute to appear on the stage. If you do not come through, it will be considered forfeit."


    Hao Ren raised his brows thinking that these people sure were in a hurry. He used his Yin and Yang eyes to observe the cultivators for a few minutes before he found that the members of the Warring Peak had already acquired some blood energy and one of them even had an aura dragon swirling around his body.


    A calm voice sounded in his mind, "Blood dragon is the key to enter the forbidden area of the Warring Nation. There lies the chance to conquer without drawing a sword."


    Hao Ren looked at the side and found Hao Mei standing in the spectator stand. He was surprised but the lady nodded to him in assurance, and the young man made up his mind.

 Chapter 236 Divine Strength.

    Sorry, I caught a stomach infection and yesterday I spent my day on the bed or the washroom. I am sorry to have missed the updates I promised but my health has always been an issue of concern. Will try to look after myself better.


    ...


    Hao Ren was sitting in the participant stands. While the people from the same group avoided him, the people from the other groups didn''t take him seriously. However, none of that affected Hao Ren.


    He sat with his eyes closed and waited for the next round. After the resting period passed, the chief inspector said, "Time''s up, for the second round, you will face a random opponent, and the winners will be promoted to the next stage."


    The people nodded and a couple of guards rushed around the spectator stand with big boxes in his hands. The old inspector said, "Stop."


    The guards stopped and the old man said, "The audience before whom the guard is standing, please put your hand inside and take out a ball."


    The audience members hesitated but the they picked out a ball as asked of them. Soon, thirty two audience members had selected sixteen pairs of balls. These balls were collected and bought over to the inspector. The old man looked at the first pair and said, "Jian ten, and Zen Five, come to the stage."


    The four mini arenas have been merged into one big arena. Hao Ren did not notice when this happened, but it happened. As he was thinking about reading some books on array formation, two participants walked up to the stage. The four old proctors appeared around them and cast a barrier.


    The chief said, "You both know the rules, but let me remind you one more time. The battle will stop when one of you has lost the capacity to fight, is dead or admits defeat. The loser will give up his entire blood energy to the winner. Do you understand?"


    The two fighters replied with a yes, and Hao Ren leaned back in his seat to watch them fight. The battle began, on one side was a young monk wearing a red kasaya, and the other party held a sword. The contrast between the two was strong, however, their battle prowess was almost the same.


    The monk used his hands to block the sword, and the sword tried to find a way through the defense. The first one to make a mistake would pay the price. Hao Ren lost interest after an exchange of hundred blows, and the first one to make a mistake was the young monk. The swordsman was ruthless and stabbed his sword through the young monk''s torso.


    The monk used his palm to push away the swordsman and said, "I concede."


    The chief inspector nodded and said, "The winner is Renshi Kuan."


    The people cheered, the fan following of the Warring Peak in the nation was even higher than the royal family. Why? Because the ancestor of the Warring Peak was a full fledged Dao Integration Realm cultivator.


    The chief inspector was a man in the Soul Transformation realm, and Hao Ren talked to him without any fear or reverence. The old man narrowed his gaze and said, "Winner, Hao Ren!"


    The barrier was removed and Hao Ren went back to his seat. In his mind, Hao Mei''s voice sounded, "Did you use your complete strength?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, ''No, this is just ten percent of it. I did not wish to kill them so soon. Let us wait for me to come back from the forbidden area and then we will see how to handle them.''


    Hao Mei nodded, and the matches continued. Sixteen people qualified for the next round including Hao Ren. The chief inspector said, "The qualified participants will gather at the stadium tomorrow morning and they will fight each other again in two rounds to decide the best four."


    Hao Ren stood up and disregarding the looks of the other participants made his way out. He ran into Hu Baihe, who greeted him and asked, "Shall we have some tea?"


    Hao Ren nodded and then both went to the same tea house. Hao Mei also came over, the young man made the introductions and asked, "Why did the Princess call me over?"


    Hu Baihe smiled and said, "Can you never overlook the main thing?"


    Hao Ren smiled faintly but did not speak. Hu Baihe looked around and said, "If you meet any princes, kill them."


    Hao Mei furrowed her brows and wanted to say something, when Hao Ren asked, "What will I gain from doing that? The royal family will come after my business, as I told you, I will not kill them."


    Hu Baihe shook her head and said, "Senior Brother Mad Blade has assured me that as long as you manage to kill them, the Warring Peak will provide you with protection."


    The young man shook his head and replied, "I made my business on my own, I will not allow anyone else to come and take it over. Do you think I am a fool who does not know that in the cover of giving me protection the Warring Peak would be asking me for a cut in the profit?


    You might think of me as a loner, but I have connections in the market and every boss who has relied on the protection from the warring peak, is bleeding their hard earned money. With all due respect Your Highness, I do not want to associate with such forces that are beyond my control."


    Hu Baihe frowned, she thought of herself being placed in Hao Ren''s position. Hao Ren continued, "You wish to have them looked upon as if they are unworthy, if I meet any of them I will defeat them. As for that third Prince, if I meet him, then he will try to kill me and in return I will kill him. Apart from that, I do not want to incur the wrath of the people over me."


    Hu Baihe wanted to say something when Hao Mei said, "Your highness, to walk the path and reach the peak, you cannot always use a borrowed knife. Warring Peak favors strength, if they favor you that much, then you should ask them to handle this matter by themselves. I know that you are an upright person, but if you follow to many advices, you will end up becoming what you hate the most."


    While the trio was talking, the matter of Hao Ren having divine strength was being discussed by the people. They wanted to come up with ways to deal with him.

 Chapter 237 Self Righteous Buddha.

    Hao Ren and Hao Mei returned to the Crescent Moon Restaurant and they found that the business had slowed down a bit. Yan approached him and said, "Young Master, the divine general families have issued a notice, if the nobles and the merchants dared to dine in our shop then they will become the enemies of the Divine General Families."


    The young man thought for a bit and then went to the corridor and picked up a brush and paper. Xiao Si saw this and came over to help him grind the ink. Hao Ren smiled and patted her head gently as he asked, "What does Xiao Si want?"


    The little girl looked up at him and then she checked the surroundings before she leaned closer to him and said, "Big Brother Ren, can you make Xiao Si a nice jade hairpin? That day one customer had a jade hair pin which looked so pretty like a flower blooming. Xiao Si knows it is expensive, she will work harder."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "You little one, you do not have to work harder, just work as much as you do daily and I will get you a the hairpin soon."


    The two people talked while the rest watched them from the distance. Hao Mei was curious as to what Hao Ren was going to do, and sure enough, she saw him pick up the brush and write with confident strokes.


    After he was done, he said, "Sister Yan, go and hang this on the entrance for everyone to see."


    Yan nodded and hurriedly came over, after she read the content she was surprised and then she smiled. She placed the paper at the entrance, and a few minutes later, the flow of customers increased.


    The paper read, ''We offer twenty percent discount to anyone who dines for the next three days. The amount we earn during the next three days will be multiplied two times and then submitted to the Imperial palace for the welfare of Military families, and the widows of our fallen soldiers.''


    This move appeared to be a business tactic, but in reality, this was a move that pushed the divine general families in a corner. If they dared make moves against a place that was willing to empty out its own pockets for the good of the fallen soldiers, then the image of the divine general families will drown in the depths of a cesspool.


    ...


    In the evening, Hao Ren sat down with Hao Mei and the latter asked, "They know about your strength, and you do not have any high level skills. What do you intend to do tomorrow?"


    Hao Ren leaned back in his chair while he gently stroked the strings of the Qin in his lap and said, "I have my cards, do not worry, if they tried to kill me for real, I will erase them from existence, regardless of them being Royal lackies or the disciples of some shit level sect."


    The monk replied, "To safeguard my beliefs."


    Hao Ren shrugged and replied, "My reason is the same. I seek strength to protect what I believe in."


    Vajra was surprised, but then he smiled faintly and asked, "In this secular, what could be worth saving?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "There are many things to safe master. Like the innocence of a child, the hope residing in the heart of a homeless person, the dignity of a fallen soldier''s family, the pride of a widow. All these things are worth saving. Before I become the buddha, I should become a human."


    His words shocked Vajra, and not only him but all the monks in the arena. This simple sentence shook their Dao Hearts. Hao Ren smiled faintly and continued, "Little Master, a mother bears so much pain that it could break all the bones in her body, just to bring us to life. If we do not pay back the debt of life to her by being filial, would we be humans?


    What sort of buddha will one become when they did not even understand the basics of humanity? After all, isn''t Buddha someone who also used to walk the path of humanity? Only when we have paid back the debts we owe can we severe the threads of fate and ascend to become a buddha, no?"


    Vajra shivered, everyone watched this scene. While these people had been gaining information against Hao Ren, the latter also did the same, and he knew that Vajra had run away from home because he was discriminated against by his family for being a weak child. In the buddha temple he found a way to survive and grow stronger. He severed the bonds and trained with a single mind.


    However, these words were not enough to let Hao Ren win the battle, and the Little Master asked back, "Would you still say the same thing if you were discriminated against by your birth parents?"


    Hao Ren smiled and chuckled as he said, "Little Master, I say this because I was discriminated against by my birth parents? I have to understand that they are humans as well. Even though, I have yet to forgive them, I cannot deny the fact that they are my parents. The threads of fate do not follow the words we use to command ourselves. They follow the will of fate (Author''s mind).


    You made your body as strong as the the Vajra, but did you forge your emotions too? The grievances in you heart are the chinks in your armor, had you managed to let it go, you might have been stronger and better equipped to safeguard your beliefs, but at the moment, you are just a weak child who ran away from home. I wonder if the elders have even let you go back to where you came from to even check on your birth parents."


    His words stunned the people, because from the outside they could see that every word from Hao Ren''s mouth was akin to a punch that left more and more cracks in the heart of the young monk. Sure enough, after a few minutes, Little Master Vajra puked a mouthful of blood and fell to the ground.


    Hao Ren looked at the chief inspector, who checked Vajra, and found that the monk''s foundation has been damaged before announcing Hao Ren to be the winner.

 Chapter 238 Quarter Finals.

    Hao Ren returned to the seat without minding the gazes of the Buddhist disciples. They all gained the information that Hao Ren''s words caused damage to Little Master Vajra. They were angry, and someone said, "I wonder if he practices the evil ways of witchcraft?"


    This murmur reached Hao Mei and she frowned. She used her spirit sense, and said, ''Ren, there is a rumor going on about you that you might practice witchcraft. In the next fight, you need to show them something or it might draw attention from the Big monks, and the hunters on Warring Peak.''


    Hao Ren simple replied to her, ''Okay.''


    Enjoy more content from empire


    The young man really wanted to smack the hell out of the person who started this rumor. He raised his head and using his Yin and Yang eyes he began to inspect the surroundings carefully. He also used his augmented hearing. A lot of murmurs flowed in his ears, he found that people were really talking about him, and the opinion did not seem to be good.


    He frowned and opened his eyes to look in the direction where he was being discussed most vividly, as expected, the monks were not as calm as they seemed to be on the surface.


    As the matches finished and the top eight were announced, the topic changed again. The top eight contenders were Ma Blade, also known as Mad Blade, Hu Jitian, the third prince of the Warring Nation, Hu Baihe, the fifth princess, Monk Prajna, the candidate who could ascend to the Arahat level, Shen Baitian, successor of the Shen General Family seat and duties. Jiang Qui, and Liang Hiefang, both were similar to Shen Baitian, they were the successors of their family seats and duties.


    Including Hao Ren, the number of participants added up to eight. Hu Baihe, and Ma Blade represented the forces of the warring peak, Monk Prajna stood for the Bright Peace Temple. However, Hu Jitian, Shen Baitian, Liang Hiefang, and Jiang Qui represented the strength of the royal court.


    Hao Ren raised his brow and a faint smirk appeared on his lips, as he thought, ''The dynamics of power are changing, it seems to me that the royal court wishes to be done with the sect and the temple in one go. What a meticulous plan, sure enough the king is not senile.''


    With this sudden change, many people in the shadows would be making a move, Hao Ren used his spirit sense to talk to his sister, ''Tell all the spies, not to act recklessly and just be normal, there might be some other old monsters hiding in the palace. We cannot give them a chance to take an action.''


    Hao Mei nodded, obviously, with the current situation she could also understand what was going on here. The pieces on the chess were all placed on the board equally. She looked at Xi beside her and told her what to do.


    Xi left the arena silently and headed back to her own secret operative center in the capital. This was how she operated the spies and Hao Ren did not intervene in it. He only told her to teach one of the twenty kids about her methods so that they could manage the situation in her absence. They were all reaching the threshold of Foundation Establishment realm.


    ...


    Prajna was stunned, and so were the people, even the Chief Inspector furrowed his brows, but soon he was shocked as he looked at Hao Ren, the young man had created the phantom with his spiritual energy vibrating in a specific zone. This was not an easy task.


    Hao Mei looked at the display and smiled as she took out an image stone to record the situation.


    ...


    The phantom had the stature similar to that of Han Lingshi, it was a woman with beautiful eyes, but the face was covered with a silky vail. The people did not know what to say as they were enchanted by the fairy dancing with a sword in her hand.


    Prajna felt drawn in the illusion but and chanted the clear heart sutra to control his thoughts and then he made a seal with his hands as he said, "Vajra Mountain Shield."


    A spiritual phantom of the mountain appeared before the sword fairy, and Hao Ren smiled as he said, "Song of the Dancing Lion."


    His song changed and the dancing fairy also changed her moves. The momentum of her sword became ferocious. Every slash became stronger and it began to leave marks on the mountain wall. Hao Ren had a purple gold spiritual energy, which was at least two grades higher than what the Monk had.


    After five notes the sword slash made it through the wall, and hit the Monk, who had prepared a golden bell to defend himself. Inside the bell, Prajna was shocked and surprised, because the attack caused his golden bell to ripple.


    Hao Ren was so strong, but he was not yet done, he closed his eyes while playing the song and imbued his soul energy into the notes. The soul energy slashed directly through the golden bell and a phantom of Hao Ren appeared directly inside the Monk''s soul sea.


    Prajna was shocked and wanted to resist when Hao Ren said, "Master Prajna, if you resist, the ripple of the attack will damage your soul sea as well. Please be calm, I do not wish to make enemies or to attack more than I need to. I will ask you now...."


    After a few seconds, Hao Ren opened his eyes, and Prajna said, "I concede, Patron Hao, your grasp on the Music Dao, and the Soul Dao can indeed cause trouble for many people."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "It was your excellent defense that pushed me to do this much, Master Prajna, thank you for your guidance."


    Prajna shook his head with a smile and walked off the stage. The people were silent, Prajna admitted defeat. The quarter finals came to an end.

 Chapter 239 Semi-Final.

    The Quarter Finals came to an end and the people were getting ready to leave the Stadium, when a calm yet domineering voice echoed in their ears, "Chief Inspector, I wonder if we can make a few changes in the proceedings this time."


    Chief Inspector was surprised and he looked at the third prince. He asked, "Your highness, what do you mean?"


    Hu Jitian replied calmly, "Why shall we wait another day to find out the result of the tournament? It is obvious that we are all hungry for success, and wish to climb the peak. So, why can''t we have a battle right away?"


    Someone from the crowd felt excited and yelled, "Yes, I support His Highness!"


    Following this, people began to chant his name. The chief inspector was surprised and said, "Your Highness, while I admire your enthusiasm, there are two things that you need to take care of before the competition can continue."


    Hu Jitian said, "I know what the two conditions are. First is to get an approval from the three strongest ment of the nation. The warring peak sect master, The King, and the Chief Abbot of the Bright Peace Temple. I have arranged someone from my side to go over and ask for their permission and appearance as well. As for the second condition."


    He looked over at the three people who were standing on their positions and asked, "Does any of you have any trouble if the battles were to continue?"


    Find your next read at empire


    Hu Baihe shook her head, as hot blooded and hungry she was, she had no reason to avoid this, and then there was Ma Blade, another battle hungry man raised and nurtured by the Warring Peak. He also nodded without much change in his expression.


    Then finally the trio turned their gaze to look at Hao Ren, the young man had become an enigma to them and Hu Jitian in special had been paying attention to this guy.


    Hao Ren smiled faintly and asked, "Your Highness, you wish to settle the situation in one go?"


    Hu Jitian nodded firmly and Hao Ren replied, "Since, you have spoken, how dare I cause trouble. I agree. I only hope that the rewards for the top ten contenders can be settled soon. You see, I am just a chef, and joined the tournament because of rewards. Hehe..."


    Hu Jitian furrowed his brows but then he said, "I will ask His Majesty to issue the gifts as soon as the competition closes."


    Hao Ren raised his fist to thank the man for his understanding and sat down in his previous position with his eyes closed. Hao Mei asked him with spiritual sense, ''Why did you agree?''


    Hao Ren replied, ''I have nothing better to do at the moment, so why not.''


    Hao Mei thought about it and asked, ''How much spiritual energy is left inside your Dantian?''


    The young man replied, ''Ummm, around eighty percent.''


    Hao Mei was surprised and then she mumbled, ''Monster. I am going back to the Blue Star, do you need anything else from me?''


    Hu Jitian stood up from his chair and sorted his clothes to welcome the king. The chief inspector was surprised but then he looked around and said, "Ignited the Moon Lamps."


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze, the moon lamps were a type of artifact that was crafted by refining, the Moon Essence found beyond the Tiger Sabre Pass. This artifact was considered a luxury, but for Hao Ren, it was something that commemorated the defeat of Han Lingshi''s moon spirit kingdom and her ancestors. He despised these people, but nothing was visible on his face.


    Soon, on the top most balcony of the Stadium, an old man appeared with a radiant smile on his face. He was surrounded by the generals and the guards. Beside him stood a middle-aged man who had a rogue mark on his brow.


    Hao Ren recognized this man, the leader of the Zheng family, and also the advisor to the king. The old man looked at Hu Jitian with a smile and said, "I hope the best person wins. Let the battles commence."


    Hu Jitian and the rest of the people bowed to the man. The chief inspector nodded and then bowed to the King before he turned around and said, "The first battle would be, Ma Blade, and Hao Ren. Please come on stage."


    The latter smiled and stood up from the position and thought, ''What a good way to promote Hu Jitian to the top. Indeed, capable of being called the king.''


    Indeed, the Prince would first defeat the Princess, and then he would advance to face Ma Blade. Hu Jitian was stronger than both the people. However, he would not reach the peak because he would not be facing Ma Blade, but Hao Ren.


    ...


    Hao Ren stood facing Ma Blade who held an Epee. The latter said, "You better get serious in this round, I am not as weak as the rest of the participants were."


    Hao Ren smiled and took out his sword before tying it to his waist and said, "If you can really force me to draw my sword, I will agree to your words."


    Ma Blade frowned, and thought that Hao Ren was acting arrogantly. He swung his epee, that was five feet long and rushed at Hao Ren. The latter watched this with a musing smile and took half a step forward, before he sent out a punch. This time, the force of his punch was so high that the movement alone caused the air to ripple.


    Boom!


    Hao Ren''s fist had gone supersonic, and it collided with the side of the big blade. People seemed to have seen the blade ripple as if a stone hitting the surface of water. The energy traveled from the blade into Ma Blade''s arm causing him to retreat forcefully.


    He looked at Hao Ren and remarked in disbelief, "You have been holding back purposefully."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "We all are hiding something are we not?"


    Ma Blade narrowed his gaze and began to stab his blade at Hao Ren, however, the latter ducked and used all force to get closer to Ma Blade, then followed by a crisp slap to the face of the Warring Peak.


    Ma Blade was shaken by the slap, his head seemed to have disconnected from the rest of his body. He reeled in from the shock. Everyone else looked at Hao Ren as if he was a demon.


    The demon smiled and said, "Let the game begins."

 Chapter 240 Astounding Defense.

    Hao Ren moved in, taking advantage of the daze Ma Blade was in, he swung his fist at the opponent. Ma Blade was a veteran in the world of martial arts, he regained his senses and raised his blade to slash at Hao Ren. The attack was strong and Ma Blade stopped holding back.


    His blade tore through the air, producing a swooshing noise. Hao Ren watched as the attack came close to him. The speed took him back and this time he was unable to dodge the blow. So he raised his left arm to shield his face and nape from the big Epee.


    Unlike the other epee''s Hao Ren has seen in this world. The blade used by his opponent was sharp enough to cut through the stone on the battle stage. Hu Baihe frowned, and the disciple beside her said, "Don''t worry, Junior Brother knows when to stop."


    Hu Baihe nodded as she watched the blade clash with the arm. The people gasped and some even tried to look away because they thought that Hao Ren''s arm was going to be chopped off, but the next moment, the stadium echoed with a clang sound. The blade vibrated and it traveled back to Ma Blade''s arm, leaving it with a tingling sensation.


    Hao Ren''s arm was not intact but it only had a fine pink line running across his left forearm. The young man took a deep breath and said, "You are good, Ma Blade, this is the first time someone has managed to leave a mark on my skin."


    His compliment was akin to a bomb that made people shiver and think how they have been wasting their lives in the name of body refining.


    Hao Ren stepped in one more time and said, "Fundamental Boxing."


    He began to box with Ma blade, he was quick and he was aiming at the vital points. His aggressive charge left Ma Blade forced to dodge, after all, the latter knew that if he was to parry the blade it would deal damage. Even if Ma Blade managed to walk away from this fight on his feet, his blade would be shattered.


    Hao Ren on the other hand did not intend to give the enemy any time to take a breath and recollect thoughts. The young man punched with a crucial application of his fists, and everytime his fists grazed the blade surface, it would produce sparks.


    The people were all stunned when they saw this seen unfold. After all, Hao Ren''s body seemed to be made up of battle.


    ...


    While some people in the crowd were shocked, the Third Prince was unsettled. He did not expect such a variable appear in the tournament where he was supposed to rise to fame. He looked at the unfolding battle and thought, ''It would be better if Ma Blade could settle the score with this guy, he is a bit too abnormal.''


    Suddenly, the young man sensed as if his whole body was throwing in exhilaration. Something inside him was telling him that this blood energy was good for him. A smile appeared on his face and he thought, ''So this is how it works.''


    Ma Blade had acquired a lot of blood energy, he basically killed all his opponents like a mad beast. This was why his blood energy was stronger and it helped Hao Ren. The young man calmly turned around and left the stage. The audience were shocked, and only when he went down did they erupt in cheers. The loudest voices belonged to the wandering cultivators.


    Earlier when everyone was despising them, they were feeling down but in this match they found that Hao Ren was also an unaffiliated cultivator like them. How could they not support him. Wandering cultivators loved to gain resources and were opportunists. However, they never lied in the name of sophistication. What did they had to lose?


    Hu Baihe looked at the scene and stood up from her seat, it was her turn to fight. She did not want to give up, however, as she was about to walk over to the stage when a voice sounded in her ears, "Don''t fight him, you won''t win. If you sit back and give up, you''ll have half of your blood energy."


    Hu Baihe frowned, although it was correct that if she gave up without fighting, half of her energy would stay intact, it was about her pride that would suffer.


    She looked over at the young man beside her. It was her senior brother who just spoke in her mind. He looked at her and nodded, before she sighed and said, "I forfeit this round."


    The people were confused, they did not expect the fifth princess to forfeit. She was the one who proclaimed that she wants to fight for the throne.


    Hao Ren sat with his eyes closed, he did not care what was going on around him, at this moment his body was adjusting and recovering.


    The chief inspector looked over to Hu Jitian, who said, "Let us wait for a few minutes, Owner Hao just finished a battle. It would be unfair to him."


    The people nodded, thinking that the prince was fair. However, the wise people knew that he was thinking about ways to tackle the young man. The more time he could find, the better.


    After twenty minutes, Hao Ren stood up and said, "Your Highness, please advise me."


    Hu Jitian took a deep breath and stood up. He was sure of his skills but the problem lied in astounding defense. Since he had no way around it, he decided to face it head on.


    The battle for the top place was about to begin.

 Chapter 241 Battle Of Geniuses. (1)

    Hu Jitian and Hao Ren stood facing each other. The former was thinking about how to get through the astounding defense of the latter, while the latter had been observing the previous battles of the third prince and noticed his exceptional charging and breaking attack skill.


    Hu Jitian had a special movement skill, Lion Charge, and combined with the chain attack move, Frantic Halberd, this guy was definitely not so easy to deal with. Hao Ren did not dare to believe that this man had revealed his complete strength. He was a prince and a favored one at that.


    The Chief Inspector looked at the two people who were staring at each other and raised his hand as he announced, "Let the Battle begin!!"


    Hu Jitian took hold of his Halberd, and Hao Ren took out his sword.


    ...


    Someone sitting next to Hao Mei said, "That halberd is called Chaos Halberd, a medium spirit weapon. However, do not look at its grade, this thing is a Royal Artifact. The Third Prince made great contribution to redeem this from the Forbidden treasury. This thing can cut through metal like mud."


    People nodded and someone said, "Look, Hao Ren took out his sword, he really intends to fight with that normal sword? The integrity of both the weapons is so different, if Hao Ren does not have the skill to back it up, he might lose his weapon and suffer."


    The people agreed once again. Hao Mei sighed and thought, ''Could you not have asked for a better weapon. Dumb Ren.''


    ...


    On the stage, Hu Jitian narrowed his gaze and said, "Lion''s charge."


    He did not waste anytime, Hao Ren was not an opponent he could take lightly, and if the opponent was good at defending, he was specialized in attacks. He was the commander of the Tiger Cavalry, he had the power and the intention to reach out and move forward any obstacle.


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and mumbled, "Cloud Breeze Step."


    He vanished from his position right a second before Hu Jitian stabbed the spot with his Halberd. His speed surprised the prince, and the rest of the people. In this aspect, Hao Ren appeared to be ahead of the Prince. Even the royal guards around the King were surprised when they saw this. Hao Ren was much stronger than what they anticipated.


    However, Hao Ren was not using the skill of flight. He was simply jumping over and he accurately landed on the shaft of the halberd. He said while looking down on Hu Jitian, "You are the prince when you are in the palace. On the battle stage, you are a participant, on the battlefield you are a soldier and nothing more. If you think your identity will make the enemy give you face or the heavens make your tribulations easier, than you are nothing but a glorified piece of trash."


    His words made sense, but what surprised the people the most was how harsh and blunt he sounded. He was so straight that it sounded rude. Hu Baihe raised her brows and then she smiled. The people around her, and those who have participated in the battle all agreed with Hao Ren.


    The young man said, "Hu Jitian, recognizing your identity means nothing but one should understand and bear the responsibilities that come along with the title."


    He tapped his feet off the shaft and he appeared to be standing on the shoulder of the prince for a moment before he used the enemy as a launch pad and jumped high in the void. He flipped his body upside down and clenched his fist as he said, "Descending Phoenix Punch."


    The momentum of the attack was several times higher than what Hao Ren had displayed in the past. His fist was covered with flames, and behind him a faint silhouette of the phoenix manifested for a moment he lashed out. The attack caused the wind to heat up and Hu Jitian was forced to kneel on the ground.


    The prince grit his teeth and clenched his fist before he yelled, "Fuck it. Tiger''s vigor."


    With that he countered Hao Ren with his own Halberd Attack. The two attacks collided and it caused the void to ripple. The people could sense the strength infused in the two attacks. Hao Mei watched the scene while channeling her energy through the imaging stone. She would show it to the seniors of the family.


    As for Han Lingshi, she had recorded a lot of footage where Hao Ren was relaxed and guiding others to work leisurely.


    After the attack finished, Hao Ren appeared on the stage, and Hu Jitian was kneeling on one knee. He was cut in many places, bleeding all over the body. However, his gaze was still unwavering and his vitality was increasing.


    Hu Baihe stood up on her feet and looked at her Father sitting in the viewer''s gallery with a cold face. She clenched her fist and said, "I did not expect that rotten old man to teach him the family skill."


    Ma Blade asked, "What is this skill?"


    Hu Baihe replied, "My ancestors admired the Tiger as the most valiant beast. They created this skill, Tiger''s vigor, because they believed that a wounded tiger was more dangerous than a normal one. So, as soon as someone was injured and they used this technique, their vigor and tenacity would continue increasing. Hao Ren is in trouble."


    Lu Long, her senior disciple said, "That is not necessarily true, from what I can tell about Hao Ren, he is not a simple person, look at his eyes and you will know that he still have a few things up his sleeve. If he can pull off that punch one more time I am sure he will flatten the prince."


    The battle was reaching its climax, and everyone was leaning forward in anticipation to the climax.

 Chapter 242 Battle Of Geniuses (2)

    Hao Ren and Hu Jitian both stood on the stage facing each other with solemn expressions. Just now, the Prince repelled his fist with a technique that not only helped him survive the attack, but the latter had a higher vitality pouring out of his body as well.


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and took a deep breath to calm the unstable spirit energy rolling inside him. The impact was that powerful. The prince might look hurt, but he was getting stronger with every moment passing.


    The young man scanned the prince with his Yin and Yang eyes and could not believe what this guy was doing. The spiritual cycle was faster, but it was putting a lot of strain on his body which will impact in the future. The top ten fighters were all nascent soul realm experts and they knew what was going on here.


    Hu Jitian glared at Hao Ren and said, "You forced me to do this, Bloodline Suppression."


    As he said this, everyone in the stadium felt a pressure acting on them. Someone from the crowd yelled, "Damn it, I did not expect His Highness to use an actual war technique in the competition."


    Someone asked, "What do you mean?"


    The person shook his head and replied, "This is the family technique of the Royal Family, they bear the blood of the rulers, so when they used this technique as a means of emergency. This technique is weird, only those with royal blood can use it and it allows them to suppress anyone within the borders of the country. This technique is the reason why the Warring Peak has not abolished the Royal Family over the years."


    The people around them did not expect such a trick to exist. Hao Mei heard this and was worried for Hao Ren, but then she sensed something and her eyes sparked up. She noticed Hao Ren''s breathing, and his stature.


    Everyone was a little slouched, and so was Hao Ren, however, his breath was calm. She figured it out, he was not affected by the pressure on his body, on the contrary, Hao Ren was getting ready to deliver his final blow.


    Hu Jitian charged at Hao Ren and the latter waited. As soon as the enemy came close, Hao Ren dodged the attacks and retrieved a set of coins from his space ring. Then he said, "Shooting stars."


    He flicked his wrists and began to hit Hu Jitian. The Prince was ahead in terms of intimidation, but Hao Ren was not falling back either. All the projectiles were hitting in the spots that blocked the spiritual circulation inside Hu Jitian''s body. Hao Ren did not use hidden weapons but projectiles to achieve the effect and then he moved closer to the Prince who was gradually slowing down.


    Hao Ren raised his fist and wanted to beat the shit out of the Prince, when suddenly a golden curtain of energy manifested around Hu Jitian. A dragon''s roar was heard in the surrounding and Hao Ren was pushed back.


    Hu Jitian stood up and began to laugh. His laughter was maniacal and he said, "Did you really think you could kill me so easily?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I thought it would be a nice competition to fight someone who has been to the battlefield, but looking at you now, I realized something."


    Hu Jitian amusedly asked, "What did you realize?"


    The King clenched his fist and said, "Prime Minister Zheng, hold the award ceremony in the morning, and for now, arrange Master Cole to guide this young man to the forbidden area."


    That said the King left without kicking any fuss and the crowd erupted in cheers. They have never seen someone managing to stand his ground before the King. However, Hao Ren did it and he survived.


    However, the knowledgeable people knew why the King just left. If he was to avenge his son, then the other two forces would take action to avenge their own people as well. It would not stain his image and tell the world that his royal family was running a little low on talents.


    ...


    Hao Ren stood beside Hao Mei and said, "Be careful when you leave, they might send people to pay attention to you."


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "Do not worry, I will be fine. You should pay attention to yourself."


    Hao Ren smiled and left the place with a general who was arranged to bring him to the forbidden land. The two people flew at a high speed and it took them one day to reach the vicinity of the northern borders, the Tiger Sabre Peak.


    Master Cole, was a general in the Royal Guards, and his family had been a loyal slave to the Hu family for centuries. He was aware of the location to the Forbidden Lands, and that was it. Hao Ren wished to be led to the entrance of the forbidden area, whether he could do anything there or not, that would depend on himself.


    The king was not going to help a defiant person go to the depths of this area where his family earned the right to be the ruler.


    Hao Ren stood before a barrier of trees. The towering trees were so tall that they reached the skies, and five miles away from them was a natural formation that prohibited flying. Cole did not say anything and just led Hao Ren over to the so-called entrance of the area.


    Hundred meters away from the place, Cole said, "That is the entrance you can go in by yourself."


    The place located in the center of a clearing. Five miles of clear plain grassland, in the middle of the grassland stood a circular barrier of trees that were so tall that their canopy could not be seen. Hao Ren nodded to Cole before he walked closer to the tree, and found a gap between the trunks, just enough for one man to pass hai.


    He bowed to the barrier before he took a step through the speculated threshold of the trees. Cole was watching the scene with an intense gaze. He wanted to see Hao Ren fail, but he had no idea that the world was about to change.


    ....


    Thank you for your support and love. The book will enter a major time skip. I finally realized that the story has deviated from the initial plot by a long shot. So, forgive me and thank you for not abandoning me.

 Chapter 243 Shock & Awe.

    Han Lingshi was tidying up her blue and white Hanfu when Han Lingxue came inside the room and asked, "What is taking you so long? Uncle Hao is waiting already."


    Han Lingshi turned around and said, "Xiao Xue, do you think I look good?"


    The younger lady was surprised and asked, "What do you mean? You look like fairy, and since when did you become so conscious about stuff?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied, "I learned from elder sister Mei, that over their women are as beautiful as fairies. I haven''t seen Ren in a long time, if we calculate the time flow there, it should be five years now for him. Do you think he still loves me?"


    Han Lingxue sighed as she realized that her sister was just feeling insecure. She said, "How can you think that he does not love you? That man has been out their braving who knows what danger for you, and you are doubting him?"


    Han Lingshi was taken aback and defended herself, "I am not doubting him, but myself, am I even worthy of someone who has given so much?"


    Han Lingxue looked at her sister and said, "Yes, had you been unworthy, he wouldn''t have given up the entire fortune and fame that he worked for to go to the other side. So, put down the doubts and woman up. You are Han Lingshi, and that man is your husband, go there, and tell him that you are his wife."


    That said, Han Lingxue turned around and left the room with a stunned Han Lingshi. After a sudden shake off, she realized that even if she has been away from Hao Ren for a long time, the emotions in her heart were still smoldering hot.


    She took a deep breath and left the room to get downstairs where the elders were waiting for her. Today, she was going to the spirit shimmer continent. She had worked hard, her foundation was strong, she had seen blood shed in the Ghana Continent where she became a one woman army.


    Her administration skills have put the Thunder Spirit Group at the top of the world. In terms of tech and medical research they were the best and the most loved company. Han Lingshi had made one thing clear, the company would grow but they will never take advantage and exploit people for profit.


    Fifty percent of the profit every year was donated towards increasing living standards and education and other such things. If anyone was to come and visit Han Nation, they would be shocked by how much the nation has changed as a whole.


    Thunder Spirit Group had spread all over the world and none of the governments could fight them. Han Lingshi has worked hard for this. She had comprehended the heart of chess, and tactics came naturally to her. While Hao Ren had the heart of mountain and his resolve to see things through became her strength.


    Hao Xinyuan saw the young lady and waved his hand to open the portal. They did not wish to waste too much time in saying goodbyes, because they had already finished that ritual one night before. It was decided that almost within a few more years, the family will take down DEHB, and move back to the Spirit Shimmer Continent.


    Hao Ren would be letting a few of his people come over and temper their minds in this world from time to time. The family had no idea how big the forces he cultivated were at the moment. None of this information was exchanged by Hao Mei, on the contrary, Yang, the black snake that Han Lingshi had contracted had been sent to the Spirit Shimmer an year ago.


    ...


    Yang shivered and ran over to stand behind Han Lingshi. The latter had no idea what was going on, and Jian asked, "Yin, where did Young Master go?"


    Yin looked at him and frowned as she said, "To clean up the mess of you losers, where else?"


    Han Lingshi suddenly saw a red rogue mark on Yin''s forehead and mumbled, ''Yin.''


    Then she looked at the child in black robe and asked, "Yang?"


    Yang looked at her with a smile, and Han Lingshi noticed the vertical pupils he had. She was shocked to see that her little snake was now a child. She asked, "What happened to you two?"


    Yang wanted to say something when Yin said, "Young Miss, first, get settled. We can talk inside the Crescent Moon Palace."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and the next moment Yin glared at Jian and said, "Get your shit straight and clean up the remnants of Rising Sun Rebellions by the sun down. Your incompetence ruined the moment, Big Brother had been waiting for so long. Get Lost."


    Jian clenched his fist and bowed to the two ladies before he vanished from the place. Han Lingshi suddenly sensed the spiritual energy blanket around her vanishing, when Yin appeared close and held her hand, helping her stay in the void.


    Yin said, "Young Miss, please come, I apologize that Big Brother is not here, something important came up and he had to go himself to solve it."


    Han Lingshi was still out of sorts, she did not know what was going on here. She could only nod and asked, "Where is Big Sister Hao Mei?"


    Yin replied, "She is in seclusion and cannot come out, but do not worry, Minister Maya, and Shadow Guard Chief Yin are waiting for you in the Crescent Moon Palace."


    Han Lingshi calmed down a little after hearing the two familiar names. The two people had come over here six months ago, to facilitate a better transition for Han Lingshi.


    Yin held Han Lingshi''s palm and they vanished from the place leaving Yang, who recovered after a second and yelled, "Hey, wait for me."


    ...


    Thank you for your support, please vote with power stones and golden tickets.

 Chapter 244 Reunited. (Big Chapter)

    Han Lingshi felt the world around her turn into a blur, and the next moment she regained control on her senses, she was standing before a palace that seemed to have been made up of crystals and glass. However, the delicateness did not make the appearance weak. On the contrary, the huge scale of the palace made it look very domineering and filled with authority.


    Yin and Yang stood beside her and they both said, "Welcome to the Crescent Moon Palace."


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath and looking at the two children she asked, "Can someone tell me what is going on here? Why are we at a palace?"


    A calm voice sounded beside her, "Because your doting husband wanted you to have a lavish and comfortable home. He oversaw the entire construction for a whole year."


    Han Lingshi turned around and found Maya Okudera walking over to her side in a golden and black robe. Han Lingshi noticed the change in her aura and asked, "Maya, what happened to you?"


    The lady smiled and replied, "I reached the peak of golden core realm yesterday, that happened."


    Han Lingshi was shocked to hear this and asked, "Where is Ren?"


    Maya sighed and replied, "I am not sure of his whereabouts, Yin can tell you better."


    The two pairs of eyes turned to look at Yin, who sighed and said, "Well, Big Brother had been conquering the four kingdoms and today he has gone to handle the final obstacle, the ancestor of the Rising Sun Dynasty."


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath and asked, "Will Ren be okay? How can he fight against so many people alone?"


    Maya Okudera chuckled and said, "Come, let us go inside and then you will know the true strength of your husband."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, and she went inside the palace. The decorations of the place were luxurious but minimalist. She could not help but try to estimate how much it must have costed for Hao Ren to build this place.


    After entering the palace gates, Han Lingshi was led through the corridors, and soon brought to a place that looked like a courtroom. She looked at the throne that had a back rest designed like a crescent moon, and the entire place seemed to be made up of white jade and gold.


    Maya said, "This is the courtroom, after your coronation, you will lead the place from here, and these are all your people."


    Han Lingshi looked at the two dozen girls standing in two neat rows. Half of them wore Black and golden robes, while the other half wore black and red robes. She asked in confusion, "Who are they?"


    Yin replied, "They are all people who were rescued by Big Brother Hao, and trained by him. Big Brother gave them the surname Ye."


    A teenage girl could not help but lean forward and turn her head to look at Han Lingshi before she let out a whistle, shocking everyone. The girl standing beside her raised her hand and smacked the troublemaker in the head.


    The teenager rubbed the back of her head and said, "Why are you hitting me? I will tattle on you."


    The latter did not reply. Yin sighed and said, "The trouble maker is Ye Si, the youngest but the strongest of the shadow guard, she only listens to Big Brother Ren. The pacifier is the wisest and the most apt leader of the shadow guard, Ye Lan. She will not be your subordinate."


    Han Lingshi pressed her palm against her forehead and asked, "What do you all mean? How did Hao Ren manage to conquer the entire four kingdoms just like this? What is going on here?"


    Maya smiled and wanted to say something when Yin said, "He is back, you should as him."


    She leaned in and kissed his lips. All her anger was washed away when she saw Hao Ren, and when he panicked because she felt suffocated in his embrace, she recalled how careful he was towards her. This kiss was an expression of her longing and love for him.


    However, even though she took the initiative, she was soon drowned in by the flood of passion that Hao Ren had been holding back all these years. For him, it has been almost twenty years since he saw her. She was the only woman in his mind and it was for her that he build the military, took down kingdoms. He wanted the Crescent Moon Kingdom to be a gift for her.


    After a few minutes, they broke the kiss, Han Lingshi was taking in deep breaths, but her eyes were brimming with the desire of passion. Hao Ren sighed and said, "Do not tempt me, love. Your physique is not yet strong enough to handle me in that state."


    Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "What do you mean by that? How strong have you become?"


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "Well, last year, I reached the peak of Planetary Realm. I can destroy the entire kingdom with a blow if I want to. However, I am stuck at a bottleneck."


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide and asked, "Did you become Omnipotent?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "No, not yet. Forget it, I have a lot to talk to you about."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "First, I want to hear what happened here and what have you done?"


    Hao Ren nodded, and then he walked through the corridors while carrying her in his arms. He was wearing a white hanfu as well, and they both looked very picturesque with each other. Han Lingshi did not feel shy as well because she missed his touch and his fragrance.


    After a while, the two of them appeared in a garden where there was a pavilion surrounded by wisteria trees. The green grass surrounded the wooden pavilion and Hao Ren said, "This is where I spend most of my time with Yin and Yang. They come here to cultivate at night."


    Han Lingshi nodded and the young man carried her to a chair placed in the center of the pavilion. She noticed that the pavilion was also surrounded by a man-made pond with lots of fish inside. She said, "This is a beautiful place Ren."


    Hao Ren sat her down on the chair, and he himself sat down on a stool next to her feet. He removed her shoes gently and massaged her small feet. Han Lingshi ran her fingers through his long hair and Hao Ren said, "Well, so the Warring Nation was the first place where I started making moves. They held a competition where I killed a prince, and then demanded to go to the Forbidden Area.


    That site is closer to the Tiger sabre mountain. Inside their is an ancient tiger beast. Anyone who can withstand one move from it was considered worthy of being a general. Two moves, make you a duke, and if you can withstand five, then you can become the King. That old guy is a Dao Formation Realm entity.


    I used some tricks and tamed after taking five moves. Then I came back with the old tiger and made the Warring Nation people, who considered strength to be supreme to bend the knee. The fifth Princess of the royal family was a friend and she did not want anything else but to practice martial arts, so I gave her the title of an honorary duke.


    Then with the help of old tiger, the strong forces of this region were subdued and assimilated. Jian, Lan, Jill, Peng, and Yin manage the strong people. Thankfully Maya came over, and she began to handle the management of the resources and logistics with Sister Xi and Yan.


    Hao Mei''s force was a big help so they are now responsible for running the Crescent Moon Restaurants. They are the information gathering units. You can say they are the central nervous system of this whole kingdom."


    Han Lingshi nodded and asked, "Did you suffer a lot?"


    Hao Ren raised his head to look at her and replied, "It was worth it. Forget it, aren''t we together now?"


    Han Lingshi looked at him and for some reason her heart felt heavy and she could not help but shed a tear.


    Hao Ren rose up from his spot and quickly used his sleeve to gently wipe away the tears and asked, "Why are you crying? Were you not here to talk to me? Had it not been you, how could I have come so far?"


    Han Lingshi embraced him and said, "I love you, Ren. I am grateful to have you, but please do not do anything like this ever again. Do not bear everything alone, the guilt in my heart is too heavy. Promise me that you will never do something like this again."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and nodded, promising her in silence. At this moment, *Ding: Host...*

 Chapter 245 Duties Of The Empress.

    *Ding: Host, it has been detected that you have completed all the goals that were set for you by the system. Please proceed to the final step and complete the coronation ceremony to receive the rewards.*


    Hao Ren was embracing Han Lingshi when he heard this. After a few moments, she calmed down and Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, what do you think? Shall we hold the coronation within a week?"


    Han Lingshi was surprised and replied, "No, what is the hurry? My realm has yet to reach the golden core level. I am not possibly worthy of ruling a kingdom like this."


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and took out the Moon Time Acceleration Hourglass and said, "This artifact will allow you to raise your strength. It works like this..."


    He spend some time telling her about the use of the artifact. Hao Ren was aware of her temperament, he could not tell her that she was his wife so she could rule the vast province that he had conquered for her.


    Han Lingshi suddenly asked, "Ren, why are we in a secluded place? Where are the people? I understand that palaces are surrounded by the cities, right?"


    Hao Ren smiled and extended his hand to her. Han Lingshi took his hand and then Hao Ren gently helped her stand as he began to lead her to walk. Han Lingshi suddenly noticed that every step that she took was on a higher level than the other. It was as if she was climbing stairs in the void.


    She smiled at Hao Ren, who smiled back at her. She was surprised by the ease of his action, and she remarked, "Are you trying to flex the strength of a Planetary realm expert?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "Look, there is your capital."


    Han Lingshi corrected him, "Our capital."


    She looked down, and under a thin cloak of clouds, she spotted a city sparkling with lights. Hao Ren said, "I employed help from Xiao Mei, and we now have a sophisticated communication system which is powered by spiritual energy."


    Han Lingshi raised her eyebrow and said, "I feel like I have missed out on a lot of things."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "You lose some and you gain some Lingshi, on the contrary it was better that you were not here. What I did was just a superficial thing, now you will need to stabilize the situation on your own. Although I am a Planet Shattering realm expert, I cannot just go and kill everyone who does not agree with me. Managing the house is the duty of a wife, similarly managing the political lobby is the responsibility of the Empress."


    Han Lingshi raised her brows and asked, "Even after you subdued the royal families alone, are there still people who do not agree to give in?"


    Hao Ren nodded, "The business of the sects is not something that I can handle with too much force. On the other hand there are the forces of the buddhist sects. They seek to gain worship from the citizens. This sort of thing will dampen the faith people have for the Crown and eventually affect the national providence."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I see, I will study this issue in the coming days. Such issues need to be procrastinated for a bit as I have no idea what to do."


    Ye Lan smiled and replied, "I have fine, Young Miss, this is my task, you do not have to worry. Shall I lead you to your bedroom?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I can go on without sleeping, so I will first read the information on the strong forces."


    Ye Lan was surprised and said, "Big brother and you are both similar."


    Han Lingshi smiled and asked, "Why do you say that?"


    Ye Lan replied, "Ever since he reached the Soul Transformation Realm he stopped sleeping, and only closed his eyes when he was cultivating. You are the same."


    Han Lingshi was shocked when she heard this, and in a daze she followed Ye Lan to the imperial study where a lot of books were placed, and Maya Okudera was reading through some scrolls with Xi beside her.


    The two ladies saw her approach and stood up to greet her. Han Lingshi told them to sit down first and began to read the information with them. After a couple of hours, thanks to the hyper speed, they she had finished reading the information and asked, "What do you think we should do?"


    Xi said, "If we kill them, the hearts of the populace will turn cold and it can lead to rebellion."


    Maya continued, "If we give in, they will think we are weak and try to grab a mile for an inch."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Do the people know that the government have exchanged hands?"


    The two ladies nodded, and Han Lingshi said, "Gather the people have them vote. Ask them if they would like to live in a world where the authority over them is polite and transparent, or they wish to be bullied by these so called high borns. We will decide depending on the opinion of the people."


    The two women nodded, and Xi asked, "What if the high borns tried to manipulate the legislation?"


    Han Lingshi replied with a smile, "Kill them. Since they do not wish to do things fairly, why shall we?"


    The people were surprised, Maya took a deep breath and said, "I did not expect you to develop this kill or be killed mindset so quickly."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied, "Back home, there are people who would not hesitate killing for petty gains, we are still looking forward to establish a kingdom. Since we are already selfish, why should we be hypocrites? We are not doing things out of the greater good, but for personal satisfaction."


    Han Lingshi had comprehended the heart of chess, she knew when to deceive and when to be decisive. This was the trait of an Empress.

 Chapter 246 Wishes.

    Han Lingshi was in the study and along with her ministers, Maya Okudera, and Xi, they were discussing how to handle the powerful forces when suddenly the palace shook. Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "Umm, is this normal?"


    Xi shook her head and raised her wrist to access her communicator. As soon as the connection was established, she asked, "Yan, what the fuck are your bunch of geeks doing?"


    Yan was the formation manager for the palace. She was displeased by the tone and said, "Young Master came over and he is now changing the formation to descended. The Crescent Moon Palace will be going down and the outer wing will be open for the commoners to enter and state their cases to the administration department. Don''t talk to me you bookworm, I have to study arrays with Young Master."


    The communication was disconnected and they all continued to feel a gentle tremor from the ground. Ye Lan said, "What are you worried about Sister Xi, are you doubting Young Master?"


    Her tone was a bit chilly, Xi sighed and shook her head as she said, "I am just confused what he meant by setting up the outer wing and have administration department handle it?"


    Han Lingshi noticed the chill in Ye Lan''s voice and she said, "Ye Lan, can I get something to drink?"


    Ye Lan bowed her head and said, "I will get you some Tea, Young Miss."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Thank you."


    Ye Lan smiled faintly as she shook her head and left the place. Maya Okudera saw this and asked, "Are you wondering why Ye Lan was so cold to Miss Xi?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and Xi smiled bitterly as she said, "Well, when Young Master came up with a strategy to handle the forces in the Zen Kingdom. I suggested assassinations while he favored negotiations. The royal family practiced logic and reasoning before picking up arms.


    I was adamant as I thought blood was the best way to instill fear. We sent in two teams of assassins. Half of them died. Young Master was depressed, because not only did we fail the mission, three of his Ye squad also died. Ye Rin, Ye Lang, and Ye Noel. They were all nascent soul realm experts that Young Master has personally nurtured and guided.


    Ever since that day, Young Master has never looked for me. It was only because Lady Mei that I have some position here, otherwise I would have been killed by Ye Lan and her people. They would not think twice before cutting their hearts out for the Young Master, because they think of him as their father, and the rest of the people are their siblings."


    Han Lingshi looked at the three of them and with an embarrassed expression she wanted to ask if they would be willing to take her to the palace wall, but they she took a deep breath and calmed her mind. What was the big deal if she was weak. She will grow strong in the future and she will fly on her own, till then she will walk ahead on her path just like Hao Ren did.


    She took the lead and descended the stairs heading through the legion, she walked towards the palace wall. From the summit of the wall she saw that the city really lay just a leap away. She smiled and shook her head as she recalled what she said to Hao Ren. Suddenly, she sensed a warm wind beside her, and asked, "Did you really need to be so quick about it?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Why not? What is the use of my strength if I cannot fulfil such a simple wish of yours?"


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Ren, what did you face to get so strong?"


    Hao Ren waved his hand but did not tell her anything. What he faced was not good, and it wasn''t bad either. It was something that he had to go through. Had he been born without a system, but some talent for cultivation, his path would have been more or less the same. This was life after all. The path to the peak of strength was a treacherous one. Han Lingshi said, "I wish to travel the lengths of the Kingdom before coronation."


    Hao Ren was surprised and wanted to say something when the system notified, *Ding: Host, it was been detected that your wife wishes to settle down the issues considering political stability in the nation before ascending the Throne. A task has been issued. Do you accept? *


    Hao Ren calmed down; the system has issued a task after such a long time how can he not accept it? His own strength had reached a bottleneck. From the news he gained a few months ago, there were even stronger people in the north. He accepted the task in his mind, and said to Han Lingshi, "I will take you around."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "You will stay away from me. You can come to see me once a day, I prefer at night with dinner. As for the noon, I will handle the situation with others. I want Ye Lan, Ye Jian, and Maya to go along with me. You can send as many soldiers as required to be there in the contingent. That is all."


    Hao Ren sighed, he could tell from her eyes that she was serious and would not let him negotiate this so he decided to go along with her demand. It was not like he did not have any idea on how to make sure she stays safe.


    The young man took a deep breath and said, "I will inform them, they will be ready in the morning, and you can go out then."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I will need someone to form connection with the administration inside and also to execute my instructions as quickly as possible."


    The young man nodded and understood, that Han Lingshi was going to stabilize the nation. The crescent moon nation was about to rise, and he will help it rise in silence.

 Chapter 247 Undercurrents.

    Han Lingshi spent the night reading as much as she could about the places she needed to visit. The young lady then had a meal with Hao Ren and the young man said, "I will lead you through the city below, if you have anything that you wish to do, tell me. I will see that your instructions are implemented properly."


    Han Lingshi did not object to this. The next morning she left the palace with Ye Lan, and Ye Jian beside her. Hao Ren walked beside her with a faint smile on his face. The people who did not know him closely thought that Hao Ren was a battle monger. He conquered the four nations in fifteen years, this was an achievement that was paid with blood of humans.


    In the past fifteen years, Hao Ren had been using all sorts of means to erase the Royal Families of the four nations and any loyalists were removed as well. He was very thoughtful about the populace, but the masses were scared of this man who established the Crescent Moon Kingdom.


    They did not know anything about him and all the news they received came from the mouths of the travelling cultivators who only saw him at war or fighting some experts over some issues of the territory.


    The moment, Hao Ren and the three descended on the ground, Han Lingshi said, "Where is Yang? I remember when I saw him last night I asked him to come along with me."


    Hao Ren pointed ahead and said, "Yin will bring him to the city gates. He might be a child but he has the strength of a Core formation realm practitioner. Have him handle errands for you on the way. Ye Lan can be the second in command, and Ye Jian, protect them with all your might."


    Ye Lan and Ye Jian nodded and accepted the commands. Han Lingshi rolled her eyes at the young man, but she did not say anything in protest of his arrangements. They came down and the guards stationed below the palace, saluted them.


    Hao Ren nodded at them and ran a quick gaze over them. Then he said, "Welcome to the Phoenix Pearl City."


    Han Lingshi raised her name and asked, "How did you come up with this name?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "It was not me who came up with this name, it was the original name of this city, the capital before it was captured and divided by the four nations."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and they ventured inside the city. Although the place had been renovated, and the streets were paved with tiles. Han Lingshi sensed something amiss. She looked at the civilians who bowed to Hao Ren and the Ye Duo. She frowned, and said, "Ren, go back."


    Hao Ren was not surprised, but he asked with a smile, "Did you notice it?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "I understand that fear is necessary to have respect, but they look at you as if you are some demon. This impression will not work. Go, I will handle things here, also, take Ye Jian away with you. His stone like feature is not helping either."


    Ye Jian was at a loss, his practice of sword has made him look uncaring but that was not the truth. However, seeing that even Hao Ren did not put up any protest, he agreed and left with him.


    Han Lingshi shook her head, before she began roaming around aimlessly with Ye Lan. She found a couple of children who were playing on the side. Han Lingshi approached them carefully and exclaimed from the side, "Ye Lan, what a wonderful game is this? I wonder if they would teach me?"


    The little boy said, "Sister Fairy, if you agree to marry me, I will take you to meet my grandpa, he is a big shot in the elders."


    Han Lingshi was shocked and then she burst out in laughter, she said, "Little brother, big sister is already married, I cannot leave my husband. How about this, when you grow up strong and wise, I will find you a wife prettier than me?"


    The little boy walked up to her and asked, "Is there really someone prettier than you in this world?"


    Han Lingshi bent down and poked his nose as she said, "Yes, there is. You will know when you get big."


    After coaxing the kids, Han Lingshi made her way to meet the elders.


    ...


    Hao Ren was hiding between the layers of the void, and clicked his tongue, "Had this kid been a bit older, I would have broken his butt into pieces, this brat dares to pull moves on my wife. Hmph!"


    Ye Jian was beside him and he could not help but think, ''If the people knew that the legendary Wandering Dragon was so petty, I wonder what they would think.''


    ...


    While Han Lingshi was handling the situation with the city folk, far from the Phoenix Pearl City, in the wilderness of the eastern provinces, a group of men and women were sitting inside a cavern. They all looked haggard, but they were wearing brocade clothes and jewelry that could make even the rich feel poor.


    One of the men stood up and said, "I have just received the news, it seems that someone is making moves to quench the smolders of rebellion in the hearts of the masses. I just got a message from a former spy of the grey cloud division.


    Someone from the Crescent Moon Palace is roaming around talking to the elders and fixing their concerns. If we did not do anything this time, we will never get a chance to avenge the loss we have suffered."


    The people nodded; their faces looked calm but their eyes brimmed with killing intention. Hao Ren was someone who appeared out of the blues and then turned their lives upside down. They were the remnants of the royal family of the fallen Cloud Empire.


    The person who was leading them seemed to be the duke of the fallen empire, he looked at the young man and asked, "Can you find out who this person is, and when they will enter the borders of the Cloud Empire? If that person is paying attention to the situation with the masses, then they must be close to the Wandering Dragon. This time, I want to chip some scales of this bastard."


    The young man nodded and left the cavern hurriedly. Han Lingshi did not know, but she had become a target.

 Chapter 248 Set Off.

    Han Lingshi spent an entire day dealing with the concerns of the citizen in the Phoenix Pearl City. The concerns were very small, like, employment, taxes, and security. She immediately took action. She called over Maya Okudera from the Palace.


    The people were shocked when they saw her pull, and were also scared to find that she was from the palace. However, Han Lingshi quickly calmed them down. She did not disclose her identity to them either. It was because she was not sure if the enemy had planted spies in the capital.


    Thinking about this, she also told Maya Okudera to use Xiao Mei''s advanced technological understanding to come up with a proper identification system. Maya Okudera got to work, and Han Lingshi added one more companion with her for the journey, a secretary who worked with Maya Okudera to facilitate the communication between them and the palace.


    It was almost midnight when the two ladies reached the city gate. There was a luxurious carriage parked outside the city and it was surrounded by armored guards. With her Yin and Yang eyes, Han Lingshi could tell that none of these soldiers were below the Core Formation Realm.


    She was surprised by this set up. She looked around and found Yin standing in the distance with Yang. Han Lingshi asked, "Yin, where is your Big Brother Ren?"


    Yin replied with a straight face, "Big Brother Ren said he stubbed his toe on the doorsill earlier so he is going to rest."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and almost cursed out loudly. This was an obvious attempt by this guy to run from being scolded. Han Lingshi wanted to keep a low-key, but Hao Ren arranged for hundred Core Formation, ten Nascent Soul Realm experts, and one Soul Formation expert to look after her.


    How was this even low-key? The carriage looked like it was made up of white jade with ice trimmings on it. Ye Lan said, "This is the serene carriage, forged with Tranquility Jade as the core wedged between the layers of Hollow Star Iron. They are both rare metals known for their spiritual resistance. This way nobody would be able to peek inside.


    The ice trimmings are spiritual essence of Divine Ice Lotus, ranked seventy-two among the top hundred natural heavenly treasures. It can prevent any and all sorts of poisons from invading the cabin.


    ...


    In the eastern wilderness, a group of people was moving around in the forest, and they were burying small flags all over the place.


    The person watching all this happening asked, "Whisper, how long will it take?"


    A young lady with a cold face stood beside him, she replied indifferently, "It will be complete in a few more minutes, Duke Wen."


    Duke Wen looked up at the horizon and said, "I wonder if those two old men would come to make an appearance when we face that monster. I wonder if he is still the half-step Dao Integration realm level."


    Princess Whisper shook her head and said, "I think he must have entered Dao Integration level."


    Duke Wen nodded and said, "I wonder if three Dao Integrations can stop him."


    Suddenly, a burly man rushed over and said, "Your Highness, the array is set. We can begin as soon as those people rush inside."


    Duke Wen nodded and suddenly he looked in the west direction and said, "Hide well, they are here."

 Chapter 249 Trapped.

    Inside the Serene Carriage, Han Lingshi was reading a document on a tablet. The mix of advanced technology and spiritual energy was still kept a secret from the world because this growth would be too fast and many of the powerful people all over the world might come to fight them for the secret and Hao Ren did not wish to lose the advantage.


    Han Lingshi mumbled, "It seems to me that the people who surrendered are not very nice."


    Ye Lan nodded and replied, "Your analysis is on point. Misty Peak Sect, and Hidden Wisdom Temple have always acted nice on the surface. They spent ages under the suppression of the Royal Family. However, when Young Master conquered the Royal Family, these two forces secretly entered an Alliance."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Why have we not taken any action against them?"


    Ye Lan sighed and replied, "It is because these people have been very quite. Young Master did not wish to spill blood unless it was necessary. However, if they get a chance they will jump ships and attack us. The reason they have yet to do that is because Young Master killed their ancestors back when he made a move."


    Han Lingshi nodded while her eyes were still glued to the documents, and said, "It is good that he did not wish to kill the people too quickly. However, now that we are going there, I am afraid..."


    She had yet to finish her words, when the carriage stopped. Yin frowned and looked at Ye Lan, "Sister Lan, you stay here, I am stepping out."


    Ye Lan wanted to say something when Yin had already stepped out of the carriage and closed the door behind her. Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "What is going on?"


    Ye Lan replied, "We have entered the territory of the Cloud Empire an hour ago, but we were not supposed to stop here. We are still a couple of hours away from the Eastern Capital. Someone is making a move that is why Yin stepped out to discuss things with Big Brother Jian."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Can we see what is going on out, there?"


    Ye Lan nodded and told her to switch to the camera mode on the tab to look outside.


    ...


    Then she turned around and said, "What are you all waiting for? Kill these bugs."


    That said, she vanished from her position and the battle began. The place erupted in chaos, but neither Ye Jian, nor Duke Wen made a move. While the former was in a passive protection state, the latter did not have many men with him to afford friendly fire.


    He was taking action against Hao Ren because he managed to breakthrough to the Half-Step Dao Integration realm. He had not gotten used to his new found strength at all.


    While the two people were standing at the back, Yin led people to a massacre.


    Yin was facing a young lady, who was called Princess Whisper, they were fighting with swords, but just when Princess Whisper thought she had a chance, Yin vanished from her spot and appeared behind the young lady, and without giving the enemy a second chance to react, she chopped off the head of the Princess, who did not even get the chance to scream before she died.


    Yin yelled, "Whoever gets me the head of fallen big shots, I will reward them with a jar of liquid spirit."


    The people from their side heard this, and it was akin to chicken blood for the dogs. The attacks became stronger and the people on the Cloud Empire Rebellion side were forced back into a corner.


    Ye Jian said, "Duke Wen, are you sure you will not make any move till your people are dead?"


    Duke Wen smiled and said, "Since you are so eager, then I am obliged."


    He moved his hand and punched at Ye Jian. The sword grandmaster smiled and slashed with his blade. The impact of the attack from Duke Wen caused Ye Jian to take half a step back, and the carriage to trembled.


    ...


    Inside the carriage, Han Lingshi frowned. Although the defense formation dispersed the shockwave, she noticed that five soldiers have died, and she was angry about this. At this moment, a calm voice which seemed to resonate with their hearts echoed, "Duke Wen, you could have lived happily by hiding your identity. Why did you seek death?"

 Chapter 250 : Snakes Out Of The Hole.

    The voice was calm, but it sent a chill down the spine of the people who were opposing Hao Ren''s forces. Duke Wen was confident that he would be able to kill Ye Jian and kill the person in the carriage as well but Hao Ren just appeared a bit too quickly. Hearing his voice had dampened his spirits.


    In the carriage, Han Lingshi was watching the situation outside, she raised the curtain of the window and found that the sky was rippling. Ye Lan said, "Big Brother has broken the barrier apart. That is causing the ripples."


    Han Lingshi nodded and she heard a calm voice, "Everyone retreat. I have this under control."


    Yin had just pushed back Princess Whisper when she heard the command and pulled back. The rest of the people were the same, they pushed off their opponents and rushed back to surround the carriage. General Xiong of the rebel army yelled, "Don''t give them the chance to retreat. Take down as many as..."


    He could not complete his words when he choked and made croaking sounds. Everyone looked in his direction and found that his head was being squeezed and suddenly with a little pop sound, it burst like a watermelon.


    The scene made the rebel forces shiver, and Minister Kai, the former right minister yelled, "Run!"


    However, his head exploded next. Following him, everyone of the enemies fell to the same fate. As the corpses fell from the void, Hao Ren appeared before Ye Jian. He said, "Go, find all and any rats hiding down there. Collect all the corpses."


    Ye Jian bowed his head and left the place. Hao Ren matched gazes with Duke Wen and asked, "Did you say something bad behind my back, Duke Wen?"


    The latter did not reply. Hao Ren smiled faintly and said, "When I offered you the position of the war general, you denied it and preached righteousness and loyalty to me. Yet, now, instead of coming forward after fairly losing a battle, you try to ambush my people. You have disappointed me greatly."


    Duke Wen snorted and said, "I did what I had to do. Everyone wishes to rise, and so did I, had you not been the monster you were, I would have taken the throne."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "So, your incompetence is my fault too?"


    Duke Wen yelled, "Enough of this nonsense. Why are we talking to him when it is obvious that without killing him, we cannot live in peace? Kill him."


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "You three can come at me together."


    Sect Master Jiang chuckled and said, "Do not forget it, these are your own words."


    Hao Ren nodded, and the three men exchanged gazes before they attacked Hao Ren with all their might. They were Half Step Dao Integration Realm cultivators. They knew that Hao Ren was holding back as his aura appeared to be that of the same realm as theirs.


    Just as the attacks were about to reach Hao Ren, a panicked voice echoed from the carriage, "Ren, don''t get hurt."


    The young man was surprised, but then he smiled and replied, "As you wish, my love."


    Then he revealed his true aura and waved his hand indifferently. The three attacks that could kill thousands of people in a move, were dispersed as if they were negligible pokes.


    The three people were shocked when they sensed the aura coming from Hao Ren. Sect Leader Jiang was the first to reacted and he exclaimed, "You broke through the Planet Shattering Realm. You monster!"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Thank you for the observation. You all can die now with peace. After this, I will pay a visit to your residences, there will be no monk temple or the spirit sects in this region of the Empire. Goodbye."


    As soon as he said this, he smacked his hands together as is smashing a mosquito between them. The clapping sound was light but the impact was so devastating, that the space around the three people, Duke Wen, Sect Master Jiang, and Temple Master Clearwater squeezed at a rapid pace and they were squeezed into a bloody mass of meat.


    Hao Ren said, "Yin, their true souls are yours to torture."


    Yin nodded and with a big smile she collected three flickering golden lights. Hao Ren heard a voice in his mind, *Ding: Host, congratulations...*

 Chapter 251 : Recognition.

    Hao Ren went inside the carriage and Han Lingshi sighed with relief. The young man said, "Do you realize that it does not matter who I face, in the southern continent, I am basically peerless."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and said, "It is the overconfidence that causes people to fall. What if your enemies use something that can harm you?"


    The young man was left speechless after this comeback. After all, it was true, he was not indestructible or omnipotent just yet. He nodded and sat down next to Han Lingshi and said, "Well, shall I accompany you to the Eastern Capital or would you be fine on your own?"


    Han Lingshi asked, "The people you killed just now, they were the strongest in this region right?"


    The young man nodded and Han Lingshi said, "Ye Lan, spread the news and let the small snakes know that if they dared to come out they will be squashed. The video footage of the battle has been recorded in the imaging stones, right?"


    Ye Lan nodded and said, "I understand, Young Miss, it will be out by the sunset."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "You have killed the monkeys, the chicken will not dare to raise their heads. If they did, then I am sure Ye Jian would be able to handle them."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Then I will go and settle the Sect and the Temple."


    Han Lingshi nodded and looked at his face silently. The young man smiled and caressed her cheek with the back of his fingers and asked, "What happened, darling?"


    His voice echoed in her mind, and it was very soft, as if a whisper. She replied, "Do not kill too much, Ren. Blood debt is harmful."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will be mindful."


    The convoy continued forward, on the way, Ye Jian killed the spies that were stalking them. He did not spare any one, before Ye Lan said, "Brother Jian, your kill is obstructing the flow of the information. Can you not inject them with your sword will and wait till they are done passing the information and kill them?"


    Ye Jian shook his head and said, "I will not use such a shady method to kill them."


    Ye Lan sighed and said, "It was the Young Miss who commanded me to let the news flow. Either you stop killing or find a way for the news to flow but if you dared to go against the command, I will tell Yin, and then you are on your own."


    Ye Jian sighed and after some contemplation he agreed to stop the killing.


    ...


    The spies used their best techniques to run away and they entered various cities from where they channeled the news to the people. The word of mouth and the spiritual communication was faster than the speed of Han Lingshi''s convoy.


    In a lavishly decorated hall, a few old men and women were sitting around a round table. One of them raised her hand and said, "I am sure that you have already received the news. The Duke, Lord Wen, has fallen at the hands of Shi Lang. So is the sect master of the Misty Peak Sect and the temple master of the Hidden Wisdom Temple. He did all this in one blow. What do you think we can do against him?"


    One of the old men asked her, "Why not try to negotiate with him? After all he gave the same chance to the Misty Peak and that Hidden Wisdom Temple. We are merchants, and traders. The business he has bought the people in the last few years has been bigger than what the last dynasty combined together. He is a people''s man. The rest is up to you all."


    That said, the old man decided to make himself some tea and drink from the cup slowly while the people around him engaged in discussion before a servant came to the entrance of the hall and said while bowing his head, "Master, they have arrived in the capital, and the crowd is gathering at the square. I think they have recognized the person inside the carriage as a savior."


    The tea making old man looked at the rest of his friends, before he said, "I have made my decision. I will go and handle this, you can make your own choice."


    Han Lingshi did not know that the Eastern Power Dynamics, but she knew that the rich and the powerful would seek her after what she was about to do.

 Chapter 252 : Bombing The Guests.

    Han Lingshi heard the Iron-hooved steeds landing on the ground and raised the curtain on the window gently to look out. Ye Lan said, "We have arrived in the eastern capital, the Paradise City."


    Han Lingshi nodded and Yin opened the carriage door. They led the former outside of the carriage where the young lady saw a magnificent royal palace standing tall basking light. A calm but deep voice addressed her, "Young Miss, Welcome to the Eastern Capital."


    Han Lingshi looked at the side and found a lean and tall young man dressed in a black light armor with a silver sleek bow tied to his back. Ye Lan said, "Young Miss, this is Ye Arrow. He is responsible for the defense of the Eastern Capital and also the Cloud Palace."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Thank you for your hard work."


    Ye Arrow shook his head when Yin kicked him in the shin and snorted before walking away. Han Lingshi was surprised and asked, "What just happened?"


    Ye Lan covered her mouth and stifled a laughter when Ye Jian said, "This guy stole a wind spirit fruit from Yin when she had yet to take her human form. Since then it has been like this. Had it not been for the fact that Young Master compensated her with a better fruit, she would have slapped him unconscious everytime she sees him."


    Han Lingshi also couldn''t help but smile when she heard this. She found that these strong experts who commanded strong respect in the world were like children at times. Ye Arrow rubbed his foot and they moved inside the palace.


    Han Lingshi finally understood why this place was called the cloud palace. Inside the palace there was a material used to decorate the walls which gave the effect as if the floor was made up of clouds.


    Ye Arrow said, "This thing is made from the fusion of fine moon essence and cotton."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and looked at him in askance. Ye Arrow replied, "Some centuries ago, a cotton farmer bought some scrapped Moon Essence, the kind that was left over from artifact production. The farmer wanted to use the essence as a dowry gift for his daughter''s wedding. Thinking that the unorganized pieces did not look good, he ground it in fine powder.


    The powder fell upon some cotton flowers, and this was the result. Moon Essence is one of the most valuable resources in the southern continent and that is why everyone wants to have a piece of it."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and then she began to familiarize herself with the situation in this region. While she was busy, Hao Ren had finished paying a visit to the Misty Peak and the Hidden Wisdom Temple. He slayed the ones who did not accept his terms, but the ones who did were rewarded.


    It was a carrot and sticks approach that always worked. At this moment, he was sitting atop a boulder looking at the horizon. The young man took a deep breath and thought, ''System.''


    A holographic screen appeared before him. It had changed a lot.


    Name: Hao Ren


    Age: 25 (Blue Star Time)


    Species: Human


    Cultivation: Planet Shattering


    Life Span: Fifty Thousand Years


    Spirit Pets: Yin


    see more...


    Ye Lan nodded and left. Yin was also reading a book on the side and she asked, "Young miss, do you want to win their favor?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "The are the people behind the Oriental trading house, the Kun Family. Having them on our side, even if it is just on surface, it is a good thing. It will increase our pull in the future."


    Yin nodded and said, "There are many forces outside the borders that cannot wait to make a move against us. Compared to them we lack in strength. Had it not been for Big Brother using iron fist methods the border would have being chaotic."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Ren told me about the Ye generals holding the lines against the northern empires. However, it won''t stay like that forever we need to get a grip of the internal affairs to make sure we can handle the external ones with peace and efficiency."


    The door was knocked and Hao Ren popped his head inside. Yin closed his book and dashed to his side. The young man patted her head gently and gave her a spirit fruit as he told her to go out.


    Han Lingshi watched him with an amused expression and asked, "We cannot do anything, what is the point of sending her out?"


    Hap Ren closed the door and said, "It is to make sure that Ye Lan does not rush in."


    Han Lingshi smiled, she said, "Ren, you are such a kid at times."


    Hao Ren walked upto her and said, "You do know that I have spent sixteen years in this world?"


    Han Lingshi looked at him and asked, "So, you are going to bully me now that you have grown older."


    Hao Ren replied, "Yes."


    The young man cooked for his wife and they spent the night dancing to waltz music. It was the middle of the night when Han Lingshi told him to go as she had to cultivate. Hao Ren was helpless but he had no other option.


    ...


    In the morning, Ye Lan came over to wake her up. Then she served her with a spirit tea. After a few minutes, she said, "The guests are getting anxious."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Let''s go."


    She took out a hairpin and fixed it in her hair. This was an artifact that Hao Ren gave her to conceal her aura so that the people cannot probe her.


    Ye Lan led Han Lingshi to the garden in the back of the palace where the breakfast was arranged. She saw two people sitting inside the pavilion. They stood up as soon as Ye Lan appeared.


    Ye Lan made the introductions, "Lady Hao, the administrator for the Crescent Moon Kingdom."


    The two people were surprised and Han Lingshi said, "Please seat, Master Kun."


    Master Kun was taken aback but her gathered his emotions and sat down after Han Lingshi. He asked, "Please forgive me for asking, but what is your relationship with His Excellency, Wandering Dragon?"


    Han Lingshi smiled faintly and dropped the biggest bomb in Kun Lei''s life, "He is my husband."

 Chapter 253 : Negotiations.

    Kun Lie and Kun Lin were shocked, they both gazed at Han Lingshi and their faces turned pale. They did not expect such a thing to come at them. The lady before then took back her smile and asked calmly, "Do you think I cannot be his wife?"


    Kun Lie shook his head hurriedly and said, "You misunderstood us, Your Majesty."


    Han Lingshi raised her brow and said, "It would be nice if you addressed me as Young Madam Hao for the moment, I am not yet a royal."


    Kun Lie shook his head and said, "You are the wife of His Excellency, Wandering Dragon, so you are ultimately a queen, but still I would respect your wishes, Madam Hao."


    Han Lingshi nodded and looked at Ye Lan as she said, "Serve the food."


    Ye Lan waved her hands and the maids served the food on the plates. Kun Lie and Kun Lin were nascent soul level cultivators. While the investigation told that Kun Lie was attacked and got seriously injured, that is why his realm stopped but do not underestimate his worth. His connections and the knowledge is what makes him scary and the Master of one of the biggest merchant families of the lands.


    Han Lingshi asked, "Are you thinking why are we eating food, when we have already reached the level of cultivation where we can feed off of spiritual energy?"


    Kun Lie nodded and Han Lingshi asked, "Can you tell me why you are here, Master Kun?"


    The old man replied after organizing his words, "We wanted to ask you to lift the sanctions on the Oriental Trading House. In the past five years, we have suffered great losses and the business is about to break apart."


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "I know that Ren imposed a ban on your organization, but you should be aware why he did it, right? I do not think a simple plea would make up for it. Your organization caused the deaths of three of his closest people. Had it been myself, the outcome for you would have been even worse."


    Kun Lie took a deep breath. Han Lingshi''s words had visibly agitated the old man and Kun Lin suddenly stood up and bowed to Han Lingshi as she said, "Madam Hao, I was the one who led that mission and it was my action that caused those three to fall. If it pleases you, please take my head off, but can you please convince His Excellency to give us some means to survive. It is not just our family but all those people who work for us that are suffering. Please, for the sake of your citizens, forgive us. I am willing to pay the price."


    Han Lingshi sighed, and looked at Ye Lan before she said, "This young lady here is the sister to those three men that you killed back in the days. Had we wanted you to die, it would have been very easy."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Ye Lan, arrange a good room for Miss Kun in the Forbidden Wing of the Crescent Moon Palace. Make sure that she is well taken care off. Although her task is to clean the graves twice a day and water the trees around them. Rest of the time, she can stay inside the palace room or practice her martial arts, however, within the coming one year, she is not to leave that place. Do you understand."


    Ye Lan nodded and replied crisply, "Yes, Young Miss."


    Han Lingshi nodded and gestured the two people to eat. Kun Lei sighed and then began to eat the food. He could not understand why Han Lingshi did not discuss the profit share. It was because Kun Lei did not know about the tax laws that the young lady was about to bring out.


    She was not going to let them feed off of the land without paying back what they owed. After dealing with Kun Lie, the young lady was about to send them off when another maid came and said something to Ye Lan. The maid nodded and stood back as Ye Lan told Han Lingshi about the situation who in turn nodded and said, "Since they have come so far, call them over. There is no point in hiding anything. After all, it will come out sooner or later."


    Ye Lan nodded and gestured to the maid to carryout the instructions. The maid dashed out quickly. Han Lingshi said to Master Kun, "We will be joined by Dong Sirius, and Al-Jelal of the Silk Dream Merchant Company. I wonder what do you think of them?"


    Master Kun was surprised when Han Lingshi said, "I am not familiar with the merchants, but you are Master Kun. I know that for a merchant benefit is the only thing that matters. So, as long as you help me with maintaining the status quo with your fellow merchants, I will name you as the exclusive Moon Essence Trader, and you can take twenty percent commission of every trade you make. What do you think?"


    Old Master Kun and Kun Lin were shocked, they did not expect Han Lingshi to give them such a big gift. The old man nodded and stood up to bow to her as he profusely said, "Thank you for your generosity, I will do my best to help you out and will never betray the royal family. You have the word of the Kun Family, Madam Hao."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Good, happy cooperation."


    Old Master Kun nodded and raised his cup of tea as he said, "Happy Cooperation."


    Han Lingshi had benefited from this meeting, and now was the turn to do the same with the second meeting.


    ...


    Please vote with power stones, and the bonus chapter will be uploaded tomorrow.

 Chapter 254 Necromancer. (Bonus Chapter)

    Han Lingshi called in Dong Sirius and Al-Jelal for tea, but the former men were shocked to see the elder of the Kun Family sitting across a lady and Kun Lin standing behind him.


    They exchanged a brief glance and everyone could understand what was going on inside their heads, they were thinking, ''This old ginger sure is spicy, to think he came over so quickly.''


    Indeed, Kun Lei knew what would happen, because when they were meeting earlier, the situation had become obvious to them all. They knew that Hao Ren would not go easy on them at any cost, because they had offended him in the past. The only option he left for them now was to come and beg to them. The first one to do so will gain more.


    Dong Sirius sighed as he came in, he and his partner bowed to Han Lingshi, and Ye Lan made the introduction. Dong Sirius was a bit confused when Ye Lan said, "You can address Young Miss, as Madam Hao."


    That was it, a bomb exploded in their minds, and they looked at Old Master Kun, who nodded subtly. Dong Sirius replied, "Greetings, Madam Hao, I hope you have been well."


    Han Lingshi nodded calmly, and gestured for them to sit next to Master Kun. Dong Sirius looked at the old man and said, "Master Kun, you sure beat all of us by coming early this morning."


    Master Kun smiled lightly while Han Lingshi asked, "What brings the two heads of the Silk Dream Merchant Company here today?"


    Dong Sirius and Al-Jelal stated their concerns that were similar to the Kun Family. Their business had been affected by the change in government. The borders of the previous four kingdoms had yet to smoothen up because of the repeated rebel strikes.


    Han Lingshi rapped her fingers on the table surface, and said, "I will see what can be done about it. However, after we are done with the solution, I would be expecting you to pay the taxes on time. What do you think?"


    Al-Jelal replied, "Madam Hao, we have no problem with the taxes, but please help us as soon as possible."


    Han Lingshi nodded in cooperation and then she sent the people off before heading to the study room. She said, "Yang, come here."


    Her shadow squirmed and Yang walked out of the dark patch. He asked, "What can I do, Big Sister?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Call Ye Jian for me."


    Yang nodded with a bright smile and left the place with a hopping step. Yin watched the child and clicked her tongue. Han Lingshi asked, "Yin, why are you always so hard on him?"


    Yin replied, "Young Miss, this kid has caused a lot of trouble for us. One time he went to the house of a General and challenged that man for a duel in the Young Master''s name, even when he knew that YounG Master was in seclusion."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and raised her brow as she asked, "What happened then?"


    Yin sighed and said, "Lady Mei came in time and the situation was averted. Imagine the consequences of his naughtiness. When asked why did he do it, he said it was because he wanted to be exiled back to blue star. It was only when Big Brother Ren threatened him that you would leave him for being weak, did he mend his ways."


    Han Lingshi revealed a bitter smile, after all, Yang was her spiritual pet, and it was her job to watch him. However, being away for such a long time could have caused the young spirit beast to act this way.


    Yin asked, "Young Miss, did you call over Ye Jian because of the rebel strike situations?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "I have a feeling that it is not actually the rebel forces who are causing trouble. Given the iron fist methods and the intelligence gathered by the Crescent Moon Restaurant, it is clear that the rebel forces had strong connections with these people in the past, so why will they resort to raiding and looting?


    The young girl was his aide, and would often go to kill people or negotiations, but Hao Ren has never taken her to the battle beside him. Ye Si did not like to fight. Hao Ren has only sent her on a few protection missions.


    Ye Si was not a sword master or a spear master, she was a law master. This girl was a badass expert, and only acter when someone harmed her family. She calmly bought the plate to the study where Han Lingshi was working from and knocked the door.


    The door opened and Yang opened it to check. However, the ever naughty kid calmed down and asked, "Big sister Si, what can I do for you?"


    Ye Si smiled and asked, "Is sister-in-law here? Big Brother sent food for her."


    Yang nodded and without even asking for Han Lingshi''s permission opened the door. Ye Si walked in quickly and said, "Sister-in-law, you and Big Brother both need to stop once in a while to relax. He cooked food for you and also wanted to bring it to you when he decided to go for some work and sent me here."


    Han Lingshi was surprised at the address but she smiled brightly and said, "Come, let us eat together."


    Ye Si was surprised and then scratched her head. Yin saw her confused and hesitant expression and said, "Sisi is already a Dao Integration Realm expert, so she does not need to eat, but also this plate is personally set up for you by Big Brother."


    Han Lingshi nodded, suppressing the shock in her heart and sat down to eat while talking to Ye Si, and asked, "Where did Ren go?"


    ...


    Hao Ren appeared in the sky and after a few moments, Ye Jian appeared in the distance rushing over with his team that came out for investigation. Hao Ren sighed and asked when they reached close, "What happened?"


    Ye Jian replied, "Young Master, there is a necromancer. He has three Planet Shattering Realm Corpses."


    Hao Ren opened his eyes wide and asked, "What the fuck do you mean by this? How the hell in the name of heavens did you find an undying swine? Didn''t you come here to look into the robbery incidents?"


    Ye Jian nodded and said, "We investigated and found that an evil corpse sect was responsible for this. They raised the corpse puppets. We killed everyone, when this guy claiming to be the sect master came over.


    He is a Dao Integration realm expert who has raised three Planet Shattering Realm corpse puppets. Hao Ren clenched his fists and said, "I will handle it, you guys get away from here."


    Ye Jian was worried about him and asked, "I will stay behind."


    Hao Ren looked at him and said, "I do not mean to look down on you, but just because you have become a Sword Grandmaster, do not think that you can help a Sword Saint. Shoo, or I will beat you up."


    Ye Jian had no words to defend himself, and nodded before leaving the place with his team. Hao Ren raised his hand and took out a battle armor. He was fighting three puppets who were incapable of feeling pain. He had to be careful.


    The armor was called Titan Armor. It was an artifact that came with the passive effect of dispelling ten percent of the attack impact. Hao Ren then took out a sword that looked as if the blade was condensed of the night sky and stars. He caressed the blade and said, "You must have been longing to go and fight to your heart''s content, right, old friend?"


    Hao Ren had this blade for over ten years, and this blade had gained some enlightenment under his care. As Hao Ren ran his finger across the blade it emitted a sharp vibration. The young man raised his head up and looked at a trio of blackening humans who stopped at some distance from him and behind them was an old man. Hao Ren looked at the man and said, "Do not disappoint me."


    The eyes locked and the battle was about to erupt.

 Chapter 255 Task Complete.

    Hao Ren stood in the void, holding a sparkling sword and dressed in a dashing armor. He looked in the direction where Ye Jian and his people has come from and could sense some moment. He said, "Do you really think you can hide from me after all this?"


    The void rippled and an old man appeared before Hao Ren. The old man looked at him and said, "If it isn''t the famous Wandering Dragon."


    Hao Ren did not react much and only asked, "Who might you be, Old Sir?"


    The man chuckled and remarked, "I did not expect you to be so polite. To think you would address a Necromancer as Old Sir."


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "I did not know you were the Necromancer, well since I know that now, it changes everything."


    The old man nodded and said, "Yes, it does. Would you like to meet my precious?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "I would be obliged to."


    Three figures appeared in the void behind the old man. The person said, "My name is Daoist Darth. These three behind me are my aces in the hole. Do you recognize them?"


    Hao Ren frowned and shook his mind as he said, "Not a clue. If you think I should know them, tell me who are they?"


    Daoist Darth smiled and said, "They are all made from the corpses of the three ancestors you killed in the Rising Sun Dynasty. I have long wanted to kill them, but since they fell at your hands, I was fortunate enough to take them apart and use them for my puppets."


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "So you mean to say that these planet shattering realm corpse puppets are in reality just a bunch of random organs that you put together?"


    The old man nodded. Hao Ren noticed just now, that the man had a hunched back and a long nose. His eyes were sunk in as he wore a bright red robe. The young man said, "Well, I was beginning to think that they survived my moves last time. However, it has just been a few weeks and you managed to raise them to the planet shattering realms. I don''t know if I should commend you or condemn you."


    Daoist Darth chuckled, and replied, "Well, you can just die. That would be better."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "Cannot do that, but I can help you going over to the other side. Let us not delay it."


    That said, Hao Ren raised his sword and decided to make a move. He said Starlight Slash, his attack was a slash but the impact of it was enough to make the soul tremble. The entire sky turned dark and stars began to twinkle.


    The attack gracefully travelled through the void and landed on one of the three corpse puppets.


    Their stronghold is a secret, only Young Master and Lady Mei knows about it. However, they are completely loyal, unless someone is a big threat or they discover a talent, they do not really bother anyone. The group is called the Cloak."


    Han Lingshi leaned back in her chair and asked, "They what did you mean by Ye Yin coming back?"


    Maya replied, "She came over with fifty of her best operatives and they will be your private squad. Young Master authorized this last night. Ye Yin will report to you after your coronation and you have the access to have her do anything to anyone. She will be your dagger."


    Han Lingshi nodded her head and said, "I understand, when will she come over."


    Ye Si, who was standing across her table said, "Sister-in-law, she is already here."


    Han Lingshi was confused when Yin waved her hand and the door opened. Ye Yin walked inside the room garbed in a black body fitting outfit and a cloak to cover her body, with a hood covering her head.


    The figure came inside the room and took off the hood, revealing a black mask covered with an intricate crescent moon printed across it. She did not look strong but Han Lingshi could almost see the faint wisps of red emitting from her body. The figure took off the mask and knelt on the ground, "Young Madam, Ye Yin, pays her respects."


    Han Lingshi said, "Stand up, Sister Yin, also why are you paying me respects as if I am dead."


    Ye Yin stood up and hurriedly said, "Young Madam, you should not joke about stuff like that, Young Master will go crazy."


    Han Lingshi raised her brow, and Yin said, "One time the King of the Warring Nation said, "If Hao Ren is doing this for his wife, then she will die sooner than him. Young Master gave up the plan of slow conquest, overnight he rallied everyone, killed his way through the imperial capital. He tortured that guy for a week before he went crazy and died. The entire city could hear his screams, still gives me jitters."


    Ye Yin nodded, and Han Lingshi was surprised, she asked, "Didn''t you stop him?"


    They smiled bitterly and Ye Si said, "Ye Jian tried to stop, but his legs were broken and he was thrown in the prison. Even Lady Mei did not dared to tell him otherwise. His eyes had turned red, and they were spewing fire."


    Han Lingshi was truly shocked to hear this. She looked outside the window and remarked, "I wonder what good deed I commit to get a person like him."


    Yin replied, "You probably saved the galaxy in the past life, and that is why you met him."


    ...


    Hao Ren sat on a boulder, as he drank tea from a ceramic cup, around him the green forest had patches of grey ashes covering the trees and the ground.


    *Ding: Host, you have performed magnificently, and you have eliminated the future threats that would have hampered your wife''s strides. You are rewarded with...*

 Chapter 256 Date Night.

    *Ding: Task complete, host you are rewarded with a set of imperial robes. Spiritual Phoenix and Dragon crowns.*


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "Why are there two crowns?"


    *Ding: Host, if your wife is an Empress, what does that makes you?*


    Hao Ren understood and asked, "I want that seal."


    *Ding: Host, you have been made aware of the situation earlier as an exception. The system will not explain anything to you again.*


    Hao Ren sighed as he recalled when he first gained a fragment of the Crescent Moon Kingdom. The day he settled the situation inside the Warring Nations, the system rewarded him with the seal. Upon persistent questioning, Hao Ren found that the old seal of the crescent moon kingdom was broken and divided by the four nations upon conquering it.


    Hao Ren understood that he will get the seals as the reward of his tasks. As for what task might help him? That was not classified, but Hao Ren understood that those tasks would be above the golden level.


    He packed up, and after thoroughly checking the situation around, making sure that none of the evil practitioners escaped his wrath. The young man left and reached back to the Paradise Palace. Ye Si was waiting for him, she greeted him and told him about the settlement Han Lingshi reached with the merchants.


    The young man nodded and said, "She made a good judgement with them. It will be beneficial."


    Ye Si nodded and said, "Sister-in-law has called you over."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Well, gather all of the people. Clean the nation up, I want all the Evil Practitioners located and assassinated within a few days. The Dao Integration realm people will take action."


    Ye Si nodded, "I understand."


    Hao Ren then arrived at Han Lingshi''s room and found her reading some documents again. He smiled and asked, "What are you reading now?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "Agricultural inflow, and harvest report. I am thinking about introducing some subsidy amount for the farmers who cultivate spirit rice, and also for the people to grow spirit chickens and other such beasts. This way, if the promotion of cultivation and martial arts is increased, there would be enough procurement of cultivation resources in the market. At the same time, I will ask the people from the decent big families to lease out land for herb plantation."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It is good that you can think about such things."


    Han Lingshi nodded and asked, "Where have you been?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I went to deal with Evil Practitioners that were hiding and growing stronger."


    Han Lingshi raised her head to look at him, and after a few moments she sighed and said, "Good that you are okay."


    Suddenly, there was a musical note in the wind, that made the couple stop and raise their heads and turn in the direction where the music originated from. Han Lingshi held Hao Ren''s hand and said, "Can we go there to listen?"


    Hao Ren nodded and they moved towards the best restaurant in the Paradise City. The guards on the door saw a couple arriving, and they greeted them to let them in. Hao Ren nodded to them and tossed out two spirit stones to each of the two guards.


    The guards were core formation realm practitioners. Entering inside the restaurant, they found the place to be luxuriously decorated. Just when they were wondering where to sit down, a woman dressed in exotic clothing approached them. She bowed deeply, exposing her cleavage to Hao Ren completely.


    Hao Ren turned to look at Han Lingshi, who also happened to be looking at him with an amused smile. The young man smiled faintly as he shook his head and asked, "Can you get us a table for two closer to the spot where the music is being played?"


    The lady raised her head, and found that Hao Ren was looking directly in her eyes. She was surprised, and also a bit embarrassed. She could not help but look at the woman who defeated her charm. Yes, in her mind it was the woman who defeated her charm otherwise she had always been able to make men look at her and become very amiable.


    Han Lingshi smiled, revealing a grace and elegance that the lady herself lacked. Although the whole thing came to her as a shock, she still composed herself, and said, "The only table available closest to the music pavilion can only be won and not bought, Sir."


    Han Lingshi raised her brow, she curiously asked, "How to win?"


    The lady replied respectfully, "You will have to challenge the musician and defeat him in the art of performance."


    Han Lingshi''s eyes sparked up and she asked, "Who would be the judge?"


    The lady replied, "The principal of the Resonance Music school in the Windchime Nation."


    Hao Ren raised his brow, but quickly returned to normal as well. The Windchime Nation was one of the future targets on his list. Since fate brought him across them so early, he was going to face it.


    Han Lingshi turned to him with shining eyes, and said, "Go win, I want to sit there."


    Hao Ren was taken aback by her confidence and also her eagerness. He chuckled and then bowed his head to kiss her forehead as he said, "As you command, your majesty."


    Han Lingshi smiled brightly, and then the system''s voice echoed in Hao Ren''s mind, *Ding: Host...*


    ...


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 Chapter 257 Song Of Love.

    The lady with a twirling walk gained a lot of gazes from the people in the guest area. She led Hao Ren and Han Lingshi to a table where an old lady sat on a table with her eyes closed. Hao Ren could tell she was immersed in the music. It was indeed a nice display of skills that was being showcased at the moment.


    After a few minutes, the music came to a stop. The lady moved closer to the the old lady and bowed down to whisper something in her ears. The old lady was surprised, and turned to look at Hao Ren who was talking to Han Lingshi.


    She frowned and asked, "Does this gentleman know the price of losing the challenge?"


    The lady hesitated and turned to say something to Hao Ren when the latter asked, "May I ask, what the price is, Elder?"


    Hao Ren cupped his fists to the lady and slightly bowed his head. The old lady replied, "If you lose, do not practice music ever again."


    The crowd was hearing this, and were surprised. Hao Ren himself was surprised and asked, "Elder, don''t you think that the price you have set is too much? After all, in return I am only getting the seat closer to the pavilion with my wife."


    The old lady said, "Life is not always fair, is it?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and flicked his hand. A small mountain of superior spirit stones appeared behind him and he said, "I can buy this place and ask everyone to leave. However, for the sake of fairness, I did not do it. Life may not be fair to other people, but people can be."


    Han Lingshi frowned and said, "Ren, you don''t have to prove anything to these people. Let us leave."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Initially, I just wanted to admire the scenery with you. However, now, I want to broaden their horizons. They should know that the essence of music lays far beyond their grasp."


    The old lady clenched her fist and said, "Are you slapping my face by these words?" Experience tales at empire


    Hao Ren shook his head as he walked towards the pavilion where a young lady was sitting with a qin in her lap and said, "I am only stating facts, the slap will land after my performance. Also, I hope that you are fair in your evaluation, otherwise you might suffer even more."


    The old lady glared at Hao Ren and Han Lingshi smiled helplessly. She could not help but recall the day when Hao Ren raced for her company and stood proudly among the rest of the rival companies, and defended her honor.


    The lady nodded, and the people began to applause Hao Ren. The young man, however, did not care about them. His gaze was locked with the young lady who was still crying.


    He stood up and took a step. The next moment, he appeared before Han Lingshi. His movement shocked people. Most of them thought that he was quick. However, the old lady knew, that Hao Ren''s step made the space fold. He just used teleportation at micro level.


    She was so scared at the moment, that she shivered terribly. Her young disciple asked, "What happened, Third Elder?"


    The elder took a deep breath and said, "That person is a senior cultivator. He is at least at the Dao Integration Realm."


    Her message was conveyed with spiritual sense, but it shocked the young disciple so much that she turned pale. In their entire sect, only the School Master was at this level. Thinking about how disrespectful the elder had been, it was already a bliss that they were not dead.


    Hao Ren did not care about any of them. He gently wiped her tears and asked, "What happened, my love? Did I make you sad?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and hugged him. She buried her head in his chest and kept on crying. Hao Ren could feel that she was probably overwhelmed by his grief and longing for her that made him colder. He sighed and rubbed her back gently.


    He consoled her without caring about what the people thought of them. After a few minutes, Han Lingshi calmed down. She had the bearing of an Empress when looking at the world, but in her eyes, Hao Ren was her everything. She was no different from any other human who craved for undiluted love.


    She said, "Never leave me alone."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I promise."


    Han Lingshi shook her head, "I will not let you go away ever."


    Hao Ren smiled even brightly. He calmed her down and then the old lady arrived. She again apologized and Hao Ren shook his head. The old lady said, "Young Master, my name is Qin Yuan, and this is the prime disciple of my school, The Resonance Music School, Yao Yue."


    The young lady bowed to Hao Ren, and the old lady said, "Young Master, may I ask who you are?"


    Hao Ren smiled, the system has just announced a reward and a pawn came forward for his future plans. He looked at Han Lingshi with a bright smile and the lady understood his thoughts, before she said, "Elder, let us have a seat. Please join us for the meal."

 Chapter 258 Second Honeymoon?

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi sat down around the table with the pair of young and old ladies. The old lady took the initiative of saying, "Please allow me to treat you."


    The young man smiled and replied, "It is not me, but my wife who takes such decisions, Elder Qin."


    Han Lingshi knew that he did not wish to owe anyone a favor. Han Lingshi replied, "Forgive us elder, but this meal is his punishment."


    Qin Yuan knew the underlying implications of this and nodded. She could tell that this couple was not ordinary. Although they hid their auras completely, the way Hao Ren charged over to console Han Lingshi, it was evident that he was capable of killing her with ease.


    She nodded and said, "Then we will be bothering you."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and began to order the food. Yao Yue suddenly asked when the waiter left, "Senior, can you give me some advice to improve my music?"


    Hao Ren was taken aback, but then he smiled and said, "You should travel the world. See the different colors it is adorned with. Traveling will allow you to gain more insights of your music."


    In reality, he did not know this girl enough to give her any advice, but since the other party was so enthusiastic, he could not help but tell her what was needed to improve the one thing that an artist needed the most, and that was to travel and see the world to understand the gravity of life.


    Qin Yuan nodded and said, "I agree with you, and that is why we came out of the Windchime Nation. This is our first stop, we intend to move around the new Crescent Moon Kingdom and see how things have changed."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "Elder, you make it sound like you are here to scout the situation."


    Qin Yuan shook here head and replied, "Not exactly, Yao Yue is betrothed to the prince of the Windchime Nation. It is a forceful affair, but since we had no chance to go against the royal decree, we had to come out in the name of travel. We only have a few weeks to stay here and travel before we are called back."


    Hao Ren rapped his fingers on the surface of the table. He looked at Yao Yue and asked, "Do you have a master?"


    Yao Yue shook her head, and Hao Ren was surprised. He asked, "You are the prime disciple so why is it that you do not have a master?"


    Qin Yuan said, "We all assessed that her potential was too great and that we cannot take her in as a disciple but only teach her collectively to reach the level where none of us have."


    Hao Ren nodded in realization before he looked at Yao Yue and said, "If that is the case, then work sincerely, and you will make it to the peak. However, if you ever stumble into an obstacle, do not grow desperate, and remain true to the reason why you picked up the Qin."


    Yao Yue nodded earnestly and Qin Yuan asked, "I wonder if you have a disciple, Senior."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "No, I do not have a disciple, but our family has three kids, so we have to look after them and do not have much time to spare."


    His words shot down the idea that the old lady was brewing in her mind. She wanted to ask if Hao Ren would take Yao Yue as her disciple. This was such a ridiculous thought. After all, even if the old lady thought that he was very old, but be was just reaching twenty six years old.


    He thought, ''How absurd of this old lady to think I will take in a disciple similar to my age. Can you believe her?''


    *Ding: Host, do you need me to enable the brutal reminder features to remind you that you are way ahead of yourself?*


    Hao Ren nodded and lowered his gaze to look at her as he asked, "Don''t tell me you did not sense the brimming ambition in her eyes? Have someone approach her and guide in secret, I am sure she will agree."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I will ask Ye Yin to handle this. Also, I love you."


    Hao Ren was surprised but then he replied with the softest tone that he could use, "I love you too."


    Han Lingshi smiled and closed her eyes as the young man led them forward. After spending the entire evening outside, just when they were about to enter the palace, Hao Ren picked Han Lingshi up like a princess in his arms, surprising her.


    She blushed and said, "What will the people think if they saw us like this? Ren, this is embarrassing."


    However, she did not struggle. Hao Ren smiled with an amused expression on his face and said, "Your Majesty, Han Lingshi, you are the empress of this nation, do you think they have the guts to say anything in this regard?"


    Han Lingshi buried her face in his shoulder and said, "You are so mean."


    The couple entered the palace under the shocked gazes of the guards. However, they all calmed down and acted as if they did not see anything, because Ye Yin just issued a gag order and if they dared to overlook the command, they would be slayed for the crime of disrespecting the sovereign.


    Although, it was a bluff, but it worked. When the couple reached Han Lingshi''s room, they found Yin coming out of the room. Hao Ren tilted his head and asked, "Yin, what are you doing here?"


    Yin replied, "Making arrangements for you to begin the second honeymoon."


    The couple was shocked and gazed at her with eyes wide open. Hao Ren asked flustered, "What do you mean? Who said this?"


    Yin tilted her head and said, "Sister Ye Si said that you and young miss will be going out for a second honeymoon."


    The couple was shocked, as they had no such intentions. Ye Si also came out of the room, and smiled when she saw the two of them, and said, "Lady Mei said, that when you got married, you went for a secluded training place. She sent a message to make sure this time you take Sister-in-law to see the wonders of the nation, and we will handle everything while you do so."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "It is impossible. I have many things to do."


    A calm voice sounded, "Xiao Ling, I have not seen you in a long time, and you have been influenced by this rebel. Are you also not going to listen to me?"


    The couple turned around and found Hao Mei walking over, she was still the embodiment of elegance. Hao Ren gazed at her and said, "Congratulations."


    Hao Mei smiled and nodded before she said, "Go on, travel, we will handle things here."


    Han Lingshi wanted to go, but she did not know if Hao Ren would agree. After all, he had been toiling for her, and if she asked to see the wonders of this world, it would look too selfish on her side.


    Hao Ren was of the same mind, he knew this time was crucial for them, and just then, he decided, "Okay. See you all later."


    That was all he said before vanishing with Han Lingshi in his arms.

 Chapter 259 Tribulation.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi appeared in the sky. The young lady was gazing at the side profile of her husband and calmly she asked, "Can you tell me, what is the big idea?"


    The young man turned to look back at her and said, "Meimei just stepped into the peak of Dao Integration Realm. Now we have fifteen Dao Integration Realm experts. The border is secure. The staff will manage the autonomous administration.


    The Crescent Moon Kingdom is not a place that needs much governance. The Empress is going to be the guardian and the preserver for the people. The administration will be handled by the lower levels and the people themselves. If there is any discrepancy, then you come into play."


    Han Lingshi raised her eyebrow and asked, "Wait a second, is this why you called Xiao Mei over?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Playing shopkeeper is an art that I mastered very early. Also, do not think that I am exploiting Xiao Mei, she is having the time of her life. All her equipment is custom made by the in-house forging masters. She loves this place, always creating something. That is why we will be able to have it easy when it comes to administration."


    Han Lingshi nodded while she lay in his arms and asked, "However, we have a lot of departments to organize and a lot of people to recruit."


    Hao Ren smiled, "Do not worry, it will be taken care of within a few days. Let me show you around the world. Also, you need to upgrade the realm."


    Han Lingshi frowned and said, "I feel like I have reached the bottle neck."


    The young man nodded and said, "I will help you, do not worry."


    Then he waved his hand and a huge wooden ship appeared before them. Han Lingshi was surprised and Hao Ren said, "We will be touring the provinces so instead of the quick travels, it would be nice if the people could see us. The sky of the kingdom looks brilliant at nights."


    Han Lingshi nodded as they boarded the vessel. The young lady never doubted what Hao Ren said. They settled in the ship but the next moment, Yang and Yin appeared on the deck. Hao Ren asked as he let Han Lingshi down, "What are you two doing here?"


    Yin replied, "Big Sister Mei sent us over, she said you will need someone to attend to you."


    Hao Ren asked, "Yang would be enough, then what are you doing here?"


    Yin smiled brilliantly and said, "I am here to supervise Yang."


    Hao Ren was at a loss for words, he sighed and turned around to go back inside the vessel. Han Lingshi chuckled, she found this situation so amusing that she could not help herself. This pair of spirit beast companion and master were always bickering like children. Yin looked at Yang who was lost in a daze and said, "Get to work, I will handle the wheel."


    Yin said, "The tribulation is coming, should I put on the barriers?"


    The young man shook his head and said, "Charge the spirit fuel cells from the discharging energy and save the money. If anyone dared to make a mess, I will turn them into meat paste and feed the war horses."


    Yin nodded, she turned on the array to harvest spiritual energy and gather them inside a gelatin like substance that Xiao Mei created. This gelatin had no special quality but it was a mixture of herb pastes and potion which had really good spiritual energy retention capabilities. It was so good, that it could transform into low level spirit stones. It saved money for the empire and made them even richer as this thing could be used over and over again for hundred times, before it was turned into fertilizers.


    Hao Ren got this from the system reward and researched this thing with Xiao Mei. Han Lingshi opened her eyes and there was a sparkle of purple inside them. She stood up from the spot and instinctively controlled the spiritual energy to propel her up in the void.


    The sky was covered with crimson lightning bolts. Yang said, "Big sister is a talent."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "The last bolt will have a part of gold to it. She is a heavenly prodigy and I am riding her coattails."


    Yang shook his head and said, "Young Master, you are already so far ahead of her, why do you say that you are riding her coattails?"


    Hao Ren patted his head and said, "That is a secret."


    *Ding: Host, are you feeling bad that your wife is slightly more talented than you?*


    Hao Ren was surprised and remarked, "You are taking initiative to converse with me? Well, no, I am not feeling bad or anything like that. However, I am stating a fact. Had I not met her, would I have gained this strength?"


    *Ding: True, congratulations on clearing the small hidden mission. You are rewarded with the fourth piece of the Crescent Moon Kingdom Seal.*


    Hao Ren was shocked and asked, "Isn''t that a bit too sudden? Is it even a task?"


    *Ding: Host, not every tribulation or test has to be the lightning strike. Sometimes, a simple acknowledgement helps a long way. With this task, as soon as the coronation is completed, you will finish the goal series. All the best.*


    Hao Ren had no idea what to say, all though what the system said was true, but he still could not believe that the final piece was in his grasp now. He raised his head to look at the young lady who bathed in the red lightning and grew stronger.


    The journey of their lives has just begun.

 Chapter 260 Soul Lamp Village.

    Hao Ren watched Han Lingshi face the tribulation silently. The process did not last long, and just as he predicted, the last bolt of lightning did have a tint of gold to it. The young man waited for the clouds to recede and for the golden light of providence to descend upon them.


    Only after Han Lingshi finished absorbing everything, did he stand up and appeared beside her with a cloak in his arms. He carefully draped the cloth around her and gently carried her back to the deck of the ship.


    Han Lingshi leaned her head against his chest and said, "That was so agonizing."


    Hao Ren rubbed her back and replied, "You did good, do not worry, in the future when you get stronger you will not find it agonizing but rewarding."


    The lady nodded and said, "I want to sleep."


    Hao Ren carried her in his arms and then led her inside the room on the vessel. He said, "Yin, take us to the western shores. The scenery there is nice."


    Yin nodded and went back to controlling the vessel, while Yang was told to go and read books.


    ...


    In the room, Han Lingshi lay on the bed as Hao Ren sat on a rocking chair next to it. She was not yet asleep, and asked, "Why are you looking at me?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "It is because I have missed you. At least for the next two years I am not taking my gaze off your face when you are before me."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said softly, "I did not take you for such a romantic, Your Excellency Wandering Dragon."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "For you, I will always be the Ren I was when we met. Nothing can change that, Your Majesty."


    The two people teased each other till Han Lingshi gradually fell asleep. The young man then took out the four jade pieces from his inventory and began to connect them. The four seals were made from a spiritual material, and had the effect of clearing the mind and calming the thoughts.


    The four kingdoms had cut the jade in a form of a puzzle. Four grooves and four locks to fit the seal together. However, the unsightly cracks ruined the harmony of the Dragon and the phoenix that flew around a crescent moon.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hao Ren took out four different jade seals from his space rings. These belonged to the old four nations, and fell into Hao Ren''s hand when he slew the rulers. He looked at the four seals and after some thinking held them in his palms and crushed them.


    Yes, his physical strength was enough to erase a nation with a punch, it was because he had to control himself that he did not use his fists to fight and only used swords and space manipulation.


    The two people also landed a few hundred meters away from the village. They held hands and walked on a path through the woods. They could hear the noises of the village folks as they approached the make wooden gateway that led inside.


    Their arrival caught attention of everyone in the village. The elders were sitting under the big old tree, and playing stone chess with each other when they noticed a fairy couple standing at the entrance looking around with curiosity.


    The young children quickly ran up to the two people. The toddler boys stood at some distance from Han Lingshi, they were completely enamored by her beauty. One of them was five years old and said, "Big Sister Almond is no longer my fairy."


    The others nodded, and Han Lingshi smiled amusingly. She looked at the bunch of little girls who were gazing at Hao Ren with a gaze of worship while they whispered to each other. After a few moments, one them took a deep breath and walked over to Hao Ren. She took off her wooden hair pin and said, "I do not have much to offer, but you can take this hair pin and keep it as a token of our love. When I grow up, I will marry you, and be virtuous."


    Hao Ren was taken aback, and so was everyone else, while Han Lingshi looked at her dazed husband and burst into laughter. She could not help it, the situation was that funny. The little girl was clearly not much older than Agnee, and she dared to propose a man so bravely, which caused this powerhouse to be shocked.


    At this moment, a middle aged couple ran over, and the lady picked up the little girl before scolding her for being foolish. Looking at the serene aura of the two people, the elders could tell that they were not ordinary folks.


    The middle aged man was about to kneel and seek mercy, when Hao Ren blew at the ground, and asked the man, "Why are you kneeling?"


    The middle aged man replied, "Lord Immortal, please forgive the children, they did not know any better and thus they offended you."


    Hao Ren waved his hand with a smile, "I do not mind, children are supposed to be like this. You do not have to kneel, we are not offended."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then said, "We came here because we spotted your village from the vessel. I wondered how you lived in such a remote place."


    The man replied, "Fairy, I am Kang Zongming. The leader of this village. Please come in first."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were led inside, and found that the village was called the Soul Lamp village. There was a huge lighthouse at the corner of the village, that was how they used to guide the fishermen to come back to the village.


    After finding out the stuff, Han Lingshi asked the people for some local specialities, and some decorative stuff. Even if they could make a log cabin from scratch, she did not want it to be barren.


    Hao Ren looked around and then looking at the children he asked, "Leader Kang, would you like your children to cultivate?"


    The man was surprised, and then said, "We would but we do not have enough resources here in the village, Sire. We can only cultivate to the spirit gathering realm, Elder Song is the strongest among us."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Soon, their will be a way to cultivate further. I hope you stay loyal to the Crescent Moon Kingdom."


    The man replied, "It is thanks to the new government that we have no bandits, so of course, we are loyal to them."

 Chapter 261 Under The Blue Sky.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi came back from the Soul Lamp Village. The young lady was touched by the warmth showed by these people. She said, "I did not expect the people of the village to be so kind."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "They were not kind to you, but they feared us. In this world or any other world. Strength becomes the most impactful factor for respect and kindness."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and said, "I know what you mean, the fact that they managed to contain their fear from reflecting on their faces."


    Hao Ren nodded, as they continued walking, the young man said, "I have an idea, how about we design a centralized educational system for the children in such remote areas? I could sense that some of them have good foundation. They would definitely be able to rise if given a proper care."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I will inform Xiao Mei, she will coordinate with Maya and handle this."


    After a few minutes of admiring the scenery, they reached the location where Yin had finished cleaning the ground, and erecting the fence while Yang was inscribing the final array. Hao Ren inspected the arrays and then he nodded in agreement. These arrays were all advanced, even a Dao Formation realm expert might not be able to break through them.


    The young man took out a rocking chair and some cooking supplies, like a stove and pans, he said, "You can cook here, I will go and handle the cabin."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and then she watched Hao Ren vanish inside the woods for a bit before he came back to the flattened ground and used his strength to dig deep holes. Then he began to bring over big shaved trees and arranged them in stacks, one over the other to build the walls of the cabin.


    Han Lingshi was surprised by the scale of the cabin that was similar to a mansion but she did not say anything to stop or correct Hao Ren. She knew that he was just making it big for her comfort.


    The sunset down, and Hao Ren finished with the final touches to the exterior of the cabin. Then he went inside and began to decorate the place. After an hour, he came out and found Han Lingshi looking at him with a smile.


    She walked up to him and embraced him. Hao Ren was surprised and held her in his arms as he asked, "What happened?"


    Han Lingshi said, "In the morning you said that you missed me. The fact is, I also missed you, every day. I wanted to be with you but these stupid older people. Ren, as long as you want, I will give up everything and spend the entire life here in this cabin. I do not wish for power or struggle. I only wish for your love and presence."


    Hao Ren was touched, he sighed and lowered his mouth to peck her forehead, and said, "I also want to do the same, but at the moment, we are not strong enough to travel the world unfretted."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Is power and strength that important?"


    The young lady shivered and jumped away from Hao Ren trying not to look at him. The young man looked at her and then chuckled. He said, "Come, let us play some beach volleyball."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and then she saw Hao Ren holding a ball engraved with arrays. He said, "This ball will handle the impact from a Dao Integration realm expert."


    The young lady nodded and then teams were decided. Hao Ren was paired with Yin and Yang went to Han Lingshi. Hao Ren relayed the instructions to help Han Lingshi consolidate her strength.


    The game began and the intensity was indeed as high as that of a cultivators power. Every time they touched the ball, there would be a thundering sound. Han Lingshi noticed that everyone was circulating their energy through the body to increase the efficiency and she did the same.


    Gradually she got the hang of it and Hao Ren won by a marginal difference of two points. It was not that he willingly went easy on Han Lingshi, but he limited his strength to that of a core formation realm practitioner.


    After the game, Han Lingshi was left panting, and Hao Ren called her over to lay under the shade. The young lady was confused but she thought it would be good to relax a bit, because before coming here, she had been grinding, and now after coming here, she had been grinding once again.


    She lay down on the straw mat, and Hao Ren began to massage her. Han Lingshi wanted to refuse, but then she sensed that her energy flow was improving. It was becoming more fluid. She took a deep breath and looked at the young man who always took care of the slightest little thing about her.


    She felt a surge of warmth running through her heart, and her eyes stung. She did not know why but she wanted to cry. Hao Ren noticed this and turned to look in her eyes. He said in a warning tone, "If you dared to cry over something happy, I will spank you and take out right here under the wide open sky."


    Han Lingshi was stunned, and bit her lip before she reached out to grab his shoulder and sit up. Hao Ren thought she had calmed down but then she kissed him. The young man was surprised but he reciprocated the action completely.


    At the same time it became obvious that they could not stop at this point. Hao Ren was a human and he had emotions as well. He snapped his fingers and a barrier enveloped them. His hands began to run all over Han Lingshi''s soft skin.


    Han Lingshi also began to familiarize herself with his strong body. The two kissed and rolled on the ground under the shade. The sea breeze, and the wide open sky became the witness of their union.


    The sounds of joy and pleasure erupted. Although, they were contained within the barrier, Yin could still sense the ground tremble. She took a deep breath and stood up from the ground before she said, "Yang, come, we are going to find some fish to play."


    Yang was surprised and then looked at the shade where the couple was laying on the ground, and then asked, "Young Master won''t call on us, would he?"


    Yin shook her head and said, "He is living a dream right now, let''s go."

 Chapter 262 After Pleasure Comes Work.

    Hao Ren lay on the ground with Han Lingshi lay on his chest panting heavily. The sun fell has vanished from the horizon, and only now they stopped. The young lady took deep breaths while she said, "Ren, you are such a monster."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "I was basically running at an empty tank by the end of it."


    Han Lingshi raised her palm and slapped his shoulder gently. The young man smiled and said, "You should cultivate."


    The young lady opened her eyes wide and asked, "Now?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "The Yang essence will lose its potency if you did not refine it. There is a chance that you might suffer as well."


    Han Lingshi raised herself from his chest and the young man said, "You should be able to sense some warmth in your belly."


    His words caused the young lady to blush and she sat up on the ground before closing her eyes and began to refine the essence Hao Ren gave her.


    On the other side, the young man also sat down back-to-back with her and they started cultivating in tandem. They both cultivated the purpler spiritual energy the highest quality level of the spiritual energy that there was. This energy would reside inside their Dantians, and they had to manage the balance of the two elements to ensure that the quality stays the same.


    However, over time, the quality had dropped a little, even with the usage of natural treasures. Han Lingshi on the other hand did not have any source to maintain the quality of her energy. As they started cultivation, the spiritual energy from their bodies began to circulate around them and soon it began to intertwine.


    The golden spiritual energy from their bodies began to fuse and transformed into wisps of purple. Hao Ren''s cultivation had reached a completely new level, he was only cultivating to regain the proper balance of energies. As for Han Lingshi, her cultivation was growing steadily.


    Suddenly, the young man said, "Remember the points I massaged? Make sure to slow down the speed of circulation around there. No cultivation technique in this world is perfect. These points on the body gets strained when you cultivate around them in the normal speed."


    Han Lingshi agreed, and tried to slow down the pace of the circulation around the points that Hao Ren massaged earlier, and sure enough with variance in pace, the results of her cultivation improved as well.


    After a few minutes, the wisps of purple around the two people were almost about to condense into solid. Hao Ren pushed the major portion of the spiritual energy towards Han Lingshi to absorb. It was because, she needed this energy more than him. As her energy reserves were being filled, her realm increased.


    ...


    The duo cultivated till the morning, before they woke up and put on a pair of clothes. Hao Ren waved his hand and removed the barrier. Yin and Yang walked up to them from the side. Behind them was a bunch of beast corpses. Hao Ren asked, "Did you go fishing?"


    Yin shook her head and said, "I went in to find a blood cell. After I absorbed the blood, these low-level ones thought they could corner us, and thus they became food supply."


    ...


    On the morning of the Eighth Day, Han Lingshi, and Hao Ren boarded the spirit vessel. The two people looked down from the boundary of the ship, and gazing at the village passing under them, Han Lingshi said, "I have no idea why, but this village makes me very curious."


    Hao Ren cast a prolonged a gaze over the place and said, "Yin, go and ask these people to move closer the western capital. Call Hu Baihe to take charge of this village. This is a moon essence condensation point."


    His words shocked the people, they did not expect it to be like this. Yin said, "Big Brother, Hu Baihe is cultivating in seclusion. Should I Call over Ao Lan? She has advanced to the Soul Transformation Realm."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "She will qualify. Get this done as soon as possible."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Why are you pushing this matter with such Urgency?"


    The young man replied, "The day you ascend the throne, the fate of the kingdom will trigger the condensation of moon essence in all the condensation spots. This will happen only one time, and all the essence that we gain that day can be used by you for cultivation."


    Han Lingshi nodded. Hao Ren said, "Yin, make it so that the people know what is going on here. Do not keep them in dark. Give them proper compensation as well."


    Yin nodded and began to delegate the work. Han Lingshi asked, "Who is this, Ao Lan?"


    Hao Ren told her about Hu Baihe, the second princess of the Warring Nation, who became a general in the military forces of the Crescent Moon Kingdom. She was now a Dao Integration Realm cultivator, and a pillar of the kingdom''s strength.


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Maya has told me about these people. However, are you sure they will stay loyal?"


    Hao Ren smiled and he said, "I have implanted them with slave seals. If they try to pull something one me, they will suffer. Also, I have always given them enough rewards and enough permissions to make sure they grow stronger."


    Han Lingshi looked at him and then said, "I did not expect you to be so cruel."


    After travelling on the Spirit Vessel, they reached the Phoenix Pearl City. Han Lingshi was surprised when she saw the view from the bow of the Vessel. She took a deep breath and asked, "Are you sure we have come to the right city?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and stood beside her before he said, "Yes, my love."


    The coronation was about to begin.

 Chapter 263 Before The Coronation.

    The spirit vessel made its way through the protection arrays around the city and Han Lingshi stood at the bow with a shocked expression on her face. She did not expect that when she comes back the face of the city would have changed to such an extent.


    From the skies, the entire city seemed to have been dressed in red like a bride ready to get wedded. She asked, "What is going on here?"


    Hao Ren took her hand and said, "Yin, put her away, I will take Lingshi down."


    Yin nodded, and then Hao Ren took Han Lingshi down to the front of the palace gently. Han Lingshi was mesmerized, the streets were decorated with red lanterns, and city was bustling with noises of cheer and joy. She could even make out the sounds of the people praising the Empress.


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi landed in front of the palace. The guard unit saw them and they all quickly bowed their heads and greeted in unison, "Welcome back, Your Majesty."


    Han Lingshi instinctively nodded as she walked inside with Hao Ren. She noticed that the armors of the palace guards have changed completely. Earlier they all wore a white and golden set of armor. However, now, a color of red had been added to the armors. In the center of the chest guard, on the background of red color a white crescent moon was painted with golden outline.


    The images of a dragon and a phoenix were engraved on both the shoulders. Han Lingshi sensed that the aura of these soldiers seemed to have increased even more. She was surprised, and amidst all this, she reached the interior of the palace, which was bustling with the movement of the maids and servants.


    They were busy will cleaning the place, and decorating it. However, they all would stop and bow to the couple as they wanted through the corridors and Han Lingshi peeked through the doors like a curious child who came to the zoo for the first time.


    Soon, they reached the study room and Hao Ren pushed it open without knocking. Han Lingshi caught sight of Hao Mei and Maya Okudera discussing something with Ye Yin and the rest of the people.


    She asked, "What are you discussing in such a secretive manner? I could not even hear you all."


    Hao Mei smiled and said, "We had a barrier erected around the room, so that our conversation does not leak out. We are discussing the security detail for the Coronation tomorrow."


    Han Lingshi nodded and asked, "You can go ahead, I will watch from the side. I have no idea how strong most of you are."


    Hao Mei nodded with a smile and went back to holding the meeting. Surprisingly, Maya Okudera and was leading the conversation and arrangements in tandem with Ye Jill.


    Hao Ren said, "The seventeen young men and women you see are Ye Generals. They are my sworn brothers and sisters. As for the people in white robes, they are the Overseers of the Crescent Moon Restaurants."


    After some thought he said, "Have the potential allies sit in the right side of the ascension path. As for the enemies have them sit on the left."


    Maya Okudera nodded, and Hao Ren said, "Xiao Yue."


    A calm voice sounded from the corner, "Here, Big Brother."


    Hao Ren looked over to a very pretty girl. Han Lingshi was shocked to see such a gentle girl inside this room. Hao Ren said, "You will receive the alleys, and negotiate them. I want them to comply with us. As usual, we do not want to meddle in their administration, but we will not allow them to handle things independently. Find a way to reach a midpoint with them before the coronation."


    Ye Yue nodded and replied softly, "It will be done."


    Ye Peng said, "Xiao Yue, don''t hypnotize like last time. They might kill themselves if they found that you tricked them like that Young Master Tie."


    Ye Yue rolled her eyes, and Han Lingshi suddenly woke up from a trance. She realized that she had been looking at Ye Yue for some time now. It was Ye Si who poked the back of her palm to wake her up. Ye Si said, "Sister Yue is a Dao Integration Realm expert, and she is a master in the arts of Charm. No man or woman who she wants to control has managed to get away. One time, a young master killed himself realizing that despite his vow to remain single and cultivate the ultimate Yang, he was charmed by her."


    Ye Yue blushed a little and weakly protested, "I never put a spell on him. It was his weak mind and my not so well controlled path resonance. You people are all bullies."


    The Ye generals all laughed and Hao Ren said, "Enough! This is the last time you all mention this incident. If you do it again, I will take let you spar with Yin and seal your cultivation."


    The people fell silent. Ye Yue sighed in relief. Han Lingshi asked, "Yin is so cute, yet these people are scared of her as if she will eat them?"


    Ye Si looked at Han Lingshi and said, "Sister-in-law, she really can eat us, you have no idea, how strong she is."


    Han Lingshi replied, "I know she is strong, but if you fear her when you all should be trusting each other like family members are supposed to do, will it be a good thing? It may not seem like a big deal, or even look like a joke, but such things stay bottled up inside our hearts and have a chance to develop into heart demons. That is why Hao Ren told you all not to talk about this."


    The people nodded, and the Ye Generals suddenly replied in unison, "We will keep it in mind, Sister-in-law!"


    Han Lingshi was surprised, but it was at this moment, the entire group recognized her as one of them. It was not her strength that mattered to them but the character. Someone who sees them as family. Today, Han Lingshi did that, and it won their recognition.

 Chapter 264 Game In The Shadows.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were inside the crescent moon palace, while the nice small luxurious palaces had been allocated to the various dignitaries that were coming in from all over the northern reaches of the Southern continent.


    Han Lingshi was standing in the balcony adjacent to the study and asked, "Ren, these dignitaries, is it really necessary to take them under control? I mean, what if they went back and decided to attack us."


    Hao Ren was standing next to her and said, "If they dared to attack, I will lead the forces and handle things. However, they will not, as Ye Yue has never known failure ever since she started practicing that technique unless she tries it against me.


    The reason I want these people to be under control is because I will need the information to all the big things that go on inside the three nations. Even if we manage to ignore the dignitaries from the three nations, we still need to control the people from the three sects and three unions. This is necessary to keep the death toll minimum."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "When I was fighting to hone my martial skills on the Blue Star, I saw a lot of death and misery caused by conquests. I never wanted to take initiative to do that in this world."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "We will not take the initiative to launch any attacks, but you have to understand that in this world the strong fight for power, and the powerful fight for status. These narrow minded royals will eventually come knocking on the doors when they see our nation grow prosper."


    Han Lingshi said, "That would be fine, because by then, we will have sufficient power to handle them. After all, you will be using the charmed people as your pawns. So, it is better to let the enemy come to us."


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "Ye Yue and the rest will handle that, you on the other hand, need to come along and refine the national seal with your blood."


    Han Lingshi was then led inside the study, where Hao Ren showed her the brilliant and delicate jade seal. She was surprised and said, "This is so beautiful."


    Hao Ren inverted the seal and said, "A two dimensional replica of the seal is engraved on the bottom. You will handle this seal from now on, even I will not have the authority to make a move without your permission."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "This empire is made by you, and I am just the manager who came to work late. You should keep this seal and use it to make a difference. I have no desire for so much power."


    Hao Ren was left speechless, as he asked, "But I wanted you to be the owner of the seal though."


    Han Lingshi thought for a bit and replied, "If only you agree in mutual decision making powers. I will not have you subjugated under my rule. Firstly, you are my husband, and second you are stronger than me. It is only right for you to have power of your own, or do you think I am some ungrateful vamp who would take hold of power for myself?"


    Inside the Pavilion, there were around twenty two people sitting on eleven tables in pairs. These eleven tables were all from seperate forces, and all of them were shot callers ranking equal. The atmosphere was tense, as people were all wary of each other. In the center of the pavilion was a small stage where Ye Yue sat down with a Qin in her lap.


    She smiled at the guests and said, "I am sure that everyone here is familiar with each other, but I have been ordered to maintain a proper decorum and follow the protocols of an official event. So, tonight I will be your host along with Prime Minister Maya, who is sitting right behind me on the table."


    Maya Okudera stood up and greeted the dignitaries with a slight bow. Ye Yue said, "The guests who are gracing us today with their presence are, Duke Wen Kain of the Fortune Dynasty. His Highness, The Crown Prince of the Windchime Nation, Long Ruyan. Her Highness, Princess Dai Shangguang, the jewel of the Samsara Empire. Grand Elder Tian Ran, of the Bright Blade Sect. Grand Elder Mao Ting, from Great Abyss Sect. Grandmaster Jade Monk of the Pugilist Peak. Great Taoist Ains Heimer of the Scholar Hall. Grand Master Pewter Colt of the Forging Union. Chief Alchemist Lady Ayurvati of the Alchemist Union. Grand Master Xia Congming of the Formation Alliance. Fourth Elder Qin Yuan of the Resonance Music School.


    We, the Crescent Moon Kingdom thank you for coming over and gracing us for the imminent Coronation Ceremony."


    It was not her place to recieve them as she was not from the royal family, however, the Wandering Dragon had the say so to make it right. He did not need to show up, just the fact that Ye Yue was welcoming them in person was enough to highlight her status.


    Apart from that, the Grand Elders and the Masters of the Unions were only as strong as she was, Initial Realm of Dao Integration. The Prince, The Princess and the Duke were only at Soul Transformation Realm. Their helpers or protectors might of Half-Step Dao Integration, but that was about it.


    The Crown Prince of the Windchime Nation, Long Ruyan asked, "Senior Ye, what is the purpose of this gathering?"


    Although he was raising a question, he humbled himself by addressing Ye Yue as a senior. The young lady replied with a charming smile, and said, "It is to make sure that you all are not bored, but also relaxed during the ceremony. This is also to facilitate better inter-personal relationship among ourselves."


    Great Taoist Ains Heimer asked, "Then Lady Ye, do you hold a position among the courtiers of the Crescent Moon Kingdom?"


    Ye Yue smiled and replied, "Yes indeed, I am the Foreign Relations Minister under Her Majesty."


    The people were surprised, Maya Okudera watched them all from the side, and she typed a few things on the communicator sneakily.


    Ye Yue asked, "Well, since everyone is here, how about I play a song for you all before the dinner is served?"


    The people agreed, and in the Crescent Moon Palace, Hao Mei received a text, "The game has begun, Your Highness."

 Chapter 265 Truth Is The Most Effective Leverage.

    Ye Yue played the Qin and a melody began to echo in the surroundings. This was her way of casting a spell that would make the people relax. She was not trying to hypnotize them, but only to find out the true motives and then plant the seeds of manipulation.


    After the song came to end, apart from Qin Yuan and her disciple, the rest of the people were dazed. They all were entranced by the music and their senses were dazed. Ye Yue asked in a soft voice, as if it were a whisper, "If in the future, Crescent Moon Kingdom decides to expand, would you rather fight to death or give in?"


    The question was directed to the three royal representatives, Princess Dai Shanguang replied in a daze, "Royal family of the Samsara Empire is manipulated by the courtiers, the current emperor is a puppet. They will give in."


    Duke Wen replied softly, "We will fight to death, the Fortune Throne belongs to me."


    Ye Yue raised her brow, and Maya Okudera smiled as she recorded the scene before her. They did not expect that Duke Wen Kain would have such an intention to rebel. Well, a civil war will help them. Finally, Crown Prince Long Ruyan of the Windchime Nation said, "We will fight to death. We may be small but we will not give up."


    Ye Yue sighed, and then she looked at the rest of the people before using the same whisper tone, "What would you all do if the Kingdom allows you to keeping doing your own thing? However, remember, if you tried to pull a stint against the royal family you will suffer a fate worse than death."


    The people from various forces were not royals, and they only wished to continue on the path of cultivation and Dao. They all agreed to stay away from the conflicts unless the Crescent Moon Kingdom does not threaten their safety.


    Ye Yue smiled and then she clapped her hands. The trance broke, and the people woke up. They all found that the music has come to an end, and Ye Yue was looking at them with a sad expression.


    Long Ruyan asked, "Senior Ye, what happened?"


    Ye Yue replied, "Is my music so bad that none of you praised me?"


    The people were stunned and then they all cheered and applauded her skills while saying that they were lost in the music and forgot to do anything else.


    ...


    Hao Mei came to the study and knocked on the door gently. Hao Ren said, "Come in, Meimei."


    Hao Mei pushed the door and behind her Xiao Mei, the AI companion also entered the room. Han Lingshi was surprised to see the robot, although the appearance looked same, but the aura radiating from Xiao Mei made her look like a cultivator.


    She asked out of utter bafflement, "How come you have the aura of a cultivator?"


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath and turned to him. She walked up to him and asked cheekily, "Are you trying to seduce me?"


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "Is it working?"


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath and shook her head. Hao Ren then took out a crown from his space ring, and asked, "What about now?"


    Han Lingshi snatched the crown and picked up the robes before she dashed to her room. Hao Ren followed her slowly, and when he arrived at the door, the guards nodded to him, the young man walked past them with his hands behind his back.


    The living quarters for Han Lingshi were akin to a mini palace as well. The young man walked over to the room and found her standing before the mirror, dressed up in the robe and crown. She asked, "You better have a matching one, Hao Ren, or some people might think bad."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Don''t worry, even if I arrived there naked they would still bow their heads."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "Don''t tempt me."


    The two people frolicked with each other immersed in joy.


    ...


    Ye Yue was sitting with the Princess of the Samsara nation, and asked, "Your Highness, thank you for staying behind and giving me your time."


    Dai Shanguang shook her head and said, "The pleasure is mine, Minister Ye. Please tell me what do you want to discuss?"


    Ye Yue took a sip of tea and said, "I have sources, just like your nation has to find information about the neighboring countries. From what I know the situation in the Samsara nation is not looking good, right?"


    The princess did not show any change on her face and said, "I don''t concur. Samsara Empire is stable like ever. Why are we discussing this?"


    Ye Yue smiled and said, "Your Highness, truth is the most effective leverage. Your step brother is nothing but a puppet raised and placed on the throne by Prime Minister Yang, and you are their biggest bargaining chip."


    Dai Shanguang was sixteen years old and she was a marriage connection chip. She was not surprised that Ye Yue knew all this, what shocked her was what Ye Yue said following this, "Your highness, if the Empress allows you to bear her banner and lead the Samsara Empire, would you agree?"

 Chapter 266 Silent Conquest.

    Princess Dai Shanguang was shocked. She could not understand what Ye Yue just said. She looked at the beautiful young lady and asked, "Are you joking with me?"


    Ye Yue shook her head and said, "I am not. This is not a matter of joke from any perceptive."


    The Princess shook her head and replied, "Lady Ye, not offense, but I do not think I should have this conversation with you."


    Ye Yue smiled and nodded, she said, "None taken. How about you follow me and I will take you to someone who can assure you about the seriousness and sincerity of our offer?"


    Dai Shanguang raised her brow, but before she could ask more, Ye Yue stood up and said, "This way please."


    The Princess was left with no option, she could not sit here silently. After a deep breath she got up and followed behind Ye Yue. The foreign minister led the young lady to the Crescent Moon Palace. Dai Shanguang was shocked by this, because she knew the importance of this place.


    As they went inside the palace, Ye Yue bought her to a guest study room and said, "Please wait here, they will be here soon."


    She had sent a message to Hao Ren and Han Lingshi earlier. Initially she wanted to contact Hao Mei, but it turned out that the Blizzard Blade, Lady Hao Mei was busy discussing the plot for the Fortune Dynasty with the people from her own forces.


    Hao Ren agreed to come forward, because if Ye Yue was not enough to clarify the doubts Dai Shanguang had, he did not see the point as to who else could do it other than him.


    Han Lingshi heard about this and she was curious about the princess. She wanted to see her, after all, if the person was going to be her vessel it was only valid for her to see. She was not going to actively take part in the discussion, because even with her aura concealed, it was better to have Hao Ren take the point.


    ...


    The young couple was walking through the corridors, and Hao Ren heard a notification, *Ding: Host, your wife wishes to engage in a silent conquest. Help her lead the charge and conquer at least two nations without excessive blood shed.*


    Hao Ren clenched his fist and wanted to curse the system, how was he going to achieve this? This would need him to use too many slave seal talismans and that was a lot of money. As they reached the study room, he pushed open the door and gestured Han Lingshi to walk ahead of him.


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath and composed her as she walked in. Inside the study room, she found Ye Yue sitting across a young lady. Ye Yue hurriedly stood up on her arrival and bowed as she said, "Greetings, Your Majesty."


    With that, he leaned back in the chair, and said, "Take your time to think."


    He nodded to Han Lingshi and left the room. The soothsaying skill has upgraded, he did not even had to speak this much. However, if he planted everyone with slave seals, what good would that be. People without their own thoughts and ass licking behaviors cause the downfall and Hao Ren did not want that.


    ...


    After a couple of hours, Dai Shanguang finished weighing the pros and cons. She knew what Hao Ren said was true, and even when he took down the four nations, he did propose them with the option to face him with just the royal family. However, they choose war and Hao Ren slayed all those who stood in his path.


    She nodded and looking at Ye Yue, she said, "I agree to be the vessel of the Crescent Moon Kingdom."


    Ye Yue smiled and replied, "You will not regret this choice."


    After a few minutes, Han Lingshi also came out of the room. She had just greeted Dai Shanguang, and told her that her decision was correct. She found Hao Ren, and the two sat down to cultivate again.


    ...


    It was morning, and the entire city was bustling with activity. Han Lingshi had just finished bathing in the spirit pond. She tied a white silk robe and under the guidance of Hao Mei and the Shadow Guards, she walked to the royal tomb of the old Moon Spirit Kingdom.


    There Hao Ren stood in a set of white silk robe. He said, "Light the essence and ask for their blessings. In this world, gods might not exist, but the ancestors always do."


    Han Lingshi nodded, she picked up three incense sticks and lit them up before walking towards a tomb where many gold and gilded urns were placed inside the cavity of the wall. The young lady made a circle in the void using her hands, and then she knelt on the ground to kowtow to the remains of the predecessors.


    Under the urns, there were labels of their respective identities. Han Lingshi took a deep breath and said, "Ancestors, my husband has avenged you all. I hope you bless him with peace, and prosperity. I will do my best to share his burden."


    The smoke from the incense was absorbed by the urns and a calm voice echoed in the surroundings, "Xiao Ling, raise your head, my dear."


    The coronation was about to begin and Han Lingshi had just encountered a voice from the past.

 Chapter 267 Queen Holy Moon. (Bonus Chapter.)

    Han Lingshi was shocked to hear this ethereal voice, but she still raised her head. Before her stood a phantom of an old man dressed in a white and moonshine blue robes. She spotted the a wide Crescent Moon embroidered across the chest of the person, and at this moment, she heard Hao Ren''s voice in her mind, "He was the last King of the Moon Spirit Kingdom before it fell. In a way, he is your Great Grand Uncle."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, but then she bowed her head to the phantom and the phantom said, "I am but a left over energy of my last thoughts. It was your husband who retrieved my remains and those of my fallen family from the battlefields, purified us and brought us here to rest."


    The young lady did not say much, and the phantom continued, "I do not have much time left, I have watched the things that you have done for the people all these years, I am very happy, but I hope that you also remain vigilant. Guard the people, but Guard yourself as well. May your reign be prosper and eternal."


    Han Lingshi bowed once more and said, "I will heed your advice, thank you for your blessings."


    She did not feeling addressing the man as a relative out of the blues. The phantom nodded, and then he vanished. Hao Ren said, "The ancestor worship ceremony has been completed. Let us go to the throne room where you will be coronated and then you will have to address the people who are waiting for you outside the palace since last night."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, she did not expect something like this, after all, she was not strong and neither did she have a lot of fame in this world, so why would people care about her. However, looking at the young man beside him, she could understand that this guy was the one who pulled the strings.


    She asked, "Did you tell the people about me?"


    Hao Ren nodded and Han Lingshi complained, "Why did you? I wanted to earn this recognition with my own efforts."


    The young man shook his head and replied, "The reason they are waiting for you is because they know that I only listen to you. They are scared of me, and in the past few days, you have been working hard to mellow things out, the various policies that are been implemented because of your direct decisions. That is what have made them come to bless you. Learn to accept the grace Lingshi, leaders do not get recognition because they did something to stand out, but because they grab opportunities and lead their people to a better future."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Do you really think I need you to preach all this to me? I am just asking you to not handle everything on your own."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I won''t."


    ...


    The couple arrived in their rooms, where the Yin and Yang were waiting for them. Suddenly, Hao Ren said, "You two will go out and guard the room. I will dress up my wife."


    Yin stretched her arm towards Yang and the boy took out a spirit fruit, his eyes brimming with a great sense of loss. Hao Ren raised his brow and looked at Yin who said, "We bet on it, he initiated. I told him you will dress up Young Miss with your own hands."


    The young couple shook their heads, and Han Lingshi patted Yang on the head, "Don''t be upset, I will get you a spirit fruit later."


    Yang nodded but his mood was still in the dumps. Hao Ren took out a spirit fruit from his space ring, and a mellow aroma lingered in the surroundings instantly. He coaxed the child with it and then went inside the room with Han Lingshi.


    The young lady told Yang to not bet with his sister again. It would be so troublesome if he kept losing to the clever Yin. Han Lingshi wanted to complain to Hao Ren because his ''daughter'' was always exploiting her ''son''.


    Hao Ren led her before the mirror, and quickly undid the silk robes around her body. Han Lingshi was shocked, but then instantly she found herself wrapped in her undergarments. Hao Ren held his chin and scanned her from head to toe before he remarked, "Hmmm, lace looks good, well, getting on."


    Han Lingshi stood with her eyes wide open, because she could not fathom what Hao Ren was doing. Soon after, under his guidance, she put up a the phoenix robe. It was a robe made from white brocade with a golden phoenix embroidered on the back. The hem of the robe was also embroidered with delicate and beautiful flower vines.


    The entire piece of clothing was studded with precious gems. Han Lingshi was a natural beauty, but when she was dressed in the robe, her charm rivaled the world. Hao Ren then carefully ran his fingers through her hair and gently tied them into a bun before fixing them with a jade hairpin that was carved like a phoenix flying towards the heavens.


    Han Lingshi asked, "This is enough, right?"


    Han Lingshi smiled at him, before she made her way to the throne, under the greeting of everyone. Hao Mei gestured her to sit down, on the throne and she turned to the side to pick up the dragon and phoenix crown from the tray held by Maya Okudera.


    She looked towards the crowd and the VIPs before she asked, "Today, we are all gathered here for the Coronation of Han Lingshi, as the sovereign of the proclaimed territories of the Crescent Moon Kingdom. Does anyone has any objection? If so, then speak now or hold your silence till eternity."


    The crowd did not say anything. Hao Mei said again, "From the moment this crown is put over her head, her wish will be supreme, and we all will be at her service. If you have any objection, speak now or hold your silence till eternity."


    The crowd was silent, and Hao Mei said, "Then by the will of the people, I, Hao Mei, announce Han Lingshi, the queen of the Crescent Moon Kingdom, and the sovereign of the nation."


    That said, she placed the crown on Han Lingshi''s head before she took two steps back and bowed her head in unison with the other courtiers, and said, "May your reign prosper for eternity, Your Majesty!"


    The courtiers cheered three times, and the crowd repeated the chant. It shook the skies, and then, Hao Ren took out the Imperial Seal, he walked up to Han Lingshi before slightly bowing and extended his hand as he said, "Infuse your spirit in the Imperial Seal, Your Majesty."


    Han Lingshi nodded, she was feeling a bit nervous, but she did as she was told. The spiritual energy entered the seal, and suddenly a golden light erupted in the skies.


    The VIPs all stood up and Duke Wen exclaimed, "The heavenly phenomena, even the heavens are acknowledging and blessing the Queen!"


    He was so surprised that he forgot to keep his voice low, and the crowd heard this. Someone cheered, "Heaven''s blessed, Long Live Queen Holy Moon!"


    Following this, the entire surroundings lit up with the loud cheers, "Heaven''s blessed, Long Live Queen Holy Moon!"


    Han Lingshi was stunned, and she looked at Hao Ren, who smiled and nodded. The young lady waited for the cheers to calm down a bit before she stood up from the throne. It was time for a word with the people.


    She stored the seal in her space ring and infused some spiritual energy in her throat before she said, "As your Queen, I will uphold your trust and expectations in the crown and the palace."


    The people all listened to her intently. Han Lingshi continued, "I wish my people will also uphold my trust and expectations."


    "We will!"


    Replied the majority of masses. Han Lingshi looked at Hao Ren and then at the people before she said, "From this moment on, if you see His Excellency Wandering Dragon, you will put his presence above mine. While I am your Queen, he is my King."


    This was a proclamation of her unbound love to Hao Ren. The VIPs knew about it, but they were still a bit stunned to see her do this publically, and the public was also stunned.


    Han Lingshi continued, "Today, the peace and prosperity you have, the foundation of it all was laid by him. I hope you will give up your prejudice and act respectfully towards him."


    A young teenager yelled, "All hail Wandering Dragon, the King of Crescent Moon!"


    His voice created ripples that were followed by a flood of cheers. The people knew about Hao Ren, and so they finally accepted him.


    Han Lingshi nodded, and said, "Within a week, the palace will hold exams to select imperial officials. Regardless of your education, regardless of your strength and status in the society, if you have the confidence, we invite you to participate."


    The crowd was stunned but then they all cheered again. Han Lingshi went on to say a few more things, while Hao Ren heard a notification, *Ding: Platinum level task complete, evaluation under process...*

 Chapter 268 Curtain Falls.

    The coronation was complete, it was time for Han Lingshi to interact with the masses and say a few words. She could not just half ass this, because she wanted to be a leader. Every word of hers was going to impact the reputation and she wanted to expand the territory so it was better for her to make the moves carefully.


    Hao Ren did not say anything, he stood at the side with his gaze locked at the golden clouds and the bright sky, while his spirit sense was locked onto all the guests. He did not intimidate them but he watched them closely. Not only them but every being within the radius of ten kilometers was under his perception.


    The city was on a lock down. The Ye generals were guarding the eight directions and the city guard were the second layer of defense all around the city. Even if anyone dared to make a move, Hao Ren would erase them from the roots.


    At this moment, he was focused on the announcement from the system. The task to gift Han Lingshi with the kingdom had been completed and she had been instated as the Sovereign.


    A few seconds passed by, and on the holographic screen before Hao Ren, there was an hourglass spinning around, indicating that he would need to wait. It only took a few seconds and the system notified, *Ding: Evaluation complete. Congratulations host, for gaining an SS rating. You are rewarded with a full set of combat gear, a spirit weapon. Ten Blood purification pills, two special physique awakening cards, ten heaven realm spirit spell techniques. Five life saving cards.*


    Hao Ren was surprised, he has seen a few of the mentioned items inside the system mall, for example, the blood purification pill was worth one million drops of superior spirit liquid, and one drop was worth ten million superior spirit stones. The special physique cards, don''t even think about them.


    These items had given Hao Ren an existential crisis because he considered himself rich. He even had a doubt that these things did not exist in reality but were system exclusives. Now that he had these resources on his hands, he was going to upgrade his forces to a new level. He smiled, and turned his gaze to look at his wife, who just happened to turn to look at him with a beautiful smile.


    She raised her hand and beckoned him over. Hao Ren walked in the void and within a step he reached Han Lingshi. He gently took her hand and Han Lingshi said, "Can you say a few words to the people?"


    Hao Ren turned his attention to look at the people, who were gazing at him sincerely, and said, "I will keep it short. If you are honest, and if you are loyal to the kingdom. I will make sure you do not suffer in vain. Crescent Moon Kingdom will not be a kingdom that is run solely with strength, but also character.


    Tomorrow morning, the constitution of the nation would be effective, and feel free to read it. I wish for you all to live happily, and the only way to do that is not to break the rules. I may sound like a dictator, but these rules apply on everyone, including the imperials. So, I hope, you all can understand what I want to say and help us build a nation that is envied by the rest of the world, what do you think? Is it a lofty goal? Or can we really become the best nation in the world?"


    The crowd was lured in his soothsaying skill, and replied in unison, "We will be loyal to the nation, Your Excellency! We will be the best nation in the world!!"


    Duke Ken also sensed the gaze locked onto his face, and quickly smiled as he said, "Your majesty, your intellect is truly great. May your reign be eternal."


    The pressure in his mind made him greet Han Lingshi as if he was a commoner. The greeting session came to an end and the group moved to the royal ballroom, where a banquet was waiting for them. The chefs trained by Hao Ren himself cooked up a feast, but all the dishes that were served to Han Lingshi were made by the young man himself.


    The people relished and even though the elders could do without food, they could not help but eat with relish. The charm of spirit food and wine was such.


    The day came to an end and Hao Ren sat inside the study with Han Lingshi, Hao Mei, Yin and Yang.


    The four looked at him with some confusion and Hao Ren took out four pills. He said, "Consume these and your bloodline will purify. Yin, Yang, I will give you both one more pill try and see if you can refine your bloodline and trace back your ancestors."


    The two kids nodded, their faces were already flushed because of the aroma coming from the pills. Hao Ren waved his hand and told them to get working. Then he looked at Han Lingshi and Hao Mei, before he said, "Tomorrow, Lingshi will go to the forbidden zone in the Tiger Sabre Mountain. She might awaken a special physique."


    Hao Mei nodded and then Hao Ren thought, ''System, allocate one special physique awakening card to Hao Mei."


    *Ding: Allocation complete, will take effect within twenty four hours.*


    Hao Ren said, "You should accompany her, Meimei, there might be an opportunity for you as well."


    Hao Mei was surprised, but then she nodded in agreement. Just like that Hao Ren divided the rewards, and walked out of the room, where Ye Jian was waiting for him.


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "What is it?"


    Ye Jian replied with a spirit communication, and Hao Ren''s face turned cold. He said, "Lead the way, I want to see who grew a pair of steel balls to do such a thing."

 Chapter 269 Ancient Spirit Demon.

    Hao Ren walked through the corridor with Ye Jian following him quickly. Earlier when the young man had come out of the study, he heard a notification in his mind, *Ding: Host, your wife''s moon essence is being stolen, bring it back safely and gift it to her.*


    He was a bit surprised when Ye Jian told him about the issue. Ye Si and a few others also got the news through various channels and they gathered in the Silent Dew Pavilion. This was Hao Ren''s personal leisure spot inside the palace.


    The Ye Generals had their own residing rooms inside the palace, because they were the experts directly under the throne''s command. Everyone was silently talking while using their spiritual senses, and asked, "Can someone tell me what the fuck is going on with this theft of Moon Essence?"


    Everyone looked at each other, and Ye Jian said, "Young Master, we only received a distress signal from Ye Ding who went to the Soul Lamp Village."


    Hao Ren frowned and with his hands crossed behind his back he asked, "Ye Ding has reached the Soul Formation realm, he is skilled as well, if he is in distress than it means the problem is something that he cannot handle. Who went over to support him?"


    Ye Si replied, "The closest to the location at that time was Master Quan. We cannot contact him now."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and a portal appeared. He said, "Si, Jian, Peng, follow me."


    Ye Si was the first to react and she left behind the word, "Increase the security of the entire city to the highest level."


    Yan, the array master of the palace was there and nodded in affirmation. Four people vanished from the place.


    ...


    Hao Ren stepped out of the void tunnel a few kilometers away from the Soul Lamp Village. Ye Si noticed something and frowned as she mumbled, "Space Restriction."


    Ye Peng and Ye Jian were taken aback. The latter asked, "Who could have such a skill?"


    Ye Peng and Ye Si looked at Hao Ren whose face was as calm as the water in the lake. His eyes, however, were narrating a different story altogether. Ye Si took out a talisman from her space ring and channeled her spiritual energy in it before flicking it towards the locked space.


    The Talisman glowed with a bright light before it vanished. Ye Si was surprised, and Hao Ren said, "Someone above Dao Integration, how interesting."


    He moved closer to the barrier, and found an invisible wall before him. He clenched his fist and said, "Get back."


    Ye Si and the rest quickly moved back, this place was locked, and Hao Ren did not have any realistic hope of his people being alive. He decided not to hold back. At this moment, his punch could level a city if he intended to. The young man shot a punch with full force and a loud back was heard. It was not the fist making contact with the wall.


    The person sensed some relief and said, "I am Qamar Ibrahim. I was the progenitor of the Qamar Household in the Falling Dew City."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "Falling Dew City? That was fifty thousand years ago. What made you turn into the abomination that you are now?"


    Qamar replied, "The enemy killed my family before my eyes, and I wanted revenge. With no other option, I took the path of demonic cultivation. After the revenge I wished to kill myself, but the demonic nature that grown dominant. Since I could not fight it, I decided to seal myself. Even when I spend so much time in the slumber my body was absorbing the energy of the nature, and once the strength increase to surpass the level of the seal, I woke up. Please kill me, I do not wish to continue down this path of destruction."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "The reason you are saying that is because you know you cannot run from me. However, the damage that you have done here cannot be covered up with just the desire to die. That is the easy way out. You absorbed the Moon Essence that belonged to my wife, and also injured my people.


    First I will take back the moon essence from your body, then I will purify you and for the next ten years, you will guard this place. Then you are free to die."


    The man looked at Hao Ren in a daze and asked, "Can you tell me why are you being merciful to me?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "You think too much, I am a businessman and this is my way to cover up the losses."


    He waved his hands and controlled the moon essence that the man had yet to completely absorb. It all flowed out of its pores. The man wailed but Hao Ren did not show any mercy. How dare this guy just come out of the grave and dare to steal what belonged to Han Lingshi. Not only that but even the people were injured. Hao Ren hated people who did such things and tried to find the easy way out.


    The young man extracted the moon essence and with a frown, he refined it pure with his phoenix flames. Moon essence condensed in different places but it was never man made, this was why even when the four nations attacked the Moon Spirit Kingdom, they did not make any strong moves to destroy the surroundings.


    Natural arrays were one of the unsolved mysteries. After purifying the moon essence of all the demonic impurities. Hao Ren sent a wisp of the phoenix flames inside the body of the Demon, and began to purify him. In the meantime he said, "Peng."


    Ye Peng flashed over with his head bowed, and Hao Ren said, "Clean up, send them to recover, compensate them and get them to train harder. Tell Ding to go into seclusion and remove the flaws in his foundation before he climbs the realm."


    Ye Peng nodded and vanished from his place, quickly rescuing the people. Hao Ren said, "Si, Jian."


    The two appeared beside him and he said, "Three hundred meters in the ocean deck, there is a hole leading to the buried ruins, go and find them. If you sense any baleful energy do not act, retreat, report and regroup. Understood."


    The two nodded and Hao Ren looked at Ye Si before he said, "Better not repeat the stunt from last time. I will not give you a second chance."


    Ye Si nodded and left with Ye Jian. She was a naughty child, and Hao Ren accomodated her a lot, but if she dared to play with her life, Hao Ren would never let her stay by his side. He did not like careless people.


    *Ding: Task complete.*

 Chapter 270 Constant Progress.

    Hao Ren heard the notification, and then watched Ye Peng rescue everyone. A few minutes later, Ye Si returned and said, "Big Brother, we located an ancient ruin under the sea bed. Cold Face stayed behind to reinforce the structure. I did a rough survey, we might find something to increase the strength of the people in there."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "You can handle this project, send in the Ye Generals one at a time, and see if any of them can find an opportunity. Also, assign for Jill to follow Lingshi from now on, and also guide her in cultivation."


    Ye Si nodded and bowed her head as she said, "Understood, Big Brother."


    The young man then said, "I will go back to the palace. You have the command here, but if something comes up, do not hesitate in calling me."


    Ye Si nodded and Hao Ren vanished from the place.


    ...


    Han Lingshi and Hao Mei had finished discussing the things about their trip to the forbidden zone when the door of the study was knocked. Han Lingshi said, "Come in."


    Hao Ren walked in, and revealed a blob of moon essence. Han Lingshi was confused and asked, "What is it?"


    Hao Mei replied, "Moon Essence."


    The young lady walked up to Hao Ren and examined the essence with her gaze. She was very curious about what could make this thing so desirable that the people were willing to fight for it till death. Hao Ren said, "If you infuse your spiritual energy in this blob you would be able to control its form. This is a new forging technique that Xiao Mei and I came up with. In a nutshell consider this blob to be a nano tech artifact. This thing can withstand the attack from a Dao Integration Realm expert with ease."


    Han Lingshi was curious and she took over the blob. Hao Mei asked, "Did the extraction go smoothly?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "You will have the reports on your table. I have to go and cultivate, I am reaching the realm barrier."


    Han Lingshi looked at him and asked, "You advanced to the Planet Shattering Realm a few months, are you sure you can breakthrough again?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I have not planned to breakthrough yet, but I would like to take a steady stride forward. The civil war in the Fortune Dynasty is inevitable. I want to be ahead of the enemy when the time comes."


    Han Lingshi nodded and asked, "I understand that, but it should not be this quick, right?"


    Hao Mei interjected, "It could be anytime. However, before thinking about the war, we should think about our own strength. The Fortune Nation is a big piece of meat and I am afraid we might not be able to digest it on our own."


    Yin looked at Hao Ren and the young man patted her head. The two beasts have reached a higher level, and they have grown significantly taller after consuming two pills. Hao Ren said, "You will go to the Windchime Nation with Ye Si. I want the head of the Crown Prince Long Ruyan. He passed a comment that the Crescent Moon Nation is selfish and the woman who rules it is a fool."


    Yin nodded and vanished from the place. Hao Mei said, "You could have asked Ye Yin to go, why the kid?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "She had been itching for a fight. Every now and then she would fight with a Ye General to show me that she is strong and can go out. It is like I am watching my daughter grow up. It is very odd."


    Hao Mei chuckled and said, "How about you having a child of your own?"


    The young man sighed and said, "It''s not as if I haven''t tried, but Lingshi is still lacking in the realm. My essence gets absorbed by her."


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "Baba and the rest want to come over, they will leave the work and companies for Xiao Mei to handle. Agnee has reached bone refinement. So, it is about time you bring her over."


    Hao Ren thought about it, and said, "Well, yes, these days the people have been wondering when are we going to have a child."


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "I will arrange for their pick up. They can help with administration."


    The young man nodded, and said, "Well, it would be good that they can mind the house when we go out and about."


    They had come up with the things. The conquest has just begun, and Hao Ren wanted to make his way to the north. Because the strength of the Hao Family was too strong from what Hao Mei had told him.


    On the other side, Han Lingshi finished her tribulation, her body was reformed and as her bloodline received the baptism of the heavenly providence, and a phantom of an Ice Luan manifested in the sky.


    The phantom was so massive that even the people in the capital could see it. Hao Ren waved his hand and a barrier isolated the scene. After the barrier vanished, a golden dragon and phoenix appeared in the capital skies.


    Hao Mei asked, "What is going on?"


    Hao Ren replied, "The national fortune just increased."


    ...


    The path of constant progress was filled with blood and deceit. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi had a war of wits before them. Let''s see how they fare.

 Chapter 271 : Family Undercover.

    It has been seven days, since Han Lingshi passed her tribulation and she was now consolidating her realm. In the meantime, Hao Ren had bought a small nice courtyard in the capital city and was refurbishing the house with the modern appliances and arrays that he thought would be useful.


    He was tired of the life in the palace. So he decided to put up an act. He was going to disguise himself and live in this courtyard with his wife. The palace was going to be there work place. The people in the palace were against this, but once Hao Ren glared at them with a cold smile, everyone understood that it was a lost cause.


    Hao Mei was sitting in the study room and held her forehead as she said, "This kid is going to play a hands off shopkeeper again."


    Maya and the rest had a helpless smile on their faces. Initially they believed Han Lingshi would be able to tell him otherwise, but not only did the young lady agreed, she even participated with enthusiasm.


    Until and unless a war breaks out, or their is some tragedy that involves multiple people, they were not to be disturbed at night. Hao Ren said, that if there was an issue that they cannot handle, they could use Xiao Mei as the relay but they should not be disturbed unless it was absolutely necessary.


    At this moment he stood inside the courtyard with his hands crossed behind his back as he watched the place liven up. He smiled at Yin and Yang, who worked along with him, and asked, "What do you think?"


    Yang nodded and said, "I like my room."


    Yin thought for a bit and said, "Just the lights are a bit too bright."


    Hao Ren walked up to her side and poked her nose as he said, "Nitpicker."


    Yin stuck out her tongue to tease him and the young man tickled her. After a few minutes, Han Lingshi also came over. She was surprised to see how Hao Ren had turned this ancient courtyard into a modern glass and wood villa.


    Hao Ren reached out for her hand and asked, "Madam, would you like a tour of the place?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and held his hand as they toured the house. There was a living room, attached to an open kitchen and dining area. The ground floor had two bed rooms, and one guest room with bathrooms of their own. In the city, drainage, and sewage was very important and they had upgraded the infrastructure.


    The rain water was to be harvested and filtered to meet the drinking needs. The people in the cities were all cultivators, their waste was carbonized at high pressure and hot flames before the carbonized powder was disposed in deep barren pits, with organic waste and used for fertilization process.


    On the first floor of the house, there were four rooms, two cultivation rooms, one battle training room, and one study. The house was surrounded by a mini garden on front and back, and they had two neighbours.


    Han Lingshi was sitting in the living room, where she saw a TV, and asked, "What are we going to watch here?"


    *Ding: Host, organize a housewarming party and invite at least five neighboring families to meet the standard.*


    Hao Ren took in a deep breath, as he greeted the people with a smile and bowed to them slightly as he introduced himself. The men in the surroundings were surprised to find a young couple moving in next to them.


    Hao Ren found out their identities before moving in, but he still went along with proper introductions. One of the men called, Yan Xinwang, "Well, I am a few years older than you, I will call you little brother Hao. Can you tell me who made your house? I have never seen such a beautiful house in my life."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I made it myself. I am an architect."


    The people were surprised, and they began to ask him many questions. Hao Ren did not make up any non-sense. He answered all the questions patiently. Suddenly, he said, "Big Brothers, how about you bring your families over to my place for dinner tonight? Tomorrow is a day off, we can relax and get to know each other."


    The men hesitated, and Hao Ren noticed this as he said, "My wife is an official in the palace, I assure you that I have the best wine in the city after the people in the Palace."


    This was the best way to deal with men, they loved wine and meat. The appointment was set, and Hao Ren went inside the kitchen to cook up a storm. He knew how many guests would be there and so, he cooked up enough food for the people. He informed Han Lingshi about this, and the lady came back early.


    However, she was still looking tired, there were many things that she needed to handle as the queen. It was anything but a walk in the park.


    Hao Ren came to the door, led her inside, took off her shoes and then carried her to the couch, where he used his palms to warm up her feet and massage them as well. Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Ren, you know how hard it is to be the Queen?"


    Hao Ren smile and replied, "That is why I wanted to stay here. When we think of something as our job, it becomes easy to handle it rather than destiny."


    Han Lingshi nodded and asked, "How did you get to know about the neighbors?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "They saw me sending you off in the morning and were curious to see our house. So, I managed to invite them over."


    Han Lingshi nodded and spoke in a high manner, "Concubine Hao, you have pleased the Crown. Tell us, what do you want?"


    Hao Ren was surprised, and then he acted along. He put on a feminine expression and said, "Your Majesty, the night is long and the fire burns strong. This concubine wishes to serve you well."


    It was Han Lingshi''s turned to be shocked, and unlike her, Hao Ren did not give her much time to react. He picked her up in his arms and took her to the bedroom where spring blossomed.

 Chapter 272 : Winning The Neighbors.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi had a small session of love making in their bedrooms, before Han Lingshi realized that it was close to dinner time. She hurriedly sat up and asked, "You said that there would be guests tonight. Shouldn''t we get ready?"


    Hao Ren sighed and sat up in the bad as he looked at Han Lingshi whose snowy shoulders were exposed from under the sheets. He nodded gently and said, "Yes, you should get ready, I have already finished making food and stored it in my space ring. We don''t even have to reheat it."


    Han Lingshi nodded and she stood up to walk inside the cloaking room. She put on a traditional Yellow Han Traditional Skirt. She did not need makeup, but the young man put on an illusion technique on her face to cover her identity.


    Imagine if the neighbors found out that the King and the Queen of the nation were living next to them, it would defeat the whole purpose of this lifestyle, wouldn''t it?


    Hao Ren put up matching white and yellow Tang jacket with a white shirt and pant under it. He appeared very casual, and candid while Han Lingshi appeared very formal and proper. The two complimented each other, and finally, Hao Ren put a jade hair pin with a phoenix carved on it in her hair bun.


    Han Lingshi smiled and adjusted his collar as she said, "You should get a dragon pin for your shirts."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will carve one later."


    They both checked each other''s appearances when a loud voice was heard from outside, "Brother Hao, are you there?"


    Hao Ren looked toward the entrance and said, "Coming, Brother Nord."


    The couple came downstairs and went to the gate together holding hands. They opened the door, and were greeted by Michael Nord, and a middle aged lady beside her. Hao Ren bowed to them slightly before saying, "This is Xiao Han, my wife."


    He did not want to use her real name, because everyone knew that the Queen was called Han Lingshi, the Holy Moon Queen was a recently given name and it would take some time for them to get accustomed to it.


    Michael Nord said, "This is my wife, Yin Taishu, she is a teacher in the newly inaugurated school."


    Yin Taishu greeted them with a smile and then she introduced a little girl about five years old, and said, "This is my daughter, Tingxue Nord. You can call her Tingting."


    Tingting blushed when she saw the young couple and bowed her head as she said, "Good evening, Uncle Hao, Aunty Hao."


    Han Lingshi smiled and crouched down, she took out a spirit fruit from her space ring and said, "Tingting, you are so cute, here this is a small meeting gift from aunty."


    The couple was surprised, and Yin Taishu quickly waved her hand as she said, "No, we cannot accept this, Sister Hao. This is not right. Such a valuable spirit fruit you should save them for your house."


    The people were satisfied before Qilin, Wen Hu An''s wife turned her head to Hao Ren and asked, "Brother Hao, Hu An told me that you built this house on your own, do you work in construction?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I work as a tactician for Her Majesty in urban development department. I am responsible for making maps and drawings of the buildings and the roads in the city."


    The people were surprised to see that Hao Ren was also so impressive. Now the round of questions began about Han Lingshi, the Holy Moon Queen. Hao Ren went on and on about her grace, skills, and other stuff. The people saw her in good light and now they were mesmerized, because Hao Ren had the soothsaying skill.


    After the meal, the parents discovered that it was late at night and Yoko Qian took the lead to host everyone at her house the next weekend.


    The people agreed, and Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were the same, but they did say that it was not a promise, because they could get called for duty anytime.


    ...


    After sending away the guests, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi got to clean the place. The guests were responsible, but there were still dishes. After doing all this, Hao Ren waved his hand, and the air flow in the house was refreshed.


    The young man went to his room, and the couple cleaned up and went to cultivation.


    *Ding: Host you have completed the task, you will a Platinum Lottery Ticket.*


    The monthly lottery that the system had was long updated and now Hao Ren would get a lottery every time he broke through his cultivation realm. The gifts in the lottery had lost meaning to him at this level. Only with somethings that were rare in the world could help him.


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and decided to use the platinum lottery ticket.


    *Ding: Host, you have won the chance to comprehend the flow of time. Would you like to experience the epiphany now?*


    Hao Ren was stunned, space was a rare thing, but if he could tap into the essence of time. Things would change, thinking about this, he said, "Yes, begin."


    ...


    Duke Wen Kian stood at a ruined city wall with a cold aura around him. He looked in the direction of the inner city and yelled, "Imperial Brother, if you did not surrender in seven days, I will kill you, fuck your women, sell your daughters and make your sons my watch dog. Do you hear me?"


    He had breached through the outer wall of the Imperial City of the fortune country, and this was his challenge to the King of the Fortune Dynasty.

 Chapter 273 : Moves.

    The next morning, Han Lingshi came out of the house, and happen to meet Wen Hu An who was heading towards their place. She greeted him and said, "Brother Wen, my husband is immersed in cultivation, how about you give me the address and I will send him where he wakes up? Last night gave him some inspiration and he is not cultivating."


    Wen Hu An was surprised but did not mind and said, "It is fine, Sister-in-law. Well, you can tell him to find me at the Blue Flames weapon shop."


    Han Lingshi nodded and they both went their own ways. The young lady was also surprised in the morning when she found Hao Ren sitting in a daze. However, she realized that he was going through an epiphany when Yin told her.


    The young lady quickly came to the study room, and she sat down on the chair with a sigh. Maya Okudera watched her with a smile, and Han Lingshi asked, "What are you smiling for?"


    Maya Okudera replied, "The glow on the face is self evident."


    Han Lingshi blushed and said, "Enough nonsense. Tell me what do we have to deal with today?"


    Maya Okudera replied, "Princess Dai Shanguan has contacted, she has won the vote of the Military leader of the Samsara country. The other officials have been suppressing him and the other military families. Also, there is news from the Fortune Dynasty front."


    Han Lingshi raised her brow, but the next moment, Ye Yin walked out of the shadows, and bowed to Han Lingshi. She said, "Your Majesty, the Fortune Dynasty capital has been taken under command by Duke Wen. The imperial family is trapped within the royal palace, and they have entered stalemate."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Do you think we should enter the field now?"


    Maya Okudera knew that this question was intended for her, and she shook her head as she said, "If we give the command, the army will march, but we have not yet gained access to the military forces on the other side. We need to win them over, and also contact them to show support in war relief and repair."


    Han Lingshi leaned back in the chair and stared at the ceiling before she asked, "Well, do it, but do not let them gain advantage from us. We cannot spend so much money on them when we are undergoing through so many changes. Also, get me some craftsmen, the city needs a department which is responsible for repair."


    Maya Okudera asked, "Won''t it be nice to find the robots?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head before she said, "Robots can be used to help humans, but not replace them. Humans are inherently lazy, if they found that the robots can do these things they will stop working at all. We do not wish to invent a social cancer here. Right. Xiao Mei?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Yes, Big sister."


    Xiao Mei was connected to the office, unless Han Lingshi gave her an exclusive command, she would record everything.


    The meeting continued, and finally, Han Lingshi said, "Send Sister Xi to the samsara city with the people of her liking. She is a great strategist and we can use a brain like hers here. As for the Fortune Dynasty, dispatch someone who can fight and be diplomatic at the same time. The fortune dynasty needs two teams. One for the King, and second for the Duke.


    They will be in contact with this office at all times, and will manipulate the people of both sides to create a good image of Crescent Moon Nation in the eyes of all the citizens there. Got it?"


    The two ladies nodded, when Hao Mei walked inside the open study with a young child in her arms. The girl was none other than Agnee. She had been looking around the place with great shock and awe. She asked Hao Mei a lot of questions, and the Blizzard Blade, replied patiently with a smile on her face.


    Hao Ren chuckled, and looked around a bit more. Then he said, "Well, I can say that your weapons are good, but they are not the best."


    Wen Hu An scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, I want to spend more time to practice refining, but I do not have enough resources. I have made a lot of thousand refined weapons, but that is it. They only qualify as low spiritual weapons."


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "To increase resources, you will need to increase sales exponentially. How about this, give me three days, close the shop and spend some time teaching sister-in-law about handling the counter. A woman can save money and also spin it around better than a man ever can. Plus, she spends all the time at home, it would be beneficial to you to have a beautiful person here."


    Wen Hu An thought and said, "Well, my mother is not a fan of my daughter."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "My family just arrived in the city, with my third child. She is the youngest of and will need a playmate. So you can leave Xiao Cao at my place no worries."


    Wen Hu An was surprised when he heard that Hao Ren had a third child.


    The two came to an agreement and Hao Ren left the shop with Ye Si. The latter asked, "Is it worth it for you to renovate the shop on your own?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and replied, "I am having a very lazy time these days. You people handle things nicely, so why not let me do this?"


    Ye Si nodded and said, "As you wish, Big Brother."


    Hao Ren then saw a hawker selling candied apples and bought a few dozen. He fed one to Ye Si, and then the two of them entered the palace. They were undetected by the guards.


    ....


    Hao Ren gave a candied apple to Ye Si and took one to Han Lingshi. The rest were to be shared among the Ye Generals. The people did not understand why Hao Ren did this, but every once in a while he would bring them street snacks.


    Han Lingshi was inside the Maple Courtyard Palace, this place was massive, as if three Yue Mansions have been constructed side by side. However, it had all the necessary things. Just when she was looking around Hao Ren walked over and placed his hand on her shoulder.


    Han Lingshi leaned in his arms, and said, "Ren, Fortune Dynasty is war torn."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It won''t be long before we win it. Do not worry, we will win the neighbors."


    The Young lady nodded and said, "Empress Dowager, is angry. She says you did not contact them even once, you are heartless."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Given what they did to me, they should be happy that I did not take out my frustration on them. Come, let me see what these people have to say."


    Han Lingshi wanted to say something but sighed. Hao Ren had let go of the hatred in his heart but he was really in the mood to scold these people.

 Chapter 274 Idol Husband & Idol Neighbor.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi walked inside the gathering hall in the Maple Courtyard. The elders from both families were gathered their and they were discussing a lot of things. Han Lingxue had also come to the Spirit Shimmer continent as she did not wish to live alone with the robots.


    The entire family has come over, and even Yue Shenlong and his grandpa were also there. Agnee noticed the two people and dashed over to hug Hao Ren''s thigh. The young man smiled and picked her up in his arms and pecked her on the cheeks.


    Agnee smiled brightly and then she pouted as she said, "Xiao Ren, you big baddie, where have you been all this time? You know, Ma cried so much without you? Also, you did not take care of Agnee like you promised."


    Hao Ren was taken aback but then he smiled and replied, "Well, I am sorry, but I came here to make a big house for your Ma and all of us. Did you get to play around?"


    Agnee shook her head and said, "Not yet."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will arrange for a big sister to take you around."


    Agnee nodded, and Hao Ren looked at Ye Lan, before he said, "Xiao Lan, show her around and tell everyone to leave us."


    Ye Lan bowed quickly and waved her hand to tell all the maids and servants to leave the maple courtyard and wait outside the main door. As they left, Hao Ren waved his hand and cast a barrier around the gathering hall, and asked, "So, how have you lot been?"


    As he said this, he walked over to sit on a bog chair. Han Lingshi sighed and sat beside him. Hao Mei knew what was going on but she did not say anything. Initially Hao Ren was cold to her as well. He kept her at an arm''s length, it was through her effort that she managed to reclaim his love for her.


    Tang Zen asked, "Have you been well?"


    Her tone was calm, and Hao Ren nodded calmly, he was not in the favor for escalating things but he would not back down and bring them warmth just as he sees them. It has been more than a decade, his emotions had calmed down and were covered under a layer of dust.


    Old Master Han asked, "You have arranged the people to handle the administration and other important things in the court, how can they be trusted?"


    Han Lingshi looked at the old man and said, "Grandpa, are you thinking about helping them handle things with your great experience?"


    Her sarcasm did not go unnoticed. Old Man Han frowned and said, "I am not asking for anything, Xiao Ling. I just do not want you to be in danger."


    Han Lingshi replied, "Stop thinking for my sake. I am fine, as for the people around us, they will not have such silly intentions against us. You have no idea of what is going on here and are holding opinions just after coming over. You should have stayed back at Blue star if you miss your authority so much."


    She did not like them being nosy about everything. The crude remarks settled the winds under the wings and the people began to ask about how things were and other stuff. After a few minutes, Hao Ren said, "Old Master Han, if you wish to cultivate, I can get you some medicine and restore your foundation but you would have to start from the beginning."


    Old Master Han nodded and said, "That would be nice. Thank you for your kindness."


    Hao Ren shook his head and then he looked at his parents, before he said, "Come, we have to talk about the business in the north."


    Han Lingshi and Hao Mei also followed them briskly. The two knew about the situation in the northern continent were not good, and Hao Ren was going to grill the old couple a bit about it.


    Hao Ren replied, "Half step Star Annihilation."


    The old man nodded and left the study with his wife. Hao Ren looked at the two ladies and said, "Well, I did not expect Old Boy to almost cry."


    Hao Mei smacked him on the shoulder, she was annoyed at his nonchalance. She said, "Yin sent a word, they slayed a few people who were making a mess the mission is on track."


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "What are you telling me this for? I have no idea what mission they went on, she wanted to go so I sent her with Xiao Si. I have important things to do now. I am leaving, you guys have fun." Enjoy exclusive content from empire


    Hao Mei was stunned and asked, "Your Excellency, what important things?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I have to help a neighbor redesign his shop. See ya."


    That said, he left the place. Han Lingshi was not shocked, but Hao Mei was. She looked at the young lady and asked, "What the hell is going on? You are going to let him do what he wants?"


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Big sister, this guy worked hard in Blue Star, but now, he just wants to stay at him and play a full time husband."


    Hao Mei replied, "He was not like this before."


    She told her about how hardworking Hao Ren was before the coronation. However, he was already gone, and they could only mind their work.


    ...


    Hao Ren came to the market, and began buying the raw material he needed. His purchase made the shopkeeper happy, and then he stored it all in his space ring. The young man moved to Blue Flame Weapon Shop.


    Wen Hu An was closing the shop for the day, when he saw Hao Ren approaching. The man smiled and said, "I was about to drop the keys to your home."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It is fine, I will demolish and rebuild everything from the ground up. Do not worry."


    Wen Hu An was shocked, and said, "No, no, Brother Hao, I cannot afford all this."


    Hao Ren looked at the man and said, "Brother Wen, are you looking down on me? Or do you call me brother in just name? This is the one thing that I can do with ease. You can just give me discount when I buy weapons from the kids in the future."


    Wen Hu An shook his head and refused, but Hao Ren asked him, "What are you worried about? Fine, you it weighs on your conscience, then pay me in the future. Now, go home, let me do what I want to do."


    Wen Hu An agreed to this but even then he signed a spirit contract before leaving. Hao Ren shook his head and cast an isolation array around the shop. The weapons inside have been cleaned up by Wen Hu An, and only the furnace was left. Hao Ren placed the furnace away and then with a wave of his hand, the entire shop began to come apart one brick at a time.


    The bricks lay on the side of the street, neatly stacked up, Hao Ren then rearranged them and used his spiritual energy to fix them all together, and began to work for the coming three hours.


    The street was still bustling as it was just noon. Hao Ren finished the basic structure and took off to cook a meal for his wife, after all, that was the only that mattered to Hao Ren. He wanted to be the idol husband.

 Chapter 275 Reward.

    Hao Ren came home, cooked a meal, and carried the tiffin. In the street he met Yan Xinwang and Kong Zixi, they both also came back home for a meal in the noon. Yan Xinwang asked, "Xiao Hao, where are you headed?"


    Hao Ren raised the tiffin in his hand and said, "I am bringing food for Madam. She works so hard, must be hungry."


    The couple opposite to him were surprised. Kong Zixi looked at her husband and said, "Sister Lingshi is a lucky woman."


    Hao Ren shook his head with a humble smile on his face. He was about to leave when Yang Xinwang asked, "I heard that you offered Brother Wen to remodel his entire shop. If you need help with the arrays, don''t forget to tell me."


    Hao Ren nodded and then left the street. He understood that all these people were looking to make profit from this thing. After all, none of the two people involved in the deal have let out a word about the partial payment. As he thought about this, Hao Ren began to dwell on the matters of the neighboring nations.


    He did not realize when he reached the palace, and found Han Lingshi in the imperial study working. He silently opened the tiffin and served it to the workaholic woman. Han Lingshi raised her head from the documents and asked, "Did you know that the fortune Dynasty is called Fortune Dynasty because they have a lot of spiritual stone mines? Around thirty percent of the Souther continent is under their control."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "They exploit these mines too much, they are not replenishable once you dig them out."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "That is why I was thinking if we should seal them all and leave the core stone inside, in a few hundred years, these mines would become useable again."


    Hao Ren raised his brow as he fed her a mouthful of stir fry prawn, and said, "The idea is not bad. You can go and discuss this with the Finance Minister."


    Han Lingshi nodded while eating and said, "Yin and Xiao Si would be coming back. Dai Shanguang is all set to replace the puppet and take back the military power from the corrupt officials."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "It would not be so easy. She cannot just waltz in the court and deal with it. Tell Xiao Si and Yin to start assassinating the corrupt families, if possible organize a Hongmen banquet and deal with them in one fell sweep. This will crack the spine of the camel and make them bow. Then the Princess can take back the military power, however, she cannot ascend the throne."


    Han Lingshi was surprised and asked, "Why not?"


    The big kitty in Agnee''s mouth were Ice Mane Lions. They were in the stables behind the Palace. Hao Ren took her there and looked at Yang who was cultivating on the side. He first patted the lions head gently and said, "This is my daughter, Agnee, play with her and be gentle."


    The lion obediently nodded his head and began to play with Agnee. The little girl was surprised but she was laughing from time to time, and sometimes she scolded when the Lion could not understand her words. She played from a distance, asking the Lion to do tricks, but after a while she gained confidence and picked up a brush to gently groom the Lion.


    The beast was surprised but he did not mind it. Hao Ren smiled, and looked at Yang, as he said, "If you bully her the next time, I will give Yin the free leash on you. Understand?"


    Yang nodded and said, "I understand, Young Master. I will not make her upset."


    After sorting the troubles among the children, Hao Ren went back to his task, and finished all the things that he needed to do about the store within a day. All thanks to his powers. The shop was done, Hao Ren had created a neon light board outside and a blue flame logo burned there. There was no such thing as neon lights in this world, so Hao Ren made this for the first time, and he was sure that at least for the next five years, Wen Hu An would be the strongest in this market.


    In the evening, Hao Ren went to Wen Hu An''s house, and told them to check the shop. Wen Hu An agreed eagerly and then he called over the entire group. After a few minutes, the entire group exclaimed, Blue Flame weapons shop had turned into the most eye-catching weapon shop. The frames of all the doors and windows were made by connecting and melting weapons together.


    These were all the scraps that Hao Ren made when he was trying to learn forging. The interior was brightly lit and very spacy. The use of arrays was very apt and even Yan Xinwang was shocked. He did not expect such a thing.


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    Wen Hu An was so happy that he threw a banquet on the spot. Everyone joined in, after all, free spirit food and spirit wine were always welcome.


    Hao Ren called back his wife, and they all gathered at Wen Hu An''s courtyard. The place was made in ancient style, but had its appeal. The man drank and the women chatted. Han Lingshi was like a swan among ducks, the women complimented her and praised her for having a good eye.


    Han Lingshi was so content hearing all this, because in her old life, she appeared to be the most dashing among the women and was called stupid to marry Hao Ren. The young man worked his way up but he did not make friends with those people who looked down on him.


    This time, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi finally got to live in a neighborhood and appear to be normal people. How can she not enjoy this? Yes, people might have their own hidden intentions, but as long as it was not bad, the young couple did not mind such things. Hao Ren wanted to keep himself busy and he was not short of money and ideas either.


    Just when Hao Ren was about to call Han Lingshi to go back home, the system notified, *Ding: Host has completed a hidden task. The Swan among ducks. Your wife has enjoyed the compliments from other wives. You are rewarded with....*

 Chapter 276 Chaotic Creatures

    *Ding: Host you have completed the hidden task, Swan among the ducks. You are rewarded with the cocoon of Six Wing Blood Cicada. This is a creature that came into existence from the chaos energy. It feeds on pure spiritual energy, and blood essence. The creature is also known as the blood king of the insect race.*


    Hao Ren was surprised to hear the notification. He checked his space ring and found a tiny red cocoon on a big leaf placed inside. He could sense a strong aura radiating from this cocoon. He took a deep breath and stood up from his seat. He stumbled a bit before he cupped his fists and said, "Big Brother, the younger would not take his leave. Forgive me, but I just recalled that Her Majesty will be coming for inspection tomorrow."


    The people were frowning but when they realized that the Queen was coming over, they hurriedly sent Hao Ren away with Han Lingshi. The ladies even promised them that they would bring over some chicken soup in the morning for them. The young couple returned home, and Han Lingshi asked, "Ren, what happened all of a sudden?"


    Hao Ren slumped on the couch and said, "I just found out that I hold a chaos creature in my hand and my mind is a bit rattled."


    Yang came over with two cups of warm water, and served them on the table. The kid heard the word Chaos Creature and he shivered. Han Lingshi sensed this and asked, "Yang, are you okay?"


    Yang gulped a mouthful, but he found that his mouth ran dry from the fear. He grasped the cup of water and downed it in one go, before he asked, "Young Master, did you just say a Chaos Creature?"


    Hao Ren nodded and Yang anxiously asked, "Young Master, it is not a snake type, is it?"


    The young man said, "It is an insect, why, what happened?"


    Yang sighed in relief and sat down on the ground with a huff, as he said, "Young Master, you probably only know that Chaos Creatures are strong, but they are more dangerous for their own race than to others. In the library, I have read about them vaguely, and it is said, that Chaos Creatures are cannibals and they will consume their own kind to advance in realms. They do not have realms like the beings who cultivate spiritual energy.


    They have tiers. Any Chaos Creature will be born at the level of Tier Four, higher than nascent soul realm. I was worried if this were to be a snake, then me and sister might not live."


    Han Lingshi was surprised but then she understood, it was the innate among spiritual and chaotic beings. She patted his head and said, "How can we let anything happen to you and Yin? Do not worry, as long as we are here, you will be fine. Even if it is a chaotic creature. I will ask your Young Master to make a stew with it."


    Yang was a bit silly, so he was easily coaxed. However, Hao Ren was not feeling easy. Hao Ren read the description of the insect in his mind, and then he took the cocoon out of the space ring. Han Lingshi pursed her lips and then said, "Why does this aura feel so oppressive?"


    Hao Ren replied, "This is the aura that one need to cultivate if they want to step out of the Planet Shattering Realm. The energy of chaos is the key factor."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "It seems that the realms above are not easy to go through."


    Yin snorted and said, "Tell that to Big Brother, he always treats me as a kid."


    Ye Si chuckled lightly, and soon the Princess came in with an old man beside her. Ye Si raised her brow, she had tasted the Snake Wine and activated the Yin & Yang eyes. Hao Ren had been very generous with the Ye Generals. As long as they reached the level of strength that he asked them to within a certain time limit, he would not hold back with the rewards.


    Dai Shanguang bowed to the two people, and said, "This is my maternal uncle, General Kai Jianshen."


    Ye Si nodded and said, "I did not expect the princess to have a Dao Integration Realm expert beside her. Seems like the General has hidden himself well."


    Kai Jianshen did not expect that the strength he had hidden for so long from the gazes of those corrupt courtiers would be unraveled by the young lady before him in a glance. He was visibly surprised. However, before he could say anything, Yin asked calmly, "What did the Princess want with us at this hour?"


    Dai Shanguan could tolerate Ye Si talking to her like this, but what right did a child have. Ye Si saw the Princess frowning when she sighed and said, "Allow me to introduce you, Her Highness Hao Yin. First Princess of the Crescent Moon Kingdom."


    This was the identity that Yin held in the forces, that is why even when the Ye generals knew about her true form were respectful of her. Yin had crossed three Tribulations, one to gain the human form, and two when she condensed her spirit core, and beast soul. She was as strong as Ye Si, even if she had the realm of a Dao Formation Realm cultivator.


    Dai Shanguan was shocked when she heard this. She did not expect a princess to come over. Ye Si asked, "Are you surprised that Her Majesty sent the Princess over?"


    Dai Shanguan nodded, and Yin replied, "Father told me to train and get stronger. Now, can you tell us what are you here for?"


    Claiming to be the princess did two things, one it intimidated the people. After all, Yin was now seen as someone in direct relationship with Hao Ren, the Wandering Dragon. If Dai Shanguan made a mistake or tried to play her games, she would not even know how she died. Another effect it had on people was to signify that Hao Ren did not want his people to be weak.


    The pursuit of strength was the fate of a cultivator. Dai Shanguan gulped a mouthful before revealing a beautiful smile, "I have seen the Princess."


    Yin nodded and asked, "You have not answered my question, Your Highness Dai."


    Dai Shanguan said, "Your Highness, General Ye, I had come here to divulge the information about the corrupt nobles as you have instructed in the noon. My uncle knows the situation better than me, so I brought him over."


    The meeting began, earlier Dai Shanguan still had some hope in her heart but all of it was not extinguished by a cold Yin. Explore more at empire

 Chapter 277 Role Reversal.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi did not know what was going on in the samsara empire, because Ye Si would be sending them the report in the morning only. The night went by in a blink. The couple spend their time cultivating as they knew how crucial it was for them to grow strong.


    Hao Ren had to prepare for the future, and handle the Hao Family issues as well. He was well aware that if he did not clear up the mess in the northern continent, his parents might not be able to continue. The incidents of the past have already become their heart demons, if they both faced a tribulation in this situation, they would without any exception, die.


    In the morning, Hao Ren squeezed the juice of a spirit fruit and served it to Han Lingshi. They did not need to bath, a cycle of spiritual energy through the body and they would become clean and fresh. Hao Ren combed the hair of his wife with a doting smile on his face.


    Han Lingshi looked at the scene in the mirror and asked, "Why do you pamper me as if I am a child?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I do not know, I cannot help myself. Maybe these little things are a part of my love language."


    Han Lingshi nodded and suddenly she said, "Well, you have been doing all this for me all this while. Ever since the first day, you have been like this. So, I have decided, let us reverse the role today."


    Hao Ren was surprised, although he wanted to enjoy being pampered but he was not sure if the system would agree. Just at this moment, *Ding: Host, the things you do for your wife signifies how much you love her. Similarly, what your wife does for you, is also her way of showing love for you. Today your task is to enjoy the treatment of being served by your wife.*


    Hao Ren was yet to accept the task when Han Lingshi stood up from the stool and pushed him to sit down on the stool. Then she took the jade from his hand and began to comb his hair and complained, "Why do you have such long hair when you cannot care for them? They feel like a broom, you know?"


    The husband was schooled by the wife, and he could only obediently nod. Han Lingshi used her hands to untangle the hair and applied some oil to the hair before she tied them up in a high bun on Hao Ren''s head. Then she leaned forward and hugged Hao Ren in her arms. Her cheek touched Hao Ren''s face, and she said, "Hmm, I will help you shave your face clean too. Your hair are very prickly."


    The young man nodded and said, "I can just shake them off with my spiritual energy."


    Han Lingshi frowned and said, "No, I will do it."


    She gathered her spiritual energy on the edge of her palm and then ran it around Hao Ren''s face. The young man was surprised, he did not expect her to use the spiritual energy like a razor. He raised his brows and said, "I did not expect you to be so skilled and what''s with the look in your eyes? Are you trying to seduce me?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and pecked his cheek, before she said, "I will make you some nice breakfast."


    The couple headed to the dining hall, and Han Lingshi cooked up three dishes and two soups for him. The young man ate with relish and complemented Han Lingshi for upgrading her cooking skills. Han Lingshi brushed it off because she thought that even if she served him with a scorched meal, he would eat it.


    After the meal, she helped him dress up and the two headed out of the house with Yang walking ahead of them. Han Lingshi held his arm, and they talked about various things they did on the Blue Star.


    Suddenly, Yang turned around and said, "Young Master, we have a lecher gazing at Ma."


    Han Lingshi had become Ma, but Hao Ren was not yet baba for Yang. The young man had actually sensed this gaze already, and said, "Yin, do you need me to give you a command or do you know what you have to do?"


    Ye Yin replied from their shadows that she knew but Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Stop."


    Hao Ren looked at her and Han Lingshi said, "Killing them for nothing is not worth it. They all look at me, and I am used to it. Killing and spilling blood at every corner is not a good thing."


    Hao Ren sighed and followed her words. The roamed around a bit before they came to the palace. The guards saluted them as they entered the place. Hao Ren asked, "What do you want to do with these people?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "I will make more laws, then I will have the city guard take up the responsibility to handle such trash men with fines and penalties. If the crimes extend the level, and they do something heinous, I will take away their human status and have them chopped up in the square. People who do such crimes will not be tolerated in the Kingdom."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Good."


    The couple finished dealing with the things, and they had tea in the noon. Hao Ren wiped out the nobles of the four kingdoms, or at least he abolished them. The entire court was filled with Han Lingshi''s people, and they did not see a fault in her decisions. If they did, she had given them enough room to rectify the flaws and discuss things in a constructive manner.


    In the evening, the two people finished with their work and reviewing the few pending issues when they walked back home. Han Lingshi did not bring Agnee along, and she even left Yang Behind, because tonight, she had some other plans in her mind.

 Chapter 278 Night Calls. *R-18*

    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren both came home, the young man did not find anything out of ordinary. Han Lingshi helped him with his shoes, and massaged his shoulders. The young man mused and said, "Lingshi, do you think I need a massage?"


    Han Lingshi stuck out her tongue and replied, "I should have paid attention to you when we were still at the Blue Star."


    Hao Ren chuckled and let her do whatever she wanted after all that was his goal. The young lady went in the kitchen to cook a meal and Hao Ren closed his eyes to rest. He did not think much and was enjoying the moment of leisure.


    After dinner, Han Lingshi asked him to dance with her. Hao Ren smiled at her dotingly as he took her waist in his arms and the two of them began to dance to a waltz music piece. Han Lingshi also enjoyed his warmth and rested her head against his shoulder as they began to sway while standing in the spot.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and Han Lingshi''s scent fused in his nose. The young lady raised her head and caressed Hao Ren''s face gently before she said, "I will go and get changed."


    The young man nodded and watched her walk to the room. Usually Han Lingshi would go back calmly but today she turned to give him a look. Hao Ren did not know what to say, because this look did feel a bit seductive to him. He was a bit surprised, but then he instinctively followed Han Lingshi.


    As he entered the room, he found that the young lady was in the cloakroom. He took off his robe, and went to bed in his pants only. This was how he usually slept, tonight was nothing new. However, suddenly, the curtains on the windows closed and the light in the room turned off. Just when he was about to move and check what was going on, he saw an icy blue flame ball moving out of the cloakroom.


    However, the flame ball did not have any temperature to it. Hao REn realized that it was controlled by Han Lingshi, and called out, "Lingshi, are you o..."


    Before he could finish his words Han Lingshi took a step out of the cloaking room. The young man sat up in the bed with a reflex. Han Lingshi was wearing a red silk gown that embraced her curves and edges so nicely that Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "I am very envious of that fabric."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "You can replace it."


    Her voice was low, as if a stroke of breeze running along his ears. Hao Ren watched Han Lingshi approach him. She climbed the bed, and sat before him on her knees. They locked gazes with each other. Hao Ren also got up on his knees, and leaned forward.


    Han Lingshi leaned in and kissed him. Hao Ren also reciprocated with equal passion. He held her neck and then coiled his arm around her waist as he pulled her close. He opened his mouth and flicked his tongue onto her soft lips before he began to suck on them.


    Han Lingshi moaned in his mouth. She coiled her arms around his back and pressed herself against his hard body. She did not want to lose out in this battle of passion and love. She used the opening of his mouth and slid her fish like tongue in his mouth to tease him.


    The young man flicked the top of his tongue on the little bean. Then he increased the speed of the movement and Han Lingshi began to moan and squirm even more. The young man raised his hand and rubbed the bean before her held the bean between his teeth and slid his finger inside the tight hole.


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide and arched her back. The young man went in and out. Han Lingshi groaned and said, "More."


    Hao Ren extended his middle finger and then moved it inside the hole as well. Hao Ren explored the walls slowly, sensing the warmth and softness of the hole until he stumbled upon a little roughness and Han Lingshi shivered hard as the walls contracted and the girl exclaimed, "Fuck yes, Ren."


    Hao Ren smiled as he slobbered the pussy with a veil of his spit and he knelt before Han Lingshi. They did not talk much with each other, however, they were communicating. Hao Ren entered her slowly and Han Lingshi flared at him for being a tease.


    The young man smiled and then he pushed in harder, all of a sudden, Han Lingshi moaned while looking in his eyes. The young man smirked and pulled back before another quick shove. Every shove was accompanied by a clapping sound. Han Lingshi passed her hands under Hao Ren''s arms and pulled him close before she said, "Faster!"


    Hao Ren kissed her as his thrusts became faster. The claps turned into pats and the room echoed with the sound as if a torrential rain falling from the sky.


    The young man suddenly broke away. He got off the bed, pulled the young lady to the edge and entered her again. He began to kiss her as he pinned her legs above his shoulders while thrusting in and out of the pussy.


    Han Lingshi put her arms around his shoulders and moaned in his ears. The young man aimed to caress the rough patch inside to enhance her pleasure with every stroke


    Han Lingshi shivered and then the young man suddenly lifted her in his arms. This surprised the young lady but Hao Ren was able to reach the depths of the hole by this.


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    Han Lingshi tightened her pussy around his dick, making him groan as she said, "I am coming."


    Hao Ren replied, "Me too."


    The two off them embroiled together as they came at the same time.

 Chapter 279 Movement.

    Hao Ren lay on top of Han Lingshi panting, the latter was also the same. The two of them had a dazed look in their eyes, they had sex earlier, but it was nothing like what they had today. Han Lingshi held Hao Ren in her arms as if he was a treasure. While they were both catching their breath, a notification sounded in Hao Ren''s mind.


    *Ding: Host, with the stroke of midnight, you have also completed your task very elegantly. Your wife is happy and content. You are rewarded with twenty strands of Chaos Energy. Conditions to avail the rewards are that you must pass the tribulation."


    Hao Ren was surprised; Chaos Energy was very strong. One strand of Chaos Energy could enable a cultivator to flatten a city with a wave of his hand. The time it took to condense every new strand of energy after the Realm Tribulation, it would take a few years at the least. With the reward from the system, Hao Ren would save at least two decades of time. Even with his super talent, and with the help of Moon Time Acceleration Hourglass, it would not be an overnight issue and the life span consumption was another.


    One more thing that he had to think about was how to cultivate with Han Lingshi because the cultivation of chaos energy and spiritual energy are different. It could do more harm than good.


    The young man sat up on the bed and Han Lingshi asked, "What happened?"


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and replied, "I am close to a breakthrough."


    Han Lingshi was shocked, she sat up from the bed, and looked at the young man before she asked, "Is it serious?"No?v(el)B\\jnn


    The young man nodded and replied, "My restraints are coming apart slowly. If I try to suppress the energy inside my body again, they might explode and damage my meridians."


    Han Lingshi realized how drastic the situation was. After a few moments of silence, she asked, "What do you think are the chances of getting through the tribulation?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I will be fine, my physique is special. I can absorb lightning so the chances of failure are low."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then she asked, "When do you think the tribulation would be coming?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I think a few weeks."


    Hao Lingshi nodded, and said, "I will ask Sister Mei to clear a Tribulation Area, and also prepare some formations for safety."


    Hao Ren nodded and thanked her with a kiss. He then pulled her in an embrace and closed his eyes to sleep.


    ...


    Maya Okudera looked at them calmly, they had suspected this much when the people claimed to be reformists. She asked, "What would you do if we talked about you to the Royal Family?"


    Mister Yang replied, "Even if you do, they won''t be able to do anything against me. The reason is simple, those bunch of dimwits are not you guys. They are condescending, arrogant, and ungrateful to the people in the country. They malign us, mutilate us, exploit us as if we were born to serve them."


    Maya Okudera did not say anything to him, Mister Yang grabbed the arm of the young lady beside him and said, "This is Amil, her daughter was born under the swan constellation and she was just a few years old. A babe who did not even know how to talk, and yet she was taken away by the people because the Crown Prince told them to gather all the children born under the swan constellation.


    A total of two hundred children from all over the country were taken away, and you know what he did with them? He sacrificed those babies, burning them alive on the Pyre. All this because some bastard told him this sacrifice will get his concubines to retain their youth. How many concubines do you think he has? That little bastard has seventy women. How can a man do good for the society when he does not even know what the world looks like outside his harem?"


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    His agitation and anger were brimming through his eyes. He was shivering all over, and so was the young lady beside him. Han Lingshi said, "Is the ruling King in favor of the Crown Prince succeeding him?"


    Mister Yang nodded as he looked curiously at Han Lingshi, Maya Okudera replied, "Her Majesty, Han Lingshi, the holy moon queen."


    Mister Yang and Amil stood up from the chairs, they bowed in salutation when Han Lingshi waved her hand and said, "Stand up. Answer me, if I support your cause, would you bend the knee and serve the throne of the Crescent Moon Nation?"


    Mister Yang nodded and replied, "Yes, Your Majesty, we will serve the throne of the Crescent Moon Nation with all that we have."


    Han Lingshi did not detect any deception and said, "For the coming few days, I wish you both to stay here as our guest and rest. We will contact you once we have come up with a plan to deal with the royal family."


    Mister Yang nodded and then he left the study with Amil in tow. Han Lingshi assigned a lady from the shadow guard to follow them. She looked at Maya Okudera and said, "I want a complete analysis on the strengths and the weaknesses of the Windchime Royal Family."


    Maya Okudera asked, "Do you suspect something?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Don''t you have the same doubt as me? If what Yang just said is true, then the Royal Family is openly involved in occult practices and they are still able to hold onto the throne for so long, something is really fishy about this situation. Although I wish to flail that Crown Prince with my own hands, but I do not wish to sacrifice any lives in stupid chases. You have a week, take care of them and get back to me. Before that keep the defenses high."


    Maya Okudera nodded and left to make arrangements. After a few minutes, Han Lingshi finished recounting everything to Hao Ren and the young man nodded in affirmation before he said, "I will be heading out for a few days. The tribulation of the Star Annihilation is not simple, Mei will go with me. I will have all the Dao Integration Realm stay on alert."


    Han Lingshi wanted to say something but she understood that her level was not yet that high and she nodded in agreement. The Crescent Moon Kingdom had begun a conquest in all three norther kingdoms.

 Chapter 280 Iron Fist.

    Hao Ren had a meal with Han Lingshi in the noon before he took off to the so-called southern seas. The young man moved quickly through the void, on the way he met the Dao Integration realm Ye Generals and asked them to raise the security levels. The military had been mobilized into a defensive stance to make sure that none of the silly neighbors tried anything stupid.


    All this took him a few hours, and the situation was handled before Hao Ren flew to the southern coast. He flew past the coast line, and reached a place where stood a tiny island in the ocean. The place was not more than a few kilometers, but Hao Ren was attracted to this because location because of the aura coming from here.


    As soon as he was about to land on the ground, a young lady appeared before him and immediately knelt on the ground before she asked, "Your Excellency, please be merciful on us."


    Hao Ren looked at the young lady and was astounded, then he snorted and asked, "Do not use your charm on me."


    The young lady nodded, and she asked humbly, "How may I be of service to you, your excellency?"


    Hao Ren replied with a question, "What is your name?"


    The young lady replied, "My name is Mira. I am a spirit beast king of this region."


    Hao Ren nodded, and asked, "Can you tell me where I can find a place to cultivate?"


    Mira replied with her bowed on the road, "Lord, you can use my island as your cultivation abode. The spiritual energy here is balanced."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath as he looked around the island with his Yin and Yang eyes for any oddities. After a few minutes, he nodded and replied, "Thank you. When I am done, I will repay this favor."


    Mira wanted to say something but Hao Ren''s status made her hold her mouth mum. She knew that no matter how hard she would try to hold on to the thighs of this young man it would not be easy and he might even smack her to mincemeat in a move.


    Hao Ren entered the wilderness and sat on top of a tree crown with his legs crossed and eyes closed. He began the process of absorbing the spiritual energy in the surroundings.


    ...


    Han Lingshi sat in the study with a cold expression on his face. She was reading some documents and called, "Ye Yin."


    Xi was surprised, but after some thinking, she found that this was probably the best way to deal with things and make sure that everyone is co-regulating each other. It was not that the Civil Servants were openly brash, they all feared that if a common citizen raised a complaint, they will lose their jobs or something even worse, while the common people thought that even the upper management was a part of the chain and they also harassed them.


    Although in the past six months, nobody had dared to reached out to much, but Han Lingshi did not wish to wait for any bad incidents before she acted.


    ...


    Hao Ren had the Moon Time Acceleration Hourglass with him, so he was spending his lifespan to quicken the process. The suction of the spiritual energy was so strong that it created a big vortex in the sky.


    Mira was standing at the edge of the island and her face was pale. She had taken it upon herself to guard the land because of the senior cultivating here, but she did not know that the man would cause such a phenomenon here.


    She looked at the calm waters and sensed that many spirit beasts were approaching the island. She wanted to do something when multiple sword lights erupted from the center of the island and crashed into the ocean water. It caused ripples a few moments later, the waters were stained with blood.


    Hao Ren took action and silenced the spirit beasts. Mira took the opportunity and said, "An exalted senior is cultivating on the island, do not approach if you do not wish to die. Get lost."


    Her voice echoed in the surroundings before things calmed down. After seven days, Hao Ren opened his eyes and looked at the sky. The black clouds brimming with red lighting appeared above the island. He shot up in the void and came out of the island before waving his hand and casting a protective barrier around it.


    He looked at Mira and said, "My tribulation has come, thank you for the aid, if I get through, their will be a good reward waiting for you, little Beast King."


    Mira realized that her true realm has been seen through but she did not blush or anything, and just bowed her head in acceptance.


    Lightning bolts fell from the clouds, hit Hao Ren, who absorbed them and scattered them. The energy he scattered around was absorbed by the spirit beasts in the ocean. They ate the lightning as a form of tonic to grow stronger.


    The tribulation burned Hao Ren''s spiritual energy reserves and refined them into chaos energy wisps. By the time the ninth bolt had receded, Hao Ren was left with twenty-five chaos energy wisps. His body was healing when the notification sounded, *Ding: Congratulation host, for reaching the Star Annihilation realm, you have acquired twenty-five strands of Chaos Energy, in addition, the rewarded strands of energy from the system will now be infused inside as well.*


    ...


    Duke Wen Kain stood on the balcony of the royal palace with a head in his hand raised high. He yelled, "Stop! The king is dead. I am now in charge."

 Chapter 281 War Decree.

    Hao Ren bathed in red lightning with his body suspended in the void. His spiritual energy had dried up, and his robust body looked very skinny and dry. It was as if a gentle touch could break it apart like a twig. However, at the last step when all the evaporating spiritual energy was about to scatter, it turned into silver particles.


    The young man absorbed it all back into his body and began to nourish it. The chaos energy turned into particles that surrounded the young man in a cocoon, reshaping his body on the cellular level. The chaos energy from the system reward was also integrating itself in his body slowly.


    Mira cast a barrier, around the void to protect Hao Ren while he underwent the transformation. The impact of the tribulation had scared away the weaker beings, but their were still some Beast Kings that could act against Hao Ren under the influence of greed.


    ...


    Ye Yin came back and knelt on the ground before Han Lingshi, who was sparring with Hao Mei in the training field, causing the two to suspend the round. Han Lingshi asked, "What happened?"


    Ye Yin replied, "Your Majesty, Duke Wen Kain has killed the King of Fortune country, along with all the princes and their children. He has overtaken the harem, and also the princesses to be his concubines. The army has come to the standstill, the generals are still thinking if they should give up or put up some resistance to get Duke Wen to surrender."


    Hao Mei looked at Han Lingshi who stood silently. The latter did not speak for a few minutes, as she was weighing the pros and cons. She took a deep breath, "Call Hu Baihe for me. It is time she goes out to work."


    That said, she turned to face Hao Mei and said, "Big Sister, let us continue."


    Ye Yin left the place quickly, and the spar continued. The entire training field echoed with the clash of weapons, and whilst parrying the blade attack of the Holy Moon Queen, Hao Mei asked, "You intend to go to war?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied, "No, I intend to go on a crusade to get rid of a lecherous ruler and liberate the populace. Then we will help them build a better nation."


    Hao Mei smirked and remarked, "Spoken like a true ruler."


    She paused and then asked, "What if the military leaders did not confide with you?"


    Han Lingshi smiled faintly as she put away her sword and said, "The people there will help us convince them or they will face condemnation. These days of rescue and refuge had not been easy and it was only the Crescent Moon Kingdom that helped the masses who bore the lashes of civil war."


    Hao Mei also stowed away her sword and said, "Indeed, although the whole struggle impacted the populace and the law and order of the nation, but don''t you think Wen Kain was a mastermind? He finished his enemies in one fell sweep."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Indeed, he is a great tactician. It was because of this guy that the Fortune Dynasty has been able to hold on for this long. His family leaders would all give up their noble ranks when they choose a successor, earned respect from the courtiers and the citizen. The successor would then work to get back to the top. In the past twenty leaders, seventeen rose to the rank of a Duke.


    Hao Ren stood in the void, the cocoon around him vanished after thirty minutes. He opened his eyes and turned off the Moon Time Acceleration Hourglass. He opened his eyes, and a flicker of silver appeared in them. This was a subtle sign that he has broken through the Star Annihilation realm.


    The young man looked at the barrier around him and then at Mira, who was standing on the ground with reverence in her eyes. Hao Ren waved his hand to remove the barrier around him and at the same time, he controlled Mira to levitate in the void.


    The sensation was a bit different but it provided him a lot of insights in the way this world worked. The laws of space and time were very fascinating to him.


    He took out a jade cup and poured in a mouthful of snake wine in the jar. He extended it to her and said, "This is your reward for protecting me."


    Mira wanted to refuse but the fragrance in her nose, made her react instinctively. She was a mermen, who had formed half of her human body, and needed a chance to go ahead with the complete formation to become a true beast king.


    She downed the cup straight and took a deep breath as the energy coursed through her body. Hao Ren cast a barrier around her and said, "Go on and cultivate, when you have broken through, come to the Paradise City and show this to the city guard."


    That said, he tossed her a jade token and left the place. He had some idea about how to use her in the future. Her character was worth taking a gamble on.


    ...


    As Hao Ren was moving through the void at a great speed, his communicator showed a message. Han Lingshi had issued a war decree to Hu Baihe, and the general was to lead the forces to subdue the Fortune Dynasty.


    Hao Ren frowned and used his Heart Soul Chain to contact Han Lingshi directly, he did not wish to put the soldiers of the opposing nation through a war when it could have been avoided. They were torn apart mentally and would not be able to resist properly.


    *Ding: Host, you wish to save the people. However, if you stop the war, it will hinder the path of your wife. Why not come up with a way that can allow both of you to achieve your goal.


    Harmony in war, task initiated. Time limit: Two days.*


    Hao Ren sighed as he changed direction and began walking through the void covering thousand miles in one step while thinking how to deal with this situation. Suddenly, he came up with an idea, given his IQ it was not difficult.


    He contacted Han Lingshi and asked her, "Lingshi, can you hold the soldiers back for two days. I will go and challenge the Star Annihilation Ancestors of the Fortune Dynasty. It will save the soldiers, and also complete your goal. Rather than war, we can conquer them by rightful challenge in martial arts and spiritual arts."


    Han Lingshi agreed unconditionally, she never objected to Hao Ren''s ideas. Another decree was issued and promptly delivered to Hu Baihe, who looked at the sky behind her, waiting for the young figure to appear before her once again after a long time.

 Chapter 282 Blow Of A Titan

    Hao Ren walked through the void, and soon he arrived at the borders, where the Military was ready to be mobilized. Three hundred thousand troops, all core formation realm warriors hardened with the trials of life and death, were waiting in the spirit vessels.


    Hu Baihe stood at the bow of the leading vessel and she froze. The next moment, a young man appeared next to her, and she bowed to him with her fist cupped and raised above her head.


    Hao Ren saw her, and with a faint smile he said, "Stand up, why are you so formal with me? Do you not think of me as your friend anymore?"


    Hu Baihe stood up and shook her head before saying, "It is not that I do not think of you as a friend anymore, it is your strength that makes me respect you. Also, who says friends should not express respect to each other, Your Excellency?" Discover more content at empire


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I did not know that you have sharpened your skills with the words as much as your sword. Looks like I have to be wary."


    The two exchanged a glance and erupted in laughter. Hu Baihe asked, "What are you doing here?"


    Hao Ren said, "Well, I am going to challenge the Star Annihilation cultivators of the Fortune Dynasty before you can challenge their generals and stuff. This way the blood shed would be minimal and we will get to win the war."


    Hu Baihe raised her brow, she realized that Hao Ren just broke through to Star Annihilation realm. She took a deep breath and said, "Go, get it done."


    Hao Ren nodded, and with a step forward, he vanished from the place. Only when he vanished in the distance, did the other people on the vessel let out a breath. They were all feeling weak in their knees, and they were covered with cold sweat.


    Hao Ren was called the Wandering Dragon; his aura and reputation alone were enough to make them shiver in pure fear.


    ...


    Duke Wen Kain was sitting in the imperial hall. He was talking with his ministers and dogs with great smile when he heard a calm voice, "Old Guardians of the Fortune Dynasty, I challenge you to a battle."


    Then a wave of aura washed over them all and the people knelt on the ground. Wen Kain shivered, as he knelt on the ground. He did not have the guts to ask who it was to visit and cause such a ruckus. However, the called upon Guardians came out of their hiding places and cancelled out the aura in the palace.


    ...


    Kavi took out a spear and turned his head to Ank, who distanced himself from the place. Hao Ren assumed his stance and the enemy did the same. They stared down at each other, observing and sensing even the most minimal movement of their bodies. Hao Ren held his sword above his head, while Kavi held the spear in a stabbing stance.


    Ank took out a coin from his space ring and dropped it down from the void. The two fighters trained their senses and sensed the coin falling. As the metal trinket came into contact with the ground, Hao Ren reacted a slightest bit faster than Kavi and said, "Titan Slash."


    His sword flickered and it created a fissure in the void which travelled so fast that Kavi did not have the time to react and his body was split apart from the center vertically. Hao Ren took a deep breath as he stepped to the side. Kavi had stabbed at him but it was delayed by a second because of that.


    The young man watched as Kavi fell from the void. Ank waved his hand and bought his brother down on the ground carefully. Hao Ren landed a few meters away from them and said, "You are by far the strongest opponent I have faced. If you wish for it, I can save your life."


    Kavi looked at the young man and shook his head with a slight smile. His primordial soul came out of his soul sea, and said, "You won fair and square, I have no regrets. However, my brother is the stronger one. I wish the best man wins."


    That said, the golden primordial soul vanished into the samsara. Ank looked at Hao Ren and raised his fist as he stood up. The Terran understood the intention, and he stowed away his sword. He flexed his body and muscles before he assumed a punching style. Ank was a person born with innate strength. He was better than the others when it came to the aspect of sheer strength.


    The young man also assumed the boxing stance, and mumbled, "System: Can I use that skill?"


    *Ding: Yes, Host, time to show these silly readers that the author is not a dimwitted loser, who would upgrade just any skills for the most valued upgrade card. Go, get them tiger!*


    Hao Ren sighed, and said, "Come!"


    Ank lunged at him, but the young man held his spot. Hao Ren did not flinch at all, before he moved his seemingly unskilled fist. Ank smirked, thinking that the young man had reached his potential and would die at his hands. However, the situation was completely different.


    Hao Ren lunged in and made a nonchalant punch at Ank in counter as he said, "Void Titan Fist."


    It was his own style. Hao Ren punched in such a lackluster manner, that it seemed too very week. However, Ank froze in his attack. He could not move, as the space was resonating with this attack. Time slowed down, and Ank''s face began to swirl inside it.


    The impact of the punch not only tore Ank into dust, but the scenery of two towering mountains changed. The space laws used by Hao Ren caused the mountains to wrap and stretch. The wave of energy had cast a big open tunnel through the mountains, turning then into a canyon.


    *Ding: Host you have done excellent. The system will reward you with a flying jade palace. You can use it as a hideout when you are outside on expeditions. It is undetectable, and untraceable by the people in the same realm.*


    Hao Ren was shocked, and eager to use this new artifact, but first he needed to get Duke Wen Kain and beat him up like a pig he is.

 Chapter 283 Hope You Like It.

    Hao Ren stood on the ground, as he looked at the two mountains that twisted around into pointy and layered canyons which seemed like thorns growing from the ground. It was as if earth had grown two horns and the changes in the serene landscape had shifted directly to hell.


    The young man was about to leave, when he heard a faint groan. He frowned and looked at the body of Ank, the old guardian of the Fortune Dynasty. The old man survived but only for a little bit longer. His death was imminent. Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "I did not expect you to hold on. You are strong."


    Ank looked at Hao Ren and said, "I am not. Just one move, and you ended all the hard work I did throughout my life. How am I strong?"


    Hao Ren sighed, he did not intend to tell him that his special physique caused this situation. Ank continued talking, "Me and my brother were born as the second and the third princes of the founding generations. We swore the Dao Oath to be only the guardians of the nation, and never to look at the throne for ourselves.


    The Wen family helped both of use with many cultivation resources. The bloodline of the founding family began to thin out and the Wen Family kept on raking merits. Their seventh family master saved Kavi, who had been seriously injured in the Tribulation for the soul transformation realm. The debt was too big and we gave him a promise that we would never harm a Wen Family member.


    A few days ago, Wen Kian slayed the entire Royal bloodline, and he used the promise to stop us from harming the Wen family. I hope you can ensure the survival of my bloodline."


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders and said, "I have no right to decide that, survival in the royal lineage is earned and not begged."


    He waved his hand and the bodies of the two people was scattered to the winds. The young man then vanished from the spot and appeared above the royal palace of the Fortune Dynasty. He said calmly, "Wen Kain, do you surrender?"


    Duke Wen Kain could not help but come out of the palace. He knew that if he did not surrender, he would die, and the people who could protect him, already died. The jade soul slips they had broke apart. Duke Wen Kain flew up in the void and said, "I surrender, Your Excellency."


    Hao Ren looked at the man with a mused expression and asked, "Your expression is not matching your words, Wen Kain. Do you intend to fight me?"


    Wen Kain shivered. Hao Ren could have destroyed him with one thought only. The former shook his head and said, "I dare not."


    Hao Ren waved his hand, not letting him keep talking and said, "You will come back to the Crescent Moon Palace with me, someone from the Ye Generals will fight with you. The battle would be telecasted to all the people of both the nation. If you win you are free to go."


    The people noticed Wen Kain behind him but they did not say much. This issue had nothing to do with them. The Ye Generals were designated to protect the Paradise City, and that was their primary focus. Hao Ren''s words were the will of heavens for them.


    Wen Kain followed the people, very confused as to why he was not directly taken to the palace. He realized the reason as soon as they entered the city. The area near the walls was where all the refugees of the Fortune Kingdom stayed. They looked at him with eyes filled with hatred and disgust. Continue reading at empire


    These were the people harmed by his military expedition and lost their houses thanks to the civil war. Hao Ren did not speak, nor did the refugees dared to approach them or Wen Kain when they saw the Ye Generals and the city guard standing by.


    This was not a simple walk, it was a walk of shame for the former Duke. Hao Ren did this on purpose to show him that what he has done was not a good thing. After an hour, they reached the Palace and Hao Ren found Han Lingshi standing on the gates with her Moonlight Blue Hanfu and crown.


    He was stunned to see her there, before he smiled and walked up to her. He said, "I have brought Wen Kain. The Fortune Dynasty will soon follow."


    Han Lingshi sighed and walked up to him, before checking him from head to toe. She smacked his shoulder and said, "Could you not have taken it easy and come home first after the tribulation? I will have Maya handle things, you come with me."


    Hao Ren was taken away by her under the eyes of the people who had gathered to see Han Lingshi. They dared not look at her face, but as someone who gave them better lives, they were grateful and bowed to her.


    ...


    Hao Ren finished an interrogation and Han Lingshi went back to deal with the issue quickly before she promised to surprise him later.


    The young man sighed as he laid back in his chair, when the system notification sounded, *Ding: Host, the task is complete, you gain a skill update card. Please select the skill that you would like to upgrade.*


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Sooth-saying."


    *Ding: Sooth-Saying is upgraded to Hypnotism. You can now control wild beasts without training them, and if you intend to, the humans with a weaker mental fortitude would become your slaves at a simple command.*


    Hao Ren was surprised, but at the same time, he expected this. Things were about to get interesting.

 Chapter 284 Rage.

    Hao Ren brought Duke Wen Kain, he fought with the Ye General in a similar realm, he lost and died. By the evening, Hu Baihe and her forces also conquered the rest of the strong men and sent the word that the conquest was complete.


    Han Lingshi was busy working, but then she recalled how she had a surprise for Hao Ren, and told Hao Mei to take over the work. She left the study to find Hao Ren sitting in the rocking chair under the silent dew pavilion with a Qin in his lap.


    The guards and the servants were all mesmerized by the music. It was a gentle tone, Han Lingshi could sense that Hao Ren must have composed it when he was here alone. She sighed, feeling sad in her heart, but she did not show it on her face. As she stepped closer to the pavilion, the people noticed her, and she waved her hand.


    They all bowed to her, and left the pavilion. Hao Ren seemed to be lost in playing the music, he did not realize that Han Lingshi had come up. The young lady sat down on a stool by his side, and poured a cup of tea for him.


    After a few minutes, when Hao Ren stopped playing, he sensed Han Lingshi beside him. He opened his eyes and smiled at her. She was looking back at him. Hao Ren raised his hand and placed it on her cheek. She asked him softly, "What were you thinking about?"


    Hao Ren replied with a smile, "I was sitting here thinking when you would come over. That reminded me of this song I wrote when I was alone here. I always thought that one day, when I am playing this song, you would be here by the time I finished the song."


    Han Lingshi placed her palm over his and rubbed her face against the callused skin, and said, "I have always wanted to be with you. However, the elders said that I must learn how to administrate things and think like a ruler, not like a businesswoman. I wish that if I could go back in time, I will never ask you to come here."


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head as he replied, "Had it not been for the distance between us, would our feelings be the same? I do not wish to change what happened. Do not worry, we will stay together forever."


    Han Lingshi looked at him and nodded. She said, "Come, let us go home."


    Hao Ren nodded, and they walked out holding hands. The people on the way bowed to them in salutation, and the two nodded to them. As they came out of the side gate of the palace, they acted like a normal couple. They changed their clothes to a normal brocade attire.


    Suddenly, an old lady came up to them holding a basket in her hands. Han Lingshi frowned, she was suspicious, but Hao Ren patted the back of her hand and asked, "Grandma, what can I do for you?"


    The old lady smiled kindly and said, "Today the farmers had a great harvest and my son sent over a great load of food. I am the only one at home, eating all this is impossible. So I am giving away what I can. You two reminded me of my husband and me when we were young. I know it is not much but please accept it."


    Enjoy new stories from empire


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded, after all, Agnee grew up in the village, and when she moved in with them, she still had a great deal of freedom compared to the life in the palace.


    In the coming days, Hao Ren intended to slowly turn the city around the palace into the scape that looked like a mixture of the metropolitan and history. However, it was still something that he had yet to consider seriously.


    While he was thinking what to do, the young man pushed open the door, and just as he stepped inside, Han Lingshi exclaimed, "Happy Birthday!"


    Hao Ren was taken aback, the lights turned on, and he found the five families gathered in the house. He did not know what to say. He was a star annihilation realm expert, yet he was feeling overwhelmed with the birthday surprise.


    Han Lingshi came up to him and held his arm as she said, ''You did not celebrate your birthday even once in all these years. Sister Mei told me that you only took the longevity noodles upon her insistence. So this is my surprise for you.''


    Hao Ren smiled at her and said, ''I would love to unwrap my gift right here and now, but well, god damn sophistication.''


    Han Lingshi chuckled as they communicated in this secret. Hao Ren thanked everyone, and then he saw Yin and Yang carry a cake from the kitchen. They placed it on the table, and greeted him. Hao Ren patted their heads and asked, "Isn''t birthday supposed to start on midnight?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "It is midnight, the city is awake because there are busy watching the golden fireworks sanctioned by her Majesty to celebrate the harvest festival."


    Hao Ren smiled and realized what was going on. She must have calculated everything. The young lady cut and served cake to everyone, and the people ate in relish. Michael Nord took out a small box and said, "Sister-in-law told us that you like music. This box contains a special token that was given to Maestro Xilin for the creation of Moonlight Charge Song a few hundred years ago. This token came to my family as a pawn item. Maestro Xilin passed away and this token became a keepsake. I hope you like it."


    Similar gifts were presented and Hao Ren accepted them all. When the women were serving cake, and food, Agnee came to Hao Ren, and beckoned him to come closer. Hao Ren lifted her in his arms and the little girl smooched his cheek hard. Hao Ren raised his brow with a smile and asked, "Is this my gift?"


    Agnee nodded with a proud face and said, "You are a good boy. Grandma Tang said boys love to kiss. This is my gift to you, and in return gift, you do not have to get me a beautiful cat, okay? Agnee is a big girl she understands that gifts are for children."


    Hao Ren was amused by her and then he pecked her cheek hard as he said, "I will get you a kitten soon then."


    The party had just started, when Han Lingshi received a text on her communicator, and her expression changed. She was enraged.

 Chapter 285 Blood Moon. (1)

    Hao Ren noticed the change in Han Lingshi''s temper as soon as she went to the side to check the message. He excused himself and walked up to her. He could sense a chill radiating from her body, and asked, "What happened?"


    Han Lingshi turned around and said, "Some bastard has kidnapped seven children, and then took them to an abandoned caver to sacrifice. Xiao Mei only found out now, because she was going through crime reports. This guy took seven different children from seven different locations. He is a Dark Core formation realm person, yet he dares to run amok. I will kill him."


    Hao Ren asked, "Go then, handle the business, and make sure you make and example of the culprit."


    Han Lingshi looked at him, her anger subsided the moment she realized that it was his birthday but he was telling her to go and handle the business. She could not comprehend how selflessly he loved her. How he did it, she did not know. Many a times when she was in the Blue Star, she wanted to have him by her side to celebrate her successful moments.


    Yet, here he was, celebrating a birthday for the first time in more than a decade, and did not wish to hold her back. Her heart felt warm but her eyes were brimming with salty tears. Hao Ren smiled and pulled her in a warm embrace as he said, "My wife is the Empress, and she is a person who does not tolerate innocent people suffering injustice. Go, do not worry, we can celebrate the birthday after you come back."


    Han Lingshi hugged him tightly for a few seconds, before she broke apart and kissed him. Then she walked back towards the guests and made an excuse. She then walked out of the house with a cold face.


    Agnee came to Hao Ren''s side and asked, "Where did Ma go?"


    The young man patted her head and said, "Some important work came. She will be back soon."


    The child nodded and went back to play with Yin and the other kids. Hao Ren turned his gaze to look at Yang, who nodded and went to his room under the guise of sleeping early. Hao Ren took the task of a host, and entertained the people for a bit. However, everyone could sense that after Han Lingshi left, the vibe died down a bit. They wished Hao Ren and left as well.


    ...


    Han Lingshi came to the palace and the people were shocked by the cold she radiated. The soldiers did not have the guts to look at her so they stood with their heads bowed. Although her realm was only Nascent Soul, but her aura of a ruler was so strong, and combined with the spiritual pressure of the Nether Dragon Flame made her very intimidating.


    She came to the situation room. Maya Okudera, Ye Lan, Ye Jill, Hao Mei, and Ying had already arrived there. Han Lingxue also stood at the side behind Ye Jill, she was learning and thus this meeting was a see-only for her.


    Han Lingshi asked, "Where is Ye Jian?"


    Ye Jill replied, "He is in seclusion, young master ordered them to work on their cultivation and get stronger."


    The young lady nodded, and asked, "Xiao Mei, projection map."


    ...


    Han Lingshi walked out with Ye Jill and Ying, the former wore a red and silver armor with a sword fastened to her waist. She was about to take flight when Yang appeared beside her and said, "Take the Steel Hooved Pegasus, it can fly at the speed of a Soul Transformation level expert."


    Han Lingshi saw him leading a horse spirit beast. The beast had a pair of wings and was white in color. She looked at him and asked, "Ren sent you over?"


    Yang shook his head and replied, "This is all within the line of Imperial protocol. The Pegasus has been a protected and rare beast known for its nobility and was recognized as the national animal of the Moon Spirit Kingdom, it could only be ridden by the royal family when they went to war. Since you are heading out to kill some evil doers, you should follow the protocol."


    Yang was spewing some factual bullshit. He came here because he was simply because Hao Ren told him to make sure that Han Lingshi goes out in style and dignity. She asked, "What about my team?"


    Yang said, "They have steel hooved Pegasus too, but not the leader of the clan."


    Han Lingshi did not waste anymore time and got on the saddle. She could sense that this beast was very docile. Yang said, "Drip a drop of your blood on his forehead and he will be your spirit companion."


    Han Lingshi raised her brow and Yang said, "It will not be like me, do not worry."


    He smiled after finishing and Han Lingshi dripped a drop of her blood on the forehead of the beast. The contract was formed very quickly. Yang had terrified the beast so much that it did not have any intention to resist. Han Lingshi rubbed the neck of the majestic creature and said, "Good boy, I will not treat you badly, calm down."


    She could sense the worry of the beast, and her words really calmed it down. She then squeezed her legs and began riding the Pegasus. The trio rushed down the main walkway from the palace to the big gates at a high speed, and then the horses spread their wings to fly away.


    The entire city was bustling and they saw the sight of Han Lingshi flying off in the void riding a winged horse. They saw the red armor glittering under the moonlight. The palace guards suddenly yelled, "May you be victorious, Your Majesty!!!"


    The voice was so loud that it shocked the people of the city. They realized that it was Han Lingshi that was heading out. One person yelled, "May you be victorious, Your Majesty!"


    Followed by him, the entire city chanted the same.


    ...


    Hao Ren was sitting on the roof of the house with a glass of wine in his hand, as he watched the scene and said, "Well, tonight the moon is going to be stained with blood." Discover stories at empire

 Chapter 286 Blood Moon (2).

    Han Lingshi flew on the Pegasus with Ye Jill and Ying behind her. Hao Ren had already attached a wisp of his spirit sense to her, so he was not worried. The young man had already put Agnee to sleep, and Yin had come back from the expedition with Ye Si, so she was cultivating.


    The young man had a moment of leisure, he looked at the fireflies in his garden and recalled something. He took out a cocoon from his space ring, and instantly all the fireflies flew up beside him, and began to circle.


    Hao Ren raised his brow and realized that it was because of the Six Winged Blood Cicada. Hao Ren got this cocoon as a reward, and it was known as the king of insects, however, Hao Ren also knew that hatching it would be very tricky or time consuming. He thought about a few methods but finally decided to make a cut on his finger and try with his own blood.


    His body has been refined countless times, his spiritual energy was the purest, and his physique was not normal, so there was indeed a good chance that he could use his own blood to feed this thing a bit before looking for other alternatives. Plus, blood feeding would also enable the bond between the two. Thus, Hao Ren let a drop of blood drip on the white jade cocoon, and it was quickly absorbed too.


    ...


    While Hao Ren was playing with his bug, Han Lingshi and the two ladies flew at a high speed. Ye Jill could have flown at a higher speed, but she was not in a hurry. Ying asked, "Why don''t we move with the Void Portals?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "From what Xiao Mei has told me, that man has cast a space locking array. We cannot use Void Portals to use that otherwise the impact could destroy the array and the hostages might fall in a greater danger." Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire


    Ying nodded and Ye Jill said, "I can shorten the travelling time. The space locking array covers ten kilometers of distance. If I take us out at the edge of the place it would be better."


    ...


    In a dark cave, a man sat with his eyes closed. He had a refined appearance, and did not look like a evil cultivator. However, when he suddenly, opened his eyes and they lit up with a crimson spark, the difference became apparent. The aura around him was very baleful. He frowned as he stood up. He turned to look at a group of girls who were huddled in the corner of the cavern and smirked.


    His actions terrified the children so much that a few of them even wet their clothes while shivering. The man remarked, "I love this fear in your eyes my little ones, but do not worry, I will not eat you, just yet. For now, I would love it if you all could stay here obediently while I check who our guest is."


    Then he turned around and walked out of the cave. His steps were calm as if he was going out for a walk in the park. His space lock array had been damaged and he wanted to see who did it.


    ...


    Han Lingshi and the two reached the cave, they were just discussing how to approach from here, when Ye Jill said, "He is here."


    They trained their gazes to look at the entrance of the cave to find a young man with refined but devilish features walking out in a silky black robe. His hands were crossed behind his back, completely relaxed. He looked at the three ladies and smiled brightly as he said, "I did not think that the Crescent Moon Kingdom would send three beautiful ladies to greet me. Please tell me, to what do I owe the pleasure?"


    ...


    *Author''s note* : I can tell that you guys are not liking the story now, so please tell me if you have any ideas or the elements that you think are missing from it so that I can improve it. This is my only livelihood and I wish to continue writing. I will appreciate if you come through and communicate. Thank you.

 Chapter 287 Blood Moon (3)

    Han Lingshi did not get down from her steed and asked, "Since you kidnapped the seven children we thought we should pay a visit and see who is so anarchic."


    The man in the black robe chuckled and said, "I thought it was something big. My name is Xilin Shura, I am the young sect master of the Blood Devil Sect in the western continent. I am here to cultivate myself and set up the sect branch."


    Han Lingshi raised her brows and remarked, "Quite bold of you to say all this even when you know that Crescent Moon Kingdom will not allow this to happen."


    Xilin Shura chuckled and waved his hand as he said, "I know that you will not allow it, but I heard that the Queen of the Nation is a beauty? What if I used my charm technique on her and turn her into my bed slave? Then everything is possible, right?"


    Ye Jill and Ying clenched their fists. They were ready to attack, but they sensed a calm vibe from Han Lingshi. The two of them shivered. Han Lingshi gave off a feeling that was similar to how Hao Ren would act when he was enraged.


    The young lady hopped off her steed and walked towards Xilin as she asked, "Do you not know that the Queen is married? Her husband is a Star Annihilation Level Expert."


    The young man shook his head as he scoffed with disdain. He then said, "A few experts have already left the place to handle that so called, Wandering Dragon."


    Han Lingshi nodded and she was still walking towards Xilin with a calm expression. She said, "To be honest, I have been so frustrated these past few days, that I did not have an outlet to vent, you know, work stress, you came at the right time."


    Xilin was surprised, he was confused as he could not understand what Han Lingshi was talking about, but just as the lady reached ten meters close to him, she flickered from her position and appeared before him. She raised her hand and placed it on Xilin''s abdomen.


    The latter was quick to react and pulled back, he narrowed his gaze and said calmly, "Bitch, I will fuck you so much that you will drip while thinking of me, and then I will drain you of your blood."


    He intended to check if his blood had any affect on it, but it took almost one quarter of his blood for the cocoon to turn just a slightly bit red. Hao Ren estimated that he might run dry before the cocoon hatches and thus he stopped.


    He put the cocoon back in the space ring and began to cultivate. A few hours passed when he opened his eyes. It was the tradition of the Moon Spirit Country that on the harvest day, people would celebrate all night long. They carried out this tradition even when the old Moon Spirit Kingdom was ruined.


    He looked up in the sky and found Han Lingshi coming back on her steed. He stood up and stretched his body before vanishing from the spot.


    ...


    The people saw Han Lingshi return and they all cheered. Just when they thought that the Queen would vanish behind the palace walls, her steed stopped mid-air. Han Lingshi infused spiritual energy in her throat and said, "Greetings to you all. Firstly, I congratulate all the farmers and the people of the nation for their effort in such a bountiful harvest."


    She had no idea that Hao Ren has arranged for her words and images to be telecasted directly to all the cities in the nation. The crowd cheered, and Han Lingshi got down the steed. She took a few steps forward in the void, as she said, "These past few months, the nation has gone through a big change."


    She continued, "It has been due to your cooperation that we managed to get this far and for that I am grateful. I hope that more people come up to me and tell us what we can do to make the nation better."


    The people applauded her, Han Lingshi said, "Despite all the efforts, there have been people who break the rules and commit sins in the name of pursuing strength. One such person is Xilin Shura. This beast kidnapped seven innocent girls from seven different cities, and intended to sacrifice them."


    The crowd fell silent, they did not expect such a thing to be brought to light. Han Lingshi continued, "Tonight on the day of harvest, I would like you all to act as witnesses and convey a message to the cultivators of the evil sect. If you dare to run rampant in the Crescent Moon Kingdom, then you will regret coming to life. We will not tolerate such behavior."


    The crowd applauded, while they did not know that Hao Ren had appeared outside the city and before him stood ten men, all dressed in black robes and devilish gazes. They were the people that Xilin Shura mentioned earlier, and all of them happened to be Plant Shattering Realm experts. A big fight was about to unfold.

 Chapter 288 Blood Moon (4).

    Hao Ren stood in the void looking at the people around him with a bland expression. The ten people around him were all planet shattering realm experts. He looked at them and asked, "It seems that the forces behind you must have put in a lot of effort to nurture you all, and since they sent you over, it is apparent that you all must have some skill, right?"


    One of the ten people said coldly, "Whether we have skill or not will become apparent very quickly, why don''t we just get to it?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "You appear to be very confident, and in a hurry. What is the hurry?"


    The man replied, "I heard that the women in the palace here are all beauties, specially that Queen of yours. I want to see her for myself."


    Hao Ren''s smile vanished, and in his mind a notification sounded, *Ding: Host, some perverted evil cultivator has set sights upon your wife. Avenge the humiliation and defend the honor of your wife.*


    The young man looked at the man and said, "You should not have done that. Well, let us begin."


    Hao Ren raised his hand and snapped his fingers. The space around the people was sealed, the old man sneered and said, "Do you think this space barrier can stop us? We are ten Planet Shattering Realm cultivators. Together, we can break through this with ease."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yes, that would have been the case, had I been a normal beginner level Star Annihilation cultivator, however, you underestimate me a bit too much. I will show you what true strength is. Take a move, each one of you, and if you can leave a scratch on me, I will give you a quick death."


    The old man yelled, "Arrogant fool!"


    His words sounded like the sentiment of an arrogant person to the ten people. They all exchanged gazes and then they took out their weapons and initiated attacks. Hao Ren stood in the void with a calm face, he watched the rays of red evil energy coming towards him without any hint of impatience on his face.


    The attacks landed on his body and then the surroundings drowned in a blinding red glow. The ten people smiled, however, suddenly, one of them said, "Something is wrong."


    The glow subsided and then Hao Ren appeared before them in a pristine condition. His robe was missing but his bare torso did not have a slightest of scratch on it. The young man looked at the shocked old men and asked, "Is that all?"


    The old man from before asked with a stammer, "How, what are you?"


    One of the girls said, "I want him to feel the same way as we did in that dirty cave."


    She was clenching her fists, her voice was shaky, and her body was shivering, but her eyes were cold and stable. Hao Ren nodded and said, "Xilin Shura is sentenced to seven days in the prison and he will be treated the same way as these girls. I will make sure that he lives, while enduring the price of his deeds.


    However, these people dared to make a mess in our home on the joyous occasion of harvest, harmed our children. Since they did not fear anything, I wish you all be the witness of the first public criminal execution in the crescent moon kingdom. I hope that it is the last time I am doing such a thing, but it is necessary."


    The people did not say otherwise, firstly they agreed with brutal punishments to the criminals, and secondly, Hao Ren was a ruthless King in their minds, whenever he appeared it would be bloodshed. At least this time the people under his sword were killers and evil cultivators.


    As he said this, Hao Ren waved his hands and the skin of the people was ripped apart. They all wailed and the cries of anguish echoed in the surroundings. Then Hao Ren controlled the space element and extracted all the blood from the people. He then cast his flame over the blood, generally reducing it.


    The people did not think that Hao Ren was going to refine the blood and remove all the impurities to use it as a fodder for his cocoon. The flames danced and the people dreaded the situation. Hao Ren was displaying his strength without holding back. He was telling everyone that if they fucked up, they will get fucked up.


    Hao Ren stored the blood essence in his space ring and said, "The palace will forgo the tax for one month. Let tonight be known as the light of blood moon, a night where we celebrated two big things at the same time. Harvest and punishment for the sinners. Tonight we celebrate vitality."


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath as she heard this and then said, "I wish you all a happy harvesting festival."


    The crowd cheered and the scene came to an end. Inside the Queen study, Hao Mei, Hao Ren, Han Lingshi and the rest of the people were gathered. Xiao Mei''s voice sounded, "Boss, the family members of the children have been killed. The relatives are hesitant and I am sure once we send those girls back they will be subjected to a not so warm treatment."


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at Han Lingshi who said, "Have these girls train and work in the Maple Courtyard. The old people can use some help there. Also, set up orphanages and welfare officers. These people would monitor the growth of children adopted in different families."


    Then she looked at Hao Ren and asked, "How did these people manage to get so deep inside the territory?"


    Hao Ren scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, Jian was supposed to watch the western borders. I will see into it."


    Han Lingshi was upset with this situation but she could not give him a hard time before the people.


    *Ding: Host, you have completed one task, and another task is upon you.*

 Chapter 289 Coaxing The Wife With Blood.

    Hao Ren was scolded by the Han Lingshi because of the security lapse and the infiltration of the Blood Devil Sect members. He could not say that it was not his fault but the fact that it happened indeed fell on his shoulders. He was the one who boasted about the security and yet these strong individuals dared to come in and almost cause chaos in his home.


    *Ding: Host, you have finished one task and another falls upon your shoulders. Coaxing the wife. You can withdraw the reward of the last task now or you can fuse it for a better reward when you complete this task.*


    Hao Ren chose the second option and then he stood up from the chair. He said, "I have messed up so it is my responsibility to fix it. I will go and erect a barrier around the borders, to detect if any individual above the Dao Integration realm is coming inside the territory. Also, I will eliminate all the remaining evil cultivators."


    Han Lingshi and the rest were somewhat surprised by this, initially they thought that Hao Ren would assign his Ye Generals to handle the situation. Han Lingshi wanted to say something when Hao Mei said, "It is about time that you acted like the protector of the kingdom. Ever since, Lingshi came over you have been slacking of like never before. Governing a Kingdom is not as easy as managing a company. Go, get things done."


    Hao Ren nodded and left the palace in a blink. Han Lingshi looked at Hao Mei and asked, "Is it not a bit too much for him to be sent away to deal with such things? The task of erecting a barrier on the borders would be too long, no?"


    Hao Mei shook her head and said, "I never understand you people in love. First you scold the person and then you care for them. Let him be, he is better at such things than we are."


    Han Lingshi looked at the rest of the people and asked, "Xiao Si, what are you thinking about?"


    Ye Si replied, "I am thinking if I should beat up Ye Jian when he finishes his tribulation or should I sabotage him so that he dies in the tribulation itself, that incompetent ice faced asshole!"


    Although her tone was calm, but everyone could sense her rage. Han Lingxue was shocked and asked, "Senior Si, is it not too harsh of a statement?"


    Ye Si shook her head and said, "It is he who big brother thinks is very capable, but every once in a while it is his blunders that put Big Brother in spots. You have no idea how many times Big Brother have been troubled by him over the years."


    The young girl looked at Ye Lan and said, "I call for a family meeting, and I impeach Ye Jian of incompetence."


    Ye Lan was the family manager of sorts, she looked at Ye Si, and knew that if she did not follow along this, Ye Si might really beat the hell out of Ye Jian. She sighed and said, "Call everyone for the vote after the meeting and we will see what can be done."


    Ye Si snorted but she still followed the rules. Han Lingshi was shocked, and asked, "Are you guys not a bit too protective of..."


    Looking the western direction, he placed his middle finger on his forehead and chanted a sutra. A drop of golden blood came out from his brows and then it condensed into a clone of his. Hao Ren''s face turned pale and he said, "Go, deliver the message to the Blood Devil Sect, that if they dared to come here again, I will raze them to the ground and kill their nine generations."


    His cold voice echoed in the surroundings. Hao Ren took out the Chaos Sword, Titan Armor, and True Dragon Shield to the clone and sent it off. These artifacts were given to him by the system. If the clone suffered, these artifacts will reveal their spirits and then come back after dealing damage to the Blood Devil Sect.


    ...


    Hao Ren returned home, but Han Lingshi did not talk much to him. He also did not disturb her. Until the next morning, when the young lady received a message from Xiao Mei, "Big Sister, A few people are kneeling outside the western border and pleading for mercy."


    Han Lingshi frowned and asked, "Western Border is very far from here, what are the authorities doing?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Umm, it seems that a couple of Star Annihilation Realm Cultivators are kneeling there and they have said that they would only talk to the Holy Moon Queen."


    Han Lingshi frowned and she looked at Hao Ren who was cultivating in the garden. She could sense that something was off about him, but she could not put a finger on it. Sure enough, she went to the palace and Hao Mei came looking for her.


    The former wanted to ask something when Hao Mei said, "Ren used his divine blood to condense a war clone and sent it to the western continent. The clone had all the fighting skills that Ren has, and it seemed to have slayed three, star annihilation elders and severely injured the rest of the two. All these people are from the Blood Devil Sect."


    Han Lingshi was shocked, and exclaimed, "What?!"


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "Just so you know, the divine blood is not an easy thing to use. A top cultivator only has five drops of divine blood. Ren used one of them. His strength must have been reduced and would take a long time to reach its peak."


    Han Lingshi clenched her fist and said, "Call those people over, seal their cultivation. I have to go and check on Ren."


    Hao Mei nodded and left to make arrangements, while Han Lingshi dashed back home. She found that the young man was no longer in the garden, but he was inside the kitchen wearing his pink apron and chopping some spirit beast meat into chunks.


    Hao Ren saw her staring at him and smiled, as he said, "Back so early?"


    Han Lingshi dashed towards him and kissed his lips hard before she said, "Make love to me."

 Chapter 290 Reignition.

    Hao Ren heard the request and he did not know how to react for a few seconds. Han Lingshi looked at him with her watery eyes, and Hao Ren could not help but want to drown in the depths of those black eyes.


    The young man picked the girl in his arms and walked up to the room, where their love bloomed with full spirit. Thankfully, the children had gone to the the palace where they studied or they might have grown up a bit too quickly.


    After a couple of hours, when Hao Ren stopped he could not help but run the cycle of cultivation. Han Lingshi was the same, when they finished cultivating a major cycle, the young man asked, "What happened to you?"


    Han Lingshi curled up in his arms as she asked with some dissatisfaction, "Who told you to use your divine blood to settle the accounts with the Blood Devil Sect?"


    Hao Ren was surprised and then he chuckled as he asked, "Well, I was busy setting up the detection barrier and decided to send over a clone. Do not worry, when it comes back I will get the divine blood back."


    Han Lingshi did not say anything and only used her steel pinch to make Hao Ren act like he was in pain. They put on clothes and the young man cooked a meal for her. In his mind, the system sound rang, *Ding: Host you got a thunder barrier for nation protection. Any one below the Star Annihilation would not be able to get through the barrier without your permission and if they tried to force their way, they will face a tribulation.*


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Well, it is about time you give us invincible protection."


    *Ding: Host, recently you have become very ignorant. Did you not hear me? Below Star Annihilation. Get your shit together please, if the enemy is similar in realm to you, they will be able to neglect the barrier.*


    Hao Ren was given a scolding and he sighed before he went in the kitchen to clean up the dishes. The next moment, he heard Han Lingshi saying, "Ren, come to the palace with me. The people from the Blood Devil Sect are here."


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "Hmm, why did you let them in? They could have waited for their deaths outside the barriers. Motherfuckers dared to come and beg for mercy."


    Han Lingshi came at the door of the kitchen and raised her brow in askance. Hao Ren immediately coughed and put down his temper, before he wiped his hands and followed his wife to the Palace.


    What else could he do? She was in command of his life, just like any other wife in any other household.


    ...


    They arrived at the palace and Hao Ren saw two old men kneeling outside the throne room. The soldiers were all looking at these people with great vigilance, after all, they could not detect any aura from them, given the times they have seen Hao Ren, they knew people who looked overly simple were not easy to deal with.


    Although Ye Jill and Ye Yue stood two feet away from the two old men, they were not relaxed. Sealing cultivation did not make things easy, who knew what method they could use to cause a disaster.


    Hao Ren said, "Do not worry. I have something to do, will be back after a couple of days."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Take care of yourself."


    ...


    Hao Ren appeared outside the prison cell of the two old men, and waved his hand. The necks of the two men was neatly chopped off, and then the young man tossed in the cocoon, that greedily absorbed the blood essence of the dead old men. Although died, they were at the star annihilation realm, so their blood still had some essence.


    What Hao Ren was thinking about was to make a trip to the western continent and use the blood pond as well.


    ...


    Han Lingshi came to the Maple Courtyard and sat down in a chair beside her mother, who had just finished teaching Agnee about the history of the world. Yue Shi looked at her daughter and asked, "What is eating away at your heart?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "Nothing much, I was just wondering if me and Hao Ren were not here, where we would be?"


    Yue Shi shook her head with a smile and said, "Where else would you want to be?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "I don''t know, some novel perhaps. Away from here."


    The two looked at each other and exploded in laughter as Yue Shi said, "Learn to be content, and ask Ren to spend more time with you."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Yeah."


    ...


    Hao Ren was about to fly off to the western continent, when a voice sounded in his mind, and his consciousness was sucked away by the system. *Ding: Well host, this is the only thing the author could do to reignite the story...*


    As Hao Ren lost his consciousness, he yelled, "Fuck you, Author!! I finally gained some strength, you bitch!!!"

 Chapter 291 Re:Start

    Hao Ren''s consciousness woke up and found himself surrounded by darkness, only his body was visible. He yelled, "Fucking asshole, come out. How dare you!!"


    A calm voice echoed in the darkness, *Ding: Host, your behavior is not very amicable.*No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hao Ren sensed a vein popping on his forehead, and he yelled, "After what you did, how can anyone be amicable? You claim that you want to make me the Omnipotent Husband but what you always do is to make sure that Lingshi gets all that she wants, what about me? Fuck you, fuck the author, and fuck everyone."


    As soon as his words dropped, a whoosh sounded in the void followed by a clap and Hao Ren yelled, "Motherfucker! Who dares!!"


    *Ding: Host that was the author''s divine will. You can curse the system as much as you want but the Author is the source of your existence. A few days ago, looking at your performance he almost wanted to abandon you, but he is still holding on, so be grateful.*


    Hao Ren questioned, "If that is the case, then why am I here?"


    *Ding: Host this is the SSS level adamantite level task, the rewards for completion will cause your brain to explode.*


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and asked, "What is the task?"


    *Ding: Host, you will be send to another world, where you will have to retrace your tracks and unlock your power. At the same time, you will have to work hard to become a male god, so that you can win the heart of your wife once again.*


    Hao Ren clenched his fist and asked, "You know how difficult that will be? So many things could go wrong."


    *Ding: Host, the system also exists to make sure that the red thread of fate that ties you two should stay intact and strong throughout. Do not worry, nothing will go wrong.*


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and began to move around for a long time and he said, "Fine, you better be sure that the rewards make up for this, or you can fuck off, I do not mind going back to being the loser I was. Motherfuckers."


    The system said, *Ding: Initiating...*


    *Ding: Host, the reward of this task is information about your wife. Miss Han is a student in the Prestige High School, and she is about to start her high school as well.*


    Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "You played well."


    He hated the system but that was all. He leaned back in the car, took out his mobile and began typing the email for the Prestige High School. The process was not long, he highlighted his grades and attached the document link in the national student archives.


    He also attached the links of his certificates and awards he got over the years to make sure that his case is considered properly. The system notified, *Ding: Host, you have completed the task, the confirmation will arrive in a few days, please prepare well.*


    The passing days were simple, Hao Ren used his time on the summer vacation to work part time at a garage and honed his mechanical skills. For some odd reason, he found peace in the loud engine noises. He did not have many friends, only a few people, they happened to be called, Ye Jian, Xiao Si, and Xiao Mei.


    Yes, these people came from his past life, and so Hao Ren did not have much of a trouble getting along with them. Ye Jian was an energetic guy, he was competitive and only surrendered to those who were stronger than him. He was Hao Ren''s neighbor and so the young man led him to stand beside him.


    Xiao Si was another such person, along with her twin sister, Xiao Mei. The latter was a tech genius at the age of fourteen. This was simply out of consideration, and the teachers often thought how these four came to be born in the same time. The small group had a name, Four Monsters.


    Hao Ren did not mind it, but when Xiao Si caught a wind of it, she beat up the people to change the name to Four Myths.


    ...


    Hao Ren packed his clothes, and daily essentials inside a big suitcase, while his phone rang and he answered the call. Ye Jian said, "Young Master Hao, we three got admitted in the General High School in the capital, the school waived fifty percent of our fees too. Looks like we will be neighbors in the future too."


    They all called him Young Master Hao, Hao Ren did not stop them, he was sued to, and said, "Good, then I will be leaving tonight, let us catch up when we get there. You should tell me if you need anything and do not slack off. Do you understand Ye Jian?"


    The young man on the other side, calmed down and said, "I do, worry not, your two shadows will not let me slack off even if I want to."


    Hao Ren smirked and shortly after, disconnected the call.

 Chapter 292 Meeting Again.

    Hao Ren got off the train with his luggage, he has been traveling all night long. However, he still looked very fresh and handsome. The young man dragged his luggage, ignoring the gazes cast on his back. He flagged a taxi for himself and said, "Master, Prestige High School."


    The old man looked at Hao Ren and then nodded. As the young man sat inside the old driver asked, "Are you here for some competition?"


    Hao Ren knew that this man was contemplating what he was doing at the best school in the nation with his level, however, he did not explain and nodded silently and closed his eyes. The old driver wanted to talk but when he saw that Hao Ren was not interested, he turned his focus on the road.


    After an hour, Hao Ren paid the man and got off the car. He dragged his suitcase on the sidewalk and came to stand before a gateway that led to a grand building. This place looked nothing like a school, on the contrary, it was akin to a palace.


    The guard on the duty saw him and asked, "Kid, are you lost?"


    Hao Ren looked at the man with a deadpan expression and took out a letter from his backpack and passed it to the guard. The man was surprised, he opened the letter, and after looking at the content he was surprised. He said, "Can you please stay here, I will confirm the situation?"


    The young man nodded and went to stand on the side. The guard went inside the cottage on the side, and picked up the intercom. He called the administration asking if there was a child who was admitted on scholarship. The verification did not take long, Hao Ren walked on the pathway that led him towards the palace with calm expression as he said, "One has to admit the efficiency of these big bosses is very good."


    He did not talk more, and calmly walked up to the reception counter, where a beautiful middle-aged lady sat skimming through some documents. Hao Ren cleared his throat and said, "Good morning, madam, can you tell me where I should go to register my admission?"


    Hao Ren pushed open the door, and scanned the old man with his divine sense before he said, "Greetings, Sir."


    The principal nodded, and with a faint smile, he said, "Have a seat."


    Hao Ren sat down and the Principal said, "I was surprised when you sent in the application letter. In all these years, people seem to have forgotten that the Prestige High School enrol students from all over the nation and it is not limited to the rich and affluent."


    Hao Ren did not reply but only nodded with a faint smile, and the old man continued, "Getting in for you was easy, but Hao Ren, if your grades dropped, you will be placed in the B-section. Following that, C-section and if you fail even one subject, you will be expelled from the school. I know that the conditions are harsh but this is a collective decision of the board members. I am helpless against it."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "The rich and strong always try to monopolize the situation and manipulate things to get the best out of it. It is a standard operation, you do not have to worry about it, Sir. Had I not been confident, I would not have come here."


    The principal was surprised by his words, but he nodded with a smile and said, "Good, I expect great things from you. I hope you can change the situation of the school."


    Hao Ren nodded and after some talk, he left the office. He cracked his neck, and then left the premise to visit a supermarket nearby. The scenery was very contrasting in the capital, while there was a mall with the top international brands, there was also a supermarket that sold stuff for the middle class.


    Hao Ren came out of the supermarket with three big plastic bags in his hand and found that a group of people were gathered together. However, that was not something that Hao Ren cared about. He spotted a face that was etched in his soul amidst the people, completely distressed. Read the latest on empire


    *Ding: Host, the time has come to meet the wife for the first time, again*

 Chapter 293 Curious.

    Hao Ren walked towards the crowd with a dazed expression. All the time he spent in this life was to meet Han Lingshi. Today, after all the wait she was standing before him. How could he not be moved. Han Lingshi was sixteen years old at the moment, yet he could recognize her easily.


    As he got near the crowd, someone pushed him and brought him back to the reality. Hao Ren asked the man, "What happened here?"


    The man sighed and said, "Some rich kid caused an accident and their is a dispute here."


    Continue your adventure with empire


    *Ding: Host, time to leave an impression on the wife. Help her through this tough situation, and you will get a gift.*


    Hao Ren pushed his way through the crowd without caring about the glares he received. In the center of the crowd stood Han Lingshi, who was looking at a fallen old man with a cold glare, however, her clenched fists displayed a completely different emotion to Hao Ren.


    He mumbled, "She did not seem to change much, still putting up the cold front before others."


    He stepped up and looked at a middle-aged man who was shouting at the top of his lungs.


    "Rich brat, do you think your money can buy human lives! How dare you stand their so defiantly after you caused my father to fall. Have your jewels blinded you?"


    Hao Ren frowned and stepped before the man, and clapped his hands together loudly. The sound was so abrupt and crisp that the man was startled, and so was the entire crowd. Hao Ren said, "If she made a mistake, fine, punish her, but what are you shouting for? Why not call police and have them investigate? Take the elderly to the hospital. No?"


    His words seemed reasonable, and as he said so, he took out the phone and swiftly began to dial. As soon as he did this, the middle-aged man reached out to snatch the phone, but could he be quicker than a cultivator in the Core Formation Realm?


    The three people changed their faces, and the old man on the ground yelled, "I will sue you for defamation. How dare you call us swindlers?"


    Hao Ren looked at the old man and rolled his eyes before he said, "Old Sir, look at the entrance of the mall, they have four cameras locked in this direction. You lot still dared to create a scene here? I commend you for being foolish."


    The crowd was enlightened and they began to scold the old man. Soon, the cops came and they asked, "Who called us?"


    Hao Ren stepped up and took responsibility, before he said, "Sir, I called you, I suspect these people are trying to scam this young lady."


    Han Lingshi wanted to step up when a few guards came up to her side and they began to deal with the cops and the situation sorted, at some point, Hao Ren finished his statement and left the place. He did not wait for Han Lingshi to come up and say thank you, because the system prompted, *Ding: Host, as the reward of your actions, you will be sitting next to your wife in the class. Cherish the moments.*


    Hao Ren carried his stuff back to the dormitory and began to cook himself some food, while talking to his mother. At night, he did not sleep, nor did he cultivate, he simply thought about how he can reel Han Lingshi closer to himself.


    ...


    On the other hand, Han Lingshi was riding her car back home with her eyes staring out of the window in daze. She could not help but think about the young man who helped her without knowing her. Usually, people would surround her to win her favor, but this guy did not even tell his name and left without giving her a chance to thank you.


    Han Lingshi could not help but grow a little curious about the young man who came in the scene as if a superhero. Taking a deep breath, she heard the driver say, "Young Miss, you have school tomorrow, do you have anything else to buy?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "No, Grandpa Roger. Take me home please."


    It seemed to her that the incident was just a passing encounter, and thinking about that she sighed.

 Chapter 294 Completing Wishes.

    The night passed in a quick snap of the fingers. Hao Ren got dressed in the morning and knotted his tie before putting on a royal blue blazer. He then combed his hair loosely before walking out of the room with a sling bag on his shoulder. Although he was neatly dressed, his left hand was tucked inside his pocket and his right hand was holding the strap of his bag.


    The young man walked with a leisurely vibe but his speed was fast. On the way, he met many students, and almost all of them gave him a second look, but nothing mattered for Hao Ren. The young man got inside his class, which was already completely occupied. He could see Han Lingshi sitting in the front corner by the huge window, but he did not make any attempts to greet her.


    One of the guys in the class looked at him with a questioning gaze, and asked, "Can I help you?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "No."


    Everyone looked at him and the young man frowned. Hao Ren said, "I am a new student. This is class 1-A, right?"


    The people nodded subconsciously, and he said, "Then I am already in the right place, you do not have to worry. I will sit down when I have met the class teacher."


    Looking at his young face, the people did not expect him to be so practical and calm, that too in new surroundings. Soon, a lady walked inside the classroom. She was surprised to find Hao Ren but then asked, "Ah, are you the new student?"


    Hao Ren nodded and bowed slightly as he said, "Good Morning, Ma''am."


    The lady smiled at his politeness and said, "Well, good morning to you as well."


    That said, she climbed the podium and placed her registers and books on the table. Her kind gaze turned sharp and every student became docile. The lady said, "I know all of you, as I have been your teacher for the past three years. However, as per protocols, I will still introduce myself. My name Xia Yulei, and I will be your class teacher for the coming three years. You know the rules, and I expect you to follow them. If you create trouble, then regardless of your rich and affluent backgrounds, I will break you butts into pieces and send them back home. Do you get it?"


    The students replied, "Yes, Miss Xia."


    The girls felt pity for Hao Ren, after all, he was new and did not know anything.


    ...


    Hao Ren sensed this, and he sensed Han Lingshi tensing up before he clicked his tongue and mumbled, "Dimwits prevail everywhere."


    Han Lingshi caught this, and was surprised. Ron stood next to Hao Ren silently, before he asked, "Hey, scholar, get up and shift to the back."


    Hao Ren raised his head and asked, "Why?" Read exclusive chapters at empire


    The boys sneered, and Ron smugly said, "Because I said so."


    Hao Ren sighed and asked, "And you are?"


    Ron replied while crossing his arms, "I am Ron Yuan."


    Hao Ren nodded let go of a breath as his eyes turned sharp, "Had you not clarified, I thought it was the King of the nation talking to me."


    The people were shocked, Ron grabbed Hao Ren''s collar, and pulled on him, but the young man did not move an inch and he said slowly, "Let go, or you will regret this."


    Ron haughtily asked, "What can you do?"


    *Ding: Host, a man should not fail to complete wishes.*

 Chapter 295 Impressions.

    Hao Ren heard the notification in his mind and he stood up while he gripped around the arm of Ron Yuan. The latter was looking eagerly as to what Hao Ren would do.


    Hao Ren smiled and exerted some force in his grip. The strength slowly increased till Ron''s face turned red and then pale. Ron was gritting his teeth, and his grip on the shoulder had loosened but Hao Ren did not let go. The guys in the class figured out that something was wrong with the situation.


    Dwight stood up and approached the duo, when Hao Ren said, "Learn to respect the teachers, Classmate, or you might get into trouble."


    That said, he let go of the hand and pushed Ron away. The latter grabbed his right arm with his left, the pain was so terrible that he thought his bones have turned to powder. He even lost his balance from the push, and Dwight hurriedly caught him.


    Dwight could not stand the pain of his best friend and said, "Do you want to die that bad?"


    Hao Ren took out his phone and said, "What would happen to you and your family if I post this video clip on the internet? You can do the damage control but it would still be a nice show to watch, don''t you think, Classmate Dwight?"


    His words stunned the people, they did not expect this young man to stand up against the two richest teenagers in the class. Dwight asked with narrowed eyes, "Do you know who you are talking to?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I do, and I am not interested in talking to either of entitled pricks. I came here to study, and that is all."


    That said, he fixed his collar a bit and sat down on the table again. Dwight glared at Hao Ren and inched forward to attack him, but Han Lingshi raised her brow and said, "Classmate Dwight, if you did not leave the desk right now, I will be reporting you, and your best friend to Miss Xia, then you are on your own."


    Her words served as a warning and the two people retreated with a bitter expression on their faces. She looked at Hao Ren who was taking out another textbook as if nothing happened and loosened her left fist that was clenched tightly under the desk. She was nervous just now.


    Hao Ren did not notice the gazes change when the people looked at him. The girls liked his strong personality, and his appearance while the boys were all having complicated thoughts. Dwight and Ron were the sons of the third and the second most rich and powerful families in the city.


    Of course not everyone liked them but the richer the people the fearful they become. They did not wish to offend the two families, and at the same time, Hang Lingshi, the girl they all wanted to impress was now sitting next to a new kid with no background. This was a shock to them.


    Hao Ren looked at the new teacher who came in and began to take notes while the system said, *Ding: Host, congratulations, your impression has risen in the eyes of your wife by ten points, you are rewarded with the Aztec Coin.*


    Hao Ren frowned and checked the details of this so called Aztec Coin and found that it was a coin that could bring a huge fortune and could also drown someone in massive curse. He asked, "How do I use it?"


    *Ding: Host you need to put in a drop of your blood. When that is done, you would be able to refine the coin and it will become your artifact. You could curse or bestow fortune upon someone for a limited time.


    Note: The intensity of the curse and the fortune is inversely proportional so first bestow fortune and then the curse.*


    The young lady heard his words, and analyzed them with the things she knew about him, and nodded as she said, "Bring me a portion tomorrow and we will see."


    Hao Ren nodded with a smile, as this was under the pocket. Han Lingshi ate his entire tiffin with a relishing expression on her face, while the young man watched silently. Han Lingshi realized this after she finished eating and asked, "What are you looking at?"


    Hao Ren replied while shaking his head, "I did not expect you to be so... candid."


    He wanted to say beautiful or something but Han Lingshi was akin to a cat if he came in too strong she would claw his face and run away. As expected, the girl nodded and then they cleaned up before preparing for the next classes.


    Dwight and Ron returned back to the class after eating as well, they habitually looked at Han Lingshi and Hao Ren but did not find anything out of the ordinary.


    ...


    The day was about to end when a burly man walked inside the class and said, "Come on, get ready, we are going to the field. Let me see if you guys have slacked off lately."


    The boys jumped in quick action, and Hao Ren stood up too. They were given a locker room, where the students could change their clothes. In the locker room, Hao Ren was the last to enter, and he was faced with cold gazes of all the other males. However, he did not care, if he wanted to killing all of them would not even need a whole minute.


    He came to a locker assigned to him with his clothes and began to change. The boys next to him suddenly revealed a shocked expression and one of them could not help but ask, "Do you workout?"


    Hao Ren looked at the person before nodding. His body was as if a statue carved from rock. Evenly distributed muscles with a sense of firmness and explosive strength. Suddenly, a guy exclaimed, "Whoa, Ron got four abs."


    The guy next to Hao Ren exclaimed with a counter, "Fool, look here, Hao Ren has six abs with wings."


    Everyone turned to look at Hao Ren and found his body in stark contrast. Boys were mostly muscle maniacs. They loved to workout and build muscles.


    Dwight saw this and scoffed as he said, "Muscles do not mean superiority."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Same goes for having a brain."


    He bolted away right after saying that, leaving a room full of people who were laughing at Dwight.


    A task notification rang in his ears as he reached the field, *Ding:...*

 Chapter 296 Aztec Coin (1).

    Hao Ren came to the school play ground and the burly PT teacher made them run and workout before giving them half an hour to play any game that they wanted. The young man went to the side and began to practice his boxing skills. Although Hao Ren had his previous skills but he liked boxing and knew that only by constant practice he could improve his skills even more than in the past.


    The students watched him, while the opinions were divided Hao Ren did not care. The teacher also watched him and after a few minutes he walked up and asked, "You are that new student, right?"


    Hao Ren stopped and replied with a deep nod. The teacher nodded and after looking at Hao Ren from head to toe he asked, "Who is your master?"


    The rest of the students had trained their ears over to his side, and were surprised to hear that someone like Hao Ren had a martial arts master. The young man did not want to draw attention to himself and said, "There was an old veteran who lived close to my house, I learned from him. However, he did not take me in as his disciple."


    The PT teacher raised his brow and asked, "Why?"


    Hao Ren replied with a calm tone, "Grandpa Wang had a lung injury, he did not have a long time to live so he taught me what he could before he passed last year."


    The PT teacher nodded before he said, "My name is Salem, I am also a veteran. Looking at your skills, I would say you are a good seed. Come, let us spar a bit?"


    Hao Ren agreed. He did not mind sparring with Salem, because he could sense that Han Lingshi was watching him from a distance.


    Salem assumed a boxing stance and said, "Salem, military boxing."


    Hao Ren greeted with a palm and fist gesture and a slight bow, before he said, "Hao Ren, Free Kung Fu."


    Salem nodded, before Hao Ren assumed a stance as well.


    Ron, and Dwight exchanged looks before they smirked and scoffed, "Pretentious prick."


    The other male thought the same about Hao Ren, but they knew that his muscles were not for show. The girls were curious to see how the fight would play out.


    *Ding: Host, you can do all that you want to do, just do not push away your wife.*


    Hao Ren flipped the coin in the void and said, "Ron Yuan and Dwight both look at Lingshi as if she is their trophy. I want to make them suffer. Ron is a pampered fool, but Dwight he is a real thorn in my side. I should deal with him before anything else."


    That said, he left the classroom. Hao Ren headed to his dormitory, before he changed his clothes and headed outside the school premise. He did not go to the alley in the back, because Han Lingshi told him that she would handle things. He was going towards the biggest hospital in the city.


    The biggest hospital was called the People''s first hospital and it ran a volunteer service where people can come and enlist to provide help. They receive certificates for every hundred hours they do. The reason Hao Ren was heading to the hospital was because he wanted to find a miserable person, who was suffering.


    The young man was going to use the Aztec Coin to change someone''s misfortune to fortune and then used the coin to curse Dwight. Yes, no longer was he the mister goodie two shoes, he was an out an out sinister character, just a bit lesser than a villain.


    Hao Ren came to the hospital and signed up for the volunteer service on the counter using his student ID, and was given the task to calm the relatives of the patients. What could be better than this?


    The young man missed Xiao Mei a lot in such situations, but his fate was working as he wanted these days. In the waiting area, many people were sitting, some had anxious expression on their faces, and some had a calm vibe. Hao Ren could tell that their relatives did not have a serious problem.


    However, amidst the crowd, Hao Ren found a woman sitting with her face covered with her hair. She was trembling slightly and her complexion was pale. The young man poured a glass of water from the dispenser and came over to her side. Using his soothsaying skill he said, "Big sister, do not worry, whatever your trouble is, it will be solved. Have some water please."


    His voice was soft, as if a gentle touch from a mother. The girl raised her head and looked at Hao Ren in a daze. She asked, "Are you telling me the truth?"


    Hao Ren nodded and smiled as he said, "Why not? Those with good heart never suffer injustice. That''s what my mom says. Can you tell me what is causing you to be so distressed?"


    The girl then went on to tell her how her father had a stroke and was in the critical care unit. She was in college, and did not have anyone else to call family. She was afraid that her father would die, and she would be left alone. On the top of it, she also had an autoimmune disorder, Lupus.


    Her life was very delicately balanced, and thus she was experiencing such strong emotions. Hao Ren calmed her down before he took out the Aztec Coin and sneakily touched the girl with it while patting her back.


    The misfortune was changed, and the coin turned dark black. Hao Ren basically went against death in the fate of two people, and the malicious energy of fate gathered on that coin. It was now time to screw some enemies.

 Chapter 297 Aztec Coin (2).

    Hao Ren sat with the girl and after twenty minutes, it was confirmed that the father of the young lady also woke up and he was fine. He then went on to console other people. Since he was here, he decided to make a good use of the time and get a certificate as well.


    It was late in the evening when the intern on the reception desk came to find him and reminded him to get off work now. After all, he was still a school student for them. Hao Ren greeted all the relatives and after wishing them well, he left.


    He went to a street stall and ordered a milkshake to sip on while he dialed a number on his phone. The call was quickly connected, and from the other side a polite and sweet voice sounded, "Young Master Hao, did you finally find time to call us?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I apologize Xiao Mei, it seems to me that the situation in the Prestige High is not very mellow."


    He called Xiao Mei, because he needed something. The system might have made the AI into a girl in this life, but her skills were still similar. Xiao Mei heard his words and asked, "Tell me, what happened?"


    Hao Ren narrated how Dwight and Ron cornered him and provoked him multiple times. Xiao Mei clenched her fist and she spoke rather loudly, "Hmph, just you wait, I will dig up all the bad deeds they have done and fuck their families."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Do not worry about that. Just get me a layout of the cameras or any other security they might have around their house."


    Although he had awakened his divine sense, he was not going in without finding out the plans of th mansion. What if these people had hidden sensors? He was strong and unforgiving but he was not a fool. What if the rich family had cultivators employed some cultivator to fend off any attacks. After all, low level cultivators could exist anywhere.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Han Lingshi was sitting in the study of her house. Unlike the school, she was very calm at this moment, and across her sat a middle aged man, Han Ming. The latter asked, "Xiao Ling, what happened that caused you to come here?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "Father, the Yuan and the Ion family scions at the school are acting a bit to dominant towards me. They are even causing trouble with the new classmate assigned to sit with me. This student is the one who helped me near the supermarket that day."


    Han Ming nodded and said, "I understand but do not worry, I received a news from the Income Tax department, the new commissioner is going to do something about the Ion family, and I am sure the news will come soon, so do not worry. As for your classmate, tell him to stay away from those two."


    Han Lingshi nodded and left the study. It was sure that her family would not meddle in such childish issues, however, this was not the only card she had up her sleeves. Xia Yulei was not easy to deal with and many a times she had even disciplined the parents of the rich pants. So, handling teenagers was not a troublesome thing for her.


    The young lady returned to study and think what Hao Ren must be doing at the moment, however, she suddenly broke out of the reverie, and mumbled, "What are you even doing? Worrying about him so much. Get a grip of yourself girl."


    Surprisingly, Hao Ren made a big impression on her and she could not help but thinking about him when she had nothing to do.


    ...


    Hao Ren was in his dormitory, when he suddenly saw the impression meter climb by one more point. He raised his brow and then shook his head with a smile, "Still the same curious cat."

 Chapter 298 Symphony Of The Devil.

    Hao Ren woke up, and as promised to Han Lingshi, he cooked her a portion of food, and then he left the room to go to the class. As he was walking, he held his phone to check the latest news in the nation.


    Sure enough, his plan has reaped him a great reward. The Ion family was raided by the income tax officers, and the company was also seized, none of the people were allowed to leave home. The commissioner had directly put them all under house arrest. The share price was falling and many people were coming up claiming to be a victim of Ion family''s actions.


    Hao Ren appeared at the class gate, and looking inside he found that the students were all whispering and wondering about the issue of the Ion family, after all, they had all been connected with each other one way or the other so it was sure that they would know. Hao Ren made waves as he came in but he did not care. He took his seat and placed the two tiffin on the desk.


    Han Lingshi did not say much, and let the tiffin rest on the table. It was when the door of the class was pushed open and Xia Yulei came inside did Han Lingshi used the chance as an opportunity and stowed the tiffin in her bag.


    Hao Ren stood up to greet the teacher with a faint smile on his face. He did not expect that Han Lingshi would be so wary of the other students, but it was nice. After a few minutes, the class began and Xia Yulei asked, "The founder''s day is around the corner, who wants to sign up for a performance?"


    Hao Ren surprised because he did not expect that the students would be given the responsibility to perform. He felt a hot gaze on his face from his left, and at the same time the system said, *Ding: Host, your wife is looking forward to a performance from you. Take the stage and be a star.*


    Hao Ren sighed and raised his hand as he asked, "Miss, do we get any credits for the performance?"


    Xia Yulei was surprised but then she nodded and said, "Yes, you get ten credits, but know that only one act is allowed from each class, the rest of you can participate as volunteers in servicing and attending guests, you will get two credits each."


    Many people raised their hands, there was no shortage of people with music skills in the rich and the affluent. Music was one of the vanity skills that they all learned.


    Xia Yulei said, "After lunch, I want you all in the music room, we will see who comes out at the top to represent the class."


    The classes continued as per usual, and then came recess, someone sighed and said, "I wonder how Dwight is holding up in all this chaos. My uncle told me that dad would be most likely arrested and Ion group would need to pay for the damages."


    He took a deep breath and his fingers began to dance. From the moment the first note rang out, every one could not help but sit up a bit straighter. Ye Yue opened her eyes wide for a moment before she blinked and the scenery changed. Hao Ren had yet to finish the intro, and he was already reeling in the people.


    He appeared as a man dressed in a dashing black tuxedo with his indifferent gaze locked on the void as he played the piano. As he kept playing, more and more people appeared to be kneeling beside him. They all had an expression of fear etched on their faces.


    Hao Ren appeared as if he was an untouchable entity in the world. To other''s he was someone who could not be touched. Han Lingshi on the other hand saw a young man who claimed the stool and was playing the music dressed in a black suit but he was bathed in moonlight.


    The song continued, Hao Ren transitioned to the second movement of the sonata, and Ye Yue held the armrest of the chair tightly, the shock on her face was completely visible. She could see the men begging the young man as he sneered. The playfulness in his eyes that ignited upon watching the agony was so pure and undiluted that it made them people feel goosebumps.


    The second part was not so big, but then came the third movement where the tempo and the notes picked up pace. The people saw a young man who was mercilessly dealing with his enemies and leaving them in the dust as he walked ahead. While the world around him came to crash, he met a girl, who changed him and he began to dance with her in his arms, however, just because he was soft to her did not mean that he was soft to the world also.


    He spared none who stepped over their bounds, and manifested the devil himself in the process. The girl became the only one who accepted him the way he was. The music came to an end, and many people sat in the auditorium with a stunned expression on their face, while some people were broken in cold sweat.


    Suddenly, a soft clap echoed in the auditorium, and everyone found that it was Han Lingshi, who had clapped, they all came back to really and Ye Yue stood up before she clapped and cheered, "Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!"


    As she said this, her eyes were brimming with tears. Shocking the rest of the teachers, and Ye Yue said, "This was the best interpretation of this song that I have ever heard in my life. Student Hao Ren, thank you."


    Hao Ren stood up and bowed to her with a smile and then he bowed two times more before walking off the stage. Ye Yue turned around and said, "You all perhaps did not realize how strong this performance was and that is why you did not clap, but I am sure you will all agree if I just directly make Hao Ren the music act of the night. Does anyone have any objections?"


    The people shook their heads and the trials came to an end. They did not know that Hao Ren was really the devil, who just nipped one of their classmates last night.


    *Ding: Task successful, now, the reward is...*

 Chapter 299 Twisted.

    Hao Ren and the students came back to the class after the trials. Hao Ren gained a new level of fame. The young man did not care about what was going on inside the minds of the students. He was looking at the bracelet that appeared on his wrist. It looked like buddha beads, and had nine spherical bids in total.


    These nine beads had nine different features. They allowed Hao Ren to use them as a speed dial for any of his skills. In this life, he had yet to occupy a space storage ring. So one of the beads worked as a spatial storage while the other eight worked as skill hotline. He could pick a targeted person, and remotely bestow his skill onto them from a distance to work for him like a puppet.


    The bracelet was called, Puppet Beads. Hao Ren was surprised when he found about the details, but he liked this bracelet. After the classes, Hao Ren took the tiffin from Han Lingshi and said, "Do you have anything that you do not eat apart from beef?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and then with a surprised expression she asked, "How do you know that I do not eat beef?"


    At was at this moment, Hao Ren realized that he screwed up, but he was smart to cover it up and said, "Because I do not eat it as well, so I do not cook it."


    Han Lingshi did not think that this explanation made any sense but still she nodded, and then walked out of the class. Hao Ren sighed as he followed behind her, many students saw this, but soon, Hao Ren passed by her and came to the school gate. He looked around and called, "Xiao Jian, over here."


    Three heads turned around, and they quickly came over to his side. Hao Ren had a faint smile on his face, and Ye Jian said, "Yo, Young Master Hao, do you wish to charm all the people? What is wrong with you?"No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Xiao Mei standing on the side spat in the void and said, "Shut up, stone head, do not jinx big brother Hao."


    Xiao Si nodded and said, "Can we go to the stall lane and eat? I am hungry."


    Xiao Mei nodded and said, "Fine, since you have said so, we will keep that in mind."


    Xiao Si also nodded and the crowd came to the stall lane. They ordered fast food, stir fry vegetable and egg fried rice, with a bottle of juice for each one of them. At this moment, Hao Ren noticed that he has recovered all the lost impression points he lost previously.


    Just when he was eating his gaze fell on two figures who were sitting in the stall opposite to them. He raised his brows and used his divine sense to hear what they were talking about.


    Dwight sat with a distressed expression and asked, "Young Master Yuan, please, you have to help my dad. Can you really not talk to uncle about this?"


    Ron Yuan sighed and shook his head, "You have no idea how deep this shit is. I talked to my father, but I was told to stay away from this issue. I asked them about the details. Your father made enemies with the new IT Commissioner, Xia Yang, back when they were young. Xia Yang has all the evidence required to convict him of several murders and tax felonies. I am sorry Dwight, but we cannot do anything."


    Dwight clenched his fist and said, "Do we really have no other options?"


    Ron Yuan took a sip of the beer before him and said, "I heard that Xia Yulie is the sister of Xia Yang."


    Dwight raised his head with a snap and looked at Ron Yuan with a shock. The latter said, "What if, Xia Yulei met an accident? Wouldn''t Xia Yang be devastated?"


    Hao Ren looked at the two with some shock, after all, he did not expect that a couple of teenagers would have such a twisted mind in this mortal world.

 Chapter 300 Warning

    Hao Ren came back home, thinking about what he just heard in the stall market. He was worried about Xia Yulei, but he did not know if he should act or not? He was not a selfless human, it did not benefit him to act if there was no profit for him. However, he was not cold blooded to stay indifferent even when he knew that his help could get the villains out of the scene.


    He could use many ways to deal with Ron Yuan and Dwight Ion, but he was stuck in a dilemma. After some thinking, he took out his laptop from the bag, opened it, logged into the school forum and went straight to faculty list. He looked up Xia Yulei and called on the number mention in her details.


    The call was connected and a lazy voice sounded from the other side, "Hello, who is this?"


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and then said, "Good evening, Miss Xia. This is Hao Ren."


    After a silence, Xia Yulie''s demeanor changed, she asked crisply, "Student Hao Ren, is there something important that you called me at this hour?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Well ma''am, it is something bothersome that I came across and I thought that informing you is the best course of action."


    Xia Yulei was surprised to hear such words and asked, "Oh, what is it?"


    The young man then described what he heard in the stall lane beside the school, and said, "Ma''am, it could be that I am being paranoid, but I just wanted you to stay safe. I apologize for the inconvenience."


    Xia Yulei sighed and replied, "You don''t have to worry, Hao Ren, it is fine. I am grateful that you called me as soon as you found out about this. However, don''t worry, I am fine. Thank you for your concern."


    Hao Ren nodded and then after wishing her a good night he disconnected the call. He knew for a reason that his words did not make Xia Yulei raise her guard at all. He thought maybe it was because he did not use the soothsaying skill or it could be that it did not apply on a call but only face to face.


    ...


    Xia Yulei was frowning while holding her phone, she did not expect to get such a call from Hao Ren and that too at this hour. A middle-aged man sat across her going through some documents, and asked, "Was it another student to confess that he has a crush on you?"


    Han Lingshi looked at his face and realized that he was not joking and she nodded before she went back to work. The day passed fine, Hao Ren shared the portion of food with Han Lingshi, and then he went for his music practice with Ye Yue.


    It was the end of the day, and the entire class had stayed behind because Han Lingshi was assigning them the duties they would have on the day of the ceremony. After an hour, they were all allowed to leave almost at the same time when the teachers were leaving after finishing their work.


    Hao Ren saw Xia Yulei walking in a rush, she was heading to the parking lot and he frowned. He could not help but follow her, and similarly, Han Lingshi followed him when she saw him rushing to the teacher''s parking lot.


    She caught up to him and asked, "Why are you going there?" Read new chapters at empire


    Hao Ren raised his hand and pointed at Xia Yulei, who was being dragged in a sports car on a gun point. Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide and spotted Dwight Ion holding the gun as he covered Xia Yulei''s mouth to prevent her from calling for help. She quickly called the police but Hao Ren spotted Ye Yue on the side, who was also watching the scene with a shocked expression.


    Hao Ren grabbed on Han Lingshi''s arm and pulled her with him. He said, "You can call the police on the way, but we are going to follow them."


    Han Lingshi yelled, "It''s too risky."


    Hao Ren looked at her and said, "We can help the police track them. It is not as risky as what Miss Xia is facing."


    They rushed to Ye Yue who was in a shock, and Hao Ren said, "Miss Ye, can you follow that car, we know who took Miss Xia."


    Ye Yue woke up from her shock, but as she took out the keys her hands were trembling. Hao Ren frowned and said, "I am driving, get in."


    Han Lingshi and Ye Yue were stunned, but then they saw the young man skillfully getting in and starting the car as he looked at them and said, "What the hell are you two waiting for? Miss Xia''s funeral?"


    His bark got them inside the car quickly and they put on their seat belts. Ye Yue was influenced by the soothsaying skill while Han Lingshi was a timid teenager at this moment, Hao Ren''s aura was too much. So, the chase began.

 Chapter 301 Chase.

    Hao Ren took the driving seat, and started the engine of the sports car that Miss Ye Yue drove. She was not a common teacher but an international artist in her prime and this job was very lucrative to her.


    Hao Ren exited the parking lot and said, "Lingshi, call the police and tell them Miss Ye is driving the car to follow the kidnappers."


    Han Lingshi woke up from the stupor and dialed the number as she sat in the back seat. The call was connected and Han Lingshi said, "Hello, my name is Han Lingshi, a student at the Prestige High School. Just now, my class teacher, Miss Xia Yulei has been forcefully abducted by someone and we are chasing them with my Music Teacher Miss Ye Yue."


    The cops were trying to dissuade them from doing this but Han Lingshi looked at Hao Ren who said, "They are heading out of the city, it would be tricky to catch them without any leads, we will keep a safe distance, just tell them to hurry up."


    Han Lingshi did what he told and disconnected the line after the officer said that they will be tracking her cell to keep up. Hao Ren then asked, "Does anyone has the contact for Commissioner Xia Yang? Inform him as well, this could help him come up with some plan on how to deal with this as well."


    Han Lingshi replied, "I will tell my father about it. He knows Commissioner Xia."


    She was quick in her moves and sent a message to Han Ming who called back and asked her where she was, Han Lingshi said, "This is not a time to baby me, go and inform the Commissioner, I am fine."


    She disconnected the call, as she gazed at Hao Ren who was crossing a square. The young man said, "Hold on to something, we are chasing them."


    Ye Yue asked hurriedly, "What do you mean chasing them? You said we will keep a safe distance."


    Hao Ren said, "They are picking up speed, the expressway is just a hundred meters away from here."


    As he said this, he shifted the gears and the car roared as the people felt a front impact pushing them back in the seats and the young man said, "Good car."


    ...


    Xia Yang was sitting in his office with a cigarette when his phone rang. he picked up the call with indifferent mood as he went through the documents and asked, "Xia here,"


    Han Ming said, "Commissioner Xia, your sister, Miss Xia Yulei has been kidnapped by someone. This is Han Ming, my daughter saw everything and they are following the criminals, they have also informed the police."


    Xia Yang froze and then he calmed down as he said, "Thank you, Mister Han, I will deal with it."


    The runaway car was already very slow because of the two damaged tires, and the strong bump from Hao Ren made it steer to the left even more. The driver was experienced but while he was trying to steer clear of the concrete railing, Hao Ren bumped him from the right and ruined his attempt.


    Ye Yue and Han Lingshi were surprised, they did not expect Hao Ren to be so gutsy that he would pull something like this with them in the car. Hao Ren saw one impression point falling and said, "I apologize, I got carried away when Dwight shot at us. He could have done some real harm to you. I am sorry."


    The runaway car was not moving, Hao Ren said, "Wait here, I will go and check the situation quickly."


    Ye Yue and Han Lingshi protested together, "NO!"


    However, the young man had already left the vehicle and was dashing towards the damaged car. There were many other vehicles who were slowing down and watching the show, but when they saw a burly man climb out of the driver''s seat with a gun in his hand, they pressed the accelerator and left quickly.


    The man was still dizzy, he caught sight of Hao Ren rushing toward him and raised the gun, but by that time, Hao Ren was already next to him. The young man punched the burly thug under his chin, and knocked him out cold with one move.


    Suddenly, Hao Ren heard a loud voice, "Hao Ren, you son of a bitch, you better stay where you are or I will shot Miss Xia right now."


    Xia Yulei was held by Dwight who stood behind her with his gun aimed at her temple. Hao Ren saw another man was getting out of the co-passenger seat with a gun, and he looked at Dwight as he said calmly, "Fine, I am staying right here, but do not harm Miss Xia. She is innocent. Why must you drag her into this?"


    Continue your journey on empire


    Dwight was agitated and his hair were scattered, he replied begrudgingly, "Why else, her brother just came from some backwater and destroyed my family. She is the key to getting my father free."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Dwight, I know who fed you this idea, but is it really that easy? Not only did that person fooled you, but he also made you a criminal in the eyes of the laws. If you do not believe me, as this man beside you if I am lying."


    Dwight looked at the thug beside him, who nodded. Dwight was dazed and Hao Ren said, "Dwight, if you stop now, there is still a chance that you might get away with house arrest, otherwise you would be sent to a prison and life will become hell for real. Dwight, look in your heart, ask yourself is that what your father would have wanted for you? After pampering so much, and loving you so much, would he want you to become a successful successor or a criminal just because that fake best friend of yours said so?"


    As Hao Ren was confusing Dwight, five police cars appeared with loud sirens. Hao Ren looked at the man and said, "You cannot run anymore, if you resisted they will shoot you before you can cross the county border. Please surrender. You can also become a witness, that would lower your sentence."


    The burly man did not have much resistance and dropped the gun before he knelt down and placed his hands in the air. Dwight was still dazed and Hao Ren said, "Dwight, you have always wanted to be better than Ron, right? Then today, you have the chance to put down the weapon and surrender. Ron is a coward who would run away from his sins, but you can be a better man and face all that you have done sincerely. Believe me, you would come out as a better and stronger person. Please, I implore you, let go of Miss Xia, you have five seconds left."


    Hao Ren counted, "One, two, three, fou..."


    Dwight let go of Miss Xia and threw his weapon to the side before he knelt down. Hao Ren dashed towards Miss Xia, who was drenched in cold sweat and her face was pale. He removed the tape stuck to her face and helped her lay down slowly. The cops and Han Lingshi reached them at the same time, and only the sound of Dwight''s wails were heard as the cops arrested him.

 Chapter 302 Aftermath.

    Hao Ren checked on Xia Yulei and sighed as he sat back. Han Lingshi asked, "Is she alright?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "They had stuffed the cloth a bit too deep. She will be fine in a few minutes."


    They turned to look at the side where the cops were. A female officer approached them and after quickly checking that Xia Yulei was fine, she looked at the two teenagers, and Hao Ren said, "Officer, I am fine, but Class Monitor Han is suffering from motion sickness, and my teacher, Miss Ye Yue has a bruise on her left leg."


    Han Lingshi and Ye Yue were surprised, they did not expect Hao Ren to notice this. How could he not see the red mark on Ye Yue''s knee, and the unfocused gaze of Han Lingshi?


    The officer nodded and called for a medic, before she asked, "Can you give us the statements about what just happened here?"


    Hao Ren had just opened his mouth when a screech was heard. They turned to look at the side, where a luxury sedan had just come to stop. A middle-aged man got off the car, rushed up to Han Lingshi and after checking up on her, he looked at Hao Ren before he reached out to grab hold of his collar and yelled, "Who the hell do you think you are to put my daughter in harm''s way? I will kill you, punk."


    Hao Ren was not shocked by this outburst. Other people were. Hao Ren looked in Han Ming''s gaze calmly and said, "I understand that what happened was not good, and I apologize for that, but CEO Han, I would appreciate if you can put me down. Mind you, threatening someone before the cops is not a good thing, even if you have the money."


    Who the fuck did Han Ming think he was? Hao Ren never cared about them in the past world, let alone this one. To him only Han Lingshi mattered and these people did not. His tone was calm only because he knew that Han Ming would not be able to do anything about him.


    Han Lingshi was taken back home by her father, who was angry and anxious. The young lady did not say anything, in her mind the scene when Hao Ren took her hand to lead her to the vehicle to chase the enemy was playing in a loop. She had been a protected green house plant all her life and for the first time she felt like she was alive. The rush from the chase, and the spike of her heart beat made her realize that she was alive.


    Suddenly, she looked at the chauffeur and said, "Take me to the big house."


    Han Ming was surprised and then asked, "What is it?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "I have not seen Grandma for a long time so I will go there and stay over their for the next few days."


    The middle-aged man was about to say something when he saw Han Lingshi pick up the phone and called his mother, and said, "Grandma, I am coming over their, can you make me some fried rice?"


    She nipped any and all efforts of her father in the bud.


    ...


    Hao Ren reached his dormitory and then changed his clothes after a shower, a voice rang in his brain, *Ding: Host, task complete, accept the reward.*

 Chapter 303 Backstage.

    hao ren spend the following days calmly, he would interact with han lingshi and they both were growing closer with each day. the young lady had also been smiling a little more when talking to him. five days have passed by, ron yuan had yet to come to school, because when dwight testified against him, the young man was put under observation until more evidence could be collected.


    however, hao ren did not like this laid back attitude and he wanted to ask xia yang upfront about what is going on, but he did not think it was appropriate. while he would not mind getting rid of another enemy, he was not in a hurry, he could kill ron yuan whenever he wanted.


    the classes came to an end, and ye yue appeared at the door just when hao ren and han lingshi were about to leave. hao ren greeted her and ye yue smiled as she said, "do you have a suit to wear for your performance?"


    hao ren was surprised and shook his head, ye yue said, "then come along i will get you one."


    hao ren shook his head and replied, "you do not need to, miss ye, i will get a suit myself. it is not appropriate."


    ye yue realized that she was his teacher and thus hao ren was refusing her. she nodded with a faint smile and said, "thank you, these days watching you play i have learned a lot so i almost forgot that you are my student."


    hao ren smiled and then waited for ye yue to leave before they left the place. han lingshi was standing beside him and asked, "do you know where to buy the suit?"


    hao ren caught a hint and said, "i have no idea, would look on the internet, after all, budget is another thing i need to be considerate about."


    han lingshi looked at him with sparkling eyes and then after a few minutes she asked, "come with me."


    hao ren nodded and held his bag over his shoulder as they both headed outside the school. there was a car waiting for han lingshi and an old man opened the back door for her. han lingshi said, "grandpa yang, we will go to the stitch and drape."


    the old man looked at hao ren standing behind her and nodded. han lingshi looked at hao ren and said, "you can sit in the front."


    hao ren shrugged and sat in the front, as he did not mind. the old butler noticed this and let out a sigh. this did not escape hao ren''s gaze, he could tell that the person was probably thinking about his relation with han lingshi.


    hao ren realized that he needed to make some money and quickly. he got inside the car comfortably and han lingshi asked, "do you have anything special in mind?"


    hao ren shook his head and said, "it should be something subtle and minimalist. i do not want to look too ostentatious."


    han lingshi nodded and after a few minutes they reached the shop called stitch and drapes. han lingshi led the young man inside, and the old man behind the counter smiled looking at her, "xiao ling is here after such a long time. did you finally remember me?"


    han lingshi smiled and replied, "grandpa ting, have you been well?"


    her words surprised hao ren but the young man nodded and thanked her for taking him here. he watched han lingshi leave as a notification sounded in his mind, *ding: host, your wife is upset. the next task is to figure out where you screwed up and fix it. time limit: 24 hours.*


    hao ren came back to his dormitory, and sat down to cultivate. he did not slack in his routine because one never knew what would happen on the next day.


    next morning, he arrived at the school auditorium. these past few days many people have been preparing for the event and they all knew who was doing what.


    hao ren greeted some people with a smile and then he began approached han lingshi who was standing next to a group of people who were all supervising various things remotely. this group had been named monitor gang.


    hao ren walked over with his bag and patted han lingshi on the shoulder. class 1-a was very good at tasks, because of xia yulei''s incident. so, han lingshi didn''t have much to do.


    she looked at him and her dissatisfied expression resurfaced. hao ren smiled and said, "good morning, lingshi. can you look after my bag? i will go and help around."


    han lingshi was shocked but then she smiled faintly and nodded in approval. hao ren handed the bag and left.


    in his mind a notification sounded, *ding: host, task complete. you get the basic level divination skill. it can be upgraded by frequent use. note: using it for people stronger than you can cause a severe backlash.*


    hao ren nodded and then helped with some tricky and heavy tasks. the classmates knew that he was the one who saved xia yulei, she had only rejoined two days ago, and thanked him before the entire school in the assembly.


    she also thanked han lingshi and ye yue but she bowed to hao ren. this was a great honor. it was noon when the ceremony opened after the principal''s speech. the founder''s family members also came over to say a few words, and the sequence of performances was initiated.


    hao ren and han lingshi stood in the back stage area, and hao ren asked, "why did you get angry yesterday?"


    han lingshi smiled faintly and said, "i did not expect you to notice that. was that why you changed your address?"


    hao ren nodded and said, "i took a gamble and it played out nice."


    han lingshi asked, "what makes you think it was nice?"


    the young man smiled and replied, "at least you smiled and didn''t slap me before everyone. it was nice for me."


    han lingshi wanted to say something when suddenly a student came rushing over and said, "that fucker ron, he busted the piano. hao ren come see."


    hao ren clenched his fist and dashed over with han lingshi. in his mind, ron yuan was eager to die

 Chapter 304 Dream.

    hao ren and han lingshi quickly hurried toward the section where the grand piano was, at the moment, the piano''s leg was broken. ye yue was raging on the side about people being careless and letting ron yuan, an unrelated person come over here. due to his absence, he was not given a duty.


    the moment he learned that they would be moving the piano from the music room to the auditorium because hao ren was performing, he decided to screw it up. from what the students were telling hao ren, he understood that when the piano was being pushed up on the ramp, ron yuan pulled on the leg and managed to cause imbalance. the piano fell to the side of the ramp and then the leg under the case broke.


    hao ren sighed and looked at ye yue as she approached him and said anxiously, "hao ren, i think, we would have to cancel the performance."


    hao ren also could not say anything about this. han lingshi asked nervously, "can we really not get anything done about it?"


    ye yue shook her head regretfully and said, "even if i get another piano, it will not be here in ten minutes."


    *ding: host, your wife is looking forward to your performance, would you let her wishes go incomplete? issuing task, the song of love.*


    hao ren took a deep breath and asked, "teacher, do we have a qin in the music room?"


    ye yue subconsciously nodded, but then asked, "why do you ask?"


    hao ren shrugged, "if i cannot play a piano, i will play a qin."


    the students all knew that hao ren was going to play the piano because they had heard him play. everyday for the past few days, there has been the tune of piano echoing through the campus, how could they not know. they were all eager for the performance, and the sudden change in the last moment disappointed them.


    the host broke out in cold sweat, he couldn''t have hid this because everything was mentioned on the brochures. he took a deep breath and said, "well, please welcome, hao ren from class 1-a."


    then he took a quick exit, before hao ren climbed the stage holding his qin. he walked up to the center of the stage and yan came over with a stool for him. hao ren smiled as he thanked him and then he bowed to the people before he said, "i know many people were waiting for me to play the piano. however, somethings can never go as we plan them to be."


    the people calmed down, and hao ren said, "taking the accident today as an inspiration i give you a song called dream. it is an original composition of mine. the essence is for us to keep dreaming no matter how unpredictable life gets. our dreams are an extension to ourselves. i will now begin."


    as he finished, he raised his hand and began to stroke the strings. then slowly, melodious notes began to pour out and the people were reeled in the song. they could see a young man chasing after a butterfly, and the world around him change. the dream was to catch the butterfly, and many a times the people saw the young man fall, but he stood up.


    he grew up, and his life also changed, one day, he gave up chasing and began to struggle with life. however, once in a while he would see a butterfly and sigh thinking how foolish he was. however, he still had the itch to go and chase the butterfly.


    the song changed and soon the man saw his own child running after a butterfly. then he began to make sure that the dream he gave up on can be realized by his son. the music changed, and soon the young man''s life began to change. his son eventually caught the butterfly and rushed back to show it to his father.


    the man smiled and cried in joy, his son then began to chase stars. the performance came to an end, and the people, who were feeling inspired, all stood up and began to clap their hands together as they yelled, "bravo, bravo,"


    some people who sat at the back, even rushed up to bring hao ren with flowers and stuff. the young man stood up and bowed his head to the audience in three directions before he stepped off with the qin in his arm.


    he did not miss out how ron yuan was looking at him like a venomous snake, but he did not care at the moment. this guy will face his judgement soon.

 Chapter 307 Meal.

    hao ren was bought home by old man han, and they sat down in the living room. the young man did not feel any enmity from the old man this time. he thought, ''he seems to have gone through a character development arc in secret. well, at least lingshi''s dad is still the same, idiot.''


    as he was thinking about the situation, gao yue came over with a maid behind her. she was surprised to see hao ren and asked, "who is going to make the introductions?"


    han lingshi jumped over and said, "grandma, this is hao ren, my classmate."


    then she looked back at hao ren and introduced the old lady. hao ren bowed in a greeting and gao yue smiled as she said, "what a handsome and well mannered young man. tell me about your family."


    hao ren did not think much and told her. his parents were still county officials in teaching and judicial departments just like they were in the past life. after introductions, gao yue began to discuss about art and politics with hao ren, who did not step back but kept up with her and even showcased his own knowledge in this.


    the elder couple was really taken aback by how wise hao ren was. they did not expect him to have so much knowledge and ideas. it was as if they were talking to an old man. (well, he was an old man.)


    hao ren was happy to indulge the old couple because the more surprised they become the more impression points he gained. the impression bar had levels and at this moment, hao ren could only be considered to be a good friend with han lingshi. the young man was also not in a hurry, because he loved to spend the quite time with his wife in this world.


    the lunch was served and after a meal, han lingshi said, "despite all the skills, they still cannot beat hao ren in cooking."


    gao yue and old man han raised their brows and han lingshi realized that she blundered, and said, "i tasted the food he brings for lunch. he cooks way better than the chefs in the kitchen."


    old man han let out a sigh and held his forehead in his hand, as he asked, "lingshi, did you forget that chef mark is competitive?"


    han lingshi sat up straight and looked over her shoulder, a middle aged man seem to be glaring at her. however, she looked at hao ren and then said, "i am not insulting him but ren can beat him. can''t you, ren?"


    the old couple nodded with kind smiles and han lingshi said, "i will see you off to the gate."


    hao ren nodded, and then the two walked out while chatting. the old lady said, "he has the bearings of a dragon."


    old man han nodded and replied, "he made that old yuan back off, so he must have something hidden about him. however, as long as he does not harm lingshi, we should let them be. the younger generation should be responsible for their decisions."


    gao yue nodded and said, "i will tell ming to mind his own business, that daughter loving demon gets possessive when it is about her and his brain goes to dump." stay connected with empire


    old man han nodded, and then they began to handle their own affairs.


    ...


    hao ren stood on the doorway of the house and smiled at han lingshi as he said, "thank you for the meal, i will get going now."


    han lingshi nodded and said, "go well, text me that you have reached safely."


    hao ren was surprised but then he asked, "how? i do not have your number yet."


    han lingshi smiled and asked, "then can you not ask me for it?"


    hao ren was surprised and embarrassed as he detected the sarcasm in her voice and asked, "can i have your phone number, lingshi?"

 Chapter 308 Capital.

    hao ren left the villa area and flagged a taxi to go back to the city, but as he was sitting inside the cab, he thought of something and called ye jian. the call connected quickly and ye jian asked, "young master han, what can i do?"


    hao ren asked jokingly, "are you that free? how are you so quick in your response?"


    ye jian chuckled and said, "i just came back from practise. do you need something?"


    hao ren said, "well, how about all of us gather together for dinner?"


    thinking about it, ye jian nodded and said, "i will get the sisters. stall lane?"


    hao ren agreed to meet at the stall lane, and leaned back in the chair to close his eyes. at this moment, his phone rang. he looked at the caller and smiled. this life not only gave him a chance to rediscover love with han lingshi but also his parents.


    he picked up the call and greeted, "how are you doing ma?"


    tang zhen said, "i am doing fine, have you forgotten us? in these past two weeks, you haven''t called for even a day."


    hao ren smiled and replied, "i get busy, the life in the city is not easy."


    tang zhen snorted and said, "you speak as if i do not know how big of a monster you are. tell me, are you really okay? if anyone is bullying you or troubling you, do not hesitate and directly file a complaint with your teachers. if they do not take an action you tell me and i will handle it. do not be afraid of those rich kids."


    hao ren smiled and said, "no, they are all fine. i am meeting the trio tonight for dinner. they will be here soon."


    tang zhen replied, "good, you should stay with them. also, give my love to sisi and meimei. tell ye jian to look after them and make sure that none of the city playboys dare to take advantage of our pearls."


    hao ren nodded and said, "i will ma, how is your husband doing?"


    a grumpy voice sounded, "brat, am i nothing to you?"


    hao ren chuckled and talked with hao xinyuan and after some words he disconnected the call as he reached the destination.


    ...


    tang zhen and hao xinyuan looked at each other and the former said, "i have never heard him laugh this much from the time he was born."


    xiao mei nodded and replied, "recently, their is a good business company that i have been eyeing, how about we fix a meeting with them?"


    hao ren thought about it and said, "fine, then next saturday?"


    xiao mei nodded and said, "that is fine, we need to get an attorney who can represent us. i will find one by friday and sign them on the saturday."


    hao ren nodded and said, "fine, send me all the details that you have in this regard, i will give it a read."


    xiao mei nodded, the duo turned to look at xiao si and ye jian who were staring at them and ye jian suddenly held hao ren''s hand and asked, "dad, can you buy me those new sport shoes? i swear i will be a good boy."


    xiao si stepped up and held the other hand as she said, "dad, can you buy me a bike? please."


    hao ren looked at the sky and then at xiao mei who bit her lip, and he asked, "what do you need, mei?"


    xiao mei blurted, "i want a pc."


    hao ren sighed and said, "fine, tomorrow after school we will go shopping."


    ye jian hugged him from the side and yelled, "daddy is the best."


    hao ren pushed him away and said, "don''t make me puke."


    xiao si smiled and bowed as she said, "young master hao, long live."


    ye jian followed the gesture and hao ren shook his head in exasperation. these two people were like this always. after settling the bill they left the place and when hao ren reached the school gates, he spotted ricardo yel and ron yuan standing at the entrance.


    he raised his eyebrow as he approached them. ron yuan saw him and quickly charged at hao ren and asked, "what capital do you have to force the hand of my family?"


    ricardo''s face changed and he said, "young master, you lied to me!"


    hao ren sighed and ron yuan found himself on the floor. he said, "the next time you raise your voice, you will never be able to speak. do you hear me, ron yuan?"


    hao ren had enough.

 Chapter 309 School Outing.

    hao ren stood before ron yuan, and looked coldly at ricardo as he asked, "what part of my command did you not understand in the morning?"


    ricardo did not care about his image, and knelt on the ground quickly before he said, "lord, forgive me, but he said that he wishes to seek forgiveness and try to make amends that''s why i bought him over."


    hao ren replied, "i did not kill him, that is the biggest amnesty. take him away, and never come before me if you do not wish to vanish as if you never existed."


    ricardo was already drenched in sweat. he nodded hurriedly, and ron was dragged away. he was not given any chance to put up a struggle because ricardo was scared for his life. hao ren watched them leave and entered the school, thinking if he should have been merciless and just directly killed the yuan family.


    however, he wanted to keep them alive to serve him later. he lacked information about the cultivators and hoped that they did not have any organization like the dehb.


    he came to his room, cleaned up, called his family, and then sat down to cultivate until the sun came up in the morning. hao ren woke up to the calls from his gang, they were reminding him about the shopping appointment. he sighed and replied to them that he did not forget about it before he headed to the class.


    the young man sat down on the seat and greeted han lingshi with a smile. the letter asked him about some trivia. other students also came over, almost all of them greeted him with a nod or a smile. his talent with the musical instruments have shocked the people and they admired him to some degree.


    xia yulei came in the class and everyone calmed down. she finished the roll call and said, "as you all know what happened with me a few days ago, in the aftermath, dwight ion has been sent to juvenile correction center, while ron yuan has submitted his application to transfer schools. he will not longer be attending here."


    the people agreed, and the voting began, after an hour, it was decided that they would be heading to the mountains in the northern province, and camp there. han lingshi noted down the details before she said, "okay, you all can leave."


    hao ren picked up his bag and then he left the class. he wanted to go to the forest because he was close to a tribulation. han lingshi was walking beside him and asked, "you are not headed to the dorms?"


    hao ren nodded and replied, "i have to go shopping with the gang."


    han lingshi nodded, and hao ren sensed some sadness in her eyes and asked, "if you do not mind, how about we go for shopping of the camping supplies together?"


    the young lady nodded as if she was waiting for this moment her entire life. she was glad that hao ren asked her to do something together and not asked her for the sake of it. the young man met with his gang after sending off han lingshi in her car.


    ye jian cast him a prolonged gaze and then asked, "sisi, do you think young master hao has found a sister-in-law?"


    xiao si rolled her eyes and said, "i wouldn''t be surprised if he does, but can you stop calling me sisi, you stone face."


    xiao mei giggled as hao ren said, "come on, we are getting late. also, do not talk about stuff like relations, it is still too early." read latest chapters at empire


    then he left the place, because he knew that relationship with han lingshi would be anything but a path of roses.

 Chapter 310 Shopping.

    hao ren shopped with his gang before he went back to his room and opened the laptop to look at the details of the business venture that xiao mei sent him. the company was called, yulu, a shared bike app. the people could pay the money and then rent the bikes for transport. discover more content at empire


    hao ren liked the idea but their was obviously a big problem in this situation that needed to be solved before he could start earning money. he called xiao mei and asked, "the transaction is not centralized and that is why they are unable to make profit."


    xiao mei nodded and replied, "they are so stupid. i mean they can use an electronic medium to transfer the money directly but these old and obsolete bank personnel are unable to accept that someone else will reap profit from it."


    hao ren thought for a moment and said, "didn''t you write a similar app where people could transfer money to each other?"


    xiao mei nodded and asked, "i did, why do you ask?"


    hao ren told her to find a lawyer and refine the app so that they could register the app with the government and put it through testing and also use those test results to negotiate partnership with the banks.


    xiao mei replied, "brother, i cannot do all this alone."


    their a hint of embarrassment in her voice and hao ren said, "how about we recruit some developers from the university, i am sure there are some good talented people. we can set up a technology company and then acquire yulu as well."


    xiao mei nodded and said, "this sounds better, we can make profit on the transaction app as well as the yulu."


    hao ren nodded and said, "well, i would like to settle this by the weekend because i have a school outing on the weekend."


    xiao mei agreed and told him that she has already fixed a appointment with a man from the law firm.


    ...


    han lingshi did not mind it and she consoled him. then the two picked up their stuff and were heading towards the car, when han lingshi almost tripped on one of her bags. hao ren dropped his stuff on the ground, and caught her in his arms. han lingshi was shocked, but she did not try to struggle as hao ren helped her stabilize herself.


    the young man asked, "are you okay?"


    han lingshi nodded and said, "yes, i am fine, thanks to you."


    hao ren waved his hand and picked up his bags before he took her bags as well and they walked to the car. the driver was told to stay behind in the parking lot and at this moment his face did not look well.


    han lingshi saw this and said, "let us drop hao ren back to the school and then head back home."


    the driver hesitated but at this moment, a stern voice sounded from the side, "erin can drop him back to school but you will come home with me."


    han lingshi turned to the side and found her father standing there with his arms crossed before his chest. she was about to nod, but hao ren said, "lingshi, you do not have to worry, i will catch a cab from here. take your stuff and go home safe. see you tomorrow."


    han lingshi frowned but she understood that if she was in hao ren''s place she would not have taken up the offer as well. han ming looked at hao ren and snorted, but the young man did not react at all and literally went to the side to call a cab for himself.


    ...


    han lingshi reached home and sat down beside her grandfather in the living room with a huff. her breathing was ragged and old man han asked, "who made you angry, lingling?"


    han lingshi snorted and looking at her father with rageful eyes, she said, "your snobbish and opinionated son just disgraced me before my friend. he set a driver to spy on me, and disrespect my friend. he is the one who made me angry. what can you do about it, grandpa."


    han ming was shocked to hear such words and so was the old man. han lingshi stood up and turned to leave the place when she said, "i am disappointed in you, father."

 Chapter 311 Camping Begin.

    hao ren came at the school gate, it was friday morning, and he had an appointment early morning with the attorney that xiao mei has told him about. as he was about to get out, he found han lingshi getting out of the car. she was surprised, although she knew about his leave, she did not know when he would be going out.


    she greeted him and asked, "ren, where are you going?"


    hao ren replied, "the city center, i have a meeting."


    he did not lie to her. she was surprised and asked, "what meeting?"


    hao ren replied with a smile, "a business meeting. i have some money that i want to start my own business with."


    han lingshi was surprised, she thought he was going to rent a stall or something, and hurriedly asked, "your business will not affect your studies would it?"


    hao ren shook his head and said, "no, i will hire people to do it. it is all fine, do not worry."


    han lingshi nodded, if hao ren knew that she was thinking of him to be running a food stall, he would have puked up some blood. han lingshi nodded and said, "all the best."


    she smiled as she wished him well and hao ren thanked her before he walked away. after covering some distance, the young man covered himself with a barrier, and used his divine sense to avoid any and all closed circuit cameras on the way, and flickered from one spot to the other.


    the young man arrived close to the city center and resumed to walk like normal people. he would have flown over had it not been for the fact that he was still not familiar with the cultivators of this world.


    he spotted the bubble tea shop, and sighed, thinking, ''well, i should not judge people based on what their eating preferences are.''


    it was eight in the morning, and the shop was already open. hao ren entered the place, and after some thought he ordered a macha bubble tea as he grabbed a seat to wait for the attorney to arrive.


    the tea was served quickly and before he could take a sip, his phone rang. looking at the unknown number, he accepted the call and a charming female voice sounded from the other side, "hello, is this mr. hao ren?"


    hao ren replied calmly, "yes, speaking. who am i talking to?"


    his mannerism was professional and formal. the other party replied, "hello, my name is xin yao. i am an attorney from the bright law firm. i have arrived in front of the bubble tea shop. where are you?"


    han xinyuan almost choked on the wind in his nasal when he heard this. he did not expect his silent and disciplined son to rebel like this.


    it was noon when hao ren finished with all the things that he needed to do, and after a modest lunch, he went back to the school. xin yao also left to make the submissions and hao ren told her to coordinate with xiao mei. the two of them have decided to directly hire people via head hunting organization which they will handle on monday evening when hao ren came back from the camping trip.


    ...


    in the evening, the young man arrived at the playground where the rest of his class was gathered with their bags and stuff. the rest of the students were looking at them with envy and jealousy but class 1-a did not care about that.


    the pt teacher, salem was also accompanying them on the trip with xia yulei and ye yue. the two ladies were directly involved in the incident and so they were given a trip to relax, while salem was going to act as a guard, a retired veteran would have the knowledge to deal with things in the wild.


    they all were divided into two buses, each carrying twenty children and one teacher minimum. salem took the second bus, and xia yulei with ye yue took the first bus. hao ren and han lingshi were also in the first bus.


    the busses left the school and soon, they entered the highway. the conductor came over to xia yulei and said, "miss, it will take us entire night to enter the speedway and drive to the northern forests. we will notify you when we have reached the service zone to gather for dinner."


    xia yulei nodded and said, "you all heard the man, do whatever you want but do not create chaos."


    that said, she began to talk with ye yue. han lingshi was sitting with the rest of the girls, while hao ren was sitting in the front, on the window seat with his eyes closed to rest. the boy next to him, yan, was surprised to see him like this but he did not say much when hao ren did not react, thinking that the latter had fallen asleep.


    the journey was fine, the people who spent the night having fun, were regretting as they stepped down from the bus in the morning. salem came over and said, "we will start the camping with a trek from here to the hilltop. that place is reserved for campers, and we will find a spot to settle. all of you get your bags on your backs, and get ready." enjoy new tales from empire


    everyone had a backpack, thankfully, hao ren had sent a list in the class group or these rich kids would have been dragging a trolley as they climbed the hill.


    the trekking began, the bus left them at the edge of a small village so they did not get much time. salem led and the people followed. hao ren was close to han lingshi but he was also helping the students who were failing in the trek, ye yue was one of the struggler, and hao ren helped her calmly.


    han lingshi saw this, while she wanted to frown, she could not, because hao ren did not do anything wrong and she sighed to herself, "this is so twisted."


    after a couple of hours, they reached a vacant hilltop, and salem said, "take a small rest and set up your tents. let the camping begin."


    the students cheered for the early half of the statement.

 Chapter 312 Dont Be Too Handsome.

    the students scattered around in the clearing and under salem''s instructions they began to set up tents in a circular formation. hao ren took a corner position because it would be easy for him to vanish from there. the girls were placed to the inside of the formation.


    hao ren was quick in setting up his tent and he helped the other people as well. after everyone was set up, salem said, "alright, everyone, gather up."


    the students surrounded him, and salem said, "the forest is maintained by human rangers, but still it is a place where animals roam free. after dark, do not roam out in the trees, also, do not leave any left over food outside as the scent can attract bears and wolves. another thing that you all need to be mindful of is to maintain cleanliness."


    the students nodded and salem said, "now, i need the boys to head out, collect firewood, and the girls will set up vessels and handle the ingredients to cook food. okay?"


    everyone replied in enthusiasm, "yes, sir."


    xia yulei and ye yue began to guide the girls, while the boys scattered around to collect firewood. hao ren was also doing his part with his tactical knife, he was directly chopping of some thin branches and piling them up in the corner. the other boys had wanted to buy a knife but they weren''t allowed to because of their caring parents, so while hao ren earned the macho points, they only gazed at him in envy.


    the young man finished gathering a pile of wood and then moved it to the center of the camp. he looked at salem who was about to praise him and said, "teacher, i think we can set up some torches at the edge of the camp to prevent the animals from coming close. these branches are long and i just spotted a few eucalyptus trees. i can make groves in them to collect the oil to serve as fuel."


    salem was surprised but he nodded and said, "good, i will help you."


    the teacher took out his machete and then two went over, many girls were gushing over hao ren''s actions. after a couple of hours, hao ren and salem had finished preparing to collect the oil, and then they returned, only to be assaulted by a slight burning smell in the void.


    hao ren frowned as he approached han lingshi who was standing near a stove, frowning and asked, "what happened?"


    han lingshi sneakily looked around her and said, "those girls are about to tear you to pieces, do not act so handsome before them."


    hao ren was stunned and then he chuckled as he said, "okay, i will act handsome before you only."


    han lingshi subconsciously nodded, before she realized what he said, and used her hand to gently slap his shoulder and retort, "how dare you tease me when i am the one saving you from trouble?"


    hao ren quickly put up a submissive front and said, "i heed your advice and am grateful. don''t be angry, i made this for you."


    han lingshi rolled her eyes and said, "bah, you made it for everyone."


    the young man shook his head and said, "i made this for you, everyone else is just eating for free."


    han lingshi looked at him from the corner of her eye, and said, "i did not know you were such a glib tongue."


    the young man smiled and did not reply, after a few minutes, yan and a few other students also joined them and the atmosphere became very light. the groups began to play games among them, while some students sat by the stream with makeshift fishing rods to catch some fish to eat at night.


    hao ren and salem made a trip to the forest and harvested the oil before they smeared it on the edges of some jute bag cuttings that were taken from the empty bags used to carry the vegetables, and made torches with the rest of the people, before they erected them on the edge of the camp and lit them up.


    they all began to sit around each the bone fire while students took turn to maintain watch and everyone began to share stories, jokes, or someone would sing.

 Chapter 313 Sudden Trouble.

    the night became colder and darker, many students went inside the tents to sleep. hao ren and a few males decided to take a watch in turns. after the first watch, a young man called aron, was moving around the tents, and after a few round, he and his partner were tired and they sat down by the campfire, gradually they fell asleep.


    hao ren was sitting inside his tent, when suddenly he frowned and opened his eyes and clicked his tongue. he came out and found that the skies were filled with dark clouds, like it would rain anytime now, his limit was also close. he walked up to the tent where salem was sleeping and said, "teacher, come out, there are wolves."


    his voice was normal but everyone woke up because they hadn''t really been sleeping in peace. they did not show too much but they had never been outside in the woods. how can they be calm and relaxed. salem was a soldier in the past, he came out quickly and asked hurriedly, "what is going on?"


    hao ren made a gesture for him to survey the surroundings and salem saw a few flickering lights in the distance. he frowned and looked at all the anxious students and said, "don''t worry, they will not enter here, we have erected torches."


    the students huddled closer, and hao ren sensed with his divine sense, when he found that no one was paying attention to him, he waved his hand and created a wind with his spiritual energy that took out a few torches from the side and also the clouds began to thunder.


    the girls held each other and they wailed. following this, a howl echoed in the surroundings, "awooooooo"


    the wolves were growling as they moved closer to the camp. salem picked up his machete, and said, "i will handle these wolves. do not worry."


    however, the students all began to clamor loudly. hao ren moved behind salem and said, "teacher, you stay here, i will take these mutts away."


    salem rebuked, "no!"


    he was very strong in his expression but hao ren said, "i have the experience of this. do not worry."


    she said, "he is fine, let us do the roll call."


    however, before she could do it, the lightning in the distance fell again and this time it fell eight times in succession one after the other. the people took a deep breath and then the clouds calmed down. everyone watched dark clouds recede and stars appear in the sky. ye yue mumbled, "i wonder if a dragon has ascended to the heavens."


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    the students rolled eyes at her, but she just shrugged her shoulders. xia yulei was doing a roll call to make sure that everyone was there, but when she called for hao ren, she was greeted with silence.


    everyone was stunned, and then xia yulei loudly called again, "hao ren!"


    nobody replied, han lingshi clenched her fist and began to look at the crowd, before she heard someone say, "could he have ran away from fear?"


    the person was one of the guys who had been silenced by hao ren in the noon. xia yulei said, "everyone, scatter and see if hao ren is inside the tents."


    the students had just turned away when yan exclaimed, "he is there."


    the people followed his finger and found hao ren walking over from under the torches, while a wolves watching him with their heads bowed.


    ye yue mumbled, "the wolf king roams the wilderness under the moonlight."

 Chapter 314 Fishing.

    hao ren walked over glazed with moonlight, he did not look any worse than some movie stars and his eyes were akin to that of a king. he smiled as he neared the group and bowed as he said, "i apologize, i was playing with the wolves."


    xia yulei walked over and grabbed his ear. the young man winced and wailed, "oww, teacher, i am sorry."


    xia yulei scolded him, "what do you mean by playing with the wolves, you gave me a scare of my life."


    hao ren replied, "but they are really friendly, or do you think i would be able to come back in one piece. i can call them over if you want me to."


    xia yulei let him go and frowned, when ye yue said, "okay, okay, forget it. isn''t he back yet? look at our savior pt teacher, do we need to rush to a hospital?"


    hao ren recalled that he sealed the spirit points and he waved his hand to unseal. the next moment, salem woke up with a start. the crowd dispersed and the forest fell silent. hao ren found a boulder and sat there, before he sensed a movement behind him. he knew that it was han lingshi, and he still turned around and he was shocked, the young lady was looking at him with tears in her eyes.


    hao ren quickly got down the boulder and he asked worriedly, "what happened? are you hurt?"


    han lingshi shook her head and then she threw herself in his arms as she bawled. she was scared by the sudden wolf attack, the raging thunder, and then his disappearance. the young man could sense all this and he stood there silently patting her back. he took a deep breath and after han lingshi calmed down, he let go of her.


    han lingshi realized what she did and broke the hug and turned away to hide the blush on her face. hao ren said, "don''t worry, the boulder cast a shadow and nobody saw it. thank you for caring about me, and i am sorry to have made you worry. i will be careful next time."


    han lingshi nodded, and said, "good night."


    hao ren wished her back and his gaze followed her till she entered her tent in the center of the camp. the young man took a deep breath and jumped back on to the boulder. he did not feel like sleeping or sitting inside the tent to cultivate. the tribulation has just passed at the sky was clear.


    hao ren looked at the stars, thinking about the world that he left behind. even though he knew that he can go back to that world once he has won the heart of his wife again, he still wondered if the people left behind were fine.


    as he was gazing at the stars, a few wolves moved around the camp and came close to him despite the fire torches and sat down on the ground. hao ren did not shoo them away, and they did not make any fuss either.


    ...


    in the morning, salem saw the scene of a young man sitting on the boulder with a group of wolves around him sleeping as peacefully as if they were house dogs. he gulped in a mouthful of saliva. following him the others also woke up and they saw the scene only to be stunned.


    han lingshi sighed and mumbled, "this guy said he would not let me worry again and look at him now."


    salem was surprised and confused as he asked, "bare handed? ho..."


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    as he was about to say how, hao ren stood up with a medium size fish in his hands. he tossed the fish to the bank, and saw the wolves standing up. he said, "be patient, i will catch for you as well."


    the wolves all licked their lips and sat down again, but their eyes did not leave the fish. hao ren caught fish at a frightening pace. in twenty minutes, he caught ten fish, on an average one per minute. salem also went inside the stream, but he did not grab even one after such a long time. he was close but eight times the fish evaded him, they were just that slippery.


    hao ren fished for an hour, and then he picked up ten fishes, threw them to the wolves and then came to the side with his knife. he prepared the fish and began to skewer them with wooden sticks to roast them with some honey and seasoning herbs.


    the people all gathered over, even the ones that went out to trek came back, and began to eat. han lingshi looked at the people and frowned. she looked at hao ren who took the last fish for himself and said, "hao ren, you have done so much for us, how can you be so selfless?"


    hao ren shook his head and replied, "i am fishing for compliments from everyone. nothing in this world is for free."


    the people were surprised but then they all chuckled and han lingshi smiled as she said, "you are the best chef."


    hao ren bowed and said, "thank you. what else shall i do for you?"


    one girl wanted to say something when han lingshi cut her off, "how about you sing a song for us?"


    the people cheered, the girl who was cut off was cursing han lingshi internally but whatever, who cares about the side characters?


    the young man took a deep breath and heard a notification, *ding: sing a love song. look at your wife no more than two times while doing it.*


    hao ren sighed and said, "fine."


    everyone became focused, and hao ren began to sing. his voice was mellow, and it was filled with longing. he sang about love, and the people could see him dancing with a girl. during the chorus hao ren cast a gaze to han lingshi before he closed his eyes.


    he used the counting meter to make sure that this glance was counted, and again when the chorus came, he looked at han lingshi.


    this made the girl feel as if her heart was in her mouth. thankfully, the song came to an end, because had the young man looked at her once more, she would have fainted. in her mind, she thought, ''why was he looking at me? what did i do? could it be he has a crush on me? shit, what are you even thinking about, bah, bah, bah..''

 Chapter 315 Shocking Moments.

    the camp to an end and everyone cleaned up the place before they went back on the buses, but the wolves were still hovering around them. hao ren sighed and walked up to the leader of the pack, and patted his head as he said, "i will now give you a chance, i hope that you understand how to cherish it. practice and get stronger, with every generation in your lineage, the strength will keep growing. however, you should never use this power to harm the humans. not even your descendents should do something like that."no?v(el)b\\jnn


    the young man stopped speaking and the alpha wolf bowed his head. hao ren imparted him a beast cultivation technique and left a spirit imprint on the soul of the beast. this imprint will allow him to know if the beast ever went against his command. the imprint will also allow the beast to know that he was still alive and could come back.


    after imparting the technique, hao ren jumped on back on the bus and his seat was next to han lingshi this time. the students had been partying these past few days so they were tired and the teachers also did not make any fuss on keeping them seperate after all, they were a co-ed school in the first place.


    the bus moved toward the city and gradually the party worn teenagers fell asleep. han lingshi was among these people. hao ren sat beside her, and despite the urge to take her hand he closed his eyes and began to consolidate the nascent soul realm cultivation.


    half way through the journey he sensed some weight on his shoulder. even with his eyes closed, he knew that han lingshi has placed her head on his shoulder. he did not move, but as time passed, gradually, the girl moved a bit closer seeking comfort.


    the flow of spiritual energy around his body was also making han lingshi feel good and relaxed. suddenly, the back of their hands touched each other and then she grabbed onto it. hao ren opened his eyes with a reflex. he did not expect this, but he enjoyed it anyways.


    the young man leaned back in his chair and stayed still. it was at the break of dawn when the bus entered the city limits, and hao ren nudged han lingshi.


    the young lady woke up in a daze and asked, "what, where are we?"


    hao ren replied, "reaching the school gate in twenty minutes."


    han lingshi nodded and then she looked outside the window, the familiar surroundings of the city made her wake up. then she turned to look at hao ren, who sat there with his eyes closed, and her gaze was attracted to the wet spot on his shoulder. she frowned thinking what it could be, and when she was thinking about this, she sensed that she was still holding hao ren''s hand.


    the girl almost wailed but managed to get a grip at the last moment, and took her hand back slowly as she swallowed her scream and buried them in the depth of her stomach. after a few minutes the bus stopped and xia yulei said, "the school had informed your parents and guardians earlier and they must be waiting for you down there, go home and tomorrow the class will start after recess."


    that said, she led the students down and did a roll call before making sure that they all got back with their elders, and left the school. hao ren went to his dorm and fell on his bed. it was not that he was tired, but the fact that he held hands with han lingshi for such a long time, it was akin to an achievement for him in this life.


    the system had notified him of an achievement, he was given a title, "the gent."


    hao ren meanwhile waited, as he used his phone to exchange messages with the headhunting agency. they had given him a lot of questions to shortlist candidates for him. he was going to hire application developers for his transaction app.


    after an hour, trevor neil walked inside the cafe and he spotted a young man who was casually on a cup of cold coffee, while fiddling with his mobile. across him sat a young lady who was going through some papers.


    he walked over and asked, "excuse me, are you good spirit inc.?"


    hao ren stood up and extended his hand and said, "hello, ceo neil, i am hao ren, acting president of the company, please have a seat."


    trevor was still finding it hard to digest this fact that this young man was handling business on his own. trevor sat down across him, and asked, "before we start negotiations, can i tell you a bit about my company?"


    hao ren shook his head and replied, "ceo neil, i have read the business report that you put out last quarter. i am aware of your companies problem. i will be straight with you, i want to buy stocks of your company. tell me, how much are you willing to sale?"


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    trevor was shocked, he did not expect hao ren to be so blunt. this was not a petty deal where a buck or two was involved, this was a multi million deal and hao ren was talking as if all that money was chump change to him.


    trevor gulped a mouthful before he took a deep breath and said, "our net valuation is at hundred million yuan as for last month, so i think."


    hao ren said, "i will buy fifty percent for fifty million. what do you say?"


    his indifference made trevor shiver, fifty million was a big amount, and hao ren was coming after him really strong, fifty percent, that was half the company and a voting right. trevor was in deep thought when hao ren said, "i will buy your stock and within a month the problem of the transaction will be solved and that is my guarantee to you."


    trevor was still not convinced and hao ren said, "how about the gambling agreement, if i solve the transaction crisis within a month, you will give me the fifty percent stocks. if i fail, then i will give you an additional of twenty million for the time wasted in challenge."


    these words finally made trevor give in and they agreed to sign a deal in the evening.

 Chapter 316 Trouble.

    the meeting was concluded after hao ren signed the contract with trevor neil, and after sending him off, he received a few resumes from the head hunting company and sent them to xiao mei. he told her to finish the check up on the several people and find the best ones for them.


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    the salary would be credited from the company account in advance that was monitored by xiao mei as well, and the young lady agreed to this. she was not worried about her studies because she was the grade topper and even without much effort, the gap between her and the others was significant.


    hao ren returned to school after recess and went through the classes with ease. however, today he started exchanging slips with han lingshi. this was a surprise for him but also delightful. he told han lingshi to not lose focus of her studies.


    at the end of the day, han lingshi said, "i am thinking about moving to the dormitory."


    hao ren was surprised and asked, "young miss han, will your father, the great master han agree with this decision? what if he came to the school to clamor that he misses his gem of a daughter?"


    han lingshi looked at him and asked, "are you teasing me?"


    hao ren pretended to be thoughtful for a second and then with a sincere expression he nodded. han lingshi opened her eyes wide, they were both a few meters away and she charged over to smack him, but hao ren dodged and thus began the game of chase. many males saw this and they were all jealous of this intimacy displayed by the two people.


    the girls were the same, at least the ones in the same class knew about hao ren''s brilliance. if looks could kill then han lingshi would have died by now.


    ...


    in the han family company, the spirit group, han ming was going through some documents when the phone on his desk rang. he picked it up and a voice sounded from the side, "president han, greetings, are you free to have a conversation?"


    han ming frowned, this line was restricted to his office and personal staff only. this person was not his staff so he asked, "who the hell are you? what the fuck are you talking about?how did you get this number?"


    hao ren asked, "yes, yan, is everything alright?"


    yan replied, "no, something bad happened to class monitor han."


    hao ren was alerted immediately and asked, "what do you mean, what happened to her?"


    yan said, "i just heard from my dad, he said that some foreigners have abducted her, and the police is looking for these people."


    hao ren felt as if the sky was falling. he sat down on his bed with a huff, and calmed down before asking, "when did this happen?"


    yan replied, "twenty minutes ago, i just found out. it happened near the school, and the entire city has been alerted."


    hao ren nodded and after asking a few more questions, he closed his eyes to think about what to do when the notification sounded, *ding: track han lingshi''s location.*


    hao ren stood up from his bed, changed into fresh clothes and then he walked out of the dormitory. he was going to the spot where the kidnapping took place.


    although he was no longer a nascent soul realm cultivator, he was still a cultivator and had a lot of experience. ten minutes away from the school, he found a scene where the police had cordoned off the area, and there was a wrecked car. hao ren watched from the distance, and spotted bullet holes and blood stains on the driver seat.


    his heartbeat increased and he gazed at the back side of the car, there were no traces of any blood or bullet, but the left side door was left ajar, with window broken to small glass pieces. hao ren understood that someone must have broken the glass and unlocked the door, to nab han lingshi. his fists tightened as his gaze turned cold.


    it was as if he was a god of death and the intention to kill emitting from him, even made the people around him walk away subconsciously.


    hao ren decided to go to the han family mansion, because he was sure that they would definitely know what was going on.

 Chapter 317 Raging Killing Intent.

    hao ren arrived at the han mansion and he found that the place was filled with police officers. hao ren used his higher senses and picked up a few things like call and tracing.


    he frowned, this limitation on strength was really hindering him. the young man clenched his fist and cursed himself, ''too dependant on strength.''


    he was thinking about how to get in when the police officers suddenly left one after the other, and the last man, who appeared old in his age sighed, "this mess is something that we cannot handle."


    hao ren frowned and then he went through the door. the old butler was surprised to see him, but hao ren did not pay him attention and walked inside the house.


    inside the house, han ming was sitting on the couch with a pale face. old man han and gao yue were sitting on the side with a worried look on their face as well. at this moment, a calm voice sounded, "elder han, can you tell me what happened?"


    old master han raised his head and was surprised to find hao ren, he asked, "hao ren, what are you doing here?"


    han ming raised his head as well, his eyes were red and he roared, "it is all because of you, you broom star, ever since the day you stepped in my daughter''s life your rubbed off your shoddy fortune on her. now you dare to come here and ask us what happened to her."


    he reached out to a crystal ashtray on the table and threw it at hao ren. old master han yelled, "ming!"


    hao ren caught the ashtray calmly and asked, "master han, you sure know how to blame others for your incompetence."


    his words silenced everyone, and he walked towards han ming, as he talked, "ever since you saw me, you have been talking shit about me. i never said anything because my parents taught me to avoid the ignorant, but now, you still have time to talk shit even when your daughter has been taken away. i wonder if you really care about anyone but yourself."


    hao ren nodded, and said, "good."


    that said, he told the old people to stay calm as he will bring han lingshi back. old master han did not have much hope but he tried to calm his wife first. hao ren left the han family mansion and looked at the yuan family house.


    he walked over, and found the place to be abandoned, it turned out that old yuan really left this place with his family. he sighed, and then took out his phone, and called xiao mei. xiao si picked up the call, and asked, "young master hao, she is on the screen, do you need anything?"


    hao ren said, "ask her to stop everything, i have something urgent to ask her."


    xiao si relayed the message and xiao mei came on the line, she asked, "what is it, big brother?"


    it would have been funny calling a younger guy as big brother, but it was hao ren''s nature that made them acknowledge him like that. hao ren said, "you remember code red?"


    xiao mei replied positively and hao ren said, "i want you to look for red scorpion mercenary, and anton chekov, in belusa. i want everything on them from what they eat to what they shit. also, book me a flight ticket to belusa, and the visa there by midnight, i want to be there within the next twelve hours."


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    xiao mei was stunned but then she said, "affirmative. give me three hours."


    hao ren nodded, and put the phone down, he walked back to the hostel in the dark of the night, and everyone who saw him would shiver, because they have never seen someone look so calm yet so murderous.

 Chapter 318 Preparation & Encounter.

    hao ren disconnected the call and went back to the school. he contacted xia yulei, and the lady accepted the call quickly. hao ren asked, "teacher, did you hear what happened to han lingshi?"


    xia yulei was confused and asked, "what happened?"


    hao ren told her what happened, and the teacher was shocked. she checked the class group and it was all chaos. after reading through she got the idea of what happened and went back to the call, "hao ren, thank you for telling me. i will check with the board and relay in the group."


    hao ren said, "ma''am, actually, my parents are a bit concerned about me and they have asked me to come back home for some days. i know that it is very abrupt but can i ask for a leave and go to visit them?"


    xia yulei thought about it, and it made sense to her as hao ren was away from home. first with her nabbing and now the kidnapping of his deskmate. she thought no matter how valiant hao ren was, he was still a child so it did make sense for him to be asking for leave. she sighed and replied, "you can take four days off. no more."


    hao ren nodded and thanked her before he began to pack his bag with normal clothes. after a couple of hours, xiao mei called, she said, "big brother, you got your visa, and the ticket is booked. you can operate there for ten days, and then you will need to come back."


    hao ren nodded and said, "arrange for a weapons pick up and drop near the airport. when i get down, i want the complete details of the red scorpion people and anton chekov."


    xiao mei agreed, she and the duo knew that hao ren was not like normal children. she asked, "what do you need?"


    hao ren said, "handgun, a submachine gun, a sniper rifle, ammunition, and drones for surveillance. in short, complete gear for a special force operative."


    xiao mei nodded, and said, "i will get the dark room coordinate with you."


    dark room was a hacker alliance, xiao mei held a significant position there and they had a lot of underground connections with some high level weapons suppliers and mercenaries.


    hao ren nodded, and then disconnected the phone after receiving the data of the flight and e-visa on his phone. he picked up his back, and went out.


    ...


    xiao si watched xiao mei operate the computer and asked, "do you think we should go along with him?"


    hao ren looked at her and just nodded, before he made a few signs with his hands, instating that he was mute. the girl was shocked and then said, "i am sorry, i did not know."


    hao ren shook his head and leaned back to meditate. this girl did not take the hint and kept talking, a few minutes later, the bus reached close to the plane and then everyone boarded the plane. hao ren found his seat, strapped in, put on his earphones and leaned back in the chair to close his eyes.


    the flight took off after a few minutes, and hao ren peeked through the window as he clenched his fists. if only he did not have any restrictions, he would have gone after lingshi by tracking her aura and using his ability to fly.


    after four hours, the flight landed on an island nation, belusa. hao ren checked his phone and found the details of the two people that he had requested, after looking through it, he was shocked.


    stephanie saw him standing in a daze and approached again while they were walking through the arrival channel. she sighed and looking at him said, "i know that you do not want to talk to me, but please take a look at this."


    she took out an identity card and handed it to hao ren. the latter looked at the card and was surprised for a second. he asked coldly, "for how long have you guys been tailing me?"


    stephanie sensed a cold and dark killing intention and said, "we had no intention of tailing you. you have never caused any trouble for the people around you, but when the tickets were booked under your name, we became concerned, and after investigating we found that you were coming here on a rescue. that''s why they sent me over."


    hao ren sneered and asked, "do you think if you were in my place you would believe an operative of the supernatural investigation department?"


    stephanie was a member of the supernatural investigation department, and as the name suggests, she worked for people who knew about cultivators and probably wanted to control them. hao ren said, "choose your words wisely or i will not mind taking your head off, right here."


    stephanie shivered and said, "i was sent here to ask you to help us. someone from the department was killed by the leader of the red scorpion and if you can help us avenge that, the department will reward you."


    hao ren clicked his tongue and said, "if i help you once, you will ask me to help you twice, and i do not want to be bound by you. so, goodbye."


    stephanie said, "what if i give you the information you want about the two parties? something that cannot be found on the darknet?"


    hao ren stopped in his spot and said, "if it is irrelevant, i will kill you, agreed?"


    stephanie nodded and then the two left the airport together.

 Chapter 319 Preparation & Encounter (2)

    hao ren and stephanie were sitting in a cafe outside the airport. it was night in belusa as well, so the place was deserted and perfect for a discussion that they were about to have.


    stephanie was a normal human, and she did not seem to have much of an authority, however, if hao ren killed her, he was sure to be pursued by the officers of the so called supernatural investigation department.


    stephanie looked at the waitress and said, "two cups of coffee, that''s all."


    the waitress left with a smile and stephanie said, "anton chekove and the leader of the red scorpion mercenary are actually siblings."


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    hao ren frowned and asked, "what difference does that make?"


    stephanie replied, "last time when red scorpion took action in the mainland, they killed an operative of the sid, and they were hunted by foundation establishment realm cultivators. they suffered great losses, but the leader managed to get away.


    the cultivators cannot take action outside the borders, that is why the leader never came back, but this time, they sent a team of their best operators, and while they claim it was all done under the command of anton chekov, it was actually done by the leader of the red scorpion, know as viktor chekov."


    hao ren raised his brow and asked, "do you mean to say that anton chekov is just a puppet used by viktor?"


    stephanie nodded and hao ren said, "you should have started with that only."


    the girl was embarrassed and asked, "i can be your on ground support if you want me to."


    hao ren looked at her and said, "how did you find out about me being a cultivator?"


    stephanie replied, "you were scouted as a potential candidate working in the sid but then the scout found you ascending through the core formation realm on your own. they wanted to bring you in, but the chief vetoed them and said that you should be left alone as we do not know who is the person behind you."


    hao ren played along the bluff and said, "it is good, otherwise your entire organization would have been ruined to ashes and corpses."


    the request was odd, but after a few minutes, when stephanie came in, she was shocked to get a call from hao ren on the front desk and the young man said, "go out, see those lockers next to the metro exit? open the locker 017, and bring me the bag."


    stephanie asked, "why should i?"


    hao ren replied, "you want me to take out your target or no?"


    stephanie gulped a mouthful and then agreed, she went out, and brought a heavy bag to his room with sweat on her face.


    hao ren invited her inside, and locked the door, as he asked, "tell me, do you know who is watching over han lingshi?"


    stephanie nodded and said, "he goes by the code name, russian."


    hao ren nodded and asked, "who is your target?"


    "viktor." said stephanie looking at him with a calm face.


    hao ren opened the bag, and began to sort out the weapons, which shocked her. she asked, "aren''t you a cultivator?"


    hao ren replied, "my cultivation base was sealed before i came out, i will attack but with the means that soldiers or mercenaries use."


    stephanie hesitated and hao ren replied, "you do not have to think so much, i will kill viktor whether you want me to or not. let us plan the entire thing, and we will take action tomorrow night."


    that said, the two people got to work. hao ren received the information from xiao mei, telling him that stephanie was clean. the young man ordered food three times, and they ate while hao ren and stephanie combined and compared the information they both had to come up with a plan as perfect as possible.


    the next day, the sun was about to set, when hao ren said, "let''s go. it is time. if you screwed up or tried to be smart, you know what i will do to you, right?"


    stephanie sighed and said, "i do, don''t worry, i will do my best to help you."

 Chapter 320 Incursion.

    hao ren and stephanie left the hotel together, they loaded the supplies in the back of a sedan and drove away. hao ren took out his phone and sent a text, after which he opened a laptop. stephanie was driving and was surprised by his actions, but the shock came when she saw the laptop being operated on its own, and then a map opened on the screen.


    hao ren said, "change positions with me. i will drop you to the vantage point first."


    the girl was surprised but when she saw the pair of cold eyes, she parked the car, and hao ren took the steering. the young man drove the car fast and sharply. stephanie was surprised by this, even if this guy was a cultivator, how was he so familiar with the car handling.


    after a couple of hours, the sky had turned dark, and they reached a mountain. hao ren said, "you will be my spotter."


    he turned back, took out a night vision powered binoculars and gave it to the lady as he said, "after trekking for two hundred kilometers, you will reach the summit. use the binoculars to lead me to the center, undetected. tell me the positions of the guards and i will move. got it?"


    stephanie nodded and said, "before you go, remember this person is a vital asset to viktor and only he knows where the latter is. so do not kill him or the tracking signal in his body will vanish and viktor will get suspicious."


    hao ren nodded and drove the car away. the binocular will ensure that stephanie can watch the situation from the distance. he parked the car five hundred meters away from the gated community, and put on the fighting gear. he connected the earpiece and asked, "this is hao ren, do you copy?"no?v(el)b\\jnn


    stephanie replied, "watchtower copy, over."


    hao ren replied, "i am going in, watch six, over and out."


    that said, the young man dashed against the wall, and jumped over it with ease.


    ...


    stephanie was watching the situation from the clifftop and she could not help but let out a sharp whistle. she did not expect hao ren''s movement and incursion skills to be so good. suddenly, she pressed the button on her earpiece and said, "be cautious, there is a patrol team heading towards the intersection ahead. take a left and run around them, over."


    stephanie looked around and located the generator and replied, "behind the house."


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    the young man nodded and said, "good."


    he fished out his phone and called xiao mei. the call was connected, and hao ren said, "shut down the power of the glamor valley community. can you?"


    xiao mei replied, "ten minutes, i have opened all such facilities and am accessing through the loopholes in the firewall."


    hao ren agreed, and in the meantime he moved behind the house, positioned himself in a place where he could easily reach the generator. although there were two guards between him and the generator, but they were not going to be a problem. he took out two silver needles and prepared his assault knife.


    he flicked the two needles in the bushes, and sensed some movement, the target was hit and they were taken out. these guys were hiding directly under the streetlight glow and hao ren could see them clearly.


    xiao mei said, "boss, it''s done."


    the street lights went out, and hao ren dashed toward the generator. he grabbed the power cable with his hand and slashed it with his knife. one wave and the cable as thick as a human arm was cut off cleanly. then hao ren cut off all the other wires as well. the time lag between the generator turning on was enough for him to execute his plan, and now it was a race against time.


    hao ren was sure that the guards would come over to check the generator and before that happened, he needed to get inside the house and locate the asset. the man who managed everything for viktor chekov on the surface, the general manager of the ignite fuel company, dmitri karpov.


    hao ren dashed around the building and took out a few needles before he stabbed the people with them. he headed closer to the wall, and spotted the guards on the gates. the darkness prevented them from detecting him. the young man decisively took out his hand gun, and shot the two guards on the gate, and the five men were also dealt swiftly.


    he turned around and entered the house to deal with the people inside. stephanie gulped and said, "it took him only fifteen seconds to kill all these people. this guy is a monster. he even used two methods so that the people think it was a team attack. how can a teenager think like this."


    after muttering, she picked up the binoculars and focused them on the building, only to see hoa ren rushing inside.

 Chapter 321 Found.

    Hao Ren entered the house after reloading his weapon. He heard footsteps, and people talking to each other. One person said, "Ugh, fucking hell, Amil, go check what is going on, my game progress has been deleted."


    "Go yourself, Cardi."


    Many such noises echoed and Hao Ren caught them all. After carefully counting he concluded that there were two dozen people in the place. A thick voice sounded from the second floor, "Can any of you fuckers go out and check what happened? I need to talk to Boss, in an hour."


    Hao Ren understood the meaning of the words, this voice must belong to the target, Dmitri Karpov. He narrowed his gaze, and then moved forward. He held a small knife in his hand and handgun in the other. He was akin to a spectre.


    Pfft, pfft, puchhii....


    These sounds were the last things that the mercenaries inside the villa heard and gradually after two minutes, the place fell silent. Hao Ren sent a text to Xiao Mei, and the power was up. The thick voice sounded once again, "What happened, did y''all die? Why is the power....."


    Suddenly, the lights turned on, and Hao Ren saw a fat white man standing before him wearing a silk gown. The person had yet to notice him and sighed, "For fuck''s sake, finally something..."


    His words paused for the second time, unlike the first time, this time he was shocked, because he suddenly spotted a young man standing before him. The person was covered with blood. Dmitri''s pale face turned even paler and he asked, "Who sent you? I will give you double of what they offered."


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "You are telling me the truth?"


    Dmitri nodded slowly, and Hao Ren raised his gun to aim at the fat man. It made the latter freeze and Hao Ren used his Hypnosis skill, as he said, "You will transfer your entire wealth, and your company''s entire wealth to an account I am giving you. Also, you will arrange for all your assets to be delivered to various charities."


    Dmitri froze, and nodded while in a daze. Hao Ren gestured him to move inside the room as he followed the man. However, the young man did not lower the gun, he was not sure if there was someone else in the room who might try to fight against him.


    Hao Ren came inside the room and found two women, one black and one white, wearing exotic lingeries, and they were shivering, but looking at Hao Ren''s cold gaze no sound escaped their mouth.


    The young man said, "I will not harm you, but if you tried to play smart with me, I will shot you both in the head."


    The girls nodded and they sat down in a corner holding each other as they shivered in fear and tears rolled down there cheeks. Hao Ren looked at the fat white man and asked, "Where is Viktor?"


    The man replied, "I do not know where he is exactly, we have several hideouts."


    Dmitri sighed and said, "As you like. The daily report is normal, nothing too fluctuating."


    After a few short words, Viktor disconnected the call, and Dmitri waited for a few seconds before he stood up and came before Hao Ren who was looking at him coldly and he said, "At this moment, Viktor is hiding on the cruise owned by him, Pearl Of Blue. There are fifty guards and ten special guards around him."


    Hao Ren asked, "Han Lingshi is there too?"


    Dmitri nodded and replied, "Yes."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Thank you, good bye."


    That said, he pinned Dmitri down and began to punch him hard. He used his fists to break the head as if it was watermelon and Dmitri did not even get the chance to scream in pain. After a few minutes, Hao Ren stood up from the ground, he walked over to the computer screen, connected his phone with a data cable, and asked Xiao Mei to do her magic.


    On the earpiece, Stephanie asked, "Hao Ren, do you copy?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Go for Hao Ren."


    Stephanie asked if he was okay and the status update. Hao Ren replied that he finished dealing with the enemy and it was a success he asked her to wait for a few minutes, before he could move out.


    After ten minutes, the transaction was made, and Xiao Mei was clever enough to only touch the money held by Dmitri himself, the rest of the funds were to be mobilized after Viktor was dead. What if that guy was monitoring funds and any movement alerted him.


    Hao Ren sighed and thanked Xiao Mei before he opened the safe, took out a lot of money, and placed it before the two girls and left the place. He left the same way he came and his speed was quick.


    He got in the car, and reached the hill where Stephanie was waiting for him. She got in the car and Hao Ren asked, "Can you find out the blue prints and location of Pearl Of Blue, cruise ship?"


    Stephanie was confused and asked, "Why?"


    "Viktor is there." That was all that Hao Ren said, before the stirring showed signs of bending under his grip.


    The operative nodded and began to make calls. Hao Ren found the news of Han Lingshi and now, he was going to find her.

 Chapter 322 Brave Han Lingshi.

    Hao Ren and Stephanie drove through the scarcely filled roads of Belusa, and the latter spent time making calls. Soon they reached the port of the coastal area, where they met two people. These men wore casual clothes but there gazes were sharp.


    Hao Ren sensed they were experts in martial arts at least. Stephanie introduced them and told them, "Arrange the clean up at Dmitri''s house, and is everything here ready?"


    One of the men nodded and gave her the key. He said, "It is ready, and the divers gear has also been placed in the boat. However, you must not enter the radius of five hundred meters on that cruise. They have patrols and they also have marksmen on the decks."


    Stephanie nodded and said, "One of you will be coming with us, right?"


    One man nodded and then they looked at Hao Ren who was standing on the side silently. Hao Ren raised his head and said, "If it is done, can we get going? It is two in the night, the optimal time for a raid."


    The men were surprised but then they nodded, Stephanie has told them that Hao Ren was a cultivator. The trio entered the port and they came to board a small speedboat. The young man picked up the diver suit and began to put it on, and then he began to check all the weapons one by one.


    The man looked at him and said, "Steph, this guy is even more professional than professionals themselves."


    Stephanie looked at Hao Ren who was fiddling with guns and loading magazines in the back and said, "Mal, this kid just took out the whole party. Thirty people including Dmitri, without a scratch. He is more than just a professional, and the killing intent in his gaze, it is just intensifying with every passing second. To be honest, I am a bit scared at the moment."


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    Mal, looked at Hao Ren and found the young man sitting with his eyes closed. He did not know what to say, even the most genius soldiers that he has seen in his life did not have such a strong killing intent on them as if he has walked out of seas of blood and climbed mountains of corpses.


    Hao Ren mediated to collect his thoughts, he could sense that his killing intention was getting out of hand. In his mind, Han Lingshi was trapped among these beasts and she was very unsafe. As he was thinking about this, *Ding: Host, now that you have located the criminals, you must punish them appropriately and not give them an easy death. Avenge the grievance of the wife.*


    Viktor did not expect this girl to have such courage, he pulled the man beside him to be the meat shield and the bullet directly went through the forehead, splashing Viktor and the rest of the men with blood and brain matter.


    Viktor yelled, "Fuck! Bitch, take her."


    However, Han Lingshi did not faze, she turned her gun, and fired another shot. The bullet hit the mark, and then she aimed at the other guy and shot again. Three shots three people, Viktor opened his eyes wide, and then he saw her aiming the gun at him. He clenched his fist and asked, "Do you think you can walk out of here by killing me?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "I know, I won''t but I think there are three more bullets at least. I will shoot you twice in that fucking face, and then kill myself. If you tried to force me, I will just simply kill myself, and your plan will screw up. So, it would be nice if you can get lost from here and leave me be. Come to get me when my father is here."


    Viktor was breathing like an enraged bull and said, "Bitch, when I get my hands on you, I will show you what you did wrong."


    Han Lingshi replied, "We shall see about that when you get your hands of me, for now, kindly, fuck off."


    Her words were calm and well paced, without a hint of impatience. This calm of hers pissed Viktor a lot. The man threw away the dead guy and left the room, he slammed the door with a bam.


    Han Lingshi waited for a few minutes, her gun was still aimed at the door, ready to fire as soon as someone barges in. She slowly walked closer to the door, and then locked it from inside. As soon as she did that, she turned to look at the corpses and the brain matter on the side, she couldn''t help but puke all the water and bile she had in her system.


    Then she came back to her corner and began to cry.


    ...


    Hao Ren approached the ship and began to climb using the anchor chain. His eyes were shining in the dark of the night, as if a blade under moonlight, ready to slaughter the enemies.

 Chapter 323 Slaughter.

    Hao Ren climbed the anchor chain and appeared on the bow of the Pearl Of Blue. He pressed his earpiece and took out his sub-machine gun. He shook it a little to clear all the water inside the barrel, and then took off the magazine to fire it a few times. After making sure that everything was fine, he looked up from behind the anchor housing, and located four people on the first deck.


    He did not know where Han Lingshi might be kept in this huge place, so he decided to kill the small fries, and then handle the big guys, before asking the guards to release her. They will not harm her, and since he was alone they will not stop until they have killed him. His number will make them underestimate him.


    Hao Ren found a man coming closer and he crouched down, took out his knife and waited, the man came close, and just when he turned around to walk away, Hao Ren got up, flicked his knife, and it lodged directly in the back of the neck.


    The guard was still gagging, when Hao Ren approached him quickly and took out the knife to stab him four times in heart, lung, and spine, before slashing the neck. All vital injuries, and the quick assurance of a silent death.


    Hao Ren moved around killing people as if he was a tiger and these were rabbits. His speed was quick, so much so that Stephanie and Mal, who were watching the situation on a tablet, were shocked. Just with a knife Hao Ren took down ten people on the first deck. There was no monitoring inside the decks, but after a few minutes, Hao Ren appeared on the second deck and began to kill again.


    He was not going to spare anyone at all. Mal suddenly heard a boat approaching and he said, "The patrol is here."


    Stephanie nodded and took a deep breath as they began to deal with the security.


    ...


    Viktor was fuming inside the security room. Just a few minutes before Hao Ren had climbed up, he smashed the monitors in a fit of rage. He reduced the entire room, to the state where it looked like a trash dump, because on the screen of the cameras that were located inside the gym, he found that the girl had barricaded the door, and smashed the cameras.


    There was only one camera that could not see her at all. He had no idea what to do. The people tried to break through the door, but while one of them was shot in the head from inside the room, the others could not budge the door.


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    Han Lingshi blushed a little as she tried to hold back her tears and hurriedly opened the door. She flung herself in his arms and Hao Ren held her with one hand and gently coaxed her, "It''s alright. I am here."


    He raised his right hand and fired as soon as a figure appeared at the far end of the corridor. Bang!


    The bullet ricocheted after hitting the wall, and the deflection caused it to hit the target that hid behind the corner cover.


    Han Lingshi woke up, and realizing the mess she was in, she hurried, "What are you doing here? Hao Ren, are you crazy? Why did you come here? Wait, what the hell are you?"


    Hao Ren smiled bitterly, and said, "I came here to save you, as for what I am, can we discuss that latter?"


    That said, he noticed the bruise on her forearms and the dirty uniform. He looked inside the room, and three corpses. He found some blood stains on her clothes and said, "When I say move, you move, when I stay hold to stop. Got it?"


    Han Lingshi nodded, and Hao Ren walked ahead of her, with a submachine gun ready to kill the enemy ahead.


    Every few steps they took, Hao Ren killed enemies, he was accurate, and his pace was quick. Many people tried to attack him from the back, but he did not stop at all, he killed them all. The big officers who were commanding the rest were knocked out, and shot once in the leg or the shoulder.


    The mercenaries that terrorized the world became rats before Hao Ren. He left nothing but death in his wake, and on the top floor, Viktor shivered in a mix of rage and fear. He was not some super entity. He was a normal soldier in the past who made some connections and then he set up this group. The only thing about him that maintained him in the top was cruelty. He would kill people even if they dared to raise their heads before him, and he praised those who did his bidding.


    However, it was the element of surprise that allowed his people to kidnap Han Lingshi. He tried to run to the helicopter, but by that time, it was too late. Hao Ren saw him stepping on the footpad of the helicopter, and he shot Viktor in the leg.


    Hao Ren walked over, and shot the man in both his arms and the other leg as well, before he said, "You put up such an anti-climatic ending to this battle. I am disappointed and now, you will suffer even more."

 Chapter 324 Promise.

    Hao Ren immobilized Viktor and dragged him onto the deck, along with the rest of the people that he left alive. Han Lingshi was in a state of shock, Hao Ren looked at her and said, "All that you saw was a dream, some of it was bad and some of it was good. Do not worry, and sleep when you wake up, you will be in your home."


    Han Lingshi looked at him in a daze, Hao Ren was speaking softly and he pressed a few of her acupoints. The girl fell asleep under the gentle massage, and he placed her on a recliner and covered her with a couple of towels.


    He sighed, and said, "System, if you had not decided to fuck me up by throwing me in this alternate timeline, she would not have suffered like this. Do you understand? You fucking piece of shit."


    *Ding: Host, it was the shitty author who fucked up the storyline.*


    Hao Ren replied, "I don''t care about any of this shit you understand? Fuck you, and fuck the author. I am not getting loved by the readers anymore."


    *Ding: Sigh, I apologize. Unlocking your cultivation realm.*


    After a few minutes, the young man took out his phone and called Stephanie, and he said, "It is settled here, you want to come up?" Explore more stories at empire


    Stephanie replied, "We will wait for you to lower down a safety boat, the patrol is still around."


    Hao Ren did not bother, and he turned to look at the living members of the Red Scorpion Mercenaries and then he snapped his fingers. The people woke up and groaned in pain, Hao Ren stood before them and said, "You know what you have done?"


    Viktor sucked a cold breath and said, "If you have the guts, kill us."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Yes, I will kill you, that is without a doubt, but I want you to know why you would suffer what you are about to suffer. You could have done anything to Han Ming and I couldn''t care about that at all.


    But you, you low level trash dared to go after the one I love. You not only put her in danger, you dared to beat her."


    There were ten people, and Hao Ren was going to kill them all, so looking at the man who was laying next to Viktor, Hao Ren grabbed the void.


    The man flew over, and his neck was held by the young man, the people were shocked and they fell silent. Hao Ren said, "You were commanding the people to flank me, right?"


    The man could not say anything but then, his ribs exploded and the man died. Hao Ren said, "There, you got flanked."


    Viktor shivered and roared, "What are you!"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I am your death, that is all."


    He did not mind becoming a love obsessed person who cared about nothing but his love. Hao Ren took a car, and Stephanie personally drove the car with him. Mal and a few men rushed up to help the middle-aged man, who asked, "What happened there?"


    Yue Shi had just helped Han Lingshi in the car, and all the other elders were there as well. They trained their ears to hear the details. Mal hesitated, but Yue Shi took out her ID card and said, "I have a level B clearance and know about SID. Tell me what happened?"


    Mal took a deep breath and said, "Hao Ren killed more than fifty people alone, he killed Dmitri Karpov, the general manager of Ignite Fuel, and he also killed Viktor Chekov, the mastermind of the whole abduction stint. He did not spare any single person apart from eight patrolling people.


    From what I heard before we took the flight, Viktor Chekov was flayed, and dismembered while he was kept alive. He was conscious throughout the process, and Hao Ren made him witness this all."


    The people sucked in a cold breath and Mal said, "He is not someone we can mess with. His strength is already at the level where he can walk in the void, and he did that only after he finished killing everyone."


    The middle-aged man took a deep breath and asked, "Did you clean it up?"


    Mal nodded and said, "We did, but everyone is shocked and they do not wish to see him ever again. He definitely held back when you tried to show off just now, Boss."


    The man nodded and then he said, "Miss Yue, the situation has been sorted, we will handle the formal procedure, you should go home now."


    The people nodded, and the Han Family got inside an extended car, and Han Ming was shaken. The old couple did not speak either and Yue Shi asked, "Say what you want to say Ming."


    Han Ming took a deep breath and said, "I understand that I am not the most idol father, but that guy, he is so fixated on Lingshi that I am afraid, he must have done something to her mind, otherwise, how can everything that she went through would be tagged as a dream."


    Smack!


    Old Man Han slapped his son across the face and said, "If you dared to sully him again, I will disown you and throw you on the streets. He did not kill you, after your repetitive actions, yet you are so ungrateful. I wonder if you are my own blood."


    Gao Yue looked at Han Ming and said, "You are hopeless."


    Yue Shi looked at her husband who was clenching his fists and said, "You are just saying this because of your stupid promise to Bai Yuelong. However, that guy can never be as strong as Hao Ren, so relax and let me handle this, or none of us would be able to save you."


    ...


    Hao Ren reached the school and said, "Tell your people, that I owe them one this time, if there is a national crisis, I will step forward, but until then, stay in your lane."


    That said, he got off, Stephanie was so excited by his words, because this was a promise from someone who caused the entire Department to stay awake at nights, it was exhilarating.

 Chapter 325 Love Rival?

    Hao Ren returned to school like the usual, and Han Lingshi called in sick. She had a hard time believing that what happened to her was a dream. The young man did not rush, he calmly waited for her, but he would call and talk to Han Lingshi once in the evening and wish her well.


    His concern was completely expressed when he talked in a soft voice. Han Lingshi said, "Ren, whenever I talk to you, I feel so peaceful. Why is so?"


    The young man replied with a faint smile on his face, "Who knows, maybe we are tied at the two ends of a thread, and when we sense each other, we feel at peace."


    Han Lingshi hummed and then she watched him on the phone screen, Hao Ren also did not say anything, as gradually the girl on the screen fell asleep. This was the fourth day of her leave, and then it became a routine. Han Lingshi would call him when she was about to sleep and Hao Ren would stop whatever he was doing for her.


    Han Lingshi did not feel bad about it, because the young man made sure of it.


    The week passed, and Han Lingshi came to the school. However, to her surprise, the entire class was filled with students, and Hao Ren stood up from his seat and said, "Welcome back, Class Monitor."


    The rest of the students also wished, "Welcome back, Class Monitor."


    Han Lingshi was overwhelmed and then she smiled before bowing to them all and said, "Thank you, thank you very much."


    One guy said, "Class Monitor, you have to be the judge for us, your deskmate seized the opportunity and he made us grind a lot."


    His tone was similar to that of crying, and a girl retorted, "Old Cao, you ungrateful thing, had it not been for Classmate Hao for holding study sessions, you would have failed the test and Miss Xia would have given your ass a good beating."


    The people laughed, and Han Lingshi came to her seat. Hao Ren spoke in a soft voice, "I have prepared a good meal for you."


    Han Lingshi nodded with a smile and then they all sat down. Shortly after them, Xia Yulei entered the class and smiled. She said, "You lot sure have learned a lot, the grades of the past week quiz are out, you scored an average of 90 marks in the class, and none of you were below 82. Hahaha, I will treat you all, no homework today."


    The students cheered, "Long Live Miss Xia."


    Xia Yulei then looked at Hao Ren and said, "All this is because of Hao Ren''s effort, so starting today, he will help Han Lingshi holding the self study sessions and he will be the disciplinary monitor."


    The boys wailed, "Noooo!"


    The girls chuckled, they were just happy to be able to spend time with Hao Ren around. They were long used to his calm and nearly indifferent behavior and just found him pleasing to eyes.


    The classes flew past, and in the recess, Hao Ren took out a big tiffin. Han Lingshi was surprised and asked, "Classmate Hao, what do you take me for?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "A greedy foodie cat."


    Hao Ren was holding the railing and at this moment his grip increased so much that he deformed the railing and the waves in the lake became chaotic. Yue Shi expected this, but watching such a thing happening before her eyes, she was still shocked. Hao Ren asked, "How strong is Bai Yulong?"


    Yue Shi said, "His strength is not the problem, but the fact that he is a national guardian, that is the problem."


    Hao Ren narrowed his eyes and said, "The next time Bai Yulong comes, inform me, and I will visit him."


    Yue Shi said, "He comes every year to visit Lingling on her birthday."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and looking at the horizon he said, "Auntie, your husband is a man who refreshes my concept of a scum everytime I hear about him."


    Yue Shi wanted to say something when Hao Ren said, "If a man is facing pressure, then it would be better to retreat than to advance with the aid of some people. Your husband, the business mogul and the pride of the capital, is nothing but a parasite. I am sort of shaken by the fact of how low he can fall."


    Yue Shi clenched her fist and said, "You do not know anything, do not form opinions after hearing things."


    Hao Ren snorted and said, "Had he not looked for Bai Yulong, the worst that could have happened was the Han Family losing the wealth and becoming mediocre, at least, his dignity would have stayed intact."


    Yue Shi took a deep breath, but she could not say anything wrong, because even she agreed to this. Hao Ren turned around and said, "Lingshi would be turning seventeen at the end of the month, I will come then and see who dares to make moves against her will."


    Yue Shi said, "Hao Ren, Bai Yulong has used some technique to maintain his youthful appearance and Lingling considers him a good friend."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Very well, I will know see how strong their bond is."


    Then he vanished from the place, because the rage in his heart was about to climb the sky and he wanted to vent this. Hao Ren appeared in the mountains, and stood before a rock. He began to punch the rockwall with great strength and anger. After he calmed down, he took out his phone and called Stephanie.


    The lady accepted the call in a blink and asked, "Master Ye, how can I help you?"


    Hao Ren asked, "I want to know about Bai Yulong, everything about him, and in return I will give you a body formation pill."


    Stephanie gulped, she was moved by the offer, and asked, "Master Ye, this topic, can we discuss over a meeting?"


    Hao Ren asked, "Where are you?"


    Stephanie replied calmly, "I am at home, the Seven season tower, apartment unit 302."


    Hao Ren disconnected the call, searched for the direction on the GPS navigation app and then he vanished from his spot again, quickly flying through the void and rushed to meet Stephanie. He wanted to go and kill Bai Yulong with his own hands. However, before that, he wanted to find out more about his enemy.

 Chapter 326 Bai Yulong.

    Hao Ren appeared at the provided address, and found Stephanie waiting for him outside the building. She led him to the house, and after the two of them sat down, and Hao Ren asked, "Tell me, now."


    Stephanie opened the laptop laying on the table, and said, "Master Ye, this is the person you are looking for, Bai Yulong."


    Hao Ren looked at the screen, which displayed the picture of a youth in his late teens. This young man had a very cold vibe about himself, and Stephanie said, "We all thought that the person used some mystical ways to keep his appearance."


    Stephanie tapped the next key on the side, and a report appeared on the display. Hao Ren quickly read the content and his gaze turned cold. He leaned back in the chair and asked, "Why is this scumbag, treated as the national guardian?"


    Stephanie replied, "Sir, it is because of his contribution in the Centurion war. He defended the western borders alone, and killed many enemies. He was awarded the title of National Guardians."


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and asked, "Your SID cannot do anything about him even when you have so much proof?"


    Stephanie shook her head and replied, "No, Master Ye, the chief of SID was also a participant in the war. He is the second National Guardian, but his strength is nowhere close to Bai Yulong. The latter has reached the peak of Core formation realm, and that is only a conservative estimate."


    Hao Ren shook his head, and said, "It does not matter, what realm he is, he will die when I face him. Well, what about your SID chief, how strong is he?"


    Stephanie replied, "He is at the peak of foundation establishment."


    Hao Ren snorted and replied, "Too weak."


    He thought about something and asked, "Can your chief negotiate with the government, if I take an action, would they allow it?"


    Stephanie shook her head and said, "Master Ye, although I am just a normal agent at the organization, but since we are just a comparatively small group of people, even I know that the position he holds is a trump card for the nation. All these years, Bai Yulong has maintained a pristine record in duty despite the fact that he is a Dual Cultivator."


    Stephanie spoke from the other side, "Chief, he came to me, looking for Bai Yulong, and he said that if we can help him negotiate with the government, he will give us two people who are as strong as Bai Yulong. As a token of faith, he left a green pill. The pill has extraordinary healing effects. I have taken one, it is a spiritual pill."


    The old man''s breath picked up pace and he said, "Fine, I will come over there by the morning. Stay indoor, keep the pills safe, and wait for me."


    Stephanie nodded and the call was disconnected, the old man flung the blanket away and he stood up quickly before yelling, "Xiao Tie, get the fucking car ready we are going to the capital."


    A young man replied, "Yes, Master."


    ...


    Hao Ren came back to his room, but he was not in the mood of sleeping. The two pills he gave out were some rewards from the previous tasks. In this life he did not have a space ring, but he had a system inventory, and so he used the leftovers for transaction. He did not wish to have any interaction with SID, but since Bai Yulong was fated to be his enemy, he did not mind cutting him off from the roots.


    He sat down on the ground with his eyes closed and began to channel his spiritual energy faster than he ever had in this life. The speed of the spiritual energy was so high that it created a vortex above his head, sucking all the energy that he could, and the city experienced a sudden storm.


    ... Experience new stories on empire


    In the morning, Hao Ren received a call from Stephanie, who said that the old chief was ready to meet him. The young man agreed and told them to meet at the cafe opposite the school, however, when he was going to class, he noticed Han Lingshi walking with a young man and his eyes turned cold.


    Han Lingshi was smiling but her expression was one that of hesitation. He took a deep breath and calmed down, before he said, "Lingshi."


    Han Lingshi looked at him and waved her hand before saying a few words to the young man and dashed to his side. The young man was still looking at Hao Ren, and so was the latter, there was smoke in the air, but Hao Ren quickly let Han Lingshi drag him to the class. Bai Yulong took a deep breath and said to the middle-aged guy beside him, "Find out who he is."


    The man nodded and replied, "Yes, Master Bai."

 Chapter 327 Meeting.

    Hao Ren walked beside Han Lingshi, but the atmosphere between the two was not like the usual. Han Lingshi looked at him, and asked, "Ren, is something wrong?"


    The young man shook his head and replied, "Nope. Why do you ask?"


    The girl looked at him, and said, "You haven''t asked me who I was talking to."


    Hao Ren was surprised, and asked, "Why should I ask? If that person was important, you would have told me yourself, no?"


    Han Lingshi thought about it and then she asked, "Well, what you said does make sense. That person is not important."


    Hao Ren smiled, he was happy that she said this, and asked, "Why did you look uncomfortable around him? That is the question I wanted to ask. Did he say something bad?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "It is because, I do not like him. He is always too affectionate, trying to get too close to me as if he knows me for ages. What sort of stupid behavior is this?"


    Hao Ren thought about this and asked, "Then tell him off."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "It is not that I do not want to but you know dad, right. Bai Family is some big giant that influences the under current of the business world and so, he has asked me to be polite. The risks that wealth brings along with it are too silly."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "No worries, you do not have to think so much let the elders handle it, and if you do not like that Bai guy, it will pass."


    The two of them went to the class, and Hao Ren managed to make her happy. With that the points in his impression bar grew, and the meter moved past the best friend place. The day went by calmly, and then Hao Ren sent Lingshi to the car, and sent her off.


    He was about to head to the cafe where the meeting was set up but a black sedan came up to stop beside him. Hao Ren turned to look around and found Bai Yulong getting down the car, and come up to him.


    The two of them stood face to face. Hao Ren was trying to think who this person was, if they had any connection in their past life. However, he could not find it, and neither did he take any interest in speaking first. Bai Yulong raised his hand, and reached for Hao Ren''s shoulder, when the latter snorted and repelled Bai Yulong.


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    He stood up, approached the old man and poked his finger in a few spots on the chest and said, "Follow this new path, it will help you."


    The young man was shocked, when he saw this, and he said, "How can you change the path of spiritual energy based on a whim?"


    Hao Ren replied very calmly, "When you reach my level, you will know."


    After a few minutes, the old man opened his eyes and he said, "Thank you, I will remember this favor."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I want you to return this favor. I will trade in the information that you need to produce at least two nascent soul warriors within the next ten years in return for Bai Yulong''s life."


    The old man was shocked, he did not expect this young man to talk like this. Hao Ren said, "I am not asking for anything too exuberant. Bai Yulong is harming my interest and he is a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. He can turn the entire country if he wishes to, but he is holding back because of his flimsy foundation. So, take these two warriors as an insurance chip."


    This offer was too much to comprehend, and Hao Ren sighed, he looked at the young man and said, "Come here."


    The old man nodded and Xiao Tei walked closer to Hao Ren. The young man took out a pill bottle, and he said, "There are ten pills in this. Consume one pill a day and spend ten days in seclusion, you will reach foundation establishment, and your foundation will be flawless as well."


    Xiao Tei was shocked, and Hao Ren took out a piece of paper, before handing it to the old man, he said, "The pill recipe for foundation establishing pill. The military can use it. This is the biggest lottery that you and those old leaders can win. I am only doing this because I do not wish to cause any turmoil in the nation, but if you old fellows cannot make up your mind, I will deal with things on my own."


    The old man stood up, bowed to Hao Ren and said, "I am thankful to you. I will give you an answer by the evening."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Stephanie will be the mediator, she has good talent, knows what to say and what not to say. She has reached the threshold of Body refinement, I suggest you nurture her well. She would be better than that middle-aged wanna be you sent to talk on the airport."


    That said, Hao Ren stood up and left the cafe. As he walked out of the door, the old man let out a breath. His back was covered in cold sweat and he said, "What a fucking personality."

 Chapter 328 Demand.

    Hao Ren returned to the hostel, and he began to cultivate, with his eyes closed, and he began to absorb spiritual energy from the surroundings as quickly as he can, and created a vortex above his place.


    In the middle of the night, he received a call from Xiao Mei. He raised his eyebrow and connected, knowing that the girl would not bother him as long it was not important.


    Xiao Mei did not wait for him to greet and said, "Young Master Hao, I just found out, someone put an open contract on uncle and aunty. The amount is one million."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Do not panic, put a counter contract, the one of safety, reward five million. The top assassins will pick the mission, at the same time, track the movements of the assassins and use your means to report them to the cops or the special forces. I will give you a number, you can coordinate with that person to get aid."


    Xiao Mei sighed and said, "Ye Jian want to go and check if he can handle these pricks. He will kill them properly."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Hmm, if he can get a leave, tell him to take Xiao Si along, that girl must be feeling very restless with both of you working around while she has to sit down."


    Xiao Si snatched the phone and said, "I knew you will understand me, can you tell her to give us the mean machines. We are well trained by you, how can we misuse them? Don''t we know the impact these things will have on us if we are discovered."


    Hao Ren replied with a smile and said, "Always double check the strategies you make and then cross check with each other, before you get to the enemy, and study his recent works. Understood?"


    Your journey continues at empire


    Xiao Si agreed and Hao Ren gave the word. Ye Jian and Xiao Si were most likely leave the capital to head back home for a small holiday and handle the threats, while Xiao Mei stayed in the capital to assist Hao Ren checking everything that was going around on this topic.


    ...


    The next day after the school finished, Hao Ren discussed this with attorney they hired and asked Xiao Mei to authorize the developers they hired to make the payment app. In the meantime, Hao Ren finished the meeting and Han Lingshi called him.


    He picked up the call while walking through the crowd and she said, "Ren, I swear I will beat the shit out of this guy."


    The young man asked, "What happened?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "That Bai Yulong sent a gift ahead of my birthday, and my father is very happy, he wants me to thank the guy personally. I don''t even want that gift."


    The people were now amused and while some chuckled, some of them were looking around to find where a camera was hidden. However, Hao Ren did not bother with anyone. He took the chalk and drew some lines on the stones, as he said, "Master, please cut along the lines."


    The middle-aged man chuckled and said, "Yes. As you ask, Young Jade King."


    The surrounding people chuckled, and Hao Ren stood their with his hands crossed before his chest. The man began to carefully cut along the lines and after a few moments, when the window was made, he looked through and his hands shivered. He took a massive gulp and one of the spectators said, "Master, tell us what is going on? Is it a dud?"


    The master shook his head and turned the window for the people to see, and the crowd fell silent, before they erupted completely, "It''s White Jade!"


    "Fuck, I see wealth, his ancestors must be laughing madly."


    Such remarks, kept on, and Hao Ren said, "Master, the second stone."


    He did not wait for the people to calm down. A middle-aged man rushed in and said while rubbing his hands, "Little brother, are you willing to sale that Jade for a million."


    The crowd booed, and before they could say anything, Hao Ren said, "Not for sale."


    His cold voice caused the people to shiver, the cutter raised the stone under the machine and carefully began to cut a window on the stone. After a few minutes, he yelled, "FUCK! It''s rising again."


    He stopped cutting and began to grind the stone, before he stopped and took a deep breath before raising the stone above his head and yelled, "It''s emperor green!"


    The entire market heard his voice and they all went crazy. Many people came closer to Hao Ren and ask him to sale. However, the young man did not bother, and refused to them all. The cutter cleaned up the rock, and asked, "Little brother, do you need help moving these stones."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "You can just put them in a jute bag. Also, give me a set of carving tools."


    The master nodded and then he did as he was told. The shop boss had a few people set off crackers. Hao Ren did not mind this, and suddenly, he sensed a few people with bad intention coming closer and about to snatch the bag from his hand, when a young voice sounded, "If anyone dared to violate the rules of Jade Market, the Shiba House will discount you of your legs."


    The people stopped, before Hao Ren turned to look at the person. It was the young lady from earlier who spoke up. He looked at the lady and took out a coin from his hand. Then he flicked the coin at one of the biggest raw stones and said, "This would be enough to revive the drowning fortune."


    The young lady heard his voice in her mind, but she did not see his lips move. She was shocked, earlier she was only speaking out of kindness, and then she turned around, to look at the raw stone. She did not react quickly so that the other people do not realize what happened, and she bowed to the young man. She did not know how this young man knew about the situation in her house, but she was clearly shocked by this.


    She turned to look at Hao Ren, the young man had vanished from the spot.

 Chapter 329 Poisoned & Forced.

    The birthday was next week, and Hao Ren decided to carve an exquisite jewelry set and a protection bead bracelet for Han Lingshi. He used the tools he bought along with his strength to cut the jade as he wanted without wasting much of it. During the process, he also instill spirit gathering array on the beads and the rest of the set.


    He did not because even if Han Lingshi did not cultivate, the spirit gathering array marks would attract spiritual energy to her, and even if she inhales one percent of it with her breath, she would stay disease free.


    He carved a delicate necklace of white and green jade that he trimmed with his spiritual energy. The exquisite jewelry was set on a silver base, but none of it could be seen, as if an invisible thread holding it all together. If this set was presented in an auction, it would fetch him millions. The trimmings of the jade were arranged in a manner where it looked like a phoenix taking flight.


    Hao Ren took an entire week to make this, and it the meantime, he just placed a spiritual imprint on Han Lingshi, and he knew that during the past seven days, Bai Yulong had been following her and pestering her.


    It was sunday evening, and Hao Ren called Yue Shi. The latter replied quickly, and Hao Ren asked, "Where is Han Ming?"


    His voice was calm, and more importantly, his address that was indifferent. Yue Shi feared something, and asked, "Why are you looking for him?"


    He replied, "I want to discuss something with him, believe me, I have a sense of measure and do not want to entangle with karma by doing anything to him."


    Yue Shi sighed and said, "He went to the office for something."


    It was akin to an electric circuit with multiple power back ups, designed to never fail. The young man concluded one thing that if he wanted to cure this poison he would need to deal with all of them at the same time.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and looked at Han Ming and said, "I will find a way to cure this poison for you, but before that don''t try to push Lingshi, she doesn''t like that I hate what she doesn''t like."


    Han Ming looked at in shock, but then he stood up and bowed to Hao Ren. The young man shook his head and left the office the same way he came in, and the glass sphere turned back into a window under his manipulation.


    Hao Ren did not think that Bai Yulong would be so cruel. He raised his palm and a black drop of thick slimy fluid appeared in the void. He took a deep breath and decided to analyze it further.


    ...


    In the morning, Han Lingshi called him, and Hao Ren connected, as she said, "You better be here by four in the evening, and dress up well. I have sent you a suit."


    Hao Ren leaned back in the chair, and asked, "Uff, okay."


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    A few minutes later, the door was knocked, one of the Han Family servant had come over to deliver him with a tuxedo, and shoes. Hao Ren spent the day analysing the drop of blood before he placed it inside a jade bottle in his system inventory. He dressed up in the evening, and looking at his chiseled appearance, Hao Ren nodded and left home, "What was left for him to do tonight was to give Bai Yulong the first of his many defeats."

 Chapter 330 : Confrontation.

    Hao Ren came out of the hostel holding a wooden box in his hand. This box was also carved with great focus and thought. The intricate line work and the minimal elegance. Thanks to the touch of spiritual energy, the box seemed very luxurious.No?v(el)B\\jnn


    The young man was about to flag down a taxi, when Yan, his friend from class appeared outside in a luxury sedan. Yan was also a member of the upper tier of the Capital, but he liked to stay grounded. Hao Ren was surprised and Yan peeked out of the car as he said, "Vice Class Monitor, you sure know how to clean up after yourself."


    Hao Ren chuckled, and asked, "What are you doing here?"


    Yan replied, "Class Monitor asked me to pick you up in case you are late."


    Hao Ren sighed and thought, that Han Lingshi was still the same as she was in the past, always tying up the small details. Hao Ren opened the door and sat down beside Yan in the back seat. However, he was shocked to look at the person sitting in the passenger seat. Yan said, "This is my big cousin, Yue Shiba."


    Hao Ren nodded to the lady and said, "I did not expect to meet with you so soon, Miss Shiba."


    Shiba smiled humbly and replied, "I also did not expect such a surprise. Thank you for your help last time. The crisis has been averted."


    Hao Ren shook his head before he looked out of the window, "I only repaid the favor, you owe me nothing."


    Yan looked at the two people with some confusion and asked, "Can you tell me what is going on?"


    Yue Shiba wanted to say something when Hao Ren said, "We met each other while I was selecting a gift for Lingshi."


    Yan nodded and said, "I see, fate. Lingshi seems to be a link that brings you two together."


    Hao Ren smiled and Yue Shiba stayed silent, how could she miss the softness that radiated from Hao Ren''s speech when he said, Lingshi?


    Hao Ren wanted to walk ahead, while a waiter was crossing ahead of him. The old servant of Bai Yulong saw this as an opportunity, and he bumped in the back of the waiter. The waiter was caught by surprise and the tray of wine glasses was tossed over at Hao Ren.


    The tray fell on the ground with a clang, and the guests turned head to look over. They found the waiter frozen in shock, before he broke out in cold sweat and began to apologize profusely, and Hao Ren replied with a smile, "You do not have to worry, see, I am not harmed. It was a small thing and you are innocent. Don''t worry."


    Han Lingshi decided to take a step and walked over to Hao Ren''s side. She held his arm instinctively and asked, "Are you okay, Ren?"


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded as he said, "Happy birthday, Lingshi."


    Han Lingshi smiled brightly and said, "Thank you."


    Bai Yulong saw this and his gaze turned cold. He was so angry that he wanted to rip Hao Ren into shreds, but the young man did not give him a chance, and said, "I wonder who is Master Bai, here."


    The people turned to look at Bai Yulong, and the latter was forced to reply, "I am."


    Hao Ren did not wish for the people to know that they have met before. Hao Ren smiled at Bai Yulong and then said, "I see, well, Master Bai, how about you find a better person to aid you?"


    Bai Yulong asked back coldly, "Who are you tell me what I should do?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and replied calmly, "I see, your servant has taken after you. Well, forget it, I do not wish to entangle with you at the joyous occasion today."


    The confrontation caused a sensation in the mind of many people. They did not expect such a thing to happen, and looking at the momentum and aura of these two people, it was hard to say that they were just in their teens.


    Han Ming walked over after wiping his sweat and said, "Lingshi will now cut the cake, please gather everyone, and wish her for a happy life."

 Chapter 331 : Gifts.

    The people gathered around the center of the hall, and a couple of servants pushed the cake trolley closer. Han Lingshi walked over to the cake, with Hao Ren. Han Ming stood next to Bai Yulong who was watching the entire thing with a cold gaze. Hao Ren did not care about him. Experience tales at empire


    The Han Family all greeted Hao Ren with smiles on their faces, because they also got to know what this young man had done a few days ago by breaking into Han Ming''s office.


    Han Lingshi picked up the knife, and blew the candles as the people began to cheer and applause, and she cut the cake with a smile on her face. She picked up the first piece of cake, and was instinctively about to feed Hao Ren when the young man smiled and said, "Elders first."


    The girl realized the meaning of her actions and a faint blush appeared on her face before she turned to feed her mother, and grandparents. She fed the cake to Han Ming as well, but it was evident from her gaze that she was not happy about it. Finally, she fed Hao Ren and said to the staff to take the cake away and serve the guests.


    Suddenly, one of the people said, "Young Miss Han, please accept this gift."


    He walked up and gave her a small box. The man said, "This is a small product that we have designed to launch next week, and the first finished product is our gift to you."


    Han Lingshi opened the box and found a pair of beautiful earrings, and she thanked the man with a polite smile. Many people came forward with a variety of gifts, from jewelry to premium cards of various hotels and places. However, this was because Han Lingshi was a child and they did not know what was appropriate at this age.


    Finally, Bai Yulong took out a box, and said, "This is a jade dagger that belonged to an empress seven hundred years ago. It is a symbol of strength, I hope up like it."


    He confidently opened the box and showed it to Han Lingshi, who saw the exquisite red jade dagger with a stale expression and Hao Ren asked, "Master Bai, is this dagger from the Cui Dynasty? The seventh Empress, Cui Houling?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Now, I am curious what you made."


    She reached out to feel the lines on the box before opening it, and she was shocked. She took a big gulp and asked, "Did you really make this?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I have recorded the entire video of carving, after you put it on, I will post the video online for the people to watch it."


    Han Lingshi asked her mother to help her, and even Yue Shi was shocked to see the necklace inside the box. She took it out of the box, and the crowd gasped in shock. Bai Yulong snorted and did not say anything else, he knew that Hao Ren was a cultivator like him, and this bit of skill did not seem to be surprising. He turned to Han Ming and said, "I will take your leave."


    That said, he left with his servant but Hao Ren frowned. He looked at Han Lingshi and said, "I will go and talk to Master Bai, I have something to ask him."


    Han Lingshi was surprised but before she could say anything, Hao Ren left the place and the former was surrounded by the ladies who wanted to admire the necklace.


    ...


    Hao Ren caught up with Bai Yulong who was outside the mansion, and said, "Young Master Bai, wait."


    Bai Yulong stopped and the next moment, Hao Ren appeared behind him with a quick step. Hao Ren asked, "Did you like the gift?"


    Bai Yulong clenched his fist and moved forward when a strong pressure forced him back, and Hao Ren asked in a calm and soft voice, "Why can''t you enjoy your life for a little longer?"

 Chapter 332 : Cure.

    Bai Yulong clenched his fists as he did not have an answer to Hao Ren. He wasn''t an old monster for nothing. He knew that Hao Ren was significantly stronger than him. He knew that if they both fought with all they had, the battle result was unsure and even if he won, he might have to pay a steep price for it.


    He controlled his emotions and said, "I will give this round to you."


    Hao Ren laughed, and a cold manic light flashed in his eyes as he looked at Bai Yulong and asked, "You will give me this round. In what capacity? Did you forget that losers don''t have the right to give anything, expect for bowing their heads and accepting the defeat?"


    Bai Yulong shivered with rage, when has anyone ever talked to him like this. He narrowed his gaze and asked, "What do you want?"


    Hao Ren used his hypnosis skill and asked, "How to detoxify the poison you implanted inside the Han Family?"


    The servant on the side was shocked and he wanted to say something when Hao Ren put him under a strong pressure which caused the old man to shiver and even breathing became a megalithic task.


    Bai Yulong''s mental fortitude has been disturbed from the very beginning when Hao Ren confronted him in the party, and then leading up to now, it was all a plan that Hao Ren has come up with so that he could extract the information that he needed. Bai Yulong was a nascent soul expert and it was not going to be easy to get through him.


    Discover hidden tales at empire


    This ancient human was Hao Ren''s toughest opponent in this life, and so he exploited every method that he could. Bai Yulong replied in a daze, "Hundred Mystery Poison can only be cured by the essence of Amber Gendorema, Crystal Antler, Ambrosia Root, Centurion Daffodil, and White Leopard''s blood."


    As soon as he said that, the hypnosis wore off, and Hao Ren smiled at him, as he said, "Your return gift is very good, I like it, you may leave."


    Bai Yulong did not know what he said, but he knew that something was wrong in this situation. Hao Ren planted a wisp of his spiritual energy and sent it to the heart of the old servant, as he said, "Your servant should know that my realm is not below you, yet even as an insignificant junior he dared to insult me thrice. You should know what that means."


    Bai Yulong did not bother to reply him, and got inside the car, he knew that Hao Ren was not an easy opponent but this was getting out of hands now, everytime they confronted, he would be left on the losing end so he did not entertain him.


    Hao Ren nodded and Yan came over to drag him to eat food. Hao Ren did not tell her about the white leopard''s blood, because he was sure that this beast was not simple. He decided that he would ask Stephanie about this, and began to eat the food with Yan as they chatted.


    Han Lingshi was busy, she came over to talk whenever she could and they kept exchanging gazes throughout the party. A few people came to Hao Ren asking him to exchange his contact, and in case he ever came upon jade stones, they were willing to buy it on a higher market price.


    Hao Ren did not send them away, because they were going to be his cash cows, how could he lack jade? He accepted the cards, and continued eating, before Han Ming approached him and asked, "Sir, did you find anything?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Don''t worry, I will get it done soon. It will be cured."


    Han Lingshi came up and heard the last word as she asked, "What will be cured?"


    The young man took a deep breath and said, "Your stiff neck, after all, it must be sore after you walked around like a swan? No?"


    Han Lingshi smiled at him beautifully and asked, "Disciplinary Monitor Hao Ren, have you forgotten that I am the Class Monitor, Han Bully Lingshi?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "I know, but how will you chase me in this gown?"


    Then he poked the tip of her nose and ran away, while Han Lingshi chased and chuckled. The party came to an end amidst the laughter of the two.


    ...


    Please vote with power stones. Consider it me begging you guys, but I have fallen significantly in terms of income and I need money for medical needs. Please.

 Chapter 333 Blood Procurement.

    Hao Ren came back to the dorm and then called Stephanie. The lady replied promptly and asked, "Master Hao, what can I do for you?"


    Hao Ren asked, "White leopards, where can I find one?"


    Stephanie replied instinctively, "They are found on the peaks of Shangri La Mountain Range. That area is off the range, civilians are not allowed there."


    Hao Ren replied, "Last time I checked I was not a normal civilian. I will not harm the nature or slay any of these beasts, but I have some use of them so I will be visiting that place soon. I would appreciate if you can send me the location coordinates."


    Stephanie nodded, and Hao Ren sat down to cultivate.


    ...


    Bai Yulong was sitting inside his mansion and a couple of women were laying beside him with a dazed expression on their faces. The young man seemed to be cultivating, but just when his spiritual energy was about to finish the big cycle, he recalled how Hao Ren killed his subordinate and humiliated him.


    Bai Yulong did not even have the time to react when his energy went astray and damaged his meridian. He opened his eyes, as he bled from his nose and ears before vomiting blood. He clenched his chest and fell to the side. He was not dead, but he was severely injured. He did not know that it was because he was infected by the bad luck that Hao Ren gave him when he hypnotized him.


    Hao Ren was not a goodie two shoes in this life. He did not mind entering the gray area and become a proper villain if needed.


    ...


    Hao Ren went to an alleyway before he flew away out of the city and headed straight to the north, where the mountains were located. Stephanie has given him the coordinates, and without any surprise this place was not accessible on the internet. Continue your adventure with empire


    The young man found it with ease because of the spiritual fluctuations in the void. He mumbled, "It seems that the place is really a treasured land."


    After a few minutes, he reached the location and found a wide mountain range that was spanned over thousands of kilometers. Hao Ren landed on the peak of the nearest mountain and looked around to search the place with his divine sense.


    He could not find any white leopards, and was surprised, because he did not think that Stephanie would lie to him. He searched hundreds of kilometers in one go, but he could not find any said White Leopards.


    He moved from mountain to mountain and finally found a cave where he sensed life. He entered the cave and found hundreds of feline creatures living together. Hao Ren was surprised, it was the first time he saw so many tigers living together, and after some thought, he understood, it could be because of the cold and aridness of this place that they live together.


    The beasts saw him approach and all over them stood up and assumed defensive stance. Hao Ren smiled and waved his hand as he said, "I bear no ill-will, calm down."


    The leopards were all spiritually awakened beings, and when they heard his words, they calmed down. One leopard, who was bigger than the rest stepped forward, and Hao Ren sensed a vague intention being conveyed to him. He said, "I have only one purpose of coming here, I need five drops of blood from your kin, because I need to make a pill to detoxify a poison. I seek your cooperation."


    The leader leopard bared his fangs, after all, even though they were beasts, they had their own pride. Hao Ren sighed and said, "I apologize if I sound rude, but it is an emergency, I hope you can help. In return I will give you a technique that can help you condense your beast core and attain human form."


    The leader leopard was shocked, and growled before Hao Ren raised his hand and imparted the information directly to his brain. The leader groaned, and the surrounding leopard got anxious. Some even turned to glare and growl at Hao Ren, who shook his head and sighed.


    After a few minutes, the leader calmed down, and it looked at Hao Ren with sparkling gaze. Then the beast raised its left paw and Hao Ren saw a few drops of blood gathering at the tip of the claw. He smiled and after thanking the beast collected it all in a vail.


    He thanked the leader and left the cave, Hao Ren did not know what he did just now, would have lasting ripples.

 Chapter 334 Medicine Procurement (1)

    Hao Ren came back to the capital city in the evening and he gathered with Ye Jian and co. for dinner in the stall lane behind their schools. They were having skewers and juice when Ye Jian said, "Young Master Hao, this time that Bai Yulong took action, we have to give him a hard reply." Your next chapter awaits on empire


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "It will be soon, don''t be anxious and just focus on your education at the time."


    Ye Jian frowned and looked at Xiao Si. The latter sighed and said, "Young Master, is it really good to take this insult laying down?"


    Hao Ren looked at her and took a sip of juice before he asked, "How will you handle him? Do you know how strong that guy is?"


    Xiao Si shook her head and asked, "How strong is he?"


    Xiao Mei replied after licking her finger, "Nascent Soul."


    Ye Jian and Xiao Si opened their eyes wide, they did not expect Hao Ren to attract the hate of such a strong person. However, Xiao Mei said, "Big Brother has reached the same level, don''t fret."


    The two were again shocked. Xiao Si wanted to say something but she stopped and stood up. Ye Jian asked, "What happened?"


    Xiao Si looked at her sister and said, "Meimei, you traitor, you have entered foundation establishment, haven''t you?"


    Xiao Mei nodded and Ye Jian opened his eyes wide, and exclaimed, "What the fucking fuck? Xiao Mei, you traitor. You cultivated behind us."


    Xiao Mei replied while holding a piece of meat in her chopsticks, "I have been cultivating daily, unlike the two of you, social butterflies."


    Yue Shiba said, "Master Ye, the military has been mobilized they will not listen to us."


    The young man sighed and then took out his phone and walked to the side. The chief of the SID owed him a favor and so, he was going to ask him for action. The old man was connected through Stephanie''s call and the latter said, "Master Ye, the pirates are not simple, they are actually supernatural forces of the western domain. Even I cannot fight with them without paying a price. This is why the government is in a dilemma."


    Hao Ren nodded and after some thought he said, "Fine, send me over, I will handle it, if your leaders are too scared then I will give them a reason to kneel before me as well. Do not think that just because I am tolerant and uncaring towards your top brass I will let them mess up my plans. I want to get to the ship by the morning, and that is the only way. Either I go with your permission and handle it all easily for you, or I go with my permission and kill everyone that stands in my path, you decide what you want."


    The old man on the other side knew that Hao Ren was a loose cannon but this was way too domineering, he wanted to say something to pacify him, when Hao Ren said, "A cargo item of mine is on that ship. If I can get that, I will owe you one, but if the failure of this task caused my people to suffer, I will destroy the entire world and mind you, I do have that power."


    His soothsaying skill shocked the old man and he said, "Give me five minutes please, I will ask the higher ups."


    Hao Ren nodded and disconnected the call. He looked at Yan and Yue Shiba as he said, "Give me a few minutes, I need to get changed."


    Yan did not know what to say, and he nodded as Hao Ren went inside the building, he asked, "Sis, why are you so servile to him?"


    Yue Shiba shook her head and said, "Yan, you should not peek too deep. Hao Ren is like an abyss, too unfathomable for us."


    Yan tilted his head in confusion as he could not understand what his sister meant but a few minutes later Hao Ren came out in a black shirt, gray pant and black leather shoes. It seemed as if he was heading to a formal meeting.


    *Ding: Host is given a killing buff, for the next six hours, every kill would increase the impression point.*


    Hao Ren smirked and hoped there were a lot of enemies to fall at his feet and he would be able to finish this mission quickly.

 Chapter 335 Medicine Procurement (2)

    Yan was confused by Hao Ren''s dress, and the young man said, "Miss Shiba, you will be coming along with me, I will need you to identify where is the container of all the medicinal herbs is on that ship. Yan, go home, I will see you later."


    Yan wanted to say something when Yue Shiba said, "Master Hao, we can take this car."


    Yue Shiba took out some money from her pocket and gave it to Yan as she whispered, "Take a cab, we are running late."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Yan was looking at her with eyes wide open when Hao Ren sighed and tossed him the keys to his room. He said, "Stay here for the night, I will come back in the morning."


    Yan looked at his sister and said, "Traitor."


    Yue Shiba smiled wryly, and they sent Yan inside the building with there eyes. Then he raised his hand towards Yue Shiba. The girl was confused and the young man said, "Hold on to me, and no matter what happens do not let go."


    Yue Shiba was confused and then she held onto his arm. The next moment, she felt the world around her shrink. Before she could comprehend what was going on, she was in the sky and she yelled in fear.


    Hao Ren gave her a glance, and she froze. They were flying at a high speed, and Yue Shiba was so scared that she almost peed herself. The traversed over the entire nation and came to the southern ports in fifteen minutes. The distance was five thousand kilometers, which meant Hao Ren was flying way faster than a fighter jet.


    When they landed on the ground, Yue Shiba felt her legs turn to jelly. The young man looked at her calmly and said, "This is just the beginning, what is about to happen might scare you to death."


    Yue Shiba tried to calm her mind and then she regained her composure shortly after. At this moment, a military jeep arrived and an officer got down. He looked at Hao Ren and asked, "Are you Master Hao?"


    Hao Ren nodded, and the soldier said, "This way, please."


    The soldiers had been ordered not to act out or question Hao Ren as he had been given a free reign to handle this situation. The people were skeptical but the military did not have any room for questions or doubts. So they carried out their task properly.


    They led the duo to the pier and the officer said, "Master Hao this speed boat will take us to the container ship within an hour."


    Hao Ren asked, "Do you have any other vessels over there?"


    The officer nodded and said, "Yes, two destroyers are posted there and they are maintaining vigil."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Inform the officer incharge, I am going ahead and you can catch up."


    The man replied in a daze, "In the level below, there were a few women we captured."


    Hao Ren sighed and waved his hand to behead the guy cleanly. The blood fountain erupted from his neck. The young man vanished from his spot and came to the lower level where the hostages were kept.


    Hao Ren came into a corridor and heard some wails and protesting screams, then he heard a loud laughter and said, "I knew women in this part of the world are the best. Look at how you beg."


    Hao Ren found himself standing outside the mess hall, and he stepped in with an indifferent face. He looked at the man who was bending over, and was raping a woman. He sighed and said, "I did not expect to meet a pervert."


    The man froze, and then he turned around to look at Hao Ren before he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who the fuck are you?"


    Hao Ren replied, "You don''t deserve to know that. Would you show me what you can do, or can I just kill you and leave here?"


    The man clicked his tongue and turned around to look at Hao Ren. The man had good sculpted muscles but after a grunt his body began to shiver and his skin began to squirm. His snout enlarged and his muscles expanded even more.


    Hao Ren watched with great interest as the man turned into a lycanthrope. The young man chuckled and said, "Fucking dog, here I thought it was difficult to deal with."


    The beast growled and dashed at him. Hao Ren raised his hand and slapped the man across the face as he said, "Good dog, sit down."


    The man''s hands had turned into claws that left deep tear marks on the metal floor. The man dashed at Hao Ren once more, and tried to claw the young man who said, "Well, what a waste."


    He grabbed the arm, and used his force to tear it apart. Then he used the spirit sword to behead the man. At the same time, he approached the women there, and used his hypnosis skills to wipe their memories, and used his spiritual energy to heal them as well.


    They were innocent and they did not deserve to live with a scar on their conscience. Hao Ren then slowly moved around killing the people. He was kind enough to give them all a chance to defend and protect themselves, but he made sure to kill them, and behead them.


    The people died but they did not turn back to human form. Hao Ren then informed the navy ships to send over people and clean up. He waited for Yue Shiba to come over and bring him the medicine directly from the container where it was stored. The young lady was shaken by the amount of blood on the ship but she was helped by the navy officers and managed to get things done.


    She handed over a big silver suitcase to Hao Ren and said, "Master Hao, this is the case. Please check."


    Hao Ren opened the case, and quickly checked the material before he nodded and smiled at her. He said, "Thank you, I owe you one."


    *Ding: Host, the task is complete, you gained forty points."


    At this moment, his phone rang, and when he checked, it was Han Ming, and he frowned the timing of this call did not make any sense.

 Chapter 336 Urgent.

    Hao Ren picked up the call and Han Ming spoke nervously, "Master Hao, just now, Bai Yulong called, and he said that at the next full moon night, he will take away Lingshi."


    Hao Ren clenched his fist and asked, "When is the next full moon?"


    Han Ming gulped and replied, "Tomorrow."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and replied, "I understand, I will handle it, don''t worry."


    Han Ming wanted to say something when Hao Ren said, "Make sure that everyone is home in the morning tomorrow, I will bring the antidote of the poison."


    That said he disconnected the call, and looked at Yue Shiba before he said, "Do you need me to take you back home?"


    Yue Shiba nodded and said, "I would be grateful."No?v(el)B\\jnn


    Hao Ren took her hand from her wrist and vanished from the spot. He appeared on the Destroyer from earlier, and found the captain. Then after informing him about the situation, Hao Ren vanished once more. After a few minutes, they landed outside the dormitory. Hao Ren said, "Call Yan, and go back."


    Yue Shiba nodded, and called Yan, the other person seemed to be very confused and quickly came down. He found Hao Ren standing on the side staring at the void. Yue Shiba greeted Hao Ren and they left.


    Everything was moving at a much faster pace. Hao Ren looked at his impression bar, their were only a few points left to fill it completely. He sighed and went back to his room, before taking out the material for the pill. He waved his hands and the herbs began to float in the void around him.


    Hao Ren made a few seals and his spiritual energy began to squeeze the herbs at a high pressure, extracting all the essence. Then he made another set of seals to condense the spiritual energy into four balls of fire. The flames refined and evaporated all the impurities.


    The process lasted for two hours before Hao Ren took out the vial of blood from the system inventory. He then dropped the five drops of blood and waved his hand to mix them with the essence floating in the void. The mixture was bubbling, and Hao Ren was getting anxious, but as soon as the elements balanced with each other, the mixture calmed down, and Hao Ren made a seal to collect the mix into a pill shape.


    Hao Ren sighed, he collected the azure green pill in his system inventory as he did not have a jade bottle on him. He thought for a second and vanished from his position. He was heading to the forest nearby, if Bai Yulong was forcing Han Lingshi so abruptly then something must be up.


    Hao Ren did not know want to risk anything and tonight he was going to push his realm even further. The young man reached the forest and began to cultivate. He was using the Sutra to the fullest and the spiritual energy vortex above his head had become so big that it called forth a storm that shocked the entire capital city.


    ...


    Bai Yulong was leaning against the wall, with a cold light flickering in his eyes. Just a few minutes ago, he was hurt and his meridians were injured. To recover from the injury he had to absorb the essence of his cauldrons, the girls that he has been using as cows to extract Yin energy from them.


    Tonight, seventeen cauldrons were destroyed to heal him, this left him with a very chaotic state of mind and also his body was filled with energy that wasn''t pure enough as well. His foundation was harmed and Bai Yulong pinned all this on Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren replied, "The antidote."


    Bai Yulong yelled, "Impossible! You are just fooling with us here, aren''t you? How can you find out the antidote? Ridiculous."


    Hao Ren looked at Bai Yulong and said, "You told me on the birthday party."


    Bai Yulong was shocked, he could not understand when this happened. Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Don''t think too much or your brain will turn to mush."


    Bai Yulong clenched his fist and dashed towards Hao Ren. The young man caught the fist and sighed as he said, "Well, your spiritual energy and realm both are in chaos, yet you want to fight with me? Did you think that this much would be enough to save you?"


    Bai Yulong was shocked, and then he calmed down and chuckled as he said, "I knew you were stronger than me, after all you have accomplished the things that I did after two hundred years with just fourteen. I knew I was no match for you, but you have a chink in your armor, genius."


    Hao Ren raised his brow, and then he heard Yue Shi exclaim, "Lingling!"


    Hao Ren sensed with his divine sense, and found Han Lingshi fallen on the ground and her face turning pale. Hao Ren delivered a punch directly to Bai Yulong''s abdomen, disabling his cultivation and crippling him.


    Bai Yulong coughed up blood as he was thrown to the side. However, after wincing a bit he still smiled and said, "You think she is in the same condition as the others, hahahaha, fool. The poison in her heart is the thousand mirage poison. It cannot be cured in the same way as the others."


    Hao Ren said, "You planted this poison in her brain, and I know how to push it out. As long as I am alive, she cannot die, she cannot cry, and she will never be defeated."


    His dominating tone and calm behavior shocked everyone. Hao Ren walked over to Han Lingshi, scooped her in his arms. His spiritual energy condensed into needles and were injected on the acupoints on her scalp, before he began to channel his energy in her brain and push out the poison. The black sticky fluid like poison seemed to be alive, it tried to fight back with Hao Ren but the pure yang energy in his body was potent enough to push the poison out of the nasal cavity.


    After ten minutes, Hao Ren had exhausted almost all of his energy. Han Lingshi opened her eyes, and when she saw Hao Ren exhausted, she was surprised. Bai Yulong looked at Hao Ren in horror and said, "DO YOU KNOW THE PRICE OF EXERTING YOUR SOUL? YOU WILL DIE!"


    Hao Ren turned around and said, "If saving her needs me to die, then it is worth it. She is the person I love, if I can destroy the world for her, I can also destroy myself."


    He waved his hand and Bai Yulong''s head rolled on the side, and Hao Ren collapsed. Han Lingshi quickly got up and held him in her arms. She looked at him with teary eyes and asked, "Why?"


    Hao Ren cupped her cheek in his hand and replied, "For love."


    Han Lingshi cried and buried her head in his chest as she said, "I love you, Hao Ren."


    *DING: TASK COMPLETE*


    Hao Ren had won her heart with his action.

 Chapter 337 Rewards.

    Hao Ren heard the notification in his mind, and he let out a sigh. When his consciousness awakened, he found himself surrounded by darkness, he calmly asked, "System, what is this fuckery?"


    *Ding: Host it is no fuckery, you are being sent back to the original storyline. You are here to understand the reasoning behind the task that happened just now.*


    Hao Ren raised his brows, and the system said, *Host, the life you lived at the moment was your tenth life in a parallel world, where you met Han Lingshi for the first time. However, unlike this time when you could cultivate. In the past you could not cultivate and you watched her suffer disasters one after the other.


    In that life when she was discarded by Bai Yulong and left to die on the streets, you were the one who saved her. However, you failed to win her heart. The distrust she had towards the rest of the humans made it impossible to trust anyone. This was why this task was important and given to you."


    Hao Ren sighed and asked, "I understand that people are connected but why now? What was the use of this task? Had this task been given to me before I met her, I would have understood what you are saying."


    *Ding: You think this was about you? Wrong, this was about Han Lingshi. The longing in her heart to have some time with you, where you can be the childhood sweetheart that she craved for. This task was important for her so that the demon in her heart and karma ties could be strengthened.*


    Hao Ren fell silent, he understood what was going on here, and then he asked, "So, does that mean everyone else that I met in the dream is connected to me and Lingshi in some manner?"


    *Ding: Correct.*


    Hao Ren then asked, "Did you send Lingshi here as well? What about the time flow in the real timeline?"


    *Ding: Han Lingshi came to this place only once, for her this life was an intricate dream. However, for you it has been two years. The system used an autopilot system to help you make appearances when needed, and you have been in seclusion to reach the peak of your realm, and when you wake up you would have reached the peak of Star Annihilation realm. The southern continent is now under the complete rule of Crescent Moon Empire, you are now Emperor Wandering Dragon.*


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and asked, "Well that is a bit too much, but okay, saves me a lot of trouble."


    Han LIngshi smiled faintly and her eyes revealed a faint shyness. She stood up and walked over to him from behind the table as she said, "Happy anniversary."


    Hao Ren smiled and realized that it was his anniversary, and said, "I was about to wish you first, Happy anniversary, love."


    He reached out to hold her hand and Han Lingshi smiled at him. Hao Mei sighed and said, "Ok people, we should give this couple sometime. I am sure they have urgent business to take care of."


    Han Lingshi whined, "Big sis.."


    While the rest of the people chuckled lightly before they left the room. Hao Ren shook his head and when everyone was gone, he closed the door with a wave of his hand and erected a sound isolation barrier. He pulled Han Lingshi in his embrace and held her tightly.


    Han Lingshi did not knew why he was being so clingy but she smiled and happily reciprocated his gesture. She said, "You know, last night, I fell asleep after a whole year and I had this crazy dream where we both were school students."


    Hao Ren smiled and pecked her cheek as he said, "Tell me more about it."


    He did not let her go, but on the contrary, he sat down on a chair and Han Lingshi lay in his lap with her head pressed against his chest as she heard his heartbeat. She began narrating the dream to him from her point of view and Hao Ren liked everything.


    However, she raised her head to look at him and said, "You are not allowed to harm yourself for my sake. If anything happened to you, I will destroy myself as well."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "I will make sure not to suffer."


    He cupped her face and the two shared a kiss filled with true love for each other.

 Chapter 338 Hao Family.

    Hao Ren was adjusting his clothes after he and Han Lingshi went crazy in the study room. The young man helped Han Lingshi adjust her attire before he went to the side and opened a window to clear the air.


    Han Lingshi got up and was about to smack his chest when he grabbed her hand gently and said, "Love, my physique has strengthened again, it is might not be a good thing for you to beat me now."


    Han Lingshi snorted and said, "Meanie."


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "What about the kids? How are they doing?"


    The young lady nodded and said, "They have adjusted well, apart from the fact that Yin has been very listless since you went into seclusion, the other two are fine. Agnee has mastered the basic use of fire and water elements. Her dual spirit root is taking shape and she is being guided by the Ye Generals, specially Xiao Si is paying great attention to her. As for Yang, he has chosen to walk on the path of a saber master."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "That path suits him well. What about the old people?"


    Han Lingshi gave him a brief report, and said, "Dad and Ma have broken through to Dao Integration realm and are already close to the peak of it. I think they would need a couple of more years to enter the planet shattering realm."


    Hao Ren shook his head as he said slowly, "I would not pin my hopes on it. Their potential must have been exhausted by now. However, if we could find anything to help them it would be nice."


    Han Lingxue was also discussed, she is now learning from Ye Jill. Han Lingshi said, "A few months ago, a very beautiful girl walked up to the capital gates and presented your token. Big Sis Mei interrogated her, and it turned out you gave her a chance earlier during your cultivation for protecting the order while you cultivated."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "She is a Merman from what it seems, if we can develop a navy to see if we can open trade with the west and the east continents. Although the spirit vessels can fly they still need to watched by the people who know the waterways, we cannot just hold on to the direction and walk blindly."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Yes, following this line of thoughts we have asked her to create a naval force. Also, Ma has asked you to take a decision on how to handle the Hao Family."


    Hao Qin replied with a strong aura that pushed Young Master Bei by two steps but the girl quickly took back her aura and said, "It would be good if you had the balls to challenge me to a battle. I would have considered you a friend then. However, I have no interest in talking to men who hide behind their titles. Now fuck off before I lose my temper and end up squashing you like a bug that you are."


    Young Master Bei wanted to reply but then he saw a figure falling to the ground after the battle and his face changed. He clenched his fist and vanished from his spot. Shortly after, a middle-aged man appeared beside Hao Qin, and said, "Let''s go."


    The girl nodded and the two of them walked away from the place. They came to the barren mountains where a cave had been dug out. The walls were covered with beast pelts and weapons made from bones. Hao Qin asked, "Are you hurt?"


    The middle aged man shook his head and said, "Bei Chuan doesn''t have that skill."


    Hao Qin still took out some herbs and began to heat them in water, as she said, "Can you control your spiritual energy before you spew shit?"


    The man was embarrassed and then he chuckled as he said, "Qin''er you are such an iron mouth. Who will marry you in the future?"


    Hao Qin snorted and said, "Do you think that Hao and Bei family insects would let me marry anyone? Those bastards who fear the strong and prey on the weak, I will not marry anyone before I avenge myself."


    The middle aged man sighed, and wanted to say something when he stood up and yelled, "Who goes there?"


    His ragged appearance covered the fact that he was a Dao Integration Realm expert perfectly. A young man wearing a white cloak appeared at the entrance of the cave and tossed a scroll to the man, as he said, "Master Hao Xinlong, please read this message and decide your fate. I will come back in the morning for your answer."


    The man vanished, leaving behind the scroll on the ground. The man was called Hao Xinlong, a fallen expert of the Hao Family. Hao Qin frowned and asked, "Are you going to open it or do you need me for that, Baba?"


    The man nodded and opened the scroll, he read the content and then he rubbed his eyes as he read it again and his body shivered as the scroll fell to the ground. Hao Qin was surprised and asked, "What happened?"


    The man took a few minutes, and then he looked at his daughter with red eyes as he said, "The day when you avenge yourself and I walk on the cold corpse of that traitor won''t be too far. Pack our things we are leaving here. The Tiger of Hao Family has come back, and he has come back with his cub. Hahahaha, let us go and see what my Nephew is capable of."

 Chapter 339 Family.

    Hao Ren stood on the bow of a spirit vessel. This vehicle was small, but it was super fast. Xiao Mei had designed it, and it was equipped with a multilayer concealment array. The vessel carried Hao Ren, his parents, Hao Mei, Ye Jian and Ye Si. The last person was Yan, the array expert.


    Most of the Ye Generals have stepped into the Dao Integration Realm, and they were capable enough to protect the Empire. Also with the entire southern continent united under one flag, there was not much of a threat for the people. This was why Hao Ren was okay with calling Ye Jian and Ye Si with him.


    Yin was in secluded cultivation and would be coming over when Hao Ren sets up a teleportation formation. Agnee and Yang had their own pursuits and they were attached to Han Lingshi so they stayed behind. The ship moved according to the directions given by the members of the Tower Of Light who stayed in the southern continent to keep tabs on the Hao Family.


    Hao Xinyuan looked like a middle-aged man with Tang Zhen beside him looking the same. They had both entered the Dao Integration realm and regained their somewhat youthful appearances. Hao Ren was sitting in the void with his eyes closed, Hao Mei looked at him and said, "Ren, wake up, we are about to reach."


    Hao Ren opened his eyes slowly and asked, "You want me to talk to them and help them calm down?"


    Hao Mei nodded as if it was an obvious thing to do. Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It is not necessary. If they do not even have the courage to face the cousin who answered the call, then what is this facade about avenging stuff? If it is about rescuing Grandpa, then I can go and do it alone."


    Hao Mei sensed that the young man was not joking, he was really strong enough to rescue the old man with his strength alone. However, he could not do everything for his parents, they had to tough it out and ride the currents this time.


    Hao Mei said, "Well, you do have a point, we are about to reach in five minutes, are you ready?"


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "What? Hao Family is waiting on the shores to kill us?"


    Hao Mei smacked his shoulder and said, "Stop messing around. Uncle Hao Xinlong and his daughter are there."


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "I need to meet with the Nagas first. Do not drag me down in this family bullshit."


    Tang Zhen''s voice sounded, "Han Xinlong was the reason why your sister is alive today. His wife sacrificed herself under the attack of Bei Chuan, the young master of the Bei family at that time to give us some time to run away in an ambush. All this while, Hao Xinlong and his daughter have been living like outcasts of the Hao Family. Do you have any sense of gratitude left in your being?"


    She looked over with a cold gaze, and Hao Ren said, "Empress Hao, if you want to be grateful to them, then do it yourself. Why act nervous? What happened cannot be changed, but I think given the power you have now, you can make things up to them. Yes, it would not be an easy task, but you can still try."


    Tang Zhen and Han Xinyuan were left speechless, they did not expect Hao Ren to say such a thing, and made them realize what they were missing. After five minutes, Yan said, "Your Excellency, we are here."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "Sister Yan, can you go back to calling me Young Master, Please? Consider me begging to you."


    Ye Si chuckled and said, "You just don''t like how old you sound, Big Brother."


    Hao Ren glared at her and said, "Brat, are you going to act out as well. Ye Jian, beat her."


    Ye Jian coughed and said, "That, I am not her match."


    Hao Mei had an urge to hold her forehead, and Tang Zhen clenched her fist. Hao Xinyuan took a step ahead and bowed his head to Hao Xinlong and siad, "Back then, you helped me, and it took away Sister-in-law from us. I apologize that I was so weak and naive back then. I know I can never make up for that debt, Third Brother. Please forgive me."


    Hao Xinlong was shocked, and then he chuckled as he shook his head and said, "Little Seventh, it was not your fault back then. Your Sister-in-law did everything that she wanted to. Had it been my Qin, you would have helped her the same way, and I am sure of that. Do not talk about the past, tell me, have you been well?"


    Hao Xinyuan sobbed lightly and the two brothers hugged each other. Ye Jian came back and he was carrying seven heads in his grip. He placed them at Hao Ren''s feet and said, "They have been cleaned."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Uncle, do you know these people?"


    Hao Xinlong looked at the seven heads and then at Ye Jian before he said, "They are all the scouts of the Bei family. Their young master is obsessed with Qin''er."


    Hao Qin snorted and said, "That waste will die at my hands."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "None of the men can force a woman to do what they want. Sister Qin, tell me, do you have a weapon of preference?"


    Hao Qin took out her dagger and said, "This is enough."


    Hao Ren gazed at the dagger and then looked at Ye Si, who took out a set of daggers from her space ring. He said, "These are my meeting gift to you. Try them I am sure you will like them."


    The family members were together, and Hao Ren said as the sun set, "Old Boy Hao, you have Big Sis, Xiao Si, and Ye Jian here. I am going to find someone."


    At this moment a calm voice sounded from outside their tent, "Ren, are you in such a hurry to hook up with the Naga Princess?"


    Hao Ren, the mighty wandering dragon, who was no less than a king in this small camp, suddenly straightened his back and replied, "No, your majesty!"


    Hao Xinlong was taken aback, but then he saw a beautiful woman walking inside the tent followed by three cute and valiant looking young children.


    Hao Xinyuan said, "This is our Daughter-in-law, Han Lingshi, the empress of the Crescent Moon Empire."


    Han Lingshi greeted the elders and then she smiled at Hao Ren and asked, "Where were you headed again?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "That, to gain alliance from the Nagas?"


    Han Lingshi narrowed her gaze and then she smiled, "Good. You can take the kids with you."


    Hao Ren sighed and nodded, as he heard the command, and then he left the camp like a dutiful husband, who was taking his three children on a vacation because the wife was busy with work.

 Chapter 340 Meeting Ulupi.

    Hao Ren was flying on a small vessel with three children with him. Agnee and Yang had grown up a lot in the past two years. Yin had mellowed out with them and as an elder sister she has been guiding them to be more calm.


    The young man did not expect such a change, but he was not complaining. Yin asked, "Where are we headed?"


    Hao Ren replied, "To the nearest city and trying to get some news about the naga clan."


    Yin sighed and said, "You are looking for a beast clan and you think you will find any information in the city of humans? Do you think it is the southern continent?"


    Hao Ren stopped channeling the spirit energy in the vessel and thought for a second before he looked at Yin and said, "Kiddo, you have become so smart."


    Yang said, "You should try to use that Naga mark on your arm to sense them. We are on the northern continent, it should be easy to sense them."


    Hao Ren nodded, and channeled his spiritual energy to his right arm, and then into the tattoo. After a few minutes, he heard a voice, "Hao Ren?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Your Majesty Ulupi, is that you?"


    The conversation was happening with the mental connection that the two people felt when the mark was activated. Ulupi asked, "Are you on the northern continent?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Yes, I am on the northern continent of the Spirit Shimmer World. Would you like to meet?"


    Ulupi chuckled and said, "You are welcome to my clan anytime. Just follow the orange star."


    Hao Ren thanked her for the directions and then he began to drive the spirit vessel one more time. Agnee was sitting on the deck with her eyes closed. She had developed an habit of cultivating six hours a day, and three times she did this. Hao Ren was surprised by her dedication but it turned out that Agnee needed a lot of spirit stones daily and at the same time she was improving at a crazy level.


    In two years she has reached the peak of body refinement. Hao Ren also learned that Lingshi had told her to not advance but meditate because her body was too small to establish a foundation. She was just six years old.


    Hao Ren stopped the vessel on the top of a mountain, and cast a barrier with his spiritual energy. The yang attribute in his energy warmed up the surroundings considerably. Agnee opened her eyes at this time and asked, "Baddie Ren, where are we?"


    Hao Ren scooped her up in his arms forcefully and said, "Today, my dear we will watch the stars."


    Hao Ren nodded and said with pride, "I know that my wife is awesome. Now, let''s go back or those two kids might create some trouble."


    Hao Ren placed his arm around her shoulder, and the two of them slowly walked back while talking. The atmosphere between the two of them eased a lot. When they reached the top, Agnee was making a snowman while Yang was practicing his saber. Hao Ren asked, "When did these two become so obedient?"


    Yin chuckled and said, "Ma said if they behave well on this trip, Yang can pick a magic saber, and Agnee can pick a spirit beast companion."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Now I understand what is going on, such is the power of bribery."


    ...


    The night passed with the group connecting with each other. Agnee fell asleep in Hao Ren''s arm and did not wake up when the sun came out, when she had been sparing with the young man and was left exhausted.


    Yin was in Dao Integration realm and so, she took it upon herself to move the boat. The orange star was a name to the sun in the spirit shimmer continent and thus they sailed to the west. On the northern continent, many clans lived in a nomadic fashion. However, they also passed through to many big cities.


    Agnee and Yang wanted to go down, but Hao Ren told them to wait till they are on their way back. At this moment, he wanted to meet with Ulupi and ask her for help.


    This entire place was foreign for him, and Hao Ren found himself very much at a loss, because given the fact that Hao Family dispelled Hao Xinlong, one of their key experts from the family and reduced him to an outcast, the fate of any other allies was understood. This was not the situation where Hao Ren could walk in and just simply fight fair and square.


    Hao Tian was a cunning bastard, and as long as he held Hao Xinyuan''s father hostage, they could not fight so he wanted to cut off the roots of the Hao Family to do something that will give him the chance to strike at the chink in their armor. This needed help and someone who knew how the power dynamics was divided.


    After flying for half a day, the vessel came to a stop when Hao Ren said, "I sense her presence."


    As soon as he said that a dozen of Planet Shattering Realm experts surrounded the vessel. Hao Ren did not delay, and directly tore his robe and appeared in the void as he said, "Your Majesty Ulupi, is this how friends are welcomed in the Naga Clan?"


    The guards were shocked, but before they could attack, another figure appeared in the void. Unlike the last time, Ulupi did not have six arms or the lower body of a snake. She was standing before Hao Ren on her legs. She smiled at him and looking at the vessel she said, "Welcome to the Naga Clan, Hao Ren. How do you like the show of strength?"


    Ulupi was also a planet shattering realm expert, however, the next moment, her smug expression was washed completely, as Hao Ren revealed his aura and asked, "You were saying something."


    The lady was shocked, before she began to chuckle and they both laughed.

 Chapter 341 Holy Moon Shines For The Dragon.

    Han Lingshi was sitting beside Tang Zhen and was listening to the two old men recalling the moments from their past, at this moment the situation did not have any semblance of a battle.


    Suddenly, she raised her eyebrow and said, "Ye Jian, bring the guest over."


    Ye Jian looked at her and then left. Ye Si said, "Quite a few of them."


    Han Lingshi stood up slowly and said, "It seems that the forces of the Hao Family are quite big. They even sent a dozen of experts over here."


    Hao Xinlong and Hao Xinyuan did not reveal much of a shock, the latter said, "I knew that the moment I step onto the northern continent, Hao Tian will come for me."


    Hao Mei was caressing her sword and asked, "Lingshi, should I go?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and shook her head as she said, "Big sis, how long has it been since I fought? Let me go and handle them or my bones would catch rust. Ye Jian and Xiao Si are enough to handle anyone who tries to sneak attack."


    Ye Si pouted and said, "Hey sister-in-law, I am in the same realm as you, can you not make me sound so bad and weak."


    The three girls chuckled, and Han Lingshi left with Ye Si. Hao Qin looked at Hao Mei and asked, "Big Cousin, will they be alright?"


    Hao Mei nodded with a smile and replied calmly, "They may look frail and delicate but Xiao Si is the strongest Ye General under Ren''s care, and Lingling is a cruel woman, none of the people in the southern continent dare to raise their sights against her. Don''t worry, they can handle it."


    ...


    The junior bowed his head and said, "Elder, my father is a member of the expedition we communicate on regular intervals so I am sure this lady is the one that I have heard about. They call her the Holy Moon Queen, and her husband is called the Wandering Dragon, he is a Star Annihilation realm expert."


    Hearing the latter part of the statement made the people cautious. Hao Minyuan took out a small compass from his space ring and decided to take a gamble. He asked, "Empress Han, we have a tracker that locates the soul presence of the fugitive. At the moment, it is pointing towards the camp behind you. Please let us do our job. After all, the Hao Family is a better ally than a criminal."


    Han Lingshi did not react quickly, but after a few minutes she said, "The person you are looking for, what is the name?"


    Hao Mingyuan replied with a smile, "Hao Xinyuan and Hao Xinlong."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "It appears that the people you are looking for are my family members. You see, my husband is not only called the Wandering Dragon, but his given name is Hao Ren, he is the rightful young master of your Hao Family."


    Hao Mingyuan was shocked and then he yelled, "How dare you say that some bastard is the young master of my family? We do not recognize trash who ran away from battle."


    Han Lingshi''s cold gaze turned dull, as if any shred of emotion in there was extinguished and she said, "You ruined my mood."


    She vanished from her place, and appeared beside Hao Mingyuan, who snorted and turned around to chop his blade against her neck. However, Han Lingshi emitted a cold air that made him freeze. Then Han Lingshi pointed her finger at the his forehead and said, "Plunge in the cold of hell."


    The wisp of her Nether Dragon flames shot out and in an instant froze the man completely. Bei Taishin wanted to react but watching the scene, he was shocked, they were of the same realm, how could Han Lingshi kill his partner with such ease.


    While he was in daze, an blade passed through his body and his life was sucked out. Ye Jian handled the juniors and left one man alive. Han Lingshi looked at the petrified junior and said, "Go and tell them to wait, as we will come for them. If they dared to demean my husband and father-in-law like this the next time, I will visit them with all of my forces. Also, tell Hao Tian to not harm my grandfather-in-law, or I will tell everyone that he is not the real family leader but a piece of shit."


    The junior nodded hurriedly and dashed away forgetting that he was a Dao Integration realm expert.

 Chapter 343 Easy Does It.

    Hao Ren stood in the void with his arms crossed before his chest. The old man looked at him with infinite rage contained in his eyes. He raised his arm and punched at Hao Ren. Multiple fist phantoms of red energy were condensed in the void behind him, as the old man said, "Berserker Fist."


    The phantoms hit Hao Ren and the impact was hard, it caused a huge shockwave to erupt in the surroundings. Yang raised his arm to protect himself from the impact, however, the impact did not cause Hao Ren to even flinch. The old man looked at Hao Ren in shock, they were in the same realm even if the attack was weak it should have had some sort of an impact.


    Hao Ren gestured for the old man to attack once more. In the distance, Elder Tark was watching the scene with a shocked face. He did not expect Hao Ren to be this strong.


    The old man in beast clothing took out a machete from his space ring and slashed it at Hao Ren as he yelled, "The butcher''s slash."


    The slash contained a terrifying slashing intent and the attack hit Hao Ren strongly. The young man took a deep breath as the attack hit his skin. Behind him, even the high stone mountain was split in two. Hao Ren though, he only had a white mark on his face, which also vanished quickly.


    The young man looked at the stunned old man and asked, "I know I told you to take three moves in advance, but if this is all that you can do, its not enough and you should buzz off."


    The old man clenched his fist and said, "My grandfather fought with those beasts to take this land. I will not give it up easily."


    Hao Ren asked, "What about your clan then? In this wilderness if they do not have any elder like you to keep the beasts away, do you think they will survive? Do you think that the way your elders slaughtered the Nagas who did not do anything to them, what for? Because they were strong, I am stronger than you, and so, I am doing the same. Now, leave, or I will not spare any living being in your clan."


    The old man felt his butthole clench. Hao Ren''s aura had changed from goofy to aloof, and the cold radiating from his voice was real. The old man clenched his fist and said, "Kill me if you can, but my clan will not leave here."


    Continue reading on empire


    Hao Ren relayed the words to Yang and things were settled. Earlier Hao Ren did not use his hypnotism skill because the old man was at the same realm as he was, and Hao Ren was sure that the enemy held a richer experience of life and thus his chances of success were not much.


    The oaths were made quickly and Hao Ren counted a total of two hundred people. There were only a dozen children and they belonged to the houses that were very comparatively weaker than the rest of the people.


    Hao Ren then looked towards the direction where Tark was standing and said, "It is settled, you can call them all over, I will send these people to the camp."


    ...


    While Hao Ren was acquiring forces, the messenger who was left alive at Han Lingshi''s hands arrived the city, and he banged at the metal doors.


    Bang! Bang!


    "Open the door, I have an important message for the Family Head. Open the fucking door."


    He was still scared shitless. As soon as the door opened he dashed through the gap and made a beeline to the Hao Family house.


    There were guards on the entrance, all strong, but when they saw the man, they tried to stop him, but the next moment the man moved his hand and yelled, "Fuck off, I will kill whoever stops me from seeing the Family Head."

 Chapter 344 Tension Rising.

    The man was in a haggard state, the guards knew that his position in the command chain was high, but they had to do their jobs. One of the guards, picked up a conch and blew his breath hard in it. The spiritual array on the conch was lit up and the voice sounded throughout the mansion.


    An elder on the guard staff appeared at the gates of the residence, and said, "Hao Jiao, stop right there."


    Hao Jiao froze, and frowned, the person before him was from the same power level but due to his age he was made a security captain. Hao Jian clenched his fists, and said, "Elder Hao Yan, I have an urgent message to relay."


    Hao Yan nodded and said, "I can understand that it is something important, but the fact is that you have to go through proper ways to meet the Family Head."


    Hao Jian was shivering with a mix of anger and fear coursing through his vein and he yelled, "Fucking hell, old bastard, this is about the traitor, Hao Xinyuan. They killed five elders of the Hao Family and all six of the Bei family. I am the only one left and you want me to go through procedures? This is a family crisis and not a fucking daily report."


    His words shocked the people completely. Hao Yan opened his eyes wide. He grabbed Hao Jiao and rushed in quickly.


    There were a lot of people passing through the roads before the house, and they all heard when Hao Jiao yelled, this thing will now reach the ears of the entire city and create chaos.


    ...


    Hao Jiao''s spiritual energy was sealed and he was dragged by Hao Yan, who was heading through the houses and heading to the mansion in the center. This place was akin to a small city within the city.


    Hao Yan came to the gates of the main mansion and said, "Please inform the Patriarch, the people who went out to apprehend Hao Xinyuan had been murdered and the only survivor has come over to report the message. It is an urgent issue, the news has leaked to the masses."


    Hao Tian raised his hand and said, "Why must you talk so disgracefully about a child? Well, what I am curious about is how strong are they to kill eleven of them with just three on their side? We need more information."


    The elders calmed down, and after some thought, Hao Tian said, "Have someone draw the sketches of the people who assaulted us, and then send them to the south, to Hao Yingman, have him find out the information about those people and relay that to us. Then we will deal with Hao Xinyuan and his seed."


    However, when they interrogated Hao Jiao, they were shocked further, and the shock only deepened with everything they heard. From the battle description, the dead people did not even get a chance to put up a struggle.


    Hao Tian said, "Call the alliance meeting, First Elder. I think we need to discuss this issue as a united front."


    The first elder frowned and then he shook his head. He said, "Family head, if I may."


    Hao Tian nodded and the old man said, "If we hold an Alliance meeting, Liu and Krum families will definitely try to stir trouble for us. They are all just waiting for an opportunity to strike at us. I suggest that we send out a scout party to keep an eye on Hao Xinyuan''s side. This way we will gain a lead, after all, how strong can he be? Even if he has a few people on his side, they do not hold a candle to our Hao Family. We should not allow the others to humiliate us. I will have someone go and silence all those who try to spread the news of these murders."


    Hao Tian thought about it and then he nodded in agreement. He looked at the rest of the people, and said, "I wish that we prepare for battle, if the enemy does come to us, then they should stay here forever. The glory of the Hao will not be stained."


    The elders all nodded and replied, "Yes, Family Head!"


    After the elders left, Hao Tian sighed and said, "Fucking dimwitted old men. I have to handle it myself. Xiao Kage."


    A man appeared behind him in black cloak, and Hao Tian said, "Go, and deal with them. Bring that Empress back alive, I want to see what she is worth."


    The man bowed his head and vanished. The battle has begun.

 Chapter 345 Close Brush.

    Ulupi led the Nagas to settle around the earth vein and Hao Ren was again respected by the clan. The young man shook his head and after the fizz settled, he looked at Ulupi and hesitated for a second when Ulupi asked, "What are you really here for?"


    Hao Ren looked at her and she said, "I know that you have many things to do, so you do not have the time to come over and just help me in the passing. Tell me what do you want?"


    The young man did not hide anything and he said, "I want the recipe of the Snake wine, and a couple of elders from your side to aid me during my time in the north. I promise you that I will not ask them to do anything that is below their status."


    Ulupi raised her eyebrow and asked, "Can you tell me the reason behind these two demands?"


    Hao Ren did not mind and said, "The snake wine is beneficial to my children and the elders would become a part of my forces when I attack the Hao Family."


    Ulupi asked doubtfully, "Do you mean the Hao Family of the Iron fort City, the member of the North Star Alliance, Hao Family?"


    Hao Ren have heard about these things from Hao Xinlong, but he did not know the details as he was in a hurry to find Ulupi. He nodded and said, "The very same. Why do you ask?"


    Ulupi waved her hand and erected multiple barriers around them and said, "Hao Family is not as simple as they seem to be on the surface. The family head, Hao Tian is dealing with the devil, Blood Tower."


    Hao Ren raised his eyebrow and asked, "What do you mean the devil?"


    Ulupi said, "Blood tower is a place where the most notorious of the people gather, and then they team up to create chaos. They believe in an existence called the Chaos Saint, an entity that rules the entire realm from the chaos world. They are fanatics who want to create chaos and imbalance in the world to gain powers that do not exist."


    Hao Ren frowned and remarked, "They sound more like a cult to me."


    Ulupi nodded and said, "They are the reason that almost the entire north has changed a lot in the past hundred years. There have been massacres, experts assassinated, and all in the name of sacrifice to the Chaos Saint. You have no idea how repelling they are. All of them are blood thirsty demons."


    Hao Ren frowned, suddenly, he raised his head and said, "I will be back, look after Agnee."


    That said, he vanished from the spot. Ulupi was shocked, she looked at Agnee who was sitting on the side immersed in cultivation and mumbled, "What a bunch of weirdos."


    With that, she used her speed and flashed beside Ye Jian. She had been watching the two people fight for some time now and thought that she can keep up the pace. However, when she tried to help Ye Jian with her quick sword, she ended up messing his rhythm.


    The black cloaked person on the other side grabbed the opportunity and injured Ye Jian. The latter had a gash spreading across his chest, and he was forced into an extremely passive situation.


    Hao Mei was taken aback, but then Ye Si appeared beside her when the enemy was about to attack her as well. Ye Si yelled, "Big Sis, calm down, fight with mind and not heart."


    Ye Si began to use her knuckles to fight the man. The enemy was very tricky, he had been using the element of darkness to fight them in the snow and even then he was getting better of them. This was why Ye Si was holding back a little, because she did not know what this guy was actually capable of.


    However, suddenly, as her punch was about to connect with the guy''s head, he vanished into a puff of smoke, and Hao Mei covered the back and stabbed her rapier in the void, she managed to detect the spot where the person would appear and said, "It is not darkness, but refraction."


    Ye Si understood what this meant, the man was fighting with the usage of laws of refraction. This was the first time she had seen such an enemy but now that she knew, her combat efficiency definitely shot up. The people fight were Star Annihilation and Planet Shattering level entities, their intense fighting has basically changed the terrain that was visible to the people.


    The enemy growled and said, "Refraction cuts."


    For the first time, a crystal like sword became visible to them for a brief second, but the speed of the attack was so quick that they both could not react and were incapacitated almost at the same time.


    Han Lingshi looked at Hao Xinlong and said, "Uncle, please go to the tent and take father and mother back to the south. Tell Yan to use the array, be quick."


    Hao Xinlong wanted to say something when Han Lingshi used her spiritual energy control and pushed him to the back. The man in the black cloak was not too far, just a few kilometers, however, what worried Han Lingshi was if Hao Mei and Ye Si were alright. She took a deep breath to calm herself down and took out her sword.


    The man was quick, he approached her within a couple of breaths, and Han Lingshi directly attacked the person. However, it seemed as if the man had decided to give up on all facade, and waved his hand to dispel the attack, and flickered from his spot to appear behind Han Lingshi.


    He reached out to grab a hold of her hair, but all of a sudden, an unbearable chill assaulted him, and he slowed down for a blink of an eye. The nature of an assassin was to be cautious and this caution allowed Han Lingshi to get away. Although the distance was not much, but as soon as she moved away, a void portal appeared in her spot, and a red light flashed through it.


    BOOM!


    The ground cracked and the snow within the diameter of seventy meters was directly evaporated, leaving a thirty feet deep crater. Hao Ren appeared in the center of the crater and looked at the cloaked assassin, who was forced to lay on the ground from the impact of the punch and he said, "I will make you understand that death is better than life, dog."

 Chapter 346 Trade & Info.

    Hao Ren stood tall as he watched the black cloaked man stand up from the ground. The young man looked at Han Lingshi and said, "Help the rest, I will handle him."


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    Han Lingshi sensed a chill in his voice and she nodded before retreating. The black cloaked man was not stable in his steps, he was wobbling all over the place. This could have been a good time to attack the enemy, but Hao Ren did not hurry.


    He said, "Can you stop acting like a weakling, cuntface? I didn''t even use my full strength at that time."


    His calm words echoed in the ears of the enemy, and he regained his balance, and said, "Who are you?"


    Hao Ren did not answer, he stood silently. The reason Kage asked this question was because earlier when he was punched, he could not detect an ounce of spiritual energy in the move. Hao Ren had been forced to use his physical strength only because the punch was made when the young man was still crossing the spatial portal.


    Hao Ren waved at the man in a taunting gesture. Kage was an assassin and he had his own pride, being taunted and underestimated by the young man before him set off flames in his heart and he moved.


    Kage used his refraction theory, but Hao Ren only stood on his spot, he watched as the crystal sword flickered and it slashed against his body. However, the gash and the pressurized discharge of blood that Kage was expecting, did not happen. On the contrary, Hao Ren grabbed the blade with his right hand and slapped out with his left.


    The impact of the slap was so strong that it forced Kage to materialize and the palm landed directly across his face.


    Splat!


    Kage was sent flying and even the mask on his face was destroyed. It was torn to shreds, and Hao Ren said, "Is that all that you can do? Ant."


    The other two also nodded and Han Lingshi said, "Let us return to the camp first. Let us see what sort of people are coming over."


    ...


    On the other side, Hao Ren travelled back to the Naga city, and he found Ulupi gazing blankly at Agnee. He sat down beside Agnee and asked, "What are you looking at?"


    Ulupi said, "This kid has been meditating for so long and yet she has not even flinched, so I am thinking if she is a genius."


    Hao Ren shook his head and did not comment anything. He said, "You have provided me with enough people to put up a force, but now, can you tell me more about Blood Tower? I think one of their silver assassin attacked my family camp."


    Ulupi opened her eyes wide, and Hao Ren said, "It has been handled, can you tell me more about them?"


    The Naga Queen nodded and said, "Well, you can join the Order Knight Association. They are a force that overtly or covertly oppose the blood tower. However, they have a lot of boundations and strict rules. You can also work as a bounty hunter. They let you stay free, you can kill and submit the heads of the people listed there to earn money and fame."


    Hao Ren nodded and they began to talk more. Agnee opened her eyes when the sky turned dark, Hao Ren took out a spirit fruit and gave it to her. He asked, "The recipe of the Snake Wine, out with it."


    Ulupi hesitated, and Hao Ren sighed as he said, "I knew you were trying to buy time earlier. Well, let us do this, how about establishing a trade connection with me? How often can you spare some wine and trade with me? What are the things that you need?"


    Ulupi thought for a moment and said, "If you can get us...."


    After she finished listing the things, began a round of cruel negotiation and Hao Ren came out victorious after the price was settled upon in his favor.

 Chapter 347 Tactical Discussion.

    Hao Ren took Agnee back to the camp after trading for a few items, such as protection arrays, talismans, and story books. The young man landed near the campsite, and put Agnee over his shoulders. The kid held his hair gently and said, "OOOOO, baddie Ren, I can see so far."


    Hao Ren smiled and walked happily, he had ten barrels of snake wine on him, and nobody knew. This was a strategic resource in his hand, and he could used it to change the level of his forces completely. They came to the camp and found multiple tents established in the surroundings.


    Hao Ren was greeted by the people he took in on the way to the center. Han Lingshi was discussing something with Yang when she sensed Hao Ren coming over. Agnee hopped off his shoulder and rushed to the lady. Stay updated with empire


    The young man said, "Ye Jian, call me the elders of the refugees."@@@@


    Ye Jian dashed away and came back in a few moments. Hao Ren chatted with the couple of old men, he found that their names were Volg and Tsar. Hao Ren then said, "Do you two know about any big city nearby? What kind of powers are superior in those cities?"


    Tsar replied, "Your Excellency, in the northern continent, there is not country, and no king. The bigger the fist, the bigger the authority. At the moment, the cities all have a few forces that are common in every city."


    Volg picked up when his brother stopped, and said, "For example, a few major families of all the cities form alliances. They manage the economics with the facade of a collective power. They strengthen their alliances by marriages. Everything is like a trade, you give something up to gain prestige and strength. There are several alliances and all the traders, big or small would have to pay a tax to use the property of these big families as shops. Then pay taxes to transport goods from one city to the other. In these barren lands this has become a common practice."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and then asked, "Which is the closest city in the surrounding?"


    Volg thought for a bit and said, "Glacia Peak City."


    Hao Ren looked at Han Lingshi and asked, "How many people are we?"


    The lady replied, "Around two hundred."


    Hao Xinyuan sighed and nodded. He looked at his cousin and said, "Third brother, you should stay here and guide them."


    Hao Xinlong nodded and said, "Don''t worry."


    Then Han Lingshi and Hao Ren both came to a secluded corner and the former said, "I am sorry."


    Hao Ren shook his head and placed his arm around her and said, "Don''t apologize for something that was not your fault. The fact is that I am very angry that I had to hold back when dealing with that guy."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "After you have set up a base here, I will bring you something that I have been working on for the past few days."


    Hao Ren looked at her and asked, "Is it something naughty?"


    Han Lingshi froze for a second and then she pushed him away as she said, "All men are lechers."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "My love, you didn''t say that last time we were at it."


    Han Lingshi waved her hand and conjured snowballs. Then she flicked them all at him to only stop when Hao Ren turned into a quasi snowman.


    The people left through the teleportation array. The young man watched as the array closed and then he said, "Uncle Xinlong, bring the prisoner. Let us begin the question. Yin, sweetie come out. I know you fooled the array, come, Baba will teach you something."


    Yin appeared from under the snow, she used her small snake form to fool the others, but Hao Ren had a spiritual connection with her. Thus, he knew about her presence.

 Chapter 348 Information & Impact.

    Hao Ren sat down on the big log, he was surrounded by Volg, Tsar, Ye Jian, Ye Si, Hao Mei, Hao Xinlong, Hao Qin and Yin. There were also fifty more refugees, all as strong as Dao Integration realm. These were the people that he brought over from the earth vein settlement.


    Hao Ren looked at Kage, who was kneeling before him, and the young man used his hypnosis skill and asked, "What do you know about Hao Tian?"


    Kage was struck in a daze as soon as Hao Ren spoke, and he said, "Hao Tian is the head of the Hao family in the Iron City. At the same time, he is the head of the Three City Alliance controlled by six families, Hao Family, Bei Family in Iron City. Xue Family and Liu Family in the Glacia Peak City, and lastly, Hestia Family and Fiery Blade Mercenary in Cold Flame City.


    Hao Tian is at the peak of Star Annihilation realm and can step into the Galaxy Devastation Realm at any time he wishes. However, he is suppressing his cultivation rigorously until he makes the family head of the Hao Family."


    Hao Ren asked, "What about being the family head? Why is he so obsessed with an empty title?"


    Kage replied, "He wants to find a realm above Galaxy Devastation and for that he would need to bring the Hao Family to join the forces of the blood tower, and only then can he be promoted to the higher level in the tower to continue his research."@@@@


    Hao Xinlong clenched his fists and his spiritual energy became chaotic as he raged. However, after a few moments he calmed down and Hao Ren asked, "What about the blood tower? Tell me, how do you work."


    Kage replied, "Blood Tower has an underground network, and at any moment our people are placed in the top designations of the other forces, be it families or mercenary groups. We operate in different ways, like brothels, kidnappings, and child beggar networks."


    Ye Jian and Ye Si clenched their fists, they were both also in a similar condition once upon a time so they hated the people who did such things. Hao Ren asked again, "So, what about the power distribution inside the tower."


    Kage said, "There are three factions, Enchantress, Assassin, and Whisperers namely. I belong to the assassin faction. I was responsible for protecting Hao Tian and acting as a blade in shadow on his command."


    Hao Ren asked, "What is Hao Tian''s position in the Blood Tower?"


    Kage replied, "He is a Black level guest elder, because of his status and power."


    Hao Ren again asked how the levels were divided, and Kage told him, that the people with realm below Planet Shattering would be placed in the bracket of disciples and they had levels, bronze, silver and gold. The elders leveled from Red, Black and finally Crystal. The top three positions of all the factions were called Crystal Elders, they were at the peak of Star Annihilation, but they were old monsters who would go to any level in order to cement their dominance.


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    Both these cities had Tower of light operatives living their and Hao Mei had already contacted them. Volg and Tsar had to get Identification plates for their people, as for Hao Ren and the rest, it turned out that the people stationed here were thoughtful and had already prepared the plates for them in advance.


    ...


    Hao Tian was sitting in his study and was reading the details of the investigation being conducted on Hao Ren and Han Lingshi. The more he read, the shocked he felt. He mumbled, "These kids are able to do so much in such a short time, if they were to join the Blood Tower, they might have reached the peak of the world by now, too bad they are too selfless. Well, Kage should be on his way back, I will have a good chat with that Han Lingshi."


    As he said that, he smirked and imagined how he would humiliate Hao Ren by conquering his wife, but at this moment, he sensed a movement in his space ring and he frowned. After investigation he found that the soul jade that belonged to Kage had cracked and turned to powder. The man took a few seconds to register everything that was going on, when he opened his eyes wide and stood up from the chair.


    A crystal ball that was laid on his table began to glow and an eerie voice sounded, "Elder Hao, what happened to Kage?"


    Hao Tian took a deep breath and said, "Lord Thunder Shadow, I sent him to catch an enemy and then this happened. I think he has fallen at the hands of the enemy."


    The person on the other side fell silent for a second and then said, "Well, whatever it is. You owe us ten million spirit stones as per the terms agreed earlier. The Chaos Saint cannot bless guards for free, we have to buy him resources."


    Hao Tian agreed and said, "I will come over in person to hand over the money."


    The conversation came to an end, and Hao Tian sighed before he radiated a strong wave of spiritual pressure and destroyed the study room. He walked out of the room, and found an old man walking over to him in a hurry. He asked, "Third Elder, what happened? You look a bit panicked."


    The old man sighed and said, "Family Head, Hao Xinyuan has left the continent once again. We cannot sense his presence."


    Hao Tian clenched his fist and punched the wall next to him. His outburst caused one entire wing of the mansion to collapse and he yelled, "Bastard! Arghh!! Send the forces to the south. Fucking drag them out!"


    Third Elder sighed and said, "The southern continent was sealed, and they are not allowing anyone to go in or to go out. The Hao Family members there have been put under house arrest and their cultivation has been sealed. We should not act in such haste."

 Chapter 349 Evil Capitalist Ready To Strike.

    Hao Ren and the people entered the city under the lead of the agent of the Tower Of Light. This man held a big status in the city, he was called Aron Jaeger, and he was a captain in the city guards. He was a tall and burly built guy.


    Hao Ren was walking half a step ahead of him with Yin holding his hand. He asked, "So, Captain Aron, what is the dynamic here?"


    Aron looked around and said, "Young Master, I cannot be talking about those things out in the public, there are many eyes and ears of the alliance. You can sense them right?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "As soon as I stepped inside the city, I could sense a lot of spiritual senses washing over us."


    Aron nodded and said, "One of the conditions to be promoted to my level in the city guard is to take a blood oath. I cannot talk about these things, or my death would certainly put you on the radar. However, you will find the information inside your accommodation."


    Soon, they reached the location where they were staying. It was a big courtyard and there were already seven people waiting for them, Aron said, "Young master, these are the assets in the Glacia City. They are yours to command."


    Hao Ren nodded and the seven people came forward to greet them all. Then Aron took his leave, and Hao Ren was brought to the main hall. He looked at Ye Si and said, "Xiao Si, deploy the isolation arrays. Volg, you will assign the guards, but make sure they do not come off as guards, but rather people of the family who are either sparing or looking after the house."


    Volg and Ye Si immediately got to their jobs, and Yin sat down with Hao Ren. The young man looked at the seven people before him and asked, "What are your names?"


    There were three males and four females. He could see that they were rather servile, their low realms aside, they seemed to be fearful of him. The man in the center of the queue said, "Young Master, we are the seven colors planted in the Glacia City by Lady Mei."


    The man took out a jade token and tied it to his waist, followed by the other six people. They all had a token made up of jade or precious stone corresponding to the colors of a rainbow. Violet, Blue, Purple, and Indigo were females, while Yellow, Orange and Red were males.


    Hao Ren sighed and asked, "What are your real names?"


    Red replied hurriedly, "These are our names. When we were taken in by Lady Mei, we had numbers assigned to us."


    Yin brewed a kettle of tea and said, "You all should sit down and calm down. Baba do not like nervous people."


    The seven of them hesitated and Hao Ren asked, "Do you want me to call Hao Mei?"


    The seven people immediately sat down and Hao Ren raised his brow, he asked, "Why are you so scared of her?"


    Yin served all of them tea and sat next to Hao Ren back again, eagerly looking at the seven people. After a few minutes of silence, Violet said, "Thirty years ago, when Lady Mai rescued us, we were being supplied as slaves in the cold winters, and the trader wanted to rape me and Indigo.


    Lady Mei appeared and her appearance was enough to scare the people enough that they ran away, but over the course of seven days, Lady Mei hunted each one of them, and skinned them alive. She hung their skins to dry at the Glacia City gates and that experience is the only interaction we had with her.


    Tang Zhen sat down across Hao Ren and the young man said, "The city lord of this dump is a person from the Tang Sect. Do you think you can do anything about that? Get us some leverage and favor?"


    The old lady thought for a bit and said, "If they belong to the Misty Peaks, I would be able to get the wanted results. You need to check about that."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "How do you recognize they are from Misty Peak?"


    Tang Zhen took out a token with a lot of wear and tear. She said, "They should have a similar token."


    Hao Ren said, "Yin, do you know what to do?"


    Yin nodded with a faint smile and said, "Only if you give me one extra bowl of snake wine."


    Hao Ren turned around with a reflex and pinched her nose as he said, "You little brat, already eyeing my wine? Fine, I will give you two bowls, but don''t tell others. It is a strategic resource."


    Yin nodded forcefully and then she vanished from the spot. Tang Zhen asked, "Where is she going?"


    Hao Ren replied, "The city palace for a recon."


    The old lady frowned and said, "Do you think that the city palace would be something where anyone can move?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Ma, can you stop thinking that your son is a fool? Yin is a Heaven-swallowing snake. She has the ability to travel between dimension fabric. She is the best spy created by the nature. Also, she is at Dao Integration realm and her fighting skills are third to me and Ye Si. Even Mei cannot hold a candle to her, so chill."


    Ye Si stepped inside the hall and sat down on a chair as she said, "Big Brother, Ye Jian reported, they are all in the city and they are operating."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "We will take two days, and then we will make our move. In the meantime, buy out all the Purple King Gendorema, and also send out the people of the family to search around in the mountains and harvest as much of it as they can without firing any conflicts."


    Ye Si nodded, and Tang Zhen asked, "Purple King Gendorema is a common herb here, they do not even use it much, what do you want?"


    Hao Ren took out a scroll from his space ring and tossed it to the old lady. He said, "This is a recipe of the improvised Supreme Healing Pill. Increases the efficiency of pill condensation by thirty percent. Do you think they will go crazy?"


    Tang Zhen raised her brows and asked, "What do you intend to do with this?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Winning allies."

 Chapter 350 Scary Youngman.

    Hao Ren waited in the hall, with his eyes closed as the people worked. Two days passed very quickly and the young man watched everyone complete the tasks that he assigned them. Yin came over in the evening of the second day and sat down beside him with her head resting on his shoulder.


    The girl had always been affectionate with Hao Ren, but these days, after he accepted her as his daughter and not a spirit beast, this display has become very frequent. Hao Ren asked, "Yin, are you okay?"


    Yin nodded with a humm and said, "That guy has no such token, his jade token depicts a cluster of needles."


    Tang Zhen was sitting across them. These guys were cultivators and once they immersed in meditation they would not care about moving around for ages let alone a couple of hours. She sighed and said, "The hidden peak is a notorious bunch."


    Hao Ren smirked and said, "Did your daughter tell you about her status? Are you calling her notorious?"


    The people from the hidden peak were actually trained to be the assets for the Tang sect in case they suffer a war like they did in the past. Hao Mei was the grand elder of the Hidden peak, and she was responsible for the fail safe plan and thus had less boundations compared to the other peaks.


    Yin said, "I cross checked with Violet the other day, she told me that they found out about the City Lord''s real identity because they are also the members of the Hidden Peak, and Aunty Mei manages them all."


    Hao Ren shivered and said, "I feel scared of Mei after thinking how many such disciples has she planted over the years."


    Yin smiled and Tang Zhen asked, "What do you plan, tell me."


    Hao Ren said, "After the pill formula of the Super Healing Pill is put out in the market, it would become a hit. The pill refiners will test and verify the credibility. Then they will go crazy to purchase the Purple King Gendorema, which does not exist in the market anymore. How much price hike would that mean? What would happen to the Xue Family, if I sell all of the stocks to the City Palace?


    The economic shock might not be enough to impact, but it would throw them in a spiral and disrupt the smooth sailing pattern. The city lord will gain traction and we will take out the Xue Family, slowly weakening the alliance."


    Tang Zhen nodded and asked, "What about the Liu Family?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "What if their spirit ships suddenly breakdown all at the same time?"


    Tang Zhen rolled her eyes and said, "They will detect the foul play and come back at you, what else?"


    Hao Ren cupped his fists to the man and said, "I am Hao Ren. I have come from the southern continent, and I have a close relation with someone you might know."


    The middle-aged man raised his brows, and then looking around, he said, "Let us talk inside."


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    The two of them moved inside the palace and sat down in the living room, with a kettle of tea brewed by the city lord himself. Hao Ren took a sip and said, "Good tea."


    The city lord faintly smiled and said, "I am Hua Teng. Shall we talk now?"


    Hao Ren took out a scroll, and said, "Hao Mei, is my elder sister."


    Hua Teng was shocked but then he nodded and asked, "What does the Grand Elder need?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "This particular region of the lower northern continent is commanded covertly by the Tang Sect of the eastern continent, but it is not that easy to do things for you, am I right?"


    Hua Teng nodded and Hao Ren said, "For example, the Glacia City has three forces that are going crazy for power overtly and covertly. This scroll holds a formula for the super healing pill, derived and tested by me."


    Hua Teng was surprised, and Hao Ren said, "Yes, you guessed it right, I am the one who caused ripples. Because I have some debt with the Hao Family of the Iron Fort City."


    The city lord replied, "I understand what you mean, but why help me?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "Because if I made any moves, I might end up leaving a trail of blood which is unnecessary. Also, your connection to the Tang Sect is somewhat influential to deter the Blood Tower as well, giving me time to deal with them. This is why I am helping you, plus do you hate power that much?"


    Hua Teng chuckled and said, "Very well, I accept this formula."


    Hao Ren then passed him a space ring and said, "This ring contains enough Purple King Gendorema to cover the entire city twice, use it well, and contact me if you need any aid in logistics or protection."


    Hua Teng was shocked but he smiled and bowed as Hao Ren vanished from his place. He mumbled after Hao Ren''s aura vanished from his perception, "This young man is scary."@@@@

 Chapter 351 Desires & Resolves.

    Hao Ren returned home after meeting with the City Lord, and sat down in the living room. He leaned back in the chair and began to think about something. Yin approached him and asked, "Baba, what are you thinking about?"


    Hao Ren mumbled in a daze, "How fucked up the author is to screw a good story at his hands."


    Yin did not understand the meaning of his words and Hao Ren asked, "Do you need anything?"


    Yin nodded and said, "The arrays on the spirit ships of the Liu Family have been damaged and there is a news, the experts that Aunt Ye Yue tempered with would be coming over day after tomorrow."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "What about the array masters?"


    Yin replied, "They have been sent to different cities. None of them will be present in the city by noon, when the Liu Family opens shop, and we have sent a couple of experts to prevent the array masters from coming back. This is easier than attacking them and imprisoning them."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will go back to Crescent Moon Palace, I miss Lingshi."


    Yin smiled and nodded, as Hao Ren went to the dungeon of the mansion and used the teleportation array, moved through it.


    ...@@@@


    Hao Ren appeared in the Crescent Moon Palace, in the eastern garden. He put his hands behind his back and moved forward. The people who saw him were surprised but they quickly bowed to him and Hao Ren nodded as he moved over. He came to the kitchen and without bothering anyone began to cook some of the best spirit beast meat and vegetables from the ingredients.


    After the meal was done, he made a plating and then took it all to the study room. Han Lingshi was spending her time away from him working there. The people all had a knowing smile etched on their faces. Because they knew that the wandering dragon spoiled his wife and he would get her to eat high quality spirit food as a gesture of his love for her.


    The people of the empire have been following this gesture and many women have been feeling happy.


    Hao Ren pushed open the study door, and as he predicted, he found Han Lingshi sitting there behind the desk and she said, "Yue, did you get the reports from the southern borders? Did the taxes circulate in the informed manner?"


    Hao Ren said, "The meal was cooked personally by yours truly, madam, can you look away from the work sheets for a moment?"


    Han Lingshi smiled, she asked, "Since you know that I am acting, why don''t you point it out? I mean, would I miss out on your presence given my realm?"


    Ye Si poured him a cup of tea and said, "Big sister directly started a war in the Cold Flame City. The Fiery Blade mercenaries had her people in them. They have seized control from the original powers."


    The young man thought for a bit and then said, "I know she is violent like that, and also this is her way of improving her skills quickly after the last battle."


    Tang Zhen raised her brow and Yin patted her shoulder to indicate her that everything is okay. Hao Qin came inside and said, "Ren, those people from Hao Family have arrived."


    Hao Ren said, "You can command them, Big Sister Qin, have them report back to the Hao Family and tell us about their internal movements. All major and minor updates. Also, tell them to stay low and avoid conflict. The effects of the brainwash might lessen if they fight."


    Hao Qin was confused, and Ye Si said, "Big Sister Qin, you will learn when you do it. Don''t worry, do it with confidence, we are here beside you."


    Hao Ren then called Hao Qin to sit beside him and then asked her the things that she liked. Turned out this girl was a cultivation maniac and her heart was filled with the desire to vengeance for what her father suffered. Hao Ren understood all this because she was older to him, and has seen her mother''s demise.


    He took a deep breath and said, "Big Sister Qin, the reason you have not been able to advance from Soul Formation realm is the knot in your heart."


    Hao Qin was shocked, and said, "I have never faced such a knot in my breakthroughs."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Your technique is passed down by the Hao Family, how can you understand the crux of it when you hold such grudge against them? The blockade in your way is not the understanding of technique, but the karma seal set by the Hao Family."


    Hao Qin was shocked and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Hao Ren explained, "The techniques passed down in the families all have a hidden seal of fate on them. If someone is holding a grudge toward the family, they would not be able to exceed in cultivation after a certain level. The same is the case with you."


    Tang Zhen sighed and said, "There are two ways to solve this. One is to find another technique that is suitable for you. Or you forgive the Hao Family."


    Hao Qin shook her head immediately and asked, "Auntie, how can I forgive them? Those mongrels, they deserve to die."


    Hao Ren said, "Big Sister, they need to die, yes. For revenge, no. Kill them in the name of rectifying the family trash and cleaning the house. Also, why kill them? Disable their cultivation and throw them to the cold prison."


    Hao Qin shivered and looked at Hao Ren in surprise. The latter said, "How can killing these people so quickly justify what you have suffered all these years? Are you going to go easy on the enemies?"

 Chapter 352 Gift For Wife.

    Hao Ren talked to Hao Qin, and spent a few hours to clear her doubts and then she went on to handle the elders of the Hao Family who had come over. She guided these spies under the supervision of Ye Si.


    Things were looking smooth, Xue and Liu family had been investigating them but they could not find anything substantial. The captain of the city guard patrol, Aron, had come over to inform them about the current status of the two families.


    Xue Family was desperately looking for a source of Purple King Gendorema, and the Liu Family was trying to call over the array masters to fix their spirit vessels.


    Hao Ren appeared pleased with the progress, and said to Yin, "I am feeling happy, what gift shall I get for Lingshi?"


    Yin was surprised and said, "She already has everything that she could ever want, but she is very minimalist."


    Hao Ren pursed his lips and said, "What you said makes sense."


    Yin thought for a moment and said, "Well, when she was crossing the tribulation for the Planet Shattering Realm, her crown broke. She had been using a replacement but it does not have any defensive capability."


    Hao Ren frowned and raised his brow as he asked, "What else did she lose?"


    Yin thought for a moment and said, "Well, she had taken a step ahead to challenge the tribulation and her sword was also damaged. That''s all."


    The young man snorted and said, "How can this work? Go, get her sword, I will repair it, and as for the crown, let us rebuild it. What do you say, shall we design it from scratch?"


    Yin shrugged and asked, "Do you have any ideas to proceed?"


    The young man thought for a bit before he nodded and said, "Yes, I do have an idea."


    Yin and Hao Ren discussed things and then the young lady rushed to get the damaged sword from Han Lingshi.


    Hao Ren stretched his body and then he walked out of the house. Ye Si caught sight of his movement and asked, "Where are you going? Didn''t the city lord ask you to stay low?"


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and replied, "I am going out for shopping. See you later, and tell Yin to wait for me."


    Hao Ren looked over, and with the design and usage he had in his mind, he picked up five stones as big as an adults fist. The old man said, "These five will cost you two million spirit stones."


    Hao Ren nodded, and took out a pill bottle from his space ring and asked, "Carrying that much spirit stones on a person is madness, so these pills will make up for an equivalent exchange. You can verify them."


    The old man nodded and picked up the pill bottle to inspect. This was a common practice in the world, if you do not have cash, then you can barter with a product of the same value until the other party does not put specific exchange conditions.


    Kharam Khal did not mind this form of trade, and he inspected the pills. After confirming the quality, Hao Ren went on to purchase a batch of Soul Calming and Inscription friendly gems.


    Then he asked, "I have heard a lot about the wealth of the two big families. Do they also have a collection of precious Spirit Gems. I would like to buy a few more if they have."


    Kharam Khal replied, "Sir, the two families do have their own collections, but I am not sure if they would be willing to sale these assets."


    Hao Ren nodded and thanked the man before leaving the place. He could sense that Kharam Khal was defensive. One more reason that Hao Ren did not use his soothsaying or hypnosis skill was because the cunning of this old man. He was tight lipped and guarded against him. Hypnosis had a big chance of failing, but one thing had been confirmed that the two families had such things.


    The young man would be sending Yin to loot the vaults, and deal another blow to the two giants. He came back home, and Yin was waiting for him with a sword in her hands. Hao Ren took out the meteors that he bought and used his spiritual flames to melt the sword and the meteors together.


    The process did not leave any waste because of the high temperature of the flames. Within fifteen minutes, the smelting and shaping process was completed and Hao Ren used only his spiritual energy control to form the long sword which was now stronger than ever. Hao Ren inspected the blade and then showed it to Yin.


    The young girl danced with the sword in the courtyard before she said, "Baba, your flame is hot, while Ma is cold. Would this be able to withstand that?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "The extreme heat I used to smelt it had a yin energy element in it as well, so when Lingshi wields it, the blade should be fine, and increase her damage prowess."


    Yin nodded, and asked, "What about the crown?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "There is a slight change in plan. I will need you to empty out the coffers of the two families tonight. I will distract them. Can you get things done?"


    Yin smiled and nodded. The two began to ferment the plan and cover various aspects. Ye Si and Tang Zhen saw them, before the old lady said, "This kid is going to spoil the grandkids."


    Ye Si smiled and shook her head as she said, "You worry too much, aunty."


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 Chapter 353 Strike One.

    Hao Ren and Yin spent the day and the evening talking about various things and then the young man went to look for the person who needed to know that something was about to happens so that he could come up with an alibi that it was not his fault.


    The City Lord, Hua Teng received him, and then Hao Ren hinted his intentions, at first Hua Teng was shocked, he did not expect Hao Ren to have such a wild ambition. He said, "Young Master, it is dangerous for you to do such things. What if they caught you?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I do not take action when I am not confident about it, don''t worry, just be ready."


    Hue Teng wanted to say something when Hao Ren vanished from his spot. The city lord sighed and said, "What sort of person would go to contend against two big families with five Star Shattering elders in the ranks knowing the danger? Is he confident or really ignorant?"


    ...@@@@


    Hao Ren waited for the sun to go down and the crowd in the city to go reduce. He stood in the void above his house, and Yin stood beside him. They were both hidden in the cover of clouds and spiritual barriers thus they did not have to worry about being seen or sensed. The young man nodded to Yin and said, "Go."


    Yin nodded and vanished from her spot. She created a space pocket around her and entered the Xue Family estate. Hao Ren watched her with total focus using his Yin and Yang eyes. His vision had improved so much that he could see through the laws of space as well.


    Yin moved around the estate slowly, and soon she located the vault of the Xue Family and found that the metal used to make the door was too hard for her to deal with. She quickly made her way out of the estate and came back to Hao Ren. The young man frowned and asked, "What happened?"


    Yin replied, "The door of the vault is made with an element that is giving off strong Dao fluctuations, had I touched it, someone surely would notice me."


    Hao Ren frowned and said, "Give me a second to think about it."


    Yin nodded and stood beside him calmly, the young man closed his eyes and began to look at the things that he owned, and suddenly he asked, ''System, Hong is a chaos creature, right?''


    *Ding: Yes host.*


    Hao Ren smiled, and took out a box from his space ring. The pouch was actually a beast storage box. This bag was one of the system rewards for his task completion of winning the heart. The box had a life array inscribed within the spatial array to facilitate the storage of a living being. In this case, the Six Winged Blood Cicada.


    Hao Ren sank his consciousness inside the pouch and summoned a small cicada outside. The insect was only as long as his finger, but it seemed very happy after being called outside, and circled around Hao Ren at a high speed.


    Hao Ren stretched his hand and the cicada landed on his palm as it moved the wings slowly. The young man smiled and said, "Hong, I need you to go with Yin, and then eat a big door for me. Can you do that?"


    Hao Ren snorted and a strong wave of spiritual pressure erupted him and sent the old man reeling a few steps back. He said, "An old man, at the end of his lifespan, feels no need to introduce himself, so I don''t think you deserve to be respected. Now off with your motive."


    The old man clenched his fist and said, "I am Xue Yahong, the grand elder of the Xue Family. There have been a theft in my family and I am only searching for the thieve."


    Hao Ren said, "Are you someone of authority? To come at my place and search."


    The old man wanted to say something when the City Lord appeared beside them and asked, "Elder Xue, is this how a respected elder should conduct himself?"


    The old man glared at Hua Teng and the latter said, "I just received the news and I am here to help you. How about I conduct a search? Would that be okay for you?"


    Hao Ren turned to the side and asked, "City lord, are you going to embarrass me like this too?"


    The man sighed and said, "Master Hao, we need to do something about maintaining the peace in the city. I assure you that if you are not guilty, you would not be inflicted by this."


    The young man took a deep breath and sighed, "Fine, I will give you the liberty, just be done soon."


    Xue Yahong snorted and said, "Check his space rings!"


    Hao Ren appeared next to the old man and slapped him across the face directly and sent him reeling a couple of meters and yelled, "You dare to act like you own me! Believe it or not old man I will fucking remove your spine if you think that this is your family house. I live in this place only to shave a peaceful life. Understood."


    Xue Yahong and Hue Teng were shocked, they could not even see how Hao Ren slapped the old man. Xue Yahong wanted to react, and then he found himself frozen. His soul seemed to be frozen.


    Hao Ren then took of his space ring and tossed it to the city lord. The latter quickly searched through the contents and shook his head, he said, "It doesn''t have anything that belongs to the Xue Family."


    Xue Yahong turned to look at the City Lord and then he wanted to say something but the warmth that still lingered on his face made him snort and vanish from the place. Hua Teng gave the ring back to Hao Ren and bowed slightly before following Xue Yahong.


    Hao Ren went back in the house and said, "Yin, come we are going back home to check the loot."


    Yin chuckled and said, "The slap was strike one."


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 Chapter 354 Crowns.

    Hao Ren and Yin were planning to go back to the southern continent when Tang Zhen sighed and said, "Use the isolation arrays here only. If you trigger the teleportation array the fluctuation will be noticed. That old man of the Xue Family does not feel like a guy who would take his eyes away, also that slap basically challenged his dignity so the next time he gets a chance, he will use all his energy to kill you."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "Well, good suggestion. Xiao Si, power up all the isolation arrays, and Yin, darling go to the practice room and take out all that you took from the vault."


    Yin nodded and left the place quickly. Ye Si also started the arrays and the isolation was complete. Inside the practice room, the walls were inscribed with isolation and defense arrays, so it lowered the risk even more. After a few moments, Yin said, "Baba, you can check what you want now."


    Hao Ren went inside the room and found a few dozen space rings placed on the floor, and Yin said, "The treasure items were a bit too much, and using space rings could have alerted the enemy so I just swallowed them all. However, I have cleaned them up and put them back in the space rings."


    Hao Ren patted her head and shook his head as he began to inspect the space rings. Soon, he found that the Xue Family was crazy rich, and it was almost as much as the wealth of one city in the Crescent Moon Empire. These people were loaded, he took a deep breath and then took out the precious gems from the rings after ensuring they were not bobby trapped.


    He then used his spiritual flames to melt the gems and arrange them. Yin watched the scene from the side silently. Hao Ren created a basic outline of the design of the crown and fixed many different parts together. Then he picked up his sculpting and carving tools to add finer details and touches to the crown.


    The design depicted a silver and blue crescent moon, with a vermillion phoenix flying vertically above it. Hao Ren used other precious stones to form his spiritual ink and inscribe the crown with various arrays to buff defense against, physical, spiritual and soul attacks. This crown also had some capability to fend off a tribulation.


    Hao Ren did not step out of the room for two days until he completed this task. When he was done, he took a deep breath and said, "God, I had no idea it would be this tricky. Well, now that it is done, I hope Lingshi likes it."@@@@


    He stretched himself to relieve himself of the non existent stiffness and walked out of the practice room. Ye Si was standing outside, and he asked, "How is everything going?"


    Ye Si shook her head and said, "It is fine, the Xue Family people have been hanging around our place lately but nothing that we need to worry about. Sister-in-law came over to check on you yesterday but Yin said that you were in seclusion so she left after spending some time with aunty."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Xiao Si, I will make a small trip to the Southern Continent, and then we will hit the Liu family. Where is Yin?"


    Ye Si smiled bitterly and said, "She has gone to practice sword, it seems to me that she has taken a liking for that weapon."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It is a not that she likes a weapon, but she just wants me to forge a weapon for her. Daughters always compete with their mothers for their father''s love."


    Ye Si smiled and asked, "Is that so? Big Brother, I also want a pair of gauntlets. These are getting old."


    Hao Ren smiled and told her about how Yin emptied the coffers and then he covered for her. Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Don''t do something like this again."


    Hao Ren smiled but did not reply. The young lady took out a box from her space ring as well and said, "Well, I had a crown done for you as well. Although, I asked Sister Yan for the help in array inscription, the designing is done by me."


    The young man smiled and said, "Do I really have to wear a crown?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "How can my King remain uncrowned? It is not a status symbol for your power, but a manifestation that we belong with each other."


    Hao Ren shook his head slightly and held her hand as he said, "I did not discover that my wife has mastered the art of word play."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said while cupping his face with her other hand, "Well, I learned from the best."


    The two exchanged gazes and Han Lingshi leaned in to kiss him. Hao Ren also did not mind, and was embroiled in the exchange of emotions. After kissing for a few times, Han Lingshi sorted his clothes, as he did the same to her clothes.


    Han Lingshi asked, "What do you plan to do for the future? The Xue Family would definitely raise their guards against you."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "I do have my own plans, well, don''t worry about it. Also, organize a martial competition. Have Yang and the other young people compete in a healthy manner. It is important for his growth, but tell him that he will not be given the title of a prince in the eyes of the public because titles need to be earned and he can do better on his own."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Yang is not a problem, Agnee is, this kid is pestering me about advancing her realm. Please talk to her."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will take her over to the North with me. Controlled exposure to chaos is a good thing."


    As he was talking he recalled something and took out his beast pouch. He called out Xiao Hong and the little thing was still shining with golden light. Hao Ren said, "Can you have people look after him? Make sure they do not approach him."


    Han Lingshi nodded and Hao Ren said, "Xiao Hong, be good, I will come to take you back when you have finished evolving."


    The chaos beast was completing a minor evolution after his first meal. Hao Ren picked up the box and was about to open it when Han Lingshi stopped him and said, "I will call you back for the gathering, come back and I will put it on your head before everyone. They have to know the status of my king."


    Hao Ren smiled and left after nodding.


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 Chapter 355 Liu Familys Horror.

    Hao Ren went back to the northern continent and began to plan on how to damage Liu Family. He was about to go and rob them as well, but learning from the Xue families tragedy they directly sent there Star Annihilation realm experts to live and guard the vault from the inside.


    Hao Ren was thinking on how to grab a chance when Yellow came to his courtyard and reported, "Young master, the Liu family''s fleet has just returned from the Eastern continent."


    Hao Ren nodded and called for Ye Si, and instructed her, "Arrange a meeting with Liu family head. I have a big order for him as well."


    Ye Si nodded and Hao Ren took out a coin from his space ring. He looked at the golden Aztec coin in his hand and looked at Yellow, and said, "Let''s go, give me a tour of the most miserable places of the City."


    Yellow was surprised by this irregular and out of the norms request. However, he nodded and led Hao Ren out of the house. Yin followed him and asked, "Baba, where are we going?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "We are going to do a good deed. This time, stay close to me. The people from the Xue family are staring at us all day long."


    Yin nodded and picked up her pace to walk beside him. She was looking around at the marketplace curiously, and Hao Ren would ask her time and time again if she wanted to buy anything. To which the little girl would shake her head.


    After an hour of walking on the ground, they appeared at the entrance of a slum. Hao Ren asked, "Is this the place you were talking about?"


    Yellow nodded and said, "The slums are ran by the Xue Family. They collect weekly rent from these people. Almost all of them survive by doing odd jobs or menial tasks for the various organizations. Some of them have elders to look after, some of them have made mistakes in the past. While some were thrown down the spiral by the stronger opponents they faced. Some of them are just trash."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "You can take me to the most miserable person of them all. The one who has no hope to live, or to die. Someone who has no control on his fate."


    Yellow was taken aback once more, and then he said, "Five years ago, I had a subordinate who had a knack from tracking down all sorts of rare herbs for me. I made great money but one day, he came across the young miss of the Xue Family. The lady crippled his foundation, and then killed his wife. She said that Xiao Du offended her by not handing over the rare heaven and earth treasure he found."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Come, he is what I want."


    Yin looked at the people around, there were some who gazed her with ill-intention. She grasped the hilt of her sword and then Hao Ren patted her head, and said, "Yin, you cannot kill people like this. We are not tyrants."


    Yin pouted and said, "I despise these people."


    Hao Ren snorted, and that was all he needed to make the people fall to their knees. Yin recovered her calm and then they moved deeper in the slum. The place stank, it was muddy and moist. People laying in the streets even Hao Ren was confused if they were dead or alive. Yellow skillfully navigated them through the alleys, and they came to the door of a shanty house.


    Hao Ren did not mind this, but the young attendant was disappointed. On the top floor, Hao Ren was led inside a room, where a middle-aged man was sitting on a rocking chair. The two parties exchanged gazes, and the young man cupped his fist as he said, "Greetings, I have seen Family head Liu."


    Liu stood up with a template smile and cupped his fist as he said, "Greetings, Young Master Hao. I have been hearing your name everyday now."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "You are far too humble, Family head Liu."


    The two exchanged pleasantries and sat down across from each other. Family head Liu said, "If you don''t mind, I would like to call you Younger Brother Hao. After all, you are in the same realm but your age is far too young."


    Hao Ren noticed a flash of envy in his eyes and was surprised. This man was envious of his talent but did not show any ill-will. He smiled and replied, "Since, Big Brother Liu has said it. I would be shameless and accept this moniker. Shall we discuss trade Big Brother Liu?"


    Liu nodded and then Hao Ren smiled as he said, "I need your fleet to bring over two hundred men from the Southern Continent. We intend to train them in the winter."


    Liu was surprised and asked, "What do you want to train them for?"


    Hao Ren replied, "My family runs a Arena in the southern continent. The warriors of the north are comparatively stronger than those in South. This is why, my father suggested that we train our men and women here in the north."


    Liu smiled and said, "Your father is a wise man, what is his name?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Hao Lao Nansheng."


    The name basically translated to Old Boy Hao. Liu smiled and said, "I see, when my ships will leave two days later, and you are needed to pay a million spirit stones in advance."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and then nodded, "The total price is two million spirit stones. I don''t mind, but Big Brother Liu, can you make sure that the men do not suffer from motion sickness? These blokes have never been on spirit vessels."


    Liu smiled and said, "Yes, yes, we have medicine for that. It is really refreshing to do business with Younger Brother Hao."


    Hao Ren chuckled and shook hands with the man as he said, "To a successful trade."


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    The black coin in his palm touched Family head Liu and it turned black. The trap was laid and Hao Ren realized that this undying bastard Liu was trickier than he expected, but it was fun.


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 Chapter 356 Liu Familys Horror (2)

    Hao Ren walked out of the Liu Family office and then he walked with his hand behind the back. Ye Si asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied with spiritual consciousness, "Liu Tianshan is a trickster. He was digging info from me. But I fucked him over and above. I wonder what he will do when he faces the biggest tragedy of his life."


    Ye Si looked at his content expression and shivered as she said, "Brother, you have no idea how many times I have thanked the heavens that I am not born in the enemy''s side "


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I am not that awesome you know."


    The two of them moved through one street to the other and they came back home. Hao Ren suddenly stopped and said, "Well, Liu family is fucked. I am going out with my wife."


    Ye Si didn''t have the time to react when Hao Ren vanished and came to the teleportation array. The next moment he was standing on the Southern Continent, inside the Crescent Moon Palace.


    He was smiling happily and skipping his way around the palace. The staff was totally normal, there have been times when the King would transform into a total goofball. Today seemed to be no different. Hao Ren whistled his way through the whole way, and came to the study room, however, he found that Han Lingshi was in the Throne Room, she was hosting the governors of the Crescent Moon Empire from the states they have captured in the past.


    He did not mind and was about to make his way to the throne room, when he met Ye Yue, who was waiting for him with a smile on her face. Hao Ren smiled and walked up and cheerfully asked, "Xiao Yue, what''s up?"


    Ye Yue replied, "The meeting of the Governors."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I am going in."


    Ye Yue held his hand and said, "Big Brother, your wife is the Queen of the nation, please dress up appropriately."


    Hao Ren frowned and then he sighed as he said, "Okay. She left you here to keep an eye on me right?"


    Ye Yue nodded and said, "Don''t think it is for her, but your sake. You are also the sovereign of the nation."


    Hao Ren shrugged and was dragged inside his room. Ye Yue gave him a ceremonial robe and said, "This was selected by Sister-in-law. Hurry up."


    Hao Ren nodded, and he quickly changed his clothes and then he walked out of the room. Ye Yue sighed and said, "I always thought I am the best when it comes to styling, but then I see you and Sister-in-law and my confidence takes a blow. It should be illegal that you both are so good looking."


    Hao Ren chuckled and pinched her nose as he said, "Kiddo, are you teasing me now? Come, we have to shock the people."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "You praise me too much.."


    The conversations began and they all picked up pace. It turned out these people were more like a fan group that feared him and now that the fear was out of question they were just going bonkers about him. The conversations spanned from skills to mindset towards life, and then to strength and the rules. It was akin to a multifaceted chaos that exploded on his head out of nowhere.


    Hao Ren found himself overwhelmed and after a small breathing break he remarked, "I think I should have stayed the cold and murderous person that you perceived me to be. How many questions do you want me to answer? Why not increase your cultivation base directly?"


    Han Lingshi chuckled and patted his shoulder and said, "There, there, honey, don''t be like this."


    She then looked at the people and said, "The gathering will begin tomorrow, let us all finish today''s reception here. Please take some rest for the night." Read latest chapters at My Virtual Library Empire


    The people all stood up from their seats and bowed to the two of them as they left for the day. Han Lingshi waited for them to leave and waved her hand to cast a barrier around the place. Han Lingshi leaned on his shoulder and sighed, "Uff, these official gatherings are really fucked up."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "I thought you enjoyed these things."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and smacked his arm, as she said, "You think? I love my study, it is good to govern the empire from there. Can''t they meet in a less formal setting?"


    System notified, Ding: Host, your wife is very conflicted. Please help her relieve this situation.


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "Well, how about I handle this? I will arrange the gathering now."


    Han Lingshi nodded and after a few minutes, she asked, "What made you so happy today?"


    Hao Ren got excited and said, "I fucked up the Liu Family. Hahaha, that man was trying to ask me if I am the son of the Hao Family. Hehehe, he asked me my father''s name and I told him, Hao Lao Xiang."


    Han Lingshi erupted in a chuckle, "Pfft..."


    The two joked around and after a few minutes, Hao Ren took command of the gathering.


    ...


    Two days passed, and Liu Tianshan was feeling smug about how he reaped so many spirit stones from Hao Ren, however, in the morning when he came to the office, his world collapsed, Liu Tianshan coughed up blood, because he received a news that the Spirit Vessel Fleet had been destroyed by a Immortal Spirit Beast.


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 Chapter 357 Setting The Tone.

    Hao Ren placed his hands behind his back as he walked out of the throne room. He looked around and found Ye Yue walking away and called out, "Xiao Yue."


    The young lady turned around and looked at him in askance and the young man replied, "Come here, we have work to do."@@@@


    Ye Yue walked over and after a few minutes the various governors were called to gather in a pavilion at the invitation of the Wandering Dragon. At first, the situation shocked the hell out of the people. They could not fathom the fact that they have been called on to meet the Wandering Dragon alone. Hao Ren''s aura was so strong that only his mention made them think if they made any mistake.


    Hao Ren stood in the pavilion with his hands behind his back, looking at the various flowers blooming in the garden of the palace. Ye Yue asked, "What do you have in mind?"


    The young man replied, "Lingshi does not treat her work as a task, she does it because she likes it. Over the years, she has developed love for the welfare and prosperity of people. In the throne room, she was suffocated by the need to follow protocols. However, it was needed as without rules her dignity and stature would not be justified.


    So, I took it upon myself to make some changes in the arrangements. The governors are too uptight and I am calling them over to have them unwind."


    Ye Yue nodded and said, "Also, what about your expedition in the north?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "The people from the Liu family will meet a great disaster, I made sure of that. It won''t be long before I make a move towards the Hao Family. However, the Blood tower is something that I am worried about."


    Ye Yue thought for a bit and asked, "Shall I make a move against them? You know that I can handle most of them, right?"


    Hao Ren waved his head and said, "With Ye Jian and Ye Si outside, the situation here is tense. I know that you also long to go out and make a name for yourself. I promise, the day will come soon when you can move how you want but for now I hope you can protect all that we have built here."


    Ye Yue asked calmly, "Big brother, who can challenge us in the Southern Continent? We are everywhere."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "This confidence becomes the reason that takes down even the mightiest of the mighty. The enemies we defeated all had some conceit ingrained in their minds. Thus, we need to make sure that we do not make the same mistake as our opponents."


    Ye Yue nodded, and turned to look at the side and found a young man walking over. She looked at the young man and the latter bowed his head as he said, "Your Highness, they are coming over."


    Hao Ren replied, "I could have used my own skill without you, but that would have turned them into puppets and the administrators of the states cannot be without their own emotions and impressions. They need to have a working mind."


    Ye Yue nodded and said, "If that was all, may I leave?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Hmm, you can leave, I have no other task for you."


    ...


    The young man then walked around the palace, before going to his bedroom. This place was meant for him and Han Lingshi to stay together, but they have hardly spent even a day here. He changed his clothes and walked out of the palace.


    He moved through the market and then came to the alley where his small courtyard was located. He was about to enter the door of his house when Yan Xinwang caught sight of his face and called him, "Brother Hao, is that you?"


    Hao Ren turned around and greeted the man with a smile, "Big Brother Yan, yes, it is me."


    The middle-aged formation master chuckled and asked, "Where have you been? It has been so long since I saw you."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Out of town because of some surveys that fell on my shoulder. How are you and everyone else?"


    After a small talk, and exchanging pleasantries, Hao Ren got to enter his house where he found Yang and Angee sparing with each other in the courtyard, while Han Lingshi was watching them from a distance. Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire


    She waved her hand to greet him, and the young man nodded as he walked over to her side and directly took her in an embrace. The young lady was shocked, and she did not know what to say. After a few moments, she leaned in his arms and said, "Yang, take Agnee to the palace, and have Grandma Gao look at her foundation."


    ...


    Please vote with power stones and golden tickets. Your support keeps me going, I have been sick lately and need to make money so I have been working a job other than writing. I hope you all can bear with me for a few more days. I really wish I could work like I did in the past but money kills dreams. Please support.


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 Chapter 358 Moans & Groans.

    Hao Ren waited for the two children to leave the house, before he erected a barrier and kissed Han Lingshi. The young lady reciprocated his actions and the two of them began to undress each other. Soon, they made love to each other and the room echoed with moans of passion, and the bed creaked with every move they made.


    The young man took his sweet time to savor the beauty in his arms. Han Lingshi grabbed his shoulders and her nails left white marks over his skin. The storm calmed down after a couple of hours, and the young man was left panting as he lay over Han Lingshi''s chest.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "Lingshi, you have gotten so naughty."


    Han Lingshi smacked his shoulder and replied, "Aren''t you the naughty one here? I will show you who is the naughty one if you seduce me the next time. Humph."


    Hao Ren smiled faintly but did not say anything. He moved to lay down on the side, and asked, "I have talked with the Governors, and they have agreed to keep things simple."


    Han Lingshi shrugged and said, "I don''t know how much candid they will be. Well, forget it. By the way, don''t you need to go back?"


    Hao Ren turned to look out the window and said, "I think they can handle it on their own for the night."


    He turned to his side and embraced the girl in his arms and said, "I haven''t slept in a long time."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "I haven''t slept in a long time either."


    The young couple snuggled together and they fell asleep gradually. They shared a rare moment of peace between them. As they grew stronger and took on more roles, they found it hard to spend time together. They loved each other so much that they could destroy worlds to make each other smile, but they had to strive forward on their paths as well.


    Han Lingshi turned around and buried her head in his neck before she asked, "Ren, I miss you."


    Hao Ren hummed and said, "I do too. I always wish that the dictator of fate had kept things simple. How wonderful it could have been?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "How about this, find the dictator of fate and then strangle him into making things better."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Yes, I would like that, but the dictator of fate is a dumbass behind a screen with the power to define our lives. I feel very helpless before him."


    Han Lingshi was confused and asked, "What screen?"


    Hao Ren did not wish to treat her like a child, but he could not answer her question answer her question truthfully either, so he said, "The screen is a veil of heaven."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It''s alright, after all, they are worried about the people they have suppressed in the past. Let them all go. Don''t kill as we don''t need to meddle in this. I am sure the Xue Family will make a move. Let''s reap the rewards."


    The two people nodded and they made the preparations to reap benefits from the fall of a big family. The damage to the alliance would cause the Hao Family to get on the ground and damage control. Hao Ren would use that chance to handle the members of the Hao Family. On the other side, Hao Mei was going to use the same tactic to deal with the same enemy.


    ...


    Liu Tianshan led the Liu family outside the city and after a days journey, he and his entire family was surrounded. The old man looked at the people around him and said, "Old Xue, take all the wealth that I have. Just leave my family alone."


    The old man was the head of Xue family. He smiled and replied, "I didn''t expect you to act so cowardly after all these years, Old Liu. Is it because your foundation has been broken?"


    Liu Tianshan looked calmly at his opponent and said, "It is true that I lost my fleet, and grandson. However, my foundation is still strong enough to take you down with me"


    He radiated strong spiritual pressure from his body. Old Xue was shocked and he did not expect for Liu Tianshan to be alright. Old man Liu took a deep breathe and said, "Get lost."


    Old man Xue vanished, however, Liu Tianshan did not give up his guard and waved for his people to keep moving. If he gave up his guard, and Old Xue found anything, it would become a tragedy real quick.


    ...


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    While Old Xue and his people were aiming to kill Liu Family, Yin and Hao Ren were ransacking the entire city. All the big names in the Xue Family were being assassinated in the dark of the night. Hao Ren was playing the Qin in his courtyard. A full moon light and soft music echoing through the city. The sight made people calm down.


    This setting was completely not in favorable for assassinations but Yin and Hao Ren used this setting to do the unexpected. The entire upper echelon of the Xue administration were taken down and nobody noticed. All the big people of the family were taken down.


    The next morning, Xue Family members that went out to hunt the Liu family were ambushed by Ye Si and Volg. They were already tired from the battle last night, and had no chance to defend themselves. Hao Ren stopped playing the music and smiled as he saw Ye Si coming back with a smile and blood stains on her person.


    ...


    Hao Tian was practicing calligraphy as in the past two days he received the news that his allies in the two cities were doing good on business front. Just as he was about to drag the last stroke, the third elder rushed inside the room and said, "Family head, the alliance has collapsed. Xue Family and Liu family killed each other and same is the situation in the Cold Flame City."


    The brush stopped in the spot and the ink began to blot. Hao Tian shivered and clenched his fists as he yelled, "It''s all because of that Hao Xinyuan. I will kill him!"

 Chapter 359 Dance Of Sun & Moon (1)

    Hao Ren was sitting inside the house and the city lord, Hua Teng was sitting across from him and asked, "Young master Hao, what do you plan to do now that the Xue and Liu family are resolved?"


    Hao Ren did not reply so quickly and said, "What do you want me to do?"


    Hua Teng was surprised and shook his head and said, "No, young master, I cannot suggest anything like this. Please forgive me."


    Hao Ren smiled faintly and said, "You are the city lord and you should have a little ambition about controlling your city. Use your skills and subdue the city folk. This is your duty as a person who is responsible for the revival of the section in times of need. Prepare the foreground for such situations.


    As for me, I am happy to be a good husband to my wife. The rest does not matter."


    Hao Ren stated his opinion and left the city lord in a daze. Hua Teng could not understand how someone so strong and cunning would be content with just being a good husband. The two of them discussed many things together.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was walking through the bazaar in the capital. She had disguised herself and none could recognize her. She was observing the behavior of the people, listening in to their conversation to pick up things that they could do better.


    After a whole day of underground stroll, she went back to the palace, and began to write up a few experimental policies that could be used to check if the people were living a good life in the nation.


    Ye Lan came over to her and said, "Sister-in-law, the governors have all gathered for the evening tea party."


    Han Lingshi raised her left hand to check the time on the wrist watch. She sighed and rubbed her eyes as she said, "I will be there soon. Have them all seated."


    She finished writing her scroll, and handed it to Maya Okudera who was looking for her. The two of them discussed the matter as they came to the back garden where the governors were socializing with each other, and discussing various things. When Han Lingshi appeared they all bowed slightly and welcomed her with polite smiles.


    Han Lingshi sat down on the hostess chair and Ye Lan waved to the maids to serve tea for the guests. One of the Governors'' Shanguang Dai, asked, "Your Majesty, you have united the southern continent, what do you wish to do now? Would you be expanding the reign further?"


    The question shocked everyone and Han Lingshi shook her head as he said, "I have no such idea. If it were possible, I would have given it all up and spend my entire life with Ren and be a good wife to him."


    The people were surprised, and another governor asked, "Your majesty, do you mean that you are not a good wife?"


    Han Lingshi smiled faintly and then she nodded before she said, "Yes, I am somewhat lacking when it comes to supporting him. All my life, I fought alone, but ever since the moment Hao Ren was dragged in the vortex by me, it has been him, looking after me. He never questions or complains.


    The young man said, "My name is Hao Congming."


    Tark snorted and said grumpily, "I will not conduct any business with the Hao Family. Please leave."


    Hao Congming was shocked, and asked, "Elder, how did our family offend you, please tell me."


    Tark clenched his fist and his face turned red as he said, "I had great friendship with Hao Xinlong and Hao Xinyuan. After what your people have done to those two, you expect me to do business with you. Hmph, shame on me if I ever betray them."


    He turned around and mumbled, "I shouldn''t have come to this city in the first place. That bastard usurper is claiming to be the head of the family even when the head of the old head of family is alive. He will rot in hell, and karma will come for him. Swine Tian."


    Tark vanished from the place leaving behind a chain of curses. Hao Congming was shocked, as he did not expect such an ending to his effort of reeling in a customer. However, the entire city was now aware that a big spender said such words in the Iron Fortress City.


    He ran back to his shop, and found an old man sitting behind the counter. He said, "Grandpa, we have to deal with that old rich man. How dare he utter such shit against our family."


    The old man asked him about what transpired and when the young man told him everything. The old man slowly stood up and said, "I will go and find that man for an explanation. You should watch the shop."


    The young man nodded and the grandfather left the shop.


    ...


    Hao Ren was guiding Yin in her sword cultivation when he received a message from Tark, and he said, "Yin, love go, we will practice it outside the city, we have some good people coming in to teach you."


    Ye Si sighed and said, "I have informed Big Sister as well, she is ready as well."


    Hao Ren smiled and walked out of the house.


    ...


    Han Lingshi finished the gather, and came to her study, and after some thought, she decided to go to the Northern Continent to find Hao Ren.


    ...


    Stay tuned for a big chapter coming ahead. Hope you will all like it.

 Chapter 360 Dance Of Sun & Moon (2).

    Hao Ren and Yin were walking side by side, with Ye Si. Just the three of them were going to face the people from the Hao Family. These people were the ones who pledged their loyalty to Hao Tian, and so Hao Ren did not intend to keep them. He was least worried of killing these people, because in his eyes this was weeding out.


    Removing the people who corrupted the roots of the family and thus they needed to be dealt with quickly. After walking a few kilometers, Hao Ren and Ye Si sat down on two boulders, while Yin took her sword to practice silently.


    ...@@@@


    Han Lingshi appeared inside the house and looked around. She did not find Hao Ren or Ye Si anywhere. She frowned and Volg noticed her confusion. She asked, "What is going on? Where is everyone?"


    Volg bowed and replied, "Young Master has taken Lady Ye and Yin outside the city to deal with the people from the Hao Family."


    Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "Oh! Tell me the whole scene."


    Experience tales at My Virtual Library Empire


    Volg nodded and bowed his head as he told her everything. After a few minutes, Han Lingshi frowned and hummed as she moved around the living room, thinking about what to do. After some thinking, she said, "Ye Yin."


    A cloaked figure appeared from her shadow and Han Lingshi said, "I want you to go to the Cold Flame City and aid Big Sister Mei. I am sure she would also have to face assailants. Take the entire operable Shadow Task Force if you need to. Make sure they are safe and bring Yang along."


    Yin hesitated and Han Lingshi smiled as she said, "I am not a greenhouse flower. Also, Ren is here."


    Ye Yin sighed and bowed her head as she vanished. Volg let out a breath as Ye Yin vanished again, he was shocked to see the lady appear beside Han Lingshi as if a shadow materializing. Han Lingshi took a deep breath and walked out of the house. On the way she used the Heart and Soul necklace to ask Hao Ren, "Ren where are you?"


    ...


    Hao Ren was looking at a group of six people calmly when he heard Han Lingshi''s voice in his mind. He said, "Seventy Kilometers east of the Glacia City. We have a confrontation going on, I am feeling very excited."


    Han Lingshi replied, "I am also coming over, don''t you dare to act out alone."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Okay, as you command."


    Yin and Ye Si were also standing beside him and they looked tense because the six people before them were all Star Annihilation realm level experts. Hao Ren looked at the people opposite them and asked, "Are you all from the Hao Family?"


    The six men were all shocked, their gazes turned envious, and Hao Qilin said, "I will take this woman to father as a gift. He would like her a lot. Hahaha."


    Hao Ren vanished from his position and appeared before Hao Qilin. The next thing everyone saw was a protection layer before Hao Qilin that was vibrating harshly from the impact of the punch.


    Hao Qilin smirked and was about to say something when Hao Ren sorted and exerted even more strength. The impact caused Hao Qilin to fly off in the distance.


    The other people reacted quickly and they attacked Hai Ren. However they were welcomed by a bone chilling cold running through their bodies. Han Lingshi looked at them with an indifferent gaze and said, "Who the hell do you think you are to harm him in my presence? Be gone."


    The people were not fool, they retreated and regrouped with Hao Qilin, who was trying to find ground under his feet. They all looked at the two people and Hao Qilin said, "Use your battle armors and weapons. I want to see how long can these two last."


    Hao Ren chuckled and then he took out his sword, Han Lingshi also took out her sword and asked, "Shall we wait for them to put on their clothes?"


    The young man chuckled and said, "Are we really that tolerant with enemies?"


    Hao Ren swung his blade and slashed at Hao Qilin, and said, "Chaos slash".


    The slash opened a void fissure before them, and Hao Qilin was forced to take out a talisman and said "Shield come!"


    The void slash was so strong that it forced the six of Hao Qilin''s goons to lose their footing and they were almost sucked inside the void fissure. Hao Qilin clenched his fist and just as he was ready to take action, Han Lingshi said, "Crescent Moon Arc."


    A silver sword arc shot through her sword and traversed through the void before landing a hit on the spiritual energy shield. Hao Qilin shook and took a few steps back. His hands felt numb as Han Lingshi had induced a small amount of her spiritual flame in her attack.


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Do you think it is going to be hard to kill you? Lingshi, let''s show him."


    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren walked closer and held each other''s hand. A few wisps of flames emerged from their bodies and merged together into a ball of cold and hot flames above their heads.


    The next moment, they both raised their hands and pointed their blades towards Hao Qilin. The latter was also shivering pale because of the terrifying fluctuations generating from the ball of flames. Before he could say anything the ball of flames shot through the void and under the dreadful gazes of the people, the ball collided with the shield erected before Hao Qilin.


    A bright light erupted from the epicenter which was followed by a deafening noise that shook the world.


    Kaboom!!!

 Chapter 361 Reverse Scale.(1)

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi stood in the distance as they watched the attack swallow Hao Qilin and his five henchmen. Ye Si was prepared for something crazy to happen but she was still shocked. She used her spiritual power to block the shockwave from the explosion.


    Yin was standing behind Ye Si, holding her clothes. Yin asked, "What the hell is that?"


    Ye Si replied, "Whatever, it is, only the two of them can pull it off."


    Yin nodded in understanding, it was true that the attack was made possible because of the reaction between the two elements of flames.


    ...


    Hao Ren looked at the area of impact where a cloud of dust was raging and bellowed as he said, "I did not think that the young master of the Hao Family would be a weakling, what a disappointment."


    Han Lingshi sighed and replied after panting his shoulder, and said, "I understand, I also hoped he would fight for a longer duration. But what can we do?"


    Hao Ren nodded with a saddened face, and Han Lingshi smacked his shoulder and said, "Next time, hold back on the fancy name attack. Don''t kill them so soon."


    Hao Ren smiled and hugged her waist as he said, "If I entertain them so much, how would I romance with you."


    Han Lingshi snorted and said, "Glib tongue, you don''t miss me at all. How come only I contact you using the Heart Soul Pendant? You don''t ever contact me."


    Hao Ren smiled and swayed her body in his arms as he said, "I come to see you directly in the palace, why would I need soul communication? Also, aren''t you busy running the nation?"


    Ye Si was watching all this from a distance and was about to tell the couple to get a room when Yin said, "Ma, Baba, we have children here. Grow up."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were shocked and then the young man erupted in laughter and Han Lingshi buried her head in his chest. The people calmed down and then they held hands to turn back. Just then Han Lingshi froze in her steps and pushed Hao Ren away.@@@@


    The young man was caught off guard and was thrown away. All he could see was a ray of blue light shooting towards Han Lingshi. Hao Ren was shocked and yelled, "Lingshi!"


    Ye Si and Yin were also left stunned. Han Lingshi was hit by the ray of light, and then she was thrown off her feet. Hao Ren stood in his spot frozen, looking at the lady who lay on the ground as if she was dead.


    ...


    Hao Ren stood in the void, equipped with Titan Armor, and Chaos Sword on his back. He seemed like the incarnation of a heavenly soldier. Before him, seven figures appeared. All of them were old but they had great vitality radiating from their bodies.


    These were the elders of the family, one of them was the old man from the shop in the market, who chased after Tark. The elders looked around and the elder from the shop said, "Hao Ren, you are using too heavy a hand. Not all the people are bad in the clan. Please calm do..."


    Before he could complete his sentence, he saw a cold pair of gazes looking at him with utter indifference. As if he was not a living being but a pile of flesh. Hao Ren said, "You seem to be the loyalists in this shit hole. I will give you five breaths to decide if you wish to stand aside or die with those who came after my wife. I will spare none, that is an oath."


    Lightning flashed in the sky, the heavens have witnessed his oath. The elders were shocked at this resolve, and just when they were about to say something. Hao Tian appeared in the void, with first elder and the third elder.


    He glared at Hao Ren and asked, "How foolish are you to come here alone? Do you think you can walk away from this place with the warriors of Hao Family attacking you?"


    Hao Ren looked at the people and said, "Sit down if you want to live."


    There were ten Star Annihilation and Galaxy Destroying realm experts in the Hao Family. Hao Tian was the Galaxy Destroying realm entity. However, the rest of the people had a realm below Hao Ren, he used his hypnotism skill to the full limit and it caused the people to sit down in a daze.


    Hao Tian was shocked, but then he spotted a golden flicker in his peripheral vision before he fell to the ground with e loud boom. He crashed in the magnificent central palace. The impact caused the building crash down.


    Hao Ren then looked at the loyalists and asked, "What did you decide?"


    They were shocked, and under the leadership of the man who confronted Hao Ren earlier, they flew to the side and cast a barrier to prevent the people below from facing the burnt of the battle that was about to come. They did not expect Hao Ren to be this strong. The young man also did not hold back, this time, he was going to fight for his wife''s honor.


    The first elder shivered, and yelled, "Bastard, your father was the scum of the family and he gave birth to you, a seed that sucks his roots dry. You shall di..."


    Hao Ren held the old man''s throat in his grip and caused him to choke. Then he used his fingers to seal all the acupoints of the old man and used his sword to slash at the third elder. The people could not keep up with his speed or strength at all. Even the spectators were in shock and wondered what sort of monster was this guy.


    Hao Ren looked at the first elder and said, "The day you looked away from the truth and favored the easy way to gain status and fame, you were reduced to nothing but a useless old dog. I shall purify your soul so that you can face the ancestors."


    He injected Phoenix Flames in the body of the old man and burned him from the core. The old man wailed in pain as his burning body fell from the sky.

 Chapter 362 Reverse Scale. (2)

    Hao Ren did not bother to take a second look at the two elders. He was sure that some of the people among ''loyalists'' have turned traitors, but they were not his main concern at the moment. His prime focus on this visit was none other than Hao Tian. This man has been creating troubles for his family, but this time, Hao Ren was out of patience and filled with rage.


    He turned to look at the debris and asked, "So, are you going to play possum from just one hit? Coward!"


    His words did not make any splash in the calm scene. The entire Hao Family residential complex fell silent when the first elder was burned to death. They never imagined that they would face such a troublesome enemy, and more than that, this man dared to enter their home, and kill their elders.


    What was audacious?


    This was audacious.


    What did it mean to be a cultivator who defied heavens? This was what it meant. Hao Ren did not know but his act of defiance inspired many young people to strive for strength and become a better cultivator, however, that would be in the future, at the moment, they would have to stay silent and watch Hao Ren run rampant.@@@@


    The young man in the void waved his hand and moved the debris with his spiritual energy. He located Hao Tian sitting there making seals with his hands.


    Hao Ren sensed spiritual energy accumulating around Hao Tian. The young man did not say anything and just watched, his mind racing with the ideas of killing Hao Tian in the most gruesome manner, by depriving him of all means.


    After a few minutes, Hao Tian opened his eyes wide and stood up with his hair waving around, he looked at Hao Ren and said, "You dared to come into the Hao Family land, and killed the people of the family. You raised your weapon against the clansmen regardless of the blood ties. You are not worthy to be called a Hao.


    Today, I, Hao Tian, the Elder Of Justice, invoke the ancestors to judge you of your sins. You shall face their wrath."


    The man raised his right hand up in the air with his index and middle finger dripping with blood and the young man took a deep breath. The spiritual energy that was accumulated by Hao Tian, shot to the sky and then vanished in the west.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and looked at Hao Tian as he asked, "Old man, is this gimmick something that you do to delay time?"


    Hao Tian did not lose his calm and said, "I will see how you stay defiant when the elders come over."


    Hao Tian was shocked, and he asked, "If not that, then what?"


    Hao Ren replied, "You made a move against my wife. You need to die. That''s all."


    Hao Ren vanished from his spot, Hao Tian also moved, they met in the void, and their fists collided. Hao Ren did not hold back his strength, because he knew that Hao Tian was a realm ahead of him in cultivation, this time it was completely crazy, the impact caused the nearby buildings to crack up.


    The two of them retreated two steps each, and the battle picked up pace. The entire family house premise shook as they exchanged about thousands of blows. Hao Ren was precise in his actions and he pushed Hao Tian in a corner by blocking a few acupoints around his Dantian.


    By the time Hao Tian realized this, it was too late. The young man fought crazily, he moved ahead one step at a time, and his punches were doing a lot of damage to Hao Tian. The aid of the special physique boosted his strength to a level where even if Hao Tian was made of vajra, his fists would go numb on contact and if Hao Ren focused the attack in one region, it would be severely bruised.


    After five minutes of fighting, Hao Ren was very close to getting a hold of Hao Tian when a loud call disrupted his pace, "Who dares to act wild in the Iron Fortress City?"


    A dozen figures appeared in the sky, Hao Ren did not wish to waste his time, he took out his sword, and slashed it at the people repeatedly, and said, "Chaotic Void Sword."


    The blade moved so erratically that even Hao Ren could not tell the spot of the void fissures. How could these newcomers tell anything?


    Hao Ren''s motive was to delay them and intimidate them, Hao Tian yelled, "How dare you attack the City Lord? Are you going to be an enemy with the Orient Sun Sect?"


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and yelled, "I don''t care who it is, but if they stopped me from killing you today, be it gods, demons, or the heavens itself, I will kill them all!"


    His hatred for Hao Tian had reached such a level, where his eyes turned red as if orbs of blood. He did not care about anything, Hao Tian had to die, and he had to die today.


    The people shook when they heard these words. Especially the City Lord, he could tell by one look at Hao Ren that he was not a normal person. He said, "Sir, we can talk this out, you don''t have to be so rampant."


    Hao Ren looked at the City Lord with a cold gaze, and then he vanished from his position, the next moment everyone saw Hao Tian being held by Hao Ren. The young man held the former''s throat in his iron like grip, and replied, "Did you not hear what I said, city lord? Hao Tian has to die today, or I will destroy the entire city to rubble."

 Chapter 363 Dominance Of The Dragon.

    Hao Ren held Hao Tian in his grip, choking the latter, and he did not care about the experts of the Bei family or the City Lord. Hell, the man even burned the phantoms of his ancestors to go through with his act of vengeance.


    The city lord heard the young man threatening the safety of the city, and asked, "What could have Hao Tian done to invoke such rage from you? Why must you involve innocents in your games."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "If you really are unaware of his real nature, then I apologize but I haven''t seen anyone as ignorant as you. This insect dared to lay eyes on my wife, and attacked her. I will not stop until he is dead. As for the innocents in the city, it is not me who wants to harm them, but the nosy behavior of a few.


    City Lord, as long as you promise to walk away, I will not harm the city or any innocent. You can count on my prestige as the King of the Crescent Moon Empire."


    The City Lord was stunned when he heard this. Hao Ren took out a seal from his space ring and a golden dragon dashed out from it. The seal was two inches big, and had a coiling dragon carved onto it. This was a relic that Han Lingshi gave him months ago. The golden dragon was a manifestation of the National Fortune and personal potential.


    The golden dragon from the seal had reached a massive length of nine hundred ninety nine meters, and it appeared to be as thick as a mountain. Hao Ren said, "You have two breaths to think."


    The city lord thought about it, he was sure that the manifestation of the dragon was real, and he had seen it in the past when he travelled the world. He then saw the potential Hao Ren had, the young man was not even hundred years old, and yet he could strong arm one of the most reputed families of the lower north.


    This shocked him, and he said, "I agree, I will not interfere in this issue."


    Hao Ren replied, "Wise choice, Family Head Bei, I have a few debts to settle with your side as well, for aiding this maggot to infest the Hao Family. You shall stay here forever."


    The old man of the Bei family was shocked, and he replied, "Do you think you can stop me here, just because you said so, junior?"


    Hao Ren punched Hao Tian in the stomach and broke his Dantian with one hit. Then he sealed his acupoints and threw him on the ground. The impact sent a tremor in the ground, and then Hao Ren turned around to look at Family Head Bei calmly, and said, "Yes. I will stop you because I said so."


    As he said this, old man Bei laughed and replied, "You think just because you can defeat this power hungry fool, you can have your way with me? You are a bit too green child. The Blood Tower was informed of the situation and soon they will arrive, then I will see what you can do. Hahaha, now that you have crippled Hao Tian, the Hao Family is settled for. I will give you an advice, take the small win and run."


    Hao Ren sighed and looked at the old man as he asked, "Old Man, you think I cannot hold off the Blood Tower?"


    Old Man Bei chuckled and so did the rest of his family members, they thought Hao Ren was just joking, however, the young man was unfazed. He stood in the void, with his back straight as a spear, and he held the sword in his hand, waiting for the so called Blood Tower to attack him.


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    Old Man Bei shivered and said, "I agree. You will have to take an oath that you will not harm my family."


    Hao Ren smirked in the helmet and said, "The weak have no right to negotiate. Since you have decided to agree to the proposal, that means you have surrendered your lives. Call your Grand Elder, and I will send you on your way."


    Old Man Bei''s mental walls had collapsed when Hao Ren used the Lion Steps, and made him accept death. Now, under the usage of the hypnosis skill, Old Man Bei took out a talisman and said, "Come to the Hao Family, soon."


    The talisman burned and vanished. Followed by this, the young man watched the family head toss his space ring to the elders gathered behind him, and said, "Be honest later, do not seek revenge or you will cause the family to suffer. This is my final command."


    The elders all had emotional faces. They did not expect such a thing when they came to this place today. It seemed as if the sky came down crashing on their heads, however, they had no choice but to bow their heads and accept the reality.


    A streamer of light appeared on the horizon and it appeared next to Old Man Bei. The latter looked at the newcomer and said, "Ninth Uncle, I apologize for the choice I made."


    The grand elder was not weak, and he was able to hear all the things that happened here from a distance, and he patted the family head as he said, "The strong begets respect. Had we been in his position, we would have been even crueler. You did the right thing. The survival of the family is a big concern."


    As he said this, he turned to look at Hao Ren and said, "You may do what you want. I hope you keep your word."


    The young man nodded and said, "I will. Go in peace."


    He waved his fingers and an invisible force stabbed two holes in the brains of the two people directly killing their immortal souls. He said to the elders of the Bei family, "Give them a good burial. They redeemed their glory in the final breath. The act of sacrifice is supreme and above all else."


    The elders shivered and they carried the two bodies back to the Bei Family. Hao Ren looked at Hao Tian, who was laying on the ground with his eyes open in a daze. His cultivation was ruined, and all the things that he was proud of were erased as if they were insignificant.


    The disparity between the two sides was so big that his understanding of the world shattered. Hao Ren picked him up by his hair, and said, "In a few days, Hao Xinlong will come back home with Hao Xinyuan, my father. I hope you all know what to do, or I will come again and this time, I will keep my words and make you cowards regret living."


    He vanished and the pressure on the throats of the people vanished too, as they sighed, and held Hao Ren''s dominant display in their hearts.

 Chapter 364 Hao Tians Fate.

    Hao Ren flew across the void holding the half dead Hao Tian in his hand. His eyes were no longer cold, he was driven with guilt that had he used his strength earlier and directly killed Hao Tian, Han Lingshi wouldn''t have suffered like this. The young man reached the Glacia City within a few minutes.


    He landed directly in his courtyard, the entire city was under his shadow control. He tossed Hao Tian on the ground and said, "Uncle Xinlong, he is your captive, just keep him alive."


    He located Han Lingshi in his room and dashed over to see her.


    Inside the room, Han Lingshi was laying on the bed with her eyes closed, her breathing was stable and deep. She seemed to be sleeping. Hao Ren approached her and put his hand on her wrist to take a pulse and Yin appeared on the side. She said, "She woke up a few minutes ago, but her spirit is completely exhausted and over taxed."


    Hao Ren nodded and heaved a sigh of relief, he looked at the Heart and Soul pendant was cracked. He said, "The pendant had a soul guarding feature. This is why her soul was not harmed. However, she was completely drained as a result. Now, this mean of communication between us is broken, I need to forge a new pendant for her."


    Yin nodded and Hao Ren said, "Go and watch over Hao Tian. Don''t let him die, I will handle him after Lingshi recovers, I am taking her to the south. Mei will deal with the situation here."


    Yin nodded and said, "Ye Yin is angry that this happened, Assign her some assignment to kill people so that she can vent it out or she might go crazy."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "I will see to it when I go there."


    The young man picked up Han Lingshi in his arms, and then he walked to the teleportation array. He took a step forward and appeared in the Crescent Moon Palace. The young man walked through the path slowly with his wife cradled in his arms. The palace staff saw the scene and were shocked, because the Holy Moon Queen was a goldy entity for them. Watching her in this state caused great discomfort to them and the word spread around like a fire in dry grassland.


    Hao Ren did not mind, because he held himself guilty in some corner of his heart. He brought Han Lingshi to the master bedroom, and settled her on the bed. Soon, Maya Okudera, Ye Yue, and the rest of the big shots came inside to see her. Hao Ren did not stop them, and calmly said, "I overlooked somethings in a dangerous situation. This is on me, but she is not hurt, her spiritual energy is just exhausted."


    The people heaved a sigh of relief, and Ye Yue said, "Alright, everyone, go and let her rest."


    Her word held a significant sway, the people left, and she asked, "Are you okay, Big Brother?"


    His skin was filled with wrinkles, and his eyes were bagged, apparently the man was dehydrated and sleep deprived. Hao Ren took a chair and sat down outside the cell. He looked at Hao Tian and noticed that his jaw and other joints were dislocated. He asked, "Did you try to commit suicide like a coward that you are?"


    Hao Tian did not react, but Hao Ren snapped his fingers and said, "Tell me about the conjectures that you have about the upper realm of strength."


    Hao Tian was hopeless and controlling his mind was an easy thing. Hao Ren waved his hand and the dislocated jaw was put back in place. Hao Tian spoke in a hoarse voice, "It is said that there is no end to cultivation then how can we just stop at the peak of the galaxy destroying?


    What I do not understand is that even though the names are planet shattering and Star annihilation, the strength of a person at the peak of these so-called high levels of cultivation is still not enough to see through the clouds. We can never move to the world of stars and see what really lies there. Yet we have such domineering names. What is the point? Don''t you think that we still have a lot to find out and to learn?"


    Hao Ren raised his brow and began to think about it, although it sounded like Hao Tian was delusional, but it was something that provoked the logical people to think. Had they been creatures bound by limits that this cultivation would have declined a long time ago.


    Hao Ren thought about it and asked, "System, what do you think? Is it possible that the realms we know are not the peak of it?"


    Ding: Host, the question you asked is too shallow. There are different laws in different worlds, if you wish to know what is what, then why don''t you read through the journals in the system shop? Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire


    Hao Ren frowned but then he began to think and search through the system store. However, just then he stopped and waved his hand to unlock the door of the cell, and fixed all the dislocated joints and said, "Come along with me."


    Hao Tian stood up and followed him outside the cell. Hao Ren took the man to the square in the court, he waved to the guard and said, "Bring me a whip."


    The guard was confused but he bowed and dashed away quickly. Hao Ren pointed at the center of the spot and said, "From now on, you will come here daily, whip yourself a hundred times, and clean the place spotless when you are done, before you take meds to heal your wounds.


    You will do this till the day you beg me for death, and till then you will beg for whatever you need to stay alive. While doing all this, you will stay conscious but you will not stop."


    The guard returned with the whip and Hao Ren left the place, leaving behind a groaning Hao Tian, who was glaring at the young man with a rageful expression, as his consciousness had just woken up and the last bit of rebellion in his spirit was burning brightly.

 Chapter 365 Crazy World.

    Hao Ren was sitting in his room and his eyes were closed. He was reading a book that explained how this world worked. The more he read the shocked he became. It turns out that there are many such worlds floating or moving around each other.@@@@


    For example, the Blue Star and the Spirit Shimmering Continent. They were both separate realms in the ancient times, until they collided and became one, separated by a dimensional camouflage. Hao Ren also read about the strength levels, and was stunned. In comparison to the complete cultivation chart in his mind, his real realm appeared to be that of an ant.


    Hao Ren asked, "How were you going to make me Omnipotent when I am not even qualified to look at the realms above this?"


    The system did not react, Hao Ren took a deep breath and asked, ''System, tell me what do you have to say for yourself?''


    The system replied, *Ding: Host, Before you could take a step ahead, you need to have a base where you can come back and rest. This is your house, and your wife will forge her own way from now on. In the meantime, you can take step in the higher realm as well.*


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and asked, ''Before I can make a splash in those realms, I need strength and I need information. What I found from those journals only told me what it is, and not how it all works.''


    *Ding: Then why not use the vouchers that you have been hoarding for all these years? Who knows their might be something hidden in there?*


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "No, I don''t trust you or that fucking author sitting outside. That bastard would find a way to fuck up my story again. I am not touching those damned things until I am sure that the reward is something beneficial. In this world, I don''t have any requirements left."


    *Ding: Or, why not combine them all together and you will get a sure chance to find out about the things in the upper realm?*


    Hao Ren was too scarred, he did not trust the system and the two went on a war of negotiation, but Hao Ren had learned so well that he screwed with the system and made it accept his terms. The young man was no longer powerless, he directly stated a fact that forced the system in a tight corner.


    ''If you do not wish to work on my terms then I can go on to spend ages here, and while I might be forced to do tasks by you, it wouldn''t bother me, as you exist to make me an Omnipotent husband and that''s all. You will fail your purpose if I died in some task and the story ends.''


    The system almost wished it could materialized in a human form and spank the ass of the host. However, the author did not allow for that, at least not at the moment. The system finally said, *Ding: Fine, in exchange for all your vouchers, and items you will be given a chance that will sure expose you to the depths of the upper realms.*


    Hao Ren agreed and then he exchanged all the vouchers he had on his inventory. The system said, *Ding: The moment you break through to the Galaxy Destroying realm, you will have your opportunity laying before you.*


    Hao Ren felt that he was tricked, he tried to call out to the system multiple times, but nothing worked. The young man threw a silent tantrum and went to the kitchen. He began to cook like a man possessed and shocked the people. Finally when he was questioned by Ye Lan, he said it was a feast for the people of the city.


    This sounded tricky to him but he had to do what he had to do. Time passed very quickly, it took him over seven months to reach the threshold where breakthrough was in vision. He vanished from his place and appeared outside the palace.


    Sure enough, the sky was filled with thick dense tribulation clouds. Hao Ren could not take them inside the city without causing damage to the world, and directly ran outside the city. Han Lingshi and the rest of the experts all appeared in the void and saw the scene.


    It did not matter how far away the people were from the capital, but as long as they were on the southern continent, and had a realm base above Dao Integration, they could sense the tribulation.


    ...


    Hao Ren stood under the clouds and closed his eyes as the lightning smite him hard. However, his special physique did not react, it was as if a mosquito biting him. It only left some redness on his arms and the rest of the body was fine.


    His physique was an enemy to the heavenly tribulation lightning. He absorbed all the energy as if a heave duty power cell. The tribulation changed the landscape outside the capital and shocked the people completely. They have never seen such a terrifying tribulation in their lives. Hao Ren was the first person to step in the Galaxy Realm in the southern continent.


    ...


    Han Lingshi said, "Ye Yue, can you send some people over there later on? Try to restore the landscape as much as they can. That rocky area was strategically a good place for us. We cannot have it all levelled down like a parking lot."


    Ye Yue nodded and with a faint smile and said, "I will see to it, Sister-in-law. By the way, what shall we do about the blood tower?"


    Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Ye Yue replied, "I mean to say, how about we wait for the snake to raise its head and then kill it? I mean, if we send in people there is a big chance that we would walk in traps. Not everyone is as scary as Big Brother."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "I agree with you, well fine, tell Big Sis Mei to stay on toes against them always and not to expand forces to prevent any infiltration."


    Ye Yue nodded, and then everyone watched Hao Ren going through the tribulation. After a few minutes, when the tribulation ended, suddenly a fiery streak appeared in the sky. At first it appeared to be a comet, and then it became an asteroid and finally a massive rock flew over the city at a great speed leaving behind a trail of flames and smoke. Han Lingshi yelled, "Turn on the defence array now!"


    Boom!!

 Chapter 366 Alien Invasion.

    Hao Ren had just finished the tribulation and was changing his clothes when he saw a huge meteor flying over the city at a high speed and then huge shockwave caused the world to shake. He could visibly see the ripple in the void. He dashed towards the city and thankfully found the city barrier holding on under the tough condition.


    He looked at Han Lingshi who was instructing everyone to check various aspects, and said, "I am going ahead to check the situation at the epicenter."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then Hao Ren whoosed away. His speed was very fast. He came least thousand kilometers away and found that the wilderness was hugely affected and the sky was covered with smoke. He frowned, if this smoke flew over to the capital or some other region it would spell a disaster.


    He made a few seals with his hands and the wind began to circulate around him. The smoke which was spreading around was gathered in one place. Then Hao Ren guided it all in streams and plunged the smoke in a shallow water pit a few kilometers away. Then he used his fire control to get rid of the fire that was swallowing the forest like a hungry demon.


    He then found a two hundred meter wide rock embedded in the floor. However, just when Hao Ren was about to move, he was shocked. He sensed vital energy radiating from the stone. He could not understand what was going on so he first made a quick circle around the rock and used his Yin and Yang eyes.


    Under the inspection he noticed an intersection of lines running all along the rock, and they were absorbing spiritual energy. He was sure that it was not a normal rock, but what kind of thing was it? He waved his hand and created an isolation barrier around the rock. The lines that were glowing from the absorption of energy began to fall dim, and gradually vanish.


    Even under the inspection of the Yin and Yang eyes Hao Ren could not see anything. The young man frowned and decided to wait what would happen next. As he waited for a couple of hours, Ye Jill appeared beside him.


    Hao Ren asked, "How are things there?"


    Ye Jill said, "Before the impact, the palace was put above the ground level, and the experts were dispatched to protect the elders and the childrens. Their have been some structural compromises, that''s all."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and asked, "Anything major?"


    Ye Jill shook her head and asked, "What is going on with this thing?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "It was absorbing spiritual energy through small ley lines on the surface, and I isolated it. It has been silent since then."


    Hao Ren put back his sword and took out a talisman. He said, "I will summon my people over, they will take you and your master to a safe space, at the same time, is there a way for you to reduce the size of this vessel? I am sure that the ley lines are inlaid with shrinking runes."


    The robot was left speechless, Hao Ren liked this fact and said, "What? Do you think that humans do not have any knowledge of how things work?"


    The robot shook his head and replied, "Well, you have certainly surprised me by figuring out this much in such a brief duration. I agree to cooperate with you, but you have to take a blood oath. I cannot lead you to my master without any guarantee. If you refuse to go along, you can use force to destroy me and spend the rest of your life and try to get through to the master chamber doors. However, you would be wasting your time, and my master is strong enough to erase this piece of land from existence even when she is injured."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "I will only take the blood oath of helping you and that is all." Stay connected via My Virtual Library Empire


    The robot agreed and the young man took an oath. Then he used the talisman and summoned Ye Lan, Ye Yue and Ye Peng. The three appeared very quickly with their battle armaments on. The trio asked, "Big Brother, your commands?"


    Hao Ren told them what transpired and how he needed them to keep an eye on this robot. The robot did not say anything but observed the trio with its glassy eyes. Hao Ren really wanted to open up the parts and see how this guy was working.


    It did not take long for them to move the robot who was carrying a fist size stone in his palms to the palace. Han Lingshi came over to Hao Ren, and she first ran her gaze all over and the young man blushed as he said, "Wife, there are so many people here."


    The tigress empress smacked his shoulder and asked, "How dare you swear a blood oath? What if these people are enemy? What will we do? Do you remember that you are the Emperor here?"


    Hao Ren scratched the back of his head and said, "Well, I did say that I will not harm them till they do not harm us. That counts as insurance, no?"


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and said, "For your sake, it should be like that. Or see how I will have you kneel on thumbtacks."


    Hao Ren shivered, before Han Lingshi said, "Come, let us see what this guy is."


    The young man nodded and looked at Ye Yue, "Seal the news of what happened today, completely. The blood tower might be coming over to seek trouble if they find out about it."


    Ye Yue nodded and left the place while Hao Ren and Han Lingshi went to the isolated wing to find out more about the robot.

 Chapter 367 Power Leveling.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi came to a secluded garden where only the robot and the Ye Generals in the palace were. Hao Ren said, "Can you people go back to your guard duties? Or do you need me to drop you over?"


    The Ye Generals revealed a bitter laughter and then they left. This was the first time they all came across a spirit puppet that was capable of such speech. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi approached the robot, and Hao Ren took note of its appearance for the first time.


    The robot was five feet seven inches tall, and the body was white in color. The limbs were black, and in the center of the chest there was a circular piece of metal that radiated strong spiritual energy. Hao Ren looked at the glassy eyes of the bot and said, "Can you tell me what is going on now?"@@@@


    The puppet sighed like a human and said, "We belong to the Cosmo Sapiens world. The people there rule over solar systems and not pieces of lands like this one. It is too shallow. My master was the scion of a powerful family, that ruled over seven planets, and was called, Titus Family.


    However, a rival family started a war and my master suffered the loss of her family. In the end, she wanted to perish along with her family, but her father sent her way on the life port. He also assigned me to look after the master."


    The young man took a deep breath and said, "Continue."


    The robot replied, "We came to this world to hide till my master can recover her strength and go back to avenge her family. We really have no ill-will towards your people."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "So, where is your master?"


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    The robot replied, "She is comatose inside the ship. I would like to exchange some tools and technological information with you in return for some medicinal herbs and also a safe space for her rest."


    Hao Ren said, "I have medical skills, if you can let me see her I will prescribe better herbs, after all, there must be differences in both worlds, and for technical exchange, my tech minister will find you."


    The robot thought about it and Han Lingshi said, "You can trust him. While the rest of us have not taken any oaths, he has, as long as you do not harm him or the people around him, you won''t have to worry about anything."


    The robot nodded and expanded the ship into a structure as big as a war chopper; the space rock was now covering twenty meters of the garden. Hao Ren looked at Han Lingshi and said, "Call over Xiao Mei. She will record and decode this knowledge."


    Han Lingshi nodded and used a small jade stone to contact Xiao Mei while Hao Ren was headed back inside the spaceship. This time he noticed canons embedded in the walls as he moved deeper. He felt lucky that he did not rush to take action earlier, because even if he was sure of his skills, it would not be easy to breach in.


    The robot led him through a long corridor but Hao Ren could see that it was just walking through different corridors so that he could not detect much about the spaceship. While walking Hao Ren asked, "How far is your world from here? The enemies, can they not track you here?"


    The robot replied, "The specific distance of the two worlds is not known to me, only the master knows about the route, and no, the enemy cannot find us here because we have taken enough precautions."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "Precautions only delay the enemy, it will never solve them completely. Do you think that they cannot think about the precautions that you might have taken? They are stronger than you, and that means it is not only power but intelligence as well."


    The robot looked at Hao Ren and said, "You don''t seem like it but you are quite intelligent."


    The lady nodded and Hao Ren condensed his spiritual energy into a thread that wrapped around her wrist. Hao Ren closed his eyes and took her pulse before he said, "The internal organs are damaged and so are the meridians. Your spiritual energy attribute seems to be limited because of the world laws probably. Also, your soul is hurt. Is that correct?"


    The lady was surprised but she nodded and then Hao Ren said, "We can cure you but it will take a long time."


    The lady replied softly, "I do not mind that."


    Hao Ren then led her outside the ship with the robot pushing the wheelchair. Han Linsghi was surprised to meet the lady, but then Hao Ren entrusted the lady with her as he didn''t wish to have too much connection with her.


    After this was done the young man looked at the robot and asked, "You were going to give me something in exchange."


    Jalo looked at the lady who looked at Hao Ren and Han Lingshi and took out a helmet from her space ring. The lady was called Amber, and she said, "This helmet can connect you to a virtual world that is used by many top civilizations to gather, communicate and trade. This is also used for getting stronger by exchanging knowledge for treasures. Depending on what you can offer this world, you will get the benefits."


    Hao Ren held the helmet and gave it to Xiao Mei and said, "Run the tests, and see what you get."


    However, the lady said, "You cannot. That helmet recognizes only one owner, and it cannot be forged here, you need the Galacta Formation Council to authorize it."


    Hao Ren was skeptical and said, "Fine, I will believe you, but we want other information that you have. I am not sure if the information in the virtual world would be for free, so I hope that you agree."


    The lady said, "I do, but only one point per treatment."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "This is a low realm, if you have the patience, then after treatment my wife will be asking you questions regarding a lot of things."


    Amber smiled and replied, "It is not a big deal, I will tell you what I know. However, please remember that ours is a relation of convenience so we should be cordial."


    Han Lingshi smiled, "Don''t worry, we will not harm someone who can be helpful to us."


    Amber was taken to a special room by Han Lingshi, and Xiao Mei. Hao Ren looked at the helmet in his hand and he moved to his own room before putting it on his head.


    A voice sounded in his mind, "Please enter the sleep state to access the Pandora Helmet."


    Hao Ren was surprised and fascinated by this name and object, before he closed his eyes and fell asleep. The next moment, he found himself standing in a starry space, and a little dragonfly sized figure flying around him. He asked, "What is this?"


    The dragonfly replied, "This is Pandora, the world of miracles. Are you ready? Please assign your name."


    The race of power leveling began.

 Chapter 368 Pandoras World.

    Hao Ren was standing in the void of Pandora world and he gave himself a name, translated version of Wandering Dragon.


    The mechanical voice sounded, ''Name has been selected, scanning your body for a better model update. You can ask me any question that you want to.''


    Hao Ren asked, "What is this place?"


    The voice replied, ''A place where the beings of upper realms come to meet and dwell. The helmet that you are using to access this world is an artifact that can only be forged by the Galacta Formation Council.''


    Hao Ren realized that this Ai was not very good at interpreting the questions so he asked, "Can you tell me what the Galacta Formation Council is?"


    ''Galacta Formation Council was formed by the seven strongest races in the three thousand major worlds. It is a location where the renowned masters come to provide services or to share the knowledge of the path of formations with the younger generation.''


    Hao Ren asked, "Are there other such councils?"


    The Ai replied, "There are Galacta Supplies, Galacta Hospitals, Galacta Refiner Council, and finally Galacta Adventurer Council."


    Hao Ren then went on to ask about the various specifications of the councils and found a network of interconnected organizations that provided people with a platform to move ahead and also made profit. This exposure strengthened their already strong foundations and helped them promote their reputations to various scapes.


    Hao Ren asked, "How are the races classified in the world?"


    The AI replied, "There are three thousand major races, and three thousand minor races. You are humans, one of the lowest among the three thousand minor races. The classification is based on average personal cultivation realm."


    Hao Ren asked, "Taking my cultivation as a base, tell me about the realms that lay ahead and also the classification of the races simultaneously."


    The Ai replied, "Command accepted, Dao Dust is the next realm that you need to overcome. Followed by, Dao Land, Dao Sky, Dao Being, and Dao World. The races with these realms as their average potential are categories in the low to mid of the three thousand minor laws.


    Earth Being, Earth Overlord, Earth King, and Earth Emperor, are the top and bottom of the higher tier of the Minor Three thousand races and the major three thousand races respectively. Finally comes the Heavenly cultivation realms, those are the top fifty of the Major races but the differences are much more complicated."


    Hao Ren replied, "I know what I need to know at the moment. Can you tell me how I can get stronger in this world and what I do?"


    The AI replied, "Sir, with all due respect, your realm is too weak to survive in the realm outside this white training space. I suggest that you sit down, analyze a few of the cultivation techniques, and train to a higher realm."


    Hao Ren did as he was recommended, and sat down on the ground with his eyes searching for the various techniques that were told by the AI. Soon enough, information began to pour in his mind and he began to study.


    Hao Ren nodded and Amber shook her head and replied, "You can only do it in the presence of extreme yin and yang. If not, you will die without knowing what is going on."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Lingshi, we will soon be getting stronger, now you need to hold back and get your realm through."


    Then he looked at Amber, and said, "I will get your pills ready in a few minutes."


    Amber was surprised, and Hao Ren left the place quickly, and came to the refining room and began to refine pills, when the latter was asking Han Lingshi, "Did I offend him?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "No, it is normal, he is like that."


    Hao Ren sent back the pills that Amber needed and Han Lingshi left her to rest. Amber looked at the closed door and waved her hand to seal the room with a spiritual barrier and said, "Jalo, what did you tell them about us?"


    The robot replied truthfully, and the lady asked, "What do they want?"


    She was surprised to find that these people only sought knowledge, and how Hao Ren did not even stay in the same room when she was awakened. She found that the people here did have a sense of integrity, and while she was transported through ways that were secretive, it was understandable.


    She looked at the pill bottle in her hand and consumed one, surprisingly the effect was good, and she commented, "Good pill." Enjoy new adventures from My Virtual Library Empire


    Then she closed her eyes to cultivate and try to use the pill energy to repair her damage.


    ...


    Xiao Mei and Han Lingshi were discussing various things that they could do, and Hao Ren was listening on the side. Han Lingshi asked, "What is going on?"


    Hao Ren said, "Before anything else, we need to bring up the cultivation level of everyone to a higher level. We cannot be strong alone, but only collectively can we break the bounds of the world''s laws."


    Then he began to describe what he heard in the Pandora World, and Han Lingshi and Xiao Mei were shocked, but then their eyes began to sparkle and the former said, "We shall do this. I will publicize the high level techniques soon."


    The young man thought about it and nodded, and said, "Tell the people to go out and seek adventure that can change their lives. They will not grow strong in places where they are treated like green house plants. Also, tell them beforehand that the rise in strength means a delay in reproduction."


    Han Lingshi thought for a bit and nodded when she heard his words, they were facing the same situation, and thus it was in favor of telling the people the truth. Hao Ren said, "Tell the news to the people, but censor it, and have the Shadow Guard kill that fucking blood tower and any organization like that."


    The Pandora world opened a new window for them and it brought a lot of changes with it.

 Chapter 369 Path Of Strength.

    Han Lingshi called in all the elders of the various sects, and held a meeting. The meeting caused great shock among the southern continent populace. They all could not understand what was going on with this sudden meeting. Some people speculated that the Crescent Moon Palace have had enough and they wanted to consume the sects.


    While some people suggested that the Empress wanted to select the best school for the younger generation of the palace youth.


    In the meeting room, the discussion was completely different. Ye Yue stood beside Han Lingshi, who sat on a high throne, dressed in her formal attire, while the rest of the big sect masters or grand elders were sitting on the chairs for the courtiers.


    Han Lingshi said calmly, "I thank you all for coming over at such a short notice, and I would like to clear one thing from the get go. We have no intention of intervening with your sects. This council is gathered to share knowledge and information which will play a vital role in the future."


    The elders were somewhat relieved but at the same time they became curious as to what this young lady has to say. One of the visitors asked, "What is it that you wish to discuss with us, Your Majesty?"


    Han Lingshi looked over at everyone and then asked, "Can you tell me what do you know about the existence of other worlds?"


    The people were surprised, and exchanged gazes, before one of them said, "I was aware of a world of mortals attached to the southern continent. It is probably called Blue Star. Apart from that, I have no idea."


    A few more people nodded and expressed of knowing the same. Han Lingshi nodded and looked at Ye Yue as she said, "Tell them what we have found out over the past few days."


    Ye Yue took a step forward and everyone was gazing at her. She said, "There are other worlds in the universe, and there are many that are significantly stronger than us...."


    She went on to tell them about the situation, while many of the people were skeptical, when Ye Yue told them about the information they found from Amber and Jola, they were shocked. However, they were still very skeptical. At this moment, Hao Ren appeared in the court, and flicked his hand at the people sitting on the chairs. He said, "These books have some fundamental techniques that you can ask those undying old ancestors of your sects to practice and tell you the results."


    The people were taken aback, and then they bowed, because they could tell from Hao Ren''s aura, that this young man was now the strongest entity on the Southern Continent. Power begets respect, and that''s what was going on here.


    The council continued and Hao Ren divulged a lot of information to these once top forces. He did not hide anything when it came to cultivation and said, "I only want you all to ensure that the younger generation of your sects shall be stronger than yourself. In the next twenty years, the average cultivation realm of a person should reach the planet shattering realm. For that, do what is necessary, cultivate resources together and seek competition but increase the level."@@@@


    Han Lingshi finished addressing the masses and then she headed back to the study room, where she found Amber waiting for her with Jola beside her. The former asked in surprise, "Is there anything that you need?"


    Amber shook her head and said, "I wished to converse with you, if that is alright?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "How about we move to the garden, the sun is about to set and the view there is very nice."


    Amber nodded and Jola pushed her wheelchair as Han Lingshi walked on the side. The lady in the chair asked, "May I ask why does your husband wants to cultivate to a higher realm?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "Only he knows that but if you ask me, I will agree to him. After all, initially we were forced in this world by our parents, but now I want to see where the limits lie."


    Amber shook her head and said, "Do you really think that the stronger races would allow your growth? There are races, where an infant is born with a force strong enough to erase a planet."


    Han Lingshi shrugged and said, "I know, but it would not be something that can become the deterrent to our own growth. Cultivators defy heavens to seek immortality, let alone some races that are blessed to be strong."


    Amber was surprised to look at Han Lingshi who was asking a maid on duty to bring over some spirit tea. The former asked, "I can tell that your husband is getting stronger very quickly these past few days, what about you? I have not seen you cultivating."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Are you confessing that you are keeping an eye on us?"


    Amber smiled slightly and shook her head, as she said, "I feel that your husband loves you a lot, why so?"


    Han Lingshi shrugged and asked, "I don''t know, but he does love me, and I will catch up to him later, but right now, I have to stabilize the power dynamics of this new world that lays ahead of us."


    Amber nodded and remarked, "The diversion of responsibilities, that is a good thing." Enjoy new chapters from My Virtual Library Empire


    The two began to to talk about various things that were needed to make a stronger country.

 Chapter 370 World Suppression, Holy Moon To Rescue.

    Three months have passed, and the cultivation level of the people in the Crescent Moon Empire was growing stronger at a terrifying pace. They were pouring in resources and proper guidance to aid the people. Amber was stunned, she could not predict this earlier.


    The resources were being cultivated and they were given to the people who made achievements and deemed themselves worthy of it. It was not that Hao Ren or Han Lingshi alone were moving forward, but even the people of the nation were following them.


    The technological advancements were also something that left a mark in the world. Han Lingshi focused on her cultivation while Xiao Mei directed the trade and influence colonization on the eastern and the western continents. In a couple of months, the two continents have been overtaken by the trends of the south.


    As for the north, it was a steep battlefield where the Ye Generals were posted for training. Ye Jian had finally stepped through the threshold of Planet shattering realm cultivator and his sword attainments have risen to a level where everyone called him Sword Saint Ye. All this happened in just a few months.


    Today, Hao Ren had just came out of his secluded cultivation and was walking around the palace. Han Lingshi was still in seclusion so he could not do anything about it. His parents had gone to the north to help Hao Xinlong with things and also to get stronger by facing enemies.


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    Hao Mei had started moving against the Oriental Sun Holy Land, and she was being very thorough about it. With the Ye Generals with her, the small force she commanded, it was enough to make waves all over the Spirit Shimmering Continent.


    ...


    Hao Ren came to the back garden and found, Yin practicing her sword with a smile on his face. Yang was sparring with Yin and they both seemed to be in a stalemate. Agnee on the other hand was meditating with her eyes closed, she had reached the initial realm of spirit gathering realm, and they all were learning under the tutelage of Ye Jill.


    Han Lingxue, Han Lingshi''s cousin was now a part of the golden coats. They moved around the country and dealt with those who pursue the demonic routes of cultivation.


    Amber was pushed over by Jalo in her wheelchair. Her injuries were not simple, and they needed a long time to heal. However, her complexion looked a little better. She asked Hao Ren, "How come you are wandering about, Lord Wandering Dragon?"


    She has pegged him to be the cultivation maniac and did not expect him to come out of cultivation so soon. In the past few months, their connection has also improved.


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I was looking for my wife, but this lady is also in seclusion so I cannot just go and disturb her flow."


    Amber smiled faintly and said, "I am fairly old, and I have seen a lot of people betraying their loved ones for various reasons. I have seen men betraying the so called loves of their lives for a prostitute, and I have seen women betraying their knights in shiny armors for some feeble kings.


    Amber told her something while Hao Ren was levitating in the void. Suddenly, chains made of spiritual energy appeared in the void around Hao Ren and grappled around his body like snakes.


    Amber said, "Now!"


    Han Lingshi appeared in the void and looking at the sky she roared, "How dare you!"


    Her roar shook the void, the lands, and most importantly the heavens. The world laws were made by these three elements and these elements were stunned when Han Lingshi''s voice resonated with them.


    Han Lingshi took out her sword and the golden dragon of national fate condensed around her. The heavens thundered, as if enraged at her insolence. However, the lady was not deterred, she roared, "Why have you set these bounds upon us when we are willing to go through your tribulations? Since when have the world''s laws become these cruel?"


    The entire firmament seemed to shiver in rage. The winds picked up pace and the ocean began to rage, swallowing the coasts. Han Lingshi roared once more, "Shut up, you weakling! You dare to suppress us so that you can stay hidden from the upper races. Then why do you even exist? Under the heavens every being has a fair chance to break the shackles and move closer to Dao. Today you are suppressing him, and tomorrow, you will have to suppress every living being. Do you think you can take that kind of strain?"


    At this moment, the golden dragon behind her roared in defiance. The people who had gathered outside the palace, and all over the city also roared, "Yes! We will not give up."


    This was what Amber had told Han Lingshi, igniting the spirit of the people, and the two elements that were necessary to make a world would fall in conflict. The world laws were strong because the people believed in them but if the people did not believe in them and wished to change their fate on a collective level, it would cause the world law to change. Han Lingshi had stepped in the void and called upon the resilience hidden in the people. Hao Ren was the person they all chased after, wanting to be as strong as him.


    This scene was an act of self sabotage at the world''s spirit. The people began to chant and the golden chains around Hao Ren began to loosen.


    The young man opened his eyes and exerted his strength to push away the chains with all his might. His face turned pink as he exerted more and more strength. However, it was as if he was pushing to mountains that were about to squeeze him.


    At this moment, a calm voice sounded in his mind, "Hao Ren, absorb the Dao Dust Ring, and things will calm down."


    It was Amber who said this, and Hao Ren followed her advice quickly. He began to absorb the Dao Dust ring despite the pressure against his body, and as he absorbed the ring slowly, his strength increased as well.


    Han Lingshi saw this and smiled, the boulder was finally lifted from her heart. Hao Ren was safe and with every moment, he was pushing the chains further. Hao Ren was getting stronger, and this caused a crack to appear in the firmament.


    His strength exceeded the tolerance of what the realm could contain. The crack opened the gateway for a stronger and a purer spiritual energy to flow in. There were seven chains in total and Hao Ren reached the limit of pushing them away, he yelled, "Burn!"

 Chapter 371 Audacious.

    Hao Ren let out his spiritual flames at full intensity and the flames consumed the void around his body. The heavenly chains were made of the purest spiritual energy in existence, but at the moment they were struggling against the flames.


    When Hao Ren was ingraining the Dao Laws in his spiritual energy and turning it into Dao Dust, he found that some of it was also manifesting on the flames in his dantian. He noticed that the strength of the spiritual flames have increased as well. It was simply something that he wanted to save as his card but he did not expect that the tribulation would force him this much.


    As the tribulation chains pulled back, Hao Ren saw a golden dragon manifested behind Han Lingshi. The young man said, "Lingshi, go down, I can handle it now. If you came over to help, then not only will the intensity increase, it will reduce your chances to advance."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "I couldn''t care less about that. How dare it try to bind you?"


    Hao Ren sighed, his wife was patient to a similar disease like him. She was an overprotective wife, who cradled her husband like nothing else.


    He said, "Trust me, I have a way to get away from this. Don''t worry. You being here worries me more."


    Han Lingshi frowned, and after a lot of contemplation, she sighed and went back to the ground.


    Hao Ren sighed in relief, and closed his eyes while using the spiritual flames to keep the chains at a distance. He began to ingrain the Dao rules in his body.


    ...


    On the ground, Amber saw what Hao Ren was doing and she was shocked. She mumbled, "What in the name of cultivation is this man upto?"


    Jalo replied, "My lady, it seems like he is ingraining the Dao Rules in his flesh."


    Amber snapped, "I know what he is doing, but how long do you think it will take him to do this? Can he put those chains away for that long? If he failed it would cause his realm to stagnate here, and you do know that breaking the Heavenly binds is something that even those in Earth Realm cannot do easily, let alone in this low level world."


    Jalo sighed in a humanized manner and said, "Well, my lady, I think you are looking down on him. Given the way he has been progressing in the past few months, his speed and comprehension is not shallow. He can rank on the slightly above average level."


    Amber rolled her eyes and said, "What do you know, dumb puppet! Even those in the top tier fear such a binding force, and there have been a fair share of people who fell victim to their arrogance."


    A calm but cold voice sounded beside her, "If you can just patiently watch what happens ahead, you would understand more."


    Amber turned to look at the side and found Yin standing on the side with her eyes locked on to Hao Ren''s figure. Beside her stood Yang and Agnee. The lady said, "Are you so sure of him?"@@@@


    Yin did not say anything at this moment but Agnee said, "Baddie Ren is a monster, please let us watch in silence."


    Amber was surprised, she did not know what to say. She saw that all the people in the palace were looking at Hao Ren with expectant eyes, and they all stood like statues in their positions, as if the time stopped flowing.


    She was not an overly prideful woman, it was obvious that something was wrong. She put on her official clothes, and looked at Hao Ren who was still standing in the void with his eyes closed and surrounded by a flame cloud and moved towards the boundary with Ye Lan. They moved quickly and came to the boundary of the southern continent by the Teleportation array.


    Han Lingshi frowned as soon as she appeared in the place. She counted twenty people, all of whom were in the Star Annihilation realm. Although she had also stepped into the same realm, but her level was not yet high. Ye Yin appeared beside her, and Han Lingshi mumbled, "I wonder what Mira did to attract these people."


    She took a step in the void and appeared before the group of twenty men. She did not show it on her face, but she didn''t like the fact that these men wore jade masks on their faces. She said, "May I ask, what are you seeking an audience for?"


    The men focused on her and the person in the lead checked her out from head to toe, causing the cold in her eyes to increase several fold. The man said indifferently, "I am Qasim, the leader of the western merchant alliance. These past few months, your trade consignments have been going to our lands, and snatching a lot of our profits. Initially we wanted to collaborate and work together with you, but that ambassador of yours, she did not put us in her eyes.


    She caused us to loss face, and also a lot of money. Left with no other option we tried to eliminate her, but then we found that the bitch was a fish woman, and she used the ocean to run away. Well, now, you have two options, one is to compensate our losses and stop the business in the west, or compensate our losses and stop your business."


    Han Lingshi heard him calmly, and then she asked, "If that is all you can leave."


    The man shook his head and replied, "I don''t think that you understand your situation here lady. Well, how about we take down this barrier of yours and then make you understand that a woman shall always bow her head to the superior one whether its in the bed or outside?"


    Ye Yin clenched her fists and said, "You will die. Audacious Prick."


    The man smiled and asked mockingly, "And who will do that? You little piggie. Hahahaha."


    The man snapped his fingers and the aura of the people increased, they all had been holding back and suddenly they rose to the Galaxy Destroying realms. This sudden change caused Han Lingshi to lose her cool. Before she could even react properly, the men moved through the barrier, and the man in the lead slapped Han Lingshi across her face.


    Boom!!


    The moon queen fell to the ground, and the next moment, the man in a green jade mask appeared before her and placed his foot on her head and pressed it down as he asked, "I heard that your husband won this continent for you. What would he do if I stripped you naked?"


    Ye Lan roared and tried to break free from the siege of three people, but she was helpless as well. The ruthless men have broken her limbs, and she was also thrown on the ground.


    Han Lingshi clenched her fist and tried to raise her head as she asked, "You are no merchant, who are you, and what is your true motive?"


    The young man was shocked, and then he chuckled as he said, "I am Hao Tao, Hao Tian was my father. I hear that your husband did a lot of harm to him, today I will trample on you and have him feel the same pain as me."


    Han Lingshi suddenly chuckled and without a shred of fear she said, "You have no idea what you have just done. Your father just had to beg for death once and he would be free from his punishment but now, he will suffer even more. Hahaha, foolish bastard."


    Hao Tao stomped on the back of her head, causing it to be buried in the ground lightly as he said coldly, "Audacious Bitch!"


    At this moment, a cold voice echoed in the surroundings, "You shouldn''t have done that."

 Chapter 372 Wrath Of The Titan.

    The cold voice echoed in the surroundings, and Hao Tao looked around as he roared, "If you have the guts then step out to see me, Hao Ren. Tch, or are you a coward like that father of yours?"


    Hao Ren appeared before him, and his eyes were fixed on the leg that was still trampling Han Lingshi. The reason why Hao Ren was so calm was because he wanted Hao Tao to pay for his action against Han Lingshi.


    Hao Tao saw Hao Ren and asked, "Say, coward, would you hand over my father before I kill this bitch, or after?"


    Hao Ren vanished from his spot, appeared one meter away from Hao Tao. He was so fast that Hao Tao had yet to register his appearance. Hao Ren raised his hand, grabbed the latter from his head and flung him away as if swatting away a fly.


    He bent down, slowly picked up Han Lingshi up from the ground. The young lady had fainted from the impact at the back of her skull, her nose had broken from the collision against the ground and similarly, Hao Ren detected some fractures in her skull. Thankfully she was a high level cultivator and the injuries were healing slowly. Hao Ren took out a pill bottle, and fed Han Lingshi with a pill. The speed of recovery increased by several folds, and Han Lingshi healed at a visible speed.


    Hao Tao stood on the side, he was shocked, he could not figure out what just happened. As he was still contemplating, he realized, that he could not sense Hao Ren''s realm at all.


    Han Lingshi woke up, and found herself wrapped in Hao Ren''s arms. The young man smiled at her and said, "You stay here, I will handle these flies."


    Han Lingshi wanted to act, but she knew that she was no match for Hao Tao and nor did she feel any shame in relying on Hao Ren after being defeated. Her cultivation sutra forced her to take the path of the proud but she had understood that Hao Ren was on the same path. The effects of the sutra depended on the understanding of the people. Since, she did not have any knots in her heart, things were calm.


    Hao Ren walked in the void, and said, "Immobilize."


    His hypnotic skills have improved with his realm and thus he could easily control Hao Tao, who was shocked to the limit. As soon as Hao Ren gave the command, Hao Tao found himself frozen. This was the scary thing about Hao Ren, he has learned to tap into the deepest region of a conscious and he controlled the instinct of a person while keeping them awake.


    It was similar to how mortals froze when they saw a tiger or a person with a weapon. The instincts of a person were the hardest one to defy. Hao Ren then turned to look at the rest of the people, and with every step he appeared next to one of the person. Then Hao Tao saw something that shook his soul. Hao Ren raised his hand, and smacked the person across the face.


    It was not even a slap but only a slap. The impact caused the assailants to explode into blood mist and drift in the void. Hao Ren delivered blows with a subtle indifference. He did not know the limits of his strength and thus every move was teaching him something about himself. He finished dealing with the goons within a few seconds, and then he turned back to look at Hao Tao. He asked, "Are you a big shot in the Oriental Sun Sect?"


    Hao Tao nodded involuntarily, and Hao Ren said, "Good."


    Hao Ren followed the city lord with his people in tow. Hao Qin and Hao Mei appeared in the void behind them and they chased over. Slowly many Ye Generals who were still yet to leave through the teleportation array arrived and joined them. They all communicated with spiritual communication, but none dared to speak. They all felt a pressure that caused them to shrink behind Hao Mei.


    Han Lingshi was right beside Hao Ren, holding his hand, as they flew through the void. Han Lingshi had already told Hao Mei and Hao Qin about what is going on. The two of them were shocked but watching Hao Tao, the man who almost killed them a few days ago, following the crowd in complete silence they had to believe it.


    ...


    After flying for a couple of hours, they all reached the gates of the Oriental Sun Sect. The place stood in stark contrast to the rest of the North. It was warm and green here instead of cold and white. The City Lord said, "Lord, this is the gate of the Oriental Sun Sect."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "You may leave."


    Then he looked towards the depth of the sect, and with his Yin and Yang eyes, he saw through all the arrays and barriers before he said, "Sect Master Oriental Sun, please come out. I know that you can sense me. There is some issue which needs your presence. Don''t say later that I bullied you all because my strength was higher."


    The voice was calm, but it spread through the entire void. Usually, such action would cause the people to roar and fly off the handle in rage, but not this time. Everyone was calm, and stunned, because the Sect Master appeared before Hao Ren almost instantly and cupped his fist towards him and asked, "What can I do, Senior? Just issue the command, and Yang Baihu will do his best."


    Hao Ren looked at the burly man and pointed at Hao Tao as he asked, "This thing is your disciple?"


    Yang Baihu looked at Hao Tao and replied, "Yes, senior. He is my third disciple."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Your disciple used the identity of the sect to meddle in the secular world. He humiliated my wife despite knowing that she was a junior in realm and age. You tell me, Sect Master Yang, what shall I do?"


    The burly man clenched his fist and said, "You should kill him."


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "I intend to do just that but before that, I need you to break his soul, spirit and pride. May I?"


    Your next chapter awaits on My Virtual Library Empire


    The sect master bowed his head and said, "My seat is yours."

 Chapter 373 Dignity.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were brought to the square of the Oriental Sun Sect. Yang Baihu was sweating profusely, and looking at the old man next to him, the man said, "Grand Elder summon everyone. We have to rule out punishment to a sinner."


    The old man asked with his spiritual communication, "Sect Master, is it really necessary? Hao Tao is a genius that comes along in millenials."


    Yang Baihu clenched his fist and said, "Grand Elder, while he might be a genius, but that young man over there is someone who is a millennial monster. He eats and shits these geniuses at every turn in his life."


    The grand elder shivered, and sensing a calm and indifferent gaze locked on his back, he took out a conch and blew it hard nine times. After a few minutes, the square was surrounded by the disciples from all directions. They all were totally on their toes when they heard a loud voice calling out their sect master loudly.@@@@


    Yang Baihu looked around and took a deep breath as he said, "A few moments ago, I found out that the chief disciple and the candidate for inheriting the sect master seat, Hao Tao, misused his powers and authority.


    He took nineteen more people to kill innocent people in the Glacial Peak City. Not only that, but he went as far as to travel to the southern continent. He called the Queen of the Crescent Moon Empire by disguising as merchants. He hurt her envoy, and then he disregarded the gap in the realm and humiliated her.


    His accomplices were slayed by the King of the Southern Continent, Senior Wandering Dragon. However, he knew that Hao Tao committed these sins because he was drunk on power and pride, so, Senior brought him over for us to deal with him. I want you all to witness what happens to the people who misuse their strength."


    The disciples were all surprised, many of them were questioning why the sect master was creating such a big fuss over this. The Grand Elder could sense this and passed a message with his spiritual communication, "If any of you dared to provoke this guy, I will personally kill you and your entire family. His strength is higher than all of us combined."


    His created a wave of shock in the hearts of the disciples. The sect master looked at Hao Tao, and said, "Sinner, why are you still standing?! Kneel!!"


    Hao Tao knelt on the ground heavily. His knees cracked the ground under him. The impact was loud and clear. At this moment, the sect master took out his sword, and Hao Ren said, "Sect Master Yang, if you would allow me to handle this issue."


    Yang Baihu was still trying to save himself some face by quickly killing his prized disciple. He sighed internally and bowed his head. Hao Ren came over slowly and said, "You all are thinking why am I humiliating you like this. After all, your sect is something that stands as the symbol of strength in the northern continent.


    If you think that the Crescent Moon Empire is the counterpart of your sect in the south, then you might be right, my actions are over exaggerated. However, I am above those standards. Want to know how?"


    He took the next step and the spiritual pressure flooded the entire sect. The impact was so strong that the people below the Planet Shattering Realm fainted directly. The people in the Planet shattering realm were almost kneeling on the ground, and people stronger than them were shivering and had a hard time to breathing. Sect Master Yang finally realized the horror of Hao Ren.


    Bang! Bang!


    Nine kowtows, and the young man smiled and replied, "You bowed your head to the people whom you thought were ants, and before those who thought you were a hero."


    Hao Tao was in a daze, the impact had fractured his skull in multiple places, and Hao Ren''s hand was stained with blood. The young man stood up from the ground and waved his hand to cast a spiritual bind on Hao Tao''s body.


    The latter hovered in the void and Hao Ren said, "Your cultivation that you are so proud of, I will take it away."


    He poked Hao Tao''s Dantian and the spiritual energy began to flow out of his dantian. Hao Tao groaned and moaned in protest but he could not do anything. Hao Ren said, "Now, I have taken away your pride. Your strength, and also your fucking dignity. What do you have left?"


    Hao Tao spoke in a muffled roar, "Kill me."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "My wife will decide your fate similar to the way you were trying to be her judge."


    He turned to look at Han Lingshi and walked over to her with a smile and held her hand. He said, "Love, now it is your judgment."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Why did you go so far?"


    Hao Ren was surprised and then he smiled and said, "Is it not obvious? My dignity is from you, and so is my strength. How can I just watch them do what they want and get away with simple death."


    Han Lingshi could not help but feel touched, because all this time Hao Ren has been doing things for her. She took a deep breath and turned to look at Hao Tao. She walked up to him with a cold face and said, "Had you defeated me within the same realm, I would not have felt this vindictive. However, now, you have become a knot in my heart. Now, I have no choice but to kill you in the most miserable manner possible."


    Her entire body was covered with blue flames. The temperature of the entire area fell down so quickly that the people were shocked. They could not understand what sort of flame it was, and Hao Tao shivered in the void, from his eyes, one could look at his soul that was terrified in fear.


    The young lady walked close to him, and then she pointed her finger at him. Then a wisp of the blue flame was shot at his body. Han Lingshi used her other hand to toss a minor healing pill in his mouth. His throat healed and he so did some of his injuries. The next moment, his screams echoed through the entire square as his cells froze and then burned completely.


    The people shivered because they could not say anything.

 Chapter 374 Knowledge.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi finished dealing with Hao Tao, and they were about to leave when Yang Baihu stepped forward, and asked, "Senior, can you provide guidance to me. How did you transcend the realm of Galaxy Destroyer?"


    As soon as he said that, he bowed his head followed by the elders and all the disciples also said, "Senior, please guide us."


    Hao Ren looked at all of them, and Han Lingshi said, "Teach them, only when the change is collective can we rise in the ranks."


    *Ding: Host, your wife wishes you to be the harbinger of change. Please lead the charge and rise as the leader of the human race.*


    Hao Ren blinked and then said, "In three months time, I will be holding a Dao Conference where I will address all the top cultivators who are willing to learn. At that time, you will be given the invitation, so I hope you can wait till then."


    Yang Baihu nodded and said, "I will await the day."


    Then Hao Ren waved his hand and opened the portal to the southern continent. He wanted to go back to the Crescent Moon Palace and prepare for this address. He had just broken through the Dao Dust Realm, he needed to learn more about it, and stabilize it as well.


    At this moment his aura was very volatile, earlier when he tried to intimidate the people, he almost killed them, so he needed to get a better grip of the situation to be able to guide anyone.@@@@


    ...


    The contingent returned to the southern continent, and Hao Ren said to Hao Mei, "Locate and gather information about all the strong forces. Prioritize those who have been clean till now."


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "I will handle it."


    Han Lingshi said, "I am going back to seclusion. I will see you at the fortnight."


    Hao Ren sighed and nodded to her before he embraced her tightly. He knew that Han Lingshi wanted to be stronger than she was now, because she did not want to feel dependant on him all the time.


    Hao Ren did not stop her and conveyed a message by spiritual communication and Han Lingshi shook her head before she said, "I need to handle this obstacle on my own, Ren. I cannot always exploit the polarity of our energies."


    The young man nodded and said, "I understand, I will be here. Be careful and do not force yourself too hard."


    ...


    Hao Ren came to the courtyard where Amber was residing and he found Jola standing on the gates. The robo butler looked at him and asked, "Hello, Master Hao, how can I help you?"


    Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "It is binding my heart."


    Amber nodded and replied, "These binds will not affect you at all."


    After the signing began the discussion. Amber said, "Now that you have reached the Dao Dust realm, you should have covered at least one quarter of your spiritual energy with Dao Runes."


    Hao Ren nodded, and Amber said, "When you completely ingrain the energy particles with runes, it will all come together and forms a solid mass. This mass will be the side of you breaking into the Dao Land realm.


    Similar to the entry in the Dao Dust realm, you will need to completely solidify the platform. Then you will stop absorbing the spiritual energy, and move forward to perceive the meaning of Dao that resides in the world, and etch that meaning in your Dantian.


    The moment you etch the first Dao meaning, that will be the day you step in the Dao Sky realm. Every quarter you will face a tribulation.


    When you have completed the Dao Sky, and move the Dao meanings to your immortal soul, you will become a Dao Being. Finally comes the biggest obstacle of this realm, the Dao World. When you have earth, sky and soul made up of Dao. Your soul sea will give birth to a world where you will need to ingrain Dao meaning again."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "Are there really so many Dao Meanings in the world?"


    Amber smiled and said, "Dao encompasses all, and all is infinite. So yes, there are that many Dao Rules." Continue your adventure at My Virtual Library Empire


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Well, go on, keep talking."


    Amber continued and Hao Ren listened to her calmly. This knowledge was something that opened a new world to him. After explaining the Earth cultivation realm, Amber asked, "Do you have any questions?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I am just feeling like a new student in the class, I will only have doubts when I have tried all these myself. It would take some time. You can stop here, I will ask you if I have any doubts when I have reached these realms."


    Amber nodded and said, "Indeed, extra knowledge can do harm as well."


    Hao Ren then asked her about her past and Amber said, "I will tell you when you reach the peak of Dao World realm."


    Hao Ren thought and said, "Okay, I will try not to make you wait for long."


    Then he went to his own room, and sat down to consolidate his cultivation foundation. The process was slow but important, he realized that in this higher realm, his speed was very slow, and he could not do anything about that.


    Amber had told him that only when the average realm of cultivation in this world reaches above Dao Integration can his cultivation increase. So while he consolidated his cultivation he instructed the people outside to inject resources and knowledge in the society.

 Chapter 375 Ten Years In A Blink.

    Time in the cultivation world passed very quickly. After Hao Ren held the Dao Conference, the entire world erupted. The leaders from all the factions, big or small had came to respect Hao Ren a lot, and some of them even took the chance to make allies with him by acknowledging his contribution.


    In the central square of the Oriental Sun Sect stood a bronze statue, that depicted Hao Ren and Han Lingshi. The sect did this two years ago, when they accepted the two people as their patrons. After the Dao Conference, Sect Leader Yang Baihu was so inspired that he cleaned the entire sect personally with a blade and painted the square red with the blood of the sinful and corrupt.


    The entire Spirit Shimmer Continent was the same, the united vibe among the cultivators had caused the evil-doers to go into hiding and they could not even make a single wave. Over the years, as soon as the people from the evil side reached the threshold of Dao Dust realm, they would be visited by Ye Generals and slayed whilst they underwent tribulations.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was sitting in her study, and she was reading something that was delivered to her from an emissary state in the western continent. Her movements had such charm that they caused the people below the Planet Shattering realm to be left in a daze. This charm was the Dao Resonance that she achieved after stepping in the initial phrase of Dao Land.


    Hao Ren walked inside the study and asked, "What are you reading?"


    Han Lingshi raised her head and smiled at him as she said, "They want to honor you in the Western Continent, Enlightenment Temple has been asking repeatedly."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "You know that I have a lot more to do than to go over and accept these titles."


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    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and said, "You always send me to the front, why so?"


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders and said, "I love watching you on the stage and those people bowing their heads to you."


    Han Lingshi did not say anything but shook her head. Over the years, when Hao Ren led the change, and completed the system task, the system reported that it would be going in deep sleep to upgrade itself.


    All the previous achievements were reduced to zero, and then the skills and talents that Hao Ren had been given over the years were assimilated in his body as his own. The system was still sleeping and ever since that happened, Hao Ren found that his understand of the Dao Perception has been gradually improving. The young man concluded that it was probably because of the system updating but it was not sure. The system was not responding to his questions regarding the update completion.


    She had accepted Hao Ren as her father, and was now fourteen years old. Hao Ren patted her head gently and said, "Baby, I did ask her about it, but you know that Xiao Si is not a suitable teacher for you. If you want to just beat up people, then I have a suggestion."


    Agnee looked at him with sparkling eyes and Hao Ren said, "You can team up with Yin''er."


    The two girls first looked at each other and then at Hao Ren. The young man shrugged his shoulders and said, "Agnee wants to fight, and Yin beats up people a lot. Just a couple of days ago she beat up the scholar who wrote a poem for her. Your Ma said that it cannot continue like this. So, how about you be the bodyguard to your sister?"


    Agnee pinched her chin and began to think while Yin pursued her lips as well. Hao Ren turned to look at Yang and said, "If you dared to spill this to your Ma, I will throw you back to the Naga City and then you know what will happen."


    Yang shivered and said hurriedly, "I will not tell anyone, just don''t send me there."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Good boy."


    Yang wanted to focus on martial arts and cultivation while Ulupi had taken a liking for the boy and had it not been for the reason that she was a Queen of Nagas she would have came over to marry him already.


    Hao Ren looked at the two girls and Yin said, "I will not beat anyone from now on. Ma has just send me an ultimatum. If I did, she will arrange a mate for me. What a shame."


    Hao Ren sighed, and Agnee said, "Then I will go and learn from Auntie Mei and have Xiao Mei make me a sparring bot. I will fight with that bot."


    The young man did not mind these solutions and praised all of them for being so smart. Yin rolled her eyes and said, "You want to pamper us, but you are so scared of Ma. I wonder what sort of power she really has over you."


    Hao Ren chuckled and raised his gaze to look at the horizon and said, "She is the axis of my being. Whatever that I have become, it was because she looked at me. This is the power of love that she uses to make me bend my head all the time and everytime."


    The three of them did not understand the depth of it and treated those words as simply honeyed water. However, it was the truth, had it not been for Han Lingshi to come into his life, he would not have been able to come this far in life. She was the trigger for his system and that was how she became the axis of his life.


    The four of them sat their silently, gazing at the horizon, and enjoying a sunset. At this moment, as Hao Ren was recalling the days he spent working hard and making Han Lingshi happy, a thought came to his mind.


    The thought was about how he became a person who did everything for his wife. That flame of ego that a man should have, how he was missing that. That dominance he showed to the world, when did it became something fueled by his wife and not his own? His thoughts entered a chaotic state, and at this moment, he heard a sound in his mind, *Ding: Host, system is back online. Are you ready for rising to a new level, motherfucker!! Daddy is back!!!*

 Chapter 376 System 2.0

    Hao Ren was shocked by the sudden voice in his mind, and he thought, ''What are you so excited about?''


    *Shut the fuck up. Is this your attitude to greet me? Host, are you not acting out of line?*


    Hao Ren sensed something was missing and asked, ''Where is the Ding sound?''


    *Up your ass.*


    The young man raised his brow and said, ''Is this your upgrade? Very uncivilized.''


    *Surely, the older version has mellowed out the rawness in your heart a lot. Makes you sound like a loser. Just because I am talking casually, I am uncivilized? Motherfucker, Daddy here is ancient primordial existence, long before your soul was yet to originate, I was cultivating the worlds with my piss.*


    Hao Ren was really shocked, this was the first time he heard the system talking in this manner. Yes, this thing was insulting earlier as well, but now it was communicating with him as if he was an ant. The pretext of Host was missing and so was the Ding sound alert. He didn''t know what changes was he going to face. Enjoy exclusive content from My Virtual Library Empire


    He asked, ''What did you gain from the upgrade?''


    *The question is what did ''you'' gain from my upgrade. Get that in your head.*


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and asked, ''What did I gain from your upgrade?''


    *Good doggie, what you gained will depend on your performance. You have become a good husband, but with that alone, you cannot be omnipotent. You need to be a lot of things, and all these things will together make you omnipotent. So, pick one color out of black, black, and black. This will be your first task.*


    Hao Ren clenched his fist, he was a king and a person everyone looked up to, how dare this system call him a doggie and play with him? He said, ''I don''t want to accept any tasks, fuck off.''


    The system replied, *Hahaha, good, at least you have the guts to stand up to me, but that will cost you.*


    Hao Ren was not startled, on the contrary, he expected this System to give him some punishment, but he did not feel anything weird going on. He scoffed after a few minutes, and said, "What can you do?"


    The system replied, *You are a medical professional, take your pulse and find out.*


    Hao Ren was startled now, he did not feel any discomfort but that scared him even more. He closed his eyes and ran his spiritual energy around his meridians and the rest of the body once before he shivered and opened his eyes brimming with pure horror.


    He wanted to yell but his children were around him. The young man calmed himself forcefully and asked, ''What the fuck is wrong with you? You lift that blockade on my meridian now!''


    That said, she appointed a few shadow guards to isolate Hao Ren, who seemed to be having a trip of enlightenment.


    After a few minutes, Hao Ren woke up from his reverie and began to record what he comprehended on a piece of paper. The system allowed him to consolidate the knowledge points before going to the alchemy room to make pills.


    The young man finished the basic level, and then he moved to the medium level of alchemy, till this point, he had not read a single recipe, and only learned about the processes and the different things he needed to be mindful about. The tricks that could make all the difference and the experiences of the other great alchemists. He was gulping all this information down and consolidating it for his own use, in his own style.


    ...


    Han Lingshi was in the study room when she heard that the Emperor was in the Library and he was reading stuff since two days ago. She first contacted Amber to see if she had told the young man anything but no results came from it. Following this, Han Lingshi had no option but to send out Maya for an investigation.


    The prime minister told her, that Hao Ren was having an epiphany. Han Lingshi had been dealing with one issue after the other, since the growth of average cultivation became there agenda, the peaceful state of the country had been disturbed, although it was a positive disturbance, it was a disturbance nonetheless.


    Han Lingshi finished her work for the day, and decided to go and talk with Hao Ren. When she came to the library, the crowd was filled with the scholars and other experts who were moving in and out of the gates. All of them bowed to her in greeting and Han Lingshi walked inside uncaringly.


    She looked around, in the library that was spanning over a few kilometers, and held more then seven million books on various topics in the spirit shimmer continent, she found Hao Ren in the alchemy area, and walked over quickly.


    When she reached him, the young man was so engrossed in the book before him, that he did not notice her presence. Han Lingshi furrowed her brows, this was the first time he did not register her, however, Han Lingshi did not mind, and even began to smile. She thought, ''My man is so hardworking, I love him being so intensely focused.''


    She cleared her throat and asked, "Love, what are you doing?"


    Hao Ren woke up from the stupor and looked at her in confusion before he asked, "What did you ask, Lingshi?"


    Han Lingshi repeated her question softly, "What are you doing?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I am trying to find out if I missed anything about Alchemy. One has to do these things themselves, and keep improving."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, but then she saw a spark in Hao Ren''s eyes. This spark was something that she has never seen before and it captivated her more than anything else. After some thinking, she said, "Okay. If you need anything, send for me. I will come to visit you every evening, then you can have some tea and take a little break."


    Hao Ren was about to refuse when the system said, *Numbnut, you have managed to get your wife''s attention and care without being a sissy. Good, daddy will give you a Yin-yang pendant set. You and your wife can connect throughout the realm with these collars around your necks.*


    Hao Ren was shocked, and asked, ''What do you mean collars?''


    System replied, *It is not what you are thinking about, loser. It is a jewelry piece, dickface.*

 Chapter 377 Love Is In The Kitchen.

    Hao Ren was given two pendants, he looked at the two shiny stones and he was surprised. These two crystals contained a very pure Yin and Yang essence. The young man thought, ''Yin pendant is for me, and the Yang pendant is for Lingshi. To balance our innate elements and create a stronger force.''


    *I am surprised you could tell. Well, at least the brain is functioning.*


    Hao Ren sighed, and picked up the books again until Han Lingshi comes over. The lady came back with a pail of water, and some tools. The young man raised his head and said, "There is not need for these, I can just clean up by circulating energy." Continue reading at My Virtual Library Empire


    Han Lingshi narrowed her gaze and asked, "Are you despising my pamperment? Is it my fault that you are now a strong man?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I dare not, your excellency, but I will not put down the book."


    The young lady nodded and said, "Fine."


    She pushed Hao Ren to sit down on a stool, and then she washed his hair with water and shampoo as he continued reading the book. The young lady did not know what got him so motivated about reading all of a sudden but she did not mind it. The people in the library all could see the situation from outside the barrier and were pleasantly surprised.


    They did not expect Han Lingshi, the Empress who always had a neutral face would have such a tender expression when she attended to her husband. After washing the hair, she proceeded to foam his beard and then used a razor to clean his beard. Hao Ren finished reading a book, and with a flick of his hand he tossed the book back on the shelf and the next one was picked up.


    The shaving was done, and Hao Ren sat up. Han Lingshi looked at the maid beside her with a smile and asked her to dispose of the water in the pail, before she began to massage Hao Ren''s head with some oil and shoulders.


    The young man groaned subconsciously. Yes, he was a cultivator but without proper exercise, his body was obvious to go stiff. After a few minutes, Han Lingshi said, "Okay, this is good, I will bring over some snacks in the evening."


    Hao Ren nodded and kissed her bye. The Empress shook her head with a silly smile and walked out of the library.


    ...


    Maya looked at Han Lingshi who was heading to the royal kitchen and asked, "Your Excellency, we have a lot of work to do."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and said, "I will assign Xiao Mei to make the decisions for the time period. I am busy with my husband''s care."


    The prime minister was shot down, and Xiao Mei was placed on the table as the trump card. Han Lingshi looked in for some recipes and began to cook some snacks that Hao Ren liked. Tang Zhen and Yue Shi were shocked when the staff told them about this. The two ladies came to the kitchen and found Han Lingshi really cooking for Hao Ren.


    Tang Zhen asked, "Lingling, is that brat acting up?"


    Han Lingshi was surprised and then chuckled as she shook her head, and said, "Ma, he is busy, and all these years, it has been him doing these things for me. So, as his wife, it is my chance to do my bit."


    Yue Shi looked at her daughter but her response was completely different, "Do you really know how to cook?"


    This got the girl all excited and she agreed to pray.


    ...


    Hao Ren did not mind anything, every day, Han Lingshi will make snacks and bring them for him to eat. She would also give him a shave in every two days. As the young man proceeded to read his time consumption about the matter increased even more. Every book took a couple of hours of his time.


    The people were surprised to see this but they could not say anything about it. After all, Hao Ren was also recording stuff on the side. His comprehensive research had reached a level were three stacks of paper were placed on the table and upon a glance they were densely filled with words.


    One day, when Han Lingshi came over in the breaktime, Hao Ren took out the Yang pendant, and said, "Lingshi, this is for you."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, and asked, "Is this a gift you are giving me because I took care of you?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "No, I am giving it to you because it is simply meant for you."


    He tied it around her neck and Han Lingshi shivered as the pure Yang entered her body. She took a deep breath and asked, "You should have kept it for yourself."


    Hao Ren took out the Yin crystal and asked, "Help me wear it?"


    Han Lingshi tied the chain around his neck and pecked his cheek as she said, "Thank you for the present, I love it."


    Hao Ren returned the favor and said, "It is my pleasure."


    The young lady said, "I will challenge you for a cooking match, and you have to play fair with me."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "Where did this come from?"


    Han Lingshi told him about how the ladies teased her, and he chuckled as he said, "I agree, I will play fair. Be ready then, don''t ask me to go easy."


    The Holy Moon Queen nodded and said, "I wouldn''t have it any other way."


    ...


    After finishing his comprehensions six months, later, Hao Ren came out of the library and was heading to the Alchemy room, when Han Lingshi appeared in the sky and said, "Your Excellency, Wandering Dragon, I challenge you for a duel. Do you dare?"


    Hao Ren was shocked and raised his head to find Han Lingshi holding a kitchen knife in her hand. He chuckled and recalled the duel promise and said, "Yes, why won''t I?"

 Chapter 378 Food Wars.

    Han Lingshi led the young man to the square in front of the Crescent Moon Palace. The entire place was filled with spectators, and Hao Ren was surprised. He asked, "Did you gather all of them to watch me beat you?"


    Han Lingshi raised her brow and said, "Don''t be overconfident, Your Excellency? Where must you put your face when I beat you?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and Maya Okudera appeared behind them. She bowed her head to the two people and said, "The food that you make today will be presented to the spectators and they will be the judges. The one who gets the highest votes from the crowd would be recognized as the winner of the competition."


    The young man nodded and asked, "So, what are we cooking?"


    Maya replied, "Whatever you cook, you need to cook a thousand servings of it. The ingredients can be procured by yourself and you have one hour to do so."


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at Han Lingshi, who was also thinking about what she would do. Maya Okudera said, "The competition is now open."


    Hao Ren directly vanished from his spot. His reaction was so quick that even Han Lingshi was shocked. She stomped her feet and said, "This guy is really not going to pull his punches, fine then, I will also not hold back."


    She also vanished from her spot.


    ...


    After a few minutes, Hao Ren appeared above the wide oceans, and waved his hand. The next moment several fish like spiritual beasts floated up from the depths of the waters. Hao Ren carefully looked at them and after selecting a dozen of the same race, he left again. He then began to appear all over the Spirit Shimmer continent.


    The reason he was going to this extent was because of the system task. As soon as Han Lingshi claimed that she would beat him. The system said, *You gotta fight for the pride of a husband. In the eyes of the world, you are below Han Lingshi, and if you lose this contest, you will only be promoting that loser image of yours. So, if you hold back, I will reduce the size of little Hao Ren by half.*


    Hao Ren was really serious at this moment, because he knew that this new system was a bitch. He flashed through the surroundings and after one hour of procurement he came to stand at the square, waiting for Han Lingshi, who appeared shortly after him. Maya said, "You have five hours to finish cooking."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he stepped forward to the kitchen they made in the square and then he took out his knife tools. He quickly began to bring out the corpses of the aquatic beasts, and the crowd exclaimed, "That''s a rank ten Mirage Coral Carp."


    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren were surprised and suddenly Han Lingxue shivered from fright. She sensed a lot of gazes locked down on her, as if they would swallow her whole. She let out a nervous laugh and said, "Well, it is okay, don''t pay me any mind."


    Then she really ran away from the place, and Ye Jill sighed as she shook her head. Maya Okudera stepped up and said, "So, it has been decided that, both, Her Excellency, and His Excellency are both on the same level. We hope that you all enjoyed the meal."


    The people cheered, "Long live the Empress! Long live the Emperor!"


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Thank you for your love. Thank you."


    The two of them slightly bowed to the crowd before they went back inside the palace. After a few minutes, the hypnotic spell vanished, and the people began to compliment Hao Ren''s cooking. Even the ones who had earlier voted for Han Lingshi wanted to talk, but they could not say much as they had already cast their vote.


    ...


    Inside the palace, Han Lingshi was glaring at Hao Ren. The young man smiled looking at her, and said, "I saved you a serving, here."


    He took out a plate from his space ring and said, "This is the first plate that I made."


    Han Lingshi was surprised, and Hao Ren said, "I will be going to the alchemy room to make some pills."


    The lady nodded, and Hao Ren walked away with his hands behind his back. She looked at his figure and smelled the food on the plate. She sighed, and said, "I fall in love with you everyday, and everytime it is stronger than before."


    Hao Ren did not listen to her words, as he was already far away. However, Maya Okudera, Ye Lan, and Ye Yin heard her and they all could not help but roll her eyes.


    ...


    Hao Ren came to the alchemy room, and began to make one pill after the other. His speed was fast, and thanks to the comprehension he made in the library, his efficiency and the pill quality improved a lot. He himself was shocked when he realized this, but it was true. Hao Ren smiled and began to create more pills.

 Chapter 379 Visiters.

    Hao Ren began to refine pills and then he followed with other auxiliary paths without increasing his realm. His comprehension was growing daily and to a shocking level at that but the young man did not wish to increase his realm at the moment.


    Gradually months passed, and to increase his efficiency Hao Ren used the Moon Time Acceleration Hourglass. He had a lot of lifespan that could be used for a better use then just rotting slowly. Once his level improved, he would be able to regain all of it back again very quickly.


    Han Lingshi had taken up the role of pampering him, she would feed him with food and pampered her even more. After a few months, something unexpected happened.


    Amber was sitting in her house. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and looked in the direction of the city entrance. She said, "Lingshi, I hope you can handle this situation."


    ...


    Two stranger appeared at the gates of the city. One young and one middle-aged, they both had very lofty appearances. They scouted the place and nodded to each other, before the young man said, "Hmm, Jabar, it seems this place has finally become half descent."


    The middle-aged man behind nodded and said, "Yes, Young Master. It appears to me that the source of this sudden uprise in cultivation is this barren southern continent. The spiritual energy and the dao fluctuations in this place are the thickest."


    The young man nodded and said, "Well, let us meet with the strongest person in this continent and ask them to pledge fealty to the Gram house."


    The two of them entered the city and the people could not detect them. They located the source of the strongest Dao Fluctuations inside the Crescent Moon palace. Han Lingshi had gotten stronger than Hao Ren. She was reaching the Dao Land realm.


    At this moment, she was sitting inside the study room and was going over a few scrolls, before she raised her head and looked at the doors. The next moment, the door was pushed open and two men walked inside.


    She raised her brow and asked, "May I ask who might you be?"


    The young man raised his brow and said, "I did not expect that the strongest person on this world would be a woman. This is a pleasant surprise, is it not Jabar?"


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    Jabar nodded and looked at Han Lingshi as he said, "We are from the Jabar house hold in the Spirit Siphon Continent. This is young master Aldin, the third son of the Gram family that rules over the southern continent of the Spirit Siphon Continent. Why are you not standing up in greeting?"


    Han Lingshi asked, "State your purpose."


    Aldin replied, "Well, the average cultivation realm of the people in my world is higher than yours. We have twenty Dao Land realm level cultivators serving as the guards to scions like me. Do you think you are stronger than us now?"


    Han Lingshi narrowed her gaze, and then the young man said, "Why don''t you pledge fealty to us and your realm would continue to grow further?"


    Jabar wanted to say something, but Aldin nodded. Hao Ren stood in his spot, closed his eyes, and began to inscribe the Dao Runes in his Dantian. The speed of his inscription was quick and if someone could see it, they might piss their pants.


    A few minutes later, Hao Ren emitted a Dao Fluctuation at the peak of Dao Dust realm, which then quickly calmed down, and then the aura keep on climbing to that of Dao Land. Jabar and Aldin were shocked, they did not expect Hao Ren to increase his cultivation so quickly.


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "You must be thinking why he is improving the realm so high. The fact is that he has been accumulating for a long time."


    Aldin was stunned and Jabar clenched his fist. He was ready to make a move against Hao Ren, but the young man kept improving at a speed and within a couple of minutes, his realm has exceeded that of Jabar.


    Jabar looked at Aldin but the latter was completely frozen. Hao Ren increased his realm to the peak of the Dao Land realm and stopped. He opened his eyes and smiled to look at Aldin as he said, "I can still keep going, but the tribulation is coming. So, while I appreciate the fact that you are here to extend a helping hand, but I am really unable to do so. My master is a person in the World Realm. She would not allow me to bend my knees to someone. If I did, she might come looking for you guys. Hehe."


    Aldin and Jabar were shocked. They did not expect such a thing, and Hao Ren said, "Well, how about this, Young Master Aldin, let us establish a trade relation."


    Aldin took a deep breath and after a few minutes, he said, "Fine, I will discuss this with my family, and then invite you."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I would have to trouble you to come over again, as we from the lower realms are not qualified to go to higher realms unless the average cultivation is not higher."


    Aldin pretended to be surprised and said, "I understand, I forgot this rule. Well, I will get back to you and it will take about six months to traverse. Please allocate your special resources for trade."


    Hao Ren nodded and watched the two people vanish from the spot. He took a deep breath and said, "Love, we need to pedal the metal."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Why were you holding back? Here I was thinking that I have left you in the dust in terms of cultivation."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Well, here, what do you think about this sword? Is it good enough for Agnee?"


    Han Lingshi looked at the sword and nodded, before she said, "I am going to issue a few commands."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Okay."


    After Han Lingshi left, Hao Ren let out a sigh and the system said, *You son of a gun, how smartly you handled the situation. Now thank daddy, I have taught you so well.*


    Hao Ren did not respond and said, "I need to be ready incase these mother fuckers came to attack."


    *Good, you have a lot of time. Let us deal with the tribulation first. Look up, here it comes.*

 Chapter 380 Capturing The Pawn.

    Hao Ren went on to deal with the tribulation, and then kick started a phase where the entire world was thrown in the grinder for quicker growth. The experts were shocked, because Hao Ren shared his own findings with them and within three months of constant guidance, all the people who were stuck at the Galaxy Destruction realm managed to go through tribulations and out of hundred, thirty managed to cross over successfully and they achieved the Dao Dust realm.


    This sudden boost caused the spiritual quality in the world to improve and more and more people began to reach the higher levels. The whole world was going through an overhaul, and Hao Ren gained a lots of talented seeds. He assigned the Ye Generals to spread across the world and take such talents under their wings.


    Who would refuse this. The Ye generals did not take them all in as disciples, but students and guided them to be better. Thus, the Ye generals came to be known as Teaching Saints. Hao Ren was given a new title, the Saint King.


    Han Lingshi, who was responsible for managing the resources, and channeling them throughout the world for the talented and the worthy was given the moniker, Holy Radiance.


    It was said that wherever she went she would smile and bring a lot of joy. The period of six months was very short, and just as Aldin Gram has said, he returned, and with him came fifty more people.


    Five people appeared to be at the peak of Dao Land realm, and the rest were all Dao Dust realm servants, similar to Jabar, the middle-aged attendant behind Aldin. The fleet of people was about to enter the Crescent Moon City when they detected a killing array.


    Aldin opened his eyes wide, he did not expect these people to grow so quickly that they would be able to find the formation pattern that would be able to stop Dao Land realm experts.


    Not only him, all the others who came with him were shocked as well. One young lady asked, "Aldin, are you sure this is the place that you wanted us to take control of?"


    The young master of the Gram family clenched his fist and said, "It is. This place did not even have proper Dao Fluctuations that were worthy of our notice, but now, the entire city is covered in a massive Killing Array. How is this possible?"


    A calm voice sounded from behind them, "Young Master Aldin, I have been waiting for you to come, but I did not expect you to be so punctual. Indeed the qualities of a high level family scion."


    The people turned around and they found Hao Ren standing with Han Lingshi beside him. The couple was standing in the void, holding hands, and wearing matching simple white robes.


    Aldin asked, "Hahaha, Fellow Daoist, what is going on here? How did you manage to find these array patterns."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "My master left them behind for me, and only recently I managed to comprehend them. Not only this, but every city in the entire Spirit Shimmer Continent had a similar spiritual array erected."


    Aldin clenched his fist and so did Jabar. However, suddenly, the young lady beside Aldin stepped forward and cupped her fists as she said, "Greetings, Senior. I don''t believe we have met, I am Allyen. Aldin''s elder sister, the first young miss of the Gram house. I have been looking forward to meet you."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Young Miss Allyen does not have to bow her head to me. Please stand up. You all made the effort to come over from the higher realms. This is a great fortune for us. I wish I could have led you inside the city but lately many people have been going through tribulations and we have to erect a barrier to keep them hidden from the heavenly dao. Otherwise, the tribulation would cause the city to crumble. We seek your understanding."


    Allyne nodded and said, "Can we sit down and talk about trade somewhere?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "The summit of that mountain has been transformed into a gathering place. If you all would follow us."


    The people agreed and began to fly behind the couple, rather slowly. Aldin asked using the spiritual communication, "Sis, why the hell did you address him as Senior?"


    Allyen turned to look at him and said, "This is why I said that you should wear the Mystery Seeker lenses. That man is already in the Dao Sky peak realm and from what it seems, he can step in Dao Being realm anytime. You tell me, should I be calling him senior or not? You said that he reached Dao Land realm peak before your eyes. It has only been six months since them. Unless this man is a Cultivation Anomaly, you are bound to stay below his gaze. Understood?"


    Aldin was shocked and Allyen said, "Jabar, don''t try anything. He will kill you with as much as a snort. I can see something very strong residing in his eyes. Also, his wife is off limits. She may be at the peak of Dao Land, but with that man beside her, I doubt you would even be able to lay a hand on her."


    A young man narrowed his gaze, and asked, "Eldest Sis, why do you say so?"


    Allyen looked at the young man and replied, "Claus, his gaze turned a bit cold when you were gazing at his wife. He can sense it, and he was ready to react quickly as well. You ought to control that thing between your legs, or I will chop it off."


    Claus shivered and nodded, "I will be on my best behavior."


    ...


    Soon they reached the mountain top, and while the five of them sat down, the rest of the servants stood around the pavilion. Hao Ren saw this and said, "Ye Lan."


    The young lady appeared beside him, and bowed her head, "Yes, Big Brother."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "These attendants are all here with the esteemed guests of the Empire. Bring them to the cloud viewing pavilion and have Ye Yue entertain the guests."


    Ye Lan smiled and nodded. Hao Ren looked at Allyne and said, "Young Miss Allyne, please ask your attendants to take refreshments in the pavilion over there."


    Allyne nodded and gazed at her attendant, who led everyone down. Han Lingshi then said, "Yin. Sweetheart, serve tea to the guests."


    Yin walked over with a veil on her face. She placed a tea set in the center and poured tea to the people, and retreated behind Hao Ren. The young man said, "This is my eldest Daughter, Hao Yin."


    The young lady bowed and the rest of the people nodded. Yin looked young, but she was already in the peak of Star Shattering realm. Han Lingshi said, "The last time, Young Master Aldin was here, he told us that he would consider establishing trade connection with our world. So, I wonder if your elders have taken a decision about that?"


    Allyne smiled, and said, "Well, I hate to say this, but most of the elders in the family were in seclusion. These people don''t come out much, some even spend centuries there so we have been unable to make a proper decision. If possible, can you give us a few things as samples to show it to the elders who are still minding the family business? I think that would allow them to reach a decision earlier."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Certainly. The quality of spiritual energy in our realm is still very much below the standards of the Spirit Siphon Continent. However, in terms of forging, and inscription we have taken great leaps. I wonder if you would like them?"


    Allyne nodded and said, "Mala has some knowledge of these two subjects, she can appraise the sample for us."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he took out a couple of formation disks, and waved his hand to slowly pass them over to the young lady sitting beside Allyne. Mala took the jade plate and looked over at the carvings. She opened her eyes wide in an instant and her hand shivered. She looked at Hao Ren and asked, "Can you tell me who carved these?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I did."


    Mala shivered even more and took a deep breath before she said to Allyne using her spiritual consciousness, "Sis, this is a high level world array formation. If placed properly, even grandpa might not be able to make it through."


    Allyne and the rest also shivered. She asked, "Are you sure?"


    Mala replied, "I have seven of these at home that are only study samples. You all know how strong they are right? Those are just defense arrays. This is a killing array, imagine if we deployed a few outside the territory, the Kalan family will be rendered dead."


    Allyne took a deep breath and asked, "Senior Hao Ren, can you tell me how did you get the knowledge to carve these?" Read latest stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    Hao Ren replied, "I learned from my master, she taught me everything before leaving this realm. She came here when she was injured, and after I took care of her, she took me in as a disciple. Then she left and told me to come find her when I grow strong enough."


    Allyne gulped and asked, "Can you tell me what price do you expect for these formations?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Umm, high quality spiritual herbs. I would like something that is of equal value to these, but I know that this array is of a much higher level, and I cannot make a lot of them in a short time. These two took me five years of research and effort. So, how about you give me a higher quantity of your best spirit herbs? Ummm about thousand stalks of one kind of herb that can bear fruit?"


    Allyne thought for a bit and said, "How about I leave behind Mala here, and then go back to my family. I will come back with the herbs in six months time. Would that be okay?"


    Mala was shocked, but Allyne gave her a look and Han Lingshi said, "We agree, it would be pleasure for us to host Young Miss Mala."


    Hao Ren did not tell anyone, but instead of bloodshed, he loved silent warfare, and that was what he was going to do. Capture the pawn and turn it into the king. Then you have a pawn that is a king.

 Chapter 381 Motives.

    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren led Mala inside the city and personally showed her the place where she could stay. Mala was still a bit rattled, but she could not say anything, after all, she was the fourth sister, and her strength and position was not as high as Allyne in the family.


    However, thinking about it, she could use this chance to learn all the knowledge about array works from Hao Ren, and the more she thought, the more she imagined.


    Imagining what would happen if she could bring Hao Ren to her side, and work for her family. Wouldn''t her status increase and she would gain a lot of power in the family?


    Just when she was thinking about her glorious future, Han Lingshi said, "Miss Mala, you should rest as you must have been traveling for long time. All your attendants have taken the guarding position outside the courtyard. How about we come back tomorrow morning to meet you?"


    Mala wanted to bring Hao Ren over to her side, but she did not want to rush it as she had six months to develop better connections with him. Also, she herself as a woman could tell that Han Lingshi devoted herself to Hao Ren, and if she pressed too hard, it might alarm Han Lingshi.


    She nodded and thanked the couple before they left.


    In the surroundings of the courtyard, two Ye Generals along with ten Dao Dust realm experts were placed to watch Mala and her activities from a distance.


    ...


    As Han Lingshi and Hao Ren walked through the streets holding hands with each other, the former asked, "Why didn''t you take the aggressive approach?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Had I been pushed in a corner, I won''t have minded taking that path. However, at this moment, the Spirit Shimmer Continent is not capable of standing up against one Gram Family let alone us taking on the entire realm."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then asked, "What do you intend to do with Mala? I am sure, she wants to devour you raw if she can."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "She wishes but does not matter to me. My heart beats for you only, and you command my mind, and body. As for her, I intend to train her, so that when she goes back, she will be a good pawn. This brainwash would need to keep her real self intact while she focuses on our benefits."


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "You are cunning. What I don''t understand is what would you use the high level herbs for?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Even if they give me poisonous ones, I will use it against them. If they held their end of the trade, I will refine pills for our own use. The people need resources, and while we have been farming them very efficiently, they are not gonna keep up in the long run."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I feel sad for the people who are limited by their potential as well."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Well, we cannot control the will of heavens can we. The only thing in these situations is too keep trying hard."


    After a few minutes, they reached the courtyard where they used to live outside the palace. They did not wish to stay inside the palace with Mala there, and Amber has been moved to the courtyard as well. The older people and kids have been sent to the Northern Continent as well.


    Jalo stood at the door of the courtyard and he bowed to the couple. Hao Ren nodded and said, "How is it going?"


    Jalo replied, "The mistress is cultivating, she told me to inform you that she can now move without her wheelchair. Although the improvement is slow, but it is still something that should be shared."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Indeed, it is a good news, I will prepare some tea and cakes for her to celebrate this small milestone."


    Jalo bowed and said, "Thank you for your efforts, Young Miss Han."


    The young man did not say much and went to sit on a wicker chair in the garden. The place has changed a lot. Hao Ren had planted many small and big plants in the garden and made it look very comfy to sit in.


    After a few hours, Amber stepped out of the house to find that the young couple was having a game of chinese chess. She walked closer to them with the help of a stick. Hao Ren saw her, and said, "Jalo, bring a chair for your mistress."


    The puppet moved quickly and came over with a chair for her. Hao Ren looked at the puppet and said, "Looks like Xiao Mei has been keeping busy with you, Jalo. Your limbs and body looks rather agile."


    Amber sat down and said, "Xiao Mei is very kind and considerate."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "So, Senior, how are you feeling. What direction shall we take for your recovery?"


    Amber smiled and said, "Xiao Ren, you have done a lot for me these past few days, I cannot ask you for anything more than that. Now, all that I need is to gradually restore my cultivation realm and the injuries will heal."


    Han Lingshi asked, "Senior, would you have the knowledge of the herbs that the Gram family might bring us?"


    Amber shook her head and said, "I don''t but Jalo might. His spirit matrix was inscribed with the information from all the low and middle level worlds."


    Han Lingshi looked at the puppet and said, "Jalo, can I ask for your help when the time comes?"


    The puppet nodded and said, "It would be my pleasure, Young Miss." Explore more stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Then he served the tea and cakes to the people. The trio talked about a lot of things while sharing the snacks, and Amber asked, "What do you intend to do with the Spirit Siphon World?"


    Hao Ren thought a little and said, "I would like to conquer them."


    Amber asked, "What then? Would you be conquering all the realms that you encounter?"


    Hao Ren began to think and Han Lingshi said, "It is not feasible. The more territory we have, the more people we would need to manage them. The effort will increase and the progress will slow down. Quality over quantity is what we need to focus on."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I concur with her. If it is not needed, I will not even touch the Spirit Siphon Realm, just a small portion of the big cake would be enough leverage for us. What we need is information, after all, that is how you can influence anything that happens in the realm."


    Amber nodded and said, "Good, that you two have this topic clarified. Never chase after too much strength on the surface, because if you do that, it would cause some people to look at you, and try to devour your efforts. It is not a fair play system, you might have to deal with people way stronger than you. In this whole world of cultivation strength is absolute and the strong don''t care about rules."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I agree, and understand."


    ...


    Allyne and the rest of the group was moving through a space that seemed like a wrapped layer of two worlds. They were walking very carefully, and none of them displayed any spiritual energy as they walked. The reason was simple, one disturbance and this passage might collapse.


    Aldin asked, "Big Sis, why did you agree to this trade? Is it really something worthy?"


    Allyne nodded and said, "It is a world level formation array, so what do you think I should have done? Killed him and take it back? Then what? Who can craft something like this back home?"


    Aldin thought about it and said, "I didn''t expect that his master would leave him such a great inheritance. Also, to think that his skills are so good that he taught himself to this level."


    Allyne shook her head and replied, "Although we could not subjugate him, but that is why I left Mala behind. You all know the special constitution she has, don''t you?"


    The people nodded, and Aldin said, "I think Mala would be able to take him down with a few exchanges."


    Allyne smiled and said, "I am hoping that would be the case, but let us not raise our hopes high."


    Everything in this world had a motive, even the people who did things selflessly, they did it for their inner peace. How could the strong scions of the Gram family not have any motives? However, the big question was who would be able to realize their motive. The Gram family or Hao Ren? Things were about to spark and pick up pace. Everything in this world had a motive, even the people who did things selflessly, they did it for their inner peace. How could the strong scions of the Gram family not have any motives? However, the big question was who would be able to realize their motive. The Gram family or Hao Ren? Things were about to spark and pick up pace.

 Chapter 382 Nostalgia.

    Hao Ren and Amber discussed the issue on how to deal with Mala and the rest of the Gram family at length, and finally they stopped as the latter went back inside to cultivate. Hao Ren came to sit on the roof of the house, and watched the moon and the stars in the sky. Han Lingshi appeared beside him and sat down before she asked, "Ren, what are you thinking about?"


    The young man shook his head and replied, "I am thinking about our lives back on the Blue Star. It was so simple, and smooth. Yet, here, it seems as if it is missing a lot of color."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and said, "I agree with you, but what can we do?"


    Hao Ren looked at her and said, "How about we hold elections? Have the people of the nation select the best heir for the throne. You know that none of our three kids have interest in inherited power. If we can give it all up and retire to some secluded place, wouldn''t that be nice?"


    Han Lingshi was surprised and she said, "You think I would like to spend the rest of my life looking at your face?"


    Hao Ren put on a thoughtful expression and then he asked, "If not for me, who else in this realm would dare to love you?"


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and said, "Who wouldn''t? Had it not been for the fact that I married you, and you are a possessive man, I would have my suitors lining up from end-to-end in the continent."


    Hao Ren pulled her in an embrace and asked, "Are you not talking a bit too much?"


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "Well, the idea is not bad, but in this realm we have too much responsibility. The people will not leave us alone."


    The young man nodded, and said, "If we can get strong enough to walk through the realm passage and enter the higher realm. We might be able to start a new life there from scratch."


    Han Lingshi thought for a bit and said, "What about the people behind us? They cannot catch up with our speed."


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "What about them? If we are strong enough to go to a higher realm, then we are strong enough to come back here as well. Not all the worlds are like Blue Star where we cannot go at all."


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    Han Lingshi leaned in his arms and began to think about it. She mumbled, "You need to be in the realm of Dao World to go to a higher realm, for example, Spirit Siphon Continent. There would be new people who would be leaders of many forces, and might see us as enemies."


    Hao Ren smirked and said, "Are you looking down on your husband? I will bash them outright."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Fine then, when I reach the same realm as you, we will go to the other side. In the meantime, let Big Sister run the show here."


    Hao Ren nodded as he did not mind who would call the shots, as long as they do not screw up the base they have set up. As he was thinking about such things, a voice sounded in his mind, *Bitch, you took two days off from the practice. Now the time is up, you worthless entity, get back to training. You think you are very strong? The grandfather of those kids will drown you in his piss.*


    Hao Ren froze, and said, "Love, I am going back to the formation practice. I have a lot to learn yet."


    Han Lingshi was surprised by the abruption of this sentence but she did not say much. The young man kissed her, and left the place calmly. He was tired of listening to the curses from the system. In the past, he tried to tell the system that he will do all he says, and he just needs to stop cussing, however, the system told him that only the weak run from facing the truth.


    By now, although he had grown used to the abuse somewhat.


    ...


    Mala came out of her courtyard in the morning, and just when she was about to locate Hao Ren, she found Han Lingshi walking over with a bunch of maids, and they greeted each other with a smile. Han Lingshi said, "Young Miss Mala, are you perhaps looking for my husband?"


    Mala nodded and Han Lingshi gestured her to follow. The two walked through the gardens and the pathways silently before they reached the back of the palace where Hao Ren was sitting on a chair with a table laying before him. At the moment he was working on a jade plate and suddenly he yelled, "Fuck, not again. This formation knife is a piece of trash!"


    Mala was surprised and Han Lingshi said, "This is his normal behavior when he is busy working on things. I hope you accommodate him."


    Mala nodded with a smile as she said, "I understand what he is feeling after all, I am a formation master for my family as well, and when you have worked so hard but one single deviation ruins all your effort, it is frustrating. I have demolished my entire courtyard once in rage. So, this is nothing."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and said, "Perhaps genius people all think the same way."


    Mala smiled, Han Lingshi just said that her mind worked similar to Hao Ren, and she counted this as a small slip up by Han Lingshi. Just when the petite girl was feeling happy, Han Lingshi said, "Ren, we have guests."


    Hao Ren raised his head and looked at Mala, before he nodded and went back to focus on a new jade plate. Han Lingshi sighed and said, "She is here to learn from you. Why are you being so uptight? Did you forget the promise you made to Miss Allyne?"


    Hao Ren raised his head and said, "Miss Mala, please come over, we shall learn from each other."


    Mala nodded eagerly and almost flew over to his side. She stood very close to him, and her scent did assault Hao Ren. However, the young man put on a spiritual energy film on his skin to isolate all these things. The reason was to prevent himself from all and any toxins that Mala might have on her, and the other was Han Lingshi.


    The Holy Moon Queen looked calm and collected, but she was a vinegar jar that would over turn and drown Hao Ren in sourness.


    Mala looked at the jade plate and asked, "Are you making another high level array?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I have been trying to get the final part right for the past three months, however, nothing works. Well, I guess, I am missing out on some basic information or knowledge. I will start from scratch."


    Mala looked at the jade plate that cracked slightly from a wrong line. Looking at the lines carved on the jade plate, Mala could not tell anything about where the Array started from. She asked, "What is the function of this array?"


    Hao Ren replied with a calm manner, "This is an Earth Level Illusion array, but the outcome is not very good."


    Mala nodded and then she said, "Well, I have a few books that are based on array formations from my world. May be they will help you."


    She took out the books from her space ring, and then Hao Ren began to read and discuss things with her. He did not use all of his skills right off the bat, because it was obvious to him that Mala had her guard up against him. Her realm was also high, so while Hao Ren was stronger, he was sure that the scions of a big strong family would have some means to protect their minds.


    The two of them were embroiled in an intense discussion about arrays and the implementations. Hao Ren intended to use her, but now that he was getting all this knowledge it added onto her value as an asset.


    However, Han Lingshi, who knew that everything was a plan but everyday when she saw Hao Ren chatting and giggling with Mala, she was feeling more and more jealous with every day.


    One day, she took a deep breath and said, "Lan, give your big brother my message. If he does not come in to meet me tonight, I will divorce him."


    Ye Lan was shocked, and then she asked, "Your Majesty, are you serious?"


    Han Lingshi looked at her with a dead serious face and questioned, "Do you think I am joking about this?"


    Ye Lan gulped a mouthful and then she ran off to tell Hao Ren about the ultimatum. Why? Because she was scared that if Han Lingshi really said this to Hao Ren, then the young man might kill Mala to appease Lingshi and it will lead to more troubles.

 Chapter 383: At Her Majestys Service.

    Note: Sorry for the blunder, I posted the chapter from another novel in a hurry.


    ...


    Hao Ren and Mala were embroiled in the discussion of the array formation, and while doing so, Mala was flirting with him as well. Hao Ren did not want to let the chance miss, and was planting seeds of control in her mind by using his hypnotic skills.


    At this moment, Ye Lan arrived, and she came directly to Hao Ren. The young man saw her face and raised his brow. Ye Lan said, "Big Brother, Sister-in-law sent a message."


    Hao Ren nodded and excused himself for some privacy, before he followed Ye Lan to the side. The young man asked, "What is it?"


    Ye Lan replied using her spiritual communication, "She said that if you do not come to see her in the evening, then she will divorce you."


    Hao Ren was holding a book in his hands, and the shock was so sudden that he dropped the book and asked, "Are you sure she said that?"


    Ye Lan nodded hurriedly and said, "You calm down, don''t do anything rash okay?"


    *Hehe, this is fun. How about I add to the incident? If you go to Han Lingshi, will I make your dick fall off your body? What do you say, shall I?*


    Hao Ren clenched his fist and said, ''Can you stop with this tomfoolery? I have things to do.''


    Hao Ren took a deep breath, picked up the book and went to Mala, who was gazing at the two of them trying to figure out what was going on. She saw Hao Ren approach and asked, "Is everything alright?"


    The young man nodded and said, "I have some matters to attend to, we shall continue tomorrow."


    That was it, he did not provide her any explanation and after putting the book back on the table he left. In his mind, his wife''s angry face was revolving and he felt very anxious. After all these years, he had been careful to make sure that Lingshi did not feel jealous, he never looked at any other woman because he was dedicated to her. However, now all of a sudden, Han Lingshi gave him such an ultimatum. This scared him a bit.


    The young man left the garden and moved through the corridors with Ye Lan in tow. He found that Han Lingshi was not present in the study. He quickly moved to look for her in the royal bedroom. However, the young lady was not present there either.


    The young man frowned and asked, "Lan, where is Lingshi?"


    Ye Lan was at a loss, she said, "When I left her, she was in the study. I don''t know where she is."


    Hao Ren frowned and closed his eyes to sense her but he could not sense her at all. He asked, ''Fucking system, did you do anything?''


    *Bitch, who are you talking to like this? I''ll fuck you up, you bum. So busy chasing skirts that you don''t even know where your wife is, and you want to be the omnipotent husband. Shitface. Go, look for her and don''t disturb my slumber.*


    Hao Ren left the palace, went to the courtyard in the city. However, he could not find Lingshi there either. The young man began to think where she could have possibly gone. Thinking about it, he touched the Yin crystal around his neck and smiled.


    Han Lingshi was hiding her presence to make things difficult for him, but he could still sense the Yang Energy from the Yang Crystal on her, and closed his eyes. The entire world gradually vanished from his senses, and only the presence of elements was left.


    He sensed some storms and lightning raging around the coastal regions, and then he calmed down to remove them as well. Pure Yang crystal absorbed energy from the surroundings and it was very strong. The energy was collected inside the crystal before it was absorbed by Han Lingshi on regular intervals. Even if she were draining the crystal on purpose, it would be detectable by the changes in the surroundings. Pure Yang could not be erased similar to Pure Yin.


    So the cultivation resource that she was using could be used to track her. After a few moments, Hao Ren located her presence in a place where they had erected a shack earlier. Thinking about it, he sighed and vanished from his position and traveled through the void at the speed of light.


    He reached the shack and found Han Lingshi standing in the courtyard with her hands leaning over the fence and she was gazing at the turbulent ocean waves crashing against the coast.


    Hao Ren landed beside her but he did not say anything. He did not know what to say, should he apologize for neglecting her? Should he try to appease her or should he own up to his mistake or all of these or would it be better to act as if nothing was wrong.


    Hao Ren suddenly smiled and shook his head, Han Lingshi sensed his presence the moment he appeared beside her, and she asked, "What are you smiling about?"


    Hao Ren put away the smile as he heard the cold in her voice, and said, "I am aware of my mistake, but while I wish to apologize, I am not sure on how to do it."


    Han Lingshi turned around to look at him, she could see that he was distressed, although she did not like to see him like this, but how would she regain her value if she gave in to him with this much ease?


    She turned to look away and asked, "Why do you care, Ren? In the past week, how many times did I come to visit you? Are you so lost in your things that I am no longer of relevance?" Discover stories at My Virtual Library Empire


    Hao Ren shook his head and wanted to explain himself but Han Lingshi said, "I know that you have only me in your heart, and that you were focused on learning as much as you can from that girl. However, do you think this senseless pursuit of knowledge would do you good? What is the point of it all if you forget about what you are?"


    Hao Ren began to contemplate the question and after a few moments, he said, "I accept, I was wrong, and got so focused on learning that I developed a tunnel vision."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Now that you have realized your mistake, you have to make up for it."


    The young man asked, "What do you want me to do?"


    Han Lingshi looked at the depths of the ocean and said, "I don''t know, take me boating."


    Hao Ren was stunned by how simple this request was. However, Han Lingshi said, "I want you to carve a boat from that loved Oak Tree you have in the garden."


    Hao Ren sensed his lips twitch because the tree she was talking about was used by Mala to sit under the shade while carving her formations. However, he took a deep breath and said, "Yes, I will get it right away."


    He vanished from his position and reappeared in the garden. Mala was sitting under the oak tree and carving formations on a jade tree. When she finished the jade plate cracked, and Hao Ren said, "Miss Mala, if you don''t mind, can you move your workstation to the other side?"


    Mala asked, "What happened? Master Hao, is everything alright?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I need this tree for something."


    Mala raised her brow and Hao Ren said, "This tree is not a spiritual tree, and I raised it for a purpose. Today happens to be the day when I need it. Young Miss Gram, I apologize for the abruptness, but it is important."


    Mala could not figure out what was wrong in this situation but she nodded and moved her work desk away from the tree. Hao Ren waved his hand and the tree truck was chopped from the middle and then stored it all inside his space ring.


    Then he flew away again. Mala could not tell what was going on but Hao Ren seemed very rushed. She wanted to follow him, but after sensing where he went she could not find his presence.


    The lady was surprised, and soon, Ye Yue came over. These days, apart from Hao Ren, Ye Yue has become a close friend of hers. She asked, "Yue, why is Master Hao looking so anxious."


    Ye Yue chuckled, Ye Lan had told her what was going on, and she said, "Big Brother forgot that it is a special day today."


    Mala was confused and Ye Yue said, "Well, I cannot tell you, it is a secret of his. Only Sister-in-law knows about it. So, she reminded him and he got to work."


    Ye Yue began to lead Mala around in circles with ease, as they conversed. While on the other side of the continent, Hao Ren took out the big tree in the courtyard and began to carve a boat from its truck. Han Lingshi watched his expression and felt satisfied.


    *Bitch, go alleviate the stress your wife has accumulated all these days. Romance under the moonlight, have her experience the peak of pleasure several times.*

 Chapter 384: Love Boat.

    Hao Ren was using a knife to carve the fine details on the outer body of the boat, making it look pretty, when the system issued the task. His hand froze before he started again and said, ''System, are you sure you have to make such a thing a task? Don''t you have anything better to do?''


    *Oh you simpleton. Do you think that at your level such things are simply just pleasurous? Don''t you think that if you do it at your current realm, you might gain some insights in the principles of Yin and Yang?*


    Hao Ren was stunned again, the system has never given him an explanation behind any tasks. This time it did and made sense. The system sensed his thoughts and said, *Ugh you lost kid, if you managed to complete the task then you will get a combined enlightenment opportunity. Now get on with it, Daddy is going to sleep.*


    The young man sighed and then continued with his carving. From the head to tail, Hao Ren engraved Han Lingshi and His journey. On both sides, Han Lingshi watched it from the side, and nodded. When the young man was done, the sun was about to vanish, and she said, "Let''s go. I am tired of waiting."


    Hao Ren nodded, and picked up the boat before reaching the shore. He forgot that he was a high level cultivator, and stood on the shore offering his hand to help Han Lingshi get on. The young lady was amused and let him hold her hand as she got on, and then Hao Ren pushed the boat in the ocean before he jumped up as well.


    Han Lingshi watched him sit down and asked, "Did you forget that you are a cultivator?"


    Hao Ren was about to pick up the oars and he froze, before he said, "I just wanted you to experience this so I acted."


    Han Lingshi smiled and shook her head before the young man began to row the boat and they moved through the waves. After they came a distance away from the shore, the waters calmed down and their were not many turbulent waves. She asked, "How is it going?"


    Hao Ren placed the oars on the side and shook his head as he said, "It is fine, nothing to worry about. I have a plan in my mind which will conquer Mala''s mind, but for that I will need some time. The illusion array is not yet complete and I cannot risk it."


    Han Lingshi nodded and asked, "Her guards are not suspecting you of anything?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "They are below my realm, and so I can charm their minds with ease. Even Yue got one of them to give up."


    Han Lingshi nodded as she looked up at the sky, "Hmmm, she is indeed capable of making these people lose their minds."


    Hao Ren nodded and after some thought he reached out and grabbed her leg. Han Lingshi was startled and asked, "What are you doing?"


    Hao Ren did not give up his grip, and placed her foot in his lap. Then he undid her belly and began to massage her feet as he said, "How long has it been since I pampered you? Years, right?"


    Han Lingshi detected a little trace of remorse in his voice and she hummed before saying, "Do you think that if you didn''t do all this, I wouldn''t know how much you love me?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It is not about you knowing whether I love you or not. These days, I have been feeling very unexpressive, and the pleasure these little things used to bring me had been missing from my daily life. I have become very silent."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "You were not silent when I used to give you shaves and food every evening. It is all fault of those Gram family bitches. Why do you blame yourself?"


    Hao Ren smiled faintly and did not say anything. He massaged her feet, and Han Lingshi leaned back in the chair. Hao Ren had paid great attention to carve these chairs to increase her comfort. The young man took advantage of her listlessness and his hand began to travel along her leg.


    He began to massage her soft calves, while admiring her fair smooth legs. He did not know when Han Lingshi had turned back to look at him and the girl asked, "Hmmm, do you like what you see?"


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    Hao Ren smiled as he raised his eyes to look at her and said, "To think of it, your legs are fairer than my face."


    Han Lingshi was stunned and then she laughed. She shook her head while smiling and said, "You know, love. Sometimes you say stupid things."


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and asked, "What do you mean sometimes? I am always stupid when I am alone with you."


    Han Lingshi looked at him, and she could see that spark of desire and doting in his eyes. A faint blush crept up her face. She asked, "Ren, after so many years of being together, don''t you feel bored of me?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I had to work very hard to get you under my spell, do you think that someone like me would have to make the same effort to anyone else?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and asked, "So, you mean to say, that had it not been a fact that you are lazy, you would have gone out to chase skirts? Perhaps, you would have formed a harem of three thousand women?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and replied, "Lingshi, aren''t you overestimating your husband''s skills a bit too much? Three Thousand Women. Hmph, I would have died on someone''s belly or under their pomegranate skirt."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "Wow, such a galant picture of death, I am sure all the males are itching to make such a picture for themselves."


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders and then moved his hand above as he said, "If I am to paint such a picture, don''t I have you here?"


    Han Lingshi blushed a little and said, "Ren, what you trying to do in such a wide open place?"


    Hao Ren leaned forward and placed himself between her legs as he said, "I am doing just what you are thinking about my love."


    He took her hand and pulled her close as he kissed her lips before she could even protest. After a long time, when Han Lingshi finally sensed this warmth, she could not help and give in. One moment later, she began to respond to Hao Ren''s moves. The young man opened her hanfu and cupped her bosom in his hands.


    The ocean wind grazed past the two and Han Lingshi shivered. This setting was bringing her a bit too much excitement, something she has never experienced before. The young man was careful to not tip the boat over, and to protect their privacy, he waved his hand and cast a layer of barriers.


    ...


    Under the water, a few small demon sharks were swimming, when suddenly one of them tried to go to the surface, but was forced back down by a barrier.


    One shark asked, "Hey, Stream, what is going on? Why is there such a strong barrier around here?"


    The shark hit was called Stream, it swam around to calm down before it said, "How would I know? That boat is rocking, I thought I would go and scare these people. Perhaps we might get a meal. Who knew they have such a strong barrier around them. Mark, I am telling you, someone is shady about the people on that boat."


    ...


    Above the water, Han Lingshi and Hao Ren were immersed in pleasure, the young lady was moaning, and asking for more. Hao Ren was the same. They weren''t mortals anymore, and their physical capabilities were way too high. How could they stop after a few times? The season of spring had just arrived, and so, the two of them enjoyed.


    The entire night, Hao Ren relentlessly tried to reshape the walls of Han Lingshi''s cavern and the latter accommodated him with great joy. She had lost count of how many times they had both reached the peak, yet, Hao Ren was still going.


    At a point in time, she said, "Ren, I am losing my mind."


    Hao Ren replied, "I lost my mind long ago. Don''t stop baby."


    Then he kissed her and sucked her lips greedily. This passion was reciprocated properly, and the boat continued to rock. Even the ocean breeze could not completely erase the strange scent in the void around the boat. Han Lingshi scratched Hao Ren many times, but his physique protected him. On the other hand, Han Lingshi''s neck and shoulders were covered with strawberry sized spots.


    Same was true for her bosom and legs, Hao Ren wished he could absorb her complete, and the two felt even more excited because of the setting, which was new for them. After the two did not know how many hours, the sun came up on the horizon.


    Hao Ren stopped and they both lay cuddling while panting, Han Lingshi said, "I should get angry on you more often. This was the best night ever."


    Hao Ren snuggled her and said, "Yes."


    *Okay, when do you want to feel enlightenment?*

 Chapter 385: Foreign Race.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi spent a week in the boat, going through enlightenment of the concepts of Yin and Yang. The realms of their cultivation also increased. When they woke up, Han Lingshi kissed him lightly before she began to put on her clothes. Hao Ren helped her attentively and then the rowed back to the shore.


    They found that Ye Lan was walking on the shore anxiously. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi looked at her, and the latter asked, "What happened Lan?"


    The young lady sighed and asked, "Where did you two go without informing us? Everyone was afraid, thinking you got ambushed by someone."


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Who can ambush me?"


    Ye Lan did not spare him, she put her hand on her hips and replied, "The Dead Blood Race."


    Han Lingshi asked, "What is going on?"


    Ye Lan said, "A couple of days ago, someone discovered a listless man moving around the Crismon Earth City. Upon investigation, it was found that this person had already died several months ago, and was buried by the family inside the cemetery outside the city."


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    Han Lingshi raised her brow and asked, "Then what happened? Is it some evil force?"


    Ye Lan shook her head and replied, "How can an evil force move around in the land without being noticed? That person killed seven soldiers before he was put down for good. I think it would be more suitable to call him a corpse puppet."


    Han Lingshi raised her brows and asked, "What?"


    Ye Lan said, "The blood in the heart of the corpse puppet was black as tar, but the rest of the body was circulating with red. I found that this thing ate the hearts of the seven city guard that it killed."


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "How did you name this race?"


    Ye Lan replied, "Miss Amber told us, and also, Mala Gram told the same thing."


    Hao Ren frowned and said, "We should get back soon."


    Han Lingshi nodded and they moved quickly.


    ...


    Back in Crescent Moon City, Hao Ren went to visit Amber first and found that the lady was sitting in the garden of the courtyard. He greeted her, and the lady raised her brows. She said, "Ren, I did not expect you to gain understanding in profound Yang."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Can I ever hide anything from your gaze?"


    Amber smiled faintly and asked, "Did you learn about the Black Blood Race?"


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "I have a few questions."


    Amber gestured for him to continue, and Hao Ren sat down on a chair. He asked, "Where did they come from?"


    Amber shrugged and said, "Probably the upper realm. The Spirit Siphon Continent would be my bet. Apart from that, you have yet to align with any other plane."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "How do we kill them?"


    Amber replied, "Aim for the heart. Shatter it, or burn it. Either way, it would work. Another thing to be mindful of is, the Cold Heart Corpse Poison. If inflicted, the victims heart would turn black and his mind will be corrupted."


    Hao Ren frowned and said, "This seems very tricky, is there anyway to locate them?"


    Amber rolled her eyes and said, "Kid, can''t you work your brain at all? Think about it a bit at least."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "Lan said that the blood in their hearts was black while the rest was red which was the result of them eating the hearts out. Hmmm, black blood is dead blood. The red blood is living. However, they look like corpses. So, if the people directly set all the corpses at fire, it would ease the confrontation."


    Amber nodded and said, "Good, however, the corpses are just puppets. There are real masters behind them. These people have dead blood coursing through their bodies and need to consume the live blood acquired by their puppets to survive and get stronger."


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, "Such a twisted creation of Dao. Well, fine, if we use the Yin and Yang eyes, we should be able to locate them."


    Amber nodded and said, "See, it was not that hard, was it?"


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "Alright, I am going to work."


    That said, he left the house and came to the garden in the palace. Mala was practicing arrays, when she suddenly raised her head and Hao Ren scolded, "Miss Mala, focus on the formation."


    Mala flinched and went back to etching the jade plate on the table. Hao Ren looked at her and asked, "I want to ask if you know anything about the Dead Blood Clan?"


    Mala stood up in surprise and asked, "Where did you hear about them?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Where else? People found a corpse puppet in the vicinity of a city. Is it your people who made this move?"


    Mala shook her head and said, "All the humans hate Dead Blood these damned things have been killing around like wild dogs in the spirit siphon continent. In the northern continent they wiped out an entire country over the period of a month. The other three continents had to step up together to kill them."


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "Yet you let some fish escape the net."


    Mala nodded and said, "This couldn''t be helped. They may be corpse cultivators but they are very sharp minded. These things still try to make splashes in the Spirit Siphon Continent but then they are snuffed out. I did not expect them to use the breach to come over."


    Hao Ren frowned and said, "If I remember correctly, then only your family knows about the breach. How did these things find it?"


    Mala understood the implications and her eyes changed. She mumbled, "You mean to say a spy inside the Gram family."


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "That is up to you to determine, for me, the safety of my people comes first."


    Mala nodded and said, "I will send for the family to make checks."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Be careful."


    Mala was stunned. She did not know why Hao Ren said that but she felt gratified and said, "Thank you."


    Then the lady hurriedly went back to her courtyard, and prepared a letter for her father.


    Hao Ren on the other hand mobilized the Ye Generals and all their disciples to go and search every inch of the lands. At the same time he told the people from the different continents to look into the matter as well.


    The people were surprised by the sudden appearance of this race and since Hao Ren issued the look out notice, they all did not slack off. The young man stood on the peak of the highest point in the crescent moon palace. His eyes gazing at every nook and cranny of the city.


    The city guards were patrolling even more intensely than ever. However, the population was calm. They did not worry because they had the elite protecting them. The city guards all had a highly respected position, they were trained in a gruesome manner, and Yang was the leader. If they dared to slack, Yang did not spare anyone.


    His strength had increased a lot and he was now known throughout the world as one of the strongest sabre masters.


    After looking through the city, Hao Ren did not detect anything out of the ordinary. He frowned and jumped off the tower. He landed on the ground beside Han Lingshi.


    The lady smiled and asked, "You don''t think it would be that easy to find them?"


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and replied, "What can be done? These things must be apt at hiding themselves."


    Hao Ren sighed, and then he said, "I will head out too, let us see if we can find anything."


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "Tell me anything if you find anything. In the meantime, I will try to convince the people to cremate the people."


    Hao Ren nodded and left the place.


    ...


    In a remote valley outside the crescent moon palace, a group of pale men and women were gathered together. They were standing in a remotely dark area and one of them said, "The quality of corpses here is so bad, they cannot even tolerate the refining ritual. I managed to make one puppet after seven trials, and that thing was killed instantly. The arrays around the cities are so sturdy that they hold back all of us. How are they so strong? Even more than the Spirit siphon continent?"


    The leader of the group frowned and said, "It seems that the information was wrong. We need to do something about these people."


    They began to formulate the plan, as well. Suddenly, someone said, "I sensed someone looking for us through the city barrier. Had it not been for the concealment talisman, I would have been caught. This person was really strong, like Gild Gram."

 Chapter 386: Hunting The Dead With Wife.

    Hao Ren was flying through the void thinking where the people could be. He wanted to find them, kill them, and go back home so that he could focus on his work. Suddenly, he sensed someone approaching him at a high speed. A few minutes later he found that it was Han Lingshi.


    He asked, "What happened?"


    Han Lingshi revealed a child-like expression on her face and said, "I know where they are."


    Hao Ren raised his brows and asked, "How?"


    Han Lingshi smirked and said, "I was cultivating when I thought if I could sense Profound Yin in different places. Just then, I sensed a trace of profound Yin not far from the city they attacked. Five of them."


    Hao Ren grabbed her hand and asked, "Serious?"


    The lady nodded and asked, "Why would joke around? I have better things to do."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will go an hunt them."


    Han Lingshi crossed her hands before her chest and watched him. After a few moments, Hao Ren sighed, scratched the back of his head and said, "Lead the way, your majesty."


    Han Lingshi nodded and waved her hand to open a void portal and the two vanished from the spot.


    ...


    The Dead Blood Clan people were still discussing how to infiltrate the cities when one of them turned to look towards the west.


    One of them, Edler asked, "Kram, what happened?"


    Kram said, "I sensed a void fluctuation from that direction. It was minimal, not sure what it was. Shall we check, Edler?"


    Edler thought for a bit and said, "Yeah, let''s go and see what it is."


    They all had the cultivation realm of Dao Dust realm, it may seem very low but to the normal cultivators they were still beings that cannot be overlooked in the least. The group of five walked through the woods, and suddenly, Edler froze and rolled to the side.


    The next moment, a wail rang out from the group. Turning around everyone saw a fiery spear stabbed through the body of their companion.


    Arghh!!


    The person kept wailing, and the fire kept spreading. Kmar quickly gathered Yin energy in his hand and tried to reach for the spear, when Edler yelled, "No! That''s a profound Yang spear, it will burn us to death."


    These creatures had innate fear of flames, and when it came to Profound Yang, this was just a taboo. If not for the fact that they were similar to corpses, they would have peed themselves.


    A disdainful voice echoed in the surroundings, "Tch, I missed, now that thing will take a long time to burn to cinders."


    The people turned to look around and they found that it was Hao Ren and Han Lingshi walking through the woods, one of them held a yellow fiery spear and the other held a icy blue flaming bow in her hands.


    Edler shivered and said, "Run!!"


    Then he dashed off, vanishing from his spot, and so did the rest of them. Only leaving behind the unfortunate soul that was nailed on the ground with a flame spear passing through his torso. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi did not care about the people running away, because Han Lingshi could easily track them.


    The couple held hands as they walked through the woods and came closer to the Dead Blood Corpse standing in his spot. Han Lingshi looked at the face of the entity and said, "Ren, this guy is fairer than me." Your next journey awaits at My Virtual Library Empire


    Hao Ren chuckled, and then he saw her pout, he embraced her from the side and kissed her cheek as he said, "You don''t have to think so much. He is just a corpse and called Dead Blood, while you my love are my life."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "I love it when you say such stuff."


    The two people did not notice the panic flaring in the gaze of the pinned creature. He let out a groan as his body burned from inside out. Hao Ren turned to look at him with a frown and said, "What? Can''t you handle a little heat? What sort of cultivator are you? Motherfucking parasite."


    Han Lingshi patted his shoulder and said, "Okay, calm down. No need to get angry over such a thing."


    She looked at the dying thing with a calm gaze and faint smile as she asked, "This daoist, can you tell me why you came here and how you came here? I promise if you do that, I will give you a quick and painless death. Otherwise, you can continue burning for... Ren, how long can you keep him burning?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Seven days, burning his entire body but leaving the heart and brain connection alone, he will be able to feel the scalding on a cellular level."


    His tone was so calm as if he was stating the obvious. However, to the Dead Blood guy, these two people were no less than demons. He said, "We came from the breach, it was a person from the Gram family who aided us."


    Hao Ren narrowed his eyes and asked, "Who?"


    The man shook his head and replied, "Only Edler knows about this guy. We came here to cause chaos and help that man gain control of this land. That way he would be able to dethrone Allyse Gram."


    Hao Ren nodded and Han Lingshi said, "Hmmm, good, Ren burned him for a couple of hours."


    The man was surprised and he yelled, "You lied."


    Hao Ren smiled and the young lady replied, "Did you think that after disrespecting our dead, and killing our brave guards, you would walk away with dignity? Had it been possible I would have tied you all to the gates of my house to serve as watchdogs."


    Then she tugged on Hao Ren''s hand and the two walked away. The young man mentally controlled the temperature of the flame spear and it began to burn the enemy. His wails echoed in the valley and it scared the spirit beasts in the region.


    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren did not care, they walked in the dark forest as if they were out on a vacation. The young lady asked, "Which one do you want to hunt next?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "You have the capability of tracking them, I am just a follower."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Good answer, come then."


    The two of them flickered and vanished.


    ...


    One of the Dead Blood folks, Kmar, was running along the coast. He wanted to try and find a chance to flee the continent itself. However, just when he was about to cross the array barrier, a stream of blue flashed in the sky, and forming a beautiful parabola, hit him through the back.


    Kmar did not realize what happened until he sensed a burning sensation through his torso. He was pinned on the ground with his head on the floor. He could not even react. Han Lingshi and Hao Ren appeared next to her, the young man waved his hand and caused him to levitate in the void, before he asked, "Lingshi, his body is turning necrotic internally. The speed is quite fast."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Nether Dragon Flames are like that, this is the least damage they do. I cannot decrease it. Why do you think I do not use them for pill refining or other things? They are violent."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "No worries, they can protect you and the others in the time of danger, that is enough. What do you want to do with this thing?"


    Han Lingshi asked, "Can you tell us how you came here?"


    Kram did not reply, and Han Lingshi frowned as she said, "Ren, he is not talking."


    Hao Ren used his hypnosis skill and said, "Answer her question and get a painless and quick death."


    Kram replied, "There is a space rift that can be sensed by the citizens of the upper realm. The Gram family happens to be the rulers of that land and thus they monopolized it. You cannot find it."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "This is the same as Amber told us."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "You will also burn for two hours."


    After that, the young couple walked away from the place while feeding each other sweet nothings, leaving nothing but a wailing alien behind them.


    ...


    The other two people were also hunted down in the same manner, and it did not take much of an effort. They all answered the question similar to the other two before them. Finally, Han Lingshi located the last guy, the leader of the group, Edler.


    They moved quickly and found this guy standing inside a cemetery. All the graves have been dug up and he was surrounded by corpse puppets. Han Lingshi and Hao Ren frowned, and the enemy asked provocatively, "So, what can you do to me now? Can you go against the dead citizens of your country?"


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "You are a rabbit that thinks it is a tiger."

 Chapter 387: The Dead Wish To Die.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi stood facing the leader of the group of Dead Blood Clan people, Edler, who got a hoard of the undead surrounding him.


    Hao Ren looked around and said, "Do you really think that I do not dare to burn them to ashes?"


    Elder was stunned and spat, "Try it."


    The next moment, he began to make hand seals, and Han Lingshi said, "He is gathering a lot of profound yin. It will take him a few moments but if he succeeded, then the impact might cause some trouble."


    Hao Ren frowned and said, "Well, I am making a move. It is not a big deal if I stop him before he can complete his trick."


    Han Lingshi nodded and knocked a flaming arrow on her bow before she said, "Well, you deal with the corpse puppets and I will handle Elder?"


    Hao Ren nodded and took a deep breath, before he said, "Ember Bloom."


    Then he exhaled a big breath. Cultivators were akin to superman. They could really create gusts by infusing spiritual energy in their breaths. Hao Ren did the same, and when he exhaled, a few small sparks also blew out with the breath.


    The sparks covered a great area, and then they expanded, blooming into big flowers. The flowers spun in their spots, and Hao Ren made a few hand seals. All the petals turned into blades and landed over the corpse puppets. These puppets were created in a hurry so they did not have a strong resistance and they were all akin to butter thrown in hell. Experience new stories on My Virtual Library Empire


    The petals turned into lava as soon as they came in contact with the puppets and then the corpses were gradually reduced to ashes and collected into mounds. As soon as Hao Ren cleared the puppets standing in front of Edler, Han Lingshi let go of the arrow that she had knocked.


    Edler did not understand what just happened, his hand fell to the ground and the Profound Yin that he was gathering back lashed as soon as the seals were disrupted. Causing him to cough up a mouthful of black blood. He raised his head and asked in disbelief, "How could you?"


    Hao Ren walked up to him and with a wave of his hand, cast a flame cloud to deal with the puppets behind Edler, "Did you think we were using some artifact to hunt your ass?"


    Then he raised his hand and smacked the back of Edler''s head. The impact sent him flying and crashing in the ground head first. Then Hao Ren began to treat Edler as if he was a football. Causing him to collide with the mountain wall and then bouncing back.


    After a dozen or so kicks, Hao Ren said, "We should introduce soccer here as well."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "Whatever you want my love. However, can we interrogate him first?"


    Hao Ren nodded and kicked Edler one more time before he asked, "Tell us, who sent you?"


    Edler was a proud creature of the Dead Blood Race, he never expected that he would be beaten like he was a child. His state of mind was chaotic and Hao Ren exploited it to his advantage.


    The man replied in a daze, "It was Karl Gram. The Second Young Master of the Gram family. This man kept us prisoners and whenever he needed to gain favor from someone had us go to different territories and create corpse puppets. Then he would kill those puppets, and allow us to refine them to sustain."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "So someone is capable of using you as a labor and then reap profits. Damn, what a businessman."


    Han Lingshi cleared her throat and said, "Love, we are getting side tracked."


    Hao Ren coughed and asked, "Do you have anything that can prove his involvement in all this?"


    Edler took out a pile of image stones and said, "I have recorded his meetings with us through all the incidents. He did not think that someone who survived on his mercy would be able to do such a thing."


    Hao Ren channeled spiritual energy through the stones, and sure enough the clips proved that Edler was not lying.


    Han Lingshi said, "Love, we will bring him back to the city and have the people learn about his kind. They should stay aware in the future."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Well, yeah, he is the last of his kind here. Let us head back."


    He flicked his wrists and caused a few needles to block the path of spiritual energy inside Edler''s body. The latter wanted to scream when Hao Ren kicked him in the side of the head, and knocked him out cold.


    ...


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi appeared at the gates of the crescent city and the guards were shocked to see them. Usually these two did not use such a conventional mean of travel. They bowed to the sovereigns before they saw the amputated corpse like person tied behind them.


    Hao Ren said, "This thing is a Dead Blood Race member. We sealed him, so had to take the gates to enter the city."


    The guards bowed and opened the gates for them. Han Lingshi walked side by side with Hao Ren while smiling faintly. The people did not dare to look at her face, because they all considered Han Lingshi to be sacred. They believed that the Holy Moon Queen was a goddess of mercy incarnated.


    At first Hao Ren and Han Lingshi used to find it funny, but then they found, that there were artisans who sold small murals of her coronation and also the night she first slayed the bandits who defiled women.


    They had to issue an imperial decree to stop the people from doing this because they did not wish to be treated like gods. Already being the king and queen had cost them a lot when it came to mundane life. What would happen if they turned into gods?


    Hao Ren pulled Edler behind him, who was tied by a rope as they both walked in the city. Many people saw them, they were shocked and then the word spread. More and more people gathered, and by the time Han Lingshi and Hao Ren reached the Imperial Square, the entire city was gathered around.


    Hao Ren said, "Since you all are here, let me address the elephant in the square."


    He tugged the rope, Edler was pulled forward, and then Han Lingshi kicked the back of his knee causing him to kneel. The two of them worked in such synergy that they could not help but look at each other with a smile.


    The young man then said, "The person that you see kneeling here, is not a human."


    His words caused the people to gasp. Hao Ren continued, "This man is from a humanoid race, called the Dead Blood Race. It is an artificial race created by those who practice the way of corpse refining."


    The citizens gasped, and Hao Ren continued, "So, a few days ago...."


    After narrating the incident he went on to tell the people about the contact they made with the upper realms. This was a big surprise to the people as they did not expect something like this to be held from them.


    Han Lingshi stepped up and said, "The reason we did not tell you about it was to make sure that you all do not feel unnecessarily stressed. At the moment, a guest from the upper realm is residing in the Crescent Moon Palace as our guest. She was the one who informed us about these Dead Blood Clan people.


    They are not bad and we are not at war with them. As your Queen, and King, we did what we thought was best. I hope that you all understand that a nation buried under stress of something hypothetical will never grow stronger."


    The people were silent, and none of them knew who said it, but someone said, "We believe in you, Your Majesties."


    Following that everyone began to chant and only calm down after a few minutes. Who else could it be but Hao Ren who remotely controlled a random guy to praise the queen and then a few more followed.


    With the public opinion settled, Hao Ren and Han Lingshi looked at Edler, and the lady said, "This thing caused the death of several people and also disrespected the dead. To prevent this, I hope that the people can now cremate those who become one with the Dao. You can still erect a shrine in their memory and pray to them, but don''t give these things a chance to disrespect them anymore."


    She condensed a flame spear and on the other side, Hao Ren did the same. They both stabbed the spears through Edler''s chest, who wailed, and said, "Kill me, I beg you. This is too painful!!!! Arghhh!!"


    Hao Ren smirked and said, "Funny how those who are already dead, also beg for death."

 Chapter 388 388: Trap Success.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi executed Edler, and then they went inside the palace and Hao Ren said, "I will go and bring these things to Mala Gram. I finally found a piece to set the trap."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I will go and handle the news transmission for the people."


    The two decided their tasks and departed to deal with them.


    ...


    Hao Ren came to the courtyard where Mala was staying, and found her mobilizing the guards. The young man said, "Young Miss Gram, there is something that you need to see."


    Mala Gram was surprised and welcomed him inside the courtyard. Hao Ren looked at the guards and used his spiritual communication, "Please send away the guards, I don''t trust anyone but you."


    Mala Gram thought and nodded, before she said, "Go, search the continent and see if you can find any of the Dead Blood Clan people remaining."


    The guards bowed and quickly left. Mala waited for a few moments, before she asked, "Master Hao, what is it?"


    Hao Ren said, "What I am about to tell you might come as a shock to you so please bear with it."


    Mala furrowed her brows and Hao Ren said, "We caught and killed all the Dead Blood People. However, upon interrogating their leader, we found that the one who sent them through the rift was none other then Karl Gram, the second young master of the Gram family."


    Mala opened her eyes wide, as she did not expect this. Hao Ren quickly followed up, "I am not making baseless accusation here, but I have evidence that he has been doing this for a long time."


    Mala asked, "What evidence?"


    Hao Ren then took out the image stones that he found from Edler, and gave them to Mala to see for herself if she was telling the truth. After a few minutes, Mala was shivering, and she asked, "How can he do this?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and replied, "Desire of power can make people do some really stupid stuff. I am not intent on you going back and sparking a civil war, however, if this matter got out to anyone who holds a grudge against your people, they it would be a disaster.


    Miss Mala, these past few days of exchanging knowledge, I have understood how righteous you are. We are two parties involved in a trading relationship. While that is true, I am also the protector of my realm. I cannot let this matter go. I hope you can get me an explanation from the elders of your family."


    Mala Gram realized the gravity of the situation and she nodded before saying, "I will definitely get you an explanation. Please don''t worry, Master Hao. Me and my family treat this trade relation with great importance."


    Hao Ren said, "Young Miss, earlier you told me that the Dead Blood Clan is hated by everyone in the upper realm, and that if anyone is found connection with them, they would be dealt with an iron fist?"


    Mala nodded, her expression was as if she had been given a bitter fruit to swallow. How could she not understand that Hao Ren wanted her Second Brother to be punished.


    The young man said, "Young Miss Mala, from what I understood, your family does not discriminate between males or females. Right?"


    Mala nodded and said, "Yes, in the upper realm, strength is what matters. There are many females who are leading big forces because they are strong."


    Hao Ren said, "Then if you get this news to your family elders, and expose the culprit, won''t you gain more power?"


    Mala was surprised, Hao Ren continued, "Young Miss, if you have more power in the family, then I would be at more ease when we trade. I will teach you about arrays as much as I know, without hiding a single thing. However, for that, you must get justice for my people. Had we not equipped all the cities with arrays, many places would have become mass graveyards by now. These things are not easy to kill."


    Obviously, Mala was aware of all these things as she had seen them first hand. However, Hao Ren used his hypnosis skill and made her feel the threat even more intensely. She took a deep breath and said, "I will get this information to my family right away. You will get the answer within a week."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "What do you mean by a week?"


    Mala said, "When you travel through the rift in small numbers, it becomes easier to cover more distance in a small duration of time."


    The young man nodded and then Mala said, "Amin."


    A young man walked out of her shadow, and Hao Ren found that his realm was also Dao Sky. Mala said, "Master Hao, Amin is my most trusted guard and friend. He will bring this message to my father directly."


    Amin bowed his head and Mala gave him a few instructions before the man vanished.


    Hao Ren asked, "How can you trust his so much?"


    Mala replied calmly as she adjusted her Hanfu, "As cruel as it may sound but Amin is a blood slave that my family raised for me. He will betray himself but not me. Every member of the family has one such blood slave."


    Hao Ren frowned, and asked, "What if your brother finds him?"


    Mala shook her head and replied, "Nobody can find a blood slave apart from the family head and the master. They have their own tricks to move around, and my position in the family is that of a nerd, Karl has never taken me seriously, even Eldest Sister Allyna doesn''t. So, we can carry this out with ease."


    Hao Ren nodded and sighed in relief, as he said, "Well, I hope that the result is good."


    ...


    One week flew away in a blink, and Mala came to meet Hao Ren who was inspecting the array around the city. The young man asked, "What is going on? Did you get the result?"


    Mala nodded and said, "My father was informed, and he conducted a swift investigation. It is said that Second Brother was cultivating, and his spirit deviated before he exploded in a bloody mist. Similarly, his mother, and the her maternal family also went missing. It is assumed that they have ran away."


    The young man took a deep breath and asked shockingly, "Your family sure deals a heavy hand."


    Mala smiled, "Well, thanks to your help, I have been rewarded, and my father has told me to learn a good deal about arrays and take the charge of the array business in the family."


    Hao Ren nodded with a smile and said, "That is a good thing. Let us continue with the information exchange."


    Mala nodded, then she took out the space ring and said, "This is the payment you asked for in return of those Earth/world level array jade plates."


    Hao Ren''s eyes gleamed, he took the space ring and checked the content. He took a deep breath because he could sense that the vitality of these herbs was not shallow. He thought about something and said, "Miss Mala, I will see you in the evening. Right now I have to go and deal with something."


    The lady nodded and Hao Ren vanished quickly.


    ...


    Hao Ren appeared in the alchemy hall, and said, "Alright, all of you listen up!"


    The people stopped whatever they were doing and looked at Hao Ren. The young man said, "Gather all the Alchemy Masters, we have a big project coming up. Go!"


    The people dashed away, and Hao Ren moved to the alchemy room to segregate the herbs for refining. Within a few minutes all the available alchemists appeared in the alchemy hall. Hao Ren said, "These are all the herbs that we found from the upper realms. I will refine a pill with them. You all will learn the process. They are a bit different but the essence is same and the vitality is stronger. Do you all understand?"


    The alchemists nodded, Hao Ren set up his cauldron and they gathered him quickly for the demonstration. The young man was a grandmaster in alchemy, he could lead these people by their noses if he wished for it, however, it was his generous wish of teaching these people that got him immense fame and respect. Ofcourse, then there was his brutal strength of killing them all with one blow.


    After an hour, pills were ready and then began a task of mass production. Fifty two alchemists began to refine pills under his guidance and scolding. There were many old alchemists and Hao Ren chided them as if they were rookies, but none dared to mind him, because what he said was for their own good.


    Hao Ren spent an entire day with them and the entire lot of herbs was refined into pills and was ready to be circulated.

 Chapter 389 389: Planning.

    Mala Gram was sitting in the garden practicing her skills with the Formation Plate, but she could not focus today. The things that Hao Ren said to her were moving in her head. It was true that the Second Brother was eliminated by the family and so was the family related to him, and she was given a good position in the family administration.


    However, that wasn''t something she felt satisfied with. All these years, nobody in her family valued her skills, her knowledge. Hao Ren was the only person who took her seriously and did not make fun of what she was capable of. He also taught her and today when he was talking his display of reliance made her feel happy.


    After some thinking, she took a deep breath and mumbled, "I should become an integral part of Allyna''s team. She has the skills that I lack, however, she is not someone who Master Hao trusts. This could be the key for my rise."


    She was aware how much importance the Gram Family placed on the Spirit Shimmer Continent. They could uphaul their entire force with the help of Hao Ren. As she was thinking about her future, Hao Ren was busy talking with his core team about the future execution.


    ...


    The young man was holding the meeting outside the city. Why? Because earlier when Amin came through the shadow, Hao Ren could not sense him. Mala told him about how a Blood Slave works, and he was wary of that.


    At this moment, he had Han Lingshi, Ye Yue, Ye Peng, Ye Lan, and Hao Mei standing around him. He said, "So, now you know about the blood slave, try to be mindful of what you say and when you say it. Okay?"


    The people nodded and Hao Ren looked at Hao Mei, "Is something going on in the South?"


    Hao Mei shook her head and said, "The status there is stable, due to the firm foundations of the warriors there, they are adapting to the Dao Realm with greater ease. At the moment, we have around seven such people in the Hao Family itself.


    Dad is close to reaching the Dao Dust realm, mom went through her tribulation last week and she has stabilized her realm as an early Dao Dust expert."


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "They advanced this soon?"


    Hao Mei nodded and replied, "They all have greater experience and their minds are calmer about accepting the changes. They all have walked through big wars and survived at the edge of it all. So, this is obvious."


    The young man nodded and Han Lingshi said, "Grandma and the rest have also improved a lot ever since they went to the south, they have reached the Star annihilation realms. I cannot help but think about what is the main reason."


    At this moment, Hao Ren raised his wrist. There was a slim device that looked like a watch but had a greater function. He tapped a button on the device and Xiao Mei''s voice sounded, "Well, actually, if you all want, I can solve this mystery for you."


    Hao Ren furrowed his brow and asked, "First, you tell me, how did you even solve it?"


    Xiao Mei rebuked, "You instated me with the permission to research things around the entire Spirit Shimmer Continent. So, when I found that the strength levels in the northern landscape were higher than those of the south, I got to thinking. How big was the gap? Over the years I tried to come up with many theories, and almost believed that it was because of the harsh weather and fierce competition over there.


    However, last month, by utilizing the ley line formation data that I acquired from Lady Amber, I managed to craft a small probe, it functions similar to the satellites we had back on blue star. The results were shocking."


    Ye Lan, Ye Yue, and Ye Peng were confused, when Han Lingshi said, "Xiao Mei...."


    Xiao Mei hurriedly replied, "Yes, coming to the point, this world is not spherical like Blue Star. This is all a flat surface and the sun and moon that you see are something beyond my comprehension at the moment. However, there are different realms stacked over one and the other. For Example, the Spirit Siphon Continent, which lies above our realm."


    The Ye Generals raised their heads to look up at the sky, and Hao Ren smacked the back of Ye Peng''s head gently, causing the latter to scratch the back of his head and give a sheepish smile.


    Hao Ren asked, "Why is the strength of the people in the north higher than the south?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "The biggest factor is the gravitational force in that region. The gravity that applies on your body is one time higher than what you feel in the south. For every one kilometer that you move to the north, the gravity increases by a thousandth of one."


    The people were surprised about this fact. Hao Ren said, "I will try to fix this soon, also can this probe be used to locate the space rift they use to travel here and above?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "I have been working on something to detect it but the process is strenuous and will take some time. I will need you to guide me about the workings of the space principles."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will tell you all that I know."


    Then the conversation came to a stop. Hao Ren used spiritual communication this whole time and instructed the people to use this method with the rest of the people when discussing sensitive matters. If they suddenly went silent, the other party would be roused.


    Ye Peng asked when the meeting was concluded, "Big brother, Ye Jian has been avoiding me about the annual duel. Can you ask him to come over?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "My dear Xiao Peng, do you know why Ye Jian is avoiding you?"


    Ye Peng replied, "Big Brother, I do not seek him to defeat him, but to propel myself. Sparing with him gives me insights on what are the aspects that I need to improve. I have tried fighting with Yang, but he has his own path and being a saber master, it becomes difficult for me to learn anything from him. I doubt that if I tried to learn his thoughts then it would lead me astray."


    While saying all this, Ye Peng had a very sincere expression. The young man thought for a bit and said, "Xiao Mei, I want a list of experts in weapon criterias, ten each, from Dao Integration to the highest level possible. Origins doesn''t matter, just find me the people that can teach others. Got it?"


    A soft beep sounded from the communicator on his hand and the command was accepted. Hao Ren said, "I will go back to the Palace and communicate more with Mala Gram. Her family members should be aware of the progress here, and I want to make sure that she doesn''t slip up."


    The people nodded and they dispersed. Xiao Mei chimed in at the communicator and asked, "Boss, the list is ready."


    Hao Ren said, "Send it to Lingshi, and ask her to use her shadow guard to locate and gather them ASAP."


    Another beep chimed and Hao Ren entered the city and then appeared inside the garden. He found that Mala was gazing in the void but her vision was blurry. He approached her and asked, "Young Miss Mala, are you okay?"


    The girl woke up from her thoughts, and stood up, "Master Hao."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "Please sit down. You were lost in a daze, however, it didn''t seem like you were thinking about the formation before you."


    Mala sighed and said, "I cannot hide it, can I?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and asked, "Tell me, what are you worried about?"


    Mala replied, "I am worried that Allyna would think that I tried to one up her position by attacking Karl."


    Hao Ren had expected this thought from her, and said, "It is not true. You did gain the power to watch the formations, but doesn''t that mean one of her own is now in a good position and at the same time, her competition has been taken out."


    Mala thought and said, "While you do have a point, people who chase power are always insecure. After we took out Karl, the rest of the people in his team would start attacking us as well. After all, they lost their commander."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It does not matter, ants also attack intruders as soon as they lose their queen but all that is momentary, you need to do this..."


    After he described the plan he had in mind, Mala was shocked, but then she nodded and said, "What you said makes sense. I will definitely try this method when Allyna returns."


    Hao Ren nodded and with a faint smile he asked, "Shall we try making a Large Scale Gravitational Array?"


    Just like that, the two began to work on a new project, Gravitational Array.

 Chapter 390 390: Second Coming.

    Hao Ren and Mala Gram spent a few weeks researching about the gravitational array, and Han Lingshi got busy with the batch of high level pills. She was responsible for finding the people who could use these pills quickly and advance ahead to gain strength and be loyal to the unity of the realm.


    Even when the couple did not issue any decree, the experts and the common people all knew that the two people were leading them towards a new high in life, and given how selflessly they acted, everyone was united against the invasion of the higher realm people. They all wished to be stronger and create a better world for their people.


    Some may call it too much idolism, or some may tag it as the pride of a cultivator, but it was what it was in the end. After a month, Hao Ren erected the Gravitational Array that covered the entire southern continent. He had the people dig and carve a network of tunnels under the ground and then they piled up a lot of spirit stones inside the tunnels at different points and sealed those spots after directing the spirit energy flow through gateways.


    The operation was complex, but Xiao Mei helped with the aerial survey and the tunnels were dug with pinpoint accuracy. To prevent the burn of so many spirit stones, they planted high level herbs and created tactical herb gardens that were maintained by many skilled and loyal experts.


    Xiao Mei was asked to equip a monitoring system in all these locations to track the expense of the herbs and the status in case some asshole tried to attack them. The locations were kept secret and they were given a cover of ten killing arrays, two defense arrays, and then finally a high level illusion array.


    Mala could not help but ask Hao Ren when they were implementing this whole plan, "Master Hao, how will the implantation of the spirit herbs prevent the burn of spirit stones?"


    Hao Ren gave her a sparkling smile, caused her to blush a little and said, "Miss Gram, the nature of spiritual herbs is not only to nourish humans, but also the environment. When we circulate spiritual energy inside our bodies, we absorb it, but the spiritual energy circulated by the spiritual herbs is returned to the world in the form of natural energy.


    Have you ever experienced the spike in your cultivation efficiency when you spend time in a forest? That same phenomenon would work here. The older the spiritual herb, the more energy it produces. The spiritual stones inside the depots would handle the pressure for ten years, and during that time, the herbs would create a stronger spiritual environment."


    Hao Ren finished describing things to Mala Gram and then the two went off to think about arrays. Suddenly, Mala said, "Master Hao, how come I have never seen you cultivate these days?"


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "In our realm, comprehension becomes the only way to step ahead. Rather than comprehending a little and then moving forward with the little that I have, I would accumulate it all, verify and then move forward."


    Mala Gram thought about it and nodded before she said, "Your words do make sense, but won''t it slow you down?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Slow and steady wins the race, Miss Gram. Big strides are not the definition of success, they could cause you to lose balance and fall on your face."


    Mala smiled and then Hao Ren said, "Well, this is it for the day, I will go and look for my wife."


    The young lady nodded and watched Hao Ren walk away while humming a song. She could not hide the spark of disappointment in her eyes, however, she knew that she could never get herself on the level of Han Lingshi, yet all this time she has been falling for Hao Ren.


    The young man knew about this, however, he did not care if she fell for him or if her heart broke. He was a cruel man, and what mattered was his own interest in his mind.


    The following days passed silently, and finally after a week, Xiao Mei detected the presence of the people from the upper realm and alerted him. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi appeared at the city gates, and soon Allyna Gram appeared before them with her entourage of guards and people.


    A spark of surprise flashed in her gaze as she saw Hao Ren and Han Lingshi. She did not expect the two of them to appear so quickly. However, she was the scion of a wealthy family, so she put up a smile and said, "Long time no see, Master Hao, Miss Han."


    The two also did not hit the smiling face, and greeted her properly, before Hao Ren asked, "Please come inside."


    Allyna nodded but she was thinking if Hao Ren really did not fear her anymore? What was going on in his mind? Han Lingshi could guess what was going on and she was not surprised, because they wanted this effect.


    As the people went inside the city, they were surprised, they witnessed high level arrays, and also suppression. Allyna realized when Hao Ren did bring her inside, it was because he had found a way of restraining their power, he did not care about them running amok anymore.


    The gravitation array had another purpose, if someone without a specific ring or jade token came inside the city, they would feel a physical suppression that would reduce them to a civilian level.


    Allyna frowned and asked, "Master Hao, what is going on here?"


    Hao Ren asked, "What do you mean, Miss Gram?"


    Allyna asked straight forward, "The realm suppression on our physiques. What is all this about?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I will tell you what this is about when we reach the resting pavilion. The entire place is filled with citizens and I did not wish to reveal a few things before them. The state of panic will be no good."


    Allyna was having complicated thoughts at the moment, but then she found Mala coming over to greet her. The two hugged each other, and Allyna asked with her spiritual communication, "What is going on here?"


    Mala replied, "A precaution against the Dead Blood, they are wary of an invasion. Come, I have a lot to tell you."


    Allyna calmed down and they all went to the palace and then Hao Ren brought them all to the most beautifully designed garden. This was made by him and Han Lingshi over the years to spend time with the children but then it was put in use for attending guests. Yang and Agni were cultivation maniacs and didn''t care about beauty.


    Hao Ren said, "Miss Gram, welcome to the jewel garden. I hope you like it here."


    Allyna was fairly surprised and said, "This place is similar to the garden I have back at home, at least the design language is very nice."


    The young man nodded and said, "I will take that as a compliment, please have a seat."


    There were several chairs set up in the center of the garden. They all sat down in a circular formation with the guards standing in the distance. Hao Ren looked Ye Lan and said, "Lan, tea."


    Ye Lan nodded and stepped up to serve the people with tea. Allyna used this moment and said, "Master Hao, I learned about the friction you had with the Dead Blood Clan and to think they were put up to this thing by my brother. I am ashamed."


    Hao Ren shook his head and then looked at Han Lingshi who smiled and said, "Young Miss Gram, you are not your brother. You have been helping us, and you have established a trade relation with us. We are grateful to you."


    Allyna looked at Han Lingshi and said, "It is something that I should do, after all, you did help us with the array formations and that allowed us to fend off a lot of attacks from the Kalan family."


    Hao Ren said, "The herbs you sent back as a payment, they helped us a lot."


    Allyna furrowed her brows before she looked at Eldin. The young man cleared his throat and said, "There seems to be a misunderstanding here, Master Hao. The herbs were a compensation for your losses and traumatic experience against the Dead Blood Clan. As for the compensation of the array formations, here."


    Eldin took out a space ring and said, "There are a million spirit herbs, ten different types and they can be used in different portions to form the pills that you wish. Along with that the properties of these herbs are also recorded in the journals placed along with them."


    Hao Ren checked the content of the ring and he opened his eyes, pretending to be surprised and said, "Young Master Gram. Thank you, Young Master Eldin. This will give us a good chance at growing quickly."


    Allyna smiled and said, "Master Hao, I hope you do not have any intentions against us after growing up."


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head and replied, "Young Miss Gram, the reason we chase strength is to maintain our sovereignty, nothing else."

 Chapter 391 391: Vacation.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi entertained the group of people, and also introduced Hao Mei to them. The young man said, "Miss Gram, me and Lingshi will be going in seclusion and we don''t know when we will come out. In the meantime, my sister will conduct trade with you. I hope you don''t mind that."


    Allyna was surprised by the sudden announcement, but she nodded, when she interacted with Hao Mei, she found Hao Mei to be easy to deal with than Hao Ren. The latter was just too tricky. However, Hao Mei was not to be underestimated either, if given a chance, the rapier would puncture the lungs and the enemy won''t even detect anything.


    The reason Hao Ren and Han Lingshi put up this facade was to do something they have been planning for a long time. They wanted to go back to Blue Star and see how things were proceeding there, like a vacation.


    The Gram family people stayed in the realm for a couple of weeks before they left with more array plates. These arrays were higher than what they had in their realm and so, these things sold like hot cakes.


    Unlike Hao Ren who asked for high level herbs, Hao Mei asked for a balanced compensation. She asked for spiritual weapons, talismans, and higher grade metals. They did not have anyone who could forge a higher level artifact and thus, Allyna Gram was not bothered about it.


    They had no idea that the entire spirit shimmer continent was holding back their skills. The things that they learned from Hao Ren had elevated their skill level by a lot, and thus, they would be using the Eastern Continent as an artifact forging headquarters.


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were free from their responsibilities, and Xiao Mei gave them a hard disk. She said, "Plug this to my main server, I will handle the data exchange."


    The young man accepted and said, "Yes, your highness."


    Hao Mei looked at the two of them as they stood before her. She asked, "Even though I know that you have been longing to visiting Blue Star for a long time and that all this was planned, I am sort of worried about the dynamics here."


    Han Lingshi stepped forward, held her hands and said, "Big sis, we will be going over for two months. You can still call us back with the jade cards. I have heard they work through the realms."


    The young lady shook her head and said, "I am worried about the merger. Amber has been telling us about it for sometime now."


    Hao Ren smiled, "Yes, however, it will still take a couple of years, don''t worry, I will come back soon."


    Merger was a term that was used for the tectonic movement of the four plates. Yes, recently Amber has told them about the phenomena where the four continents would combine together and how they need to be ready to face the changes it will bring. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi knew that once such a thing happened, they would have to dedicate themselves in sorting out a lot of things, and for that, Han Lingshi and Hao Ren''s presence would be a good thing.


    The two people calmed down Hao Mei before they took off to the shores of the southern continent. That was where the first space rift was located. The one that would allow them to get back home. After some research and confirmation by sending some new recruits through the space rifts, they have found that it was indeed possible for them to get through the barrier after sealing their power to the Dao Integration realm.


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi arrived in the vicinity of the space rift, and the young man said, "I think we won''t be able to sense anything until we put on the seal."


    Han Lingshi took out a set of bangles and said, "When I told Amber about our plan, she agreed to refine a sealing artifact for us. We will be able to remove it after coming in here and contain our strength to the Dao Integration realm with ease."


    Hao Ren was surprised and said, "I did not expect you to plan this far."


    The young lady smiled and put one bangle on her own wrist and then another to Hao Ren. They sensed their strength decreasing and Hao Ren frowned, Han Lingshi asked, "What happened?"


    The young man said, "The feeling of suppression, it is very irritating."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "Bear with it my love. Let us go."


    The two of them moved through the barrier.


    Hao Ren had two reasons for doing this. One was that he wanted to go back with Han Lingshi and the second was a system task.


    *You want to climb to the higher realm, right? Go and learn more about space laws before you do that. The laws of the world change but the essence of their existence is the space law. Only when you have understood the essence of it all would you be able to find the space rift leading to the higher realm.*


    Hao Ren could not counter that even after thinking through all the things that he has been learning all these years. At the moment when this task was issued, Hao Ren understood how shallow his understanding of the space law was.


    ....


    The of them passed through the space barrier, and Hao Ren found a dozen of golden core shadow guards present in the surroundings. They all seemed to be looking at the couple, before they went back to their cultivation.


    The young man looked around and clicked his tongue. Han Lingshi smacked his shoulder and said, "Are you going to look down at this place now that you have gotten used to the Spirit Shimmer World?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "What can I say, I mean, the spiritual energy is basically non-existent in this place. The poor guards here must be suffering from the scarcity."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and said, "You selfish man, don''t try to act generous. I send them high level pills to help them maintain the speed. Now, let''s go home."


    Hao Ren paused for a second and then he thought about it. He asked, "Are we going back to the apartment?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Yes, where else?"


    The two of them flew away, heading to the Jade Capital City, where it all began for the two of them. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi flew across the Han nation and reached the place which they called home, the penthouse apartment on top of the Rising Sun Apartment.


    The world has changed a lot, they could see many things that have completely transformed, specially the transportation vehicles. The two people landed next to the entrance of the building, and stepped inside.


    The two of them looked like they had come back from a traditional gathering wearing tang suits and Hanfu. The guard was shocked to see them, but he did not say anything apart from greeting them with a salute.


    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren nodded to him with a smile on their faces, before they used the elevator to get upstairs. Hao Ren pressed his hand against the scanner while looking at Han Lingshi with a smile.


    The door opened, and Xiao Mei''s voice sounded, "Welcome home, Boss."


    Han Lingshi entered the threshold first and then she looked around, finding the house exactly as it was when she had left. Hao Ren closed the door behind him and asked, "Xiao Mei, how do you know that it is me?"


    Xiao Mei replied with, "Boss, those bots I made for your replacement can be tracked by me anywhere, so, since you used the scanner, I can recognize you."


    Han Lingshi was about to bend down and take off her shoes, when Hao Ren approached her from the side, and knelt on the ground to help her. The young lady smiled and asked, "Are you trying to recreate the moments we lived here?"


    Hao Ren nodded as he gave her the slippers from the side, and said, "Had it not been for the fact that we became cultivators, we would still be living here with our small family, and I would have been doing this every time you come home."


    Han Lingshi smiled, and after a long time, she sensed a familiar warmth in her heart. She reached out to hug Hao Ren, who coiled his arms around her waist and carried her to the couch. They both lay down in their embrace and enjoy the silence, inside the living room.


    They did not realize that the moon had come up in the sky, Xiao Mei said, "Umm, boss, you guys have been laying down for several hours, are you okay?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Xiao Mei, leave us alone, in our minds, these hours are nothing but a few fickle moments. Here take this disk and you will understand everything."


    He handed the hard disk to a house bot and then they fell asleep.

 Chapter 392 392: Race Of Sovereigns.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi woke up when the sun rose on the horizon, and the young man was going out in the balcony to cultivate when he noticed a silver robot standing in the corner of the living room, and after a pause, he said, "Grace."


    The robot turned up and said, "Greetings, Sir. How have you been?"


    Hao Ren sighed, for some odd reason, he felt bad looking at this house bot. She was the first of the products that he made, and now she was standing in the living room like a forgotten piece of tech. He asked softly, "Grace, how have you been?"


    The robot replied, "I am fine, Sir. Thank you for your concern."


    Thinking about the situation, Hao Ren asked, "Grace, tell me your system conditions statistics?"


    Grace replied, "Overall condition, excellent. Hardware outdated, software normal."


    Hao Ren looked at her body, he said, "Xiao Mei, I want best composite alloys that you are using these days."


    Xiao Mei replied, "I will get you some high quality processing chips as well."


    Hao Ren waved his hands and said, "Get me jade plates, and create a copy of Grace''s core program for me to check."


    Xiao Mei nodded and replied, "I understand. I will place the order right away."


    Hao Ren went to the balcony and then he absorbed the essence of the sun. Han Lingshi woke up and asked, "Honey, I thought we came over for a vacation, why are you still asking for all these things?"


    The young man took a deep breath and said, "Well, she was the first that I made, and she was the face of the so called advanced technology, I feel bad looking her like this. After all this time, despite the flow difference she is still waiting on us on stand-by."


    Han Lingshi smiled, she was not against what Hao Ren said, however, instead of looking at this as empathy, she looked at the situation thinking that it was probably a creators love for his creation.


    ...


    Hao Ren changed his clothes, and put on a blue denim with a white shirt and sneakers. He stood before the mirror and made a few poses to look at himself. Han Lingshi who was also dressed in a floral skirt leaned against the door frame said, "Well, Young Master Hao, you sure look dope."


    The young man turned back to look at her with a smirk and said, "So, you have finally come to know how big of a chick magnet your husband is?"


    Han Lingshi looked at him in a daze before she erupted in laughter and said, "I did not expect you to act like a hoodlum as soon as you get a chance."


    Hao Ren walked up to her and put his arm around her waist before he said, "So, beauty, want to be my friend?"


    Han Lingshi pushed him away and while acting coy she said, "Shoo, hoodlum. How dare you tease me? I will have my father beat you."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi bantered around for a bit, before the young lady said, "Ren, shall we race?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and asked, "What kind of race?"


    The young lady replied, "Let us go to the race track and use the combustion engine vehicles to drive around? The first one to cross the finish line after five laps will win."


    Hao Ren shrugged and asked, "What is the point?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "The loser will have to go to the city square, and admit the sovereignty of the winner over them."


    Hao Ren chuckled, although it was all a bit childish for him, but he did not mind.


    *Oye, defeat her, or when you lose, I will cause your dick to shrivel up.*


    They moved quickly out of the house before they got in a luxury levitating sedan and headed to the race track. Hao Ren looked at Grace and then said, "Grace, we made a mess of the wardrobe, can you sort it out?"


    Grace replied, "I will be obliged to, Sir. Have fun outside, and be safe."


    Hao Ren thanked her and walked out of the house with Han Lingshi. They both reached the parking lot and found a nice black levitating car. They both got in the car, excited, and Xiao Mei''s voice sounded, "I have altered the AI of this car, you would need to follow some tutorials before you can use it."


    Hao Ren frowned and said, "Brat, you are looking down on us."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Boss, you have spent a few decades away from home and sophisticated tech, it is obvious that I would be cautious. The main concern is not you, but the others who are driving outside. What will we do if you cause trouble?"


    Hao Ren was stumped, and Han Lingshi chuckled as she said, "Awww, poor chick magnet."


    The young man shook his head and then he followed the tutorial to drive the car out of the parking lot. The couple was excited to see that such a vehicle was developed behind them. After driving around for a few minutes, Hao Ren said, "Xiao Mei, it has been hard on you."


    The AI replied, "Not at all boss, it has been very good. I can say that we have changed the face of the planet tech. I had fun learning various things and developing different things as well."


    The two of them moved to the race track and when they came to the paddock, they spotted a few teams and their vehicles. Han Lingshi said, "It appears that we have come at the wrong time."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "That''s not a problem. They are driving the levitation vehicles, we need the old ones. Let''s see where they are."


    They walked around before someone called out, "Hao Ren!!"


    The young man turned around and found Andy, the old team principle of their race team. He and Han Lingshi walked over with smiles on their faces. Hao Ren embraced the old man and said, "It is good to see you, Andy."


    The old man chuckled and said, "Didn''t we just meet last week?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Well, whatever, I am in a good mood."


    Han Lingshi greeted the old man with a faint smile and a handshake as well. Hao Ren understood that it must be their doppleganger robots, that were working all these days.


    Andy asked, "What are you here for?"


    Hao Ren said, "We both want to race, but we will use the combustion engines. I don''t feel like this levitation car is ready for a race track. The maneuvering on the corners is a bit crabby, and that takes out the fun from the race."


    Andy nodded and said, "I agree with you. However, what can be done if the people want to use the lev cars for racing now. As for the combustion engines, they still exist but more like collectibles."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Well, can you give them to us?"


    Andy chuckled and said, "They are your company property what do you mean give it to you. I will give you some guidance as well."


    Hao Ren shook his head and looking at the mechanics around the paddock, he said, "Can we form two different teams?"


    Andy nodded and said, "Mark, Carole. Come over boys."


    After the introduction Hao Ren and Han Lingshi picked up their teams and then got ready for the race. In the meantime, the cars were prepared to be put to the test. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi both put on helmets, and they came to the starting line. They were going to drive an inline eight cylinder. A formula car, the vehicles that were often said to be forgotten relics.


    The two people sat in, and then began to rev the engine calmly before they exchanged glances and looked at the lights. Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, you better not use any of the cultivator tricks. I will not let you go."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes at him and asked, "Do you think I am someone like you? Cheater. Now I know how you won the races back in the day."


    Hao Ren scoffed and replied, "You dare to malign me, I will show you what I''ve got."


    The lights turned green and the cars took off. Andy raised his brows and said, "Perfect starts."


    Many people looked at them, and some of the people sighed as they said, "It brings back memories, no?"


    They all were guys who have worked on Formula cars and this race, brought back old memories. Two metal beasts roared and charged across the asphalt. The first corner came up, and Han Lingshi was outbreaked by Hao Ren who took the lead, however, the young lady did not yield, she took back the lead when they were entering the second turn.


    The display caused the people to exclaim in awe. They did not expect someone to still have the skill to drive like this. The competition was furious.

 Chapter 393 393: Who Lost, Who Won?

    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren went toe to toe for the first round and none of them gave in even a little bit. Andy and the rest of the people were shocked when they found that not only Hao Ren but even Han Lingshi was so skilled behind the steering wheel. She was basically tailing Hao Ren the moment he took the lead and then using a slightest slip up to make a move and regain the lost ground.


    One of the former drivers, who was heading a lev race team, moved over to Andy''s side in the paddock and said, "Andy, these two, who are they? Had they been racing in the old days, they would have crushed the circuits."


    Andy smiled and said, "Well, Hao Ren is someone who has defeated you once, Riccardo. As for the other driver, that''s President Han, the tycoon of the Good Spirit Group."


    Riccardo was shocked and exclaimed, "You mean that business mogul who changed the face of the Han nation?"


    Andy nodded and said, "Yes, well don''t look down on Hao Ren, he has been very good, running the Good Spirit group alongside President Han, and Good Spirit group was his company, they merged it with the Han Group last year only. He loves his wife and thus gave her the power over their empire."


    Riccardo shivered and said, "Did you see what he just pulled off?"


    Andy sighed and said, "Ricky boy, I am not blind yet. I can see what happened. Hao Ren slipped a little but he drifted the car on the curb and pulled it back in the race. Just calm down and watch. Who is recording this thing? I want the whole footage, this race might be the chance to reignite the spark for track racing once again."


    Riccardo nodded and asked, "Do you really hate the idea of Lev-racing that much?"


    Andy sighed and replied, "Ricky, tracking racing is not easy, it took everyone a period of over seven decades to come up with rules and regulation to make it safe, yet, every year, two people would die while racing. Lev racing has greater speed, and while the technology can reduce the risk, it is a new sport. If a car crashed and got flung in the crowd, what do you think would happen?"


    Riccardo nodded, and said, "We all have the same concern it seems. If we can talk to the two of them, then probably we might be able to get a better resolution to this problem. In the past they have done a lot of things and even scrubbed some projects because of the public opinion, maybe they might do something like this again."


    Andy agreed with him as he replied, "Okay, let us see how it goes after the race."


    ...


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were driving and they were completely focused on handling the cars. Although their bodies were in great condition, and Han Lingshi even seemed to have fun, Hao Ren was raging inside because winning was important.


    They were about to finish a lap, when an operator told them, "Last lap, repeat, last lap!"


    They both replied, "Copy that!"


    Han Lingshi was confident that she could win the match, when Hao Ren suddenly went to the inside of the track, just when he was entering the corner, he entered a drift and Han Lingshi was forced to brake, because as he slid the car to the side, it blocked her line to get ahead. The young lady was surprised to see such an operation.


    Hao Ren did not care about anything at the moment, he moved quickly and after finishing the drift, he got a quick exit, and then changed gears to drag the car through the chicane.


    Han Lingshi tried her best but this time, as soon as the young man saw a corner, he would use a drift technique to clear the corner quickly and move fast. Han Lingshi was driving well but she could not drift, this was out of her skill set. She had no idea how Hao Ren was doing it, but she knew one thing, his tires were being punished and soon they would lose the efficient grip.


    Well, Hao Ren was not a fool, he was aware that his tires were punished, but it had been managing very well. Soon, they reached the final stretch, and Hao Ren maintained the idol line. Han Lingshi chased, she was pushing her car to the maximum and the same was true for Hao Ren as well, but catching up to that one second lead without DRS, it was hard. Hao Ren crossed the finish line with the lead of one head.


    The two of them stopped the cars. Hao Ren got out of the cockpit, came to Han Lingshi, and helped her get out as well. The lady was upset that she tried so hard but still lost, however, she could not say anything. Hao Ren did not use his spiritual powers at all. The young man helped her take off the helmet and held her face in his hands.


    He looked in her eyes and asked, "Since when did you become such a hardcore driver?"


    Han Lingshi woke up from her daze, and replied, "The time when you were cultivating in seclusion, Xiao Mei made a car for me. I would practice on it to kill some time. It was a plan to promote the racing games back in the Spirit Shimmer Continent, but then we got involved in cultivation and forgot about it."


    Hao Ren thought for a moment and said, "Well, we can use this sport on a greater scale there."


    Just as the two were about to talk about it, Andy and Riccardo came over. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi heard their praises with smiles on their faces, and then Andy said, "Actually, I want to ask you both something."


    Hao Ren nodded and Andy said, "It''s about Lev-racing. We all are concerned about the safety of the drivers and the fans, can you do something about it?"


    The young man thought about it a bit and then said, "I will handle it, also, track racing will stay the usual, this will still be the entry level for the racers to get in the cockpit of a lev-racer. You don''t have to worry about that."


    He did not know that his words gave the two people a lot of courage. After some discussion, the two people picked up their feet and headed to the city square. Why? Because they had a bet to complete.


    Han Lingshi said, "Ren close your senses, I have to make some preparations you cannot peek in."


    Hao Ren was confused and asked, "For real?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "Yes, for real. Now do it."


    Hao Ren closed his eyes and his ears as well. Han Lingshi began to talk with Xiao Mei and the AI prepared everything in record time. Han Lingshi was going to save face and rather than a simple sentence, she wanted to create a romantic surprise for Hao Ren.


    ...


    After fifteen minutes, they reached the City Square, and Xiao Mei said, "It will take ten more minutes, please bear with it."


    That said, Han Lingshi took Hao Ren to sightsee around the square that had changed completely. The two were surprised, as they saw skyscrapers almost rising to touch the clouds, and all the places now used holographic systems to create ads and moving sign boards for their shops on the ground.


    Hao Ren looked around and said, "I never expected it to turn into something like this. What did Xiao Mei do when we weren''t here?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and asked, "Do you still remember where you proposed to me?"


    Hao Ren raised his hand and pointed at a spot in the center, where now stood a big tree, and said, "There."


    Han Lingshi smiled and then held his hand as they crossed the road quickly to appear under the tree. There were many people around the tree, they were clicking pictures, seemingly they were tourists in the place.


    Hao Ren raised his brow calmly and asked, "What are we doing here?"


    Han Lingshi said, "Xiao Mei, ready?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Ready."


    Han Lingshi replied, "Go!"


    The holographic displays that attracted the attention of all the people suddenly froze, and balls of flames appeared in the square, dancing around, blue and orange. The crowd also froze, they began to record the scene, and suddenly the flame balls gathered around Hao Ren and Han Lingshi, the young lady smiled and went down on her knees, as she said, "I, Han Lingshi, humbly accepts your sovereignty over my mind, soul, and body."


    The people thought it was a romantic proposal, the young man was surprised, but then he sighed and said, "Yes, now, would you please stand up, my love."


    Han Lingshi stood up, and Hao Ren kissed her before everyone. The people cheered and the bet was complete.

 Chapter 394: Surprises.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi kissed each other and the people cheered. Suddenly, someone exclaimed, "That''s President Hao and Han! God damn it, I have finally seen everything in this life."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi woke up from their daze, and soon found that a lot of people had taken out their mobiles to record their clips and click pictures. The young man frowned and Han Lingshi held his hand as she said softly, "Sweetheart, we are in Dao Integration realm, but the aura fluctuation is strong enough to kill people. Please calm down."


    Only then did Hao Ren calm down, and said, "Let''s go, we should eat something."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then they held hands as they walked away while waving at the crowd. Just when they were leaving, a little girl walked over with a little boy in tow. The two of them did not appear to be older than eight years. The couple stopped in their tracks, and the two kids exchanged gazes.


    The little girl hesitated for a few moments, when Hao Ren smiled and crouched down on the ground as he asked, "Little sister, what happened? Do you want to say something?"


    The little girl blushed and said, "Sir, are you the one who donated money to my orphanage?"


    Hao Ren was surprised, and then he took out his phone and saw Xiao Mei explaining the scenario, his speed to read and react might sound like a few minutes, but within a blink it was finished and Hao Ren asked, "Hey, Xiao Lin, what are you doing here? That too with Albus. Is everything alright?"


    The little girl was surprised and the little boy asked, "Sir, you remember us?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Didn''t I click a picture with you two? How can I forget you so easily? Tell me, is everything alright?"


    Han Lingshi also smiled at the two kids. Xiao Lin looked around and asked, "Sir, can I talk to you in private?"


    Hao Ren was at a loss, but then thinking about how these kids were related to the orphanage where his trust has been donating money and how Xiao Mei had their robot doppelgangers click pictures with them, he nodded, and said, "Do you know any places where we can eat? You see, your sister-in-law here is hungry."


    Albus said, "We can go to Jamal''s stall. He makes awesome shawarma rolls."


    Xiao Lin turned to glare Albus and said, "How can President Hao eat at that place?"


    Han Lingshi patted Albus on the head and asked, "Why do you say so? Are we not humans?"


    Xiao Lin quickly shook her head and said, "Sister Alma said that rich people eat in big and shiny places."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Rich or poor, we are humans and everyone have different likings. I like stalls, so, Xiao Lin, can we get going?"


    Xiao Lin nodded and Albus said, "I will lead."


    Han Lingshi created a barrier around the four of them as to prevent the people from bothering the. The barrier would make them look holy and they would not be approached by just everyone casually.


    Ten minutes later, they stood next to a stall, and Han Lingshi collected the order from the shocked chef with a smile. Hao Ren helped her open the wrapper and gave two rolls to the children as well. He took a bite and said, "Hmmm, a little pickle would be nice but I did not expect to discover a gem of a chef here."


    He gave a thumbs'' up to the chef and asked, "Xiao Lin, what did you want to talk about?"


    Xiao Lin asked, "Sir..."


    Hao Ren frowned and said, "Call me big brother, or I will not listen to anything that you want to say."


    Xiao Lin blushed and said in a soft voice, "Big brother."


    Hao Ren reached out to ruffle her hair and said, "Good, tell me what is it?"


    The little girl said, "Big brother, can we not leave the Saint Wilma Orphanage? Can we not go to the Haven District?"


    The couple went through the ''Xiao Mei notes'' and realized that Haven district was a place that was developed to facilitate the orphans and the old people who couldn''t care for themselves by the good spirit company. It was the best place where everyone wanted to go, but they could not.


    The company had changed a few of the most dreaded types of people, orphans and old, into a subject of envy. Haven district had the best schools, medical attention and of course, the life style was so positive that everyone wanted to live there.


    Hao Ren asked, "Why don''t you want to go there? I will not force you, but I want to know the reason."


    Xiao Lin said, "Big brother, we all raised here in the city, and this is our home. The charity that your company does is enough for us to live a life that will give us the chance to become someone like you, or sister-in-law. I understand that it would be easier for me to go and live in the Haven District, but to someone like me who does not have a blood family, my chosen siblings, like Albus and the rest are enough. The memories I have in the orphanage are my treasure, it is home to us. I don''t want to give up my home like this."


    By the end of the sentence her eyes were about to drop tears, but Hao Ren quickly said, "I agree, you will not have to give up your home. From now on, if anyone does not wish to go to the Haven district, they can stay home. However, can we remodel the orphanage building and make it stronger? You want your house to stay as it is forever, right?"


    Xiao Lin nodded, and Hao Ren smiled as he patted her head. Albus bowed and said, "Thank you, Big Brother, Sister-In-Law."


    Han Lingshi patted his head and then they dropped the two children to the orphanage nearby. It turned out that these two were going to submit an application to meet Hao Ren and Han Lingshi, but coincidentally they came across on the city square. Sister Alma said that it was a divine intervention, otherwise, who knew if the children met any accident when outside.


    ...


    The couple finished the business with the orphanage and then they began to hang around the various happening places in the city. Xiao Mei had affectedly announced that the two workaholic presidents have finally taken off work for a small vacation and same applied to the most of the company staff.


    She gave a vacation to everyone so that she could spend time and analyze the data stored in the hard disk brought by Hao Ren.


    As the couple was moving around, they both came to a halt when they located a shop they couldn''t forget about. The board hanging on top of the shop said, "Sunshine Teahouse."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi moved towards the place, because it was at this shop where they encountered the old grandma teahouse, Hua Shayun. The young man pushed open the door and walked inside after Han Lingshi, a tired voice echoed from the kitchen, "Coming!"


    The couple looked around and they found that the outlay of the teahouse was still the same, it was as if this place was stuck in a point it time and it cannot move on with the rest of the world.


    They looked to the side and found the old figure walking out of the kitchen. The lady raised her head to greet the guests, but she froze. Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Grandma Hua, you weren''t expecting us, were you?"


    Hua Shayun shook her head and said, "It would be a lie if I said I was. It has been a long time since you left after all."


    Han Lingshi asked, "How have you been, Grandma Hua?"


    The old lady nodded and replied, "I won''t die for a few more decades."


    Hao Ren said, "Hmmm, indeed, core formation realm does bring you ample lifetime."


    Hua Shayun narrowed her gaze and said, "If you are done prying my realm and secrets, would you mind telling me why have you come over?"


    Han Lingshi turned to look at Hao Ren and the young man said, "I wanted to ask you about a few things that happened that time."


    Hua Shayun shook her head and asked, "Why can''t you let it go? Is it necessary to dig up the past?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "It is, I want to know, who are you? Even in the entire Spirit Shimmer Continent, there is not a single mention of your existence."


    The old lady sighed and said, "So, you managed to unite the entire continent?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied, "Only the southern landmass, but that is also ran with help of the vessels. We don''t control the people."


    Hua Shayun looked at Han Lingshi and said, "Well, that is good. As for who I am. Well, I cannot tell you about it unless you have stepped over to the realm above the Galaxy Destroying."


    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren chuckled and the latter said, "Let me boast a little, I am in Dao Sky realm. Lingshi has reached Dao Land realm. We are here with seals on our bodies."


    Hua Shayun was shocked and then she appeared quickly to check their realms and opened her eyes wide, as she said, "Indeed. You are indeed in the Dao Realms, how did you do it?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Well, Grandma, you need to answer my question before I answer yours."

 Chapter 395: Hua Shuyan, The Seer.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi sat inside Sunshine teahouse, and they were looking at the old lady sitting across them on a chair as well. Hua Shuyan took a sip from the tea, and said, "Well, I am what you call a Seer."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi exchanged gazes, and the latter asked doubtfully, "Are you a member of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion?"


    Hua Shuyan opened her eyes wide, she asked, "How do you know about the Heavenly Secret Pavilion?"


    Hao Ren turned to look at Han Lingshi and the latter continued, "Over the years I have initiated a lot of exploration expeditions, and one of them caused the staff to stumble upon the ruins of a great sect, this place was called Heaven''s Path Sect. There we found a few scrolls that recorded the internal structure of the sect and even some techniques and artifacts left behind after destruction. However, the only place where we didn''t find anything was a pavilion.


    It was so clean that it almost did not exist, only a small series of etching on the floor of the pavilion. The mark is not as big as my index finger but it said, "Heavenly Secret Pavilion, last Pavilion Master, Seer Yang Xuan."


    That is all I know."


    Hua Shuyan nodded and replied, "Yes, it was indeed as you said, the Heavenly Secret Pavilion was a small department that was governed by the Heaven''s Path Sect, however, the last pavilion master used his skills to look into the future and he revealed the heavenly secret. The result was a tribulation from the heavens.


    None survived. The entire populace of thousand and four hundred people were reduced to nothing but ashes. The tribulation punished the entire sect for the mistake committed by the Pavilion master. I was a mere attendant who was given the task to move all the technique scrolls out of the sect and place them in a secret place, by the time I reached my destination, everyone I knew had vanished from the world."


    She took out a letter from her bosom, and the lady handed it over to Hao Ren and said, "This was the only thing that survived the exodus and it was written for me by the Pavilion master."


    Hao Ren carefully opened the letter, the paper was papyrus, and it was wrapped in a thin layer of spiritual energy otherwise it would have crumbled under the winds of time. The young man read the content, ''Xiao Yun, master has made a grave mistake and probably by the time you come back, none of us might survive this ordeal. This letter is my last command decree to you. Don''t let the legacy of the heavenly secret pavilion go to vain. Learn what you can, I hope that you can pass it down to someone who can use this technique to make a difference in the world, in a good sense.''


    Han Lingshi was surprised and then she looked at Hua Shuyan, and asked, "Elder, don''t you wish to go back to the Spirit Shimmer Continent, at all?"


    Hua Shuyan shook her head and replied, "What can I achieve there? I have five years left in my life span."


    She sighed and Hao Ren said, "Elder, didn''t you ask how we managed to reach the Dao Realms?"


    Hua Shuyan nodded and Hao Ren said, "It was because someone guided us. This person is a survivor of a massacre and came over to the Spirit Shimmer Continent from a higher plain."


    The old lady was surprised and then she remarked, "The foreseen really came true."


    This caused the two people to exchange a glance and Hao Ren asked, "What do you mean?"


    The old lady sighed and said, "The secret that Master Yang Xuan divulged was the existence of higher plains. At that time the average cultivation level used to be Dao Integration. Thus, the news about the higher plains was a big calamity level secret. The tribulation erased the sect but it increased the spiritual energy inflow of the world. Increasing the level of cultivation in the long run."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi did not think there would be such a mystery behind a ruin. He asked, "Then how did you end up here?"


    Hua Shuyan said, "I was hunted down by the people from the big sects. They knew that I was the one who transported all those techniques from the heavenly secret pavilion to another location. Finally, I managed to cross the breach and came here. Hiding and using the mystic techniques to cover my tracks."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Even till date, there are a few old undying relics that are looking for the traces of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion''s legacy. So, it is a good thing that you hid here."


    Hua Shuyan nodded and Hao Ren said, "Elder, if you want to, why not come along with us? Back in the Spirit Shimmer Continent, we can assure you that no harm will come to you. You can practice your skills. We will never ask you to peek through the secrets also. If you find any suitable disciples, then you might be able to pass down your legacy to them. No?"


    Hua Shuyan was surprised by the offer, and then she asked, "What about the people I have here? I have a son, a daughter-in-law, and they are very filial to me. How can I just leave them?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I assume that you have left them with some techniques to cultivate the basic realms and live longer than a usual person, and if I am not wrong you have told them to behave in moderation right?"


    Hua Shuyan nodded and Hao Ren said, "I am sure they must have questions in their hearts. If you were to clarify things with them I am sure they would understand. Probably you being unable to fulfil the final decree has limited your cultivation as an obstacle."


    The old lady sighed, and she took a sip from the tea cup and said, "I will think about it."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi nodded, before the young man asked, "How did you know about my sister?"


    Hua Shuyan replied, "I met her when she came back to see you for the first time. I warned her that lying would make things difficult. Then I met you and Miss Han, I found that the red line of fate between the two of you is too thick and fates were intertwined to such a level that I have never seen anything like that."


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi nodded, and Hua Shuyan asked, "Shall I tell you something else about you?"


    Han Lingshi and the young man shook their heads and replied, "No, we would like to find out everything on our own."


    The trio chatted a few more minutes, and then Hao Ren said, "We will be leaving in a few days, so I will come and ask you here if you wish to go along. Please think about what you want to do carefully."


    The old lady nodded, and then bade them farewell.


    ...


    Han Lingshi held his arm and asked, "To think that she is a seer. If we could have someone like that in the court, it would be nice."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Even if we don''t use the skills to divulge the heavenly secrets, it should be enough to have them calculate the national fortune in the general direction. The people can really use some superstition. I am beginning to wonder how they are not feeling suspicious about the weather analysis that Xiao Mei has been doing for them all these years. However, regardless of what we want, everything depends on Elder Hua''s decision. I will not renege my promise."


    After a few minutes, they reached the Rising Sun apartment and retired for the day. The following days, the couple just enjoyed themselves, they drove around the city, and used quick transport to visit the various wonders of the world, and clicked pictures as well.


    They seemed to be back in the honeymoon period, teasing each other, playing with each other, and it was all just that blissful. However, unknown to Han Lingshi, Hao Ren was comprehending different things at the same time. He was working on his understanding of life as well. Han Lingshi was not holding back, these emotions that she felt helped her improve her cultivation comprehension as well. They were both doing this to get stronger so that if the Gram family decided to make a move, they would be able to fight back without relying on anyone else.


    After all, in the world where strength was supreme, if they depended on others, then it would be foolishness. Given the power Gram family commanded, they might buy off someone. Yes, although all these years, Hao Ren has cultivated the emotion of loyalty, it was still not something that could be guaranteed in a place where everyone was driven by benefits.

 Chapter 396: Decisions.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi did not spare a single landmark in the world. Finally after five days, they came back to the Jade Capital City. The young man asked, "Lingshi, shall we go back?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Yes, the world has changed a little. However, the human heart here is still very gentle."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "People here are untouched from the concept of strength and intense greed."


    In the blue star, the people worked for their wellness, there were still some who did good deeds. However, even the strong didn''t just kill anyone based on a whim like they would in the Spirit Shimmer Continent.


    Han Lingshi then said, "What about Elder Hua? Do you think she would go along with us?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "I have no idea if she would, Love. I am not that good at reading the human heart. The only option here is to go over and ask the lady herself."


    The two of them changed clothes and then Hao Ren walked over to the living room, where stood a puppet that looked nothing less than a work of art. He said, "Grace, are you ready?"


    Grace replied calmly, "Yes, Boss."


    Her voice now contained a trace of human emotions in it. This was the augmentation of the system update performed by Xiao Mei. Hao Ren had refined a new body using the best composite alloys in the world and combined them with a perfect set of array formations, she looked like a sculpture.


    Hao Ren waved his hand and Grace vanished inside his space ring. Han Lingshi followed him shortly after, and the two of them moved out of the house. After a few minutes, they appeared in front of the Sunshine Teahouse. Hao Ren entered the place and held the door for Han Lingshi to come inside as well.


    Hua Shuyan was sitting on a couch in the lobby with a calm face. She smiled when she saw the two of them, and Han Lingshi said, telepathically, "Ren, her cultivation."


    Hao Ren sighed as he walked up to the old lady and asked, "Elder, you have finally made your decision."


    Hua Shuyan nodded and said, "I have never felt so relieved in my life. If not for the conversation we had the last time, I might still be troubled with the things around me. However, now, I think I have made the best decision possible."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "What would that be?"


    Hua Shuyan took out a black jade space ring and she said, "The entire fortune of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion, the techniques, the artifacts, and the noted experiences of the predecessors are in here. I am willing to give it to you, but I have a condition."


    Han Lingshi thought this deal was too good to just fall in their lap and she asked, "What is the condition, elder?"


    The old lady said, "You would have to erect a shrine to respect the predecessors of the Heavenly Secret Pavilion. Only when you give me your word, will I hand you this legacy."


    Han Lingshi let out a sigh and said, "I agree, we will do it."


    Hua Shuyan shook her head and said, "A Dao Oath."


    Han Lingshi sighed and made a proper Dao Oath, before Hua Shuyan handed over the space ring to them. Hao Ren checked that the contents were similar to what she said. He took out a jade box and said, "Elder, here are some life prolonging pills, and some life protection amulets. They might be useful to your descendants. Please accept them as a gift."


    Hua Shuyan did not say much and only nodded, then she took the box and placed it in a cupboard. The elder lady had dispelled all her cultivation. Today when she sat before Hao Ren and Han Lingshi, her eyes were sparkling but her vital spirit was dwindling.


    The couple left the teahouse with some complicated emotions. The young man let out a deep sigh and asked, "What do you think is the reason behind her decision?"


    Han Lingshi looked at his side profile and said, "I have no idea what to say to you, if you cannot figure it out then my guess is nothing but an arrow in the dark."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Go on, you are not that far off in predicting human nature."


    Han Lingshi was the empress, while Hao Ren was a master manipulator, she commanded formidable foresight. The young lady took a second before she said, "I think she dispelled her cultivation because now she doesn''t have any burden on her mind. The legacy has been passed on, and the children have grown up. So, perhaps she is thinking about resting slowly."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It is the same conjecture as mine. However, I also think she did it because she was too attached to the secular world now. Even if she gives up her cultivation, she can still guide the children in the things that she has mastered. From the information that I have she has three grandchildren and they are all close to her. She does not wish to make them small fish in the big world. Especially with the higher realms gathering. It would be a little hard for them to adjust over there."


    Han Lingshi nodded and concurred with his conclusion. The two of them vanished from the city and their doppelgangers took control of the situation.


    The couple appeared in the mountains, where the entrance to the Spirit Shimmer Continent was located. Han Lingshi looked around and sensed that the shadow guards were still here but they were different from the ones before. Hao Ren asked, "Did you sense the change as well?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "They change every few hours, because they follow the time flow of the Spirit Shimmer Continent. If they stay here too long, their cultivation will be delayed as well."


    The young man nodded in understanding and then they both entered the space rift. After a few moments, they appeared in the familiar scenery of the southern continent, and Hao Ren said, "No matter where I go, Blue Star is still home."


    Han Lingshi smiled and said, "The last one to reach the palace will be a rotten egg."


    She flew away, and Hao Ren waved his hand to open a void portal. However, suddenly, he sensed a strong attack hurled at the portal. Han Lingshi''s voice sounded, "Don''t you try to cheat this one."


    The young man left with no option flew away quickly. However, even when he had a superior cultivation realm, he could not catch up to Han Lingshi because the lady had a head start. After half an hour when they reached the palace, Han Lingshi did not continue to tease him, instead her face had a serious expression.


    He asked, "What is going on?"


    Han Lingshi said, "Ye Yue told me that there are many experts from all over the world gathered together."


    Hao Ren moved, and located Hao Mei and the rest of the upper echelon gathered in the situation room. This room was much larger than the imperial study and the purpose was to hold meetings to deal with unexpected situations.


    He walked in with a smile and asked, "Are you all holding a growing competition?"


    Hao Mei sighed and said, "This is not a time for your silly joke. There are experts from all over the world and they have been asking for a meeting with you. I have no idea what all these people are looking for but the information is that they wish for you to support someone from all three continents to be appointed as the leader post the convergence."


    Hao Ren furrowed his brow and said, "What does this have to do with us? Isn''t this the world of strength? Can''t these people act like real men and just fight it out?"


    Ye Peng said, "I suggested that but they said if any of the Dao realm cultivators die, then it would affect the collective strength of the realm. Like, Young Master, can you believe these idiots?"


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders and then gave out a few candies to everyone. As he gestured to Han Lingshi, the lady thought for a bit and said, "Well, this is not an imperial examination, what is the point of meddling with them? Since they need us to support them, directly ask them what do we stand to gain? Trade is already set, if they try to disrupt it, it will harm them. Tech is controlled by us, strength resources are influenced by us. If they think we can support them, can''t we just make a move on our own? Useless, and here I thought it was something serious."


    The people took a deep breath and Hao Mei said, "I am of the same mind, but we need to make a decision, staying neutral is never a good thing."


    Han Lingshi replied, "I have a decision, let us call them to the throne room."


    She then told the people about her plan and asked, "Any objections?"


    The people shook their heads and they agreed. Hao Ren sat in the chair silently and closed his eyes. Hao Mei looked at the young man and said, "He is back to being a shopkeeper."


    Hao Ren replied, "Hey, don''t be like this, I am comprehending things. Also, Lan, here is your new assistant."


    He waved his hand and Grace appeared outside the space ring. Ye Lan inspected the puppet before she said, "Thank you, Big Brother."


    Then everyone began to summon the experts and gathered in the Throne Room.

 Chapter 397: Unification.

    Hao Ren sat in the situation room, unbothered by what was happening around him. The rest of the palace was filled with hustle and bustle akin to that of a beehive. Han Lingshi had taken command, and Hao Mei, being the general beside her, was ready to go to war. Maya Okudera was organizing various departments to be ready for action at a moment''s notice.


    In the throne room, Han Lingshi was sitting on the Crescent Moon Throne with her cold gaze skimming over the people who had come over to seek her support. It wasn''t just them, but all the experts from big and small forces have come over to see how Han Lingshi will handle this ordeal.


    Han Lingshi looked at Ye Yue and nodded. Ye Yue stepped forward and said, "Today, you all have been given an audience with her majesty for a common concern, the leaderships of the eastern, western, and northern continent. We will begin with east and follow up in that order. Please step forward."


    The people from the eastern continent almost spoke up together, "Your Majesty..."


    Han Lingshi looked at them and then raised her finger. The aura of the Dao Realm cultivator poured out from her and then the people fell silent. The young lady said, "You people don''t even know how to be civilized during a conversation, and you think you will be worthy to rule the continent?"


    One line and the people felt heat surging to their heads. Han Lingshi looked at all of the other experts who were now thinking if they should step up at all or not. The young lady then looked at the people and said, "If you think that I will use my resources or people to support you out of goodwill, then you are all thinking a bit too much. The reason Crescent Moon Empire has been helping all of you is because of the collective growth for the masses. Apart from that, what can I gain if I were to help you?"


    Silence, that was the only thing she heard in answer to this question. The young lady said, "If I have to support someone without anything in return, then don''t you all think that our Ye Generals are more than competent?"


    The people almost choked, they couldn''t argue against this point at all, because this was the truth, the Ye Generals were all far more stronger and efficient then themselves. In the past, the ''so-called'' experts of the three continents have tasted the strength of the Ye Generals.


    Ye Peng stood close to the throne, and he took a step forward as he smiled. This gesture alone was enough to cause the people to take half a step back. Han Lingshi and Hao Ren were not fools. Although they had no intent of unifying the world, they made the world know their strength so well that it simply scared the heck out of most of them.


    Han Lingshi looked at them and said, "If you wish to fight for territory, then do it among yourself and don''t even look at the limits of the current southern continent. You probably don''t know, but His Majesty the wandering dragon has been itching to try his hands. The moment you step in the Empire border, you will face him, and the Crescent Moon Army. As for the rest, it is your own call."


    The people gulped, they all had dreams and ambition to grow big, however, in the world of cultivation it was very common for people to bite the hand that fed them. Ye generals might forgive them for making a move, but Hao Ren was a monster, who would not settle down unless he saw blood.


    How else could the Crescent Moon Empire manage to rise to such a high place in the chain of power among all the continents? One way or the other, if Hao Ren came out they all would have to pay in blood.


    One of the people who was from a weaker force stood up and asked, "Your Majesty, may I ask your opinion on another sensitive matter?"


    Han Lingshi looked at the person and nodded, before the person said, "Your majesty, what if someone wishes to acknowledge your sovereignty?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "We will protect them like we do with the normal citizens, give them the same rights, but nothing else."


    The man then said, "Your Majesty, my Jacob family would like to acknowledge your sovereignty and if you permit, we would like to move over to the southern continent."


    Han Lingshi looked at Maya Okudera and then said, "This issue would be handled by Prime Minister Maya, if any of you wish to discuss this at great lengths, please meet with her."


    She cast a look at Maya, who bowed in acknowledgement of the command. The young lady said, "If that is all, then you all should go and prepare for the convergence, I am sure that we have told you the estimated impact of the event?"


    The experts nodded and bowed to her before they began to move out. It wasn''t confirmed how many people would join the Crescent Moon empire, but the people who came to the court today were all in the upper ranks, meaning, star shattering realm or above.


    After this, Han Lingshi stood up from the throne and sighed as she moved through the corridors, Ye Lan said, "Your Majesty, the Gram family people have been traveling around the world as well, what do you think we should do?"


    Han Lingshi asked, "The purpose of this trip?"


    Ye Lan replied, "Recruitment in ranks."


    The lady nodded, and said, "Isolate all of the people they have set their sights upon."


    Ye Lan was surprised and Han Lingshi said, "Ye Yin, have your shadows contact these people and tell them we will provide guidance to excel, however, if they collaborate with the foreigners, I will take out the nine generations of their families and make them watch it all."


    Ye Yin replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Han Lingshi came to the situation room and found her husband sitting with eyes closed, and the dao resonance from his body causing ripples in the void. She sighed and said, "This guy is so carefree, here we are fighting at multiple fronts."


    Ye Lan smiled but she didn''t say anything. Han Lingshi said, "Seal the area, let him cultivate in peace."


    ...


    In Hao Ren''s mind, the system said, You dumbass, are you cultivating the techniques that you got from that old woman?


    The young man frowned and replied, "Just looking at it."


    Bitch, are you acting out in front of daddy again? I gave you the photographic memory, do you think you can just look at something and forget about it.


    The young man took a deep breath and said, "The mathematical conjectures they used to look into things and predict the future are way too unrealistic. I couldn''t help but ponder over it."


    The system replied, Did you believe in the past when I came to you? Grow up. Also, before you enshrine the elders of that god forsaken place, don''t you dare to touch these again, or..


    Hao Ren replied, "Yeah, yeah, you will cause my dick to shrivel up."


    Haha, I am so proud of grooming you.


    Hao Ren shook his head and began to focus on comprehending the Dao Meaning of the things he saw these past few days, and then engrave them all on the spiritual energy particles. In his dantian, there was a big sky and now clouds were beginning to appear there. He began to condense as many clouds as he could. The goal was to match them with the area of the land, and once the two reach a perfect match the clouds would gain movement and then the world would come to life.


    Hao Ren had comprehended the meaning of space these days in the Blue Star Planet. The young man had lost the concept of time and days passed before he managed to finish reaching the peak of Dao Sky Realm.


    When he was finished, Hao Ren went outside the situation room, and as expected the sky was turning dark, the tribulation was here. Han Lingshi appeared next to him, and the young man asked, "How long has it been?"


    The young lady replied, "One month, get done with the tribulation, we have a few things to handle."


    Hao Ren nodded and vanished from the palace premises, and appeared high above the clouds. He looked at the dark clouds swarmed with golden lightning and said, "Can we do it here this time? I know that you want to make an example of me, but I cannot have you harm the innocent people below."


    The clouds thundered and the lightning snakes rose their heads to attack him head on as he stood above the clouds.


    ...


    Amber appeared next to Han Lingshi holding her walking cane and she asked, "He is finally reaching on the same foothold as that head of the Gram family, but the real challenge will begin after the tribulation. To unify the land and sky so that he can give birth to the Dao Being."


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "It would be fine."

 Chapter 398 398: Collision.

    Hao Ren finished his tribulation and then he went back to the ground where Han Lingshi was waiting for him with Amber. The young lady asked, "How do you feel?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I have no idea how I feel. It is as if despite having a breath through my realm has not exceeded. What is wrong here?"


    As he finished his words he turned to look at Amber, who shrugged and said, "I have no idea."


    *Dickhead, get yourself a technique to condense a Dao Being inside your dantian. Only then will your breakthrough be counted as complete.*


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, ''Are you for real? Where will I get this technique?''


    *The contact that you have groomed all this time, use it.*


    The young man shook his head and replied, ''If I asked Mala Gram about this, given her limited access she might not get me a good technique, the attempt would be wasteful. It would also clarify that I don''t have a master, the bluff that is keeping them at the bay will be called, idiot.''


    *Are you rebelling against me, you asshole! I made you what you are today, and now you are telling me what you can be? Ungrateful pissant! That alien hoe, ask her for a referral cultivation technique, and use your brain to come up with a new one, or have you ejaculated your brain after a few nights of wild sex. Pig!*


    Hao Ren felt his ears grate as the system cursed him. The one thing that Hao Ren never understood was how this guy was so vile with his vocabulary. However, since he could not do anything against it, he turned to look at Amber and asked, "Senior, can I trouble you to give me a few cultivation techniques to look at?"


    Amber was surprised and then she said, "You can take a look at them but make sure that you don''t cultivate them. Cultivators use only one cultivation technique throughout their lives, they might add-on a few supplementary techniques to make up for the weaknesses in their primary cultivation sutra, but that is all."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I understand, I won''t cultivate these techniques and only analyze them."


    Amber nodded, waved her hand and a small stack of thin books appeared in her hands. She said, "These are the low level technique, I have medium level techniques as well, but you need to read these before you can look at them."


    Hao Ren agreed and took the books, Han Lingshi said, "The movement of the tectonic plates is much faster than we expected, the collision will cause great damage."


    Amber looked at the two of them and said, "I have less knowledge when it comes to this aspect, I will head back home, you can deal with it on your own."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then he watched her leave. He then said, "We cannot make any arrays to absorb the impact of the collision, so that''s out of bound."


    Han Lingshi looked around her and asked, "There is a week before the collision can we make it so that the continent could be modelled in the same manner as the palace?"


    Hao Ren clapped his hand and said, "This is a good idea, have the people dig up around the entire city and then you can draw formations under t/he cities. All the cities would gain the ability to fly and it will save us from the collision impact."


    Han Lingshi nodded and after a few minutes, she said, "Good, I will mobilize them all. Shall we share the knowledge with all the other lands as well?"


    Hao Ren agreed and said, "Saving lives is not something that we should shy away from, as long as it is a natural disaster, we should unite as humans."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "The maximum intensity of the collision would be focused on the external parameter of the landmass, so we should focus on that only. What do you say?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I agree, and to think that I created a complete world level array around the entire continent. Ugh!"


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "Haha, such a child."


    Hao Ren pouted and replied, "I will go and handle my cultivation technique research."


    Han Lingshi chuckled as she shook her head and went on to deal with the situation. The entire world had been alerted that they would be facing a strong earthquake, and they all began to prepare. Violence ceased on the four continents as they moved closer and closer.


    Amber came looking for Hao Ren, ever since she gained her ability to move around, she had taken every single chance to go out on her own with Jola beside her.


    She found the young man reading through the books and writing something on a paper on the side. He sensed her approach and asked, "Senior, do you need anything?"


    Amber shook her head and said, "Look."


    She raised her hand and a finger pointed at a faint brown line spread across the horizon. Hao Ren raised his brow, this faint line was not the horizon but something that ran parallel to it. He asked, "What is that?"


    Amber replied, "Continental convergence."


    Hao Ren was smart enough to understand the meaning of this term and said, "Any drastic Impact?"


    Amber shook her head and said, "The continent heading over to converge should be the Spirit Siphon continent. When the average cultivation level of the world increases, they all would merge together."


    Hao Ren pursed his lips and said, "I will need to get more arrays, no wonder these people wanted to recruit people to their side."


    Amber smiled and then Hao Ren raised his left hand and pressed a button on the communicator and said, "Xiao Mei, give a message to the experts of the world under my decree, the Spirit Siphon Continent is about to merge and the space between the two plains, will open. If they want security from the invasion, they can submit to us. We will not interfere too much with them as long as they follow the proper rules."


    Xiao Mei replied, "Okay, boss."


    ...


    The week passed, it was so surprising for the people that they could have never expected such a thing. What scared everyone was the brown line becoming more apparent on the horizon. The experts who were still thinking about delaying the decision were forced to agree with the rest of the people and have Hao Ren send the formation guild over to cast a formation array and block the experts from the other plain. They were all prepared because they knew the experts from the Spirit Siphon Continent were stronger and they held them in disregard.


    Although the average cultivation level of the people has increased, it was still short from making a big wave. They had to get a sanctuary if they were to uphold their sovereignty.


    The last day of the week, Han Lingshi asked him to come out as Allyne Gram had appeared outside the city once again. Hao Ren sighed, he came to meet the other party and greeted her with a similar formal cordiality.


    The young man asked, "Miss Gram, what can I do for you?"


    The lady hesitated for a bit and said, "Master Hao, I was sent here to ask a favor of you."


    Hao Ren raised his brow but asked, "What favor?"


    Allyne Gram said, "Can you keep the secret about my brother meddling with the Dead Blood Clan when the two realms merge?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Had you not reminded me, I would have forgotten about that issue altogether."


    Allyne sighed and then she took out a couple of eggs from her space rings. She said, "These eggs are from a Scaled dragon. They are still alive, consider this as a thanks from my family."


    Hao Ren was surprised and then accepted the gift as he said, "You can rest assured Miss Gram we have known each other for a long time, it doesn''t matter much. The reason I have accepted the eggs is so that you feel at ease."


    Allyne smiled on the surface, but internally she wanted to call him a hypocrite. After some thought, she asked, "What do you think will happen after the continental convergence?"


    The young man thought as he turned to gaze at the horizon, and he said, "If they wish to carve a piece of pie for themselves, we will defend, if they don''t back of, we will fight, and if they come over with kind intentions of mutual benefit like you did, we will welcome them, and show them the same courtesy as they show us."


    Allyne nodded and the three of them looked toward the horizon, and gradually the ground began to tremble. Hao Ren lifted himself a foot above the ground and so did Han Lingshi and Allyne. The latter said, "I hope that the future of this collision is a harmonious one."


    Hao Ren replied and said, "I wish for the same."

 Chapter 399: Saving Grace.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were standing in the void with Allyne Gram beside them. She could not go back to the Spirit Siphon Continent because the space rift between the two worlds was very unstable at the moment.


    Hao Ren asked, "Miss Gram, don''t you hold any bitterness towards us for isolating the people you scouted for?"


    Allyne Gram smiled and replied, "My elders might hold some bitterness in their hearts but I knew we would not succeed from the very beginning. Mala had clearly stated that the prowess you displayed before us was only a tenth of what you are capable of, I must say, Master Hao, you and Miss Han are very cunning."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Well, it''s not like you didn''t gain anything from trading with us. Am I right, Miss Allyne?"


    Allyne nodded and replied, "Certainly, you cleared the biggest hurdle in my succession, and also equipped us with the world level arrays. I hope that you can still be a reliable ally after the convergence."


    Hao Ren wanted to say that it was not confirmed if he would continue trading with them, however, Han Lingshi said, "We will not trade the arrays that we have already given to you Miss Gram. However, we will not turn away any customer as well. I hope you understand our situation."


    Allyne sighed and replied, "I do, if you were to side with us completely that would cause the people to gang up against you. So, this is a good thing, as long as you don''t sell them the arrays that you have given us, they won''t be able to see through the flaws it has."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Thank you for your understanding, apart from that if you want anything else, please tell us, we will trade with you if possible."


    Allyna smiled, by now she has come to understand that as long as they don''t provoke the Crescent moon empire, these guys won''t attack them. Also, messing with the guy who created their defense system? What foolishness! If Hao Ren decided to join hands with someone and point out the flaws, they would be rendered helpless.


    Hao Ren sensed some movement on his wrist, Xiao Mei sent him a morse code, ''The land masses are about to collide, but the arrays of the western and eastern coastal cities have failed. The cities won''t be able to stay afloat, Boss, you gotta hurry, there are a total of seven hundred thousand people living in those cities.''


    Hao Ren turned to look behind him and said, "Fucking idiots."


    He was obviously reacting to the formation masters who caused the mess and vanished from his place. Han Lingshi was surprised but she said, "Miss Gram, see you later, it seems something came up."


    Allyne was surprised and said, "I will follow, might be of some help."


    Han Lingshi hesitated and then she nodded, it was better to have her beside them, after all, if she dared to make a move alone, they would be able to take care of her without any mess.


    The two of them also vanished from their spots. Han Lingshi led the way as she could sense Hao Ren''s energy radiation.


    ...


    The young man appeared in the eastern continent and from a distance he could see a huge city falling through the void. Although many experts were trying to hold the weight, that wasn''t going to last for long.


    Hao Ren moved through the void and appeared below the city, he took out his sword and looked up at the base of the floating city. The levitation array was deeply carved in the surface and after finding out the flaw the young man moved quickly. He appeared in a spot fifty meters away from an elder and said, "Let go. I will fix it."


    The elder was stunned but he moved away quickly, after all, time was of essence. Hao Ren slashed his sword and began to carve some more array channels on the surface. He was modifying the levitating array that he passed on to the people.


    It was not that his array had any fault, it was just that the city landmass was different and a slight difference in calculation could cause the formation to fail completely. After a few slashes when the array began to work and the city stabilized, the elders heaved a sigh of relief and Hao Ren vanished from his spot again. He was headed from one city to the other.


    In the next one hour, he saved seven cities, before he was about to turn around and move to the western continent Han Lingshi and Allyne finally caught up to him. They were not slow, but the elders who were trying hard to prevent the cities from falling had come over to pledge allegiance.


    Han Lingshi smiled at him and said, "Love, can you take it easy, they can still hold on."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "It was my fault, I didn''t tell them that such arrays need many calculations. Ugh, I am such a fool. Come, we will head to the west. Thankfully, due to the convergence they are very close."


    *Good that you are taking responsibility for your action, your wife is feeling proud of you. I will give you a skill, Eye of Insight. You can use this to look through the weaknesses of formations, martial moves, and spiritual moves. However, you can only see through things that are either made by you, or something similar to your realm of comprehension.*


    Hao Ren felt his eyes getting warm, and then the next moment he looked at the formation of the floating city and he could immediately tell where there were flaws.


    He implied the logic of a coder, if it''s working don''t touch it. So even after looking at the flaws he didn''t bother and moved to the western continent with Han Lingshi and Allyne Gram. The latter asked, "I didn''t expect that even a slight curve could cause the array to fail."


    Hao Ren replied, "Arrays work in cooperation with the environment, if you miscalculate things, the environment becomes your biggest enemy. Things don''t end up well for the people."


    Allyne nodded, and Han Lingshi said, "The people who agreed to follow us say they will never forget your saving grace."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "Not everything should be done with benefitting mindset, Lingshi. I am just doing what I should as a resident of this world."


    Allyne looked at Hao Ren and understood something new about him. The trio approached the western coasts, and then he began to fix the arrays quickly. One of the cities was only a hundred feet away from the ground when Hao Ren arrived and managed to stabilize the city. The occupants have been told to flee and almost all of them were standing in the void. However, the pain of losing one''s house and belonging was very intense and they thanked Hao Ren for his grace.


    Suddenly, the young man turned around and looked at the convergence point in the ocean. The huge masses of land were moving closer at a visible pace. Hao Ren and Han Lingshi flew up the clouds and similarly all the cities rose very high as well. The earthquake was just a beginning, but what came after that was the collision which gave birth to mountains that could pierce through the clouds.


    Hao Ren waved his hands and cleared the clouds from around him and said, "Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one."


    BOOM!


    The entire world shook, the loud voice was akin to the sound of doom. Many experts shivered and the impact sent visible ripples through the ground. It was as if the land was made up of water. Hao Ren vanished from the spot and appeared on the southern continent. He was worried about the big array formation that he has carved on the ground.


    The young man saw the ground ripple, and behind him the mountains rose. Han Lingshi and Allyne Gram came over to his side and the lady asked, "Do you think they will hold on?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Love, why do you ask such questions? I don''t want to know the answer to this."


    Han Lingshi smiled and Allyne Gram chuckled. She said, "I had no idea that Master Hao was such a pessimist."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I am a balanced personality. The glass is half full, yes but it is also half empty."


    Allyne smiled and replied, "Indeed."


    The world shivered and the mountains kept on climbing higher and higher. Han Lingshi held Hao Ren''s hand and asked, "What do you think about the mountains?"


    The young man shook his head and said, "Let them be untouched, a haven for nature. In a few years, we will be able to get some resources."


    The tremors stopped after a few minutes, and when they turned to look over, they found that the Spirit Siphoning Continent has also come closer.

 Chapter 400: Power Show.

    It took ten days for the Spirit Siphon Continent to merge completely with the Spirit Shimmer Continent. The two lands were separated by ocean and from the scouting surveys it was found that the ocean was filled with a lot of new ocean spirit beasts.


    The location of the Spirit Siphon Continent happened to be directly in line with the Crescent Moon Empire. Han Lingshi had been monitoring the array repair over the days. The entire southern continent had been changed into a bunker it seemed.


    Hao Ren was cultivating the new technique that he devised to break through to the higher realm, Dao Being level. Although he had to squeeze his brain out into mush he managed to reach the level he desired.


    At this moment, he was consolidating his realm. Suddenly, the young man sensed something in the void and opened his eyes. He stood up from the ground and walked out of the room. He found that all the Ye generals and Han Lingshi along with Hao Mei had gathered together. He asked, "Did you also sense it?"


    Hao Mei nodded and replied, "It would be hard to not sense their approach."


    Han Lingshi said, "Shall we go over and see what they intend to do?"


    Hao Ren nodded and held her hand to fly ahead. It didn''t take them a long time before they arrived at the edge of the southern continent. Raising their heads, the two of them saw massive flying vessels in the void moving towards their territory.


    The vessels slowly stopped in the distance and then a loud voice sounded, "Aim."


    A moment later the loud voice said, "Fire."


    Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!


    Hundreds of spirit attacks were sent at Hao Ren and his people. The young man, however, stood calmly in the void. The attacks were a hundred meters away when they collided with a barrier in the void, and caused the array barrier to manifest.


    The attacks vanished and the surroundings were filled with silence. Hao Ren took out his battle suit and then said to Han Lingshi, "Our turn. Are you coming?"


    Han Lingshi also put on her spirit armor and they both moved forward holding hands. Hao Mei sighed and asked, "Can''t you let us attack them?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I will take one vessel, you all can handle the rest."


    The Ye generals took out their spirit armors as well.


    ...


    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi appeared in the void and the two of them came outside the array barrier. They heard a few voices, "Old Tiger, these kids came out in armor, do you think they want to fight with us?"


    The people chuckled, and Hao Ren and Han Lingshi raised their right and left hands respectively. Then they channeled their spiritual flames outside, and the two flames merged.


    Someone from the spirit vessels yelled, "Don''t let them prepare, attack."


    Another person commanded, "Aim."


    At this moment, a couple of sword energies shot from behind Hao Ren and Han Lingshi, the energies bypassed them and hit the spirit vessel on the flank of the entourage.


    Screechhhh....


    That was all, and then the people saw the gigantic spirit vessel cut in two halves as it fell from the void. The cultivators tried to abandon ship when Ye Jian appeared in the void and said, "To dare and eye the Crescent Moon Empire, your sins are punishable by death."


    He didn''t take out his sword but only hit the back of the hilt with his little finger, and the sword energies devoured the cultivators in the void completely, leaving behind only bloody mist.


    Someone exclaimed, "Sword Saint!"


    Followed by the sword saint they met a saber saint, Ye Peng, then Ye Jill, Ye Lan, and Ye Yue, with the five primes, Ye generals scared the shit out of people.


    Hao Ren looked at them and yelled, "Fucking, leave some for us."


    Han Lingshi sighed and shook her head, as she said, "Focus, and release already, how big do you want it to be?"


    Hao Ren sighed and looked at the fist sized flame ball floating before the two of them and said, "Fine this is enough."


    ....


    From a distance, Gram Family scouts were also watching the scene unfold under the lead of Mala Gram. They wanted to confirm that Hao Ren was really as strong as he claimed to be.


    They saw a fist sized flame ball condense before the couple and then it slowly moved towards the biggest vessel in the fleet. Mala said, "Are they targeting the General Ship?"


    As they were still figuring things out the orange and blue flame ball came in contact with the general ship. The contact caused the defense array to light up and then the entire battlefield was covered with a glow followed by a deafening sound and a visible shockwave in the void.


    The impact caused a few of the Gram family scouts to cough up blood. They were standing at least twenty kilometers away and yet they were impacted. Mala looked at the battlefield which was now clear of everything, even a piece of debris wasn''t left behind.


    She sucked in a cold breath and said, "I hope that you have recorded the scene in detail. Hao Ren is not the only person we need to avoid, but every person in his team is a monster. They all settled the Biron Dynasties naval forces with such ease as if it was a child''s play. Even a speck isn''t left behind."


    The people nodded while shivering, they didn''t expect to witness such a situation as soon as the two continents merged.


    ...


    On the battlefield, Hao Mei smacked the back of her brother''s head and said, "Couldn''t you learn to warn us? That attack would have killed us along with the enemy."


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "I gave you all the protection amulets. What do you think it was? Token of love?"


    Hao Mei grabbed his ear and said, "Let''s go home, and I will tell you what it was."


    Hao Ren wailed, and begged for mercy, and the rest of the people chuckled. He couldn''t do anything to the people he loved and would accommodate them as much as he could.


    Hao Ren said, "Meimei, I am the wandering dragon. I am a King for heaven''s sake, let go of me. Arghhh, it will come out. Lingling! Look at her, she is deafening your husband! Help me!"


    The young man dramatized the situation and amused everyone. Then suddenly he stopped and looked in the direction where the Gram family scouts were stationed and said, "Miss Mala, long time no see. If you are going back to report this incident, I hope you tell them to come at their own risk. If they even looked at us in a wrong way, I will go over and settle them down."


    Mala nodded and then she vanished from the place. Hao Ren and the rest returned to the Crescent Moon Palace and the young man said, "Ask the rest of the people if they want a world protection array. We will give it to them at a cheap price."


    Maya Okudera said, "I had Xiao Mei record the battle just now and send it to all the different experts and forces. They will be replying soon. I think they will accept it easily because if they don''t then some other Spirit Siphon Force will attack them."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I have dispatched a platoon of shadows to go and establish a network there. So the information input might activate in a few days."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Good, now that we have showcased our power, it would give us some buffer and recognition on their side of the world. However, I am curious what it feels like there."


    Hao Mei narrowed her gaze and said, "Don''t you dare to play hands-off shopkeeper this time."


    Hao Ren wanted to say something when the system said, *Bitch, they wanted to kill you, and you are going to stay here like a good daughter? Gear up and go beat the shit out of them. Showcase your power, defeat ten experts of the same realm in duel and gain the physical strength boost of ten dragons.*


    Hao Ren frowned and said to Hao Mei, "I am not going to be hands-off, but since they brought this battle home, I will go ahead and reciprocate the gesture. I want them to feel the might of the Crescent Moon Empire."


    Ye Jian stepped up and said, "I also want to go."


    Hao Ren frowned and was thinking when Han Lingshi said, "You aren''t taking my kids with you. They have a hard time keeping up with your tricks. Take Ye Jian and Ye Peng."


    Hao Ren flinched and said, "These two? They will kill each other before fighting with the enemy."


    Ye Peng held his saber close to his chest and said, "Just say that you want to hog the spotlight."


    Hao Ren clenched his fist and asked, "Are you rebelling against me, damn you, Peng!"


    Then he chased after Ye Peng who ran out of the palace and the people sighed collectively.

 Chapter 401: War.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were handling the task to integrate the new regions they have acquired and raising world level arrays around the entire place. The game of world conquest had just picked up pace and it was terribly fast. The Ye generals personally were posted on all the strategic points of the connected world arrays.


    Hao Ren made it a point that even if there was a conflict, the people should handle it inside the protection of the world array, and thus the people all demanded why he was so insistent on it. Then a video of the Biron Navy Fleet attack was circulated and the people were shocked. They all gave in, even if they didn''t have any intention of giving in to Hao Ren and Han Lingshi, they agreed, and even provided the spirit stones needed for the array function.


    After a week of high efficiency work, the arrays were erected and only the newly formed mountain range between the four land masses was left unprotected. This area was commanded by the Ye Generals and the strong experts in the Dao Dust realm at the minimum.


    The people came forward to call the mountain range, Dao Mountains.


    ...


    Hao Ren was sitting inside a small cottage at the edge of the southern continent with Han Lingshi across from him. She had a frown on her face, as she looked at the chess board before her. The two of them had decided to slowly hand over the governance of the empire to the others and they came to the edge of the continent.


    At this moment, Agnee was sitting on the side with Yin and Yang. She asked, "Baba, why did you make that move? Won''t it become a sacrifice?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I will tell you the answer after your mother makes a counter my dear. Otherwise, she would know my plan."


    Yin and Yang nodded, while Han Lingshi moved a black stone and said, "You speak as if I don''t know yet. Now tell me what you plan to do with this?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Well, now that you have accepted the sacrifice, what do you see?"


    Agnee replied instantly, "Bishop, is open to take the queen, but the knight will come in to take your queen as well."


    Yin shook her head and said, "Agnee, capturing tokens does help you win the battle, but it doesn''t lead to settling a war. Baba''s knight is one move away from a checkmate."


    The people were surprised, and Yang frowned, "Why didn''t we see this?"


    Hao Ren smiled and waved his hand to move the knight and said, "Sometimes we are so focused on the problem before us that we forget about how to look at the other issues that are imminent risks but don''t threaten us directly."


    Han Lingshi nodded and remarked, "Sometimes I wonder if it were me who comprehended the heart of chess or was it you? Like here I am sitting like an obsolete mountain. One more."


    Hao Ren agreed and reset the game before they started playing again. This time, Han Lingshi did not underestimate Hao Ren and she clinched the victory. It didn''t come easy but she was ready for everything. They went on to play five games in total, and Han Lingshi won four of them.


    Suddenly, Agnee asked, "Baba, why are we here, and not in the Crescent Moon City?"


    The young man smiled and replied, "Love, the world is changing, and I don''t want to get caught up in situations that implicate you all."


    The young lady frowned and said, "Baba, if we don''t participate in the struggle, then how will we grow strong?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "You will have your own struggle but it wouldn''t be something related to politics. Everything fades in front of sheer strength."


    The trio nodded and suddenly, Hao Ren stood up and said, "Well, someone is looking for us, I will go and handle it. Lingshi, love, be back in a bit."


    Han Lingshi stood up and wanted to go along with him when the young man said, "You need to cultivate first. I can handle these trifling tasks."


    Then he vanished from the spot and Yin went along with him. Yang crossed his hands and asked, "Why does he always take Yin and not me?"


    Han Lingshi replied with a faint smile, "Because you are a boy, and he wants you to guard us. As for Yin, he wants to teach her to handle the work so that in future when you venture outside, you all stay safe together."


    Agnee nodded and sat down on the side as she said, "I am going to cultivate, you can fuss about it all big brother."


    Yang glared at her but didn''t say anything.


    ...


    Hao Ren and Yin appeared in the sky above the Crescent Moon City. They saw a huge army standing in the void there. All the experts present in the city were present in the void. Maya Okudera approached and said, "Your Majesty, they demanded us to hand over the people who attacked their navy."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "I will handle it, you get the army mobilized. Prepare for war."


    Maya Okudera was surprised and the young man began to walk in the void. He took seven steps and used the Lion Steps technique. His aura climbed and it caused the army platoon before him to freeze.


    Everyone could sense that the soldiers had stopped breathing for a prolonged moment. Hao Ren smiled faintly and asked, "Who is in command here?"


    The people did not react, and Hao Ren sighed, he gazed at the person standing at the forefront and asked, "Who is the commander?"


    The soldier was already stunned by his aura, and the soothsaying skill caused him to reply, "His Highness Damon Biron."


    Hao Ren nodded and scanned the entire group of people and said, "You have ten minutes to leave here, or I will have you all vanish just like the fleet of ships that came before you."


    After saying that he stood there and watched them silently. The young man wasn''t in any hurry, as time passed a young man dressed in a shiny battle armor stepped forward. He seemed to have broken the charm and pressure created by Hao Ren, and asked, "Do you really think that you can scare us with that bluffy trick of yours? Ant, you better bow down and accept our sovereignty."


    Hao Ren looked at the guy and then tilted his head as he asked, "Are you perhaps the Crown Prince of some nation?"


    The young man raised his head and said, "I am the crown prince of the Biron nation."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he flashed from his position and appeared before the prince and he said, "It is necessary to slaughter the chicken to kill the monkeys."


    Before anyone could even react, Hao Ren''s hand radiated a strong sword intent and then the Crown prince''s head flew off his shoulders.


    The generals woke up from the enamore of Hao Ren''s pressure and many of them attacked him while shouting, "Bastard! How dare you! Die!"


    Similar terms. Hao Ren did not bother, he sucked in a deep breath and then he exhaled heavily. The next moment, all the generals and their attacks were covered by a fiery fog. Followed by this loud wails echoed in the surroundings. Hao Ren stopped his attack and the fog dissipate quickly.


    The generals were left with burn wounds, although they were all Dao Land or Dao sky realm cultivators, they were severely injured. Hao Ren waved his hand and the body of the beheaded prince was tossed over to the people. He did the same with the head, and said, "I will let you all go back and tell your king, The Army of the Crescent Moon Empire would come and meet your Biron Empire in a week. Let him prepare all that he can to defend himself, we will now show you what power is."


    The generals were shocked, they did not expect the young man to make such a strong statement, but looking at the fact that this entire territory was covered with world level arrays, he did seem to have the backing to do this.


    One general held his left hand and asked, "Who are you?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "This humble one happens to be the highest level servant of the Crescent Moon Empire''s populace. They call me Emperor Wandering Dragon."


    The generals and the soldiers shivered, while the citizens under the arrays all cheered wildly. They had long known that Hao Ren was strong, but the moment he defended the entire nation against an army and even directly killed the Crown Prince, and finally the moment he said that he was the highest level servant of the populace, he won their approval.


    The crowd cheered and the generals shivered as they said, "We will wait for you to come and receive your death. Retreat!"


    The army retreated, and then Hao Ren looked at the people below the array and said, "Brothers and Sisters, war is not something to be celebrated but the only way to prove our metal is to spill blood.


    Prepare, for we are going to war!"

 Chapter 402 Scary Military Prowess.

    Chapter 402  Scary Military Prowess.


    Hao Ren issued the decree and the military was gathered. The entire Crescent Moon Empire turned into a war factory. The blacksmiths began to forge armors and swords. The spirit vessels were refitted, and high level arrays were inscribed upon them. The atmosphere in the empire had taken a sharp turn.


    While the soldiers were happy that they will finally get to fight, the families of those in the military weren''t. Hao Ren was reading a few reports when Ye Yue walked over and said, "Big brother, it seems that the people are in distress."


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, "It is never about those who leave but the ones who are left behind."


    He picked up a quill and wrote down a letter on it. Then he gave it to Ye Yue and said, "Have this read to everyone. This is my speech, I would have done it myself but at this moment, there are many things I need to look after. I will beg them for forgiveness later on."


    Ye Yue nodded and she carried out the letter. The copies of the letters were delivered to all the governors and was read to all the people, and Hao Ren had stated, "Even though it pains me much, but I have to ask the people to come together and go across the ocean to deal with the enemy that is eyeing our home, our peace, and our lives.


    I know that you all want peace, but sometimes, the price of peace is paid in blood. I don''t wish to force my brothers and sisters into the furnace of war, but I have no other option but to ask them to come forward and defend the future of our children..."


    The speech calmed the people and they realized that it was important for the military to take action. Hao Ren was strong and they had no doubt that he would personally lead the charge, but the fact still stood, he was alone. He was one man who might be able to deal with the strongest person in the enemy camp, however, he would still be one man.


    They understood that he wasn''t calling forward his people to die for him, but to watch his back. To make sure that he is not taken advantage of as he fought with the enemy. After this, five days passed. Hao Ren stood dressed in his famous Titan armor, and watched the massive army.


    There were seven hundred thousand soldiers in the military, all standing in different quadrants, neatly lined up behind their senior officers. Xiao Mei had designed this military system, and all the people who joined were volunteers.


    Behind Hao Ren stood the Ye Generals, and General Hu Baihe. The young man said, "There are seven hundred thousand of you, and we have seventy major cities in the empire. We will pick a lottery and seventy thousand of you will be assigned to these seventy cities to defend them randomly, any doubts or complaints?"


    None of the soldiers spoke, they knew it was important to guard the house as well. Even the weakest soldier in the military was a Dao Integration realm cultivator. They were considerably strong and were led by the commanders in the Star Annihilation realm.


    After the assignment of the guardian forces. Hao Ren said, "We also need protection from those who are on the same landmass, so thirty thousand of you would guard the borders. Be ready to react at a moment''s notice. Do you hear me?"


    "Yes, Your Majesty!"


    The soldiers echoed together and then thirty thousand more were left behind to guard the borders.


    Then Hao Ren divided the remaining six hundred thousand soldiers into two groups, he said, "If the first wave faces casualties, the second wave will reinforce them and turn the tides."


    With that, he led the military out. The sky was covered with huge spirit vessels, one bigger than the other. The people saw the sight and they clench their fists. Many of them had their children, brothers, or husbands on board these ships. The Crescent Moon Empire was very united and they hated when any outsider tried to move in and step over their heads. The Biron nation attacked twice, and this time they had to avenge the humiliating words spoken by the crown prince the last time.


    Hao Ren sat on the bow of a big spirit vessel and his eyes were closed. Hu Baihe approached him and asked, "Your Majesty, why are we fighting them?"


    The young man replied, "They think we are weak, and they keep on trying to attack us, as the closest target. I just want them to know that the Crescent Moon Empire is not a place where they can just waltz in. If they want to be respectful, I will let them in, but such arrogance and violent behavior will not be tolerated."


    Hu Baihe asked, "You don''t intend to conquer them?"


    The young man opened his eyes and asked, "Conquer them and do what? Deal with the internal cleaning issues? I have better things to do. My children can use my guidance to cultivate and grow stronger."


    Hu Baihe asked, "Why not introduce someone else as a ruler there?"


    Hao Ren looked at her and asked, "Do you want to recommend a name?"


    Hu Baihe was surprised and asked, "If I did, would you take it?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "I will ask the others to give out names, and then after an examination I will decide who is a better candidate to be placed in the position of that much power. If this person revolted, then the one who nominated them will also get punished with capital crime."


    Hu Baihe was shocked and asked, "What do you mean by this? How is it the nominator''s fault if the candidate revolts?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "In the world of cultivation, everyone tests everything. As a nominator you should have this much grasp of your candidate, otherwise, what is the point of your insights? Why nominate anyone if you aren''t going to benefit from it? Don''t tell me you have turned soft, General Hu."


    Hu Baihe was shocked, she did not expect Hao Ren to say such stuff, but then again, he was still the same old guy who spoke candidly. His words made her rethink her proposal.


    ...


    The king of Biron was standing before his military as well. About five hundred thousand and his eyes were red from rage. He said, "A few weaklings decided to use tricks and killed our brothers and sisters, and they have the guts to challenge the Biron nation for a war. I ask you, do you think we should kill these people?"


    The soldiers raised their spears and then stomped them on the ground as they yelled, "Kill! Kill! Kill!"


    The momentum was just rising when suddenly the war cries calmed down. The King of Biron frowned, and suddenly he turned around, only to see a fleet of spirit vessels approaching them. The military had been gathered at the coasts, and they were just about to charge out. The sudden arrival of these vessels shocked them.


    Suddenly one of the generals who survived the flames from Hao Ren yelled, "Your Majesty! This is the murderer of His Highness the Crown Prince."


    The king trained his gaze onto Hao Ren, who stood up from the bow of the spirit vessel, and stepped in the void only to vanish from his spot and appear twenty meters away from the King. The young man raised his hand and the spirit vessels stopped moving ahead. Soon, the soldiers disembarked and lined up behind him along with the Ye generals and Hu Baihe.


    The tension was rising in the air, and the King of Biron said, "To think you would have the guts to come here in person after what you have done to my son. Ballsy."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "The ballsy one among both of us is you. I killed an entire fleet of your naval forces, and I slayed your crown prince, even then you have the guts to rally the military. You are the ballsy one King Biron."


    The King clenched his fist and asked, "Who the hell are you?"


    His voice was calm but his aura was accumulating. However, Hao Ren wasn''t bothered by this, he asked, "Why did you attack my nation? Did you think it would be a walk in the park? Did you not learn that the two worlds only merge together when the average cultivation potential is the same? How did you conclude that you are stronger than us?"


    King Biron was at a loss, he truly didn''t think that the other party was significantly stronger than them, and they just wanted to launch a conquest and capture new territory. Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Men, charge up!"


    The people behind him changed into a cascading formation and they all held something like a machine gun, at this moment, they were charging them up by channeling their spiritual energies inside them.


    Hao Ren said, "This is the newest weapon we have designed, thank you for being our testing targets."


    He then said, "Fire."


    The guns fired spiritual energy bullets and it was akin to a thunderstorm at the coast of Biron.

 Chapter 403: Slaughterer.

    Hao Ren gave the command and the military behind him began to fire spirit bullets at a high speed. The attacks seemed to be insignificant but the sheer quantity of them drowned the Biron Army. The people on the ground had no idea how to counter this. The attack quantity sent them on backfoot.


    King Biron clenched his fist and his body trembled in rage, however, he didn''t dare to step out of the defensive parameter. The reason behind this was simple, because even if he was a Dao Sky realm practitioner, the enemy would shower him with these bullets, and Hao Ren, who was stronger than him would get a chance to kill him.


    Hao Ren also knew that the amount of spiritual energy his soldiers have was limited and so he said, "Focus fire here."


    That said, he launched a flame ball of his own to hit a certain position in the void. There was a array that was blocking the fire, and his flame ball highlighted a crucial spot in the array. The fire moved and the Crescent Moon Army attacked with utmost precision.


    King Biron roared, "Bastard!"


    Hao Ren didn''t bother with the person, he said, "If you surrender, I will let you go, if not then I will have you watch the demise of all your soldiers. Think carefully King Biron, they are here to fight for you, and you have the responsibility of their lives."


    His words could have easily manipulated King Biron to give in, but Hao Ren deliberately didn''t use his soothsaying skill. He had no intention of letting him walk away without paying the price for repeated attacks and humiliation.


    These arrogant people of the Spirit Siphon Continent needed to know that Crescent Moon Continent or any other place wasn''t just a piece of pie for them to take without bleeding. The spirit bullets breached the node point of the array. Hao Ren used the eye of insight skill, and as soon as one node broke, the entire formation crumbled.


    The soldiers caught the scent of first blood, and they began to slaughter the people on the ground. The kill rate was so high that every guy was able to kill one expert in the opposite army within two seconds.


    It wasn''t as if the massive military of the Biron KIngdom didn''t attack Hao Ren and his people, however, the soldiers were equipped with armors that had world level defense arrays carved on them. How could they be killed so easily. The cause of casualties was the shock impact that some of the weaker soldiers could not tolerate and they were slightly injured.


    After five minutes, nearly ten thousand of the Biron soldiers have perished, while the military behind Hao Ren still stood untouched. Hao Ren raised his hand and said, "Stop firing."


    The gun fire ceased in a blink, and the young man continued, "King Biron, I can understand that you want to avenge that son of yours. How about you step up and have a one-on-one duel with me? What is the point of sacrificing your soldiers to death? Or have you completely been blinded by hate?"


    His words poked the sore spot for King Biron, causing the latter to roar, "I will kill you."


    King Biron charged out of the formation, leaving his guards stunned, before they reacted, "Aid His Majesty."


    Hao Ren looked at The Ye Generals beside him and said, "Jill, Tei, handle them with Baihe. I am going to handle the King. The rest will watch for anyone else coming in and ruining the good time."


    The remaining Ye Generals nodded and became vigilant. The two armies were on stand-by. The stronger generals and king were fighting and they had to witness it from the side to not hinder them.


    The military from the Crescent Moon side began to cheer for the four people.


    "All Hail, His Majesty, Wandering Dragon! May his roar shake the world."


    This chant was the loudest because Hao Ren was exchanging blows with King Biron and the latter was suppressed, after a few negative exchanges, King Biron took out his royal spear and attacked Hao Ren with it. However, the young man only used his fists to answer the challenge.


    He shook off the spear many times and almost rendered King Biron helpless. Initially everyone thought Hao Ren would be at a disadvantage, but he was using mortal martial arts that he gained back in the Blue Star to counter King Biron perfectly.


    After exchanging hundred rounds, Hao Ren had reached closer to King Biron and hit him with twenty-five counter blows in total. The impact of these blows had left King Biron with a dinged up armor and a trace of blood threatening to spill through his lips anytime.


    King Biron forced the blood back down his throat and Hao Ren chuckled as he asked, "So, King Biron, do you still want to continue? Have you not yet realized that your arrogance has cost you a lot already? Look at the faces of your men, and tell me what do you see?"


    King Biron froze, he instinctively looked at the faces of his soldiers and found them all looking depressed. They all saw him, the invincible King, pushed back by Hao Ren. King Biron turned to look at Hao Ren with much hatred spilling from his eyes, and said, "Today, either I die, or you."


    Hao Ren sighed and then he took out his sword and said, "Then allow me to finish this battle sooner."


    He slashed his blade casually in the void. King Biron sensed the weird movement in the void and waved his hand as well. The space slash cast by Hao Ren collided with the void portal opened by King Biron and Hao Ren was surprised.


    He didn''t expect that someone would be able to deal with his attack, however, he wasn''t done yet. He slashed his sword again and again, gradually it looked like he was dancing in the void, and on the other side, King Biron seemed to be mimicking and waving his hands around repeatedly.


    As King Biron fought hard to defend against the space fissures, he failed to see that Hao Ren was standing five meters behind him. Many people roared, "Your Majesty, behind you!"


    However, before King Biron could react, Hao Ren punched him in the back. The impact sent the King across the void akin to a comet.


    Bang! King Biron fell on the ground and left a deep crater around him. Hao Ren again approached him, and this time, only turned around the King as he asked, "Did you ever think that something like this could happen to you?"


    King Biron wanted to speak but he found that he could not, and his eyes widened in fear and shock. Hao Ren replied, "I broke your spine, given your realm it would take a few minutes to heal properly, however, since you have been very adamant on killing me and all, I will help you get ahead on your way, also can you kindly just not move too much."


    One general gave up his arms and said, "Stop, let go of His Majesty. Please, you can''t kill him."


    Hao Ren had raised his sword when a general fighting Ye Jill gave up his arms and pleaded. The young man asked, "Why?"


    The general replied, "He is the only one left to look after all of us. Please let him go, you can take my head if you want."


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "Are you all kids? Can''t you look after yourselves? Losers."


    His blade fell and King Biron was beheaded. Then Hao Ren waved his hand and burned the corpse to ashes as he said, "Ye Jian, clean them up. I don''t want any nuisance."


    Ye Jian took out his sword and the three generals were slain. Then Hao Ren looked at Ye Peng and said, "Peng, go and clean up any remnant resistance. Also spread the word that King Biron is no more. Baihe take half of the military to surround the Royal Palace and ask the people to come out and obediently surrender."


    Then he looked at the military that was standing on the coastline with pale faces and said, "You all don''t have to fear anything. I don''t intend to kill you or enslave you, this is your land and it should stay that way, however, Your King challenged my dignity by attacking twice, and so I had to retaliate. I will select a new ruler for the Biron Kingdom and have him or her govern the kingdom to become a better nation."


    He used his soothsaying skills and the people calmed down. Then he took a look at the people behind him and said, "Go on, pacify the nation, kill the resistors and bring me the prince and the princesses."


    The people left and what followed for the next few days was the deaths of those who were loyal to the old emperor. Hao Ren had gained a new name, Slaughterer. His orders were clear, none of the major forces who offended him were to be spared. That was how things worked in the immortal worlds.


    The bigger the fist, the bigger the say.

 Chapter 404: Sage?

    After the battle ended, Ye Peng was deployed for a small stage clean-up. Hao Ren and his people also settled around the coast when he noticed something. He raised his head and looked at the still army of the Biron Kingdom. He thought for a few minutes and then he couldn''t help but walk over to their ranks.


    He stood face to face with a young man who seemed to be a centurion/captain. He asked, "Why are you all standing in attention? The war didn''t begin and the battle has ended."


    The centurion took a deep breath and then he said, "We are mourning for our fallen soldiers and generals."


    Hao Ren raised his brow, he was surprised to see such a strong and free display of the sentiment. He asked, "Aren''t you afraid that if you said this, I will kill you all as well?"


    The centurion gulped, he might not seem to be afraid but underneath the armor he was sweating badly. However, the man steeled his nerves and said, "This has always been a tradition of our military. When a senior officer or a fellow soldier falls we all stand still till sun down in their honor."


    Hao Ren looked at all the soldiers and found they were all really standing still, he took a deep breath and said, "You all are good soldiers. You have my respect, however, I hope you understand that I also have people I am accountable to. If someone comes to your house and threatens to take over everything that you have worked hard for, how would you handle it?


    Kings and Queens fall from grace when they are blinded by greed of conquest. I had given him three chances, but since he didn''t heed any of them. This was bound to happen."


    The soldiers didn''t reply, they were also aware that in this world only the strong were right. King Biron was the strongest of them all, and thus he became the king. Hao Ren defeated the King, so now he held the chain of command.


    After interacting with the soldiers, Hao Ren called over his logistics team and asked, "Can we set up a defense barrier around the borders of this country?"


    The people weren''t surprised, however, the soldiers of the Biron army also heard this and were surprised. Hu Baihe asked, "Are you really going to capture the place?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I haven''t decided yet, but after the demise of four strongest people, they would be at risk from outside countries and forces. The barrier would give them a buffer period. As for the forces who might be waiting to make a move in the shadows, drag them out and have them submit. General Hu, it is your task."


    Hu Baihe was surprised and asked, "Huh, why me?"


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked her with a deadpan face, "Did I stutter?"


    Hao Baihe shivered, she realized that she had instinctively challenged the dignity of her Sovereign and Hao Ren wasn''t the one to let go of such matters easily. She shook her head and said, "I will get things done quickly, Your Majesty."


    That said, she rushed away as if lightning flashing through the sky. Hao Ren then looked at the vast landscape and said, "Ye Jian, I am going to cultivate, inform me when Peng returns."


    Ye Jian bowed and replied, "Yes, Young Master."


    Hao Ren sat down in cultivation, but in reality, he was talking to the system, *Bitch, are you not going to conquer this piece of land?*


    The young man sighed and replied, ''I haven''t decided yet. Lately, in many things that I do, I can''t find the logic. I end up questioning myself as to why am I doing what I am doing. All this makes no sense to me anymore.''


    *Sigh, allow me to tell you a secret which will clear this fog of tomfoolery. Do you know how many realms are there in the upper-level cultivation?*


    Hao Ren replied, ''Dao Dust, Dao Land, Dao Sky, Dao Being, and Dao World in the Dao Realm...''


    Just as he was about to go on, the system cut in, *Shut up, doofus. You are just telling me the obvious. In this world only mortals cultivate these realms. Yes, you heard that right, these people cultivate to the heavenly realm and don''t become immortals, they perish slowly but mind you, they do perish.*


    Hao Ren couldn''t comprehend this and asked, ''What do you mean they perish? Don''t they go on to live for millions of years?''


    *Bitch, has your brain really melted? Since when did things with expiration dates became immortal? What do they do with such a long lifespan? They just try to scratch the surface of the great dao but never got even an inch close to it. Why, because Dao can only be achieved by mastering the extreme principals.*


    Hao Ren furrowed his brows and asked, ''What are these extremes?''


    *The mastery and enlightenment in three ways, arts, martial laws, and soul. Arts are music, painting, fishing, chess, tea making, etc. Martial Laws are spirit arts, fist arts, weapon mastery, artifact forging, alchemy, array science, and inscriptions. While for soul, it means mastery over emotions and thoughts.


    It may seem like its easy, but do you know where the limit of these things lies? Only when you have touched the limit will you be considered a master of these extremes, why did you think I forced you to learn all that you can? Humans are the only species in this universe capable of cultivating the extremes.


    When you manage to master one extreme, you gain a Dao Halo, and become Dao Sage. When you master two of them, you become a World Sage. Three Halos classify as a Heavenly sage. The limitation is that you can only comprehend one Halo in your realm or the heavens will fuck you up for sure, none can get past it.


    After you reach the peak of heavenly realm and become a heavenly sage, only then can you start adding halos to your cultivation. Nine Halos will make you condense a wisp of great dao inside you, and only then would you become an immortal.*


    Hao Ren was silent, comprehending what he was just told by the system. He didn''t expect such a thing to be hidden from him. He thought and asked, ''Why didn''t Amber tell me all this?''


    *How would I know why she withheld this? It could be that woman never came across a sage. They are extremely rare, almost beings of a forgotten era.**


    Hao Ren sighed and asked, ''What does it have to do with my conquering this country?''


    *The second method to gain sage halo is worship and devotion. Do you see how the people from the Crescent Moon Empire love and worship Han Lingshi? She will become a sage in a few years if they start burning an incense in her name.*


    Hao Ren was surprised and said, ''Fuck, are you for real? So, having more people to worship means more people to achieve sainthood.''


    *Correct, however, only till you are in the Dao Realm. If you reach the Dao World realm then kiss the sage hood goodbye, and same with the dream to become an Immortal.*


    Hao Ren shivered and said, ''Got you.''


    He opened his eyes, although the conversation has lasted for a long time, it had just been a few minutes outside, he stood up, and Ye Jian turned to look at him, and he sighed. His disciple was standing beside him and asked, "Master, why does it feel like His Majesty is a bit excited?"


    Ye Jian smiled and said, "Xiao Long, he can''t be judged by common parameters."


    Hao Ren looked at Ye Jian and said, "Jian, Jill, lead your people, We are taking control of this country, also follow the military rules. Any act of plunder will be punishable by death. Do you hear me? Challenge the leaders fair and square, subdue them, and convince the people that we come in good faith. Compensate the families of the martyrs with suitable cultivation techniques, and resources. I will have Maya come over and coordinate all these things."


    The two Ye Generals nodded and Han Lingxue, who had become Ye Jill''s disciple walked over to him and asked, "Brother-in-law, are you serious? How will we manage this distant place?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "We will set up a teleportation array and a close monitoring. One of our own would be stationed here, I was thinking someone from Ye Yin division would be able to do it. No? Do you want to stay here to learn things about administration?"


    Han Lingxue shook her head like a rattle and said, "Brother-in-law, can you please not drag me into this, I have yet to reach the planet shattering realm. Master won''t go easy on me if I miss out on cultivation."


    Hao Ren chuckled and replied, "Well, don''t worry about such things then. Go help Jill handle some people and learn more. If you want anything then tell me."


    Han Lingxue smiled and left with Ye Jill, and Hao Ren looked at the logistic department as he said, "Get going, I want you to scout the entire country, calculate, and set up an array within two days. Also, set up a teleportation array here first, we need experts."


    The people nodded and replied positively and thus began the transformation of the Biron Kingdom.

 Chapter 405 405: Challenging Limits.

    After the small battle when Hao Ren took control of the Biron Kingdom, the news spread throughout the Spirit Siphon Continent, some people were stunned and some credited luck. They even went as far as to say that Hao Ren was lucky that he attacked a weaker nation and is riding a temporary wind of success.


    The young man didn''t bother with such people, he was used to them. One of the forces called Star Clouds Sect tried to venture inside the borders of the Biron Kingdom when the formation crew was amidst of setting up the barrier, but over fifty experts in the Dao Dust realm were slayed by Ye Yue who was guarding that position.


    The Star Cloud Sect sent twenty Dao Land level experts who were dealt with by Hao Mei alone. The scary battle proficiency made the sect hesitate and the barrier was erected properly. After all, losing seventy high level experts was not something worth it. The disciples of the experts were hateful and they tried to attack the barrier, however, they couldn''t even cause the barrier to ripple.


    After that, one year had passed and the Biron Kingdom had been reformed completely. The people couldn''t even believe the changes they had gone through in the past few months, but their lives had changed completely and the number of talents in the country was growing faster than ever before.


    None of the nobles dared to do anything bad, nobody got away with the abuse of power. Every city had a challenge platform and if someone wanted to settle any issues, they would fight each other. Hao Ren also set up academies where the young were guided in the ways of cultivation. However, something new had been established. Once a week, the people of all the cities or town were asked to pray for the safety of the nation.


    None of the people were averted to it, because after bearing the flag and the marks of the Crescent Moon Empire, the prayers were akin to a blessing to the rulers and majority of them went to Han Lingshi.


    ...


    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren had returned to the Crescent Moon Palace, they were sitting face to face and the young lady said, "Ren, these days I am feeling that my Dao comprehension has been getting smoother and smoother, what is this?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I told you about the Sage realm, right? This is the first sign. From now on, when you try to comprehend the Dao, try to condense a halo of spiritual energy around yourself and engrave the Dao comprehension on the halo. Gradually, you will be able to condense a Halo of the Dao Sage."


    Han Lingshi frowned and asked, "Won''t the Halo dissolve in the surroundings?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "The halo condensed from your comprehension will stay with you, why will it dissolve?"


    Thinking about it, the girl nodded and then she said, "I will try. What about you? I know that the majority of the Prayers aids me, what will you do?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I have been focusing on my sword path now a days, and will move ahead in realms when I have realized the limits of sword dao."


    Han Lingshi frowned and said, "I don''t like this. Why do you have to take the hard way and I can sail smoothly with the aid of the incense?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "You are thinking too much. Your cultivation technique may have been modified but it is still the nine revolution empress sutra at the core. You need the acknowledgement of the citizens to grow stronger."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "I feel so complicated regarding this entire thing. You know I feel like I am betraying the people of the nation."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It''s not like that, when you become a sage, you can hold lectures and help them grow stronger. There is no such thing as betrayal here. I will tell them about the method to become the sage when I have achieved it. Don''t worry."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "I don''t know.."


    The young man frowned and asked, "Then do you just want to keep on giving whatever you have? If you spoil them so much then you will end up dry. Do you want that? Maybe, but I don''t, and I can''t care less about the world, but if anything tried to limit your future I will destroy that reason be it gods, demons, buddhas or even the citizen."


    That said, he stood up and left the pavilion. Han Lingshi was surprised, but then she sighed. Ye Yin appeared beside her and said, "Your Majesty, if I may?"


    Han Lingshi nodded gently and Ye Yin said, "His majesty has always done what you wanted, and he has been keeping the interest of the populace above his own or yours all this time. If you keep on insisting, I am worried that he might actually slay a few people and destroy his image."


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "Well, what can I say, we both want more strength and power, however, the price it comes with makes me uncomfortable. I cannot help but think, what if the people found out and they thought of us as those other strong people."


    Ye Yin shook her head and replied, "Your Majesty, you are looking too deep into it. Even if you are asking them for the devout incense, it is nothing compared to what they had to sacrifice before you became the Queen."


    Han Lingshi sighed over and over again and at this moment, Agnee approached the pavilion. She looked at the two ladies and then turned around. Han Lingshi asked, "Agnee, what happened?"


    The girl shook her head and said, "What else, Baba is fighting with Uncle Jian and they are basically going all out. I wanted to know what was going on so I came over. Baba is making mistakes and he has been hit three times already."


    Han Lingshi frowned and she vanished from her spot to appear outside the arena. She found that almost all of the Ye Generals were there, watching the two people spar. Hao Ren had been learning sword arts this past year and he was also now a Sword Grandmaster, and had touched upon the surface of the Sword intent.


    The young man did not yet break through the realm of the sword saint. He fought with Ye Jian and the attacks caused him to retreat. They didn''t compare in terms of cultivation realm, but sword skills. It was a routine that allowed the two of them to recognize their weaknesses and dwell deeper on the path of swords.


    Hao Ren had taken five hits, his strong body prevented him from being hurt, and he also understood the nature of the sword energy. Before this battle, he had always been calm and collected, and today when he made mistakes, Ye Jian being the cruel sword saint, exploited them.


    As the duel continued and Hao Ren understood the things that he was lacking. Suddenly, he stopped and Ye Jian noticed this. He took back all the sword intent that was rushing around him. Everyone noticed this, and before they could even ask anything. Ye Jian waved his hand and cast a isolation barrier. He appeared beside everyone and said, "Young Master is having an epiphany, seal the area and no one is to disturb him."


    The people cased layers upon layers of isolation barrier. Hao Ren stood in the center of the arena with his eyes looking at the void in a daze. He was questioning himself, why did he fight so hard? Why did he feel so angry today? What would happened if he let go of the weapon? Would he still be himself if he did so?


    Han Lingshi watched the situation from the side, and let out a breath of relief. She said, "Go, handle your tasks, don''t worry about him, I am here."


    The people wanted to stay but they nodded and left. Hao Ren lost the concept of time and stood frozen in one place. Gradually an hour passed, then a day, then a week, and finally even after a month, Hao Ren didn''t move. Everyone was shocked, they have been rotating the placement to guard him, yet when they saw no movement in his body, they couldn''t help but worry.


    Suddenly, in the evening, the wind around the arena began to pick up pace. The people sensed it and they all arrived to see what was going on. However, in the end they all could only look at Ye Jian. The young man sighed with a bitter smile and said, "He has managed to understand the sword intent."


    The winds became sharp and then even when they looked at Hao Ren their eyes felt prickly. All the people who had a sword could sense their swords shivering a bit. The phenomena didn''t stop here, the shivering of the swords intensified.


    Hao Ren was completing his comprehension of the sword, and the winds around him condensed into several hundred of transparent swords, and they revolved around him. Ye Jian gulped a mouthful and said, "He mastered the sword domain."


    However, even this wasn''t the end. Ye Jian asked, "Where does the limit lie?"

 Chapter 406 406: Halo Condesation.

    Hao Ren was standing in the distance, using his understanding of the sword to reach the highest level that he could. Ye Jian and everyone else were watching him. A disciple beside Ye Jian couldn''t help but ask, "Master, how can His Majesty master sword domain? Wasn''t he just scratching the surface of the sword intent a few moments ago?"


    Ye Jian nodded and said, "Yes, he was, however, you are still judging him with normal parameters. Young Master has a horrifying comprehension ability. This is why, when he was scratching the sword intent, he realized it quickly. Hold onto your swords and tell me if you don''t feel them eager to leave the sheath."


    The disciples nodded, and Ye Jian continued, "That is the sign that Young Master has already mastered the sword intent. All the swords wish to go and worship him. As for the sword domain, what do you know about it?"


    Everyone in the surrounding was listening to the conversation because it was more like a lecture on swords. The disciple, Xiao Long said, "Sword domain is a boundary, in which the practitioner and his sword are invincible. No matter if the enemy is stronger, as soon as they step into the range of the domain, they would be attacked by a storm of swords."


    Ye Jian nodded and said, "Young Master knows this, and thus he is comprehending the sword domain while he is at it."


    Another disciple asked, "But Master, you said that we should refine our sword intents before we move towards Sword domain. How is this working for His Majesty?"


    Ye Jian sighed and said, "To refine the sword intent means to rectify any doubts that you might have in your hearts. Look at Young Master, and sense the sword waves around him. Does it look like he has any doubt about the path he is carving for himself?


    What the rest of us, even me, comprehend is the sword intent that originates from some technique, but what Young Master is comprehending is the intent that is rising from the nature and his own understanding of the sword. This is why he is not doubtful. His mind is clear and his thoughts are calm, and when he moves forward in the future, this sword domain would only grow stronger with him."


    The disciples were stunned, they wanted to ask more, but then they sensed Ye Jian glaring at them and they shoved back the questions back down their throats.


    ...


    Hao Ren had lost the concept of time once again, he was standing on the ground, with the sword intent raging around him. The ground was covered with shallow ravines now, however, he had no intention to stop. His ideas were racing and his thoughts were clarifying quickly.


    His sword Domain reached ten meters range, and then it slowed down. Hao Ren opened his eyes and said, "Ye Jian, come."


    Ye Jian reacted in an instant, and they began to spar once again. The two didn''t hold back, and Hao Ren let go of the caution. He didn''t care about the shallow cuts and marks on his body, and he yelled, "Don''t hold back."


    Ye Jian also let go of his caution to not harm Hao Ren, the two of them began to fight with all that they had. The waves of sword energy left deep marks on the grounds, and even the void trembled a little before going back to the normal. The young disciples on the side were watching it all with their eyes locked to Hao Ren and Ye Jian.


    It wasn''t that the disciples were learning from them, but even they themselves were learning from each other, and Hao Ren was able to keep track of the mistakes he made, and the mistakes made by Ye Jian. Then at the same time, he contemplated upon them and began to correct himself.


    His correction shocked the people, and Hao Ren was growing stronger at a visible pace. However, Ye Jian wasn''t outdone as well. He believed in his path as well, and watching Hao Ren, he also began to improve quickly. The two of them were geniuses in their own respect. They were growing stronger with every move they exchanged.


    Slowly the battle dragged upon, one day passed in a blink, the sword disciples all sat down with their eyes closed and began to comprehend what they had gained from watching the exchange from the side.


    The two people sparred without holding back and without stopping. If Hao Ren grew half a step, then Ye Jian grew one step and they chased each other. After the entire day of sparring, they stopped, and while Ye Jian moved to the side with his eyes closed. Hao Ren began to absorb the knowledge right then and there.


    The disciples who watched this were shocked. They could sense the sword energy fluctuation from both the spots. Ye Jian was refining his sword path while Hao Ren was raising the range limit of his sword domain. The surrounding guardians then asked, "Xiao Long, what do you think? Would you master be able to catch up with Young Master?"


    The speaker was Ye Peng. Xiao Long shook his head and replied, "Uncle Master, I will not fall for your tricks."


    The other disciples nodded and they avoided the trick that Ye Peng wanted to play with them. Regardless of the answer, he would blame them and tease them. He has done it many times in the past.


    Ye Peng sighed and said, "You are no fun anymore, Xiao Long."


    The latter only smiled but didn''t reply.


    Hao Ren''s sword domain reached ninety meters, but it didn''t slow down, and even crossed the threshold of one hundred meter. The young man asked, "Can I start condensing the Halo now?"


    System replied, *Yes, what else? Do you want to wait for the time you reach the peak of Dao Being realm and then start condensing? Have you not learned anything all these years, you dumbass? Halo condensing can work at the same time as regular cultivation. However, you will only use Sword Comprehensions on it. Understood?*


    Hao Ren nodded and got to work, he was quick in condensing the spiritual energy around him. It was a quick process, but when he wanted carve the Dao Comprehension on the halo he realized that he couldn''t do so with normal spiritual energy. Then he smiled and began to channel his sword intent through the halo. The intent became his carving knife and the theories he comprehended began to appear over the halo, before they vanished inside the Halo.


    Hao Ren continued doing this until he finished engraving all that he understood about the sword. It took him a few weeks before he could open his eyes, but what shocked him that the amount which seemed immense to him was just akin to an inch big mosaic tile on the Halo.


    The Halo was spherical ring that was two inches wide and hung in the void behind his body. He sensed the thing and thought how long it would take him to fill all this space with the comprehension of sword art. The young man took a deep breath as he thought about it and then he stood up.


    His body echoed with crackling sounds as his joints snapped from movement. He raised his left hand and pressed the button on the communicator as he asked, "Xiao Mei, how long have I been sitting here?"


    Xiao Mei replied, "Two months."


    Hao Ren was surprised and said, "I thought just a week had gone by."


    Xiao Mei didn''t say anything, the young man placed his hands behind his back and walked toward the study in the palace, as he did so, he realized that the Halo behind him also merged into his body. The other people couldn''t see it unless he allowed them to.


    The young man came to the study and found that Han Lingshi was busy working on something. He didn''t disturb her and sat down, only after an hour, Han Lingshi raised her head and asked, "How is it? I saw you condensed the Halo outside."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It would be a long time before I complete it. What about you? How are things?"


    Han Lingshi shrugged and said, "Nothing much, same old skirmish at the borders. The spirit shimmer continent is basically conquered. The sects and independant forces have come forward to swear fealty, only a few big kingdoms and dynasties don''t want to do anything with us.


    The Biron Kingdom is steady, but there have been attacks on the border patrols lately. The force is quite an issue to deal with because they are using sound waves to attack and some weaker patrol officers almost lost their hearing power from that. Ye Yue has gone to handle it so it should be fine soon."


    The Young man nodded and asked, "What about your Halo Condensation?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "Not yet, I want to get to the peak of Dao Land realm first."

 Chapter 407 407: Trouble Comes Knocking.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi were dedicating their time to cultivation and at the same time they were balancing their roles as a teacher and the Empress, respectively. It had been three months since Hao Ren first started inscribing his comprehensions on the Halo, and he had been reading and learning all sorts of sword techniques and formations.


    He did not practice the techniques that didn''t suit him but he did record them in his mind and after comprehending what it was about those particular techniques that didn''t suit him. He used it to refine his own skills and then inscribed them on the Halo. After three months, he finished reading almost all the big and small sword techniques from the Crescent Moon Empire.


    His progression with the Halo was kept a confidential secret and thus nobody knew why he was doing it, but Ye Jian spread the word that Hao Ren had decided to practice the sword and was already moving forward to the status of the Sword Saint.


    Many other sword practitioners were simply holding their techniques as jewels that could not be allowed for the others to watch. They were scared that if Hao Ren came knocking, they wouldn''t be able to hide their techniques because he was strong enough to get them to do what he wanted them to do.


    However, Hao Ren was calm, and followed a simple rule, he asked the people to have a sparring session with him. The winner received a small scale world array and a bottle of perfect level alchemy pills. He traded with them for the information that he needed. Three months of trading caused many people to have new insights and they all gained the rewards too.


    However, how can anything good last forever? One day, when Hao Ren was dancing around with his sword, he sensed a strong pressure coming from the borders of the world array. He frowned, and vanished from his spot. When he reappeared, he was on the southern coastline and across him stood a man.


    The man wore a white hanfu, and his hair was tied into a bun. His hands behind his back and a sword was floating around him. The young man asked, "Who might you be, Senior?"


    The man replied, "I am Karn. The sword god of the Spirit Siphon Continent. I wish to challenge you, the strongest of the spirit shimmer continent. If you win, I will give you my territory. If you lose, then your territory would be mine. Do you dare?"


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head as he said, "I don''t dare, Sir. I am just a newbie on the path of the sword. Also, my realm is lower than that of yours, how is this even a proper challenge?"


    His wits caused Karn to frown slightly and he said, "I am willing to limit my strength to your level."


    Hao Ren shook his head once more and said, "I am still afraid. I cannot bet on the fates of millions just because I wish to compete. Forgive me for being unable to accommodate you."


    Karn frowned and a strong sword intent flooded from his being and hit the barrier between the two of them. The attack caused the barrier to ripple and it rippled very strongly. However, even after the strong impact, the barrier handled it. However, this caused Hao Ren to frown.


    Karn didn''t stop and he kept on attacking. His attack caused the barrier to ripple as if it was made up of water. Hao Ren tightened his grip around the hilt of his sword and walked out of the barrier. This reaction made Karn feel accomplished and he smirked.


    However, Hao Ren revealed his Halo, which shocked Karn, the aura around Hao Ren turned holy for a moment, and using that momentary window the young man said, "Freeze."


    He used his Hypnosis skill and caused Karn to freeze. Hao Ren was quick, he moved from his position and when he appeared the next time, he stood behind Karn. He took back his halo, and turned around at the same time as Karn. The latter was still a little dazed, but the next moment he sensed something, and looking down he found that a gash had appeared across his chest.


    He was shocked, Hao Ren said, "You may be the sword god, but you are still a mortal."


    His words caused Karn to shiver, and then Hao Ren said, "You can leave, I don''t intend to keep your head as my piss pot."


    Then he walked in the void, and passed by Karn before entering the barrier. Karn was shocked for many reasons. One, he had no idea about what the Halo behind Hao Ren was, two, he couldn''t even react when Hao Ren attacked, and third, Hao Ren called him a mortal.


    He was the strongest sword god in the Spirit Siphon Continent. People shivered when they thought about his rage, and they worshipped him akin to a god, yet, here he was disdained upon today. The person he looked down upon gave him a scare, and while he was retreating, the person even exposed his back to him.


    His was the humiliation that he couldn''t digest. The more he thought about it the more offended he felt. Karn turned around and was about to raise his sword when he sensed a sting on his neck. He raised his hand to check, and found a trace of blood leaking from his skin.


    His pupils constricted because when he looked at his fingers, he found them stained with blood. Karn was shocked, he didn''t expect that Hao Ren had even cut him here, but this shallow cut meant one thing, if he wanted, Hao Ren could have beheaded him without giving him a chance.


    Karn shivered imagining the possibility and his back was covered with cold sweat. He sheathed his sword and then vanished from his position.


    Hao Ren returned to his dwellings and let out a sigh. He had to use the surprise element to suppress this guy but who knew what he would have to face next. He sat down on the ground and began to advance his Dao Being realm. Karn was a person in the Dao World realm, so Hao Ren stuck at the initial phase of Dao Being realm wasn''t a good thing for him. Had he been even half a step ahead in terms of cultivation realm, they could have fought fairly and he would have gained even more insights.


    ...


    As the young man was escalating his cultivation level, Han Lingshi welcomed Allyne Gram inside the capital city. The two ladies were sitting in the garden across from each other and Ye Lan was pouring them tea, and Han Lingshi asked, "What brought you over, Miss Gram? We could have talked on the communication talisman as well."


    Allyne shook her head and replied, "The issue is serious and so my father told me to come in person."


    Han Lingshi waited for her to continue. Allyne took a deep breath and said, "Spirit Siphon Council is a body that governs the major events there. After the convergence, the old people who sit at the top of the command chain came out of seclusion and these days they have been debating on the various aspects of the convergence.


    Last week, it was decided that they will attack the Spirit Shimmer Continent next year. I wanted to give you a heads up."


    Han Lingshi took a sip from the tea cup and asked, "How much manpower do they have, and what is their realm?"


    Allyne replied, "Seventy million soldiers, lowest at the Planet shattering realm. The strongest of the council is called Master Hagan, he is said to be at the peak of Dao World level and even half step into the transcendent realm."


    Han Lingshi furrowed her brows and just when they were about to continue, Ye Yin appeared behind Han Lingshi, and whispered something in her ear. Han Lingshi sighed and raised her head to look at Allyne Gram as she asked, "Who is Karn, the sword god?"


    Allyne''s face turned pale, and she asked, "What happened? Did he come over?"


    Han Lingshi didn''t hide anything and nodded as she said, "Yes, but he was repelled by Ren. What happened to you?"


    Allyne gulped and said, "I am not sure how Master Hao repelled that sword maniac, but if he comes again with a new technique, tell Master Hao to let him live. Karn is Mister Hagan''s son. The future goal of that guy is to become a Council Master. He will not stop until either Master Hao admits defeat to him, or beat him up so much that he submits to him. However, Mister Hagan is the real trouble here. Those arrays you have, they won''t last long when Tyrant Blade Hagan attacks them."


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "Don''t worry, we have always expected that someone would come looking for a fight and we have our own contingencies. I will be mindful of it."


    The trouble of war had come knocking at the door, and all they had was one year.

 Chapter 408 408: War Time.

    Hao Ren and Han Lingshi waited for Allyne Gram to leave. Then the young lady asked, "What shall we do?"


    Hao Ren was about to say something when the system said, *Kid, if you managed to handle things nicely, without losing fifty percent of your force, I will give you seven sword grass.*


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze, and asked, ''What is that?"


    The system replied, *A type of herb that originates in another realm, and can give you a sudden enlightenment for the sword dao."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then he looked at Han Lingshi as he asked, "I will take command of this whole thing."


    Han Lingshi agreed and asked, "What do you want me to do?"


    Hao Ren leaned back on the chair, and he said, "I will need you to watch them strengthen the defense arrays all over the continent. Gather the best craftsmen from all over, and have them prepare armors, and send out people from lower levels to explore the realm and gather precious materials for such things. Stock up food and create shelters so that the weaker population can stay hidden from those old coots."


    Han Lingshi nodded and replied, "I will get that done."


    Then Hao Ren took out a small bell from his space ring and shook it nine times. It didn''t produce any sound, but this ring was a summoning bell that he used in the past. The sound of this bell resonated with the souls of his generals, and all the shadow guards that he had under his command.


    Yes, these people were akin to sleeper cells, they lived a normal life, but as soon as Hao Ren rang the bell thrice, they would come to answer his call. The young man said, "After tomorrow, I will go and set up a front in the new territory. It would be easier to operate from there and given how the people there know more about the dynamics of the Spirit Siphon Continent, it would be an advantage."


    Han Lingshi didn''t say anything, but nodded silently. She sighed and said, "It is at times like this, that I have the urge to go back to Blue Star and never come here."


    Hao Ren chuckled and kissed her lips quickly as he said, "Calm down, it''s not that bad here."


    Han Lingshi snorted, and then said, "Let go of me, I have work to do."


    Hao Ren chuckled and Han Lingshi left the garden. Although war was upon them but they still had around four hundred days, so it was possible for Hao Ren to exploit his enemies.


    ...


    The next day, all the Ye Generals, Hu Baihe, and hundred thousand of the shadow guards that Hao Ren commanded have appeared outside the Crescent Moon City. The young man stood before them wearing his Titan armor, and he said, "So, in the Spirit Siphon Continent, there is a council that wants to make an example of us. What do you all think we should do?"


    The soldiers replied, "Kill!"


    The voice of the soldiers was strong, and the sentiment they had caused the air around them to manifest in a bloody red color. Hao Ren smiled and asked, "What do you think is the best path to save our home?"


    The people replied with five words, "Pursue, Bribe, Punish, Divide & Rule."


    Hao Ren clapped and said, "Good, let''s head out and handle those old undying fuckers before they can even make a move against us."


    "Yes, My Lord!"


    Each and every person in this gathering had been hand picked, and they were hundred percent loyal to him. They would kill and they would die for him. After the speech, everyone hopped through the teleportation array and they moved from one continent to the other.


    Biron Kingdom had been renamed Spirit Pearl States. Hao Ren and his people took control of the central palace in the old capital of the nation. The young man was standing in the ground and he was surrounded by the Ye Generals, and behind the Ye Generals stood their respective forces.


    Hao Ren took a look around and said, "Ye Jian, Ye Peng, Ye Jill."


    The three of them stepped forward and said, "Here!"


    Hao Ren said, "You three will look out for people who can be pursued, and ask them not to act haphazardly. Show your skills, accept disciples and establish prestige."


    The trio replied, "Yes, Lord."


    Hao Ren said, "You don''t have to take in disciples just because I said so, pass them some casual guidance and act as you want to. I don''t care about the methods but I want the results."


    The people nodded and took a step back. Then Hao Ren looked at the others, and said, "Ye Li, Ye Ding, Ye Ming, you will look out for those who can be bought. That should be a simple thing, right?"


    The three of them replied positively and accepted the task. Then Hao Ren called upon, Ye Lin, Ye Kim, Ye Ryu, Ye Alan, and Ye Teng, as he said, "You will handle the assassinations. Punish anyone and everyone who doesn''t bow down to us. The logistics department will support you completely, I want results."


    The five of them were apt to handle these tasks and they replied, "Yes, Lord."


    Finally, it was time to settle the last department, the one that will sow discord among these people and he turned to look at his two most trusted generals, and said, "Ye Lan, Ye Yue, I will leave the discord to you. Go and create chaos. Make sure they enjoy it."


    The people nodded and they left to handle the tasks. They first solidified the foundation in the Spirit Pearl District. It was an easy task, but they had to reinforce their presence in the place. Hao Ren was left alone in the central palace with Ao Lan, who used to serve as Hu Baihe''s bodyguard in the past. She was now a dao integration realm cultivator.


    Thus, she was suitable to serve as Hao Ren''s maid and secretary. Time flew away quickly, there were strong currents in the Spirit Siphon Continent. Allyne Gram and Mala Gram were sitting under the pavilion and the latter said, "Mala, what do you think? Is it really him?"


    Mala nodded and said, "Big sister, I am sure that he is the one pulling strings in the background. The entire Spirit Siphon Continent is filled with arrogant pricks who wish nothing else but to gain control of those weaker than them and use them as tools to elevate their realms. However, Hao Ren is a man who nurtures these tools as weapons that are trustworthy, they shoot to kill only. I am sure they are doing it."


    Allyne nodded and said, "I wonder if that sword maniac will go seeking Master Hao once more."


    Mala shook her head and replied, "If he did, then it will turn into something really interesting."


    The two girls exchanged a glance and clinked their wine glasses. They were on the advantageous end here. The chaos created by Hao Ren did not affect them and they were gaining control and access to other forces quickly.


    ...


    The elder experts that were the governing echelons of the Spirit Siphon Councils were gathered again, they were seriously discussing the recent changes that were occurring around the continent. Had it been an isolated incident, they could have come up with some method to deal with it but the simultaneous withdrawal of the people, the sudden infights, and those who were spying on their own people, it was all a bit too much.


    Finally, the biggest issue they faced was the mass assassinations. Elder Hagan, the leader of the council said, "Did you all hear this? The Mal family of the eastern district, the trader Mal Family has been assaulted and they lost almost every elder and capable young expert of their family. Now the family is led by a bunch of women and ignorant toddlers. Who can tell me what is going on here?!"


    He slapped his hand on the table before him that turned to powder. However, none of the people had any answer to him.


    One of the elders said, "That is the least of my concerns. I heard that a few weeks ago, Young Master Karn went looking for a fight and he came back dispirited? Is this true, Elder Hagan?"


    Elder Hagan furrowed his brows and asked, "Why are you concerned about Karn, Elder Man? He has always acted alone and in his own interests. What does he have to do with the council?"


    The elder Man replied, "Because he was supposed to lead the charge of the allied army. He was the reason why many people agreed to pour in their resources. Who in this world doesn''t work for themselves? This is war time and we need a strong leader. Karn is the best sword cultivator and leader we can have. So, his situation is important to us all, elder Hagan."


    The old man couldn''t reply instantly and he said, "He is fine, he gained something and is in seclusion. Don''t worry, we will be ready by war time."

 Chapter 409 409: Chaos.

    Hao Ren was dancing with his sword in the garden of the Central Palace in the capital city. His blade was followed by blades of grass that took to the air. They were following the current created by his sword dance, and the entire process looked very elegant. However, when observed closely, the impact became very strong and devastating.


    Hao Ren was only moving slowly because he was enjoying the movement as Han Lingshi watched him from the distance. The young lady had also just came up from the Spirit Shimmer continent. Alongside her stood three teenagers as well.


    Hao Ren looked at them and said, "Yin, come and trace my moves."


    Yin nodded and with a faint smile she took out her white jade sword and began to dance with Hao Ren. Agnee and Yang looked at each other before the former asked, "Ma, why did Baba only call Big Sister?"


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "Because you practice fists and Yang practices saber. You can ask your Baba to guide you personally. He is a good fist practitioner."


    The young lady nodded, and watched the two practice swords. After a while Hao Ren stopped and instructed Yin on her postures and flow. Agnee ran up to him and said, "Baba, please teach me fist arts as well."


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded, Han Lingshi watched them spar and how Hao Ren guided Agnee patiently. Just when they were having fun, Ye Yue appeared at the side of the garden. Han Lingshi beckoned her to come over, and the former said, "There is a decisive battle going on between the two forces in the east, they are spirit beast clans, and they are eager to kill each other, however, in this mess, they have simply ignored the human life. In the past two days, they have caused over fifty deaths. Five were my people."


    Hao Ren turned over to look at her and asked, "Your methods don''t work on them?"


    Ye Yue shook her head and replied, "They are fox races. One is called Jade Fox race, they are all born with innate charm, and the other is called Soul Flame Fox, they can burn the soul of a person directly. They acquire human forms and then live among humans. Last week, they wanted to use a few young children strong in Yang energy to sacrifice and cultivate. I stepped in and created the issue between them. However, they were so rampant that they didn''t care about harming the normal citizens."


    Han Lingshi looked at Hao Ren and asked, "Shall I go?"


    Hao Ren shook his head, and used his hand to deviate Agnee''s punch and said, "I am going there and I am taking the girls to watch and learn. Yang, go follow Peng and learn all that you can from him."


    Yang nodded and then looked at Han Lingshi who nodded in approval as well, before the young boy left the palace.


    Hao Ren said, "Yue, lead the way."


    Ye Yue opened the wormhole inside the garden, and Hao Ren followed her with two girls behind him, but not before kissing Han Lingshi passionately as he said, "Go back to Crescent Moon, I will handle it here. Don''t worry."


    The woman watched him leave before she mumbled, "How does he become so dominating within a few moments?"


    ...


    Four people appeared in the void, and they spotted a city in the distance. Yin frowned and said, "That city is empty."


    Ye Yue replied, "I had to cast a world level array so that the outsiders cannot attack them much."


    Hao Ren asked, "Where is the stronghold of the two fox clans?"


    Ye Yue pointed at the mountains on the right side of the city and said, "That is where Soul Flame Fox resides, and there, in the forest on the left are the Jade Fox resides."


    Hao Ren nodded and took a few steps forward, as he said, "Yin, if your sword is sharp enough, it can cut through souls."


    He took out his long sword and pointed it towards the mountains and closed his eyes. A long sword made up of spiritual energy condensed before him. The next moment, it shot through the void akin to a bullet. The sword issued a sonic boom as it penetrated through the void and a few moments later, the center of the mountain range split apart from top to bottom.


    Yin was surprised by this, and then Hao Ren put away his sword as he looked at the forest and said, "Agnee, if you put conviction and belief in your fists, they would shatter the firmament for you. Always believe in yourself."


    Then he clenched his left fist, and made a compact punch towards the forest. Similar to the mountains, the forest also went through a change. The spirit phantom of the fist landed on the ground and left a crater which was thousand miles wide in diameter. He said, "In ten minutes, the elders of the two tribes shall come and see me or I will make a move towards the locations of your homes."


    His voice spread across the plain very clearly, and surely, ten elders from the two different locations flew up and came to see Hao Ren. Five members from each clan.


    The members of the Jade Fox clan looked like fairies, had fair complexions and features akin to that of a painting, and they wore white or red robes exposing an ample amount of skin.


    The members of the Soul Flame Fox tribe had a ferocious vibe about them. Although they were also beautiful women, they had blue balls of flames flying around them giving them a gothic touch.


    The young man looked at them and they all looked at him as well. None of them spoke, until after ten minutes, the lady leading the Jade Fox asked, "I wonder what you want from us."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I only wish for you to leave the humans out of your conflicts. Your actions have caused five of my men to die. If you don''t wish to make me angry, then sort your issues without harming the humans."


    The leader from the Soul Flame Fox asked, "What if I don''t heed your warning?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Well, let me see if the Jade Fox tribe agrees with you first, and then I will answer you."


    Jade Fox chuckled and said, "Why shall we worry about the well being of the Human race? What does it have to do with us?"


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "Yes, indeed, what does human opinion matter to you? After all, you are all beasts."


    Soul Flame Fox clenched her fist and wanted to yell when the leader of the Jade Fox clan said, "Well, you do have a spirit beast with you as well, are you sure you want to say that?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Yin may be a spiritual beast, but I have raised her from the egg, and she is my daughter. I don''t need you to ask such questions, however, thank you for clearing your intentions. I can take action now."


    The people were surprised and then a sword appeared in his hands and a halo of saint condensed behind his back. Then Hao Ren vanished from his place and appeared before the Soul Flaming Fox race''s team.


    He didn''t even unsheathe his sword, but the intent alone from his closeness caused the Soul Flaming Fox to shiver, and try to evade, but Hao Ren wasn''t so generous.


    His sword intent was locked and he raised an inch of his sword from the scabbard and a slash echoed in the distance.


    Shing!


    The head of the Soul Flaming Fox was dissected in two with a mirror finish. Then Hao Ren followed the other experts to slice and dice. Then he collected the fox tails and brought them to Ye Yue and he said, "Use these to reestablish the city."


    Hao Ren then looked at the leaders of the Jade Fox, and asked, "Do you also wish to fight me?"


    The leader shook her head, and Leo said, "You people are smart, I will ask you to join hands with us. Help us save the huge bloodshed that the Spirit Siphon Council wants."


    The lady hesitated and then she said, "I will reply to you after consulting my clan members."


    Hao Ren nodded and then looked at Ye Yue as he said, "Go along with the people, and bring back the captives of war. I am sure they will let our people go in return for such a chance."


    Ye Yue left with the Jade Foxes, she wasn''t scared if these spirit beasts tried to do anything. On the other hand, Hao Ren took the girls to settle the issues with the Soul Flaming Foxes.


    They reached the spirit mountains and Agnee noticed a group of women holding swords standing in a neat formation. The blue lights around then seemed to have converted into a massive flame that was hovering around these girls. They wanted to protect themselves and also kill the enemy but it was too bad...

 Chapter 410: Subduing The Foxes.

    Hao Ren looked at the two groups standing before him, and asked, "So, would the leaders please introduce yourselves?"


    The foxes didn''t move, but Hao Ren was not having them stand in the void silently either, he sighed and snapped his fingers as he said, "Who are the leaders?"


    Two people stepped up from the formations and everyone was surprised. The young man looked at them and asked, "What are your names?"


    The leader of the Jade Fox clan said, "I am Sakura."


    Hao Ren then gazed at the Soul Flaming Fox clan''s leader, and the latter said, "I am Seven."


    The young man nodded and asked, "Why are you guys fighting?"


    Seven raised her hand and pointed at Sakura as she said, "In the city of humans there is a man that I took fancy to and wanted to pursue him, but this bitch used her charm on him and stole him."


    Sakura turned around and said, "I didn''t use any charm on that person, he came to my feet on his own. Looking at his virtue, do you think he is worth of my charm."


    Hao Ren sighed and he said, "If you two want to fight, then select some other area, don''t bother the humans. You have already killed them."


    The leaders were compelled but just when they were about to agree, the surroundings changed and two middle-aged women appeared beside them. They slapped the backs of the two leaders, and glared at Hao Ren.


    The young leaders woke up and bowed to the two seniors of their races, and stood behind them with a fearful gaze. Just now, they were thinking about making a move against this man, but somehow they ended up being enchanted by him. Had it not been for the two grand elders of the clans to appear, they would have been in greater danger.


    Hao Ren looked at the two elders and said, "So, you are the elders of the tribe."


    The two ladies nodded and asked, "What do you want human?"


    The young man calmly replied, "Leave the human city alone. Fight all you want, but if any single human dies, I will move."


    The two ladies exchanged gazes with each other and one of them asked, "Do you really think you can win over us? You are just a Dao Being level cultivator."


    They revealed their auras and Hao Ren sensed them to be Dao World level cultivators. Ye Yue quickly grabbed onto the hands of Agnee and Yin before retreating into a distance. Hao Ren faced the winds of pressure and watched the faces of the elders indifferently. Then he sighed and said, "Seems like, before I can convince the other members of your clans I would have to settle the account with you two."


    The ladies chuckled and said, "Junior, you talk too much."


    Hao Ren revealed his Saint Halo, the same shock was sensed by the two elders that was sensed by Karn. The young man took out his sword and vanished from his spot. Then he turned to look at the elder of the Soul Flame Fox tribe, and waved his hand to cast a cloud of flames that enveloped the old lady.


    The young man then stood there silently before the head of the Jade Fox elder flew off the shoulders, and the elder of the Soul Flame Fox turned into scattering ashes. Hao Ren looked at the shocked and scared young leaders as he said, "Go and get your tribe elders here, you have ten minutes. Tell them about the deaths of the grand elders and tell them exactly how it happened. If they don''t appear within half an hour, I will come to visit you all and then I will not take in anyone who surrenders or even wishes to become a slave."


    He waved his hands and dismissed the two teams like they were insignificant people. The foxes didn''t dare to linger around this man. However, when they left, Hao Ren walked over to the side of his people, and showed them his right palm where he was hiding two spatial rings.


    Agnee smiled and said, "I want this black one."


    Yin nodded and said, "I will take the white one."


    Hao Ren said, "The corpse of the Jade Fox elder is a good resource, Yue, take it, use it to comprehend even deeper meaning of charm and advance on your path."


    Ye Yue flickered from her position and collected the corpse. Then the young man began to teach his daughters about sword and fist arts. He didn''t care about the turmoil he caused in the two tribes. The elders were almost gearing up for war, however, they were told off by the leaders of the tribes.


    Sakura said, "Mother, I swear to the heavens and the dao, that man killed two grand elders with one move each. The grand elder of the Soul Flame side, she was reduced to nothing but ashes."


    While on the Soul Flame Foxes side, the leader was angry, so angry that the flame ball around her body was boiling in a manner. The elders gave her some reality checks, one of them said, "Leader, I beg your pardon but you are not as strong as the Grand Elder, what do you think you would be able to do against that man?"


    The brutal and blunt slap to the face came from the comrade of the same clan and it left her with not many options. She sighed and said, "Gather the elders, we are going to meet this human and tell him that we agree to stir clear to the human colony when we are fighting."


    The elders praised the lady for being wise, and then they all began to gather.


    ...


    Hao Ren had finished a session of tuition when Ye Yue asked, "Big Brother, what do you intend to do with those people? I don''t think they serve a purpose."


    The young man shook his head and replied, "They serve a great purpose. The Jade Fox can be used to gather information while the Soul Flame Fox will become a very efficient unit of assassins. However, to subdue them we would need to give them what they want."


    Ye Yue frowned and asked, "Brother, who can handle the thirst of this fox kind?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "I have no idea, but let us see and try."


    Shortly after he finished speaking, fifty people, twenty five from Jade Fox, and the same number from the Soul Flame fox appeared in the void at some distance from him. The young man smiled and said, "Welcome, may I ask the leaders to step forward?"


    The two leaders stepped forward and Hao Ren got straight to the business, and said, "In the Spirit Siphon Continent the status of the Spirit Beast clans have always been demeaned by the human powers, and sects, am I right?"


    The two leaders were surprised to hear him say this but they nodded. Hao Ren continued, "I come from the Spirit Shimmer Continent. The one that has recently merged with your continent and it is being targeted by the Spirit Siphon Council. You know about it?"


    The two leaders nodded and the leader of the Jade Fox asked, "What do you need from us, Outsider?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I want a chance from you both. A chance that can change the status and fate of your clans completely. I wonder if you would like to hear me out."


    The two ladies exchanged glances, they initially wanted to kill him, but the strength he displayed at the moment, made them understand that their decision was the best. They nodded, and Hao Ren said, "Help me infiltrate and assassinate the members of the Council. I want as much as possible."


    The lady from the Soul Flame Fox asked, "I want to know what we will get in return."


    Hao Ren nodded sincerely and said, "I believe in equal exchange and reciprocation. So if you help me, I will give you the fair status that you need. If you wish to live in the same city with the humans then I will help you better the relations with the human kind. You will become my friend. So, I wonder what you think about the offer."


    The two ladies looked at each other and Hao Ren said, "You can think about it for ten minutes. I will assure you of alliance with a heavenly oath. I wonder if you would be willing to take the same."


    The people were shocked by this sudden promise and they felt the sincerity that Hao Ren extended toward them. In the world of cultivation, there was no eternal friend, and their was no eternal enemy. Only one thing was eternal here, and that was benefit. The two fox clans understood that they would gain a lot from this alliance, and so after ten minutes, they looked at Hao Ren and said, "We agree."


    Just like that, the two Fox Clans were subdued.

 Chapter 411 411: Revenge.

    Hao Ren subdued the two Fox clans and they were given to Ye Yue to handle and lead. The young lady got to her work quickly, she deployed the Jade Fox and Soul Flaming Fox members in a team and they targeted the big families. Merchants, traders, and some small noble families.


    Time passed quickly, and within two months, Hao Ren had a stable information flow throughout the Spirit Siphon Continent, he was always one step ahead of the Spirit Siphon Council and he was ruthless in his actions.


    Over the time of two months, he knew clearly, who was his enemy and who can be turned to friends. Hao Ren was sitting on the terrace of a high tower of the Central Palace, when Ye Jian appeared behind him and knelt on the ground.


    The young man opened his eyes and asked, "What happened? Why is your aura all over the place?"


    Ye Jian said, "Her Majesty carried out a secret mission to help us stabilize the situation here, but now she is being sieged by Karn, and another Saber Saint."


    Ye Jian was forced to slid back when he said this. Hao Ren heard the system in his mind, *Kid, slay, it is as simple as that. You gave Karn a chance to live because you thought you were weaker. However, that snake came back to bite you in the ass, why are you waiting? Go kill.*


    Hao Ren took out his sword, and then sensed the spiritual presence radiated by Han Lingshi. He couldn''t find her, and Ye Jian said, "They have cast a isolation barrier in the surrounding. I found out about them during my travels, and they are at the Ruins of Mirage Sword Sect."


    Hao Ren said, "Lead."


    Ye Jian stood up quickly and opened a portal for Hao Ren. The young man held Chaos Blade in his hand and walked through the portal calmly. They appeared on the other side where many people were gathered and they were being held back by the guards of some high families.


    The people felt indignant but they couldn''t do anything else. Ye Jian said, "I will clear them."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Stay back, I will handle it on my own, Make sure no elder from these families survive."


    Ye Jian was given the order to kill, he bowed and said, "Yes, Your Majesty."


    Many people looked at the two of them and chuckled. Some people commented, "Look, this is a new kind of facade I have seen here. Your Majesty? Are you the King of weaklings? Hahah"


    His friends also laughed, and many others began to comment on the stupid acts. However, ignore everything, Hao Ren approached the barrier where a few guards were standing, and the young man slightly turned his blade as he said, "Twinkle draw."


    The void shimmered for a second as if the stars from the night sky have fallen down. Before the guards could even make a move, their heads shot off in the void and fountains of blood erupted from the stumps.


    The crowd was shocked and they all took a few steps back to avoid Hao Ren, the made killer.


    The young man moved closer to the gateway that was being stabilized by the two shocked array masters. Hao Ren looked at them and said, "You two will hold this stable until I come out, if you tried to do any tricks, you will go back and kill your entire families and then yourself. Do you understand?"


    He used the hypnosis skill to the maximum ability and the array masters nodded in agreement and they calmly began to handle the gateway. Hao Ren said, "Ye Jian, if anyone came in to disturb me, I will hold you accountable."


    Ye Jian unleashed the strong sword intent and replied, "If I failed the task, I will present you with my head."


    Hao Ren didn''t bother to look at him and directly went inside the portal.


    ...


    Inside the ruins, Han Lingshi was standing with her sword in her hand as she looked at the two men before her. She asked, "Sword God Karn, and Lord Mountain Cleaver, can you tell me exactly what is it that you want from me?"


    The young man in white Hanfu and a sword in his hand said, "I only wish to have a duel with your husband. Last time I was caught unprepared and he defeated me. I wish to equal the count."


    Han Lingshi didn''t answer but she turned to look at the burly man who was standing in the distance with a tall saber in his hand. He said, "Sword God offered me a compensation of a High level saber if I hold you back here till your husband arrives, Miss Han. Nothing else."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Then you don''t have to wait, Ren is inside the ruin world now. He should be coming soon."


    That was it, Karn and Mountain Cleaver, both of them were surprised, they didn''t know when Han Lingshi contacted her husband, and Karn frowned, as he said, "Fairy Han, you don''t have to deceive us like this? I am sure that you didn''t contact anyone, how can he find out about you so quickly?"


    Han Lingshi replied with a faint smile, "You will know if I am deceiving you or not. Just be patient, Sword God Karn."


    She then closed her eyes and began to comprehend the little things she has learned here. The two men before her were shocked, they didn''t expect Han Lingshi to be so carefree.


    Saber Saint Mountain Cleaver waited for a few minutes and asked, "Is it just me or is she looking down on us?"


    Karn was about to reply when he turned around and found a couple of people rushing towards him. The two people fell at his feet and hurriedly grabbed his thighs as they said, "Young Master, there is a demon here. He is killing all the people that challenge him. We barely managed to run away, he has already slayed the exploration garrison."


    Karn''s face changed, and he heard a faint chuckle behind him. He saw Han Lingshi looking at him, before she said, "Sword God Karn, I hope you have a way to avoid this tragedy."


    The man clenched his fist and asked, "Do you really think I won''t kill you?"


    Han Lingshi put away her sword and spread her arms as she said, "You trapped me here by deceit."


    She pointed at the broken crown on her head and said, "Your attack broke my crown, the gift that my husband carved specially by his own hands. Not to say, how your attack almost killed me. If you wish to kill me, go ahead. I welcome you to try your best, but after that, even if you run to the depths of hell, he will come and kill you. Not only you, but everyone that you love.


    Many people see him as a protagonist and a righteous hero. However, my husband, he is a demon for those who try to cross his bottom line, and that is what you did. So, be ready to face the consequences of your actions."


    Karn raised his sword and was about to slash at Han Lingshi when a cold breath fell on the back of his neck, and he froze. A calm and cold voice echoed in his ears, "I told you the last time, that if you tried to do something stupid, I will kill you, right? Then why didn''t you listen to me, little doggy."


    Karn shivered and he wanted to turn around to attack, but he couldn''t as his body was suppressed, it wasn''t by pressure or strength, but it was the fear that originated from the core of his being.


    Then he suddenly sensed a strong pain coming from his spine and he lost sensation in his legs as he fell to the ground. Hao Ren was standing behind him with a black sword that looked like it was covered with star dust.


    The young man revealed a smile that sent shivers down the spine of four people, and he turned to look at Mountain Cleaver as he asked, "Oh, another doggy tried to bite my Empress. Bad doggy."


    He took half a step forward, and before Mountain Cleaver could even register what was going on he also fell to his feet. Hao Ren then lifted them both, and turned to look at Han Lingshi as he gently asked, "Wife, do you know what you have done?"


    Han Lingshi gulped, she realized that Hao Ren was not only angry with those people but also her, so she nodded and was ready to confess when Hao Ren said, "First I will deal with these dogs, and then we will head home. There I will have a detailed discussion. Okay?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and then followed Hao Ren who was heading towards the exit portal. He didn''t care about this ruin, his mind was focused on revenge only.

 Chapter 412: Example.

    Hao Ren carried the two people outside the ruins. The entire journey didn''t take him more than a few minutes, and if including the time he took to kill those disciples from various big forces in the Spirit Siphon Continent, it would be about a couple of hours.


    ...


    Outside the portal, Ye Jian stood like a wraith that swallowed everyone who tried to force their way in. A few elders from the big forces noticed that the disciples from their families were dying and so they decided to go in, but Ye Jian slayed them, right then and there in front of all the spectators without caring about anything else.


    He had committed to Hao Ren and that was it. He didn''t even bother to hold back and use appropriate force. He directly took out his sword and slashed at the people who attacked him. In front of him for a conical distance of several meters there were only blood marks.


    The people looked at him and they gulped in anxiety, because they couldn''t comprehend how the sword attack turned the people into blood and their flesh was chipped off like petals. Ye Jian was a sword saint and that was all they knew, even the most dreaded, Sword God Karn wasn''t this cruel to turn his enemies into flower petals.


    Suddenly the void fluctuated and an old man appeared with several other people behind him. The old man looked at the situation and asked, "Who is the one disrupting the proceedings of the Ruin trials?"


    A man from the crowd flew over and pointed at Ye Jian as he said, "That man, Elder Rana."


    Elder Rana looked at Ye Jian and he furrowed his brows as he asked, "Who might you be, Sword Saint? I have never seen you before."


    Ye Jian raised his gaze to match the old man''s and this gaze gave the old man an urge to take half a step back. The sword saint asked, "Don''t you know that before asking someone else about their name, you should first tell your own?"


    The old man frowned, he never expected that there would be someone in the whole Spirit Siphon Continent who didn''t know him. He was just processing all this when the person behind him stepped forward and said, "This is the Fifth Seat on the Spirit Siphon Council, Elder Rana Hayme. Who are you?"


    Ye Jian replied coldly, "General Ye Jian, Crescent Moon Empire."


    His name caused the people to open their eyes wide. The conflict between the Spirit Siphon Continent and the Crescent Moon Empire was well known public knowledge, they didn''t expect that a General from there would come this deep in their territory.


    The elder clenched his fist and said, "You coming here is akin to helping us out. Now, we won''t have to waste time looking for you, I wonder, if your Emperor is here as well?"


    Ye Jian took a step forward and said, "You might not live to know the answer, Old Sir."


    Then he vanished from his spot and Elder Rana snorted. The two of them clashed instantly, but Ye Jian was forced to take back three steps, and Elder Rana was left with a shallow cut on his palm that was used to block the sword.


    The elder looked at his bleeding palm and said, "Kill him."


    The six people following him began to attack Ye Jian with different means, while the Ye General had fallen short to compete with the elder, these six people did not hold much of a threat to him. They were only able to slow him down with numbers. They were all in a similar realm but the strength of a Sword Saint was just that exaggeratingly higher.


    Elder Rana was watching the battle and he was frowning, however, just when he was thinking if he should intervene, the portal leading into the ruins emitted fluctuations, and Hao Ren came out with Han Lingshi following behind him.


    What caused the shock among the people was the fact that Hao Ren was carrying two people in his hands as if they were dead. All of the people here had heard about the sword saint and the saber saint. They could recognize them with ease.


    Hao Ren was about to get on with his plan when he noticed Ye Jian fighting with six people at the same time, and nodded as he said, "Hmmm, he has made good progress."


    Han Lingshi nodded but just as she was about to say something, a loud roar startled her, "How dare you!"


    Everyone shivered, Elder Rana was angry and he bellowed at Hao Ren. The old man appeared on the ground and his face was twisting in rage. Hao Ren almost laughed out loud. He calmed himself and asked, "Old man, looking at you, are you anyhow connected to any of the two doggies that I have caught?"


    He even raised the two people up as if they were some objects. Elder Rana clenched his bleeding palm, and squeezed even more blood out of it as he asked, "Do you know who they are? How dare you treat the geniuses of the Council like this? You bastard! You deserve to be burned alive!"


    Hao Ren was taken aback, because the speech that started lightly and calmly turned into a bellowing curse. After a moment, he sighed and said, "Old man, when this white doggie came to challenge me, I defeated him fair and square, and I told him not to annoy me. This time he conspired with a blue doggie to try and bite my wife. Who gave him the right?!


    You motherfucking undying maggots! Just because you were born earlier and you started cultivating earlier you can govern the world and do what you wish to! I piss on people like you every morning and night! You think just because you come from a powerful background your dog successors can cross the line and act towards my wife? She is my pride, and she is my heart. If anyone dared to look at her in a bad manner, I would slay them! Be it god, demons, some old pair of nutsacks like you, makes no difference.


    You just said that you wish to burn me alive, here, let me show you how it is done."


    The next moment he channeled the Phoenix flames into the bodies of the two people in his hands. The flames caused them to burn and they yelled and screamed begging for mercy.


    The crowd gulped, they saw one man, an outsider, burning two of the most powerful young masters of the Spirit Siphon Continent to ashes while he held them facing towards a close elder of theirs. This was a challenge, a slap in the face of the almighty council that had been monopolizing everything in the continent for the past few hundred years.


    They looked at Hao Ren, who was standing tall while defying a mountain-like force and killing the people who aimed their ill-intentions at his wife. They couldn''t help but admire him a bit.


    Elder Rana didn''t expect that Hao Ren would really go forward and kill the two people like this, and that too right before his eyes. He dashed forward, as he yelled, "Die, you bastard."


    Hao Ren flung the two burning corpses, and raised his left palm to parry the attack thrown at him by the elder, and then with the same palm he pushed the elder five steps away. The principle of softness was displayed in full grandeur. The spiritual manifestation of the fist earlier did land on Hao Ren''s chest but it didn''t do any damage.


    The young man asked, "Who are you? What makes you think you can kill me?"


    The elder inched forward again and said, "I am the second strongest body refiner in the Spirit Council. That is why I will kill you."


    Hao Ren didn''t retreat, he didn''t parry, on the contrary, he took half a step forward, ducked slightly to let the right hook miss him completely.


    The attack made by the elder had a strong wind behind it, but Hao Ren was unaffected, just when the old man was thinking about raising his knee to hit Hao Ren''s chest. The latter shoved his right hand forward.


    Hao Ren covered his hand in the sword intent, shoved his fingers through the abdomen of the old man, and he grabbed the spinal cord in his grip.


    Elder Rana froze in his action, and Hao Ren stood up straight. He said, "At first, I wanted to make an example of the two people, but when the elders try to cover up for the mistakes of their young ones, I cannot help but feel angry at the unreasonable and stupid elders. The excess of anything is harmful, even if it is love.


    Well, that is something for you to learn in another life, for now, you said that you are the second strongest body refiner in the council and that is why you can kill me, hmm..."


    The young man raised his left hand and slapped the Elder with the back of his hand.


    Puchi!!!


    The head exploded and chunks of flesh and brain matter mixed with cranium bone fragments was spread across the place, and Hao Ren said, "That was such a lie."

 Chapter 413: Disciplining. R-18

    Hao Ren killed Elder Rana and took away his space ring then he looked at Ye Jian in the void and said, "Leave one and kill all, be quick Ye Jian."


    Ye Jian replied, "Yes, young master."


    The sword saint finally stopped holding back and burst out with his peak strength. Within five minutes, five people of the six that were attacking him were taken down. The remaining one was so scared that he wanted to run away, however, Ye Jian captured him and present him to Hao Ren.


    The young man smiled at the survivor and then said, "You will go back to where you came from, and then you will tell them exactly what you saw here. That that old undying snail Hagan, that the Crescent Moon is not afraid of his attack. We are avoiding war because it harms the rest of the people. So, if he is a man, and if Karn was born from his balls, don''t play tricks with me have a contest like real men."


    The survivor nodded hurriedly and kowtowed to Hao Ren before he ran away from the place. Hao Ren didn''t bother, he held Han Lingshi''s hand and left the place after opening a space portal for himself. Ye Jian looked at the surroundings once before he also vanished behind his young master.


    ....


    When the trio reappeared, they were standing in the Central Palace, and Hao Ren said, "Leave us, I have to talk with my wife about something."


    That said, he led Han Lingshi inside and following his command the palace was vacated. There was nobody inside, not even servants. Han Lingshi was very anxious, her palms were sweating as she didn''t know what to do. Hao Ren seemed very angry over her.


    *Good, discipline her, but in a way where she craves you more. For the last task, you are given a stalk of sword grass, make sure you use it later.*


    Hao Ren led Han Lingshi inside the bedroom and then he waved his hand to close the door, and suddenly turned around to pin her against the closed door gently. Han Lingshi looked in his eyes and her heart was beating very fast. The young man held her delicate chin and asked, "So, Lingshi, what were you thinking when you did what you did?"


    Han Lingshi took a deep breath, and thought, ''Is he questioning me or seducing me?''


    However, when she was lost in daze, Hao Ren reached behind her and flicked his wrist to slap her bum. A crisp clap followed by some heat on her butt woke up the lady from the daze and sent her in shock. Hao Ren asked, "Can you hear me? I asked you a question."


    Han Lingshi replied, "I just wanted to get somethings from that ruin and also use the time to kill several young talents of Spirit Siphon Council so that it would ease up your work."


    Hao Ren flicked his wrist again and Han Lingshi flinched on the contact, this clap was louder than the last one, and the young man asked, "What did you do wrong here?"


    Han Lingshi blinked as she gulped a mouthful and said unsurely, "I didn''t inform you?"


    Hao Ren flicked his left wrist and smacked her other bun, Han Lingshi reached out and held on to his robe as a faint blush came up her face, and she said, "I went in there alone and put myself at risk."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "So, should I reward you for being so smart or shall I punish you for being bad."


    While he said this, his lips were just a couple of inches away from Han Lingshi, and he was looking in her eyes. Although his tone was calm, but it was stern. The young lady has never seen this side of her husband. The change was so drastic that Han Lingshi almost felt that the man before her wasn''t Hao Ren. The gentle wife spoiling man who donned the pink apron for her, talking in such a dominating manner did make her feel butterflies in her stomach, and made her knees feel weak.


    She wanted to say something but her throat was parched, from the rush of heat originating from her core. Hao Ren grabbed her butt tightly and asked, "Shall I punish you, or shall I reward you, wife? Which one would you like most?"


    Han Lingshi gathered her courage and said, "Punish me."


    The young man smirked and smacked her buttcheeks once again, as he said, "Naughty."


    He grabbed onto Han Lingshi''s robes and then he tore it apart in a blink. The robe was a defensive artifact but it couldn''t handle Hao Ren''s strength. Han Lingshi was shocked by his aggressive approach, just before she was about to raise her hands, Hao Ren turned her around, he pulled her hands behind her back, and then used a shred of cloth from the torn dress and tied her hands gently.


    Then he pushed her back made her face stick to the door before he spanked her butt. Han Lingshi shivered, she had never felt as embarrassed as she did now in her entire life. The young man asked, "Would you do it again?"


    Han Lingshi replied in a whimpering tone, "No."


    Hao Ren spanked the other buttcheek and said, "Would you cause trouble without telling me?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and said, "No."


    She was blushing profusely, her cheeks, and the top of her ears was also blushing. Hao Ren pulled her back and then held her arms with his right hand before sliding his left arm around her body and grasping her breast with his palm. He began to fondle them as Han Lingshi moaned and sighed.


    Suddenly, he pinched her nips and caused Han Lingshi to let out a small squeal. He smiled as he whispered in her ears, "Are you having fun?"


    Han Lingshi shivered as his hot breath caressed her skin, and she nodded while biting her lip between her teeth. Hao Ren''s hand began to travel along her skin and went between her legs. He chuckled and said, "You seem to be taking very good care of yourself."


    His finger trailed around the entrance of her cave slowly, before it reached the small mound of joy and began to conquer it. Han Lingshi moaned and groaned as Hao Ren rubbed her clit, she was aroused by the gesture and her waist began to move in response to the rubbing. Hao Ren gently led her to the bed, and had her kneel on the bed while he continued rubbing her.


    Her body wriggled in his embrace as he continued, although it wasn''t as pleasurous for her as it would have been if he fucked her, but it was still something that made her groan. As cultivators the two of them had been busy with various things and the interactions they had weren''t giving them much of an adventurous feeling.


    The young man took a deep breath and Han Lingshi leaned back on his chest, she turned to look at him, and the young man asked, "Do you want me to kiss you?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and Hao Ren smirked as he said, "Ask me for it."


    The blush on her face deepened and the body began to squirm harder because Hao Ren pinched her clit. This prevented her from saying anything, and after a few moments, she gathered her breath before she said, "Can you kiss me, please?"


    Han Lingshi was not unexperienced in this, she knew what would please Hao Ren, and to get what she wanted, she didn''t mind saying such things.


    Hao Ren turned to face her and then kissed her lips. Han Lingshi rejoiced the sensation and allowed him to play with her tongue. She loved how he handled her, he was strong but didn''t harm her. The young man sucked on her tongue and sucked on her lips, before he trailed down her neck and then bit her soft skin between his teeth.


    He guided her hands to rub against his dick and said, "You know what to do right?"


    Han Lingshi nodded while gasping, and began to tug on his member gently. Hao Ren enjoyed the feeling for a bit until he felt Han Lingshi drenching wet between her legs, and he turned her around before pushing her to lay on her back and raised her legs above his shoulder, before he kissed her calves, and bit her skin, leaving a trail of marks along her skin.


    His tongue trailed her inner thighs and Han Lingshi gasped stronger every time he bit her. After leaving a trail of marks and kisses he reached her nether cave, and blew his breath on it.


    The two lips twitched in response and Hao Ren said, "Lingshi, I didn''t expect you to be so perverted and sensitive to such an action. However, I like it that you are enjoying yourself."


    He licked the juices around the cavern with his tongue and then sucked on the clit before biting it gently. Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide and exclaimed, "Fuck!"

 Chapter 414: Disciplining(2) R-18**

    Hao Ren held Han Lingshi''s clit between his teeth as his middle finger began to explore the soft walls of the cavern. The young continued flickering his tongue on the small bead of flesh and Han Lingshi reached out to grab his head, but Hao Ren stopped doing whatever he was doing and raised his head to look at Han Lingshi and asked, "What do you think you are doing?"


    Han Lingshi was gasping and her body was still squirming on the bed, she wanted him to continue, but this teasing demon made her crave it. He deliberately stopped, and just when she thought she should use her spiritual energy to take the lead, she found that her cultivation has been sealed. She gulped and said, "Please, give it to me."


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his index finger as he said, "Not yet. You made a mistake, so now you have to be punished."


    He took out a pair of spirit cuffs and skillfully tied Han Lingshi to the bed posts. Then he leaned down to kiss her hard. He bit her lips so strongly that a faint mark appeared on them. Han Lingshi gasped in his mouth and Hao Ren went down back to his task. He began to orally appease the libido of his loved one before driving her to the edge once again. Just when she arched her back, Hao Ren''s fingers slipped inside to caress the soft walls of the nether cave.


    Han Lingshi gasped, she didn''t expect that Hao Ren wouldn''t give her even a little bit of time and enter when she was experiencing a climax. As Han Lingshi shivered, Hao Ren, knowing where the most sensitive part of the trove was, applied pressure from his fingers. He even went to the limits of channeling his spiritual energy through his fingers, which sent a jolt up at Han Lingshi''s body.


    She reached to her sides and clenched the silky sheet in her grasp tightly and her toes curled as she, for the first time ever, squirted her juices. Hao Ren was surprised and he said, "Oh wow! I didn''t expect you to be so capable of being a pervert Lingling."


    His fingers began to thrust Han Lingshi''s cavern again.


    ...


    While the two people were having a romantic session of disciplining. In a laving hall, an old man was sitting with a few scrolls in his hand and he was directing a few servants under his command about marking a few places. At this moment, suddenly a middle-aged lady walked inside the study, she walked with great momentum and when the old man raised his head, the lady yelled, "Karn is dead!"


    The old man froze, everyone in the room froze, the servants shivered when they suddenly sensed a wave of killing intention pass over them. The aura originated from Hagan, the old man was Karn''s father. He asked the lady in disbelief, "What did you say?"


    The lady snorted and said, "I told you to not involve my child in your schemes but you never listened. You egged him to go and try the metal of that Wandering Dragon, he lost and then it became his obsession to win over that man. For that, he went and tried to trap the wife of that Wandering Dragon. That bastard Wandering Dragon killed my son as if he was an ant. The whole continent is talking about this matter."


    Hagan took a deep breath and said, "I will kill that bastard, don''t worry. I will kill him."


    As he said this, his body shivered, and his eyes turned red. The lady walked up to him and slapped him hard across his face and said, "You scum, gather yourself. Kill that man but don''t you die before that. Do you understand Hagan?"


    Hagan nodded, the slap just saved him from going through spiritual energy deviation.


    ...


    Han Lingshi lay on the bed, she was gasping and her body was akin to a soggy noodle. It had no force left within. Hao Ren had made her reach the climax twice, once with his mouth and then with his fingers. Now, he was moving up, tasting her jade skin. He had been using his own spiritual energy to remove the traces of sweat that appeared on Han Lingshi''s body.


    He kissed her abdomen and left a trace of bites as well. The young man kissed her neck and the sparks were ignited once again. Hao Ren smirked as he sensed Han Lingshi rubbing her crotch against his and he asked, "Lingshi, you are so naughty."


    Han Lingshi blushed she wanted to hold him but her hands were tied, the young lady knew that if she said anything, Hao Ren would definitely leave her high and dry. So, she just hummed and the young man smiled pleasingly. He took off his clothes as well, and then he brought his member to Han Lingshi''s full chest.


    He stuffed his dick between the mounds and then began to thrust. Han Lingshi was embarrassed, she felt so perverted that she could not bear to see this, and just when she was about to close her eyes, Hao Ren said, "Look at me."


    She instinctively looked at him and then found him looking back at her, but his eyes were filled with pleasure. He stopped thrusting her and then began a round of oral pleasing but this time, Hao Ren was on the receiving end. He asked Han Lingshi to bring out her tongue. While bearing the embarrassment, Han Lingshi followed the command, and then Hao Ren placed the tip of his dick on her tongue and said, "Lick it."


    Han Lingshi obeyed and Hao Ren groaned, before he gradually went deeper in her mouth. Han Lingshi had given him a blow job in the past but Hao Ren was never this intense. Han Lingshi began to gag and choke but the young man continued with his eyes closed as he experienced the pleasure.


    After a few minutes, Hao Ren took his dick out of her mouth, and then rubbed it around her face, covering it with her own saliva. Han Lingshi didn''t know why but she was so aroused that she reached climax once again. Hao Ren asked her, "Are you having fun?"


    Han Lingshi nodded subconsciously, and then the young man used his spiritual energy to clean her body once more and he went down. He placed the tip of his spear at the entrance of the cave, and Han Lingshi wanted to squirm but the young man was a cruel master. He held her waist firmly in his grip and rubbed the tip at the entrance of the cave, teasing her.


    After a few minutes of teasing when Han Lingshi couldn''t bear it anymore she said, "I beg you, please give it to me."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Good girl."


    Then he entered her cave with a smooth action and Han Lingshi gasped as a feeling of peace appeared in her eyes. Hao Ren sensed her walls tightening around his dick and he raised his brow. Han Lingshi was still sensitive from the climax early. He began to move in and out slowly. Han Lingshi began to cooperate with his movements and she was moaning every few thrusts.


    The room echoed with moans, and claps, Hao Ren began to circulate his spiritual energy, and before doing that he tapped Han Lingshi''s acupoints to release her spiritual energy. The two of them were involved in pleasure and a round of dual cultivation. Their energies began to intertwin and it was way more intense than it has ever been.


    None of them could understand how it was getting so intense but they were benefiting a lot. Hao Ren comprehended the principles of Yin and Yang while noticing the path of the spiritual energy. He didn''t incorporate these comprehensions in his cultivation base, but he began to think if he merged them with his sword arts.


    Han Lingshi was a simpler creature, and she integrated her comprehensions in the cultivation base. The two of them didn''t realize when they reached the peak again and climaxed. Hao Ren didn''t stop, he continued for five more cycles before he fell down on Han Lingshi''s chest.


    The young couple lay in each others arm and the young man asked, "Would you go out without telling me?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head, because by the time their tryst came to an end, she was begging Hao Ren to stop. Even after climbing the realm of a Dao Sky cultivator, she had to beg him, such a shame. She couldn''t feel her legs even after such a strong regeneration powers.


    Hao Ren kissed her cheek and cuddled her before he fell asleep. It wasn''t easy to tame this woman, after all, she was an empress.


    ...


    The next day, Han Lingshi recovered and went back to Spirit Shimmer Continent, while Ye Jian approached Hao Ren as he said, "Young Master, Hagan has attacked the border."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "Do I need to make a move?"


    Ye Jian shook his head and said, "The array can hold for one month."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Let it hold then. I have to cultivate first and then I will teach this old nut sack a lesson."

 Chapter 415: Hagan Dies.

    Hao Ren did not bother with Hagan attacking the border, he sat down in cultivation and the time passed. Han Lingshi also received the news but she could not act. She still recalled the way Hao Ren punished her. Although it would be a lie to say that she didn''t like it. However, it was not a good thing for her to go over and ask for it. She was an Empress.


    Days passed, and Ye Jian stood at the border watching all that Hagan and his people did. There were around a hundred thousand soldiers present on the other side of the barrier and they were all taking shifts focusing their attacks on one point in the giant barrier.


    Ye Long stood beside Ye Jian and asked, "Master, what are we gonna do?"


    The young sword saint looked at him and said, "Xiao Long, trust is the key. Young Master would be coming over as he said he would come over. When he does, make sure to keep your eyes open."


    Ye Long nodded, although they didn''t interact much with Hao Ren, but they knew how Hao Ren could pull off almost anything. The young man took a deep breath and watched the spirit attacks landing on the barrier. They were bearing the insults from the people behind the barrier, they were being called cowards, and whatnot. However, the people bore it all.


    ...


    Hagan was sitting inside a tent, and he was fuming with rage uncontrolled. From the opening of his tent the barrier was visible clearly. He was watching his people making a consistent effort to break the barrier open, but they were not able to make even a dent in it.


    Hagan looked at the few elders who were analysing an array map, and he scoffed. These people were the greatest formation masters of the Spirit Siphon Continent, yet they could not make the heads from the tails of this array. Suddenly, the attacks stopped, and he raised his head to see what happened, and his eyes sparkled.


    The barrier was rippling and the old man dashed out of his tent knowing that any moment the barrier could come away.


    ...


    Ye Jian looked at the horizon and found that Hagan was standing in the void. His brows didn''t have any trace of tension between them. His trust in Hao Ren was absolute, even if he were to die here, it won''t shake. Just when his hand moved to grasp the hilt of his sword, he heard a series of crackling sounds.


    Turning around he saw Hao Ren stretching his body. The young man nodded to Ye Jian and asked, "Yo, how is it going?"


    Xiao Long looked at Hao Ren and sighed in relief. The young man said, "Your Majesty, they have made the barrier ripple."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he took out his armor and began to put it on piece by piece as he walked ahead in the void while whistling. The two young men looked at each other and they smiled at each other.


    The young man walked towards the rippling barrier and asked, "Old man Hagan, don''t you know that getting agitated at this age, can cause you to burst a valve in your heart?"


    He was talking very candidly and looking at Hagan, who was looking at Hao Ren as if he would eat him alive. Hagan yelled, "Swine! You dare to come before me and talk so casually? I will tear you apart tissue by tissue."


    Hao Ren chuckled and asked, "So, why do you think that I shouldn''t be candid? Is it because I killed your son? Well then, you should have done a better job raising him. Going after other people''s wives so that he can have a battle? He got it, but then he lost his life. What are you blaming me for? I am sure that you are regretting raising him like this, a wastrel, so why are you so enraged?"


    As he finished speaking he put on his helmet and took out his sword as he said, "Ready or not, here I come!"


    The next moment he stepped out of the barrier, and vanished with his sword swinging. The people were shocked. They didn''t expect him to have such courage to attack a crowd as big as this. Heads flew wherever he passed. After five minutes, about five hundred people had already died without knowing what happened to them, and then Hao Ren sighed and said, "Okay, need to warm up quickly."


    He said, "Dragon''s breath."


    All of a sudden, a cloud of flames erupted.


    Ye Jian sighed and said, "I was the one who named that move."


    Xiao Long clicked his tongue and said, "Purgatory Breath would have been better."


    The flame covered an area of seven kilometers and every human inside the flames turned into ashes, directly. Hagan was stunned to see this display, he yelled, "You monster."


    Then he vanished from his place and appeared next to Hao Ren, and tried to punch him. Hao Ren sighed and parried his punch and said, "You think it would be that easy?"


    Hagan sneered and said, "Tyrant fist, Meteor mountain."


    The attack was strong and simple. The left fist hit Hao Ren straight on his chest, and the young man took half a step back. The impact caused Hagan to realize how strong Hao Ren was, the aftermath of the punch left his arm numb.


    The young man smiled and said, "Enough playtime."


    He responded with a punch of his own and said, "Titan first, Wrath."


    His right fist issued a sonic boom and it hit Hagan in the face. The old man was thrown off in the distance. Hao Ren didn''t let up and followed in quick moves as he said, "Titan Fist, Meteor Rain."


    The entire void echoed with sonic booms and the soldiers watched numb. They were so shocked that they couldn''t process what was going on. The head of the council, the strongest man of the biggest organization on the Spirit Siphon Continent was being thrashed like a nobody, and he wasn''t even given a chance to retaliate.


    After a few hundred punches, Hagan''s face was gone from a human skull to a mix of blood, bone fragments and pink soft tissues.


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "To think he would bring so many people over to die without a bang, like son like father."


    He turned around and found the people staring at him with their eyes wide open. They were in disbelief that Hagan would die like this. Hao Ren sighed and said, "It happens, now wake up, go back and tell the other''s to surrender or I will come for them. Okay?"


    The people nodded, they were hypnotized more by Hao Ren''s strength and less by his skill. The army began to retreat and Hao Ren sighed before he walked back inside the array. If someone wanted to kill him then this was the moment. Hao Ren even exposed his back to them.


    However, after watching a few of his moves from up close they realized the horror of this young man. This was something they didn''t expect. They didn''t expect that one man could have such an impact on the battlefield of millions. Hagan died and they had no commander. How could they even face this demon?


    The forces fled and Hao Ren came inside the barrier as he said, "Xiao Jian spread the word, Hagan died. Also, have Ye Yue control the common people''s opinion. We don''t want them to think of us as a demonic force right?"


    Ye Jian bowed and said, "I will do it right away young master."


    Ye Jian rushed away and Hao Ren headed back to the Central Palace. Xiao Long stood in the void and gulped, just now, he was having a hard time breathing because he could sense something very strong radiating from Hao Ren, it was as if the young man was invincible.


    ...


    Spirit Siphon Council, a few elders were debating whether they should aid Hagan or not. Suddenly the door of the gathering hall was pushed open and a guard dashed inside. One of the elders yelled, "How dare you?!"


    The guard knelt on the ground and yelled, "Urgent news, President Hagan is no more."


    The air froze inside the gathering hall. The old man asked again in a deeper voice, "What did you say happened?"


    The person gulped and replied, "Elder, I just came from the information wing, it is reported that President Hagan died at the hands of the Emperor Crescent Moon Empire."


    The elder asked, "The proof?"


    The guard replied, "Someone saw the whole fight and even decided to record it on image stone. We will get the image stone within a day."


    The elder waved his hand and said, "Leave."


    The old man turned to look at the people around him and asked, "Do you think we should put up any struggle now?


    The others looked at each other. Simultaneously they shook their heads but at this moment someone came out of the crowd and said, "I would rather focus on cultivation than fighting him."

 Chapter 416: Reactions.

    The reactions from all the sides were almost the same, after the death of Hagan, they didn''t want to do anything with Hao Ren. After all, this man was just too strong. However, the flames of war had not yet been extinguished completely.


    Hao Ren was sitting inside the garden in the Centre Palace with his eyes closed. He was cultivating the new sword skills that he has created these days; however, he didn''t get a chance to try them. After all, Hagan was completely useless as an opponent.


    Ye Jian told him that after the family members received the news that Hagan was dead, the family members directly abandoned their ancestral house. The wife of Hagan was rounded up by the families of those who had been working in the house and she was beaten up.


    Hao Ren was initially very surprised, because he didn''t expect something like this. Upon listening to the greater details, it was found that the lady was poisoned by the servants and then she was given a walk of shame. The reason behind this betrayal was her overbearing persona over the decades. She had killed many people over petty issues.


    Hao Ren sighed and shook his head, and he forgot everything else other than cultivation. After two months of the battle, the tremors calmed down and many people began to come up with new schemes.


    Ye Yue appeared outside the garden to meet him. Hao Ren opened his eyes and the young lady came over and bowed before she said, "Big brother, there is a news. It is said that in the east of the Spirit Siphon Continent, there is a force that is ten times bigger than the Spirit Siphon Council."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "Yue, did you find out how big this continent is?"


    Ye Yue nodded and took out a couple of maps as she said, "I did make a comparison, and this is the result."


    Hao Ren looked at the two maps and sighed as he said, "I knew it. This place is three times bigger than the Spirit Shimmer Continent. What about the research on the top powers?"


    Ye Yue replied, "There are many sects and martial arts halls. They work in coexistence with the kingdoms and the monarchies."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "That is understandable, after all, there is not much difference in cultivation realms. Any of these so-called sect members have been on our side of the world?"


    Ye Yue shook her head and replied, "They are not skilled enough to cross the barrier. However, big brother, there is something that I noticed."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Spill."


    Ye Yue smiled and replied, "These sects are not our enemies, they usually only focus on the growth of their disciples, and someone from the cities nearby would post the missions and issue rewards to them. What they need is resources. So, if we can share a part of the resources to them, then it would be brilliant."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "While what you said is true, but I am sure that these people haven''t been honest with anyone. They must have some old relics living in some hidden places that have stepped over the World realm."


    Ye Yue was surprised and then she said, "Hiding them from the world laws to keep the card up their sleeves in case some desperate situation arises. This... this is so cunning."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "Not everyone is like us, devoid of the old relics. That is why I haven''t made any move to attack any other countries. We need to gain a foothold and for that, we will need to gain prestige. We don''t have any enmity with the sects or anyone apart from the Spirit Siphon Council, so I was thinking if I should go out on the journey to explore this place with Lingshi?"


    Ye Yue frowned and then said, "If you want to do that, they what about the Crescent Moon Empire? You want to play hands-off shopkeeper again?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Haven''t I been doing that from day one? Mei and the rest of you can handle the issues that may arise there. Plus, you have Yin and Yang with you, if need be, you can call us using the spiritual connection between them."


    Ye Yue frowned and said, "Let us put this proposal before the court and then see how they react before you decide to do anything. After you ascended the throne, your life stopped belonging to you only."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "You know I regret that day as well. It was all because of Lingshi putting me on the pedestal."


    Ye Yue shook her head and said, "I am going over the other side of the ocean and then I will give them the plan you have come up with. Let us see how they react."


    Hao Ren nodded and closed his eyes as he took out the sword intent grass and directly put it inside his mouth. The herb was known for its terrifying property of emitting natural sword intent and Hao Ren put it directly in the mouth seemed to be a bit hasty.


    *Good boy, you have guts I will give you that much. Now try to sense and comprehend as much as you can before condensing it on the halo...*


    The system was still talking when Hao Ren yelled, ''Shut the fuck up and let me focus. I know what I need to do, lousy system. Fuck off.''


    The system fell silent and Hao Ren began to cultivate.


    ...


    In the court, Han Lingshi was sitting on the Moon Throne, and Ye Yue was reading the few reports that she complied in the Spirit Siphon Continent infiltration. Then she coughed and told the plan that Hao Ren had proposed, and suddenly, everyone sighed collectively.


    Han Lingshi couldn''t help but chuckle and said, "What are you all sighing for? He wants to explore so that he can grow stronger. You all just misunderstand him. Well, I will talk with him and see how it goes."


    Hao Mei sighed and said, "These two are hopeless. Let us see about the governing body plan."

 Chapter 417: Flee.

    Hao Ren spent his time cultivating, and the situation of the realm had stabilized. However, he was soon reaching the bottleneck in hsi cultivation and just when he thought that he would need to go and visit Han Lingshi to ask her about the status of the plan he proposed, Han Lingshi came over to see him.


    It had been two weeks since the proposal submitted in the court. The young man opened his eyes and asked, "What is taking so long to form a governing body?"


    Han Lingshi said, "Xiao Mei is coming up with laws that prevented the cultivators from abusing the mortals."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Are you dealing with this thing even after so long? Xiao Mei has slowed down a lot in this world."


    Han Lingshi smiled and replied, "Even the latest hardware components that she manufactured lack a bit, but she would be fine. So, I came over to ask you, can you not wait for a little bit more?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I cannot, I have almost reached my sword comprehension cap. The only way to breakthrough now is to fight opponents. I cannot gain anything by sparring with Ye Jian anymore. You have seen the reports. If we don''t act soon and work hard to catch up, then the forces of the Spirit Siphon Continent would sooner or later come for me, because we are outsiders. You have to tell me if we are going to leave or not."


    Han Lingshi sighed and held her forehead as she asked, "How about we flee?"


    Hao Ren was so surprised that he stood up from the ground and held her face in his palms gently as he asked, "Did you mean what you just said?"


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I am tired of the crown and the holy robe all day and every day. I haven''t eaten anything that you made in such a long time. Ren, let''s run away. This is the only way."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and nodded as he reached out to grab her hand and they vanished from the spot in the garden.


    Ye Yin suddenly appeared in the place where Han Lingshi''s shadow was spread with her eyes wide open. She didn''t even get the chance to react or even comprehend what was going on. Han Lingshi said, "Flee."


    And that was it? Ye Yin stomped on the ground before she headed to the teleportation port and tell the royal court that the emperor has absconded the Empress and they are running away from the governing roles.


    Hao Mei was waiting inside the gathering hall of the palace, when she spotted Ye Yin rushing over in a hurry and she said, "Ye Lan, deploy troops, Ren has fled with his wife."


    The situation sounded comical but it wasn''t. Hao Ren ran away for cultivation journey, but him insistence on taking away Han Lingshi all of a sudden would leave a bad taste in the mouth of the populace that adores her.


    ...


    Han Lingshi and Hao Ren appeared in the wilderness, and they were surrounded by lust green grass and a view from the mountain top. The young man asked, "What do you think? Shall we build a cottage here and stay?"


    Han Lingshi nodded, and then began gathering the wood and the vines to prepare a log cabin. It didn''t take him long to prepare a simple cottage and then he even placed the furniture inside the cottage, and then sat down with Han Lingshi in his arms.


    The young lady asked, "What will we do now? How will you grow stronger?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I will be hitting the road and find out about the local dynamics here. If I could find a sword dojo then it would be a nice thing for my growth. What about you?"


    Han Lingshi hesitated a bit and then she said, "I have begun to like the task of governing the people."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "You can teleport from here to there. What is the big deal?"


    Han Lingshi shook her head and replied, "Things don''t work like this. The imperial officials are yet to mature properly."


    Hao Ren held his chin and then he said, "I think, you should stay behind then. Try to cultivate and reach a higher realm. This is your path, and being your guard is mine."


    Han Lingshi suddenly felt sad, she hugged Hao Ren and cried a little until Hao Ren called her a tabby cat. They were both adults, but to make sure that they can stay strong in peace, they had to walk their own paths. Han Lingshi wanted to hold his hand while doing so but it wasn''t easy.


    Hao Ren thought about something and said, "How about before I go, I research a portable teleportation array with Xiao Mei and then take it with me. Wherever I go, I can come back to you every night."


    Han Lingshi frowned and said, "You said the same thing when you came to this world, that it would be two years only, however, you lied to me. I don''t trust you."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "That was different and this is different. I will surely keep my promise, when have I defied anything that I said to you?"


    Han Lingshi began to think about what to say, and after an hour of discussion and setting up many conditions, she agreed and said, "Fine, you can go, but you will have to bring along one of the girls. They want to learn from you, and I don''t wish form them to be delayed. So, this is the final condition, if you agree then it is fine, we have an arrangement."


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, "I never had any choice but to bow and receive the decree, no?"


    Han Lingshi snorted and said, "It is good that you understand. Now, please come back with me, Xiao Mei would like to hear your ideas about the upgrade and portable teleportation setup."


    The two people then lay there for a few minutes before they vanished again and appeared back in the centre palace like nothing ever happened.

 Chapter 418: New World.

    The two people discussed the issue of separation and great lengths. Han Lingshi was supportive of Hao Ren to go and wander in the world so that he could become stronger. In the lower southern reaches of the Spirit Siphon World, people with the power of Dao Being realm thought of themselves as big shots.


    However, the intel from Ye Yue and her squad of foxes confirmed the fact that many people have attained the World level cultivation realm but they were just hiding from the world laws. Now that the two worlds have merged, the world laws would change and what that happens, the people would be able to walk more freely. At that time, Hao Ren and the Crescent Moon Empire would have to face another storm.


    Hao Mei and everyone was sitting inside the study and looking around at each other, the former said, "From what Senior Amber implies, we have two centuries to prepare for the upcoming changes. We need to step into at least World Overlord realm or we might not even have the chance to make a stand for ourselves."


    The people nodded and Amber said, "In Spirit Siphon world, it is obvious that some old relics are waiting for the world laws to mutate so that they can finally reveal their true cultivation and get rid of the bindings. The mutations don''t become obvious in a jiffy, but they will take a couple of centuries to change and adapt to each other.


    While you have been raising the cultivation standards of this world over all, they have already achieved the peak, and now when the two have become one, they have the advantage. Mind you, cultivators are very patient. They would wait for eons to avenge themselves.


    I am sure that how the four landmasses of the Spirit Shimmer Continent merged together, the same must have occured to the Spirit Siphon Continent. They must be immersed in the conquest.


    It will take give or take about the same time as the merging of the two world laws. You should also consolidate power, in this case, you have the advantage. The entire Spirit Shimmer Continent has people that know your strength."


    The people nodded and discussed while Hao Ren sat in the corner thinking about what he should do. At this moment, Han Lingshi said, "If Ren can become stronger, then the advantage on our side will increase. I think it is about time that the pillars of the Crescent Moon Empire go out and search for opportunities to grow stronger."


    The people fell silent but then they nodded, because they knew that Han Lingshi was making sense. It was necessary for them to get out there and make their own path otherwise they won''t grow stronger and might even end up dragging everyone down.


    ...


    Hao Ren stood in the garden of the palace with his hands behind his back. He took a deep breath and looked at the children playing in the garden and Han Lingshi approached him.


    She asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    The young man thought for a bit and said, "I would like to take Yin with me. Agnee is still too young and she needs a lot of training."


    Han Lingshi thought for a bit and said, "Okay, do as you think is the best way to train them. I will have Agnee follow Eldest sister."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yang should go out with Ye Peng when the time comes, his talent in saber is there but he is an Earth Roaming Python. He should master his bloodline as well. That way he will grow stronger than imagined."


    Han Lingshi nodded, she knew what was going on in Hao Ren''s mind and she said, "I will also be going into seclusion so the chances that you would find me when you come back every night are a bit low."


    Hao Ren looked at her, and the lady smiled as she said, "I cannot become your burden. I am the Empress of the Crescent Moon, and my husband is the Emperor. I cannot be the reason to drag you down."


    *Yo! Daddy is back! Your woman wants you to become stronger and she will also strive to become stronger. So, you need not worry about the sex, and just focus all your energy on the conquest. The reward is, five sword grass.*


    Hao Ren clenched his fist, he wanted to kill the system but sadly, this thing didn''t have a physical form. He nodded to Han Lingshi and turned to look at Yin, and said, "Yin, come, we are leaving."


    The three children hugged each other and Yin came to stand beside Hao Ren. The young man waved his hand and opened a space portal. He hugged Han Lingshi, kissed her lips and then they vanished from the spot. Han Lingshi let out a big breath and placed her hand over her heart silently praying about Hao Ren''s safe return.


    ...


    The young man followed by a teenage girl appeared outside the borders of the world barrier defending the territory behind them. Hao Ren liked to call this place, the Fake Front County. Yin asked, "Baba, which direction shall we pick?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Well, that is a tough question. I don''t wish to rely on the fox force. They should be receiving their commands to go under cover from now on and lay in ambush."


    Yin nodded and suddenly, they heard a loud neigh. Turning around the two people saw a couple of horse running around through the trees. Yin took half a step and said, "I will catch us two mounts."


    She vanished after dropping these words and after a few minutes when she returned, she was sitting on top of a black horse, while a cerulean blue one followed her. She said, "These horses have a trace of high blood in their bodies."


    High blood meant a bloodline that lay dormant inside the bodies of the beasts, and this bloodline, if awakened can make the strength of the spirit beasts climb way higher than expected.


    Hao Ren looked at the cerulean horse and raised his hand to pat the head of the beast. The horse was nine feet tall, and it was very muscular, but it obediently bowed its head to let Hao Ren pat it. The young man smiled and said, "You are very intelligent. Since that is the case, how about we name you Wise Blue?"


    The horse nodded in a humane fashion. Yin patted the neck of her mount and said, "I named her Black Sky."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Good. Let''s set off, and cross as many borders as we can today before taking rest."


    ...


    The two people sat on the backs of the horses and they rode through the wilderness. The sound of the hooves caused the ground to tremble, and the wind to rush through their hairs. The two of them looked like sword fighters that have descended from the heavens to take over the world.


    After an entire day of travel, they moved cross twenty thousand miles. Even using space portals they might not have been able to gain this much. On the way, they cleansed some bandits and some spirit beasts that foolishly attacked them.


    The two of them found a stream running beside the muddy road, and decided to camp the night there. Hao Ren cleaned the meat of a warthog like spirit beast and set it to the flames letting it roast slowly.


    Yin sat down to cultivate behind him, facing the moon. After half an hour, the horses came back from grazing and Hao Ren gave them a few spirit pills. These fowls steeds were young adults, and at this moment they would grow stronger with good nourishment.


    The meat crackled and Hao Ren picked up a skewer to eat, when he paused in his actions and Yin opened her eyes and placed her hands on her sword. Hao Ren said, "Friend, you can come over, we don''t bite humans."


    A young lady followed by two men appeared from behind the trees. They looked young, and famished. Yin stood up from behind Hao Ren and asked, "Who are you?"


    Her aura caused the four to shiver, and Hao Ren said, "Yin, my dear, why do you always act so cold? Who will marry you in the future?"


    Yin stomped her feet and whined, "Baba."


    Hao Ren chuckled and waved for the young people to come over, and asked, "So, can you tell me who you all are? What are you doing here alone?"


    His soothsaying skill worked and the people calmed down as the young lady said, "Senior, I am Alka Gurung. I come from a distant place called the Narna Mountains. We are all cousins and we were out to gain some experience in a small world. However, when we were crossing back through the space portal. Fifteen of us were suddenly sucked here. We have no idea where we are, and over the past two weeks, the rest of my brothers and sisters..."


    She had tears in her eyes, and Hao Ren could tell that she wasn''t lying. He sighed and asked, "Is your home located in the north of Spirit Siphon Continent?"


    The people nodded, and Hao Ren said, "Well, have some food first. What were they thinking of sending out a few kids in the core formation realm? No worries, let us see if we can find a way to send you guys back in the morning."

 Chapter 419 419: On The Road.

    Hao Ren was sitting beside the campfire and Yin sat next to him. The young trio sat across them. Even though Hao Ren appeared kind to them, the people weren''t completely relaxed. The young men were specially protective of Alka Gurung, the young lady who was sitting between them.


    Yin looked at them and said, "You three are just in core formation realm. How did you manage to survive in the wilderness?"


    One of the young boys said, "Senior, we relied of our family''s secret technique, however, it was mainly due to the stronger ones in the group."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "Reverse blood flow."


    The three people were surprised, and Hao Ren continued, "I can see you are all injured internally but I didn''t expect that the cause would be something like this."


    He noticed that the three people became even more wary of him. He sighed and said, "Given my realm, do you think if I had any ill intentions you would have a chance to live till now?"


    The three people shook their heads. Yin suddenly stood up and said, "Baba, there are a few people lingering around."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "Be careful."


    Then he watched her vanish in the darkness, he wasn''t worried about Yin suffering any damage, because as delicate as she looked, she was a killing machine when it came to battle. Alka Gurung flinched and turned her head in the direction where Yin had vanished, she could here the sounds of battle. The two young men were the same.


    Hao Ren looked at them and asked, "Are you perhaps thinking why is the difference between you and her so much?"


    The three looked at him. They saw his eyes reflecting the flickering flames before them. They nodded, and Hao Ren smiled as he said, "Comparison is the root of distress, and distress is the father of obsession. Don''t think to much, you will have your opportunities."


    His words calmed down the people. After a few minutes, Yin came back and sat down beside Hao Ren. She took out a few space rings and asked, "Do you recognize these?"


    Alka looked at her palm and she exclaimed, "We gave them to the bandits to let us go. How..."


    Her eyes widened as she mumbled, "They meant to tail us even though we gave them everything?"


    The two young men were angry as well, but one of them took a deep breath and said, "Young Miss, this is the reality of the world. The strong prey on the weak and at the moment, we are weak."


    Alka clenched her fists, and Yin said, "Take them. It has stuff that you can use."


    Alka shook her head and calmly said, "I cannot accept this, Senior. You fought with the bandits to get them. It is yours now."


    Hao Ren was surprised, and then he smiled as he said, "Young one, even in such a time of distress you can manage to uphold the righteousness in your heart. I am impressed. However, don''t be too complacent. Nobody in the world will reciprocate what you just did, even though it was to someone who gave them food."


    Alka nodded and said, "Thank you for your teachings, Senior. However, I still believe that I have no right to accept those rings. They were robbed from us because we were weak. Senior fought the bandits to get it back, so it belongs to her."


    Yin clicked and said, "If it belongs to me and I tell you to take it, take it. If you think this is a favor, then in the future return it. That is how things work in the world."


    Alka hesitated and Hao Ren suddenly said, "You three are rather pleasing to eyes. You have high virtue, and you are a little naive as well. How about till the time I drop you off to your people, let me teach you?"


    Yin was surprised but she didn''t say anything. Looking at the three dazed people, she asked, "Are you unwilling to listen to a sword saint?"


    Hao Ren sighed, he looked at the three people looking at him. He was left with no options and waved his finger. The sword qi dashed through the void and hit the trees on the side.


    Thump! Thump! Thump!


    With each thump a tree fell to the ground. The three youngsters dropped their jaws on the ground. They quickly reacted and knelt before him, "We have seen the Master."


    Yin found the scene a little too funny and chuckled, "Kids."


    Hao Ren sighed, he waved his hand and lifted the trio in upright position. He looked at Yin, who gave back the space rings, and the young man took out a three wine cups, and a gourd. He poured the wine in the cups and said, "Drink this, consider it a meeting gift from me."


    The people exchanged gazes with each other, and accepted the cups, and raised them in Hao Ren''s direction before swallowing in the content in one breath. Hao Ren said, "Yin, teach them how to guide the energy. They will need it."


    The girl said, "I want two cups too."


    Hao Ren directly handed her the gourd and closed his eyes to cultivate. Yin took two sips and guided the trio on how to unlock their Yin and Yang sight. She also gave them a pill from her end, to wash their marrows and flesh. The entire night the three people cultivated and they reached the peak of core formation realm. They were shocked, although they weren''t much stronger than what they were earlier, but they could tell that their foundations have improved a lot in terms of quality.


    The sun came up, and Hao Ren whistled, two steeds appeared in sight. He looked at the people and said, "Yin, take Alka with you."


    The young lady nodded, and then he looked at the two boys, as he asked, "What are you two called?"


    One of them was a bit taller, and he said, "I am called Ramji."


    The other one replied, "I am Deepa."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Ramji, and Deepa, I see that your legs appear to be a little weaker than Alka, why is that?"


    Alka chimed, "Master, they used to skip on the exercises taught at home."


    The two boys lowered their heads and Hao Ren said, "Never hide away from your mistake. Own them and improve. Now I want you two to follow us on foot, and while you do so, cycle your spiritual energy around your body. Until you are exhausted, I will not ask you to stop. Every time you take a break, I will add fifty kilogram weight on your legs."


    The two young boys shivered, they realized that the tutelage won''t be easy and with no options left, they nodded. Hao Ren got on the back of Blue Wise and they dashed away with the two young men in tow.


    Alka sat behind Yin, and she asked, "Senior, do you cultivate sword?"


    Yin nodded and asked, "Why? Do you also want to learn?"


    Alka nodded and Yin said, "Wait till you have reached the Nascent Soul realm. Before that, don''t even think about dwelling into the weapon path. Just learn enough to defend yourself."


    The young lady asked, "Why is that?"


    Yin replied, "You have weak foundation. The skills, they grow complex as you go further on the path. First fix your foundations, and then the weapons."


    Alka nodded, and then she heard Hao Ren saying. "Alka, I want you to meditate and run your spiritual energy in cycles while we ride. Refine your core even more and at the same time suppress your cultivation as much as possible. Don''t break through yet."


    The girl nodded and closed her eyes while maintaining her balance on the back of the horse. The two steeds were so wide that they could only sit with their legs crossed, and Hao Ren even lay down, sprawled completely.


    The journey continued till noon, and Ramji and Deepa appeared behind them completely exhausted. They had fallen back a while back but they didn''t give up and continued trailing the path. Hao Ren looked at them and tossed them two pills. He said, "Eat them, and circulate your spiritual energy, follow your sutras while running."


    The young men nodded and sat down to rest for a bit. They were at the golden core, and Spirit food prepared by Hao Ren was a great boost for them. Just when the five of them were eating, Hao Ren raised his head to look at the side. He found a carriage and a group of horse riders approaching from the distance.


    Sensing their pace and their aura, Hao Ren sighed and said, "Yin, look after the kids, and let me talk to these people. There is chaos everywhere in the world. Like why can''t I just have a day of peace?"


    Yin chuckled and said, "You are just missing Ma."


    Hao Ren looked at her and said, "Don''t unveil my secrets like that."

 Chapter 420 420: Rising Phoenix Nation.

    Hao Ren stood on the ground, looking at the approaching horse riders. Suddenly, he noticed the leading horse man yell, "How dare you block the path of the Empress? Die!"


    The horseman aimed his halberd at Hao Ren''s chest. The young man just watched the entire scene unfold, without any intention of making any move. Within a moment, the halberd hit his chest. However, the blood and gore that the soldier was looking forward to didn''t happen. Hao Ren turned to the side, and the halberd went past him. He looked at the soldier and said, "Kneel."


    Yin sighed and said, "Alka, Ramji, Deepa, you kids stand behind me."


    The trio did as they were told, and they watched the soldier jumping off the horse and kneeling on the ground beside Hao Ren with a dazed expression on his face. The convoy was still a few dozen meters away when they noticed this and the centurion in the lead yelled, "Halt!"


    The formation stopped moving instantly, and the centurion, "Who are you?! What do you mean by blocking the road?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Are all of you blind?"


    The centurion clenched his fist, but then Hao Ren took a step forward and appeared before the centurion, he slapped the guy across his face and sent him flying. This person was in the Dao Integration realm, but in this world, Unless you have reached the Dao Realm, you are just an ant.


    After the slap, Hao Ren unleashed his aura like a tidal wave and caused the soldiers to freeze. A pleasant voice echoed from the carriage in the center of the formation, "May I ask which senior is here? Forgive me for not being able to get out of the car, I am not well, Senior."


    Hao Ren sighed, and said, "Lady, I don''t mean ill, but I am traveling with my daughter and students. We stopped to have a meal, and your convoy happened to be heading at us as well, that is why I stood on the side of the road. Yet two of your people have attacked or either accused me of blocking the path. I ask you, is this just?"


    The people were silent, they looked at the centurion who was sprawled on the ground at the side, and then at the forerunner who was kneeling on the ground as if a monk. The door of the carriage opened and a young lady stepped down. She walked forward and bowed to Hao Ren as she said, "Senior, My Empress is suffering from a strange disease and she is hurriedly heading back to the capital to be treated. Please forgive these men for their insolence. They are just overly worried about the Crown."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Fine, if you say so. Please leave, I wish your Empress a speedy recovery."


    The young maid bowed again and dashed back to the carriage. Hao Ren went back to the side of the road and watched the convoy move away and gradually vanish.


    Yin looked at him and asked, "What is this about?"


    Hao Ren looked at her, and she continued, "You were about to eliminate them, why did you stop?"


    The young man smiled and said, "I would have killed but that lady in the carriage is kind. It''s just a pity."


    He sighed, and Alka asked, "Teacher, what is pitiful?"


    Hao Ren replied, "In this world there are poisons that can affect someone''s soul. That lady in the carriage was suffering from a Soul Dispersing Poison. She doesn''t have much time left so it is understandable that they were in a hurry."


    Yin thought of something and said, "We should also get going."


    They cleaned up and began to ride ahead. Ramji and Deepa were still running behind Hao Ren while Alka was suppressing her realm on the horseback. They travelled for four days before they reached a big city.


    As they slowed down while approaching the city, Yin noticed something and said, "The same crest as the one on the carriage from that day."


    Hao Ren raised his head and found a flagpost. The flag had a Phoenix rising through the clouds. He nodded, it was indeed the same mark as the one on the carriage.


    They arrived at the gates, paid the toll and entered the city. They could only let the horses follow them as they walked on foot. Hao Ren looked around and found that the place was rather prosperous. He thought of something and asked, "Yin, what do you think, shall we stay here for a couple of months? I will use this time to find sword cultivators."


    Yin thought for a bit and said, "What you want to do is fine, but what about the kids?"


    Hao Ren looked at the three kids behind him and asked, "If I tell you guys that within the time we stay here your cultivation will improve and going out you would be able to hold your end better against the odds. Would you agree to stay here?"


    Alka nodded and said, "Teacher, we will follow your arrangements."


    Hao Ren smiled and patted her head dotingly before they found their way directly to a tavern and after tying the horses outside, the five of them sat inside the tavern and ordered some snacks. Alka and the two boys looked around carefully, when Yin tapped the table twice with her finger.


    She said, "Taverns are the places where you can gather information. Focus and filter what is being said around you."


    The three of them were surprised, because they didn''t expect that Yin would teach them street smarts. They began to learn, and Hao Ren waved his hand to a young waiter.


    The young man came over and asked, "Guest, what can I get you?"


    Hao Ren asked, "One jar of your finest wine, and nice and spicy chicken legs. Umm, also, some spiritual soup for the three kids."


    The waiter nodded and bowed as he said, "I will get it right away."


    The waiter came back after a few minutes with the order. Hao Ren passed him in spirit stones. The waiter said, "Sir, this all doesn''t cost this much."


    Hao Ren said, "I will pay the bill later, that was yours."


    The waiter was surprised and quickly stowed the spirit stones away, Hao Ren asked, "Do you know who is the best swordsman in this city?"


    The waiter nodded and said, "There are three sword fairies in the city, they all are imperial guards. They are responsible for the city guard, Lady Yumina, the other is responsible for the Palace Guard, Lord Tian. The last but not the least is the Dean of the Rising Phoenix University, Lord Kamath."


    Hao Ren nodded and tossed the man, remaining spirit stones. They ate and ate the food, before they left the tavern. They came to a real estate shop. Don''t look down on the setting of these cultivation cities, selling and buying houses was one of the best businesses.


    Hao Ren went inside and he found a fat man sleeping off in a chair. He snapped his finger and the fat man woke up with a smile and said, "Welcome customer. Please have a seat, what can I do for you?"


    Hao Ren said, "I want to buy a courtyard."


    The fat man opened his eyes wide and said, "You have come to the right place. We do have several places to select from. The price is the best in the market."


    Hao Ren nodded and they began to deal, however, after a few minutes, the Fat Man was shocked to see that Hao Ren knew this business so well. The fat man asked, "Young Master, you are not from some rival shop are you?"


    Hao Ren was amused and shook his head as he said, "I used to live in a far away place and used to deal in such things. Now, can you show us the courtyard and sign the agreement?"


    The man stood up, went to the side, took out several Jade cards, and then said, "Please follow me."


    Within a couple of hours of coming to the city, Hao Ren bought a house and a rather big one at that. Then he sent the children outside to buy some stuff while he began to clean up and set up the teleportation array in his basement.


    After everything was done, the children came back, and they all ate with smiles on their faces. Yin and Hao Ren were standing in the garden at night when the young lady asked, "What do you intend to do with the practice? It is not hard to get them to meet our current status."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "I was thinking if I should heal the empress?"


    Yin frowned in thought before she said, "The idea is great, but you would need to maintain the secret. We might offend the person who did this to her, and if they came at us, then the kids would be in trouble."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I know, I will find a way."

 Chapter 421: Inspiration.

    Hao Ren was thinking about what he should do to get close to the Empress so that he could meet the three sword fairies. Then he sighed, and sat down, as Yin came over with a bowl of soup, and said, "What are you thinking about?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I was thinking if I should take the alchemist exam and make a killing?"


    Yin thought for a bit and said, "You can do that, after all, you have worked hard learning all those things in the past. The alchemist grade might even get you the fame that we need to get in touch with the empress."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "Why do you think that we need to meet with the Empress?"


    Yin shrugged her shoulders and said, "You hate spilling blood for conquest, and I am sure that you know, once the internal conflict of the Spirit Siphon Continent has ended, the big shots will make a move towards the smaller players. This continent is four times as big as Spirit Shimmer. So the power here must be significantly higher as well. We need to come up with ways to defend the sovereign status before it is too late."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "You have learned well."


    That said, he took the soup and took a sip before he raised his brow and asked, "What is the meaning of this?"


    Yin replied, "Alka added sugar to the soup, we cannot have it."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Feed it to Blue Wise and Black Sky. They can get some strength from this."


    Yin nodded and left the room quickly. Hao Ren sighed, and stood up from the ground and asked, ''System, would there be any difference in the alchemy rules of this continent?''


    *Are you dimwitted? Why would it be? Ever heard of Physics, bozo?*


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, ''Physics also has variables, you know.''


    *Yes, it does, but one thing that you need to understand is, that cultivation physics is different. Use some brain, son. If you think it is different then read a little, you''ll be able to learn it.*


    Hao Ren sighed and he walked out of his room with his hands behind his back, the system asked, *You want to go there and make a name for yourself. Good, if you succeed, I will give you a sword long sword.*


    The young man took a deep breath and continued walking. Ramji and Deepa were practicing the body stances that Yin taught them in the garden. They were about to stop when Hao Ren said, "Continue, don''t mind me."


    That said, he left the house, and walked through the bustling streets. His courtyard mansion was located on the outer parameter of the city, while the alchemy association was located in the center of the city, within the most bustling locations.


    Hao Ren approached the building that was shaped akin to a cauldron. He stepped through the gates, and located the reception counter. He was just about to head there, when a young lady in a white and green Qipao walked over, she smiled and asked, "Hello, how can we help you?"


    Hao Ren looked around and found that many girls were wearing the similar dress, and he understood that this girl was an employ in the association. He said, "Hello, I would like to know if there is an Alchemy examination going on?"


    The girl was surprised and asked, "Sir, which level of examination are you talking about?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "The Alchemy Apprentice."


    The girl nodded, Hao Ren had been living in this second life for a long time now, but in his past life he used to read a bit too many novels, and didn''t want to go face slapping. He always thought that it was better to start slow and finish steady.


    The girl said, "You can take the apprentice exam anytime you want. The question wall is there, as long as you can answer seventy of them correct, you would pass. Come with me, I will tell you how to go through the exam."


    Hao Ren followed the girl to a wall, where he saw hundred questions written on the wall. He asked, "Are these questions the same always?"


    The girl shook her head with a faint smile, and replied, "They change every time someone takes an exam."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then the girl said, "You can take a jade slip record your answers on it. Then you can submit the slip to the counter over there, you will get the results within a few minutes."


    The young man nodded, he picked up a jade slip from the side and quickly scanned it for any inconsistencies and began to answer the questions quickly. The young man was quick and after a few minutes he turned to the girl and handed her the jade slip.


    The young lady was surprised and asked, "Are you done?"


    Hao Ren smiled and nodded, the young lady took the jade slip and walked over to the counter and placed the jade slip before an old man there. The old man raised his brow and asked, "Xiao Xia, what is this?"


    The young lady replied, "Elder Chuan, this young master has taken the exam for Alchemy Apprentice."


    The old man nodded and he picked up the jade slip from the table and began to assess the answers, after a few minutes his face changed and he said, "Umm, well, these are all correct. Young man, very good."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Thank you elder. May I ask what the advanced levels of alchemists are?"


    Elder Chuan thought that Hao Ren was just curious and he chuckled as he said, "There are nine grades, starting from one star to nine, and one being the lowest and nine being the highest. You need to refine the pills from the corresponding grades before the association elders to get through the assessment."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "So, if I understand this correctly. Pills with three ingredients are classified as one star, and with the addition of two ingredients per grade, twenty one ingredients to be the ninth star?"


    Elder Chuan nodded, and Hao Ren asked, "Can I buy the material for the first grade pills here?"


    The old man nodded and said, "Yes, you can, which pill do you want to try?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Body refining pill."


    Elder Chuan nodded and asked, "How many sets?"


    The young man thought and said, "One set will do."


    Elder Chuan looked at Hao Ren and thought this guy was probably low on funds and thus he took out a set of medicinal herbs and gave it to Hao Ren. The young man nodded, and asked, "How many spirit stones?"


    Elder Chuan said, "Seven."


    Hao Ren sighed and took out seven supreme spirit stones as he said, "Too costly."


    However, this was a new place and they had their own rules. He didn''t see that Elder Chuan''s face scrunched up when he saw seven supreme Spirit stones on the counter. Hao Ren waved his hands and caused the three herbs to float in the void, and then he blew a wisp of his breath and the Phoenix flame ignited around the herbs.


    The temperature of the main hall increased and everyone turned to look at the source. They were shocked to see a cloud of flames in the void, and Hao Ren made a few hand seals to control the herbs and the flame temperature.


    After a few moments the herbs turned into medicinal essence and the liquid began to float and boil amidst the flames. Someone from the crowd said, "He is refining pills without a cauldron."


    This was a skill that many people dreamt to command but they couldn''t. Many of them were shocked to look at Hao Ren. Elder Chuan took a deep breath and picked up a talisman before crushing it and saying, "Association head, we have a genius who can refine pills without the cauldron, come here, now!"


    After a couple of minutes, the essence of the herbs merged perfectly and turned into five pills. Hao Ren waved his hand to disperse the flames and then he caught the warm pills in his hand before putting them inside the jade bottle and tossing them to the elder.


    He asked, "Elder, can you assess if my skills are worthy of One star or not?"


    Elder Chuan gulped a mouthful before he said, "Young lad, if you cannot be a one star alchemist, then none can. You are a genius."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I just work hard. Everyone in this world who works hard can become a genius."


    Elder Chuan chuckled and said, "Good."


    At this moment, an old man came rushing in, and said, "Old Chuan, where is the kid you were talking about?"


    Old Chuan looked at the old man and said, "Association Head, this is the kid."


    The old man turned to look at Hao Ren and exclaimed, "How dare you call him a kid? He is a Senior in Dao Being Realm, you hate me that much, Old Chuan, you old fogey."


    Boom! The people were shocked to hear this. Hao Ren smiled and said, "Association Head, may I borrow some of your time?"

 Chapter 422: Pill Blitz.

    The old man, Douglas, brought Hao Ren to his office on the top floor of the Alchemy Association, and it caused a great shock to the people. The old man asked while he stood in front of the window, "So you wish to take the examinations for various grades of alchemist and see where your limit lies?"


    Hao Ren had already told that man what his purpose of the visit was, hearing the question he nodded once more and said, "Yes, Association head."


    The old man said, "Well, it is not a problem, but you would need to refine at least three pills of the same grade consecutively, can you manage that?"


    Hao Ren nodded, "Yes, I can."


    Managing that, Hao Ren thought if the old man was kidding him. His realm as a Dao Being was not for show only, and he had a great skill in his pocket thanks to the older version of the system. The old man took out a jade from his space ring and then called over the other elders in the alchemy association.


    Everyone gathered after half an hour, and the old man said, "Today, I would like to initiate the Pill Blitz Exam."


    The elders were shocked, one of the asked, "Douglas, who is taking this exam? Have you lost your mind? Do you know the penalty it has?"


    Douglas nodded and said, "You will understand what I mean later. Just prepare."


    The elders all moved to the President''s alchemy room. Hao Ren, who had been standing in the corner silently all this time, also followed them. They were surprised when they saw him carry a cauldron to the center of the room. The cauldron was rusty and plain on the outside, but on the inside it was covered with engravings of nine dragons.


    It was a cauldron he refined himself when he was trying to learn forging. He set the cauldron on the ground, covering the array pattern there, then he took a deep breath and Douglas said, "Hao Ren, if the quality of your pills fall below top grade, then you will be disqualified. If you are unsuccessful even once before you reach the fourth grade then you will be disqualified. Do you have any objections?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and began to take out the materials from his space ring, and used the Phoenix flames to refine the Body refining pill within five minutes. The pill was refined in the void without the need of the cauldron. The people then observed and scanned the pull, and then Douglas said, "Pass."


    Hao Ren then went on to refine a Spirit Rejuvenating Pill, followed by a Soul Calming Pill. While the exam was going on, the news was leaked by a peon outside the association head''s office. Pill Blitz was something that held great significance and people were shocked. The times of a Pill Blitz was held can be counted on fingertips.


    All the alchemists, big and small, gathered in front of the Alchemist association. At this time, a convoy of old men wearing white robes with golden trims came over. Someone said, "Damn, even the Imperial Physicians are here?"


    These people were the Imperial Physicians, they were aloof and very eccentric people and they hardly came to the association. Looking at the crowd at the gates, the leading Alchemist frowned and asked, "Can you tell me what is going on here?"


    The passerby turned around and bowed to the man slightly as he said, "Grandmaster, they are conducting a Pill Blitz exam inside."


    The old man was not his grandmaster, but a Five star alchemist, someone who reached above the rank of three stars was called a grandmaster. The old man was flaunting his five star alchemist brooch on the lapel. He took a deep breath and after some thought, looked at the top of the dome. The youngster also followed his gaze, and found that out of the nine stars three were lit up brightly even in the daylight one could tell the difference.


    The youngster asked, "Grandmaster, what is that?"


    The Imperial Physician said, "The Pill Tower, when a Pill Blitz is conducted, you can see the level of pill refined by the examinee. The person inside has reached the Three Star realm. A Pill Master."


    As soon as he stopped speaking, the fourth star lit up. Everyone followed his gaze and they gasped. There were only a handful of Alchemists that were capable of reaching the fourth star. Everyone watched with a gasp, this meant that the person had passed the Pill Blitz.


    However, they didn''t spot the elders coming out of the tower, instead they heard a faint roar of dragons and cries of a phoenix. After half an hour, just when the people were whispering if they should leave, the fifth star on the tower lit up. There were only three five star level alchemists in the Capital, and two more in the entire country. Now adding to one more, imagine how much this person would gain.


    The crowd became curious about the identity of the pill Grandmaster, however, nobody came out of the building. Another hour passed, and the sixth star lit up. At this moment, the entire street filled with thousands of people fell silent. The next moment, they all erupted in cheers.


    There were only two Level Six Alchemists in the whole nation, and they resided in the capital. One of them was the Chief Imperial Physician, who was not present among the crowd, while the other was the Head of the association. Now that a third one has come out, the people would surely folk around to curry favor.


    ...


    In the alchemy room, Hao Ren sighed and said, "Well, Association Head, I cannot make any more pills. This six stars is my limit."


    Douglas took a deep breath and replied, "Thank heavens."


    Everyone was surprised and the old man said, "What? If this young man were to refine a pill above the sixth grade, won''t that mean I have wasted all my life for nothing?"


    The people felt embarrassed and some even took a step away as if they wanted to denounce the man. The old man took out a six star brooch from his space ring and said, "Congratulations, Grandmaster Hao."


    Hao Ren smiled and he accepted the brooch. Just when he was about to say a few things, someone barged inside the Alchemy room. Douglas turned to look at the new comer and asked, "Old Lao, when will your fucking department learn manners? Do you know this is not your gilded palace? How dare you walk in?"


    The old man bowed deeply and said, "Lord Douglas, my master sent me over to get you. The empress is unwell."


    Douglas was surprised and asked, "What happened?"


    The old man shook his head and said, "We cannot diagnose her at all. That is why the Chief Physician sent it to you."


    Douglas nodded and said, "Fine, I will go, also you are in luck, we have tested a new Alchemy Grandmaster. Haha, he will be a good help in this case."


    Old Lao hesitated a bit but Douglas waved his hand and said, "I will vouch for this person. Let''s go, time is of essence."


    Then Douglas looked at Hao Ren and said, "Grandmaster Hao, what are you waiting for?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and clasped his fist to the old man and said, "My honour."


    He didn''t care if Old Lao liked him or not, the fact was that he still had a way to aid the Empress as long as the poison hadn''t damaged her soul too much. He followed Douglas calmly, and they walked through the crowd. Many people were curious as to who was the Six Star Alchemist, but they couldn''t find it, because Hao Ren stored his brooch in his space ring and didn''t put it on his lapel.


    He didn''t want to attract attention, and his action was noticed by all the staff members who knew what his identity was and they were shocked, never had they imagined a successful person to remain so humble. Douglas had issued a spiritual gag order, if they dared to tell anyone about Hao Ren, they would be dismissed from the association.


    ...


    Hao Ren and Douglas reached the palace in a few minutes, it wasn''t that hard to reach the place. The young man calmly inspected the scenery and didn''t comment on anything because his house, the Crescent Moon Palace, was still much more lavish.


    After passing through a long set of corridors under the guidance of the royal maid, they arrived at a grand room entrance. Hao Ren spotted three women standing outside the room, all three of them carried good swords, and they greeted Douglas.


    The old man turned to look at Hao Ren and said, "Grandmaster Hao, these three are..."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Association head, we can surely hold the introductions till we finish curing Her Majesty. Time is of essence."


    Then he turned to look at the three ladies and bowed deeply as he said, "I beg your pardon, Sword Fairies, it is about the sovereign''s life."


    Under the shocked gazes he entered inside the palace room, and approached the bed where the Empress was lying and a young man happened to be walking around anxiously.

 Chapter 423: Treatment & Reward.

    Hao Ren approached the bed, and spotted the young man walking around anxiously. Other than that, he also spotted an old man talking to a few people mumbling something in a hushed voice. Hao Ren turned to look at Douglas who was walking towards the old Imperial Physician, and said, "Grandmaster Douglas, the Empress is Poisoned."


    Everyone turned around to look at him with their faces filled with shock. The old Imperial Physician looked at him with uncertainty and Hao Ren sighed as he took out the six star Alchemist brooch and said, "I have Yin and Yang eyes. This is why I can tell what is going on inside the body without taking a pulse."


    Douglas sighed and said, "Grandmaster Hao, I am not doubting your skills but we need to determine what kind of poison it is, after all, the blood inspection came out clean."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It is natural, not all the poisons can be detected in the stream of blood."


    The old imperial physician asked, "Could it be one of those poisons that attack the spirit?"


    Hao Ren replied with a faint smile and said, "You are half correct, Grandmaster.."


    The old physician said, "Kardiff. Lyon Kardiff."


    Hao Ren nodded and clasped his fist to greet him and said, "The poison in her body is targeting her soul. It is far more dangerous than the poison that harms her spirit."


    The people were surprised and the young man asked, "Can it be cured?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "It can be, but before that, I would like to ask you all to seal your cultivation and stand aside. Once the treatment begins, any of you who inhales even a wisp will die for sure."


    Douglas raised his brow and asked, "The soul dispersing poison. How could this be?"


    The young man shrugged and said, "I had detected the signs when the Empress''s convoy crossed paths with me on the way."


    One of the sword fairies raised her brows and asked, "Since you knew it that time, why didn''t you help her?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Fairy, I have come from lands far south. Didn''t hold the identity brooch of an alchemist. Who would let me help the Empress even if I wanted to? Also, I am not foolish to place my neck under the sword."


    His words were logical and reasonable. Lyon Kardiff said, "Get to it then. Do you need anything?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and said, "A stalk of soul nourishing lotus, thousand years old. It would play a vital role in rejuvenating the damage to her soul."


    Douglas nodded and said, "I have one stalk at the association. We can get it and the palace can pay us later."


    Lyon Kardiff clenched his fist and said, "Damn you Douglas. Even in a time like this."


    The association head was a money grubber, that was clear. Hao Ren cleared his throat and said, "Let me get to it. May I trouble the two Grandmasters to watch out for the wisps of poison that may escape me?"


    He could have handled the poison on his own, but he didn''t want to sound too arrogant among these people. He looked around and asked the maid, "Lady, may I trouble you to remove the blinds? That would be an easier way to handle the poison."


    The maid nodded and they quickly removed the blinds around the bed, revealing the face of a beautiful lady laying on the bed. Her eyes were closed and her vitality was strong as well. She didn''t give the vibe of a sick person. Hao Ren stood at the foot of the bed and said, "Grandmaster Douglas, Grandmaster Kardiff, please stand on the sides and be ready with the strongest spiritual seal you can muster up. Also, make sure it is of fire element."


    The two people nodded and they prepared the seals with their fingers and began to chant. Hao Ren gazed at the Empress and said, "May I ask one of the sword fairies to cut open an inch long incision on the left middle finger of the Empress? That would be the point where I extract the poison from."


    The fairies hesitated and the young man said, "Ladies, please go ahead."


    They exchanged gazes and then one of them approached the lady. Hao Ren said, "Cut it open when I tell you too, and use your sword intent, don''t touch that spot with your blade or the weapon spirit will be corroded instantly."


    The lady was shocked but she nodded. Hao Ren looked at the two old men who nodded, and the young man made a few seals with his fingers, and said, "Phoenix, come forth."


    At the tip of his fingers appeared a small bird as big as a nail, and then Hao Ren controlled the small flame bird to move through the void and enter the body of the Empress through her nostril. The people were shocked because they could sense the rising temperature in the void when the small bird was hovering over the tip of his fingers.


    The bird moved through the meridians and the Empress began to sweat. The young man asked Old Lao, "Physician Lao, is she okay?"


    Physician Lao nodded and said, "While Her Majesty is sweating, she is fine. Grandmaster Hao has controlled the flames very delicately, they haven''t harmed the Empress at all, the rise in temperature is obvious."


    The young man nodded, and suddenly, a screeching noise echoed in the room. Hao Ren opened his eyes and said, "Got you, motherfucker."


    He split the flame in different portions to target the poison which was still hidden in her heart and drove it toward the left arm. The poison moved through the arm slowly, and Hao Ren took a deep breath as he pushed the poison out slowly. The poison was sentient and was trying to devour the flames. Had it been something other than a different flame, and that too something as high level as Phoenix Flames, they would have been devoured completely.


    Hao Ren waited till the poison was pushed to the tip of the Left middle finger. The tip had turned completely black as if obsidian. The screeching noise in the room was growing stronger. Hao Ren''s forehead was covered with cold sweat. The young man took a deep breath and said, "Fairy, now."


    The sword fairy controlled her thoughts and she flicked her finger very lightly. It almost felt like a twitch but the incision was made and the black substance began to flow out. Hao Ren grasped the void and a flame hand manifested around the wound. The black substance kept blobbing and twitching as it was forced inside the flame bubble. The two grand masters super imposed the bubble with their own spiritual seals.


    The screeching noise gave everyone goosebumps. The people shivered and the two grandmasters let out a breath only after Hao Ren finished extracting all of the black substance. He said, "Please feed her the stalk of lotus. I need to destroy this poison first."


    He walked towards the window while the poison floated inside a flame bubble before him. The young man didn''t stop, and increased the heat of the flames and the screeching sound changed into that of a wailing. Hao Ren snorted and replied, "Evil thing, you dare to protest. I will kill you today."


    The wailing increased and so did the temperature. Hao Ren held the bubble outside the window of the room and at a point the people were all sweating badly, the whole thing continued for ten minutes before the poison was resolved. It was directly refined into nothing but spiritual energy.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and panted for a while to catch his breath before he turned around to look at the people. The two grandmasters have refined the stalk of lotus and then fed it to the Empress. Her soul energy was replenished and Hao Ren said, "She should wake up in a few minutes time."


    The two people nodded, and everyone waited, before five minutes passed and the Empress opened her eyes slowly. The young man dashed over to her bed side and asked worriedly, "Mother. Thank heavens, you opened your eyes. How do you feel?"


    Hao Ren realized that this man must be the prince of the nation. Looking at him again, he found that the young man was just a teenager. Douglas and Kardiff sighed, and they cast a gratifying gaze at Hao Ren. The young man shook his head.


    The lady sat up in her bed and looked at old man Kardiff as she said, "I knew that you would find a way to save me, Chief Physician."


    Kardiff bowed his head and shook his head as he said, "This old man was unable to even diagnose your ailment, Your Majesty. It was Grandmaster Hao."


    He pointed at Hao Ren and the Empress looked at Hao Ren for a prolonged second and asked, "Senior, could you be the one from the path?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Your Majesty has a bright memory. I am indeed the one from the path."


    The Empress sighed and said, "I cannot thank you enough Senior. However, owing this life debt doesn''t fit my image well. Please tell me, what can I do for you."


    Hao Ren smiled, this was what he wanted all this time, he said, "Since, Your Majesty has asked for, I would like to ask you two things, please fulfil them if it doesn''t disturb or harm your nation."


    The people were surprised, and the Empress nodded. Hao Ren said, "First, I would like you to gather a thousand books on sword dao. They can be of any grade, and any type. I wish to read them and add them to my collection."


    The lady was surprised but she nodded, since it was just normal sword dao books. Then she asked, "Senior what is your second wish?"


    Hao Ren replied, "I would like to have a sword sparring session with the three Sword Fairies."


    This shocked everyone, as none of the people realized that Hao Ren was a sword cultivator. The three generals frowned, but the next moment, they sensed a sword intent radiating from Hao Ren it even left fine marks on the floor.

 Chapter 424: Culprit At The Door.

    Hao Ren displayed his sword intent and took everyone by surprise. The three generals turned around and took out their swords to aim at him and he smiled, as he said, "I had to prove that I am not a novice. This is not an act of disrespect but my sincerity, three fairies."


    He clasped his hands and bowed to them. The Empress smiled faintly and said, "Senior Hao, you truly are an anomaly. This is the first time I have seen someone so accomplished at the Dao of Alchemy and at the same time using the sword as well. Truly marvelous. However, I will not make any comments about the generals having a sword duel with you. It is their own choice."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I understand, your majesty. If the fairies can defeat me, I will refine a batch of Life Regeneration Pills for them. I will not have them guide me for free. I think not only my intention but even the compensation for the trouble is sincere."


    The three ladies looked at each other and one of them said, "Grandmaster Hao, please give us one week''s


    time to think about it. We need to seek advice from our master on this matter."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied with a smile, "That is fine, once you have made a decision, you can contact me at the Alchemy Association."


    The three of them thanked him and then Hao Ren looked at the Empress as he asked, "Your Majesty, may I be so blunt and ask you how did you catch that bloody thing?"


    The Empress sighed and said, "I had gone over to the Avalon Kingdom. The crown prince was crowned as the New King. On the way there a few people surrounded the convoy. They told us to not go there and support this canonization. However, I am bound by the duty of holding witness to the situation. When I didn''t budge we were attacked.


    At first nothing happened, but during the coronation ceremony, I almost couldn''t hold on and that was when I discovered that I was poisoned."


    Hao Ren frowned and then pinned his chin. Grandmaster Douglas asked, "Grandmaster Hao, what is the matter?"


    The young man raised his palm and showed a sesame sized black dot to the old man and said, "The mark of the poison that sticks with you for a while. If the person had attacked Her Majesty to vent his rage, then this mark can lead the person over to me."


    The people were shocked, and the Empress reacted immediately, "Grandmaster Hao, how about you reside in the royal palace until this mark is dissolved, I can assure you that nobody in the surrounding nations is bold enough to come over to my territory and harm my benefactor."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "You don''t have to worry about it, Your Majesty, I will handle it on my own. Hao Ren might not be invincible, but I am not a coward either, if that person tired to make a move, then I hope you won''t hold me or my daughter guilty for retaliating in kind."


    The Empress nodded and looked at the general wearing black and silver armor, as she said, "Commander Mei, I hope you know what to do."


    The sword fairy bowed deep and said, "This servant understands, Your Majesty."


    Hao Ren said, "Then I will take my leave, Your Majesty. Please send the books over when you have gathered them."


    The Empress nodded, and Grandmaster Douglas also clasped his fist as he left the chamber but not before reminding the Imperial Physician to pay for the Soul Rejuvenation herb used to treat the Empress.


    The young man didn''t say much until he came out of the palace, and Old Man Douglas asked, "You are really sure that you would be fine on your own."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he asked, "Master Douglas, tell me what is the dynamic between the Crown Prince and the Empress?"


    The old man thought of something and said, "They are harmonious. Although the Crown Prince is the younger brother of the late Emperor. Why do you ask?"


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "Since he is the brother of the last Emperor, why was he calling the Empress as mother?"


    Douglas sighed and said, "He was very young when the Empress married in the palace. The young prince had never met his mother, she died in childbirth, however, the Empress was kind to him and so after a few months, she declared that she saw the crown prince as her own son."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "You all have been fooled, that crown prince is a real mastermind."


    Douglas was surprised and he said, "Grandmaster Hao, you can''t make such allegations."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Then tonight, you keep a good watch on my place and I will show you."


    The old man was taken aback by the confidence shown by this young man and nodded, "Fine, I will watch out for the night."


    The young man nodded and then he led Douglas to his courtyard mansion. However, the old man left the place and said, "I will watch from a distance, so that it doesn''t startle the snake, if there is one."


    The young man nodded, thanked him and then sent him away with his eyes. He entered the house, and he found Deepa and Ramji still practicing, he sighed and said, "I get it that you two are disciplined, but do you wish to break your bodies into two by practicing like this? Go get some rest and we will have some clear Flame chicken soup."


    Yin came over and asked, "You stirred up some trouble, didn''t you?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "Let''s see if it really is a problem or an opportunity."


    Yin nodded and after a few minutes the young man entered the kitchen and began to cook. Yin was standing next to him and he said, "I was thinking if we should use the Crescent Moon Pavilion tactic again."


    Yin rolled her eyes and said, "You are short on money. It is good that you want to run a business, but you would need to train them. I am not sure if they will be held back by this."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and then he sighed as he said, "Well, if we cannot have a restaurant, you should go out and hire a chef for us. I am not going to cook daily; it is rather tiring."


    Yin nodded and replied, "I will get you a cook. Now, Baba, spill what are we looking at?"


    Hao Ren put the chicken inside the boiling water and said, "The crown prince was the one who poisoned the Empress, so I am thinking that he would directly attack me to cover up his tracks."


    Yin frowned and asked, "Why do you think that he is a traitor?"


    The young man replied, "Because when the poison was extracted, and I destroyed it, the drop in the Prince''s cultivation was obvious. Although he covered it up rather smartly, he still cannot outsmart me."


    Yin nodded and said, "You are a fox indeed."


    Hao Ren glared at her, and the young lady said, "Mother has gone into seclusion and Elder Yue has asked what you wish to do along the way? She suggested that it would be a basic information trade as the fox team has set up a newsletter across the southern states of the Spirit Siphon Continent. They are planning to expand to other nations and all, but it would take time, because they are very understaffed."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "I dare not disobey your commands, Princess Yin."


    Yin nodded and then patted his back as she left the kitchen while licking her lips and mumbling, "Baba makes the best food."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "If only my wife could eat."


    Yin didn''t bother with him, and she sent back the two guys to carry the bowls and everything as she set up the table with Alka. After they were done eating, Hao Ren sat down in the courtyard with a Jar of wine in his hand. The young man was sipping it very lightly, as if he was trying to drown his sorrows.


    He looked at the sky and said, "There is no moon tonight. The stars will bear witness to your actions, Crown Prince."


    A young man stepped out of the shadows and asked, "You ruined my entire plan. The conspiracy and the opportunity that I have been painstakingly, it was all ruined by you."


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and his aura subdued the elders and then he asked, "So, you are also after the throne, Your Highness?"


    The prince spat on the ground and said, "Do you think I would be that shallow? I am after the Empress, the seed of Phoenix. Yet, that woman always refers to me as a son. No, I must have her. You bastard, you should die."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and subdued the attacker without any opportunity to attack or run away.

 Chapter 425: Bigger Powers At Play.

    Hao Ren looked at the Crown Prince kneeling before him with deadpan eyes. He then looked at the side and asked, "Grandmaster Douglas, have you seen enough?"


    The old man appeared on the wall of the courtyard and his face was twisted. He asked, "What the hell is going on here? He wasn''t like this in the past."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "He isn''t any different now as well."


    Douglas frowned and the young man turned to look at the Crown Prince before he said, "If you came out on your own, I will not pursue this matter, but if you made me move, I will destroy your entire force and I am not kidding. I despise parasites like you."


    The voice was calm, but the crown prince shivered for a moment before he chuckled and said, "I dare you to kill me, and then we will see if you can walk out of here alive."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Yin, come over."


    Yin walked out of the house, she looked at Old Douglas and bowed to him in greeting before Hao Ren said, "Grandmaster Douglas, this is my daughter, Hao Yin."


    The old man nodded with a faint smile and then Hao Ren said, "Open his neck and dig out the tick."


    Yin frowned and she said, "I hate dealing with surgery, yet you always give me these tasks. I will tell Ma about this."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "You should still have some basic knowledge. I will buy you a new dress. Whatever color you want."


    Yin blew a raspberry and said, "White."


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "As you command, Your Highness, now can you please extract that bug, it is moving around."


    As soon as he said that, Yin took out some silver needles and flicked them onto the crown prince''s neck. She took out a scalpel and asked, "Are we not going to wait for the Empress to come over? If we acted on our own, it would come back to bite."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Grandmaster Douglas, may I trouble you to invite Her Majesty over? The thing that is causing the crown prince to act this way is a Yin Yang Gu. I will extract it right before her eyes. You can send someone else if you want to."


    The old man took out a talisman and mumbled a few things before the paper shot from between his fingers and vanished in the direction of the Imperial Palace. Douglas asked, "Who could do this?"


    Hao Ren looked at the old man and asked, "Are you sure you want me to say it?"


    Douglas sighed and shook his head as he said, "One should not ask questions they don''t want to find the answers to."


    A few minutes passed, four figures appeared at the entrance of the courtyard. Hao Ren stood up and said, "Your Majesty, please come in."


    The figures belonged to the Empress and the three general. Who were followed by the old Imperial Physician who was panting a little. The empress asked with a cold face, "Grandmaster Hao, I hope that you have an explanation behind this."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Your Majesty, the Crown Prince came to attack me and I only restrained him. If anything, I have the right to kill him as per the agreement earlier. Yet here you are questioning my motive."


    His words directly doused the flames burning in the heart of the lady, and said, "Yin''er, dear, you can extract the tick."


    Yin nodded and then she made a clean and quick incision with the scalpel and cut open the portion of the Crown Prince''s nape. Then she took out a pair of forceps and expanded the bleeding incision before she used the other forceps to pinch onto something. The crown prince wailed, but Hao Ren waved his hand and the man was silenced.


    Hao Ren said, "It was not the Crown Prince who was screaming, but the bug that has been manipulating him all this time."


    Yin plucked out a worm that was about an inch big, and it emitted terrifying shrieks. Hao Ren held the forceps and said, "Go, ask Alka to prepare some tea for the guests, the night will be long."


    Yin nodded and left the place without bothering about the people before her. Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "Have a seat, Your Majesty, let us talk."


    The lady looked at her brother-in-law, and Hao Ren said, "He will be fine when he wakes up in a bit."


    He flicked a pill directly into the Crown Prince''s mouth and then only the Empress sat down. She looked at the obscure black worm that was wriggling between the forceps. Hao Ren said, "What you see is a Yin Gu, this thing if cultured properly can be implanted inside the target. Then gradually it will grow stronger and latch onto the nerve center of the host. Alone, this parasite is insignificant, but when coupled with the Yang Gu, this thing is the bane of even the world level cultivators."


    The people were surprised, Hao Ren said, "The moment the Crown Prince came here, he wanted to kill me so that he could take over the throne from you. However, I could tell that something wasn''t right, after all, had that been the case, the Crown Prince wouldn''t have allowed me to heal you in the noon. So, I probed his body and discovered this little guy. This bug will only be active at night when the Yin in the surroundings is stronger. It is afraid of the sun and strong flames.


    Well, so if someone has a Yang Gu in possession, they can use it to directly manipulate the host who has been planted with the Yin Gu. They can control the actions of the host from a million miles away without anyone knowing what is wrong ever."


    His words caused the people to shiver, and the Empress mumbled, "Who would try to do such a thing? We have never harmed anyone."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I have analyzed that as well, and it is very simple, that in your court there is no noble, no minister. You rely on your generals only if I am correct."


    The lady nodded and Hao Ren sighed as he said, "You abolished the nobles and now they are treated the same as well. They could be the masterminds behind this ploy. However, it is still not easy to find the Yin and Yang gu like this unless there is someone who is very efficient at raising them. So, Your Majesty, do you have any suspects?"


    The lady thought for a bit, she said, "Could it really be the nobles who dared to go to such lengths?"


    The Imperial Physician turned to look at the generals and one of them sighed as she said, "Your Majesty, if we go by his idea, then there is only one family who could pull of something like this."


    The Empress mumbled, "The Prime Minister Wang."


    Hao Ren looked at them, and said, "If I kill this bug here, the person who raised it would die. Then we can extract the blood of that person from this bug and I have a way to make sure that his entire bloodline vanishes from the face of this world."


    This time people were shocked. Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I am a very petty person, if someone harms me, I will make sure that they suffer a thorough defeat."


    The Empress shook her head and said, "Grandmaster Hao, you don''t have to use such a heavy hand. I will handle this matter myself. Thank you for saving me and my Brother-in-law."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Your Majesty, I shouldn''t be saying this, but the Crown Prince is of age, please find him a suitable candidate and settle his marriage."


    The Empress didn''t know what to say to this proposal all of a sudden but she nodded and then she turned to look at the Crown Prince who woke up and was looking at them all in a daze. He looked at his surroundings and said, "Where is this place? Huh, Mother, what are you doing here?"


    The lady shook her head and said, "Xiao Jun, let''s go back to the palace."


    The young man came over to her in a subtle place. The Empress then looked up at Hao Ren and said, "Grandmaster Hao, thank you for your aid. The royal family owes you another favor."


    The young man shook his head and said, "Your Majesty, you don''t have to say that, I only saved myself and I am grateful that you are not holding this against me."


    The Empress nodded, and then the Imperial Physician stepped forward as he said, "Grandmaster Hao, can you give this bug to me?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yes, you can take it, just make sure not to let it out of a sealed bottle or that would be hell."


    Hao Ren had an inkling that the Empress know who was really behind all this and it was not just the former prime minister.

 Chapter 426: Sword Duel.

    Hao Ren didn''t consider him with the so called big forces, as long as the Yin gu didn''t die, the big forces won''t come to target him. After the Empress left, Old Douglas also greeted Hao Ren and left the place. It was a bit too much for him to come over here tonight. The twists were bad for his heart.


    After the people left, Hao Ren took out the Chaos Sword and placed it across his legs and sat down in the void to cultivate with his eyes closed. Yin came out to check how it was all so silent, when she saw the scene and sighed before activating a small scale world level isolation barrier. Before she headed to the cellar of the house, where Alka, Ramji and Deepa were sitting with anxious expressions on their faces.


    Earlier, Yin had told them to hide here when she detected the presence of the invader. She smiled and said, "It is all fine now, don''t worry. You should sleep in my room, Baba is cultivating outside and the situation is now under control."


    The three children sighed and thanked her before they left the cellar. Yin took out a jade token from her space ring and circulated her spiritual energy through it. She was quick and passed a daily log of complaints to Han Lingshi on the other side. She said, "The reason he has not yet started the teleportation formation is because he is very focused. This period of time has become sort of a secular seclusion for him."


    ...


    The next few days were busy. Hao Ren would go to the Alchemist Association to refine pills then he would come back and teach his students and dedicate his night to comprehend the way of the sword.


    In the past five days, Hao Ren had gained a lot of respect within the city. Many people would come to pay him respect, and present gifts.There initial motive was to get in his good books, after all, you didn''t get a chance to greet a six star, Grandmaster Alchemist everyday.


    Hao Ren didn''t mind it, he paid the people in kind and refined high quality pills for them. It was the 6th day when a guard from the palace came to the Alchemist Association to inform him that the three sword fairies had agreed for the duel.


    Hao Ren was happy, and he sent back a message that he would be coming over to the location they selected to learn from them. He had no idea who these people were and thus he preferred to keep his stance lowered.


    His motive in this country was to only get stronger and not conquer, otherwise, he could have let that Empress die and wait for the chaos to take control slowly. Hao Ren was a simple man, he knew that a big force won''t do him good but a good force will make a big difference.


    The young man finished refining his last batch of the pills and went outside the city where the three sword fairies had called him to spar. Hao Ren was not concerned about them setting up any ambush. If it came to that, he would kill them.


    He came to a mountain top which was flattened by someone and while he stood on the ground, he could sense a strong sword intent channeling in the surroundings. Although it was shallow, it was there. Hao Ren closed his eyes and began to comprehend whatever he could while waiting.


    He didn''t know how much time had passed before he opened his eyes. When he did open his eyes and looked around, he found the three ladies standing in some distance, gazing at him.


    Hao Ren cupped his fist and greeted them as he said, "I apologize for my brashness, fairies, but the sword intent here was so mystical that I couldn''t help but try to figure it out."


    The ladies shook their heads and one of them said, "You think too much, Master Hao. When we came here for the first time, we were similar to you. Master left this peak to make sure that someone could inherit his mettle."


    Hao Ren smiled as he stood up straight and said, "Well, indeed, who wouldn''t want to be the disciple of such a strong sword elder."


    The three ladies nodded, and one of them asked, "Master Hao, would you like some time to prepare, or shall we fight?"


    Hao Ren took out his sword directly and said, "I am very agitated and eager to learn fairies, please begin."


    The three of them looked over at each other and then the youngest looking one said, "Fine, I will go. If I win, you will buy me the Higher spirit sword."


    The two ladies nodded, and the youngest one stood up from the stool and walked over. She stood ten meters away and said, "I am Yan Ling. I seek your guidance."


    That said, she clasped her fist to greet Hao Ren. How returned the gesture and said, "Hao Ren, thank you for your guidance."


    The two people stood facing each other. Hao Ren was wearing a common white robe with his long hair tied behind his back with a ribbon, and he held a black sword.


    On the other hand, Yan Ling was wearing silver battle armor with a phoenix engraved on the breast plate. She held an ice blue sword. The other two ladies looked at them from the side and one of them said, "Begin!"


    The two of them dashed forward, and in a blink the battle began. The blades clashed and the surroundings echoed with metallic clangs. The young man didn''t hold back and the two people began to clash with just their sword skills.


    Hao Ren was using his sword akin to that of a snake. As soon as there was a loophole, he would attack but then he would pull back as well. After hundred exchanges, Yan Ling was at a disadvantage, however, she did not continue to display her spiritual techniques and attacks to him.


    She opened up the gap between them and said, "I concede."


    Hao Ren thanked her for being generous and accepted the victory. Then the second lady asked, "Master Hao, do you wish to rest?"


    The young man shook his head, and said, "Lady Yan only used her sword skills and she didn''t even cast one Spirit Attack, so I didn''t use that much energy."


    The lady stood up from her seat and said, "I am Gao Toro. Thank you for your guidance."


    Hao Ren clasped his hands and bowed but not anymore. This was the second time and he had already introduced himself. The young lady took out an icy sword. She said, "This sword is called Yuki. Please be careful when facing it."


    The young man nodded, and then the lady from before again said, "Begin!"


    The two people moved and the peak was again filled with sword echoes. After a few minutes, Gao Toro stopped holding back and she said, "Eagle Wing Slash."


    This attack was a release of sword energy accumulated in the blade over time. Hao Ren watched the claw type attack coming towards him, and he took a deep breath before he raised his hand to block the attack.


    Gao Toro, Yan Ling and the third girl were all shocked, but when they wanted to help, they saw that the attack landed square on the forearm leaving behind only a faint white mark across the har.


    The young man chuckled and said, "Good, now my turn. Please be careful, Lady Gao. Chaos Slash."


    Just a single slash, and the attack was successfully countered, however, following that a wave of cold hit Hao Ren. The young man raised his brows and channeled his spiritual flame inside the body to dispel the cold that was trying to seep through his body.


    He commented, "Good attack, General Gao, this is good. Come again, please."


    Gao Toro chuckled and said, "Good!"


    The battle unfolded and the intensity increased. Hao Ren was careful to manage the intensity of his attacks when facing the attack made by Gao Toro. The latter was surprised that even after exchanging five hundred attacks with Hao Ren, she was yet to figure out his style. Suddenly, she realized something and said, "Master Hao, you are truly commendable. Even after such a long battle, I cannot see through the pattern that most of the sword cultivators display in their moves. All your strikes are smooth and different yet they connect very well. I concede, I cannot defeat you, Master Hao."


    Hao Ren clasped his fist and said, "Your compliment is going to bloat me, General Gao. Thank you for sparring with me."


    Finally, the last lady stood up. She was wearing a black armor and said, "I am Yuntao Hachi. Thank you for indulging me."


    Hao Ren returned the gesture and said, "May I take a five minute break to regain my strength, Lady Yuntao Hachi?"


    The lady wasn''t surprised, and she nodded. Hao Ren sat down on the ground and began to cultivate to regain his strength.

 Chapter 427 427: Yuntao Hachi.

    Hao Ren sat on the ground, he was reading his Titan Sutra to the highest speed possible. After five minutes, he finished recovering and stood up from the ground with the Chaos Sword in his hand. He looked at the young lady standing against him. She was young and valiant, however, Hao Ren could tell that Yuntao Hachi, the military general was the strongest sword practitioner among the three generals.


    She was wearing a black and silver armor, and a phoenix was clearly engraved on the chest plate. The young lady took out a long sword and Hao Ren took out his own. Looking at the other person he decided to stop holding back as well.


    Gao Toro looked at them and said, "Begin."


    The two people disappeared, and when they appeared, they were in the middle of the summit. The blades had yet to collide but the floor cracked up. The cracks were not zig-zag, but they were all straight as if someone has drawn a line with a ruler, and the edges of these cracks were mirror finish.


    The two ladies exchanged gazes and retreated into distance. They didn''t want to stand too close to get caught up in the aftermath of this battle. One thing was decided with this first exchange, the landscape would change.


    The blows were exchanged and the intensity was so high that the void was rippling from the impact. The two ladies watched from the side, and they didn''t expect that Hao Ren would be so strong. They were about to start talking when Yin appeared in the void next to them. She gazed at them and bowed her head before turning to gaze at the battle.


    Gao Toro asked, "Young lady, who are you?"


    Yin turned around and replied, "Senior, I am Hao Yin. That is my father sparring with that senior."


    The two ladies were shocked. Although they have seen Yin last night, they didn''t expect her to be his daughter. They could sense that she was not a human, but a spirit beast. They frowned and Hao Yin didn''t respond. She had already gotten used to this behavior of the human kind, always thinking that they are superior to everyone but in reality they were stupid.


    Hao Ren had not introduced her to these people because in his eyes, they were just his knowledge banks and didn''t need to know more about him or his family.


    ...


    The two people raged on at each other, and Yuntao Hachi said, "Sakura Cuts."


    She changed the grip of her sword, and from one hand to double handed, and then she began to slash at Hao Ren. She didn''t hold back her sword intent and unleashed it like a hound from the hells. Hao Ren also didn''t falter, and he said, "Four Season Sword."


    His figure moved around and he radiated the sword intent that cancelled out the attack made by Yuntao Hachi. The lady didn''t budge and said, "Charge of the Tiger."


    She dashed forward and slashed her sword horizontally against Hao Ren. The young man smiled and said, "Ten Lion Steps."


    After that he invoked the Eye of the Insight and saw through the skill used by Yuntao Hachi. He closed in quicker than the lady and when he was close to her, Hao Ren said, "Cut."


    That said, he slashed the sword down at her head directly. With the swift and simple move, Yuntao Hachi felt the pressure building on her, and she had no choice but to retreat. Hao Ren watched her, but he didn''t intend to give her the chance to open up the gap and catch her breath.


    Hao Ren closed in and raised his sword as he said, "Flame Slash."


    He cut the void diagonally and a sword energy shot from his blade, however, the energy wasn''t simple, Hao Ren had infused his knowledge and comprehension of the flame in it. The heat from the attack was so strong that it caused the layer of snow to evaporate directly.


    Yuntao Hachi grit her teeth and raised her blade to meet the attack and said, "Severing The River."


    She attacked back, and the sword slash from her blade collided with the flaming attack from Hao Ren. The two attacks created an explosion. The entire mountain under their feet began to tremble, but Hao Ren didn''t hesitate and he moved forward. This time he said, "Void Step."


    The next moment he appeared two meters away from Yuntao Hachi and stabbed with the tip of his sword, and he said, "Dragon Stab."


    This was also a new move that he came up with while comprehending sword with Ye Jian. The sword seemed to have transformed into a dragon and roared at Yuntao Hachi. The lady was shocked to see the illusion that seemed almost life-like. Just when she was about to take action she sensed a cold feeling against her neck.


    The scenery changed, Yuntao Hachi opened her eyes and she saw Hao Ren looking down at her. She looked at herself, and found that she was kneeling on the ground and she had no recollection of it. The cold feeling came from the tip of the black blade resting against her skin. She didn''t even dare to gulp.


    She matched her gaze with Hao Ren and found that he was staring at the void in a daze. She carefully pulled back and watched the young man holding his stance. She wanted to say something when a calm voice echoed in her mind, "Senior, Baba is going through the process of enlightenment, please don''t disturb him."


    She turned around to look at Yin and then nodded. The young lady appeared beside them and took out a jade array plate before tossing it above Hao Ren and a barrier appeared around him. Yuntao Hachi was shocked to see how casually Yin did this. The young lady didn''t even show any trace of holding back.


    Yin then took out a jade from her space ring and crushed it. Yuntao Hachi wanted to ask what she was doing but then she sensed movement in the void around it. Five void portals appeared in the surroundings and Yuntao Hachi was about to attack when Yin said, "Senior, don''t worry, they are my people."


    Yuntao Hachi was surprised, and then she saw five humans wearing black robes stepping out of the portals. They all had one common point. On the chest was a character embroidered, ''Ye''. Yin was very cautious and directly called for the Ye Generals who could sense the movement of the jade.


    These Ye generals were all young disciples of the original Ye Generals. Even Han Lingxue had become one of them, but she was always beside Ye Jill. Yin had authority to move five disciple generals but not the main generals.


    The five people walked over to her and bowed deeply, "Your Highness."


    Yin nodded and said, "Form a defensive parameter here, Baba is going through an enlightenment. Inform the elders, if need be, one of them should come here."


    The people nodded and raised their wrists to send out the message on the emergency communicator that they had gained from the Crescent Moon Palace.


    Yin turned to look at Yuntao Hai and the other two generals as she said, "Seniors, I apologize, but I wish that you can keep our identities a secret. We don''t bear ill will towards the Kingdom or the people here. My father only came out to travel the world and experience how it felt to face the strongest sword cultivators in the Spirit Siphon Continent."


    Then she clasped her fist and said, "I seek your understanding on this issue."


    The three people turned to exchange glances, obviously they were talking to themselves through the spiritual communication. How could they not? Yuntao Hachi shook her head and said, "I apologize, but we do have to reveal what prevailed here to the Empress. This is our duty."


    A calm voice echoed in the surroundings, "Are you sure that you don''t wish to give the little princess any face?"


    The void opened and a beautiful lady emerged from the portal. Yin sighed and said, "Elder Yue. Please handle it, Baba would be really angry that I used the token to call you all."


    Ye Yue smiled and shook her head as she approached her, and patted her head gently as she said, "Your Baba can destroy the world, but he won''t get angry with you. You know who rules at home, don''t you?"


    Yin chuckled a little before going back to her cold face. Ye Yue looked at the three ladies who were gazing at her with great scrutiny, and Ye Yue said, "Seniors, you don''t have to peek at me like this. I am just at the beginning of the Dao Land realm. I am only here to seek your understanding, because if the higher ups found out what is going on here, they might come to raise hell."


    Yuntao Hachi furrowed her brows and asked, "Are you threatening us? How dare you?"


    She raised her weapon, but just then she sensed her sword shivering. She was shocked and looked at the barrier, Hao Ren wasn''t visible to them, but she was sure that it was related to him. Clenching the hilt of her sword, she said, "Let us wait and see what Master Hao has to say, and then we will make our decisions."


    Ye Yue and Yin let out a sigh and thanked her for her understanding as they waited.

 Chapter 428: Sword Saint.

    Hao Ren was standing inside the isolation barrier. He was surrounded by the Ye Disciples, and Ye Yue, however, on the other side, stood the three generals of the Rising Flame Kingdom. They were not happy with Hao Ren''s sudden identity elevation. They thought of him as a Grandmaster Alchemist and then he surprised them with this skill with the sword. However, what shocked them the most and also made them feel betrayed was the arrival of Ye Generals.


    The situation between the two parties was quite tense and they were ready to go at each other, but held back. Ye Yue and the rest were weaker when it came to the cultivation realm, but in reality they were all cunning and had more tricks than the three ladies could even imagine. Ye Yue had comprehended the meaning of charm and if she was to use her technique, she would easily dispose of these people.


    However, they could not bring trouble to Hao Ren. They stood waiting for Hao Ren to finish his enlightenment, however, inside the barrier, Hao Ren was cynically moving towards something way too complex than enlightenment.


    Everything that he comprehended was being engraved on the halo behind him. Another thing was that after waking up from the state of enlightenment he directly consumed the sword intent grass.


    This increased his efficiency in understanding the profound truth of the logics of cultivation, and also boosted his sword heart. Hao Ren was just focusing on getting stronger. He didn''t know what was going on outside and Yin''s momentary panic had blown his cover. He just kept on comprehending and the wait extended to three days, when suddenly, the young generals and the Ye disciples sensed something.


    Ye Long, the disciple of Ye Jian said, "It seems, the Young Master has reached the step."


    The people looked at him, and Ye Long held his sheathe high in the void, the blade moved out of the sheath on its own and began to revolve around Hao Ren''s barrier with the tip of the blade pointing at the ground.


    The three ladies thought it was a trick but then their own swords began to tremble, and they shot out of the sheaths directly displaying the same behavior as Ye Long''s sword.


    Just when the three were shocked, they sensed a terribly thick, suffocating sword intent began to resonate in the void. Ye Yue looked at the situation and said, "All of you, get back, don''t stand too close to him."


    The people heed her words and moved, and sure enough, after a couple of minutes the entire void was filled with swords that were pointing at the ground and floating in the void. Revolving around Hao Ren as if he was the center of the world.


    Yin sensed something and removed the barrier. Ye Yue asked, "Why did you do that?"


    Yin replied by pointing her finger at Hao Ren. The Halo of the saint behind him had manifested completely and she said, "He has broken into the realm of the saints. He is a sword saint."


    Ye Yue looked at Hao Ren and she sensed something that made her want to kneel and kowtow to him. Hao Ren looked so holy and noble that even the young men were thinking if they were straight at this moment.


    At this moment, many people who chased after their swords appeared in the void surrounding them, one of them was Ye Jian and the other was Hao Mei. However, they both looked at each other and Hao Ren from a distance.


    The sky changed and it was covered with golden clouds. The clouds thundered, many people even began to speculate if the world was ending.


    However, following this a deafening voice echoed in the surroundings, "Saintly seeds take the root, walk between heaven and earth pursuing the eternal truth."


    Hao Ren was surprised, and he opened his eyes to look at the heavenly phenomena, but nothing was visible on his face. He looked around him and found that tens of thousands of swords were chiming as they vibrated at higher frequency.


    Ye Jian said, "Ten thousand swords bowing to the saint."


    He bowed to Hao Ren and said, "Ye Jian greets the Sword Saint."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied as he asked, "Thank you for your respect."


    Ye Jian took the lead, followed by Hao Mei, and the rest of the people in the surroundings also began to bow and greet him with respect. Hao Ren shook his head and greeted everyone back, before he held the Chaos Sword back.


    His temperament has turned into something much more ethereal. The people were shivering when his gaze ran over them. In the past few days, Hao Ren had completely digested the information from the thousand sword art books that were delivered by Empress Rising Flame.


    Then the duel with the three ladies, followed by the epiphany and consumption of the sword grass. His comprehension had indeed reached that of a saint, but at this moment the system was raging on, *Bitch, can you step back on the ground? You are not yet a saint. These insolent creatures don''t know yet, they haven''t deciphered the meaning of the heaven''s decree. You are just a saint seed. You have a long way to go to become a pinnacle sword saint.*


    Hao Ren sighed and replied, ''I am aware, only twenty five percent of my Halo has been inscribed. System, you know something?''


    *What?* asked the system.


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, ''From the moment you have binded with me. My life has never been the same. There have been a lot of moments where I even thought that Heaven has simply bestowed me with the destiny to suffer. Lingshi is there, and so are the others, but they are unaware of my most guarded secret, which is you. It all began when you came to life...''


    *Wait a second, are you getting emotional?*


    Hao Ren sighed and said, ''No, no, how can I get emotional, isn''t that all just stupid? I was only thinking that maybe the cause of my troubles and toiling originates from you? Maybe you are the jinx of my life that has caused me to feel troubled, otherwise, even if I were to live a boring life, it would have been...''


    *Fuck you, fuck you asshole, you shit brick. You think I am the cause of your misery? Is it not your behavior, always candid and stupidly waiting for a golden-finger. You should have gotten a golden dick in that ass you clenched just when the heaven''s decree was issued. You filthy bug-like existence.*


    Hao Ren didn''t back off, he stood in the void with his eyes closed as the two of them hurled curses at each other one after the other. After a few minutes, the system said, *Since you love cursing so much, go and cuss your wife. If you fail the task, you can hold your detached nuts and lick them by yourself.*


    Hao Ren said, "Fine, cut off my nuts right away, that will damage my Yang energy and restrict the path to the so-called omnipotence that you promised. I wonder what would happen to you if you failed to complete your mandate."


    The system fell silent, Hao Ren waited for a few minutes to see if his nuts would really fall, but they didn''t and he understood that the system was just bluffing him all this while and he was working for nothing.


    He took a deep breath and decided that he would deal with this later, as right now, he had another task to handle. The sword cultivators who came over have left, but he could sense that the old people from the distant lands were moving quickly towards the location. He took a deep breath and looked at the three generals and his family members as he said, "This misunderstanding between us can be cleared later, for now, please retreat, some seniors from the Dao World Realm are heading over, and I am sure, you don''t wish to get in trouble with them. General Yuntao, after exchanging blows with me, you should know that I don''t have any ill-will for the Kingdom or you all. Please give me the time to deal with things here before we can sort out our issues."


    Yuntao Hachi thought for a bit and nodded before she clasped her fists and said, "Greetings to the sword saint."


    The two generals beside her followed the command and then Hao Ren reciprocated the gesture before he looked at his sister and said, "Mei, take them back to the city and conceal the breaths. You all don''t exist until I come back. You have five minutes."


    Hao Mei and Ye Jian were still present, they moved quickly and then Hao Ren waved his hand to disturb the surroundings with his strong sword intent. He didn''t clean the aura''s of all the people around him, but only of his family.


    After five minutes he opened his eyes and asked, "Since seniors have come, why test the junior from the shadows?"


    Ten people appeared before him. Hao Ren could sense the thick heaven and earth essence over them. These people somehow used the true meanings to conceal their presence as they traveled. It was just that his senses were too sharp that he managed to detect them.


    One of the old men stroked his beard and asked, "You are the Sword Saint it seems, but what is so different about you from the rest of the sword practitioners?"


    Hao Ren didn''t reply instantly, he waited, before he saw that none of the others were speaking and he held his sword as he said, "Senior, perhaps an exchange in sword skills might clarify this doubt?"


    One elder chuckled and said, "Old Mao, this kid is interesting, take him on."

 Chapter 429: Toe-to-toe.

    The elders laughed as Hao Ren stood defiant before them holding his sword. They thought this young man was joking with them, reaching out to hold the stars that lay beyond the reach of even them, the stronger experts of the cultivation world.


    Old Mao was a dainty old man, with a dragon beard that reached his chest, and at the moment, he was scrutinizing Hao Ren with great interest. The young man had hidden his Halo, because the system had told him earlier, after becoming a saint, he didn''t need to reveal it to anyone. The Halo will turn into a tattoo and merge with his skin. As the practitioner advanced on the path of sainthood, the comprehension would be etched in the Halo on its own.


    Old Mao took out a wooden stick, Hao Ren could sense that the staff was just a sheath, inside rested a blade that has been sharpened through countless battles. The old men around him were sword practitioners, and Hao Ren could sense the fierce nature of their blades. The young man took a deep breath and as he exhaled, he tilted his head to the side.


    A sharp whistle was heard, the old man had launched an attack at him. Hao Ren said calmly, "Since all the seniors came here to see what is so different about a Sword Saint, then I would show my paltry tricks."


    Although his words of choice were humble, but his tone was calm and unbothered. This caused the experts to frown a little. They watched Hao Ren hold his sword a little tighter, and then a whistle similar to the attack launched by Old Mao was heard. They all looked toward the old man, and found that a few strands of his white hair were flying in the void.


    The old man managed to avoid the attack, but he still lost a few strands. He frowned and wanted to say something when he sensed a trace of warmth on his cheek. He raised his hand to touch his cheek and then his languid eyes opened wide. He was shocked as there was a very shallow cut on his cheek and a drop of blood seeped through it.


    He wasn''t the only one, but the entire group of people, about twenty old men and women were shocked. Hao Ren said, "I apologize, I haven''t yet managed to grasp the complete extent of my tricks, and thus overshot this move by a little."


    His speech was a clear testimony of the fact that he was holding back. Although it sounded like a slap across the faces of the old men, but they didn''t come so far in the world of cultivation by relying on a thin skin.


    One of the elders said, "If you can take three moves, I will agree to your position as the sword saint."


    Hao Ren smiled faintly and replied, "Senior, do you place yourself above the Heaven''s Decree? Did I ask you to acknowledge my status? Why does people in this world think that everyone is running after fame? Also, if you are not a saint as well, then your words naturally don''t hold any significant sway on my status anyhow."


    His tone was calm but his words were very haughty. The elder who spoke was enraged and said, "Youngster, the heavens declared that you are a Saint Seedling. However, many plants give in to the strong winds."


    That said the old man took out his sword and was about to attack Hao Ren when suddenly he sensed that his sword was shivering. Hao Ren looked at the man and said, "You don''t seem to understand the situation here, Senior. I call you Senior to maintain the decorum of the cultivation traditions. However, you are reaching a bit too far by trying to stomp over my dignity. Since you are so eager to prove your skills, fine, I will welcome you."


    The young man looked around and said, "Please do not think that I am arrogant, I just believe in the principle of tit-for-tat."


    He took back the pressure he exerted on the old man''s sword and the person attacked. Hao Ren didn''t even raise his blade, he directly stored Chaos sword back inside the sheath, and used his bare hand to counter the incoming attack. He could sense that despite the perfection of the attack it still had a chink, and that was spotted by Hao Ren.


    He held his palm up like it was a blade and said, "Chop."


    He made a horizontal chop and a sword intent wave hit the incoming attack. The void rippled and the attack was dissolved. Then Hao Ren raised his palm blade from the ground to the sky. The gesture seemed simple but it caused the earlier attack to change its trajectory and head towards the old man. Hao Ren said, "If you can dissolve this in two attacks, I will consider you equal to me."


    The older people were shocked, and soon they turned to look at the person who invited trouble for himself, and saw him attacking two of his best attacks. However, after the second attack, the sword energy unleashed by Hao Ren was still moving through the void and directly came into contact with the old man.


    The old man was sweating already because this attack was intended to kill him, with no other option, he took a step to the side, and the point of impact changed from his torso to his left arm. The attack chopped the hand below his left elbow cleanly.


    The old man groaned and almost screamed when Hao Ren waved his hand and the sword intent inside the body was removed. The people saw the young man holding the chopped arm as he said, "I am a bit confused, why would you go to the lengths of defying the heavenly mandate?"


    The old man grit his teeth and Hao Ren said, "I would have returned the arm and given you a pill to heal it as well, but since you still wish to come up with a retort to defy that you have lost."


    A golden flame erupted from Hao Ren''s palm and the arm of the Dao World expert was reduced into nothing but ashes. The old man was humiliated and Hao Ren said, "My name is Hao Ren and I would wait for your retaliation. However, as a sword practitioner yourself, I am hoping you would be like the sword itself, straight and resolute. If you used any deceitful means to come after me. I will come back to you and I will kill more than you at that time."


    The people could sense that Hao Ren wasn''t lying, there was a grave sense of sincerity in his words. They all understood that this young man wasn''t simple or weak, but rather, someone who climbed this high with his skills and guts as his backing.


    Many old people exchanged glances and then they nodded to each other. They were conversing with each other using the spiritual methods, and agreed to the ceasefire for the moment. They wanted to know how Hao Ren became the saint, however, they were not a match against him. With twenty people, Hao Ren still manage to attack against one of them, this could be either that he was a fool, or he had a strong backing. Since they could not sense anything in the surroundings which confirmed the suspicion that the guardian was stronger than them. They also couldn''t neglect the possibility of multiple guardians. So, they nodded, greeted Hao Ren, left their contacts and identities to him before they vanished.


    Hao Ren was standing in the void with his sword in his hand. Although he has scared the people away, he was sure that this incident will not stop here. He would have to move away from the city. He sighed, and after waiting for another ten minutes, when none of the old people snuck up on him. He dashed away from the place.


    Inside the city, Yin was walking around anxiously in the courtyard, Ye Jian, Ye Yue and Hao Mei were drinking tea and assessing Alka and the two boys taken in by Hao Ren. The three generals were there as well, but they were just watching everything from the side.


    Suddenly, the young man appeared in the center of the courtyard and looking at Yin, he sighed and said, "Kiddo, it is time you go back and accompanied your Ma for a bit. I am travelling light from now on."


    Yin wanted to say something but she held back and nodded, because if it was a confrontation, she would become a burden. He then looked at Ye Yue and said, "Yue, bring these three children to the northern part of the Spirit Siphon Continent through your contacts. They are the residents there."


    Alka was surprised and asked, "Teacher, will you not teach us anymore?"


    Hao Ren just raised his right hand and imparted the knowledge they needed to train themselves. He said, "Follow this knowledge and you will grow stronger than those around you. Okay?"


    Hao Mei asked, "What is going on here?"


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "What else? One old bag of bones was trying to pretend before me, I chopped off his hand and challenged him to come at me. Now I have to move so that that old man burns in agony to find me."


    The people who knew him shook their heads, and the three generals looked at him and Yuntao Hachi stepped forward as she said, "Grandmaster Hao, one day, on the path of sword, I will go toe-to-toe with you."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "I will wait for that day to come soon, General Yuntao."

 Chapter 430: Village In The Valley.

    Hao Ren used the horse that was captured back outside the city and he set out to travel. He wanted to learn more about the Spirit Siphon Continent. Yin and the rest of the people had also left last night but he waited till the morning and found the landlord to collected the advance he had deposited to him.


    The young man had simply chalked it up as, he had limited money and didn''t want to waste any of it. Hao Mei almost wanted to beat him up, he was the Emperor of a nation and yet he was acting so stingily. The young man rode on the back of his horse in a leisurely pace. He kept one leg over the back of the horse and wore a bamboo basket as he strummed a bamboo guitar strings and sang a few songs.


    He was playing the role of a bard and singing songs that he heard back on the blue star. The system had given him the skill for music and Hao Ren was using this to cover his identity. Although the horse appeared to be walking leisurely, Hao Ren had given it an enlightenment and this lowly beast now had some sentience.


    He was using a technique to cover greater distance with each step forward. Hao Ren spent three nights to get out of the territory of the Rising Flame Country, and during this time, he hid his breath and aura from the others.


    Another four days, and he came upon a valley town. The place looked secluded and only a few houses were spotted by Hao Ren even with his enhanced vision. However, what lured him to this place was a strong sword intent radiating from the place. He patted the back of his horse and they descended down the steep cliff wall.


    The horse was not scared but on the contrary it changed into a mountain ram, jumping from one foothold to the other until it came to the ground. Hao Ren chuckled as he mumbled, "I haven''t ridden a roller coaster in ages but this was certainly putting the roller coasters to shame."


    The horse panted to catch its breath, earlier, many times it lost its footing and Hao Ren cast a spirit energy base for it to regain balance and continue. The young man was an adrenaline junkie. Hao Ren was stroking the neck of his horse when he sensed a few people approaching him from the side. He smiled and said, "You all have a good response. However, don''t worry, I climbed down the cliff wall only to save some time. I don''t have any ill-intention towards your settlement."


    Seven people stepped out from behind the trees, they were all carrying swords on their waists. Hao Ren placed his thumb in the string of his guitar and plucked it gently.


    "Twang!"


    The simple pluck released a wisp of sword intent that caused them all to retreat two steps back. They all had cold sweat covering their faces and backs. Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Can I see your leader?"


    The leader of the party gulped and nodded as he said, "Please follow me, Senior."


    Hao Ren nodded, the horse that had just started to chew a mouthful of grass turned around and followed the people through the trees. All this while Hao Ren sat on the back of the horse and kept playing with his guitar.


    He couldn''t help but play the melodies that made him feel close to the nature. The greenery in the surroundings was very refreshing. They passed through the trees and Hao Ren noticed that most of the people were living in tree houses that were hidden under the cover of the canopy. The population of this place was a bit more than what Hao Ren expected.


    He asked, "May I know what is your name?"


    The person leading the way was suddenly taken aback. Then he replied, "I am called, Mast, Senior."


    Hao Ren nodded as he asked, "So, Mast, can you tell me the unique way of living? Why have you made so many tree houses?"


    Mast replied, "Senior, in this region we suffer from wave attacks of the Red Sword Ants. They cannot climb the trees of Smoke Fruit."


    Hao Ren mumbled the names of two things and asked, "How can an ant fail to climb a tree?"


    Mast replied, "Senior, the limbs of the ant are akin to that of a sword. So the young and old have trouble contending against them. Each ant is as big as a horse. These trees, when the bark is cut, they emit a smoke so lethal that the sword ants suffocate and die. It''s more like they won''t climb the trees and not cannot."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Does this smoke harm humans?"


    Mast nodded and replied, "If someone carelessly damages the tree bark, and comes in contact with the smoke, the skin will boil and rot, in a matter of minutes, we don''t have any cure to this."


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at the surroundings thinking this was basically a parasitic place to live. Looking at the tree houses, he found they were connected with rope bridges and many people were gazing down at him as they crossed the bridges.


    Soon, they came out of the tree line and in the center stood a building covered with formation runes and on top of the building sat a middle-aged man with a sword across his legs. Mast approached the building and said, "This is the guardian tower. senior, please wait here while I call the leader over."


    Hao Ren nodded and slid down the horse back and then said, "Blue Wise, go and found yourself some grass, however, stay clear of ant colonies and don''t bring in trouble."


    The horse snorted and then it trotted away slowly. The young man looked around him, stored away his guitar and took out his Chaos Sword. He took in a deep breath and his persona changed completely. The middle aged man sitting on top of the roof opened his eyes and looked at Hao Ren as he stood up and asked, "May I ask what caused the Senior to come here?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I sensed the sword intent lingering in the void, and I thought about coming here and find a sparring partner."


    The middle-aged man shook his head and replied, "How can that be? Your cultivation level far surpasses those you might find here."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "To master the sword, one doesn''t need the realm. Realm only helps you with the damage you can do, but the finesse of the sword relies on your effort. Sword intent is not attached to how much spiritual energy you have accumulated, but on how much of the sword path have you comprehended."


    His words were spoken in a calm tone and the person on the other side shivered when he heard this. He took a deep breath after a few seconds, and bowed to Hao Ren as he said, "I am Gara, the leader of this village. I thank senior for your guidance."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "Leader Gara, you appear to be a valiant person, how about it, would you be my sparring partner?"


    Gara nodded and said, "It would be my pleasure."


    Hao Ren was about to take out his sword when he noticed that Gara was using a normal steel sword. He sighed and took out a wooden sword. He said, "I don''t mean to disrespect you, but since this is a spar, I would prefer us both to be on the same level. I will not use my spirit energy, and we will only compare the skills of sword."


    Gara was surprised but then he nodded and took out a wooden sword from his space ring. He took a deep breath and said, "Senior, can we fight some place else? The tree bark is a bit too delicate in this season."


    Hao Ren chuckled and waved his hand as he erected a barrier around them, as he said, "You don''t have to worry so much, I have cast a barrier, it will be fine."


    Gara heaved a sigh of relief. Hao Ren found that this guy was just in the Planet Shattering Realm. His strength seemed to be very lacking compared to the average of this continent. However, Hao Ren didn''t meddle, and the sparring began. Many people had gathered on the rope bridge on the tree line, and some elders were standing at the edges of the barrier.


    Hao Ren kept his promise, he fought with the normal capabilities and only used his sword skills. His movements were fluid and he was punishing any and every mistake made by Gara. However, the latter was learning a great deal from this exchange and didn''t repeat the same mistake again.


    Hao Ren smiled and just when he wanted to continue, a loud horn echoed in the surroundings, and Gara said, "Senior, we have a wave of sword ants coming, please forgive me. I have to attend this."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Since I am here, may I also join?"


    Gara was surprised and nodded hurriedly.

 Chapter 431 431: Sword Ants.

    Hao Ren walked along with Gara, following him through the woods at a steady pace. The young man took a deep breath as he noticed the enemies. Outside the treeline there were several hundreds of ants, and their limbs were akin to that of a sword. Their exoskeleton was shiny and glossy, however, it did give an overbearing aura. Hao Ren noticed that many of the village fighters were shivering.


    Although they feared the beasts, Hao Ren could see the disparity in their realms as the swarm closened the distance between them. He asked, "They are not afraid of fire?"


    Gara shook his head and said, "Senior, they only have one weakness, and that is their underbellies. However, they are so agile and the sheer quantity they have makes it very difficult for us to counter them."


    Hao Ren asked, "How have you been dealing with them for all this time. You don''t seem to be facing them for the first time."


    Gara nodded and said, "As soon as they come close to the treeline, we would damage the barks and run away. The ants will not enter the tree line."


    Hao Ren nodded but suddenly he said, "This is not the solution in the long term. The trees are spirit beings and I am sure they cannot grow so quickly. Can they?"


    Gara shook his head and Hao Ren asked, "Why not leave this valley?"


    The former sighed and revealed a bitter smile, "Senior, with this level of cultivation, if we are to step out of the valley, we would become nothing else but slaves and fodder. How can I lead these men and women to their deaths."


    Hao Ren nodded, this was a valid reason to stay cooped up inside the valley. He looked at the swarm of ants and said, "Well, I will talk to you later, how about you let me handle the swarm this time."


    Gara was shocked, but then he nodded and said, "You may act as you please senior, I will support you as much as I can with my people."


    Hao Ren smiled but didn''t say anything else. He held his sword and walked outside the tree line and then he vanished to appear a few hundred meters away from the treeline. He took half a step forward, bent his knees and held his sword close to his waist as he said, "Dragon Draw."


    A wave of sword intent shot from his blade and rushed at the ants coming forward. Suddenly, the invincible seeming sword ants, hit the ground and a cloud rose in the void. The vanguard collapsed, but Hao Ren didn''t have any intention to stop. He waved his hand and released Phoenix flames from his palm.


    The flames burned with no restrain and the temperature in the valley rose sharply, causing the people to sweat. Gara and the rest looked at Hao Ren and they shivered, this guy who was smiling with them just now is so terrifying, more than the sword ants.


    Hao Ren cast the flames in two different directions and made a funnel from them that forced the ants to attack him only. The beasts could sense that Phoenix Flames were nothing ordinary and thus they had no option but to attack Hao Ren. The young man smiled at the situation, and with his loss robes and lose ponytail, he looked like a fallen immortal, who braved dangers with his sword.


    The young man held the hilt of his sword and said, "Four Seasons Sword Play."


    He began to attack the swarm of ants before him with the four different attributes of his sword play. They were not very effective, but with a wave of ants fallen on the ground earlier, it was enough to kill them. These ants were ruthless, they didn''t hesitate to step over their comrades and directly stab them with their sword limbs.


    Hao Ren knew that nature could be cruel, but now that he was watching it, he couldn''t help but feel a chill running down his spine. These things were really creepy crawly. He shook his head and decided to stop practicing and wrap it all up soon. He said, "Phoenix Scattering Clouds."


    He moved along with his sword, and danced with it. Waves of fiery sword intent moved through the crowd of ants, burning them and exploding in different spots. Think of the swarm as a cloud, and the fiery waves as a bomber attacks. It was scattering the swarm and Hao Ren took complete advantage.


    He cast another, move, "Phoenix Circling the Snake."


    The flames moved around in a circle and began to tighten around the ants slowly. The ants had been disrupted and they couldn''t run away, so they had no choice but to go through the wall of flames. However, as soon as they touched the flames, they burned and screeched.


    Hao Ren was beginning to feel a little dizzy from the eruption of these wails from this inscent, however, he wasn''t sure what to do to stop them. After a few minutes of persisting he sealed his ears with his spiritual energy and continued the onslaught. He didn''t stop at just a single Phoenix Circling The Snake, he cast it multiple times.


    Gara was watching Hao Ren from the distance and he couldn''t help but speak in a daze, "God of sword."


    He was in awe of the skills and movement Hao Ren showed. The young man before him was killing the Sword Ants, the enemy that has consumed the lives of so many of his family and friends, with such ease that it almost felt like he was cutting vegetable that lay on the chopping board and begged him to do it.


    The battle continued, and the blade continued to reap lives. Hao Ren was dancing with his sword lost in another world and his speed was getting faster and faster with every move. At a point it seemed that at the center of the ground, there was a hurricane. Hao Ren had turned into a mirage and after images.


    Hao Ren was using this time to understand the extent of his sword play. He was capable of slaying people, but he wasn''t sure if he could hold on to this level of output on not. In his whole life, this was the first time he fought against so many enemies. As the battle continued, he began to increase the difficulty for himself, he aimed at the limb joint of the ants and not the limb itself. These things were akin to a natural sword, so why not retrofit them and make swords for everyone?


    Hao Ren was quick and decisive, with every move his control improved. After a few minutes, he realized that the enemy had no movement. He stopped, and found that hundreds of sword ants were dead, they were all spread across the ground as if they were never alive. He noticed that some of them were scorched, and some had big gashes on them. The young man took a deep breath and realized that he was almost empty.


    He spent a lot of spiritual energy to deal with these people, however, this also gave him an estimate about how long he would last if he fought the people like this. The young man smiled, and turned around to look at Gara, just then a high pitched screech echoed in the void, and Hao Ren sighed.


    He turned around and found an ant, that was ten times bigger than the rest of the Sword Ants was crawling out from the ground. It was moving very slowly, and looked different than the rest of her race. This one was white, had a soft appearance. Hao Ren thought of something and mumbled, "Ant Queen?"


    The next moment a loud voice shook the void, "Human!"


    Hatred, Hao Ren could sense only one emotion in this voice, and that was Hatred. The ant bellowed again, "How dare you do this to my children?!!! You should die, you will die, I will kill you?!"


    Hao Ren wanted to point at the thing and ask how it would kill him, by hugging him to death? However, before he could say anything, the bug began to glow, and using Yin and Yang eyes, Hao Ren found that the bug was shrinking. It was getting compact and its form seemed to be changing.


    The young man frowned and asked, "Did you think I would let you transform while I wait here patiently? Fuck you!"


    Then he raised his sword high above his head and held the hilt with two hands as he said, "Dragon Cut."


    The sword was slashed down and the next moment, a space fissure, running diagonally across the glowing bug, and sucked in everything. The bug was still alive, and it screeched as it yelled, "Despicable Human, you will rot in hell. You will suffer the same fate that you give others, I c..."


    Before it could complete the words, the space fissure sucked in everything and the young man took a deep breath. He turned around to look at Gara and said, "Well, the Sword Ants have been settled, how about we have a conversation?"


    Gara was shocked, and then he knelt down on the ground and said, "I will heed whatever you say, Lord."


    Hao Ren was shocked and took half a step back, "What the fuck happened?"

 Chapter 432: City Of Lust.

    Hao Ren looked at Gara and then shook his head before saying, "Man, you ought to calm down a bit."


    Gara realized that Hao Ren was a casual person and he didn''t like this kind of endearments. The young man put away his sword and said, "Well, if you don''t mind, you can settle in my region."


    The ears of all the people perked up. They have seen how strong Hao Ren was, so it was to be expected that the region where he hailed from was also filled with strong people, getting in touch with the strong people meant they would grow stronger as well. This was the world of immortals, even ants wished to grow into dragons and soar through the heavens let alone humans.


    Gara looked at the people, and then back at Hao Ren as he nodded and said, "We are grateful to you, Senior? How do we go there?"


    The young man pursued his lips and said, "Fine, give me a few minutes."


    He went to the side, and then took out many spirit stones, and buried them in the ground. He prepared a teleportation array, and then took out a special jade slip that acted as a locator and worked in correspondence to the receiving end. The young man initiated the array, and then the portal opened, he peeked through and found the common square teleportation array located in the Crescent Moon City.


    He stepped through, and the people were shocked, he looked around and remarked, "Oh, they have made some improvements, good."


    Then he took a deep breath and said, "Lan, come at the public square!"


    His voice was calm but the entire city heard it and they were shocked. They saw his figure and many people knelt on the ground in respect. Hao Ren waved at them all hurriedly, asking them to get up. The Emperor had appeared in the city, who dared to stand straight?


    Ye Lan appeared before him like a scepter and Hao Ren said, "Well, good that you are here. Has Lingshi come out of seclusion?"


    Ye Lan shook her head and asked, "Big brother, what are you doing in the public square?"


    The young man smiled and said, "Well, I found some people, helped them, and now I want them to move to the Crescent Moon Territory. So I opened up the teleportation array here. Can you handle this?"


    Ye Lan thought and nodded, as she said, "I will call over some administrative officials and issue identity cards and the rest to these people here only. Prime Minister Maya has been idle these few days, so she would love to come and work."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "You dare to call that workaholic woman idle? Go now, arrange for all the procedures, I will have the people come over and wait here."


    Ye Lan nodded and raised her left hand to use the communicator and send messages quickly. Hao Ren went back inside the teleportation array, coming out on the other side, in the village.


    He looked at the people who were shocked, and said, "This is a teleportation array, if you all wish to move, then pack as much as you can and then in the next hour move through this hole. You will safely arrive in the Crescent Moon Empire."


    The people were shocked, however, they still began to pack with the maximum speed and efficiency they could and gathered on the ground. Hao Ren was shocked but then he saw that the people were really ready and led them through the teleportation array. The matter was settled and Ye Lan began to handle the official business along with Hao Ren there.


    After the teleportation was completed, Hao Ren asked a few questions and then he left.


    ...


    The young man stood in the forest and looking at the now derelict place, he sighed and said, "Such is life."


    He let out a whistle and called his spirit horse, hopped on its back and began to strum the guitar as he moved through the woods heading north. His voice echoed through the surroundings as he lost himself in the flavor of singing.


    His voice was calm, and all the while he was singing, he comprehended life. Hao Ren had come to understand that the most complicated and yet the simplest of the Daos was the Dao of life itself. He was immersed in his comprehension and looking at different things, he was integrating the ideas and refining them into sword art comprehensions.


    After a few days, when his horse stopped, he found himself standing before a city, where the huge walls were covered with red ceramic tiles. He opened his eyes wide and approached the gates as he asked the guard, "Yo, junior, what is this place?"


    The guard was irritated that someone called him a junior, but then he sensed a strong aura descend upon him and he gulped as he bowed, "Senior, this is the City of Lust."


    Hao Ren opened his eyes wide, and asked, "What did you just say?"


    The guard repeated himself and said, "Lord, City Of Lust is one of the seven major cities in the Kingdom Of Emotion."


    Hao Ren was shocked to hear all this, he took a deep breath and then said, ''System, fucking bitch! You are leading me here knowing that I am married and loyal, right? You fucking pissant!''


    The system retorted, ''It''s the author who wants to give you blue balls, and not Daddy. Next time you cuss, I will give you a shit shoveling task and then you can beg me for a pardon, loser!''


    The system fell silent and Hao Ren sighed, he knew that his fate wasn''t in his own hands and so he entered the city on the back of his horse. Inside the city, the scenery was completely justifying the name. Hao Ren seemed to have walked into a carnival.


    People wearing vibrant clothing, dancing on the main road with wine gourds in their hands. On the other side, he saw women dressed in provocative clothing and inviting men over, teasing them and some were even engaged in open wild act of fornication right in the street.


    Hao Ren almost blushed, and to cover up his shy nature, he took out a wine gourd and began to sip from it. His body began to sway and his eyelids become heavy. The horse continued walking through the crowded place, until they came to a relatively calm looking place. Hao Ren had the Horse stand on the side as he read the plaque that read, "Silent Lotus Inn."


    He pushed the door and went inside, and he found the place was really quite, there was no guest in the reception hall. Hao Ren approached the desk and rapped his knuckle on it as he asked, "Anybody there?"


    The next moment his eyes opened wide as he saw a young lady walking over with almost nothing on her body, just ribbons, satin ribbons hiding her private parts. She looked at Hao Ren and smiled suggestively as she asked, "Hello, patron, would you like to book a room?"


    The young man shivered and vanished from his place. He appeared outside the Inn, hopped on his horse, and squeezed its belly before he rode it in the void and dashed toward the city gate. As he moved through the street, many people saw him and they cheered for reasons unknown. Some even threw stuff at him. Hao Ren waved his hand to block the things, when coincidentally he caught a cucumber.


    He flung it away and began to circulate the spiritual energy on his hand as he shouted, "Who is using vegetables in this fucking place? Be careful, if you mate found out he might commit suicide!"


    ...


    Hao Ren dashed out of the city and he didn''t stop until he was already a thousand miles away. He stopped by a lake, took off his clothes and dived in the water as he took out a small bell and tied it to his right wrist.


    The soul calming bell that he never used was being used today to make up for the past completely. The young man''s soul calmed down and he took a long cold bath as he lamented, "Damn it, such strong visuals, how can someone cultivate if they lose themselves in that sort of emotional tide? Imagine, a place where the most carnal desires come alive, how can someone even handle this much expression."


    He shook his head and sat down on the boulder as he began to think about what he just witnessed. The thoughts varied and they were chaotic, however, after an entire week of self debate, Hao Ren found that it was this chaos that was one of the definitive elements of life. He seemed to have scratched upon something but it wasn''t substantial. Just when he was thinking if he should go back to that city, the system said, *They have seven such cities. Since you want to find out about life, why not visit all of them. Reward: Sudden Enlightenment * 2*

 Chapter 433: City Of Rage.

    Hao Ren was shocked, he had no idea what to do with the system, the task sounded very easy but the impact it had on his state of mind, it was definitely not going to be as pleasant as it sounded, however, he quickly consoled himself, "Tch, the reward makes up for it."


    That said, Hao Ren got on the back of his horse, and said, "Let''s go, back to the gate of the city."


    Blue Wise was true wise, it navigated back to the gates of the city, and the same guard from earlier asked, "Senior, how can I help you?"


    Hao Ren asked, "Can you tell me where to buy the map of the seven cities?"


    The guard nodded and said, "In the city, the shop, Yu Scribe. There you can get all the maps you want."


    Hao Ren nodded and entered the city again. He was met with the same environment as to what he had left earlier. This time he didn''t min how other acted, he only minded himself. After some navigation he came upon the shop, and said, "Blue Wise, stay here."


    The horse snorted and then closed its eyes as he stood. Hao Ren chuckled and patted it''s nape. He entered the shop and looked over to the side. He found a middle-aged man, sitting behind the counter with parchment before him as he outlined a few things on it. Hao Ren waited till the person finished his stroke before asking, "Do you have the map for the Spirit Siphon Continent?"


    The man raised his head and said, "Fifty spirit stones."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and then asked, "Can I see it first?"


    The man said, "You will have to pay me fifty spirit stones for that as well, Sir. Cultivators can remember everything, how can I just show it to you?"


    Hao Ren couldn''t help but chuckled and took out fifty spirit stones. He thought that the map was a bit too costly but it was what it was. The man took out a thick book from the space ring. Hao Ren was shocked, he turned the pages and found that it was different sections of the map that displayed each kingdom or land in great detail.


    The shopkeeper said, "You can imprint it with a drop of your blood and wherever you go, this blood drop will move correspondingly on the map."


    Hao Ren was shocked, and asked, "This is a spiritual map?"


    The person nodded and said, "Yes."


    The young man thanked the shopkeeper and then he went out of the shop. He hopped on the back of his horse and left the city. The bell tied on his hand calmed his thoughts throughout the path. Once he was out of the city, he smeared a drop of blood on the book, and after a few moments, it turned on its own.


    The drop of blood appeared at the border of the City of Lust, then he located the route he needed to take to head to the City Of Rage. The young man moved on his horse, he closed his eyes to comprehend the few things he sensed inside the city of lust, and then induced that emotion in his sword play.


    The journey continued, and apart from stopping for the night to rest and eat some game, Hao Ren didn''t stop. When he was moving, he realized that as a cultivator, his affinity towards the seven emotions have grown a little indifferent. Since he was going to move through all seven cities, they he needed to experience them as a human as well.


    After another week, he reached the City of Rage. In the city walls were huge, and they were painted red. Looking at the hazy barrier around the City, Hao Ren knew that this place was important, and also sensitive. As he approached the barrier, he got down the horse and said, "Blue Wise, you stay here, I will go in alone, I am not getting any good vibes here."


    The horse nodded, and moved to the side. Hao Ren smiled, he had realized that Yin had taught this guy to cultivate and awakened his wisdom root. Hao REn put his hands behind his back and moved ahead through the barrier. As soon as he was inside the barrier, he heard loud voices and he felt heat.


    As he drew closer to the city walls, he was surprised, it wasn''t red paint, but blood that caused the color of the walls to become so striking. He approached the gates, and the person on the gates was dressed like a savage. His body covered with beast pelt, and he looked at Hao Ren as he said, "Tch, another jade rabbit came to play in the mud."


    Hao Ren didn''t reply and the man continued, "Once you go inside, there is only one rule. You will have to stay for a year. If someone attacks you, you can kill them directly. However, if you attack someone and manage to survive the conflict, you will be slaughtered and then your blood will be splashed on the city wall."


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "Kinda novel, isn''t it."


    The savage froze for a second and then chuckled, "Indeed, as long as the blood belongs to the others."


    Hao Ren tossed him a spirit stone and entered the gate. As soon as he was inside, his smile vanished and he let out a breath. The scent of spilled blood was traveling in the air. If the walls were standing out, then the entire city was dancing at the moment. Every building was covered with red blood as paint. The cobblestone road had a stickiness to itself, as if fresh blood was thickening.


    Hao Ren could not understand how could such a city exist. What''s more, he could not fathom how this place was a kingdom even. As he went to the depth of the city, he found that the scent of blood lowered a lot. However, he saw another stone gate.


    Some people were walking in and some came out. Hao Ren was surprised at this marvel, because he saw the people were exchanging human heads. Suddenly, he heard a voice, "Kid, you new here?"


    This comment attracted many gazes at Hao Ren and the young man nodded. The person said, "If you want to get through the get, you need hundred kills. Today is your first day, so you are safe unless you open attack on someone."


    Hao Ren asked, "I can attack just anyone because I want to?"


    The man chuckled and said, "See, there are ten rows of houses from here to the inner gate. You need to have ten kills from each lane. The only rule is, the ones in the higher row cannot attack you until you attack them."


    Hao Ren nodded, and looking around he asked, "What do you people even do here? I mean what is so great about this killing?"


    The man chuckled and said, "The Dao of slaughter."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then he understood what was going on here, as he appeared behind the speaker, and said, "If I see you ever again, you will die first."


    That said, a sword appeared in Hao Ren''s hand, and he began to kill. His speed was quick, he took down ten people with ease, and then he took down their heads and made his way towards the second lane of houses. The people were shocked, they didn''t expect that Hao Ren would be so cruel, and uncaring for his own safety.


    Hao Ren continued the onslaught till the fifth lane and sat down on the empty home of a person that had just fallen. The young man went inside, took a pill, and sat down to recover his strength. However, the entire city knew about him within a few minutes.


    The young man pondered over what Dao of slaughter meant. As to why he stopped in the fifth lane, it was because he could sense that as he advanced through, the opponents got tougher. It was not the realm of cultivation that he was talking about, but the realm of comprehension.


    The people here were using a baleful energy to counter and this energy was something they comprehended from killing different people. When Hao Ren sat down to perceive the source of this energy he found that the energy came from the center of the city.


    He cleared his mind and sensed the aura before absorbing it. However, as soon as he absorbed it, he realized that this distinct energy didn''t mix up with his spiritual energy, but it was a completely different source that was equally strong as the spiritual energy. He closed his eyes and immersed himself in the depth of cultivation.


    ...


    Han Lingshi sensed something and a smile appeared on her face. She was still in seclusion and was infinitely close to the Dao Sky realm. She opened her eyes and found a talisman burning before her, a calm voice sounded, "In seclusion at City Of Rage, Kingdom of Seven Emotions. Don''t come here, its complicated, look after yourself. I love you, will message when I wake up."


    Han Lingshi sighed and shook her head as she said, "Once I reach the next realm, then I will give you a surprise. Behind her, a golden Halo manifested, this Halo was something that she condensed thanks to the devotion of the citizens."


    ...


    Hao Ren didn''t know how long it had been, but he absorbed as much bale energy as he could, and then he picked up his sword, ready to attack.

 Chapter 434: Slaughterer.

    Hao Ren spent a few days cultivating and comprehending the battle tactics and moves. Then he stood up inside the room, which was called the ''house'' and began to practice his various fighting skills. He tried to master the movement of the baleful energy inside his body and integrate it in his skills. This was the only way to get stronger in this city, the spiritual energy seemed to be weakening the closer he got to the centre of the city.


    The young man used his fists first, because this way his body would adapt to the nature of the baleful energy. Then he followed with his sword, and spent two more days in mastering the usage of the energy.


    After that, he took a step out of the house, and suddenly found someone rushing up to him with unconcealed intention to kill. Hao Ren took a step to the side, and then turned around with his right hand formed as a blade. The sword intent from his body directly slashed the void, and bisected the assailant in one quick move.


    He didn''t bend down to pick up the head or the spoils from this guy, because he set his eyes to the sixth lane. The charge began once again. There was an unspoken rule in action, once you step into a new lane, you fight until you win all ten battles, or the occupants will keep coming to kill you, and the battles will follow the one-on-one format. In this barbaric place, trust was the most effective way of committing suicide.


    After a couple of hours of fighting, Hao Ren managed to kill ten people and then took up a house to rest and comprehend. He wasn''t in hurry; he would send message to Han Lingshi using the spirit communication talisman. They have been chatting like this since he stepped out of the palace.


    After chatting, the young man began to comprehend the new things that he learned during the fights just now. His speed and comprehension were all top notch thanks to the old system.


    *Author, I have always been great*


    (Did I let you speak?)


    Ahem...


    Hao Ren immersed himself in perceiving the secrets of this baleful energy and only stopped when he sensed that the nature of this energy was causing his state of mind to become a little too violent for his taste. The young man mumbled, "Hmm, now I understand why are the people so full of killing intent in this city. The baleful aura is corrupting their minds and they are abandoning their humane emotions."


    Then he began to think about the ways that could be used to counter the baleful aura. However, he knew a bit too little about the properties of the energy and thus it was not plausible for him to take an action. All he could do was to either stop absorbing the energy into his body or he could push it all out. But then he would be relying on his physique to support him to reach the tenth house lane.


    It was not going to be easy but he wasn''t left with many options at his disposal. Thinking about it, Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "Fuck it, let''s see how it goes."


    He spat on the ground, and began to push out all the baleful energy out of his body. The process didn''t take long, but the change in his emotions was very noticeable. His thoughts calmed down and he wasn''t feeling as enraged as before. After this, he took out a couple of gauntlets from his space ring and then put them on.


    After that was done, he took a deep breath and left the room, mumbling, "This is going to be painful."


    He moved through the lane, and fought the people in the sixth lane for a few more times to get used to the feeling, and he found that now, he could move even more freely. Thinking about it, looking at his bloodstained hands, the young man said, "I have never really used my physique to the limits till now, no wonder, it feels so stiff all the time."


    He stepped through the seventh lane, and the battle commenced. Surprisingly, he could deal with his enemies in a much easy manner than he could with the baleful energy. His speed was faster by one fourth of his original, and the damage that he dealt was also slightly higher.


    While fighting with the people, he realized that the occupants of the seventh lane were fewer than that of the sixth by one tenth. After finishing his battles, he looked back at the street and found that the first layer had hundred houses, and then every lane had ten less.


    The battles took place in the alleys and the main street. Sometimes they escalated to the roofs of the houses, however, no matter how intense the battles grew, the houses remained undamaged.


    Hao Ren couldn''t understand how this was possible, but he wasn''t an architect to look into such things. He took a deep breath and settled in one of the houses to rest. He had received a message from Han Lingshi, she was asking about his wellbeing and all. Another message came from Ye Yue, Alka, Ramji and Deepa had reached their family safe and sound. As a thanks the Gurung family had invited him over to dine with them whenever he finds his way over to them.


    Hao Ren sighed and then he began to practice again. Since he could not absorb the spiritual energy in this city, he could only circulate it to rejuvenate himself a little. Then he took out some beast meat from his space ring and began to cook himself some food. His cooking skills were top notch and he treated himself to a spread before downing some wine and falling asleep.


    Yes, he fell asleep, because one more thing that he learned about these houses was that unless he wanted to go out, they would stay locked and safe, and there was only one way to enter. After a day, he stepped out of the house and looked at the sky. Today was the first time when he had come out of the house in the morning. The sun reflected on the dark red color smeared all over the walls, and the road.


    Hao Ren sighed and then he cheered himself, as he sang, "OH, aah, take the world and paint it redd!!!"


    While he was singing, he came to the eighth lane and found that the alleys and the main street was almost empty. He looked around and clicked his tongue as he said loudly, "Hello, people of the eighth lane, is anyone going to step out of the house and pick up the gauntlet I am throwing down?"


    His voice echoed through the entire city, many people gathered outside the ten-lane circle, to look at his figure standing in the main street and yelling so loud. After a few minutes, none of the people came out of the houses, and Hao Ren said, "Oh well, such cowards, must be scared of death."


    Suddenly, as soon as his voice dropped, an ax came flying at him. The speed of the attack was fast, but Hao Ren leaned to the side, reached out in the void, and accurately grabbed the handle of the ax. He looked at the side, and there was a young man who chuckled and said, "Dare you to step into the ninth lane."


    Hao Ren sighed and with a quick spin of his weight, and an additional push to the ax he flung it back at the speaker. The speed and the intensity were increased by two folds. The young man was still laughing when the ax dug in his chest, and before he could react, Hao Ren had ferociously followed up and grabbed his neck, and tore it apart with his hands using brute strength.


    Then he stomped the ground and yelled, "Motherfucker! Now I will have to kill twenty people in the ninth lane. UGH! Losers always ruin the games, bastard."


    The he looked at the houses on the ninth lane, and asked, "So, who is first, come and fight me, you losers."


    The people didn''t answer and Hao Ren chuckled as he asked, "Do you all really think that you would be able to delay deaths if you stay hidden in your holes?"


    At this moment, a calm voice sounded in the surroundings, "Kid, you are just reaching out a bit too much than what you can handle. We are giving you a chance to live longer.."


    His words had yet to be completed when Hao Ren appeared before him, and a fist was rushing at his face with a strong momentum. Before he could raise his hand to defend, the fist made contact with his head and his figure was thrown over a great distance before crashing loudly in a wall.


    DHUM!


    The city felt the ripples generated from this attack. Hao Ren said, "Come, let''s fight, don''t just bark, bite me!"

 Chapter 435 435: Dragon Dance.

    Hao Ren''s punch sent the man flying but he stood up on his two feet in a moment and chuckled as he said, "I like your temper, reminds me of myself. Had it not been for the baleful energy on my back in the last moment, I might have turned into a splash on the wall."


    Hao Ren was not interested in conversing with the person, he simply wanted to fight and test the limits of his physique, he scowled and said, "Do you know that you talk a bit too much."


    The young man dashed forward with all the speed he could muster, and so did the man on the other side. The distance closed, and punches began to fly. Hao Ren was adept in defending and attacking using the fundamentals of hard and soft. In his realm, strength wasn''t everything, and simplicity was enough to kill someone.


    As his body moved around in fluid movements one after the other, the void began to ripple. The man fighting him was surprised, he couldn''t help but ask, "What is your name?"


    Hao Ren didn''t reply, he even became more vigilant against the guy, who pulled out a set of needles and held them between his fingers. The young man could sense a deadly poison coating the needle, and said, "You lose."


    The person didn''t understand what happened, but Hao Ren dodged his attack and used his Phoenix Flames. The latter struck his palm against the enemy''s chest and the Phoenix Flames directly burned wild and consumed the man in a blink.


    The fight that was looking too intense came to an anti-climatic ending. One of the people who were watching Hao Ren fight closely had a dark expression on his face, as he yelled, "That flame, that wasn''t a spiritual attack."


    Hao Ren looked at the man and said, "Flash step."


    He appeared five meters away from him and said, "You will know when you try it."


    He took half a step forward and from beneath his feet rose the tide of flames, the heat was so high the the blood accumulated on the ground and the wall boiled up and charred quickly. The person only saw the flame tide cover his lower body and torso. He raised his hand to take out a talisman, but then his eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something, however, his eyes dimmed down forever.


    The tide of flames directly burned his torso leaving only the head. Hao Ren collected the head in his space ring and then he looked at the others as he said, "If you don''t come over, I will and then you will die without even a chance to defend yourself. Do you hear me?"


    The people looked at each other and Hao Ren said, "If that is the case, come at me, together."


    The people were shocked, and someone said, "Enough, all this time walking the edge, and to think this kid is trying to scare me, I will face you. Come!"


    As he bellowed, the man''s body was covered in red baleful aura. He rushed at Hao Ren at a high speed, and the young man charged as well. Just when they were getting close, Hao Ren stopped and shifted his weight to the side. The momentum caused his enemy to lose sight of him, but Hao Ren landed two heavy punches to the side of the head and the liver of his enemy.


    What followed was a barrage of punches and kicks, some aimed to break the guard and other aimed to break bones or injure vitals. The flame energy seeping in the body gradually crumbled it from the inside. Hao Ren didn''t hold back on using flame poison from channeling his flame wisps inside the body of his enemy, for he knew, a hollow building fell quicker than the normal one.


    The man lasted for an exchange of twenty punches after the flame poison infected his heart, and that was it. Hao Ren took a deep breath, chopped the head and collected it, as he looked at a woman and beckoned her to attack him.


    The battles continued, and Hao Ren charged with his eyes wide open. It seemed as if he was mad, fighting twenty people who were considerably stronger than him, yet he didn''t stop. His physique was covered with faint pink marks. He didn''t know when he lost his shirt, and his pants were covered with various cuts as well. The young man was panting, it took him a whole day to use various methods to kill the people, but finally he managed to do it. The ninth lane was now empty of occupants.


    He collected the heads and walked inside the house after cleansing himself with the spurt of spiritual energy. As he sat inside the house, he found that their were a few shallow cuts still bleeding across his chest. This was not something he was used to. He frowned and directed a wisp of spiritual energy towards the cuts.


    The wounds healed, but Hao Ren detected that the baleful energy that he had rejected was trying to infect his blood. He pushed this energy out and began to think. Why did this energy change his temperament? What use was it to push it all out when he was still acting like a blood thirsty person?


    Thinking about it, he took a chance, he absorbed a wisp of baleful energy and then summoned it all on the tip of his finger. The energy coagulated into a teardrop shape. Hao Ren mumbled, ''Here goes nothing. Eye of Insight.''


    His eyes changed and all the information about the baleful energy began to flow into his mind.


    *Damn son! You are smart!*


    [Wisp of Dragon Aura: Originated from a thousand year old Red Flame dragon. Contains the hatred and anger of the flame dragon and is very corrosive to anyone who absorbs it.]


    Hao Ren was shocked to find out that the energy he was absoring a few days ago happened to be a dragon energy. He mumbled, ''How can they have dragon energy here?''


    He stepped out of the house and jumped upon the roof. He saw nine people moving into the houses of the ninth lane but they all stirred clear of Hao Ren. The young man still had the drop of the baleful energy floating over his hand, and he looked up at the sky, and said, ''System, how do I upgrade the Eye of Insight?''


    *What makes you think it is upgradeable?*


    The young man replied, ''Because it is a bit too weak for an omnipotent skill.''


    *Got the logic right but not yet good enough. Wait, it will upgrade when the time is right.*


    Hao Ren brushed it off and looking at the sky he analyzed the barrier spread around the city. After a few minutes, he sucked in a deep breath and said, "These guys are good, a Supreme Beast Containment Array and it is working in tandem with another array located in the centre of the city."


    He deduced that the people in the city have been getting this bale energy from a dragon. However, what shocked him so much was that the dragon was alive, no wonder the corrosiveness of the energy was so high. Spiritual energy could contain and radiate emotions of the source, and the dragon was very hateful.


    Hao Ren stood up on the roof of the house and looking at the drop of blood on his palm, he channeled a wisp of phoenix flame. The wisp of flame and the energy collided, a faint cry of the phoenix echoed in Hao Ren''s mind, followed by a low dragon roar. However, soon, the dragon roar vanished replaced by the Birds call.


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Let the dance begin."


    He began to absorb the baleful energy and refined it inside his dantian with the help of Phoenix Flames. The process was simple, and it was quick, at the same time it was very efficient as well. Hao Ren made up for all the energy deficit that he was suffering all these days.


    In the morning, Hao Ren opened his eyes, and flexed his joints and limbs as they all emitted crackling sounds. The young man took a deep breath and took out his sword as he jumped from the roof, before landing on the mainstreet, and he was standing at the tenth lane. This lane had only ten houses, and fights were held in the main street.


    The guards at the inner gate all turned to look at Hao Ren. The young man stood bare chested, and looking at the houses he asked, "So, is anyone coming?"


    A thick voice replied as a burly man appeared a few meters away, "The Tenth Lane always answers the challenge."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Shall we?"


    The man nodded and then as he took a step forward, his aura changed, and his eyes turned slightly red, and he yelled, "Come and Die, pretty boy!"


    Hao Ren smiled and dashed forward to attack the man as well. The dance began.

 Chapter 436 436: Golden Dragon.

    Hao Ren and the man engaged in the battle, the impact of the duel was intense from the get go. The young man had never held back when it came to fighting with people. However, more often than not, he had not been given the chance to even display his outmost.


    The two figures exchanged punches, and while Hao Ren was relying on his physique, he was pushed back half a step with every blow from the enemy. It was not his weakness, but his cunning. Over the time his body had absorbed a lot of lightning energy to temper itself, but it was never put through the test.


    In his cells there was a lot of lightning residue stored, and this beating was squeezing the juice out. After a hundred rounds, the half a step push back was reduced to the little one inch slide of his feet. However, his enemy didn''t notice it.


    The heat of battle and the rage that he had to spend so much effort to beat this guy had caused the enemy to develop a tunnel vision, however, the other''s in the tenth lane weren''t that foolish, they were looking at Hao Ren and his enemy with equal scrutiny. The impact of the battle was great, and the surroundings were shaking but they could see that Hao Ren was growing stronger with every passing blow.


    His vitality was rising, and after five hundred punches, he wasn''t being pushed back. Hao Ren started to take the initiative to attack the enemy through every exposed weakness. He used his soft and hard principals and diffused more than fifty percent of the attack power of the enemy.


    Suddenly, the man punched at Hao Ren, and latter caught the chance, he bent his knees lowered his stance, and dashed forward to deliver a right fist on the underarm of the person. The impact was compact and straight directly, to the heart.


    The people didn''t see it, but Hao Ren channeled a streak of golden energy through his fist directly inside the chest and crushed the heart of the person. Then he punched the forehead, and destroyed the immortal spirit in the soul sea, before cutting the head off and storing it inside his space ring.


    He looked at the people gathered outside the hall, and then he dashed forward at a quick pace. The battles were crazy, and they lasted longer than any other battle, but Hao Ren didn''t give up, he was cut in many places, and he was covered in blood, some belonged to himself, and some to his enemies but he kept fighting.


    He wasn''t sure what it was that was driving him to keep fighting, or to keep killing the people before him, but he was growing stronger with every blow that he cast. His senses were getting stronger as well, and so was his comprehension regarding the meaning of slaughter.


    Two days, and nine enemies, and to sustain his body, he had taken many healing pills and spirit rejuvenation pills, but still the last battle almost cost him a complete right arm and Hao Ren was now standing before the last enemy. The strongest person inside the tenth lane of the City Of Rage.


    Hao Ren took a couple of deep breaths and then he looked at the man. The man was rugged, his body covered with scars from his previous battles, and his hair were formed into thick dreadlocks as he fell on his back. His eyes were red from the absorption and corrosion of the baleful energy.


    The man opened his mouth and spoke in a hoarse voice, "Are you ready to die?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Not before you, though."


    He unveiled his last card, his body was covered with a golden sheen and his wounds began to heal quickly, at a pace visible to the naked eye, the wounds were healed, and his strength recovered to the peak.


    Then he vanished from his spot and punched directly at the face of dreadlock. (Let us call him dreadlock for the sake of convenience.)


    Dreadlock saw the punch coming at his face and he sensed the baleful aura inside his body disperse a little before he raised his fist to reply to Hao Ren. The two fists collided and the two of them took two steps back. Dreadlock looked at Hao Ren and asked, "What is that golden energy? How can you use spiritual energy in the City Of Rage?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Fool, this is the same baleful energy as yours, but I just managed to infuse it with spiritual energy and refined it to this pure level. That''s why it no longer corrodes my thoughts, but also heals my wounds."


    Dreadlock opened his eyes wide in shock, he could not understand how this worked, and how Hao Ren managed to do this, but he was sure of one thing, he wanted this method for himself and the only way to get it was by killing Hao Ren.


    He yelled and shot through the void, he produced a sonic boom as he moved. However, that was nothing but a simple folly on his side, Hao Ren clenched his fist and reacted with a punch of his own. The blows connected again, but the result was still the same.


    Dreadlocks yelled, "Barbarian Dragon Fists."


    His punches began to rise and fall, but Hao Ren stood still and took the attacks with ease. He used his own energy to counter the attacks, after fifteen punches, he suddenly kicked Dreadlock''s knee from the outside.


    The kick caused Dreadlock to kneel and then Hao Ren delivered his left knee directly to the face of this strong man. He had found out that if he relied on fists, then he would never get through Dreadlocks defenses. However, the legs were unguarded, and the Yin and Yang eyes told him that the legs lacked the flow of baleful energy moving through them.


    The attack reaped his reward, Dreadlock fell to the ground and his nose was bleeding. Hao Ren climbed over his chest and began to rain down his hardest punches directly to the face. The ground was shaking from the impact of the punches, and the void was rippling. Hao Ren was comprehending the feeling in his mind. He was not feeling rageful, but he was learning to enjoy the process of a battle. The wounds he received made him stronger and improved his skills, and the attacks he delivered made him understand the feelings that his enemy was experiencing.


    The people watching the battle from the ninth and the eight lane houses, were shivering in their steps, thinking how lucky they were that Hao Ren didn''t come to challenge them. The eight lane people in particular were feeling happy that they didn''t answer the challenge and the ninth lane took the burden upon them.


    These people that Hao Ren seemed to have killed these days, were all big scions or masters in their arts, they gave up their fame and glory to come to the City Of Rage, to comprehend the slaughter intent one of the most powerful intents in the realm. However, they were killed by Hao Ren as if they were common ants on the ground.


    Hao Ren finished killing Dreadlocks and stood up from the ground, he looked around and found that the head had been turned to mush. He clicked his tongue and then grabbed onto the ankle of the fallen enemy, and dragged the corpse behind him as he took steps to the inner gate of the city.


    The young man took a deep breath with each step, he felt very relaxed and calm at the moment, the struggle came to an end, and he would get to see the inner city. He realized that strong curiosity could cause people to go and start a massacre, it was similar to having a taboo cultivation technique, even though they were unable to cultivate it, they would chase others with a sword.


    He reached the gates and found a couple of guards standing there without any expression on their faces. One of them pointed at a circle and said, "Place the heads you have there."


    Hao Ren said, "I have ninety-nine heads and this body, the head exploded into mush. Will this count?"


    The guards nodded and then Hao Ren tossed out the body and the heads in the circle before watching them vanish into nothingness. The guards nodded and then they took out a jade slip and said, "This is your identity token, lose it and you will be executed."


    Hao Ren took the jade token and inspected it, he had no idea why, but this plain jade seemed to be very mysterious to him. The other guard took out a small crystal ball, and said, "Channel your baleful energy inside this ball, and then you will be clear to go inside the city."


    Hao Ren placed his hand over the ball, and channeled his baleful energy through the ball, before suddenly, the eyes of the guards opened wide. One of them mumbled, "Stay here, I need to inform the elder of the Golden Dragon Hall."

 Chapter 437 437: Dragon Hall.

    Hao Ren stood at the threshold of the inner city gate, his mind was filled with confusion. He didn''t understand what about him would attract such a strong reaction from the guard. However, he wasn''t a fool either. He looked at his palm and then looked at the other guard and asked, "Is the pure dragon energy that rare?"


    The guard looked around and blinked his eyes. Hao Ren understand that silence was a confirmation. He thought for a bit and asked, ''System, is my conjecture correct?''


    *Host, I can only tell you that it''s not a bad thing if you can use it to your advantage.*


    The young man nodded and a few moments later a skinny old man appeared before him. The old man looked at Hao Ren and for the first time in his life, the latter felt as if he has been stripped naked. This old man had a terrifying gaze.


    Hai Ren was thinking if this guy had seen through his soul and system, but then he recalled something, ''Novels say that nobody can see through the systems, till they have one of their own.''


    **Can you just shut up? Nobody would think that you are dumb if you stopped talking. Like fucking hell, what sort of logic is this?*


    Hao Ren looked at the old man and bowed his head and said, "I have seen the senior."


    The old man nodded and said, "Good job, never thought of using such a method. Although there are five more forces in the inner city, but my Dragon Hall is the most suited for you. Come along and see before you make any decisions."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he crossed the threshold and followed half a step behind the old man. They didn''t use any fancy means, and just strolled through the city with a calm vibe.


    The inner city was different than what the outer city was, Hao Ren didn''t see any bloodshed. The old man asked "Are you thinking why it is so calm here?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Yes, senior."


    The old man said, "I am Shen Jun, you can call me Elder Shen. The reason this city is calm, because the real battle is going on inside the Dragon Tower."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and the old led him calmly before coming to a big hall. Elder Shen said, "This place is called Dragon Tower. The tower has hundred layers and they are spread underneath here. In the final layer is the source of the baleful aura, that damned Severence Dragon."


    Hao Ren sensed that old man Shen hated this dragon with great passion, and asked, "Elder, why is this dragon sealed here?"


    Elder Shen clenched his fist and said begrudgingly, "Because two thousand years ago, this thing laid waste to the Samsara Dynasty, reducing it into the shallow mess of Emotional kingdom. That is why."


    Hao Ren''s curiosity was sparked up. Elder Shen said, "You can read all this in the library of the Dragon Hall of you join us. Come. Let us go there first."


    After moving around for a bit they came to a building that seemed to have jumped out from the ancient Roman temple designs. Elder Shen climbed the stairs quickly, and Hao Ren followed him with patience. After climbing three hundred steps, they stood before a wooden gate where a dragon was carved.


    The dragon scales were all real and they gave off a very imposing aura. Hao Ren frowned a little before he sensed the baleful aura flooding from them. Elder Shen said, "These scales are the alarm left behind to display the lifespan of the seal cast upon the dragon. The day the aura vanishes radiating from them. The dragon will rise and we all will fall."


    Hao Ren used the Yin and Yang eyes to find the intensity of the aura and he found it was all really strong. He thought of something and then asked, "Elder, are all these scales pinched off the dragon?"


    The old man looked at him and asked, "Has anybody told you to think twice before spitting the ideas out of your mouth?"


    Hao Ren revealed a sheepish smile and Elder Shen said, "They were picked up after the battle with the dragons."


    Hao Ren nodded and then Elder Shen pushed the door open. Hao Ren found a minimalistic hall behind the doors. He was surprised and the old man said, "Dragon Hall was the original force set up by the ancestors to make sure that Severance Dragon is caged for his entire life. Second mandate is to try to get stronger and kill it."


    Hao Ren nodded, and Elder Shen continued, "Don''t look down on us, because we have simple decorations. The Dragon Hall dedicates all that they have into practicing and getting stronger so that one day we can kill that bloody reptile."


    The young man made an assessment that the change in temperament that was getting obvious in Elder Shen''s speech came from the influence of the Baleful Aura. The Elder said, "I will not waste time on telling you who is who, and what other forces are there."


    He waved his hand, and cast a Jade token at Hao Ren and said, "Take this, enter the library, and read all that you want. You have two hours, after that, you can find me here, and I will introduce you to the benefits of joining the Dragon Hall."


    Hao Ren thanked him and then saw Elder Shan say, "Old Gun, take this kid to the library."


    An old dog stood up from the side, and then walked up to Hao Ren, he looked at him from head to toe, and then gestured him to follow.


    Hao Ren followed the old dog, but instead of thinking about what the history of this place was, he was curious to know how this dog survived in this harsh environment. The world wasn''t a friendly place to the weak. This dog seemed to be a few hundred years old to him, by sensing his bones, Hao Ren concluded.


    Don''t think of him as someone stupid, dogs may be spirit beasts, but they didn''t rank anywhere among the rest of the beasts that roamed the mirage world. While he was pondering over this topic, they reached a room. The dog growled, and Hao Ren said, "Thank you."


    Then he went inside the room. Old Gun looked at the place where Hao Ren was standing and vanished from his spot to appear back before Old Shen and a voice came from him, "Kid Shen, you have done god this time. He is a good seed."


    Elder Shen wiped his sweat and said, "Elder Gun, why do you always have to trick them like this?"


    The dog shook his head and said, "Master left the place under my care, I tried to take in people, and they robbed the Dragon Hall of its rightful glory. That was the time that I understood how cunning humans were. How they put their self interest before the rest. Weren''t you the same as them? That is why you are still serving the punishment."


    Old Shen chuckled wryly.


    ...


    In the library, Hao Ren was going through books at a blinding speed, he found that the Kingdom of Emotions was earlier known as the Samsara Destiny which was ten times bigger than Hao Ren''s Crescent Moon Empire.


    However, good days don''t last forever, and a young prince fancied a Dragon Egg, he stole it, and the dragon chased him. Too bad that the prince didn''t realize that the dragon egg was dead. The dragon was grieving her child.


    The prince had stolen the dead child from her, and thus she was enraged. The dragon lay waste to everything and everyone in her wake. The chase lasted for seven days, and the entire dynasty was destroyed. A power that could change the fates of people, was given such an end. Hao Ren spat in the face of the greedy prince.


    However, back then one cultivator couldn''t stand the endless slaughter, and he fought with the dragon. He managed to suppress her, and seal her with his dao laws. The sealed pit was later transformed into a layered labyrinth where spirit beasts from different regions were kept based on their strength. The stronger the beast, the closer they would be on the layers.


    Hao Ren then found out about the two commandments of the Dragon Hall, and nodded in understanding.


    Then he found the books based on the five powers, they were just small families, but then they began to recruit people who came to challenge the labyrinth and became big forces. They were called Wang, Liu, Shen, Long, Wu.


    Hao Ren clucked his tongue and then began to read about the various beasts stored in the labyrinth. He found that they would reproduce and with the aid of the dragon energy they would be stronger than the normal ones outside.


    The labyrinth was designed so that the beasts could absorb the power radiated by the dragon, and humans could gain glory and practice their skills.


    After a couple of hours, Leo found out that the people slayed beasts to gain Dragon Energy, and they got stronger as well. Well, now he could understand why and how the five houses work, they were using their accumulated strength to farm energy and that was how they were getting bigger and stronger everyday.


    After reading for a bit, the young man stepped out of the library, and walked up to the reception hall, where he bowed to Old Shen and said, "Thank you for imparting this knowledge to me, Elder, but I would like to be impudent and ask you for a favor."


    Elder Shen raised his brow and nodded, and Hao Ren asked, "Can I enter the Labyrinth and see how I fare on my own before joining the Dragon Hall?"


    Old Shen was shocked but then he nodded and said, "You may."


    Hao Ren clasped his fists and left to explore the so called labyrinth.

 Chapter 438: Labyrinth.

    Hao Ren walked out of the Dragon Hall, and many people who had caught sight of him walking along with Elder Shen saw this scene. They shook their heads and returned to what they were doing. Hao Ren must have been rejected by the elders inside. They were thinking about ways to steal this young man from the Dragon Hall, but all that wasn''t worthy.


    The young man walked through the streets with his hands tied behind his back. He took a deep breath when suddenly a talisman appeared before him and it burned. He received a message from Han Lingshi, she had made a minor advance in her cultivation and she wanted to ask how he was doing. The young man smiled and replied with a talisman and they kept chatting for a few minutes before he really reached the Labyrinth.


    Hao Ren found that there were many people standing around the labyrinth in groups and they were going in and out of the main building as if they were ants. The young man approached the gates of the building and he heard various people hawking, "Team of five entering floor six, need one!! Seven colored Grass, save your life with seven colored grass!!"


    Hao Ren ignored all the people and headed directly to the reception counter, where a few young men and women were sitting. He looked at a young man across from him and asked, "Hello, what do I need to do before entering the Labyrinth?"


    The young man said, "Sir, you need to register yourself with our system and leave a trace of spiritual energy in this jade card, and then leave a letter of goodbye to your family."


    Hao Ren''s expression turned dark and said, "Too much drama."


    The man was surprised but then he shrugged his shoulders and said, "It''s not me who made the rules. You can avoid writing the letter, no one would object."


    Hao Ren snorted and said, "As if I care about there objections."


    Then he looked at the man behind the counter and asked, "How to get in?"


    The man pointed at a big gate on the side. He said, "Take your team and walk through there."


    Hao Ren nodded and walked towards the door. The man on the counter yelled, "Hey! Gather your team first."


    Hao Ren couldn''t care less, he walked through the door on his own, and the rest of the people inside the hall were shocked. They never expected someone would dare to move through the big gate alone. However, many people chuckled and brushed it off as the arrogance of a young man.


    What they didn''t understand was that arrogance was used to define the incapability of backing there words, while what Hao Ren did, was an act of confidence.


    ...


    Hao Ren entered the gate and the world changed. He found himself standing in a wide space. There were a few young people in his sight and they seemed to be hunting a rabbit-like beast. Hao Ren didn''t bother and walked around looking for the gate to the second level.


    However, just then a hazy shadow attacked him and he had no option but to smack it with the back of his hand.


    Smack!


    He looked at the assailant and found it to be a rabbit as big as a dog. Suddenly, five people rushed over. One of them yelled, "Big brother Shen, look, Fire rabbit king."


    The people looked at the rabbit that was growling at Hao Ren, its mouth was laced with saw-like teeth. The beast was growling at Hao Ren, and the young man from the other team said, "Hey, are you trying to steal our prey?"


    Hao Ren looked at them, and the beast attacked him again. He waved his hand to smack the beast and flung it in the direction of the group. He said, "Take it."


    That said, he turned around and walked away, completely uninterested. The team was shocked, and so was the fire rabbit king. The beast glared at Hao Ren with red eyes, and let out a chattering noise. The entire area fell silent for a second, before a load of rabbit heads appeared through every shrub and hole.


    The team who just accused Hao Ren shivered, and one of them yelled, "Fuck, the King''s rage. He is going to swarm us all. Run!"


    The young people in the side, didn''t dare to linger around and dashed away, at the same time, the rabbits dashed toward Hao Ren and attacked him with flame balls and saw-like teeth. Hao Ren appeared uninterested and waved his hand to release a wisp of sword intent. The beasts fell on the ground, dead.


    The beast king was shocked, and Hao Ren turned to look at him as he said, "You are the reason, all of them died."


    He raised his hand and pointed a finger at the head of the beast king, and the shred of sword intent passed through its head. The Flame Rabbit King was also done for. The human cultivators in the area were yet to escape, when they found the commotion had died down. Hao Ren picked up the dead beasts in his space ring and suddenly turned around to look at the team of people who were looking for trouble earlier, and asked, "What? Do you all want to take them?"


    The people shook their heads and the one who had spoken earlier bowed deep as he said, "Senior, I apologize for my rudeness earlier."


    Hao Ren shook his head and collected all the corpses in his space ring and asked, "Where do I go to enter the second layer?"


    The other side pointed, "Senior, in that direction, after fighting the layer guardian, you would be able to access the second layer."


    Hao Ren nodded and tossed him a couple of big rabbit corpses and walked away one step at a time. He covered thousands of kilometers with a single step. The layers were wide, they were very big. Hao Ren fought with various kinds of beasts and collected them in his space ring without breaking any sweat.


    The people who saw him were shocked aghast because they could tell that he was walking alone, and his speed and skills were top notch. The most surprising thing about this whole thing was that Hao Ren was walking alone.


    Hao Ren didn''t care about what the people thought. The young man kept moving on his path while the word of what was happening in here spread through the entire inner city.


    ...


    A team of young people rushed outside the gate and appeared in the lobby. They quickly dashed over to the side where a board was erected. This board was the point keeper, and at the moment, they were looking for a new name.


    Someone looked at them and asked, "Cao Bai, what are you doing? Leaning on the board, that''s not how you get your name there."


    Some people laughed, and Cao Bai looked at the speaker and said, "Awww, look who it is, the king of the first layer. Why are you alone? Daddy didn''t send people to work for you?"


    Another wave of laughter erupted, and someone from Cao Bai''s team yelled, "Brother, look."


    They all turned to the side, and Cao Bai said, "I told you, I told you, didn''t I? Mother fucker, look he is really that strong."


    People frowned, they came over to look at the board, and found that a name had appeared on the bottom, and the numbers next to it were moving at a blinding pace. The people couldn''t catch a breath. A few from the first layer said, "Damn, to think that he is killing them as easy as breathing."


    Cao Bai took a deep breath and said, "I am just fortunate that he is not petty, or we would have died down there."


    The rest of his team nodded, and they saw the points moving quickly, and before long they had reached the second rank, all this took just ten minutes before pausing for a bit, and then all off a sudden, there were ten thousand points added in the total.


    A person couldn''t help but yell, "Did that man just solo the guardian and that too in an instant? What is his skill?"


    Cao Bai looked at the speaker and said, "Herald Wang, that senior is a sword practitioner, I think you understand now, why is he so terrifying, yes?"


    Herald Wang shivered, and asked, "You are not lying, are you?"


    Cao Bai nodded, and Herald Wang looked at someone behind him and said, "Go tell the family head about this, I will try to ask that senior to come over to our side."


    He was not the only one, the people from the other five families have also made a move similar to this. They all knew the horror of a sword practitioner, and they wanted to have one for their own teams.


    ...


    Hao Ren was unaware, and came to the second layer of the labyrinth. He was having a good time here, killing and watching the new beasts, this was giving him a lot of wealth and at the same time, he had gathered three beast eggs, if they are not high level, then he would send them back to the Crescent Moon Empire for breeding and training. Labyrinth was a treasure trove.

 Chapter 439: Middle Floors.

    Hao Ren kept killing the beasts, regardless of any that may came his way, they would die. His killings were so massive that even the teams that were chasing after the beasts were left speechless. This young man didn''t take their kill, he didn''t even ask for a share, just killed the beasts and continued on his way like a good Samaritan.


    The people couldn''t help but fear and respect him at the same time. Hao Ren didn''t go out of his way to help anyone, but he didn''t kill anyone either. Within a day, he reached thirtieth floor. His speed and strength was already acknowledged in the hall outside, and the people were shocked. The heads of the five big houses have come over to watch the rise of this guy personally, and they were all thinking about how to reel him in.


    Unaware of all this, Hao Ren set foot on the thirty-first floor. He looked around and was surprised to find that the ceiling that had been covering the floors before this had been replaced by a night sky, yet the illumination of this floor was nothing like night.


    He mumbled, "Yin & Yang eyes."


    The scene before his eyes changed, and he found that the roof was inlaid with layers of formation lines. He concluded that this night sky was an elaborated illusion that worked in tandem with the time outside. Suddenly, a snake beast attacked him. Hao Ren looked at the side and found a python as thick as an adult human''s thigh slithering towards him at a high speed.


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and channeled spiritual energy in his right arm. The naga mark on his arm lit on, and his right arm was covered with green scales under his shirt. A strong aura radiated from his body that caused the snake to freeze in its tracks, and it hissed loudly.


    The next moment, many snakes with similar appearances raised their heads from the grass and the shrubs. They all gazed at Hao Ren and hissed, causing the young man to ask, "Do you want to attack me or do you want to be good?"


    The snake closest to him said, "Who are you, why do you have the marks of the Naga kind on you?"


    Hao Ren looked at the snake and asked with a faint smile, "Do you think that you are worthy enough to know?"


    The snake inched forward but it held back from attacking. It said, "The mark can only be bestowed upon you by the sovereign of the middle floors, the Naga clan, how can you have this mark?


    Hao Ren looked at the red snake and said, "If you want to attack, then attack, don''t talk shit to me. Where and how I got this mark has nothing to do with you. So, kindly fuck off."


    That said, he began to walk forward, and the snakes followed him for some distance. The naga mark protected him against snakes, as long as he didn''t attack them, they would not attack him unless they were crazy.


    However, this encounter made him realize one thing, that this continent also has Nagas. Thinking about it he arrived outside the red python border, and immediately spotted a couple of girls fighting against a pack of wolves.


    These wolves had a jade-like body, green in color and red eyes. They were growling at the moment as the two girls stood back to back and faced the beasts with their spears.


    Just when the biggest wolf, the alpha, was about to attack, a calm voice sounded from the distance, "The beasts in this region have some intelligence, but to think they would still rely on the numbers to target two ladies, what a shame."


    The alpha turned to look at the newcomer and found a young man walking over with his hands tied behind his back. Hao Ren smiled at the alpha wolf and said, "How about a fair fight? I will not use my right hand. If I win you will be my beast companion, and if I lose, I will be your dog?"


    The alpha howled and yelled, "How dare you humiliate like this human! Die!"


    That said, a wave of sharp winds was headed towards Hao Ren, however, the attack that split the void was dodged by Hao Ren as he leaned a little to the side. The alpha Jade Wolf was even more enraged and vanished from its spot.


    Hao Ren ducked and a jade claw flew over his head. He chuckled and twisted his body in the void and delivered a kick directly to the belly of the Jade Wolf. The body of this beast was stronger than most of the things Hao Ren had come across, but now his body was tempered, and it was five times more stronger and robust than before. The kick sent the beast flying in the distance.


    Hao Ren landed on the ground, and then he jumped back again. Soon he was at the same height as the wolf, and delivered a left elbow at the spine of the Jade Wolf, causing it to whine as it fell to the ground with a stronger impact.


    The young man smiled and landed next to the Jade wolf in the pit and asked, "Would you surrender?"


    The alpha looked at Hao Ren and said, "Human, you are stronger than be, and there is an immeasurable chasm between us, but even in death I will not surrender to you."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "I will not harm your pack, as long as they leave here."


    The alpha looked at Hao Ren for a few more minutes, before he said, "All of you go."


    The wolves all shivered, they didn''t want to go, because they knew that their alpha was in danger, however, they couldn''t deny the command of a superior, this was the hierarchy of the wolf pack. Hao Ren sighed and bent down to grab the neck of the beast and said, "Pity!"


    He held the neck of the wolf in his palm and gave it a sudden twist. A crackling sound echoed in the surroundings, before the wolves began to howl.


    The young man sighed and collected the corpse into his space ring and then he looked at the two stunned ladies. It turned out they were twins. He cupped his fists to them and asked, "May I keep the corpse of this beast king, Fairies?"


    The ladies nodded and then they asked him, "Who are you?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "I am not a famous person, and I just came to the inner city yesterday."


    The ladies nodded and asked, "Where is your team?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I came down on my own. I have no team."


    The two ladies hadn''t been out for a few days, and they had no idea of his popularity. Forget them, even he didn''t know.


    The trio was surrounded by an awkward silence, and then Hao Ren asked, "How did you two manage to survive?"


    One of the ladies replied, "It is simple, we kill everyone who attacks us."


    Hao Ren was surprised and then he chuckled and said, "Good answer, Fairy. However, please polish your karma and try to make a foundation for it, otherwise, it might become an issue."


    Then he nodded to them and headed forward. One of the girls asked, "What do you think?"


    The other girl said, "I think we can team up with him. Let''s catch him."


    They dashed after him, and found that Hao Ren had already walked away quite a long distance. They wanted to yell and call him to stop, but they realized they didn''t even know his name.


    Hao Ren was heading for the core of the middle levels, and he didn''t wish to bring along anyone, that''s why, while he saved lives, he never gave them a name. His goal was to see where he could find the competition, that would challenge him, and not socializing.


    On the way he fought a few beast races, and then after killing or defeating them he continued walking. Just when the girls were about to catch up with him, they found that he was standing before a huge statue, which had six arms and three heads.


    The girls shivered, and they retreated quickly. As they reeled back, Hao Ren advanced toward the statue, and suddenly the three headed statue opened its eyes wide, and asked confusedly, "Why don''t you travel with a team? Why fight alone?"


    Hao Ren smiled at the floor guardian, but didn''t reply. As he took a step forward, his aura climbed, and followed by that, sword streaks were issued from Hao Ren''s feet. They were targeting the neck of the stone statue.


    The guardian snorted and attacked Hao Ren with a stone javelin. The youngman avoided the attack and his steps continued. The javelin hit the ground and left a chasm there, before it repaired itself.


    Hao Ren looked at the three headed statue and asked, "Do you really want to stop me from getting through this floor?"


    The three heads nodded and said, "This is the duty of a floor guardian."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Fine then. I apologize."


    He clenched his fist and attacked the guardian.

 Chapter 440 440: The Point.

    Hao Ren dashed at the three headed floor guardian and despite being quick in his step, the guardian raised his arm and shoved a palm to attack the young man. hao Ren was quick on his feet and didn''t underestimate his enemy, he took a step to the side while charging ahead. He closed in on the guardian and then used his weight transfer to shoot up in the void, and appear before the main head of the guardian.


    The young man clenched his fist and said, "Flame Fist."


    He punched the stone head, and after his hand came into contact with the stone, he channeled a strong flame from inside his body. The flame was akin to a fluid that covered the head of the statue and carbonized it within a matter of seconds. Hao Ren didn''t fall to the ground, he then raised his left fist and said, "Titan Fist."


    The left punch hit the scorched surface of the statue head, and the impact cause the carbonized stone to crack and shatter. Crumbs of all different sizes fell on the ground, Hao Ren looked at the other two heads and found them staring back at him with some horror in their eyes.


    However, the young man didn''t intend to stop. He stood on the stump where the main head was attached and attacked the two heads with the same move. The Guardian didn''t even had the time to react before the three heads vanished and fell on the ground. Hao Ren landed on the ground and put his hands behind his back as he walked through the gate leading to floor thirty-second.


    The two girls who watched the entire scene with their own eyes, looked at each other before they decided to run back up, and tell the people what this young man was capable of.


    ...


    Hao Ren entered the next floor and asked the beasts if they know where he could find the Nagas, but they attacked him directly and he had no choice but too kill them.


    ...


    On the ground floor, outside in the gathering hall, the people were looking at the point board with dazed expressions. They had no idea how Hao Ren was fighting and raking up points at such a speed. Just then two figures appeared next to the exit gate, and they were taken aback by looking at the crowd. They exchanged gazes and approached the reception counter where a young man was watching the board change every few seconds at a breakneck speed.


    The young man heard someone was knocking the table and then he looked at the two beauties as he asked, "Xiao An, Xiao Tan, what are you two doing outside the dungeon? Didn''t you promise that you would only come out when you have crossed the floor?"


    Xiao Tan and Xiao An looked at each other and they placed an image stone each on the table and Xiao Tan said, "You know what? There is a genius in the labyrinth and he fights so well, those beasts have no chance against him. We were surrounded by a big pack of Jade wolves, and that man directly killed the pack leader with his bare hands. Do you understand what I mean? Bare hands."


    They didn''t know that their discussion had attracted a lot of gazes. The young man on the counter sensed five intense gazes on him and asked, "Did you get it recorded on the image stone."


    The girls nodded and the man behind the counter picked up a stone and channeled his spiritual energy through the stone, which then produced a spiritual screen in the void and a scene unfolded before them all. They found how Hao Ren broke through the thirty-first floor guardian and gained so many points.


    The experts sighed and replied, "Sheer strength and conceptual understanding. Look, he didn''t make any unnecessary movement and saved himself some energy and at the sametime it was lethal to follow this attack style."


    The five people exchanged gazes and they all so flames of war erupting in those eyes. They wanted to win over Hao Ren even if they had to bend down and gift their asses to him.


    ...


    Elder Shen came back to the Dragon Hall and he found the old dog sleeping on the table. He approached the dog and said, "Elder Gun, that young man, Hao Ren, he is a monster."


    The old dog opened his eyes and asked, "Little Shen do you have anything against monsters?"


    Old Shen shivered and shook his head like a rattle and said, "Elder, what I mean is that this guy is already on the thirty second floor, he is so strong that the people from the five halls want to fight and win him over."


    The old dog closed his eyes and said, "Little Shen, you know what sort of people would try to gain someone''s favor by spending money?"


    Elder Shen sighed and replied, "The ones who climbed the top by spending money are the ones who would try to gain favor from people by using money as leverage as well."


    The dog nodded and said, "Hao Ren didn''t feel like someone who would favor money, what he is looking for is strength and strength will come to him when he walks the path without any hesitation in his mind, and conviction that he would get to the line where he wants to be."


    Elder Shen nodded and a sudden tremor spread around the Dragon Hall, causing the Old Dog to bark in the side."


    The bark was strong and the tremor vanished after that. Elder Shen sighed out in relief and said, "Had it not been for you, things would have looked very different from what it is now."


    The old dog didn''t comment, he was very strong, but nobody apart from Elder Shen knew about it.


    ...


    Hao Ren had just finished fighting with a group of apes, and he was now sitting on the ground with his eyes closed. He took a deep breath and looked around before taking out a talisman. He channeled his spiritual energy through it, and imprinted his thoughts on it before sending it out.


    Communication talismans were good things, they could get through almost everywhere unless the place was a isolated by a spatial array.


    This whole labyrinth had many layers over it, but the isolation arrays were not similar to the space locking ones. Hao Ren sighed and said, "System, what is the point of all this?"


    The system replied, *I don''t know what is the point of it all myself. When I was created by the spiritual energy and your desire, I thought I would be able to change your life in a snap. However, as we both moved forward, I realized that we were very weak. I was updated and yet, I still didn''t manage to get you to the level, where if your wife asks you for a star, you would be able to pluck one from the sky. Host, I am really not sure what is the point of all this.*


    The young man was shocked, he asked, "Are you for real, right now?"


    *Did you fall for it? Loser. I am only saying things like this so that you can shut up and focus on getting stronger. Finish visiting the seven cities and get the reward. Did you not understand those simple words? Why are you dwelling in the labyrinth?*


    Hao Ren was surprised, and then he said, "Well, I heard that their is a dragon in the lowest level here, so it would be nice if I could tame it and control it to ride."


    *Foolish, there must be some limit to your wild ambitions. That dragon is already mad, and crazy, you want to tame it? That is just as simple as calling for death. You can tell me and I will disintegrate you completely.*


    The young man thought about it and said, "Taking a look will also kill me?"


    The system replied *Not sure, depends on how strong your will is. The dragon is going crazy and if you approach it, the mad aura it has would wash on you and then lead you into mania as well.*


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I hear you, but I will be careful, just one look and then leave."


    The system replied, *You can actually try to kill it, you know?*


    Hao Ren froze and asked, "What do you mean? Killing a dragon? That''s absurd. That thing would be in the world realm at the minimum."


    *They are not that exaggerated. Just do it if you want to. The mad dragon has its own weakness, and all you need to do it discover that weakness and it might play in your favor. If you failed to survive, I will get your name published in the paper and tell your family that you loved them.*


    Hao Ren wanted to retort but he didn''t know how to, so he chose to move forward through the floors.

 Chapter 441: The Nagas.

    Hao Ren continued on his path to get to the deeper floors and he had been killing the beasts that attacked him. The number of human experts on the lower floors was lesser than the ones on the top. He sort of found it reasonable because the beasts were stronger and the possibility of getting attacked were high as well.


    The young man cleared three more floors, before he came to the thirty fifth floor and channeled his spiritual energy through the Naga mark and as he expected, after a few minutes, he was surrounded by the Naga''s and said, "Are you going to attack me or come out to have a conversation?"


    At his words, several of them came out from behind the trees. They were all young and equipped with battle spears. Hao Ren looked around and found one of them who was very calm and asked, "You might be the leader of this party, are you not?"


    The young Naga nodded and said, "Yes, I am. Can you tell us, where did you get that brand?"


    Hao Ren nodded and replied calmly, "There is a clan of Nagas on the land where I come from. They were in a pinch and I helped them. The Princess, Her Highness Ulupi bestowed me with the mark as a symbol of friendship."


    The young man frowned and said, "I have been outside, but I have never heard the name Ulupi."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, as he said, "You are not aware that two worlds, the Spirit Siphon Continent has merged with The Spirit Shimmer Continent. I belong to the latter, and that is where she resides, thus I am sure that you didn''t know about her."


    The man nodded and asked, "So, how can two worlds be so far apart that they don''t know about each other, and yet have similar beast species there?"


    Hao Ren replied with a smile, "Is it that unbelievable? Humans are also living in continents that are far superior than the ones we are on. What you need to understand is that the world we know about is not even as big as the tip of an iceberg. Their are many mysteries that we have yet to see, and even if we spend the entire life travelling and learning, we might not know about a few things."


    The Nagas were surprised and it was evident by their existence. Hao Ren took out a gourd from his space ring and asked, "The snake wine recipe is a secret of your kind, am I right?"


    The young Naga nodded, and Hao Ren removed the cork of the gourd, as he asked, "What do you think now? Just because you are unaware of something, doesn''t mean that it doesn''t exist."


    His words caused the young Naga warrior to hesitate and at this moment, an old voice sounded from the side, "Hmm, this young man, what you say does make some sense."


    The young Naga warriors all bowed their heads and greeted, "Greetings, Elder."


    The old naga nodded and asked, "Young man, what is your name?"


    Hao Ren reported his name and said, "I apologize if I am causing you any trouble elder. However, on a floor above, there were a few snake beasts who attacked me, they held back because they sensed the mark of your kind on me."


    The old man smiled faintly and said, "Little red and his kind are a bit aggressive but they are not bad people."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "In this world, nobody is good or bad, it is just their actions that make the difference during different circumstances."


    The old Naga chuckled and said, "Well said. Come, we should go and talk about Dao in the clan."


    The young Naga was surprised and he was about to say something when the old Naga waved his hand and asked the other to keep silence. They moved through the forest and came to a small encampment and the old man said, "This is where the clan is living right now. In this world, we have to live like nomads, ever since those damned ancestors of the five clans have caged us in this floor."


    Hao Ren frowned and remarked, "I am aware that this forceful entrapment is because of the dragon on the bottom of the labyrinth."


    The Old Naga shook his head and replied, "The Severance Dragon was originally the guardian of the Samsara Dynasty. She is one of the most brave and righteous creatures that walk this world. However, in his greed to gain power, the second prince of the Dynasty took her egg, and tried to refine the embryo. That was why she turned over to be the biggest villain. The Severance Dragon, is called, Mila. She destroyed the very empire that she vowed to safeguard, however, it cost her a lot."


    Hao Ren frowned even harder, and asked, "If I am not guessing wrong, then what seems to be going on here, is that the her Excellency Mila is being used as a cover up for their own narrow mindedness. Right?"


    The old Naga nodded, he said, "The ancestors of the five families were initially the officials of the Samsara Dynasty, they have perished about two thousand years ago, but their descendants, they hunted all the beasts they could, and threw them here to fend for themselves as they tolerated the bloodline suppression from, Her Excellency Mila."


    Hao Ren asked, "Is this labyrinth made to control her?"


    The Old Naga nodded, and replied, "After they sealed her, they cast this labyrinth above the sealing pit. Then they threw us here, to absorb the baleful energy that is being created by her hatred for humans. Another purpose of sealing us all over in the Labyrinth was simply to make sure that she doesn''t act out.


    If she wishes to break free, then she would need to break through the floors and doing so would kill all the spirit beasts, and thus, she is enduring."


    Hao Ren nodded, he sat down on a boulder as he asked, "What is the way to get her out?"


    The Nagas in the surroundings were shocked, they didn''t expect that Hao Ren would say something like this. The young man shook his head and replied, "You are thinking too much. I have a very simple reason to ask you of this. I dislike to be tricked. The City Of Rage is a city that is based on survival of the fittest, and in the inner city, they have tricked me saying things that don''t make any sense."


    The old Naga chuckled and replied, "If anyone was to know what happened, then it should be Old Gun, that tiny black dog raised inside the Dragon Hall."


    Hao Ren was surprised and looked at the old Naga who said, "That dog is a hellhound, strong enough to challenge the might of a dragon. He is bound by the Dao oath, if someone asks him the truth, he is incapable of lying."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "He might not lie, but he can still refuse to tell the truth."


    The Naga was surprised now, and thinking about it, that was indeed the case. Hao Ren said, "Nothing to worry, I will find a way to get to the bottom of this and try to get you all free. Till then."


    He stood up clasped his fist before the elders, and then he left the clan and headed to the exit gate. It was time he dealt with the folks in the City. His space ring had ran out of space to stuff more things, and he had to sell them for a great bargain.


    The Nagas didn''t stop him, they watched him go away, and the young man asked, "Elder, are you even okay?"


    The Old Naga nodded and said, "It doesn''t matter anymore, if he is not lying, then he should be here within two days. Let''s see how it unfolds."


    The people nodded and they went about their work while the Elder stood in the center of the village and looking up at the dark sky.


    ...


    Hao Ren appeared outside the gate, and then he walked up to the reception counter and said, "Hi, I would like to exchange all these items for spirit stones and different spirit artifacts."


    The counter in charge looked at Hao Ren, who waved his hand and a small pile of beast corpses were poured into that room. The people looked at Hao Ren and the five heads of family stepped forward to make introductions.


    The man in the center was robust physique and strong vitality, he said, "Hello, Young master Hao, I am Wang Juling, the head of the Wang family, one of the strongest families in the city. Pleasure to meet you, would you like to have a conversation over some tea?"


    Before Hao Ren could even say anything, a couple of old men jumped in the frey and said, "Old Juling, you are trying to steal the talent from under our eyes?"


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Family heads thank your offer, but I have decided to join the Dragon Hall."

 Chapter 442: Beating The Quests.

    Hao Ren had just refused to the five heads without even blinking an eye, and one of the people asked, "Can you tell me why?"


    The person who spoke up was the head of the Wang family. Hao Ren looked at him and said, "You all belong to big families and have your own agendas, while I prefer to be my own person. I hope that Family Head Wang and the rest would respect my decision. Although this city is called the City of Rage, I don''t want to shed blood without any reason."


    The people were shocked, they hadn''t expected that Hao Ren who was talking so politely would be so blunt that he would directly threaten the people and that too some of the strongest people in the city of Rage.


    Even the five elders were shocked, and Elder Shen, the head of the Shen Family stepped up and asked, "Did you threaten me?"


    Hao Ren shook his head with a candid smile on his face, "No, no, how can I threaten you elders? How could you imagine that I would waste so much time to threaten you as a single entity?"


    The next moment, his smile vanished and his face turned very cold, and so did his aura, he looked at the five people and said, "I threatened all of you. I am not someone from the Kingdom of Emotions, and I am not your puppet, if you tried to come for me, I will come for you, and when I do that, nobody would be able to save you."


    As he said that, he took a step forward and a strong aura washed over the five people. They didn''t expect that Hao Ren would be so strong. What scared them even more was the simple fact that even though the young man had revealed his aura, they could not see through the depths of his strength.


    His realm was shrouded, his aura was pure, and Hao Ren held back his true might, he had yet to hold a sword. The five elders wanted to retaliate, and at this moment, an dog walked in and said, "Well, if it isn''t little one, little two, little three, and little four. Oh, little five, you are also willing to come here? I didn''t expect that all of you brothers would gather to bully the disciple of the Dragon Hall."


    Hao Ren looked at the old black dog, but he didn''t show any change on his face. He was aware that this dog was not a simple dog, but a Hellhound.


    The arrival of the dog caused the five people to gulp and they all took half a step back in retreat. Since the old dog was here, they had to give in, or it would break the agreement they had.


    Old Wang bowed his head and said, "Elder Gun, we will cede this time. You can take him."


    The old dog nodded and said, "I appreciate that, well then Xiao Hao, let''s go."


    Hao Ren nodded and followed the old dog back to the Dragon Hall with the people watching their backs. The crowd began to scatter, and when the five elders walked out of the Labyrinth, one of them said, "Is it just me or did you also sense that young man was holding back a lot of his strength just now?"


    The four people nodded, and Elder Wang said, "You all can do what you want to do, but the Wang Family will not be taking part in it. That old dog looks feeble, but he has been looking like that since I joined the Dragon Hall. He never interferes, but this time he came in person, it is simple, that young man is not simple and if we try to strong arm him, that old dog would take action."


    The four people thought and nodded before they said, "Let us see what he does in the future, and if he proves to be an obstacle, we will have no choice but to fight to preserve our interests."


    ...


    Hao Ren followed the old dog with his hands behind his back. He didn''t care if this dog was the Hellhound or Cerberus himself, as long as it did not cause him any trouble, he didn''t mind. However, he had a few things that he wanted to ask this guy. The things that the Nagas told him, if they were true, then he was going to break the labyrinth apart because that was the pact. He was going to help the Nagas, as they have always helped him in the Spirit Shimmer Continent.


    They entered the Dragon Hall, and the old Dog asked, "You must have questions, tell me, I will answer you."


    Hao Ren took off his shirt and revealed the tattoo of the Naga Clan and said, "This mark is the mark of favor that I gained from the Nagas after helping them in a lower realm."


    Old Gun looked like a Shih-Tzu, but looking at the mark on Hao Ren''s arm and hearing his words he was surprised. He asked, "You know about the existence of lower realms?"


    Hao Ren replied with a nod and said, "Old Gun, you better be honest with me. I am pact bound with the Nagas, and I will help them. However, the crux lies in the truth. The dragon under the Labyrinth, was she really berserk and killed everyone in a fit of madness, or was she driven into a corner by some stupid royal breed pig?"


    He didn''t mince his words, and Old Gun took a deep breath and replied, "Have they told you anything?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yes, they have. I know the two perceptions of the story, now can you tell me what is the truth, because I think that you are probably older than all this, even the kingdom of Emotions."


    The dog nodded and sat down on the ground, as he scratched an itch behind his ear and said, "Yes, I was the beast companion to the founding emperor of the Samsara Dynasty. He is still alive, sealed under the Labyrinth along with the Severance Dragon that was wronged by the people of the nation she guarded with all her might."


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "Since that founder is down there, then it means he used some forbidden technique to seal the dragon there with himself. If I try to act excessively, that person might attack me, right?"


    The dog nodded and replied, "You are very smart. I can tell you one method that can be used to reach the lowest levels of the labyrinth and have an audience with the two entities. They will not attack you, but it is possible that they might allow you to bring away the Nagas."


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and said, "What if I want to free the dragon?"


    The old dog stood up and said calmly, "I will kill you."


    Hao Ren crouched down and a halo appeared behind him. He gazed into the eyes of the black dog. He could see a flicker of red flames, but his own eyes radiated a strong flame that could swallow everything. He said, "Old Gun, what you people did was wrong. Do you really think that just because you are able to hold her down, she would give up? If she really wished, would you be able to hold back her self destruction?"


    The old dog was in a daze, he mumbled, "You are a saint."


    Hao Ren didn''t bother answering and said, "That dragon wishes to kill the bloodline of the royal family, isn''t that it? To make sure that your master suffers the same way as she did? Hypocrites."


    Old Gun frowned and he wanted to say something when a feeling of dread overtook him. A blade had appeared in Hao Ren''s hand and it was still in sheath. Hao Ren said, "If I wish, tearing a fissure in the labyrinth is not a big deal, so tell me the right path. I know that you are a loyal beast, but you should know, this Dragon Hall was conferred to safeguard the fate of the people in the city. You are disobeying your directive by doing this."


    Old Gun mumbled, "A sword saint."


    Hao Ren didn''t bother, he waited patiently and Old Gun woke up from his stupor after a few minutes, as he said, "You can clear the quests. Each floor has a hidden boss, you can defeat that boss and then get to the bottom of the tower. After you do that, you will have conquered the Labyrinth and it will listen to your commands."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he stood up, ready to go back to the Labyrinth when he asked, "Why did you tell me all this?"


    The dog replied, "My master, he is also a sword saint, and only a sword saint can complete the quests. Please save them."


    Hao Ren looked at the dog changing his attitude, and thought if this guy was a chameleon in reality. Well, putting that aside, he had something meaningful to do now.


    So, he decided to head out and handle things right away, after all he had to travel the other five cities as well, and he was thinking of the dragon would look intimidating as his mount? Though he wasn''t too sure, but he ought to try taming the dragon, right?

 Chapter 443: Hunting The Hidden.

    Hao Ren stopped bothering the dog, his strength had scared the shit out of the Hellhound. He took the shortest path to the Labyrinth hall, he came to the reception counter, and looking at the surroundings he didn''t find any inkling where anyone might have completed the quest of hunting the hidden boss.


    He went to the entrance and then headed to the first floor. As he came to the floor, he realized that everyone had to start from the first floor always, regardless where they exist, they have to go through the first floor. The young man frowned and looking around he suddenly asked, ''Oi, system, if I use the Eye of Insight to inspect this place, will I find a clue?''


    *That depends on your effort, kid. I am not controlling it.*


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue, he realized that this guy was slacking again. Thinking about it, he used the Yin and Yang eyes to look around the place, and detected the core of the array that was used to stabilize this place. Then he thought for a second, and mumbled, ''Eye of Insight.''


    Suddenly he saw the reason behind the array. It turned out, this was a multiple use array formation. This thing worked as an isolation barrier, stacked upon a spirit gathering and a minor illusion array. The gist of this array lay in the fact that the core was not the area where most of the energy would be concentrated. This zone was shifting, like a floating island.


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Ingenious, hiding the trial inside the Labyrinth in a way that nobody would be able to sense it. Such a trick could really nurture some experts."


    The system said, *Triggering a task, for every Hidden boss you kill, you will get a lottery ticket. The rewards will give you a chance that will change your life.*


    Hao Ren chuckled and asked, "What more can be changed in my life?"


    *Imagine if you earned a Supreme Spirit Stone for every time you asked me shit, you might be able to buy the entire world.*


    Hao Ren sensed a twitch develop on his face, and then he put the topic aside and moved through the floor with a quick speed, and came to the place where the spiritual energy was concentrated to the limit. It was at least three times thicker than the rest of the floor.


    Hao Ren used his Yin and Yang eyes and found a red gorilla, sitting on the ground with his eyes closed. The young man frowned and mumbled, "Fucking hell, this guy is two thousand year old and he is cultivating even now. I might die if I fought him."


    However, he still took out his sword and said, "Old Sir, would you care for a duel?"


    His voice broke through to the barrier and the Red Gorilla opened his eyes. The beast turned to look at Hao Ren and asked with surprise, "Human, you can see me?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yes, Senior. I can see you."


    The Gorilla stood up from the ground and approached Hao Ren, just when they were fifty meters away from each other the barrier vanished, and they faced each other face to face. The Gorilla looked at Hao Ren and said, "Do you know how long it has been since I have been trapped in this hell hole? Do you know what is going on in my mind? I want to go out and kill all the humans."


    The young man took a deep breath and said, "I understand and agree with your rage. However, now is not the time. The person responsible for all this is still trapped on the last floor with the Severance Dragon. If you wish to punish someone, punish him, the rest of the people are just devices to his plan, weak in mind and body."


    The gorilla was stunned, because Hao Ren used the soothsaying skill. The beast growled and broke the technique, Hao Ren sighed and snapped his finger as he said, "Shut up."


    He used a higher level hypnotism technique. The Gorilla calmed down, and Hao Ren wanted to talk to the beast about how to cooperate, when he noticed that the being was struggling hard. The young man said, "Despite two thousand years, the wisdom and intelligence is only slightly better, the temper is arrogant and aggressive."


    He waved his sword and the head of the beast slowly slipped off its shoulders before landing on the ground with a dull thud. The young man collected the beast corpse in his space ring, and turned around. Just at this moment, a wave of energy passed through the floor.


    Hao Ren looked around and then he sensed a change in the Dao fluctuations of the place. He raised his brows and then moved to the second floor. He came to the second floor and found that he could not use the same trick as he used on the floor upstairs.


    He asked, ''System, my lord, can we please upgrade Eye of Insight? Do you really want me to spend another hundred days on this shitty assignment? My wife is alone at home for fuck''s sake.''


    *You can exchange the lottery that you won earlier in exchange for an upgrade to the Eye of Insight.*


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "Exchange, now!"


    *Good, Eye Of Insight can be used ten times a day.*


    The young man quickly used the eye of insight and located the hidden zone, he found that the arrays were slightly different from each other, and thus he had to use the eye of insight. This skill may look like a way to unlock the secret doors, but it actually taught him a lot of things. The young man located the beast boss on the second floor, and tried to talk to it, but he found that the Tiger was also very low level intelligent and thus he had no choice but to kill it.


    Moving on, he found beasts on ten floors, and discovered that they were all almost the same, aggressive and man-eating. He could not let them go out and kill people without even getting a fair chance to save themselves.


    He finished using his eye of insight and it was time he called back home using the messaging talismans. He went out of the reception counter with a smile on his face and knocked the back of his fingers on the counter, and a young lady came over smiling, "Hello, how can I help you, Senior?"


    Hao Ren took off the space ring and said, "I want to sell all that is inside this ring, it would be nice if you can call your elders to assess the material."


    The lady nodded and she picked up the ring before scanning the content inside. When she did, her eyes opened wide, so big that they almost fell off, her face turned pale and she said, "Senior, I will call the Chief right away."


    She dashed off like a bullet taking off, and after a few moments, she came over with an old man who had more white hair then the annual snowfall.


    He picked up the ring and after checking the content inside, he took a deep breath and said, "I will get you the best deal. Please tell me what you want."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "Sword Manuals, all classes, all ranks, all elements, I want them all, as many as you can collect. The content is yours."


    The old man gulped and said, "I will get you a thousand books on sword Dao tomorrow."


    Then with both hands he returned the ring to Hao Ren and the latter said, "I will be coming tomorrow, so I hope you have the things ready by then."


    The old man nodded and then Hao Ren turned and left the place. The old man let out a sigh and a young elder walked over and asked, "Elder Chan, why were you acting so polite to that young man?"


    Elder Chan turned to look at a middle-aged man and said, "You just came to the city by sky, and you have no idea how he fended off against the five heads. Then he joined the Dragon Hall, at this moment, the amount of beast corpses he has is around two thousand. Can you understand the gravity of the situation here? He is a beast, and now with Old Gun supporting him, none of the people could prove any foul play on how he got those corpses. So, I had to drag it and leave it for tomorrow."


    ...


    Hao Ren walked through the street, and he could see the people trailing along, heading to deal with their own things, and just when he reached the gates of the Dragon Hall, he found elder Shen cleaning up the garden. He approached the old man and asked, "Why are you working under a dog?"


    The old man sighed and replied, "I have some bad blood and thus, I was taken in to serve till I have made up for my mistakes."

 Chapter 444: Conflict.

    The night passed quickly and the young man finished interacting with Han Lingshi who was preparing to approach the tribulation of her next realm. He promised her that he would come back as soon as possible to assist her in the tribulation. Han Lingshi scolded him for thinking that he could help her with the tribulation. After all, if anyone tried to interfere in the heaven''s test, it would only multiply the intensity by a hundred times.


    The young man didn''t take her words to heart, he had his ways to deal with things. He had nine lotteries in his pocket, and he was sure, at least something nice would come out. The young man took a deep breath, and closed his eyes to cultivate till the sun came up on the horizon.


    He walked out of his room, came to the kitchen and began to cook some of the Red Gorilla meat. His cooking skills set out a wave of aroma in the Dragon Hall, Elder Shen and Old Dog Gun couldn''t help but walk over to the kitchen. When they saw the young man eating the meat rich in spiritual energy they were salivating very hard.


    Hao Ren looked at them and then said, "There is some left in the kitchen for you. However, if you dared to show off that I have given you such a rich spirit meat, you can forget about it in the future."


    Then he continued eating and refining the morsels. After a few minutes, he was done, and he went out of the Dragon Hall after cleaning his dishes with a wave of spiritual energy.


    When he appeared at the Labyrinth Pavilion, the people were discussing the changes of the Labyrinth. The biggest change was that they could go to the last floor they visited directly. They didn''t have to fight the floor guardians over and over again. Although they could not find the reason behind this change but they were shocked nonetheless.


    The rating boards changed as well. Now, it didn''t show the points for killing the beasts, but the number of the floor someone was. So, for example, if someone thought they could stay on the same floor, and farm the points, it won''t work. The people were confused, and while some were happy about the changes, some of them were enraged, because their entire reputation stood on the foundation of farming. How could they pretend to be a strong and magnificent personality anymore?


    Hao Ren didn''t care about anything, he entered the building, came to the entrance gate and then just when he was about to enter the door, a figure appeared beside him. This newcomer asked, "Are you the one who disrespected my father the other day?"


    Hao Ren didn''t intend to kick a fuss, but when this person took his silence as an act of provocation, and attacked him with a palm, the young man had no choice but to retaliate with a backhand slap of his own.


    Pak!


    The entire pavilion echoed with a loud smacking sound, and the people turned their heads to look in the direction of the gates. They were surprised to see Hao Ren, and then they were shocked to see a middle-aged man laying on the ground not far from him. This middle-aged man was fuming with rage, and someone remarked, "Fuck, second master Wang, did Hao Ren just hit Second Master Wang?"


    The people gulped, Second Master Wang was a strong personality and the biggest character trait, he was a father loving fool.


    Hao Ren turned to look at the man and asked, "Why did you attack me?"


    Second Master Wang stood up from the ground, his cheek was still flushed from the impact, and he clenched his fists as he asked, "Who gave you the guts to offend my father?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "My strength, does that suffice your curiosity?"


    The people rolled their eyes, someone clicked his tongue and said, "We all know that it was because of Old Master Gun he walked away scot-free."


    The people nodded, and Second Master Wang sneered as he said, "Do you really think that the people are foolish? You are an outsider so you might be thinking that Old Master Gun might be almighty, but the fact is, he is not. I have many ways to kill you, bastard. I will give you one chance, kneel and apologize to my father. Or you will die without a complete corpse."


    Hao Ren looked at the man and shook his head as he said, "I thought you would be impressive, but turned out that you are just a spoilt brat who loves to cause trouble for his father. You said you have an hundred ways to kill me, but I assure you, if I decide to kill you, only one way is enough. I am warning you, Second Wang, get lost. I have no interest in entertaining a dimwit like you."


    Second Master Wang opened his eyes wide, he was shocked to see that someone would have the guts to talk against him like this, he was shocked that someone would ignore the strength of his family so blatantly.


    He took a deep breath and said, "You will die today."


    Second Master Wang was about to make a move, when an old man appeared between them and said, "Second Master Wang, have you forgotten the rules of the Pavilion?"


    Second Master Wang froze in his tracks and said, "Elder Yu, didn''t you here what this outsider said?"


    The old man nodded and said, "You initiated the whole thing. Don''t shake off the responsibility. If you wish to take action, please do so outside my pavilion."


    Second Master Wang clenched his fist and said, "Fine, brat, I challenge you, if you are a man, come out and lets fight on the life and death platform."


    Hao Ren was about to refuse when the system said, *Side task, kill the Wang Family people till they accept defeat and you gain fame.*


    Hao Ren''s lip twitched and he said, "Fine, why don''t call your elders as well? If I kill you, I am sure they would come after me, and if they disturb me later, on, it would be better if they all come at once, I will save some time killing them."


    Second Master Wang was shivering with rage, and his face was twisting into something obscure. He said, "You, you just wait!"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Yeah, yeah, I will wait, you can call whoever is eager to seek death. I have nothing else to do."


    That said, he turned to walk out of the Pavilion, but suddenly he stopped and looked at a young man passing by and asked, "This brother, can you tell me where is the life and death platform he mentioned?"


    The young man pointed to the vacant marbled floor outside the pavilion and said, "There would be an elder, that is the life and death platform."


    Hao Ren nodded and walked out with his hands behind his back and when he reached the designated area, he looked at Second Master Wang, and said, "Oye, hurry up. I have business inside the Labyrinth, I haven''t got all day, do you understand? Poser."


    The second master Wang shivered, and dashed over after he said to a follower, "Go inform my family, tell them to come over soon. Today, I will avenge the humiliation this man gave us."


    The follower hesitated but he dashed through the crowd quickly. Hao Ren crossed his legs and sat down in the void with a smile on his face. He watched Second Master Wang standing across him, and the latter said, "Elder Bishop, please be the judge of the duel."


    A scrawny old man appeared at the edge of the platform. He looked at the two people and said, "You have one incense stick to reconsider if you wish to go ahead with the deathmatch. Don''t pester me saying that you have made the final decision. Come and talk only after the incense stick is finished."


    The old man produced an incense stick and stood silently. Hao Ren watched the proceedings with a smile on his face. The incense stick burned and when it was about half way finished, a group of people approached the platform and the people gave way. The person in the lead was the Master of the Wang Family.


    He looked at Hao Ren and then at his son, before he said, "Daoist Hao, what is the meaning of this?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "Family Head Wang, I think you should ask your beloved son as he wanted to avenge the humiliation from the other day."


    Family Head Wang frowned and he looked at his son and wanted to say something when the crowd behind Hao Ren also parted and Elder Shen and Elder Gun walked over. Family Head Wang frowned harder, and Old Gun said, "You may use whatever force that you want, the Dragon Hall has never intervened with the disciples'' personal matters."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Wow, Old Gun, you are very frank today. Hahaha, come second pig, I will clean you up for the eternal journey."

 Chapter 445: Slaughtering Wangs.

    Hao Ren challenged the second Master of the Wang family without any hesitation. The Wang family head who stood behind his son was shocked. He kept looking at the old Shih-tzu dog that said it was okay to fight, and then he looked at his son and said, "Wang Hai, go!"


    Wang Hao bowed to his father and then stepped onto the platform with a big conceited smile on his face. He looked at Hao Ren and said, "How would you like to die?"


    Hao Ren was amused and asked, "Why not tell me what is the best method that you have to kill people?"


    Wang Hao was surprised for a moment before he laughed loudly and said, "It is a simple method. I chop off the limbs while the people are alive and then I chop off their heads. Dismemberment has its own fun."


    Listening to this, Hao Ren nodded, and then turned to look at the frail elder, as he said, "Elder, please commence the duel."


    The old man sighed and said, "If anyone interferes in the duel, I will kill them first. You can only step down the platform once the enemy is dead. Do you understand me?"


    Hao Ren and Wang Hao nodded, as the next moment the old man said, "Begin."


    The two people dashed at each other, Wang Hao was confident in his strength, and he raised his hand to punch Hao Ren, who tilted his head and delivered a counter punch directly at the enemy''s throat.


    Wang Hao choked and then Hao Ren grappled his still extended arm and flipped him over the shoulder, letting his back hit the ground to knock-out the breath out of his lungs. Then he took out the Chaos sword and said, "I hope you enjoy the treatment."


    He waved his sword in the void and it chopped the limbs off of Wang Hao''s body, causing him to let out muffled groans. The people watched the entire scene and were shocked. The head of the Wang Family was shivering in rage. He didn''t expect that Hao Ren would kill his son. Two reasons caused him to be even more humiliated, Hao Ren dealt with the guy as if his son was a roadside hustler. The second reason was how Hao Ren chopped the limbs of his son with a grin on his face.


    This was a slap on his face, and slap on the face of the entire Wang Family. Hao Ren raised his head and then he looked at the elder outside the platform and the old man said, "Winner, Hao Ren!"


    However, none of the spectators clapped for him. Hao Ren looked at the members of the Wang family and looked at them for a prolonged minute before he turned around. However, just when he thought that the situation had been handled and that he could leave. The elder son of the Wang Family, said, "Since you killed my brother, I have the right to avenge him."


    Hao Ren nodded to the man and asked, "Do you want to fight a battle of life and death here?"


    The man nodded and Hao Ren said, "Well, how about we finish it now? Want to fight, come on. I am not even warmed up properly."


    The man clenched his fist and before Family Head Wang could stop his elder son, the latter had already stepped on the life and death platform. The presiding elder asked, "Are you sure, Wang Hai?"


    Wang Hai nodded and then said, "Please begin the match."


    The old man on the side of the platform nodded, and said, "Very well, Hao Ren, are you sure you wish to fight?"


    The young man obviously was not complaining, the old man said, "Begin."


    Hao Ren used his body to tackle the spear blade that Wang Hai thrust toward him, and then he clenched his fist, as it landed directly on Wang Hai''s abdomen. The people saw this and their expressions changed.


    Wang Hai was stunned before he wailed in agony. Hao Ren had directly crippled his cultivation. One seemingly simple punch directly destroyed the Dao Foundation that Wang Hao had created after so many years.


    Some people frowned as they knew that killing someone was an act of mercy but crippling them was a sin. However, the winners dictated the world and the losers growled on the ground.


    Hao Ren watched as Wang Hai fell to his knees and then he caught the latter in his arms as he said, "You called this upon yourself."


    The head of the Wang Family was sizzling with rage. If he could kill Hao Ren then it would be a good thing. Hao Ren could sense the rage build up inside the heart of a father. He looked at the Wang Family head and said, "Old Head Wang, do you wish to reunite with your son?"


    The person looked at Hao Ren and said, "It is a good thing that you are on the city court. If you step off, I will use any means necessary to dispose of you now."


    Hao Ren smiled and he took out his sword once again as he said, "Come, let me see."


    That said, he stepped off the Life and death platform and approached the Wang Family head. The latter also took out a sabre and attacked Hao Ren, who skilfully parried the attack, and the volley of attacks began.


    Hao Ren was confident, and said, "Good Bye."


    Streaks of sword energies were unleashed, and the head of the Wang Family returned the attack with his own spear streaks. He was also an expert, but before the wrath of a sword saint, he didn''t stand a chance. Hao Ren dealt the final blow to Wang family head and turned to look at other Wang Family members as he asked, "Anyone else feeling eager to show their loyalty to the Wang Family trio? I will send you to follow them right away."


    The people didn''t say anything, they were left stunned and shocked. This Hao Ren was a monster who killed people at every turn. The young man didn''t mind them looking at him with fear, when he was helping others in the passing, they were thinking how to recruit him and use him, now at least they would give up that idea.


    Hao Ren looked around at the silent crowd, and asked, "What? Is that all? I am in a good mood, so if you want to challenge come over and let us solve the troubles. However, if anyone came to me after today, I will find a way to clean up the entire family."


    The people shuddered at this; they hadn''t expected that Hao Ren would be so ruthless. However, the city was filled with people like that, it was just how things worked here.


    None of the people stepped up. They just saw the illustratious Wang family head and his sons being put down and the shock level was high. The young man took a deep breath and then shook his head as he said, "Disappointing behavior. If you all are fighters, then come and fight for what you believe in. The reason you all are mediocre because you have set these mediocre people as your goals. You don''t even know what is going on here."


    He clicked his tongue and was about to turn around and enter the Labyrinth pavilion, when a calm voice caused him to stop, "Can I fight alongside you?"


    Hao Ren was surprised, he turned around and saw a young lady with her face covered with golden hair, as she walked over. Hao Ren spotted that many people had a disgusted expression on their faces. He asked, "What do you mean by fighting alongside me? Do you think I need to form a team with anyone?"


    The girl shook her head and said, "It is not for you, but for the sake of my Dao heart. I don''t have much to offer, but, if need be, I would be the shield to take on the attack on your life."


    Hao Ren was surprised and then he said, "Come, follow me."


    He didn''t sense any malice from her, on the contrary, he found that the voice of this girl was filled with gratitude. They came to the Labyrinth and Hao Ren asked, "Which floor did you go to last time?"


    The lady said, "Tenth, my lord."


    Hao Ren stepped in and the lady followed. They appeared on the tenth floor, and he asked, "Can you tell me now, what is going on here?"


    The lady raised the hair that covered half of her face. Hao Ren saw that it was covered with terrible scar tissue. He asked, "What happened?"


    The lady let go of the hair and said, "The handiwork of Second Master Wang. I swore on my Dao Heart that I will kill him one day. Although you killed him, I still feel uneasy and would like to serve you."


    Hao Ren looked at her and asked, "What is your name?"


    The lady replied, "My name is Akura."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Let''s see if you are worthy to be my retainer?"

 Chapter 446: Akura.

    Hao Ren gave Akura the task, kill ten beasts on the eleventh floor, and he said, "You have one hour."


    Akura was shocked, but then she recalled his strength from the battle outside, and realized that it wasn''t a big thing for him to kill ten beasts from this floor. She clenched her fist and said, "Sir, I can kill five. But I cannot kill ten."


    Hao Ren was surprised and then said, "Fine, kill five then, I want to see if you really know about yourself."


    Akura nodded and then she turned to a different direction and began to look for a monster, while Hao Ren observed the surroundings and using the Eye of insight, he located the core of the region before moving over to the place where the boss was hidden.


    To his surprise the boss was called Imp Monarch. This beast was a humanoid creature. It looked like a dwarf but it had mastery over two elements, one was fire and the other was metal. This was a rare beast that existed in the spirit siphon continent. Mostly because humans have made a lot of effort to exterminate its kind as much as they could.


    Hao Ren looked through the barrier and sighed as he said, "What a pity. This one is probably the last one here."


    Then he moved close to the barrier until it vanished. The blue skinned dwarf looked at Hao Ren with a strong killing intent flashing through its eyes. Hao Ren said, "Wait, I know you can hear me. I am not with the people who wanted to hold you prisoner in here, and I am not the one who wants to kill you either. I just wish to defeat you in the duel and then go out of here."


    The Imp monarch chuckled, its voice was rather shrill and it seemed to grind against Hao Ren''s mind, the latter said, "Do you think that I would be fooled so easily, human pig. Die."


    That said, the imp raised its hand and cast a seal that sent a huge ball of fire toward Hao Ren, who sighed and decided that from now on, he would be killing every beast he saw, and cast a flame ball of his own.


    The two flame balls cancelled each other and then Hao Ren vanished from his place and appeared next to the Imp Monarch, he grabbed the head of the little beast and then tore it apart.


    The wave spread across the floor, and Hao Ren understood that it was now open. He walked around to find Akura, and after ten minutes, he found her wrestling an iron heed rhinoceros. This beast was two times bigger than a normal elephant and was very popular for its defense capabilities.


    Hao Ren watched a few seconds and found that Akura exploited its weakness to have cross section movements and killed it with ease. He walked over and asked, "How many did you kill?"


    Akura was surprised and then said, "Lord, I managed to kill three. I still have thirty minutes left."


    Hao Ren waved his hands and said, "No need, you are good enough. Come along. We have a lot of work to do."


    **Tch, you want to drive her around like a slave till you reach the thirty second floor.**


    Hao Ren didn''t respond this was his initial thought, after all, two people would be better than one. He needed Akura to be his proxy in this land and she could still deal with small things like killing people that were too weak, and if she is worthy of his trust that she can be sent to watch over his family in the Crescent Moon Empire as well.


    **I ask you, do you never feel a tingle between your legs when you see these women?**


    Hao Ren replied, "I am a committed and devout husband. Don''t insult me like this motherfucker."


    **Huh, sissy.**


    Hao Ren didn''t bother replying to the system and just carried on through the gate. When they reached the gate, Hao Ren found that the floor guardian was active, and he asked, "Hey, I cleared the hidden trial."


    The floor guardian replied, "It is for her."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Fine. Akura, fight this oaf and we will go down."


    Akura nodded, she had done it earlier also. This time also she defeated the floor guard, but she noticed that it didn''t get back together, and looked at Hao Ren. She wanted to know what caused this change, because usually the floor guards would put themselves together, however, she didn''t want to ask until Hao Ren told her. She was smart like that.


    Hao Ren noticed this but didn''t make any immediate comment. They came to the twelfth floor, Hao Ren took her to locate the hidden boss, and when they came to the empty space, Akura looked around with confusion, however, the next moment she found out why this place was secluded, a big moose appeared before them.


    The moose had a jade body and its horns seemed to be forged from flames and ice. She gulped and said, "Calamity grade, Fire Ice Moose."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Yes, well, I will kill it, and then we can have some game tonight."


    The moose looked at Hao Ren and launched a beam of concentrated ice and flame energy. The beam was so strong that it sent ripples through the void. Hao Ren took out chaos sword, he didn''t dare to underestimate the attack, and deflected the attack before he took a step forward and appeared beside the moose. Before the other party could even react, it was beheaded cleanly.


    Hao Ren stored the corpse and the head in his space ring and said, "Come along, we need to get going."


    They continued this speed and charge till the twentieth floor. Akura was shocked, she saw so many strong beasts and the hardest Hao Ren had to fight was a rally that lasted ten moves. The young man led her outside the pavilion and said, "These beasts are getting stronger. Looks like we need to cultivate as well as fighting."


    Since the day he became a sword saint, he had been trying to consolidate his Halo, but for that he had been unable to focus on his cultivation and thus he felt that he was lacking something now to reach the peak of a Dao Being Realm expert.


    Akura followed behind him in a daze, she had no idea that this man was so strong and the fact that he could locate the hidden beasts inside the Pavilion it was obvious that he had some background that the people of the city could not imagine.


    As they walked through the streets, Hao Ren asked, "What are you thinking about?"


    Akura replied truthfully, "Lord, I am thinking if I should be thanking my stars or counting them."


    Hao Ren was amused and asked, "Why do you think like that?"


    The girl replied, "Lord, I have never seen a cultivator as strong as you to dish out things for the people like me. I am sure there must be a catch here."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Was it not you who said that you wish to serve me because of the matters concerning the stability of your Dao Heart?"


    Akura nodded and said, "I did that, but I was ignorant about your strength."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "At least you are honest. Well, there is a catch here, I need you to be my retainer and my sword. You are strong enough to hold your end against the cultivators in Dao Land realm. You are just starting to enter the new realm but your prowess to fight one level above you, are the proof of your potential.


    I will be honest with you; I want you to act as my dagger. When there is someone below Dao World realm, I want you to deal with them for me. If I spend time to look at every tom dick and harry, then how will I comprehend the further path?"


    Akura was surprised and said, "I will definitely be the fastest and the most lethal knife you have Lord."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I don''t doubt you."


    Akura waited for a bit to calm down and asked, "Sir, can you really trust a stranger like me?"


    Hao Ren came to a stall picked up some skewers and said, "If you employee someone trust them completely. If you doubt someone, don''t employ them."


    Akura nodded and thanked him before they came back to the Dragon Hall. The young man then took out some nice spirit beast meat and cooked a lot of it. Old Dog saw the situation and asked, "Are we holding a feast?"


    Hao Ren didn''t even glance at him and said, "Your portions are here, I am going out for a bit, the rest of the food is for someone else."


    That said, he carried the huge vessel and vanished from the spot. He appeared in the basement and mumbled, "It has been so long since I have seen her."


    A teleportation array appeared and Hao Ren used it to travel back home.

 Chapter 447: Visiting Wife.

    Hao Ren opened the teleportation array. He first appeared at the coastal nation of the Spirit Siphon Continent and then he used a second array to travel to the Crescent Moon Empire. The young man carried with him a huge vessel filled with nice high level spiritual beast meat. This vessel was as big as a car, but the space array inside it could hold the food that could feed an entire army of tens of thousands.


    The beast that Hao Ren cooked today was the moose that he found today, this thing was very big and it could literally feed everyone in the city. However, he intended to give it to his family first because many of them had the affinity for water or fire type elements or tangents of such elements. The Ice and Fire Moose was a good tonic for them.


    The young man walked through the palace holding the vessel which surprised the maids and the stewards completely. They had not seen the young man in a long time. Now the palace and the city were managed with minimal guidance from Prime Minister Maya Okudera, after all, Hao Mei had her own path to walk, so she didn''t want to be tied down and decided to hand over the decisions to Maya Okudera.


    She was a good person and she didn''t long for power, but she was simply a person with a tragic background and thus she was willing to do her better so that the rest can also enjoy their lives like she could.


    Hao Ren came to the place where Han Lingshi was cultivating in seclusion. He placed the vessel down, took out a couple of ceramic bowls and filled them up with the food, before casting a barrier around it and then he walked away to find Prime Minister Maya, and also to look at the changes in the territory that might have occurred behind his back.


    He found that the city was mostly the same, however, at this moment there was a huge four-way spirit screen hovering over the Imperial square, and a race was being broadcasted. Hao Ren could see that many people were gathered together to watch it, and they were cheering.


    A calm voice sounded behind him, "We have a formula cup going on now. This is the tenth race. The driver from Crescent Racing team is ahead of everyone else, and thus they are cheering for him. However, the second guy is not very far, if he wins this race, he would be drawing the championship title."


    Hao Ren pursued his lips and asked, "What would they do then?"


    Ye Lan replied, "From what I think, they would be giving them another race, a tiebreaker but it would be different from the normal Formula. It would be formula extreme, like Rally Racing that you used to had in the Blue Star."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "I bet Xiao Mei came up with this idea."


    The young lady nodded, and said, "We have developed an advanced communicator."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and Ye Lan said, "You will have to visit Xiao Mei to get yours, she said it''s special."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will go right away. Also, Lan, have this vessel emptied and share the food with everyone in the palace or the city."


    The young lady nodded and then Hao Ren took off to deal with various things. He first went to the secluded and prohibited area of the Palace. This was where Xiao Mei had her server room. This place was an enigma for the rest of the people in the palace. It was always clean and it was always silent apart from when the members of the royal family or the high officials entered the place.


    It was not as if they didn''t know what this place was, but all they knew was that the person inside this place was a reclusive master who came up with great ideas and artifacts. They were thanking this person but this person didn''t like to mingle with many people. Over the years many people have tried to come and sense the existence of this person but they couldn''t do it. This was the level of this person.


    As Hao Ren went inside the thatched cottage, he applied some force at his toes, and the tile under his foot sank before revealing a passage. Hao Ren climbed down the stairs and came to the basement, which was brightly lit, and he saw a figure sitting on a chair, tinkering with a bracelet. He asked, "Xiao Mei, don''t you get bored here?"


    The young lady replied with a faint smile, "Boss, I am not bored, to satiate my curiosity I have given a few action cameras that I came up with to Yang, Agnee, and Yin. They feed me with a continuous data flow."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "You sure know how to use their energy to your benefits."


    Xiao Mei giggled and asked, "How come you are here? Also, why were you off the radar the past couple of months?"


    Hao Ren sighed and told her about the city of rage, and Xiao Mei was fascinated, she took out a small bot from her drawer and said, "You should tie this to your hair, this doll has a 360-degree camera, and then when you come back, I would be able to see through the scenes."


    The young man nodded and then tied a band to his hair, and the little doll hung from his hair. After that Xiao Mei gave Hao Ren the latest version of the spirit communicator they had developed to Hao Ren. The young man took a deep breath and then he left the cottage. Xiao Mei had been researching about a method to gain enlightenment or a way to cultivate, but she had been unable to. So, she grabbed every chance that she could to learn more about the world.


    ...


    Hao Ren came out and found the people chowing down the spirit beast meat and praising his skills. He came to the secluded place where Han Lingshi was in seclusion and sat down outside the cave. He waited patiently after all, that was the only thing that he could do. The sun came down, and just when Hao Ren thought that his wife wouldn''t come out, he saw a silhouette coming outside the cave.


    Hao Ren smiled, Han Lingshi was dressed in a moon-light blue robe, her hair tied in a high bun and she wore a Phoenix Ring on her finger. On her head sat a faintly glowing jade diadem. She approached Hao Ren and smiled, "How long have you been waiting here for?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied softly, "Forever."


    His words gave Han Lingshi''s heart a flutter that she thought might never come to her. However, thinking about it she just credited it to the love they both had. She approached before him, sat down on the ground and said, "You just ruined a surprise I had prepared for you."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "What do you mean?"


    Han Lingshi sighed and then she revealed a Halo behind her back. Hao Ren opened his eyes wide and smiled brightly as he said, "Congratulations, my love."


    Han Lingshi said, "I wanted to come over and give you a surprise but I couldn''t locate you. Even the rings didn''t work."


    Hao Ren tilted his head and suddenly recalling something he said, "Well in the City of Rage, I had to fight a lot and consolidate my state of mind. So, I took off the ring. However, I will be done soon and then I will put it back on."


    He lied without batting an eyelid and Han Lingshi nodded, after all, she trusted him so much that she could believe this easier than believing that he just forgot about his ring being able to contact her.


    The two people began to talk about the things that happened to them recently and then Hao Ren served her a bowl of meat and said, "You know, I dislike the fact that I have to sit out there and come back to you as if I am a guest."


    The lady smiled and said, "You are getting stronger, we have to toil to gain strength."


    Hao Ren shook his head and Han Lingshi said, "A few days ago, Amber was asking if you could take her along with you. She wanted to practice her skills. What surprised me is the fact that she decisively dispersed her cultivation base from World Level to Dao World realm. It is not easy but she wants to gain saintly halo."


    Hao Ren pursed his lips and said, "I have no idea if she would be able to get it now. However, her spirit is commendable. I cannot take her with me for the time being. Let us wait till I finish dealing with things at hand."


    Han Lingshi nodded, and then they both ate and drank. The young man took a deep breath and looking at the sky he said, "We still have a couple of hours."


    The lady tilted her head and then she yelped as Hao Ren took her inside the cave and sealed the exit.

 Chapter 448: Wealth Brings Troubles.

    The young couple came out of the cavern when the sun came up. Han Lingshi had a blush on her face and she asked, "What would you do now?"


    Hao Ren held her in his arms as he caressed her cheek with his gaze, "I will go to the five cities after dealing with the things at hands."


    The lady nodded and after a few minutes, Hao Ren said, "Well, it is about time. I would be going now. I have to clear the floors."


    Inside the cave, apart from telling each other how much they missed each other, Hao Ren also told her all that he knew about the Labyrinth and the Nagas he met there. Han Lingshi was supportive, and she said, "After you come back, I will go out and you would manage the entire nation. I want to travel with my girls."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Alright."


    Then she walked him to the teleportation array where Hao Ren gave her a kiss and left the place quickly.


    ...


    He appeared inside his room in the Dragon Hall, and found Akura waiting for him outside the room. He came out and asked, "What''s up?"


    Akura was confused by the greeting and Hao Ren asked, "What are you doing here?"


    Akura replied, "I am just waiting for you to come out, Lord."


    Hao Ren nodded, he didn''t mind being called Lord, His majesty and what not, because the people in the Crescent Moon Empire all called him like this. Thanks to his wife, his dream of laying low had been shattered. The young man took a deep breath and said, "You don''t have to wait on me all the time as I don''t need help most of the time. I will just call you when I have something up, till then you can continue your own things, you need to get stronger as well right."


    Akura nodded and Hao Ren took out a pill bottle from his space ring, and tossed it to her, and said, "Here, this pill will solve the problem you have on your face. You should feel much more confident after that."


    The young lady was shocked when she saw the pill bottle. She was hesitating and the young man before her said, "Just because you make a recovery doesn''t mean you would forget what you have been through. Don''t worry, your face would not be the thing that holds you back, be it now, or be it in the future, it is always the demon in your heart."


    That said he stuffed the pill bottle in her hand as he walked out of the place. He had to clear ten more floors and it wouldn''t be easy if he kept on holding back. At the same time he had to elevate his cultivation. The places where he had fought these bosses, they had a higher concentration of spiritual energy so if he wanted to, then he could use those places and cultivate quicker. That was the plan and thinking about that he rushed to the Labyrinth, and went inside, started from thirty-first floor, killed the beasts in the five floors. Met the Nagas, and told them, "I would be killing all the hidden beasts, so during this time don''t attract human attention."


    The Naga''s agreed to him, the young man moved back to the first floor, operated the Titan Sutra, and began to progress his cultivation. The area was secluded, and after the disappearance of the boss, it didn''t move around like before. Hao Ren cast a barrier around the place, and then he began cultivating at full speed.


    His circulation was so strong that it created a small vortex over his head and his body turned into a black hole that absorbed all the energy that was in the surroundings. Hao Ren didn''t care about the humans finding him. Even if they managed to get to the sixtieth floor it was something they did by relying on the old experts that were in the peak of Dao realm.


    Hao Ren didn''t need any help, if he were to use his sword then it would not be a problem to get to the last floor, but he didn''t wish to face a dragon and the former sword saint without any preparation. It may sound as if he was too cautious but that was the truth.


    The young man spent a day on the first floor, and the energy began to thin out. He sighed as he opened his eyes and moved downstairs one more time. This time he spent one day and an hour. The difference between the thickness was not too much and he understood that it was not gonna save him any time like this so he moved directly to the fifth floor. Then on the fourth day, he came to the tenth floor.


    Hao Ren was using the logic of how the strength of the bosses that he faced varied. This logic worked but he just thought it would have been nice to use his brain earlier.


    **Now you understand the problem you have? At the age of forty, you cannot even use your brain before doing anything.**


    Hao Ren didn''t retort, he was simply too occupied and in a hurry to finish things here and go back home. This place didn''t allow him to use spiritual energy, so all he could do was to absorb the dragon energy that was radiating through the surroundings. The coagulation of the energy in his dantian had caused his Dantian to mutate. In there, Hao Ren now had an ethereal dragon hovering in the void. He sighed and he went deeper in the Labyrinth to gain energy and strength.


    After fifteen days, he finished dealing with the boss of the thirty-fifth floor, and decided to take some time off to go and check out the things outside. He found nothing new going on in the city and so the conquest was kicked off once again.


    After a total of three months, Hao Ren came out of the Labyrinth and the people were shocked to see him. His body was covered with red blood, and it wasn''t his. The young man was holding onto his sword. It meant that he just killed some beast in there.


    Hao Ren cleaned himself up and then looked at the tribulation in the sky. He asked, ''System, one lottery ticket out of ninety-eight, use it and tell me what I won.''


    **Lottery selection complete, tribulation talisman, you can bypass the tribulation as long as he wants to push you a bit too much, use this talisman and it would bypass the tribulation completely.**


    Hao Ren was surprised and said, ''Thank you.''


    Then he flew above the Labyrinth and charged up his aura. As his aura climbed the people in the city began to sense it. They all could see the changes that were happening around Hao Ren. The young man was surrounded by the dragon energy, their own energies began to resonate with the phenomena and the people were shocked. They didn''t understand what Hao Ren was doing.


    The four great families appeared and one of them asked, "How does he have such pure dragon energy?"


    Everyone cast a gaze at Hao Ren, and then they looked at Old Dog, who shook his head and said, "If you can achieve the same level inside the labyrinth that he has, you would get the same things as him."


    The people were surprised, they didn''t expect that the dog would reveal this secret to him. However, he didn''t mind that, he was a person of his own devices now. The number of people increased and then suddenly someone noticed a batch of dark clouds heading over, and this man yelled, "Tribulation clouds, run, hurry."


    The people ran away, and the leader here wasn''t weak but let us dig up a tunnel, how?


    Hao Ren smiled and stood up on the roof, as he watched the clouds approach him. The young man stood up and then he slowly made his walk to the city wall. The tribulation clouds gathered above his head and yet he was still smiling. The bolts of lightning fell on his body, absorbing everything it could, and then he took out a talisman that he burned, and then he saw a giant made up of spiritual energy, charging at the clouds and facing off with the heavenly tribulation. The young man just watched as the situation was hijacked, and he directly promoted to the peak of Dao Being Realm.


    As he did that, he decided to clean the five floors and took out his sword again as he entered the labyrinth once again.


    The entire city was shocked to see what kind of method he used to counter the tribulation. Suddenly, someone asked, "Shall we ask him if he knows how to make that talisman?"


    Yes, they were naive, and Hao Ren had no idea about the headache that was about to come to him, forcing him back to the seclusion in crescent moon.

 Chapter 449 449: Facing Dread.

    Hao Ren sailed through the tribulation with great ease. The spiritual giant that condensed from the burning talisman took all the damage of the tribulation and the condensed energy was channeled to Hao Ren. The city was safe, and the tribulation vanished after a few minutes. The young man didn''t know that he had caused the people to wonder how that talisman was made.


    Hao Ren spent a few minutes, and then he went back to the ninety-ninth floor. He found Akura in a stand-off with a massive beast. This silver tiger was so big that it put the so-called spirit vessels to shame. This guy was as big as a huge ship, and Hao Ren said, "What are you doing, Akura? Do you wish to die by offending the King of the Forests?"


    The tiger and Akura turned to look at the young man walking over to them with his hands behind his back. The tiger was silver in color with black stripes spread all over its body. The young man asked, "Can you tell me what is going on here?"


    The Silver Tiger snorted and said, "Human, you are the first one to step in here after a very long time, I command you, get me out of here."


    Hao Ren looked at the big tiger and then he said, "Sit."


    His voice was calm, but it was akin to a heavenly mandate for the tiger. The tyrannical beast directly sat down on its hind legs with a look of disbelief in his eyes. Hao Ren said, "You want to defy me, but can you do that without killing yourself?"


    The beast looked at Hao Ren and asked, "What have you done to me?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Sorry, trade secret. Just sit here, we will talk later."


    Then he waved to Akura and said, "Stay here, he will not attack you anymore. However, I need to get to the last floor and see what all the fuss is about."


    Hao Ren reached the door that led to the last floor, and the floor guardian statue turned to face him. This statue was just as tall as a human being and it seemed to have been made from jade. The young man asked, "So, is it going to be a double challenge to get to the last floor?"


    The jade statue before him said, "Yes, you have to withstand my attack to get through here."


    Hao Ren nodded and took out his sword as he said, "Go on."


    The jade statue took out a stone sword and then slashed it hard at the young man. Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "Good."


    He returned the attack with his own sword attack. The sword intent that came from Hao Ren was so strong that it almost condensed into a tangible wave that clashed with the intent of the jade statue, and tore through it as if it was hot knife through butter.


    The jade statue stood calmly, and when the sword aura vanished, the statue said, "You can go in freely."


    Hao Ren nodded and walked past the statue, and moved through the void door that led him to the lowest and the deepest floor of the Labyrinth.


    When the young man opened his eyes, he found himself standing in dark surroundings. After a few moments his eyes adjusted to the darkness, and looking around he found that this place was not as big as the other floors, however, it was awfully dark and he could sense a lot of dragon energy in the void. He sighed and asked, "Are you two people not going to talk? Or are you both dead already?"


    A chuckle echoed in the surroundings and a male voice echoed, "Hmm, I didn''t expect that someone would be coming through after such a long time."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Well, the place is not all off the limits if you place it under a labyrinth, is it?"


    After a few probes, the person replied, "True, the motive was to kill the dragon and it is still the same. Come help me."


    Hao Ren looked at the old man and said, "I am not as shameless as you to harm someone who tried to defend what was hers. You people took away her eggs when she was about to hatch them. Did you think that this greed of yours would ever stop?"


    After the question, Hao Ren suddenly felt a gazing at his back. He stopped and turned around to find a red orb looking back at him. The Dragon asked, "Who might you be to speak in my favour? Are you not afraid of the retaliation you might face from all the guilds and the other squads?"


    Hao Ren replied, "It is not about fear, it is about what is right. However When you go outside I hope that you can avoid harming human life. If you still wish to enact your vengeance then you can destroy the Dragon City, how about those who can control themselves, can control anyone in this world."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I will give you my word that no human would come to attack you, Senior."


    Then the dragon looked at the two humans, and then she laughed, and said, "I wonder if the humans have learned to let go and they have actually become civilized. Tell me kid, what do you want from me?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Senior, shall I take an heavenly oath?


    The dragon replied, "No. If you didn''t let me go, I will kill you."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "I love my life more, Senior."


    The dragon shrank into a smaller figure which gave him a better view of her body. He sighed and remarked, "Senior, you are magnificent."


    The dragon chuckled and the man on the otherside roared, "How dare you sympathize with a beast? You scum of humanity!"


    The young man chuckled, "If you think I am a scum, then what do you have to say after surviving the massacre triggered by the ancestors of your nation. Forget it. If you want to stop me then you should play with your attacks."


    That said the young man took a deep breath and facing the dragon, he found four black chains tying her four limbs. Hao Ren walked close to the dragon calmly knelt on the ground. He place a hand atop the shackle and the sharp sword energy shot out of his palm and collided with the shackle.


    Click!


    The shackles came apart and fell on the ground. The dragon was not sure how it happened but yes, she was now free. The beast roared, the excitement in her heart was evident. The dragon looked at the expert tied to the wall and said, "Sword Saint. Now you''ll die."


    That said the beast lunged a little but the old man took out a jade sword and a Halo slowly manifested on his back and he said, "Pig slaughter cut."


    Hao Ren saw this beast take the sword attack with ease. Hao Ren sighed and said, "Old ginger, surely is a bit spicier."


    He watched the two entities fight, no hold bars. What surprised him even more was the fact that the tied up ol man could keep up with the battle pace of a dragon that was unbound from the sealing chains. The young man ran his eye of insights on the old man and he couldn''t help but feel shocked.


    He exclaimed, "Fucking old relic, these chains are a method that you are using to gather and absord the dragon energy all these years. Even after everything you still haven''t given up."


    The two fighting figures stopped fighting and while they looked at each other. Suddenly, the old man started laughing and his temperament changed. He said, "You have no idea how hard it was to hold back myself. This act was getting a bit too long. I thought this lizard would die here, but even after thousands of years she still has the energy to fight like this. However, you, young man, are a variable and you changed the dynamic. For that congratulations that you have achieved something great, the bad thing is none would know."


    Hao Ren looked at the old man for a long time and then he sighed as he said, "Dementia in old age is common. Well, let me give you the salvation you are looking for."


    He took out his sword, and when he looked at old man a Halo lit up behind him as well. The old man shivered and yelled, "How could it be? How can you be a sword saint at such a young age."


    Hao Ren replied, "None of that matters. You just need to die and it will be over."


    When the old man revealed his aura and aimed the sword attack Hao Ren made it the final boss. The fight between the two sword saints was about to kick off, and it was not going to be easy or gentle.

 Chapter 450: Battle Of The Saints.

    The two men stood facing each other and their sword intentions were raging through the void as they displayed the halos behind their backs in complete glory. The old man chuckled, and said, "To think that someone would learn to form the halo of a saint. Hmmm, you don''t seem to be from the Spirit Siphon Continent."


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "Indeed, I am not from this world, but whatever I am, wherever I am from, it is enough to put you ten feet under the ground, old punk."


    The old man snorted and said, "Bastard, you dare to talk like this even when you are standing in the face of death."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Killing me would take a lot more skill than what you are capable of, rat."


    The old man hated when someone called him a coward, or similar names, however, Hao Ren had been doing that only. The old man yelled, "Berserk Cits."


    His sword flashed and he channeled the slaughter intent towards Hao Ren. The slashes he made formed arcs of sword energies in the void and they all dashed towards the young man while leaving fissures in the void. The young man smiled and said, "Four Season Swordplay, Blossoming Winds."


    The wind in the dark cavern gathered around him and slashed through the void to collide with the enemy attack. Hao Ren kept walking towards the man as he asked, "Can you tell me your name, old man? I don''t have the habit of killing nameless people."


    The old man chuckled and said, "It won''t be you killing me, youngster, it will be my blade that will show you the might of Kong Chakran."


    Leo raised his brow and asked, "How about we leave this place and fight outside? The rest of the world would suffer a great loss if our battle crumpled and the entire building might fall down."


    Kong Chakran looked at Hao Ren and said, "Fine, I will allow you to preserve this much dignity, after all, reaching the level of a saint at such a young age isn''t an easy thing."


    Hao Ren didn''t say much but he was very curious what made this old man so confident. He looked at the dragon behind him and said, "Senior, I would have to trouble you to wait at this place, I will handle the affairs soon and then take you outside."


    The Dragon nodded and said, "Be careful if you avoid getting stained with his blood. That bastard can influence your blood flow with his own blood."


    Hao Ren narrowed his eyes and mumbled, "That is a dangerous ability."


    The dragon nodded and the scales on her body reflected a glimmer. Hao Ren sighed and thanked her for the advice before he headed to the gates of the Labyrinth.


    Behind him, the Dragoness lay with her eyes closed, she knew that this was all that Hao Ren could do at this moment. The moment Kong Chakran dies, the seals he placed would vanish and the dragon would be free to leave once again. The dragon turned her head to look at the sky but only to find a ceiling.


    ....


    Kong Chakran appeared in the void with a sword in his hand. His clothes were clear of any dust particles despite spending such a long time inside the dungeon. He looked very imposing, and the people were shocked as his aura directly spread around and made them either bow to him.


    Hao Ren appeared a few ten meters away from the old man and asked, "How do you wish to do it? One attack to decide it all, or do you wish to practise the conventional way."


    The old man thought and said, "Let us not drag this thing, we will do one move. You can go first."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Your Highness Kong, I have never seen anyone as confident as you. Do you really think that you can survive the move I make? Absurd."


    The old man narrowed his eyes and asked, "Then how do you want to do it?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "We attack at the same time."


    The old man chuckled and said, "I like your decisive attitude. Come, Punk! Let us be done with it."


    Hao Ren raised his sword and held it in front of him, it was a simple and straight stance. The old man danced around with his sword a little to invigorate his spirits, and in the end, he held the sword parallel to the ground and the tip of the blade was aiming at Hao Ren.


    The two stood in the void, seemingly indulged in a stand-off waiting for something. What could it be that was stopping them from attacking? The one more to decide the winner or the loser was not simple. They had many things to consider, such as the intent, the defensive points and the attacking points, for themselves and the enemy.


    At this moment the two people were looking at each other, as if they were snakes. They were small places to target. However, Hao Ren was even greater of a threat to Kong Chakran, this young man was learning. He was absorbing everything from King Chakran''s stance. The old man had no idea that Hao Ren was moving himself so minimally that he seemed to have become a statue.


    The old man narrowed his eyes and said, "To think that your talent would be so great. Such a shame that you choose to side with her."


    Hao Ren chuckled, and said, "To think that someone as obscure as you is still clinging to life and strength, what a shame."


    Hao Ren was sharp tongued and the old man felt enraged whenever they talked. Suddenly, the black hellhound appeared beside Kong Chakran, and yelled, "Master."


    The old man snorted and said, "Get lost, you useless thing. Can''t you see that I am in the middle of something."


    As soon as he said this, a gust blew and two men moved. They vanished from their spots, and the void tore apart. The momentum of their sword intents was so strong that it caused the void to tear up.


    A few moments later, the two of them appeared in the void, but this time their backs facing each other. The people on the ground had been looking up at them all this time. They could see that it was Hao Ren and some old person whom none of them had seen. They were shocked when they heard Old Gun call the old man master, but before they could let their thoughts loose they saw the two people move.


    After a few minutes, Hao Ren said, "Crane Folding Strike, Sixteen Cuts."


    As he said that, Sixteen lines appeared in the void, and they were all different and various angles, representing the creases that form when someone folds a paper crane.


    The old man shivered and said, "You, demon."


    As he said that fine lines appeared on his body. Between those lines a red liquid could be seen coming out. Hao Ren stood up straight as a diagonal cut appeared across his chest as well.


    The difference in strike was simple, while the old man cut him one time, he cut the old man sixteen times. He gave up on defending altogether and focused solely on attacking. He turned around and expelled the slaughter intent coursing through his wound and said, "Old man, you sure know how to call others demons when it was you who created this predicament. How dare you call me a demon when you destroyed an entire dynasty for the same power? You betrayed the trust of your guardian beast to another level, and in the end, you cannot even stand before a junior. Shame on you, demon."


    The old man chuckled and said, "The victors write the history."


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "Just die already, I have to go home and cook for my wife."


    His words caused the old man to cough up blood and he couldn''t hold on anymore. His body fell apart and the young man waved his hand to attack the somewhat damaged immortal soul also, to prevent it from getting through the cycle of life and death. The reason he did this was to make sure that this ill-willed old man doesn''t reincarnate to attack him in his next life.


    Kong Chakran was a bit too strong willed and focused on chasing strength.


    Old Gun yelled, "No! Master!"


    Hao Ren sighed and shook his head before he vanished from the spot and appeared inside the Labyrinth pavilion. He didn''t care about the body parts falling to the ground, the howling Hellhound. He wanted to free the dragon, see if he could tame it, and then take it to the five cities and then head back home to chill.


    The lotteries that he received were very strong and he had a feeling that if he only relied on the lotteries it would be easy. The people thought were curious about how Hao Ren managed to kill Kong Chakran, because the man was very strong.


    Soon, the city was filled with chaos, Spirit beasts charged out of the Labyrinth, but as long as the humans didn''t attack them. The beast just charged out of the city and didn''t bother with them.

 Chapter 451 451: Amare.

    The battle finished and Hao Ren came back to the lowest floor, and he stood before the dragon, and asked, "So, do we need to destroy this place?"


    The dragon shook her head and said, "No, that is not needed. I can directly open a void tunnel and appear outside."


    The young man nodded and said, "Then I shall see you outside."


    The dragon nodded and then she opened the void tunnel and vanished. Hao Ren appeared in the void above the Labyrinth Pavilion and looked at the huge dragon standing above the pavilion, snarling at the people. Hao Ren looked around and said, "Can you stop scaring them?"


    The dragon roared and said, "Tell them to go away. They crawl over like maggots on a rotten piece of flesh. Disgusting."


    Hao Ren snapped his fingers and his voice echoed in the surroundings, "Get lost."


    The people turned around like puppets and left. Hao Ren took a deep breath and looked at the dragon as he asked, "Can you release the Nagas inside the Labyrinth?"


    The dragon raised her head to look at him as she said, "You are the person who entered the last floor, you should have gained the rights to control the labyrinth."


    Hao Ren didn''t understand how he would gain this access. The pavilion was locked with arrays from all side, and was controlled by the array. However, right now he was thinking about something else. Suddenly he asked, "Since you could travel through the void on your own. Why did you agree to wait for me?"


    The dragon took a deep breath and replied, "I wanted to see how you can handle that asshole. However, to think that you did him so dirty. It is very shocking, it seems that I have underestimated you."


    Hao Ren shook his head and asked, "Senior, you over praise me."


    The dragon snorted and then she looked around before asking, "What would happen to this city if I leave?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "The nature of this place has been altered by the raging Dragon Energy you let out from the bottom of the Labyrinth. Kong Chakran couldn''t absorb that huge amount of energy and thus the people here became the vessels. Now that you are free, the energy would gradually dissipate and the people would return to normal."


    The dragon nodded, and looked at Hao Ren as she asked, "Are you not afraid of talking to me? What would you do if I attacked you?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Senior, I wouldn''t say that I trust you completely. However, had you wanted to kill me, there is no chance that I might survive, and that too after spending all my cards. This is why, I am a little confident that while we don''t have any good will between us, we certainly don''t have any bad blood either. However, I am curious."


    The dragon nodded and asked, "What do you want to know?"


    She could sense his thoughts. The young man smiled and replied, "You don''t sound like a malicious dragon. Why do they call you the Severance Dragon."


    The dragon sighed and said, "It is because of how I killed so many people that I severed my own emotions. That is why they call me Severance."


    Hao Ren nodded and then he asked, "Elder, what is your real name then?"


    The dragon didn''t reply for a long time but then she sighed and replied, "Amare."


    Hao Ren was stunned, and asked, "Did you just say, Amare? Amare as in the legendary dragon of Eastern Battlefields?"


    The dragon looked at Hao Ren with surprise in her eyes and asked, "How do you know about that? It has been millennia since I earned that name."


    Hao Ren gulped and said, "Senior, the accounts of your battle against the swarm of Golem Bulls on the third pass is still a classic example of staying calm."


    The Dragon chuckled and asked, "Do I look calm to you? This is all just a pretense so that the world doesn''t find out the real me. I would like it if you keep it the same as well."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will not divulge the information to anyone."


    The dragon nodded and Hao Ren asked, "Senior, what are you going to do from now on?"


    Amare replied, "I would like to fly around and see the world. I would also like to see if I am really me."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "If you wish to come and have a please visit the Spirit Shimmer continent as well. You might like it there."


    The dragon nodded and said, "You are a gem, child. You are strong and steadfast. However, if you wish to get stronger in the field of martial arts, you will need to empty your coffers."


    Hao Ren nodded in understanding and said, "I understand, Senior. I will do my best to get stronger,"


    Amare nodded and left the place with a flap of her flesh wings. Hao Ren waited for a few minutes, then he went inside the Labyrinth, and used the eye of insight. The key factors to control the space came to his mind and after some thought. He waved his hand.


    The array around the pavilion was the center of the huge barrier around the city. Everything came down in a quick blink. The city barrier had vanished, the young man waved his hand and a void tunnel appeared that took him directly to the floor where the Naga''s were waiting.


    Shortly after, the Nagas came out and they thanked Hao Ren. The young man told them to wait outside the city. He was going to travel to the remaining five cities to finish his mission.


    ...


    Hao Ren then picked up Akura with the back of her neck and then they both headed outside the city. The people were busy protecting themselves to look for the two youngsters.


    Soon they were out of the city, and Hao Ren was ready to make a pit stop on the five cities when he suddenly paused and saw a shadow in the sky. He smiled and asked, "Why are you following me?"


    The shadow didn''t reply immediately, but soon Hao Ren said, "Lady Amare, you don''t have to be hesitant about anything. Please just tell me what is it that you need."


    This time he used the soothsaying skill, the lady lower her guard and said, "I have spent a long time on my own. You don''t seem like a bad person. So, I was thinking if I should follow you for a few days and then decide what I should do."


    Hao Ren could hardly chuckle after hearing this but then he said, "It''s not a big deal. It would be my pleasure to have a friend like you."


    The he stopped and the shadow came closer in a blink. It was no longer a menacing dragon, but a beautiful lady. She was wearing an olive green hanfu, and her hair were cut short, reaching her chin, with a bright red lipstick applied to her lips. Looking at her, Hao Ren almost thought that she was a young adult human.


    However, upon a closer look he noticed a faint pattern of four diamonds on the center of the brow, which was the reverse scale. Hao Ren sighed, and asked, "So, where shall we go first?"


    The young lady thought for a bit and said, "How about we go to some place where I can eat my fill."


    Hao Ren was taken aback but then he chuckled and said, "Sure. Come. I will treat you."


    Amare revealed a faint smile and they travelled using the void portals. Hao Ren could no longer use the horse to ride through the scenery because Amare scared the shit out of them. It was not only the horses, but almost all the spirit beast and the spirit beast-kin, they were all scared of her.


    For the first time, Hao Ren realized the terrifying phenomena of blood line suppression. He knew that Dragons were arrogant and prideful creatures, but he realized that these traits were used as a defence against the wicked.


    Amare told him many things about the world from her time. She told him about how wide and prosperous the Samsara Kingdom was. Hao Ren humbly learned all this, and soon the trip to five cities came to an end.


    The two people stood on the edge of a cliff, and Hao Ren said, "Senior, from here, I intend to return back home, where my family is waiting for me."


    The young lady before him asked, "Where is your home?"


    Hao Ren gazed at the horizon and said, "The Spirit Shimmer Continent, Crescent Moon Empire."


    Amare thought of something and then asked, "Is it a completely different continent that you were telling me about?"


    Hao Ren nodded and the lady mumbled, "I wonder."


    The young man caught that but didn''t comment. He took out the dragon ring and placed it on his hand, and said, "It is time I go back, if you wish to live a carefree life, you can come along Senior."


    Amare thought for a bit, and only after a few minutes she sighed and said, "I will come, but I hope you let me leave if I don''t find it good enough."


    The young man nodded and they set off towards the Crescent Moon Empire.

 Chapter 452 452: Getting Home.

    Three people appeared at the gates of the city, and Amare looked around as she asked, "Why can''t we just fly in?"


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "There are rules to prevent your image from getting sullied."


    The lady looked at him with a hint of interest. Hao Ren smiled and said, "You will know soon."


    The young man walked up to the door, and he tied a jade card on his waist, which had a dragon carved on it. There was only one such card in the nation. The guards on the gate were scrutinizing everyone, and suddenly one of them froze. Following that he quickly let out a message to all his colleagues and they yelled, "Greetings, Your Excellency!!"


    They knelt down on one knee and saluted Hao Ren, the visitors who were lining up at the small door were surprised from the sudden roar. The guard captain rushed over and looked up and yelled, "What the fuck are you mongrels waiting for, open the gates and let His Excellency inside, hurry up."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Guard Captain Yavir, you don''t have to create such a ruckus, I will go from the side gate."


    The guard captian shook his head and said, "Your Excellency, please don''t do this, General Ye Lan will have my head on a platter if I let such a thing happen."


    Hao Ren chuckled and then he waited for the big gate to open and then walked through. Only when he entered the city with the two ladies, did the guards sigh in relief, and someone asked, "Sir, who was that person? Why did you address him like that?"


    The Guard Captain said, "Visitors, that personage was the Emperor of the nation, His Excellency, Wandering Dragon."


    The people were stunned, they didn''t expect Hao Ren to be so humble. Not only the people outside, even Amare and Akura didn''t expect Hao Ren to be so humble despite being an Emperor. They moved inside the city, and they saw a completely new world. Akura was shocked by the number of Dao Realm cultivators moving around the place. She gulped, when the people saw Hao Ren they all bowed and greeted him, to which the young man kept a faint smile and nodding gesture as a predefault set up.


    Suddenly, Amare stopped, her forest green hanfu fluttered with the wind as her short hair were blown back and she asked, "Hao Ren, what is that thing?"


    Hao Ren followed the direction she pointed at and saw a couple of young children playing with a hovering football, and he frowned. He moved closer to the children and asked, "Guys, where did you get this hover ball?"


    One of the kids replied, "Oh this? Her Highness Agnee gave it to us, you know uncle she said that if we can master this, she would get us in her team to play in the big league."


    Hao Ren cleared his throat and asked, "Did you all meet her in the school?"


    The children nodded, but even when talking to him they kept passing the hover ball to each other. Hao Ren sighed and turned around muttering, "This must be Xiao Mei''s trick to get data from the people. This girl."


    Amare was still staring at the hover ball, it was floating a few inches above the ground and spinning at a high speed, however, she could not sense any spiritual material apart from the array carved on top of it. Hao Ren said, "Senior, that is just a prototype of a tool made by my assistant, please come, I will take you to the palace."


    The lady nodded and asked, "Can I get one to see what it is?"


    Hao Ren nodded and sighed as he thought, we might have to hide all the valuable and unique things from her sense now, dragons like to hoard the good stuff. The young man sighed and moved through the crowd. He was observing the changes among the people, and Amare asked, "This place is so bustling, yet the luxury here outmatches the big clans and even small empires that I have seen."


    Hao Ren smiled and Akura finally spoke up, "If the normal people are like this, then what about the big clans?"


    The young man replied, "There are no big clans in the Crescent Moon City. The only big clan is Empress Holy Moon, Han Lingshi, my wife, and Me, Hao Ren. Below me are Ye Generals and the armed forces of the nation. Below my wife are the ministers and the governors of the different provinces. She also controls me, so she is the strongest."


    As they talked, they reached the palace, and Amare was shocked by the grandeur of the place, however, this awe lasted for only a few moments before she recovered, and her innate pride surfaced. The guards knelt one more time and Hao Ren walked inside the palace through the front gate.


    He didn''t want to show the two ladies the teleportation formation that he had set up inside the palace, after all, even if one was a senior and the other was a junior, he didn''t trust them much.


    At the gates of the inner palace, Han Lingshi was standing with Maya Okudera and Hao Mei beside her. They were here to welcome Hao Ren who was coming back home after a long time. Soon, they saw a young man turning around through the corridor and appearing before them. Just when Han Lingshi was about to give up on her Empress demeanor, a calm voice sounded, "Hao Ren, I have to say, this palace is certainly much more impressive than any other palace in the world."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Senior Amare, your praises might give me wings. Please stop with the chastising, I will get you the things that I have promised."


    The lady nodded and then Hao Ren used flash step to appear before Han Lingshi with a bright smile on his face. However, his wife was looking at him in askance. Hao Ren chuckled and leaned in to peck her forehead as he said, "Allow me to make the introductions."


    He pointed at the sensual and charming Amare, and said, "This lady is the Dragon Cultivator Senior that I was telling you about. This young lady beside her is Akura, she is my guard of a sort, but now she can work for Agnee''s protection."


    The young lady nodded and then greeted the people with the proper manner of a host, and then she said, "We shall talk later, first I will arrange the accommodations for them."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then she left with Maya Okudera. Hao Mei stood in her place before she said, "Come on, give your sister a hug."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and gave her a hug, after that, he brought Akura and Amare outside to wander, when suddenly, Amare asked, "You have snake beasts?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "They are not snake beasts, they are my children. Yin, Yang, Agnee!"


    That said, a few minutes passed and the three children appeared in the pavilion where the guests were. They looked at Hao Ren with a smile, and greeted him with a bow, while the young man pointed at Akura and Amare.


    The trio was confused and he asked, "Elder Akura would be your guard till you surpass her strength. Okay, Agnee?"


    The girl frowned but, in the end, she gave in. Akura greeted the young lady with a bow, and Hao Ren said, "Go, take Elder Akura with you and show her around. Also, from now on experimental tools are forbidden from leaving the palace grounds. Understood Agnee?"


    The girl stuck out her tongue and nodded. Then the two of them left. Amare sat with her leg crossed over the other. She looked at the two teenagers before her and she said, "You must have given them a lot of high level elixirs to purify their blood when they were just in eggs."


    Hao Ren nodded and Amare said, "That is good, their bloodlines are stronger than anyone of their kin, and they have a greater future."


    The young man nodded and just then Amare said, "I would like to train these two."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "Why?"


    The lady smiled, it was as if the world had come to stop and the flowers bloomed in the desert. She nodded to Leo and said, "Because they would need it to reach the tribulation."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Then do as you please. However, you must make sure that none of them will suffer unnecessarily, is that too much?"


    The lady shook her head and then they shook hands on it. Then Amare asked, "Can you tell me what you want to become?"


    The two answered, "Baba & Mama."


    Amare nodded and said, "Repeat after me.."


    She conducted a poem about loyalty and trust. She looked at the two people and said, "I have great expectations from you."


    Yin and Yang nodded.

 Chapter 453 453: Reaping Rewards.

    Hao Ren came to his room, where Han Lingshi was still looking at him with a questioning glare. The young man said, "Love, can stop glaring at me? I didn''t know she could transform like this. I actually wanted to see if I can get to tame her and then take you to ride a dragon."


    Han Lingshi couldn''t help but chuckle out loudly when she heard this and said, "You airhead! How can you even think that a Dragon would be simple?"


    Hao Ren approached her, and then held her hand as he sat down on the ground before her and told her about the things that happened in the Labyrinth. The young lady smiled as she heard his adventures, however, she also asked, "Can you not go to such places? What if you had turned into a killing machine?"


    The young man smiled and said, "That happens when the people run out of things to hold down their thoughts. In my case, I had you, anchoring my soul and thoughts."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes but she still smiled and said, "Glib tongue."


    The two of them discussed the situation in the empire and found that everything was moving steadily and it was peaceful. The young man then thought and said, "I think we can send out some young geniuses to temper themselves in the eastern regions of the Spirit Siphon Continent. We can ask our old friends to provide them some cover."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "I also wish to go out and travel for a time. This time you will stay home."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Finally I get to play the overpowered house husband. Good."


    Han Lingshi shook her head and reached out to touch his face. Hao Ren enjoyed the softness of her palms and asked, "When do you have to leave?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "If possible, I would like to leave next week."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "Why so early?"


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "After all this time when I handled the operation of the empire, I came to realize that even though my management skills are high, I have no experience when it comes to fight. Ye Lan, Ye Jill, and the rest of the Ye Generals, they do their best to spar with me, but it is all just sparing. In the past five years, I haven''t improved in my martial comprehension. So unless I am a stone, or this loopy cycle of life has taken away the edge that is needed to advance in terms of martial arts."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Well, I can say that as the Empress you don''t need to hold the martial skills, but that is wrong. The foundation of the empire is laid by the sovereign and while you are super talented in managing things, it would be harmful to lack the knowledge of fighting skills. The military generals might not like you having less knowledge. Strength is the biggest deterrent."


    Han Lingshi nodded and Hao Ren said, "Fine, go out but please don''t create more competition for me outside, you know I am insecure like that."


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "Yes, yes, I am aware. I had Xiao Mei come up with a solution for that."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and he saw Han Lingshi''s face change. Her blinding beauty had regressed to that of a normal person and her features became rather fierce. He asked, "What the heck happened?"


    Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "It is a technique that she had created from researching many disguise techniques. It is rather high quality. The flow of spiritual energy on my face is the only thing that is altering my look. It takes some time to master it but it is her magnum opus."


    Hao Ren said, "Yin Yang eyes."


    His eyes flickered and looking at her face, he could see that the face at the moment was indeed not an illusion but it was just the circulation of the spiritual energy that dimmed her beauty. He said, "A mask of spiritual energy this way even if someone scans your appearance they would never find anything out of the ordinary."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then she showed him the various skills that she had learned during this time to increase the possibilities of flawless survival.


    Hao Ren was astonished to how much thought these two people have put into these techniques, but he sighed and said, "It is good that you have prepared all these techniques, but remember that the world outside is wild, and unpredictable. Never be complacent."


    The young lady nodded and said, "It is time that you go and meet the elders as well."


    Hao Ren frowned and the young lady said, "All these years, you have used the burden of your kingdom duties as an excuse to avoid meeting Ma and Father. They have suffered enough now, Ren. While you love me and have done a lot for me, you ought to let the past go and look for the better future."


    The young man sighed and said, "Fine, I will go and see them in two days."


    Han Lingshi nodded and Hao Ren stood up from the ground and he said, "Lan, Yin, both you stop sneaking around and go somewhere else, I have to talk to my wife about the complexities of life."


    Han Lingshi opened her eyes wide and she blushed. Two whooshing sounds echoed in the surroundings, and the young lady scolded Hao Ren for being shameless before the room bloomed with spring and youth. They had been away for far too long. While their relationship might seem vague, it was very strong and they were very much in love now as they have been in the past, however, the fact that they have become cultivators, they now held even more space to do the things they wanted to do.


    ...


    After two days, Hao Ren stepped out of the room, and his cultivation had reached the peak of the Dao World Realm. He and Han Lingshi both had advanced in their realms. After coming out of the room, he found Ye Lan and learned that Amare was looking for him.


    He sighed and told Han Lingshi about the situation as he headed to the place where Amare was staying. Since Amber''s old palace had been given to Amare, she was the new occupant of the courtyard.


    Hao Ren came to the threshold of the courtyard, and he said, "Lady Amare, may I come in?"


    A calm voice echoed from the inside, "Come in."


    Hao Ren stepped inside and he saw Amare sitting under the ivy pavilion. This wooden pavilion was covered with an ivy vine called Jade Trumpet Vine. It was as green as a jade and the flowers blooming on it looked like white trumpets.


    Amare was still wearing her forest green hanfu, and the gentle winds caressed her tresses. She had a guqin in her hands and was playing some music. For a second, Hao Ren stopped outside the pavilion and thought, ''She looks so picturesque. Ahh, the beauty of nature and the wonders of life.''


    Amare opened her eyes to look at him and said, "I am bored here, I wish to leave."


    Hao Ren felt his jaw falling to the ground as he hurriedly said, "No, no, no, how can that be, come along, I will take you to the lab and you can inspect and take all the successful products from there."


    Amare was bluffing him, because he hadn''t taken her to the lab and showed her the new products they were making there. She was a dragon and why would she wait for a puny human?


    ...


    After giving Amare the things she wanted, Hao Ren retreated to his room, Han Lingshi had already gone to make preparations for her own journey, and the young man was left to explore his rewards.


    He thought, ''System, shall we begin the reward collection?''


    *Go ahead, you have 98 chances.*


    Hao Ren nodded and he asked, ''Withdraw me five tickets.''


    *Withdrawing five tickets. Congratulations, you have received the ancient titan physique.


    Congratulations, you have received one life saving pill, top grade, as long as you have one breath left, you can use this pill to reach your peak.


    Congratulations, you have gained one sudden enlightenment chance.


    Congratulations, you have gained two Dao Realm Cultivation techniques, Earth Pinching Step, Void Sword Art.


    Congratulations, you have received a World level artifact blueprint.**


    Hao Ren sucked in a deep breath and said, ''System, you were right, I can see my life changing one more time. Let us continue.''


    Hao Ren continued scratching tickets, and all the rewards he gained were more shocking than the others. It was so scary that he felt the heavens might smite him for owning so many things. So he decided to call it off after twenty tickets.


    He called Ye Lan, and said, "Send out a party, have then search the eastern deserts and locate me a dragon energy vein. Our Empire is going to grow stronger."


    Ye Lan was shocked but she nodded quickly and sent her best people. This vein was one of the rewards among the twenty tickets, now he had seventy eight tickets remaining.

 Chapter 454: Untying Knots.

    Hao Ren went to visit his elders, and as soon as he stepped inside the Hao Family mansion, a sharp voice echoed in his ears, "You unfilial child, you still have the face to come back home?"


    The young man flinched his neck and said, "Old Boy Hao, can you cut me some slack? I wasn''t out fishing, you know?"


    Hao Xinyuan appeared before him and then snorted as he said, "Who asked you to come over here?"


    Hao Ren turned to look at the blushing Han Lingshi, and that was enough. The old man sighed and said, "It is still my Daughter-in-law who can give you some sense."


    Hao Ren clicked his tongue and said, "Yeah? You dare to say that it is my fault?"


    Han Lingshi reached out and grabbed a pinchful of his waist flesh and gave it a strong twist. The young man winced and the old man smiled as he said, "Lingshi, come in."


    Han Lingshi nodded and then she followed the old man with Hao Ren in tow. Under the respectful gazes of the family members, they came to a slightly secluded, yet one of the biggest courtyards in the mansion. Hao Ren was surprised and as he walked with his hands behind his back, he asked, "Old Boy Hao, what is going on here? How are they all so happy and respectful to you?"


    Hao Xinyuan said, "What does it matter to you?"


    The young man rolled his eyes, and said, "Are you going to tell me about it or do I have to grab someone and ask them directly?"


    The old man flicked his sleeves and said, "You can do what you want, but know that you would be giving them the idea that you are an unfilial brat."


    Hao Ren clenched his fist, and Han Lingshi watched them with a smile on her face. They entered the courtyard and the young man spotted Tang Zhen sitting under the pavilion doing some embroidery work. She sensed the movement from the people and asked, "Old Hao, did Lingshi send something again?"


    The old man wanted to say something when Han Lingshi said, "Ma, I came to see you."


    Tang Zhen raised her head and smiled at her, but then her expression froze, when she saw Hao Ren standing beside her husband and daughter-in-law. The two of them looked at each other and under the constant poke attack by Han Lingshi, the young man said, "Ma, how have you been?"


    Tang Zhen smiled and said, "I have been fine, how was your journey?"


    The young man replied, and said, "It was fruitful."


    That was it, the young man fell silent and Tang Zen also didn''t know what to say to this anymore. She sighed and stood up as she said, "I have learned some spirit cooking dishes, you guys sit, I will go and cook them for you."


    The people sat down on small stools inside the pavilion and the young man was being stared down by his father and his wife.


    *Come on, just pick the hint it is about time that you made up with her. Go, deal with it like a man, you have punished her enough already. As a reward, I will make sure that out of the seventy eight tickets, none is a blank.*


    Hao Ren sighed and he stood up from his stool as he followed his mother to the kitchen. When he reached the kitchen, Tang Zhen was making some nice chicken legs for them, although it looked just like any other chicken but it was spirit beast mode.


    The young man saw that the lady was working rather quickly and suddenly he asked, "Do you know that you are a cultivator, why must you wear those glasses?"


    Tang Zhen smiled and replied, "Because I remember our time at the Blue Star. I found those women quite weak, and I abhorred weakness. This was also the reason why I neglected you as well. I used to think that you were weak, but the thing is that after such a long time, reading about the struggles of the people who had nothing but made something out of themselves, I feel like I was a fool."


    As she spoke, she added chives and spring onion to the chicken legs, and turned them over to add the flame. She paused for a moment and then said, "You were never in the wrong, Ren. It was my fault that caused you to be driven in the corner."


    Hao Ren looked at her, and while he had a lot of sarcastic remarks in his mind, he found that he could not say anything. Tang Zhen looked older and her frame looked fragile. It was as if she had lost her vitality. He sighed and used his Yin and Yang eyes to look at her, and he asked, "Is it because of guilt that you have stopped cultivating?"


    Tang Zhen froze for a second but then she said, "Ren, I have achieved all that is there to achieve in this world and thus I have no more dreams and hopes. What is the point of cultivation?"


    The young man clenched his fists and said, "Ma, are you really going to do something like this because you cannot restore the relationship between us to how it was in the past?"


    Tang Zhen didn''t reply and just sighed as the young man continued, "To be honest, I think that the present condition of our relationship is way better than the past where I used to chase for your acknowledgement and you used to shove me away because I was weak.


    At least, at this moment, we are both honest to each other, and can say all that is there in our hearts. I am not ashamed to say that I did hold you guilty for the way you treated me, but that was a minor part. The big thing that caused me to shove you away was how you hid the fact about big sister hidden from me."


    The old lady sighed and said, "I was.."


    Before she could complete her words Hao Ren said, "Ma, I am not what I used to be in the past, and similarly, you are not the same either. If you really wish to restore things, then please learn to let it go. You made a mistake and you paid a price, now, yes we have a bitter sweet connection but it is still better than having nothing at all."


    His words fell on her ears and then Hao Ren turned around to leave, just when he was about to leave the kitchen he said, "All your life, you have done things the way you wanted them. You would decide when you were wrong and when you were right. If you really wish to see me as your son, then please, learn to let go of this control. Learn to let us have some power over you like you have over us."


    That said, he walked away from the kitchen and came back to the pavilion. Han Lingshi smiled as she looked at him and said, "You did good."


    Hao Ren rolled eyes at him and then a swift figure came out of the kitchen. Tang Zhen smiled and said, "Here, try this."


    She gave a plate filled with seven chicken legs to Hao Ren to eat. He could see that Han Lingshi and Hao Xinyuan were itching to snatch the chicken from him. Tang Zhen saw this and said, "You two, there are enough of these chicken legs for the two of you."


    The two people vanished and sat down across Hao Ren. The young man took big bites and said, "Where have you been all this time, god damn it, if I were to launch this in the restaurant I would have made so much money."


    Tang Zhen saw him gobbling it up and then he ran up to the kitchen and yelled, "Old Boy Hao, how dare you eat fifteen of them, god damn it are you a black hole?"


    Tang Zhen couldn''t help but chuckle and then she burst out in laughter. Gradually her laughter became so loud, that it drowned the quarreling voices from the kitchen.


    She was recalling all the times when Hao Ren and Hao Xinyuan would fight, or chastite her as Empress Dowager. She recalled that even without her love, Hao Ren managed to grow up normal and he loved her back.


    She felt sad, and tears slipped down her cheeks, but then she quickly calmed down, and wiped her face, when a white handkerchief was offered to her. She turned around and found Han Lingshi standing there with a smile on her face as she asked, "Are you happy now, Ma? He is not holding you guilty for anything. This is time that you also move on."


    Tang Zhen nodded forcefully, took a few minutes to calm down, she hugged Han Lingshi and said, "Thank you my dear, thank you very much."


    Han Lingshi returned the hug and patted her back gently. The equation was solved, and now it was time for Hao Ren to infuse the few gifts he got from the system.

 Chapter 455: World Realm.

    The situation between Hao Ren and Tang Zhen had been resolved, and now it was time for the couple to return to the Crescent Moon empire. The old lady was a little reluctant but she knew that since Han Lingshi was going out on the journey, it would fall upon Hao Ren to come and take care of the children who were still in the northern continent.


    ...


    One week passed, and Ye Lan told Hao Ren about the discovery of the dragon vein in the deserts. She may have been working with Han Lingshi, but her loyalty for Hao Ren had always taken paramount. The lady was also going out with Han Lingshi leaving behind the Prime minister, Maya Okudera and the cabinet to monitor the governance system and Hao Ren was going to act as the deterrent in case someone tries to act naughty.


    The young man didn''t mind that, he asked Amare, if she would be so kind to escort Han Lingshi, the latter was not willing, but Hao Ren said, "You would get to see the world and you would only take action when Han Lingshi is in danger. The rest is none of your business. I will collect treasure for you in the meanwhile. As soon as Xiao Mei comes up with something, I will get it for you."


    Thinking about that, she asked, "I demand you to make a walkman for me and upload all the songs from that lower realm inside it."


    Hao Ren nodded and agreed to her condition, in his mind he thought, ''I would smack your face with all the songs that exist there. Hmph.''


    He ran up to Xiao Mei, who rolled her camera eyes and said, "I can never understand how you gather such divergent people around you. A dragon who loves jazz is dubious. I would have liked it if she was someone who prefered heavy metal."


    Hao Ren poked her nose and said, "Stop judging people, Xiao Mei."


    The walkman was done, Xiao Mei made special earphones that could be detached and plugged in-ear upon transforming into the dragon form.


    Finally, on the already assigned date, Han Lingshi took off with Ye Lan, Ye Yin, Ye Jill, Han Lingxue, Hao Mei, and Yang with her. They had taken a small number of shadow guards to play the scouting role and gather information for them. They all had an emergency teleportation talisman with the location locked to the Eden pavilion in the Crescent Moon Palace.


    They also had an emergency alert jade slip, if they shattered it, Hao Ren would get the news and reach them as fast as possible. After a few minutes of Han Lingshi''s spirit vessel vanishing in the void, he came back to sit down inside his room. Maya Okudera initially wanted to ask him to stamp a few documents but she thought that the Emperor was worried about Han Lingshi''s departure, and so she delayed the task.


    However, the young man sat in his study and said, ''System, please integrate the Ancient Titan Body.''


    *Grit your teeth and greet your ancestors, it''s gonna hurt.*


    Hao Ren was surprised, but then the next moment, his body was covered with a warm sensation that originated from the core of his bones. The system said, *To reach a higher degree of integration please try to maintain your consciousness.*


    The young man thought that the system was just pulling his leg as if he would fall asleep with such a mild warmth. However, as time passed his body was covered with sweat and his limbs were shivering a little. Hao Ren realized that it was just the beginning.


    His body was heating up a lot and the climb of the temperature was nothing but abrupt. The young man grit his teeth and soon enough he was burning from inside out. His skin was molting and sweating. There were cracks on his body, and blood was seeping through these fine cracks. It was as if he was made up of marble and was now coming apart.


    ...


    Two hours had passed, and Hao Ren was now a bloody ball of flesh curled upon the floor with blood stains around him. Just five minutes all his pores sprayed blood outside causing him to collapse.


    Suddenly, the system said, *Host, it has been determined that your cultivation is insufficient to bear the burden of this integration. There is a seventy percent chance that you would die.*


    The young man answered, ''Use all the ten year long cultivation bonuses that you gave me in the twenty tickets.''


    *Seventy years of cultivation is being infused.*


    The next moment, all the spiritual energy from the surroundings began to gush inside his body. It was as if someone had pumped him with steroids, but the burning sensation inside his body was colliding with the cooling sensation of the spiritual burst.


    The impact of this scenario was so strong that above the capital a huge vortex appeared. Ye Jian who was responsible for the security this time around the year, infused spiritual energy in his throat and said, "All the citizens, use this chance to cultivate and elevate your realms. The spiritual vortex is formed by His Excellency. It is unsure if any of us would be able to gain such a pure spiritual energy in the future."


    As the young man said this, the entire city came to a stop, everyone apart from the city guards were allowed to cultivate. The military garrison outside the city limits was even more alert because they worried if someone tried to exploit this chance and cause trouble.


    ...


    In his study, Hao Ren was akin to a maggot, wriggling on the floor in the puddle of his own blood. His appearance was anything but holy or majestic. After an hour, the commotion finally calmed down, however, the clouds in the sky had turned from the spirit vortex, to jet black clouds of a heavenly tribulation.


    Hao Ren was at the verge of fainting when the system said, *Tribulation will help you successfully temper your new body and also your realm will elevate.*


    The young man took a deep breath and asked, ''Can you really not give me a break, you heartless fucker.''


    *Nope, get your ass out or this city will be obliterated.*


    Hao Ren stood up, and he was about to walk out covered in blood stains, when he saw himself in a mirror, and waved his hand to wash it all off with the spiritual energy. He flickered from his spot and appeared in the sky above the capital. He looked like a tiny dot but the people were excited, and they began to pray for his well being.


    The clouds reacted and the bolts of lightning rained upon Hao Ren. The physique allowed him to absorb a lot of lightning energy and it wasn''t till the seventh lightning bolt that he felt the intensity of the test. The tribulation was very smooth sailing for him given his realm.


    The young man clenched his fist and mumbled, "To think I would gain such a physique? If I were to spank Amare now, her ass might reduce to a bloody mess."


    *Fucking hell, what sort of thought process is that?*


    The young man rolled eyes and said, "In her dragon form you are an asshole. I am not a pervert. If I was to slap her dragon ass with this body she might suffer damage."


    *I don''t believe in you, motherfucker, I know that you have fantasies, tch, too bad scumbag, you are bound to have no other woman than the one you have already.*


    Hao Ren nodded and took out a new robe from his space ring as he said, "I have to work so much for this one only. If I had someone else, I might be dead from over work only."


    ...


    They returned to the palace and Hao Ren found Ye Jian and the rest of his disciples were gathered outside. They were all bowing to him as they said, "Congratulations on your ascension, Your Excellency."


    Hao Ren smiled and said, "Thank you everyone. I hope that you all also ascend soon and I can have some companions."


    The people respected him and he respected them back. Hao Ren looked across the palace gates and found the citizens also gathering in the square and cheering for his ascension. The young man put his hands behind his back as he walked towards the gate.


    Ye Jian looked at the Palace guard and waved his hand, the latter opened the gate while the guards formed a barricading line outside to prevent the people from approaching the Emperor. Hao Ren walked through the barricade and he met with the people. They all blessed him with their heads lowered.


    Hao Ren sighed and asked, "Why do you all keep your head lowered? Have you done something wrong? Have I been a tyrant? Has my wife, your empress been hard on you?"


    The people all raised their heads and denied in unison, causing Hao Ren to chuckle and said, "Well, to be honest, I am also a little afraid of my wife."


    The people all erupted in laughter.

 Chapter 456: Hidden Cards.

    Hao Ren celebrated the night with the citizens and then he went back to the palace with a calm expression on his face. The young man sat in his room consolidating his cultivation before he took a deep breath and a few days passed.


    *Your wife has reached the western coast of the Spirit Siphon Continent, however, there she heard about the miraculous secret realm. She took her entourage with her to explore the place where she became the target of the Young Master of the Truth Tower. Find out information about truth tower, and suppress them without revealing anything to Han Lingshi. Be her hidden guardian.*


    Hao Ren opened his eyes and then waved his hand to open a void portal. His speed was quick. As he moved, the system remarked, *I didn''t expect that you would be so proactive, moving without asking for rewards.*


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "I have come to know that the system is a righteous existence. If my task is completed, you will give me the due reward."


    His words took the system by surprise, and it replied, *Well, host, thank you for your kind words.*


    Hao Ren smiled faintly as he moved. He had come to understand the trick that he needed in order to diffuse the bad remarks from the system would be to brown nose it right off the bat.


    The young man reached the targeted western coastal region and he made his way inside the city and sat inside a bustling tavern. He waved to the waiter and tossed him a bag of spirit stones, he said, "All the drinks these brothers will have are on me."


    The people were surprised and they all cheered. One of the men stood up and approached the table and said, "Brother, you have treated all us brothers, allow me to thank you. My name is Dorma, in this Black Iron City, you can tell anyone that you are my brother, and they will not make things difficult for you."


    Hao Ren stood up and clasped his fist as he said, "I am thankful to you Big Brother Dorma, it just so happen that I am in need of something."


    Dorma chuckled and said, "You can ask me, I can tell you about anything in the Coastal area."


    Hao Ren sighed and asked, "I am looking for a place called Truth Tower, my brother called me there to make it so that I can take a test and see if I can be accepted in the ranks."


    Dorma took a deep breath and said, "Brother, you sure are lucky to have such a brother. How many people here would kill for such an opportunity."


    Hao Ren smiled and asked, "Can you tell me a little about the structure and how the Truth Tower works?"


    Dorma nodded and patted his chest as he said, "Yes, I can. Hahaha, I used to go to the Omni City to seek a chance to get accepted in any of the forces there, but given my low aptitude it is not possible. However, I have learned a great deal about that place."


    Hao Ren waved for Dorma to sit down on the same table as him and began to chat. During the conversation, Hao Ren discovered, that the leader of the Truth Tower was called, Savant Medji. This guy was at the peak of Dao World realm and was known as one of the five strongest experts of the Western Coasts in the Spirit Siphon Continent.


    The young man asked a few more questions and then he shared a couple of drinks with the people before leaving the tavern. There were a few people who thought he was loaded and wanted to attack him outside the tavern, but when they saw Hao Ren directly vanishing they froze, followed by that they heard a voice in their minds, "You should thank the stars of your wives, otherwise you would have been under the ground. Losers."


    ...


    Hao Ren appeared at the gates of the Omni City, and he passed through the doors with ease. As he was going inside the city, he asked the guard on the gates, "Can you tell me where the Truth Tower is located?"


    The guard pointed at the tallest building and Hao Ren thanked him before making his way over. As he reached the entrance of the Truth Tower, he snapped his fingers and the people all looked at him before he said, "Forget me after blinking your eyes."


    The young man used the hypnotizing skills to carefully walk through the crowd as he made his way to the top floor while asking the people about the whereabouts of the leader of the tower, Savant Medji. The people told him what he wanted to know and then they obediently sat in their place for a few moments before they went back to what they were doing.


    As Hao Ren reached the top floor, he found that the place was isolated with an array, and so he said, "Eye of Insight."


    The array was unfurled right before his eyes. The young man was quick and he moved through the array to find himself standing before a courtyard that was built on top of the tower. Hao Ren placed his hands behind his back as he walked forward and said, "Someone sure knows how to live their lives and enjoy vanity."


    His voice wasn''t low, and it echoed throughout the courtyard. Around half a dozen people came out, four males and two females. All of them were more or less at the Dao World realm. They saw Hao Ren and the people asked, "Who are you? How dare you barge in this place?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Kneel!"


    His simple sound caused the six people to kneel down with a shocked expression on there faces. They all didn''t expect such a strong entity to walk in their place. Hao Ren waved his hand and condensed a chair made out of spiritual energy as he sat down before these men. He asked with a smile, "So, which one of you is Savant Medji."


    The people all turned their gaze to the man on the extreme left. Hao Ren nodded and said, "Thank you."


    He turned to look at Savant Medji, this middle-aged man with a salt and pepper head, his face covered with dread and stress. Hao Ren asked, "Mister Medji, what is it that you taught your son? To target the women who didn''t belong with him?"


    Savant Medji was shocked, and he said, "Senior, I have never told him such a thing to do. I assure you.."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "My wife is exploring the Miraculous Secret Realm with my sisters, and your son has just dared to look at her with a perverted gaze. I swear, the first thought in my mind was to go there and kill him but then I thought why not come here and ask you about it?


    So, tell me what shall I do? How about I just smack this whole tower down? Your ancestors can try and catch me but once I am done with it all, your family would vanish. What do you think?"


    Savant Medji could see that Hao Ren was really willing to kill him and the rest of the people. Thinking about it, he took a deep breath and said, "Senior, I will call him back right now, and then I will give you a proper explanation."


    Hao Ren shrugged and said, "I would appreciate if all those involved in this heinous action is also brought back, I would like to see them all and deal with them. Please do not reveal my involvement to the outside world or not only will you lose your reputation but also your lives. Cultivating to this level is not an easy thing, no?"


    The people nodded like wooden chickens, and then Savant Medji quickly took a deep breath and took out a jade talisman. The man didn''t hesitate and crushed the jade talisman in his palm.


    Surely, the next moment, a big void portal appeared in the surroundings and then a figure of a young man appeared before him. The young man seemed a little out of sorts and he looked around before asking, "Father, why are you kneeling?"


    Savant Midje looked at his son and said, "Bastard thing, kneel!"


    Hao Ren took away his restraints and Savant Midje jumped on his son. He didn''t care about anything and began to beat the hell out of the young man before him. Hao Ren watched it all with an amused smile on his face. After ten minutes, when Savant finished beating his son to pulp he knelt before Hao Ren and said, "Senior, I have finished dealing with him. Is this enough?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "I will ask him a few things."


    Savant Midje nodded and didn''t protest at all. Only now did the young man notice Hao Ren sitting on the chair, looking at him as if watching a seven colored chicken. Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "What made you think that you can take a liking to my Lingshi?"

 Chapter 457 457: Dread.

    Hao Ren looked straight in the eyes of the young man and asked coldly, "How dare you think that you can look at my Lingshi in that manner?"


    The young man shivered as he sensed a killing intent drowning him, then Hao Ren asked, "Who else was there with you?"


    The young man hesitated, and Hao Ren sighed as he snapped his fingers, and asked, "What is your name?"


    "Alam Midje.", said the young man.


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Alam, tell me honestly kid, who else is there?"


    Alam gulped and said, "There is the second prince of the Khyberstan, and then there is the son of the Prime minister of Khyberstan, along with a few more people from the courtier families."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Which direction does Khyberstan lies in?"


    Savant Midje pointed deeper in the west and Hao Ren said, "Mister Midje, tell me about them. Who is the strongest person there?"


    Savant Midje guessed Hao Ren''s intentions and said, "Senior, the strongest person there is the Royal Ancestor, he is a half step world realm expert."


    The young man nodded and looked at his son on the ground as he asked, "What do you think I should do with this boy? I know that you are a father, and thus your position here is difficult, so tell me honestly, I will give you just one chance."


    Savant glared at his son, but in the end he was still a human, and he knelt on the ground as he said, "Senior, I beg you, please spare him. I will discipling him better in the future."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and he made Alam look at his father as he said, "Look at your father, he is the strongest man in this region and countless people bow to him, yet your actions have made his forehead touch the ground. do you know why? Because you reached out for something that is way beyond your league. Now, I will let you understand the reason why everyone should be responsible for the things they do."


    He then turned to look at Savant and said, "I want you to chop off your left pinky finger. Would you do that?"


    Savant was shocked, but then he thought and said, "Yes, senior."


    A finger was still not as bad of a price then it was to pay with the lives of every single human in the Truth Tower. He took out a knife and without any hesitation he chopped off his finger. The cultivation base of the Dao World realm expert allowed him to avoid most of the pain but he still let out a groan.


    Alam saw his father chopping off his finger, and his young heart couldn''t take it anymore, and he wailed, "No, Father!"


    Savant looked at his son and sighed, as he said, "Senior, is there anything else?"


    Hao Ren stood up from his spot and said, "Tower Master Savant, you are a good man, and I can tell that from the fact that your elders are all ready to fight me right now. However, the price you paid is not to get away from me, but to make sure that your son understands who you are, and what you are made of."


    Savant sighed and said, "Thank you for your teachings, Senior."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and vanished from the place. Savant and the rest of the elders didn''t move for a few minutes, and then they sighed and fell to the ground on their knees. Alam was crying non-stop. Savant sighed and sealed his acupoints to stop the bleeding and he said, "Alam, I hope you can be better than before after this."


    The elders came forward to support the Tower Master, and took him to rest in another room. Alam cried for half an hour, before his gaze fell on the chopped finger, and just when his heart was filled with rage, a calm voice sounded in his mind, "Don''t try to approach her again with the intent of revenge, I will destroy you and everyone from your bloodline in this world. Do you understand?"


    Alam seemed to have seen the situation of his family and bloodline relatives being destroyed. He took a deep breath and knelt on the ground as he said, "Yes."


    ...


    Hao Ren moved through the void at a quick speed, he raised his left hand and looked at the dragon ring on his finger as he asked, "Lingshi, are you there?"


    Shortly after a voice echoed in his mind, "Yes, Love, I am here, do you need something?"


    Hao Ren replied, "No, I was missing you only."


    Han Lingshi said, "Well, I miss you too, but I will talk to you later as I have to go and find a natural treasure, bye, Ilove you."


    Hao Ren said,"I love you too."


    The connection was disconnected, the young man moved through the void at a higher speed, and soon he found himself standing above the royal palace of Khyberstan. On his way, he converged his aura to avoid getting detected by the generals and the guards on the borders.


    His realm was high enough to make it so that the weaker people cannot sense him. The young man lowered his height and said, "I wonder if The sovereign would allow the favor of an audience to this wanderer?"


    His voice echoed through the capital and many people came out to see him. Some guardians reacted, "Who dares!"


    They all directly hurled attacks towards Hao Ren, the young man waved his hand and the attacks were dispelled as he said, "Kneel."


    The people who attacked him were all kneeling on the ground. A soft voice echoed from inside the palace, "May I ask who is Your Excellency?"


    Hao Ren smiled and looking at the old man dressed in a red robe, he said, "I am Hao Ren, Emperor of the Crescent Moon Empire. I come from the Spirit Shimmer Continent, I wonder if you are aware of its existence?"


    Everyone knew about the merging of the two pieces of land. The man in the red robe bowed and said, "Greetings, Your Majesty, may I ask what is the reason for your visit?"


    Hao Ren frowned and asked, "Your sovereign does not even regard me seriously. Is that why he sent you to greet me?"


    His aura assaulted the royal palace causing it to tremble a bit. The people understood that Hao Ren was not a simple entity. The eunuch bowed deep and said, "Your Majesty, please calm your anger, Khyberstan doesn''t wish to escalate matters into a negative paradigm. It is just that, our sovereign is unable to move."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and sent out a spiritual probe before he said, "Very well, since I need his help, I will help him."


    He vanished from his spot in the void, and bypassed the eunuch and came directly to the bed chamber of the King. The guards wanted to act against him but he said, "Freeze."


    The people froze, he waved his hand and pushed open the door of the dragon room, and walked inside. He saw a feeble figure laying on the bed, and a few women sitting beside his bed with hopeless gazes.


    Hao Ren approached the bed and the women wanted to say something when the Head Eunuch finally caught up and issued a telepathic message to the ladies, not to offend Hao Ren.


    Hao Ren looked at the feeble emperor, and pointed his right index finger at the chest of the latter. A wisp of flame passed through the void and drilled inside the body of the emperor. The energy of the flame wisp gradually flowed around the meridians, and Hao Ren asked, "Head Eunuch, you might want to call for the best guards that your Sovereign has, because he is not dying from natural causes, but a slow poison."


    The eunuch was shocked, but then he took out a fan and said, "Black Death."


    A dozen experts appeared around the bed, and a few moments later, the old emperor on the bed woke up and coughed out a mouthful of black corroded blood.


    His pale face gained radiance of vitality and his breathing stabilized. He sat up in his bed, and the Eunuch approached him with the details of what transpired. The old man looked at a particular woman in his harem and said, "Seal the cultivation of Concubine Shi and throw her in the imperial prison. I will deal with her later."


    The man stood up from the bed and bowed slightly to Hao Ren, who stood with his back facing the old man. The old king asked, "Your Excellency, you have saved my life, please tell me how can I repay this debt."


    Hao Ren turned around and said, "Your son tried to make moves against my wife. Your second son, I want him. An equivalent exchange. I wonder what you have to say."


    The face of the old king changed, but just when he was about to say something, the voice of his royal ancestor sounded in his mind and he said, "I agree with you, Your Excellency Hao Ren. I will summon him right away."


    Hao Ren nodded and thanked the man as he said, "Please call back all the people who are a part of his entourage. They all need to pay a price."


    The old king gulped, because his ancestor has just told him to give up or the royal family would finish right there.

 Chapter 458: Statement.

    Hao Ren stood inside the chambers of the King of Khyberstan as if it was his palace. He looked outside the window at leisure enjoying the view of a few rabbits playing in the garden and some little children chasing after them. The rest of the people looked at him and were doubting their lives.


    The king himself was thinking about how did they manage to offend someone so abominable. This guy was radiating a thick killing intent yet he was smiling as he looked at the scene as if it was all bringing him great joy. This was the person they have always been told to worry about.


    Hao Ren didn''t care what these people were thinking, he just wanted to kill the Second Prince, his entourage and leave a statement that would make sure that Han Lingshi can stay free about her business, however, since the system had told him to not be find out, he could not really cause large scale destruction or Lingshi would find out about it. However, his enemy didn''t know about it, right?


    The young man waited for an hour before he asked, "King Khyber, how long do I have to wait?"


    The king gulped and replied, "Your Excellency, my best general has been sent to bring them back, it would take one more hour. I beg your pardon for my tardiness."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and asked, "You sent the second prince to explore an important secret realm, tell me the reason behind it, can you?"


    King Khyber took a deep breath and said, "Lord, the second prince happens to be my oldest son. He has shown a great talent for politics and cultivation. The people respect him too. This was why I selected him to be my heir."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "If that is your reason then can you tell me why has the second oldest queen in your harem tried to poison you?"


    The old man shivered, and his expression twisted, as Hao Ren continued speaking, "Do you understand the basic difference between fear and respect or not? Do you understand that politicians can be bought and sold on the spin of gold and spirit stones? You call yourself a ruler, but is it the court doing your bidding or is it you at the beck and call of the court?"


    His words shook the old king. Even the head eunuch watched the scene aghast. He knew that what the young man said was true, but the King had weakened a lot and his strength had dwindled; that was why he could not retain the command over his people anymore.


    Hao Ren looked at the old man and tossed out a pill bottle. He placed his hands behind his back and said, "The pill contains three nirvana pills, every pill will give you the chance to regain the peak vitality and strength. However, after that, your realm will never improve. Think of it as a chance to clean up the house, and two chances that would be left for the use of your two future descendants. I wonder if the resolve of the ruler is still strong in your mind or have you made peace with the life of a puppet."


    The old man clenched his fists and took a deep breath as he stared at Hao Ren and said, "My lord, I am the thirteenth king in the Khyber Dynasty, I have grown up listening to the fact that thirteen brings disaster. To be honest, I haven''t made any achievements that could be seen or recorded as blessings, but I have also done my best to avoid disasters, this is why I watched everything with one eye closed and one eye opened.


    You saved my life, you enlightened me, and you also gave my lineage a second chance. Yours is a debt that cannot be repaid for generations to come and thus, today, I would like to make a blood pact with you. As long as there dwells a descendant of mine on this world, they will be loyal to you, and the Crescent Moon Empire would be our eternal ally."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "I will not reciprocate these promises, the matters of alliances and diplomacy are left for my Empress and her cabinet to handle. You can send your representative to the court and they will handle this issue, however, I hope you can keep the connection with me a secret. You see, my wife is particularly strict about me moving behind the scenes."


    King Khyber bowed and said, "We understand, My lord. We will do as you wish."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "So, who is the second best among your descendants?"


    King Khyber was at a loss, he had always paid attention to the second prince and that was the reason for his downfall. He turned to look at the head eunuch who said, "The first princess, she is warmly received by the citizens, and she has spent most of her time traveling through the kingdom helping the people solve various problems. Although she has done it as a proxy to the Second Prince and has always given him all the credit, the truth is quite contradictory.


    She has been making a strong impression amongst the people of the country and they all have come to understand that her promotion of the second prince was just an act of survival and to avoid being on his radar. While staying away from the capital, she had managed to act as a handy man of the second prince and also avoided being used as a bargaining chip by the court. After all, the Second Prince wouldn''t sacrifice such a godsent help."


    King Khyber was stunned and Hao Ren chuckled as he said, "Now this is a politician you need. The one who ensured her survival and the welfare of her people. Since she was weak in strength she relied on her wit. She will do your kingdom good."


    King Khyber nodded and said, "I will do as you suggest, My Lord."


    Hao Ren shrugged, this flattery didn''t work on him. King Khyber then decisively opened the pill bottle and swallowed a red pill from it. The next moment, his vitality increased and his figure regained some youth. From an old obsolete person he became a dignified middle-aged man. The eunuch opened his eyes wide at this change. The transformation was merely a minute long.


    King Khyber clenched his fists and he turned around to look at the Eunuch and said, "Gong, summon all the courtiers. Tell them to appear within an incense''s time, and send over the commander of the palace guard."


    The eunuch nodded and then left the place. The entire capital was already shocked because Hao Ren arrived in such a high profile manner. The moment Head Eunuch announced for the court to hold a session, everyone rushed over at the fastest speed possible.


    King Khyber sat down on the dragon throne and he looked down at the ministers and the officials. He said, "Commander Jiulong!"


    The commander of the palace guard stepped forward and knelt on the ground as he said, "Here!"


    King Khyber said coldly, "Today, I will give you the chance to do your duty without restraint. All these years, we have been hoping for a change of heart among those who defied the responsibilities of their stations and exploited the people.


    Today, you shall use my Dragon Sword to wash the house clean with their blood. Eunuch Gong, read the decree!"


    The courtiers were shocked to see the King looking like a middle-aged man, but what rendered them speechless was the decree that followed. All the corrupt officials including the prime minister were sentenced to death right there in the court.


    The prime minister wanted to protest but then the King himself acted and beheaded him. The courtroom was washed with blood, and the King looked towards the dragon throne as he bowed and said, "Ancestor, I implore you to safeguard the sanctity of the nation and act against those vermin who dirty our utopia."


    A sigh echoed in the palace, and then a terrifying aura emerged from the core of the palace, washing over the city. The palace guard and the city guard were mobilized, all the clans involved in corrupt actions were slayed, the action was so thorough that a faction of shadow guards had been deployed to kill the distant branches of these families too.


    Khyberstan was shocked that all this happened within an hour.


    ...


    In the bloody throne room, which was still filled with chopped corpses of the officials, a middle-aged man appeared with his armor, and he was shocked, behind him a few young men with arrogant expressions also appeared and they were shocked as well.


    King Khyber said, "Jiulong, all the corrupt officials have been executed, handle their spawns as well."


    The second prince was shocked to look at his father being so cruel, he wanted to say something when the man on the throne clenched his fist and pulled the void towards him. The second prince was thrown off his feet and was dragged through sticky blood for a few steps before he landed in the center of the court. He could still hear his friend''s vanishing wails. He shivered, and King Khyber said, "You brought this upon yourself. Wastrel."


    The second prince asked with a mutter, "What did I do?"


    A calm voice answered him, "Oh, nothing much, dear boy, you tried to act against my wife in the secret realm. Your friends harbored intentions towards my sisters who are there as well. Hmmm, so young yet so perverted, I wonder if I shall skin you alive, or mince you to fine meat!"


    The last sentence caused the second prince to shiver, it was that loud. Hao Ren was angry.

 Chapter 459: Fate Of The Second Prince.

    Hao Ren walked up to the Second Prince, who was covered in blood stains and his face was dirty as well. As he walked, his feet stayed clean from blood on the floor. The young man took a deep breath as he walked and calmed his rage and asked, "Tell me, what do you think I should do to you?"


    The second prince shivered in fear, his eyes were brimming with tears, and his face was covered in snot. He didn''t look anything like the dignified figure as he was in the beginning. He placed his hands on the ground and prostrated himself on the ground and he said, "Please forgive me! I was wrong. Please don''t kill me! I beg you. Father, please save me! I don''t want the throne anymore...."


    The Second Prince kept on rambling and Hao Ren sighed as he snapped his fingers together, and said, "Calm down, you worthless insect."


    His skill took charge and the rambling prince calmed down, and Hao Ren said, "Raise your head."


    The young lad raised her head and Hao Ren asked, "Now, tell me, what should I do with you?"


    The second prince replied, "I am sincerely apologizing, forgive me. I didn''t know she was married."


    Hao Ren smiled, he could tell that the Second Prince was sincerely regretting his decision but that didn''t bother him. He said, "I am not that big-hearted as you think I am. I can understand that you do not wish to die, but you need to understand that some sins cannot be forgiven. So, I will give you one last chance before I use my own means."


    The Second Prince shivered, his eyes were dazed, but he couldn''t say anything. How could he wish for his own death? Hao Ren smiled and then he undo the hypnotism as he stood up from the crouching position, and said, "Fine, I will give you an easy way out."


    The Second Prince was shocked to look at Hao Ren, he realized how dangerous this man was now even more. Earlier, the prince was half awake, Hao Ren left him like that on purpose. He was just about to beg him again, when Hao Ren took out a pack of needles and waved his hand. The needles buried in the body of the second prince and the next moment, the palace echoed with the soul crashing screams of the victim.


    Hao Ren crushed the second prince''s body and he approached from one acupoint to the other. His movements were simple, but the results of these movements scared King Khyber. The old man watched his son getting tortured with a plain face. The second prince tried to make a lot of pleas but Hao Ren just continued with what he was doing. The pain from acupoint explosions was so severe that the Second Prince had already flat-lined twice.


    Hao Ren revived him instantly and then continued the gruesome technique. He said, "You must be thinking that I am a demon from the hell, wrong. I am just a possessive husband who loves his wife so much that my dignity and pride means almost nothing compared to my love. Your actions were akin to poking the reverse scale on the dragon''s forehead. Now, you suffer from your insolence."


    As Hao Ren was punishing the criminal, figure dashed inside the courtroom, "NO!"


    The voice was so strong and convincing that Hao Ren stopped and turned around to look at a middle-aged woman. She looked very pretty, had Hao Ren be a normal human, he might have digged this cougar, but sadly he wasn''t interested and he asked indifferently, "Who might you be?"


    The lady rushed before him and knelt down as she banged her forehead on the ground hard, breaking the tiles. The young man looked at King Khyber who sighed and said, "My Lord, she is my second wife, the mother of that thing."


    Hao Ren sighed and asked, "Didn''t you have her arrested?"


    King Khyber looked at the lady and asked, "You killed the guards?"


    The queen kept banging her head and said, "I did what I had to to save my child."


    She didn''t stop banging her head and Hao Ren asked, "What would you achieve by this?"


    The woman replied calmly, "Lord, my son was wrong, I agree that what you have done is apt and, but please forgive him. As a mother, I cannot see my son suffering like this."


    Hao Ren hummed and then said calmly, "Slap your forehead and kill yourself."


    The young man was completely unbothered by the fact that he just commanded a mother to die before her son and a wife to die before her husband. He didn''t care who died as long as he could kill the Second Prince at his leisure.


    The lady really raised her hand and slapped her forehead with a palm strike, causing her skull to explode like a ripe watermelon causing blood and brain matter to fly around the floor. Hao Ren turned to look at the shocked Second Prince, and began to heal his body with his spiritual pills.


    The young prince of the Khyber nation was so shocked and scared that he pissed himself. He wanted to say something when Hao Ren said, "You will take off your clothes, go outside the palace, and then King Khyber will disown you. You will tell the world about the crime you have committed and then you will castrate yourself, and slam your head against the ground, right at the palace square and become a part of history. Go now."


    He waved his hands as if coaxing a child to sleep. The second prince''s eyes turned dazed, and he took off his clothes and walked out naked. The people who had just witnessed the slaughter of all the corrupt officials, and now when the people saw the Crown Prince walking down the grand palace stairs naked, they were shocked.


    The dazed prince came to the square before the palace, and King Khyber''s tired voice echoed in the surroundings, "From this moment forth, Prince Alkine Khyber is denounced from his lineage and position in the royal court. He will be a commoner and nothing more."


    The people were stunned and a wave of murmurs was heard in the surroundings. Alkine raised his head and said, "I have been the crown prince for the past five years and during that time, I have commited a lot of crimes and sins..."


    Then he went on to speak about embezzling funds, rapes, and slave trade. He told about every deed in great detail and the people who helped him were not spared from defamation as well. Hao Ren watched the scene with his spiritual senses, he said to King Khyber, "Your Majesty, listening to those words outside, do you still feel at a loss?"


    King Khyber shook his head and said, "My lord, you were correct, such a guy was not worthy of being the crown prince. Thank you for ridding us of such a curse."


    Hao Ren shook his head and turned his head outside, he saw that Alkine was finished with his confession and then he reached out to grab his penis, and said, "The only punishment to atone for the acts of violence that I committed against women, is this."


    He grabbed his penis tight, his face turned purple and then he pulled it hard. The people screamed and closed their eyes, and Alkine Khyber also screamed and wailed as he fell to the ground, he cried from the seething pain, his body was maimed and his soul was crushed.


    He wished for nothing else but to end this humiliation. He regretted making a move against Han Lingshi, he turned around and looking at the gates of the palace, he mustered up all the leftover strength in his body and knelt on the ground. He said, "Forgive me, for all that I have done, may the Khyber Nation stand tall for eternity."


    The young man then raised his head high and BANG!


    The head exploded, and along with the tile chippings, a few brain tissues also splattered around. The children watching the scene couldn''t help but retch, and empty their bowels, and some women had turned pale.


    The level of cultivation among the normal citizens was not high like in the Crescent Moon Empire. Hao Ren looked at the mess, and said, "You can send your representative to the Crescent Moon Empire as soon as you want. We will help you raise the standard of cultivation here, be it strength or morals."


    King Khyber bowed to him, and the young man vanished from his spot after leaving behind a jade token. King Khyber looked at the eunuch and said, "Go summon the men to clean this place up, and also bring over the First Princess, she will take a tour of the Crescent Moon Empire."


    The eunuch nodded and then asked, "Your Majesty, what about the corpse of the second prince?"


    King Khyber snorted and said, "Erase his divine soul, and as for his body, feed it to dogs."


    The fate of the glorious second prince had come to an end.

 Chapter 460: Sudden Changes.

    Hao Ren returned to the Crescent Moon Empire, and as he walked through the palace premises he whistled out a song from Blue Star. The people noticed this and they all were left to wonder how the strongest entity could behave in such a manner.


    The people recalled the celebration he held before the palace, and they were all able to relate to it. As the young man entered his cultivation room, he was called by Han Lingshi and he smiled as he asked, "Hello, Love. Did you finish exploring the secret realm?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "Yes, I did, but why are you so happy?"


    The young man smiled and replied, "My wife is calling me from such a long distance, how can I not feel happy?"


    Han Lingshi scolded him, "Glib tongue. I want to ask, are you playing hands off Emperor again?''


    Hao Ren sucked in a deep breath and asked, "I am the strongest person in this empire, how come I should be running around with all the errands?"


    Han Lingshi sighed and said, "My dear, you just need to give the people a piece of yourself so that they can feel your warmth. That is how you retain the loyalty, otherwise, the governors will become the kings."


    The young man sighed and said, "Fine, I will go and handle the business myself. Happy? Don''t tell me to act with restraint then. If someone does something wrong, I will show them how I deal with it."


    He thought Han Lingshi might budge but the lady went on, "Good, that is what you should do. I have been too soft in my approach I feel."


    Hao Ren opened his eyes wide thinking how serious his wife was, unaware that Han Lingshi and the gang were laughing their lungs off in the far place.


    The young man took a deep breath and said, "Hao Mei put you up to this, right? Ugh, fine you all just wait."


    Han Lingshi tried to coax him but he didn''t listen and acted like a spoiled child. In the end, Han Lingshi promised to make it up to him and the young man disconnected the communication with a snort, and a whisper like, I love you.


    The communication finished and the system said, *For teaching a lesson to the people who offended the dignity of your wife, you are rewarded with a consolidated Sage Halo.*


    Hao Ren shivered and the comprehension of the refining profession began to seep out of his mind in the form of condensed Dao Runes and then were engraved on a second halo that appeared behind his back.


    The sword halo was located on the inside, and around it was a new halo. The glow from the halos was so strong that even Hao Ren himself had the urge to close his eyes but he noticed that his knowledge could not even mark the ten percent of the halo. He almost spat out some blood at this, and sighed as he mumbled, "Looks like I need to come up with some solutions."


    That said, he walked out of the room. Given his realm of cultivation he didn''t mind taking a few days off to handle the task of watching the home left behind by his wife. He came to the administration office and the people began to bow to him deeply.


    Hao Ren waved his hands as he made his way to the Prime Minister''s office. Coincidently, he found Maya Okudera talking to a few people in the lobby. Her expression looked rather serious.


    Maya Okudera was shocked, and she exclaimed, "Your Excellency, how come you are here? You could have summoned all of us."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "Prime Minister, my wife told me that if I didn''t take part in the things at home then she would have me kneel on the washing board. I was so scared that I dared not waste time to summon you away from any important task."


    Some people wanted to laugh, they could never believe that given the love their Empress had for the Emperor she would have him kneel. However, Maya Okudera was sighing and after a few moments of silence she said, "Your Excellency, if you could, please, follow me?"


    The young man nodded and then followed Maya Okudera. When they came inside the office, Maya Okudera sighed and said, "Your Excellency, there has been a situation."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "It seems to me that you have contact with Lingshi, no wonder she allowed me a free hand."


    Maya Okudera smiled faintly and said, "In the Samsara County, the governess has reported that a Dao Being Realm Genius is getting drunk on strength and he has been rallying many people beside him. We have sent the second command of Ye General, Lord Jian''s protege, to investigate, but Ye Long has fallen in battle."


    Hao Ren narrowed his gaze and asked, "What do you mean? A Sword Grandmaster fell just like that?"


    Maya Okudera sighed and said, "We have intel to confirm that there is a realm suppression array being used by the rebel forces."


    Hao Ren thought about it and said, "This makes sense, Xiao Mei confirmed it?"


    Maya Okudera nodded and said, "She did. General Ye Jian wanted to go out and handle this, but the enemy has taken an entire city as hostage. They have contaminated the water sources with bone dissolving poison. If we try to barge in, they would kill innocent civilians."


    Hao Ren rubbed his temple, and asked, "Which city is it?"


    Maya Okudera replied, "Star Horizon City."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then he turned to look at one of the maps hanging on the wall, and then raised his left hand to use the digital communicator and found out a few things about the city before he said, "I will handle it."


    Maya Okudera nodded and Hao Ren said, "Make sure that you have a good propaganda advisor who could calm the citizens. I don''t wish to have to sweet talk them after what I am about to do."


    Maya Okudera nodded, and Hao Ren turned around to walk out of her office, and then headed to the intelligence office, where Ye Lan had left her protege as incharge. Seeing Hao Ren arrive the workers all stood up in respect.


    The crescent moon restaurant had a branch in almost every city of the Empire, and they were one of the biggest and the best intelligence gathering units. They had secretly hired many other businesses but didn''t change their names. So even if the enemy dodged them, they wouldn''t be able to dodge all of them.


    The young man took a deep breath and asked, "Ummm, the person in charge, step up."


    A young lady stepped forward, and Hao Ren said, "Did you know of any movement from the neighboring nations in Samsara County, Star Horizon City."


    The young lady gulped and nodded, Hao Ren sighed and said, "What was the identity of the involved party? Ye Xian."


    Ye Xian took a deep breath and said, "Herald Merchant Group, originating from the Shiya Kingdom on the east."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Next time, have the merchants tailed up to know who they are talking to to prevent such a mess happening from. As the times change, intelligence would become the face of war. The leaders are too busy chasing strength so they send out their tools to create chaos and reap benefits from it.


    However, the person behind all this just wanted to tell us that they can cause such situations everywhere in the region. The merchants will curse me but well, they called this upon themselves. Ye Xian, send out the message to all the assets all over the Spirit Shimmer Continent. Eliminate all the members of the Herald Merchant Group, spare none, and they can be loud, but have to be precise. Got it? They have a week, and the attacks shall be concluded all at the same time, the midnight hour of the seventh night."


    Ye Xian was shocked, this was a kill order and the intensity was so high that it would shock the entire spirit shimmer kingdom. She bowed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Big Brother Ren, I will issue the kill order."


    Hao Ren frowned, and then he waved for the girl to raise her head. When she did, Hao Ren flicked his finger on her forehead and said, "Kiddo, your master calls me big brother, for your generation, I am Uncle. Don''t mess up the family tree. Silly Lass. To get the work done, I have to work my old bones."


    Then he turned around and walked out of the intelligence department. He stood outside the administrative building and said loudly, "Ye Jian, get here you old coot."


    In an instant, Ye Jian appeared before Hao Ren, dressed in all black as always, kneeling on the ground. Hao Ren could sense his gloom and said, "Old friend, lets go, we have to bring our boy back home."


    Ye Jian looked up with bloody eyes, his disciple was dead, and he was drowned in rage and grief. Hao Ren''s word gave him the chance that he wanted.

 Chapter 461 461: Revenge Begins.

    Hao Ren and Ye Jian flew away from the palace at a quick speed. The latter was very agitated, and Hao Ren said, "Ye Jian, calm down. I know that you are aggrieved, but you need to understand that the situation here is not simple. Xiao Long went there to save the people. He fell because he was fighting for the cause, and he put it above himself. If you go there with the mindself of revenge. Don''t you think that you would be putting him to shame?"


    Ye Jian shivered, and then he said, "Young Master, all my life, I have done nothing but to commit myself to the path of sword, I fought and bled with no care, but when I saw Xiao Long back when I was traveling, I found that while he was talented in sword like me, but he was so different at the same time.


    He had compassion in his heart, and he was kind to the people. He was just a child, who saw the world in his own way, yet these people tricked him. How can I not feel angry?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "I can understand what you are saying. Maybe if Yin, Yang, and Agnee were to suffer a similar fate, I might go mad from rage too. I know what I am saying now might not make any sense to you, but finding the enemy that is hiding in the shadows will need patience. I don''t think that killing the pawns is enough, but we need to handle the hand in the shadows properly."


    Ye Jian pondered over his words and calmed down before he sighed and said, "I understand, Young Master, thank you for guiding me."


    Hao Ren shook his head and replied, "Don''t thank me Old Brother, just give me a few days and you will see how we deal with them."


    Ye Jian nodded and said, "Yes."


    They traveled quickly and after half an hour they reached the borders of Samsara County in the center of the nation. Ye Jian had calmed down a lot because he was influenced a little by Hao Ren''s words.


    The young man held a great status in his mind and heart. After a few moments they appeared above the huge palace, the governor''s residence, and Hao Ren said, "Hey! Anyone home?"


    His voice shook the city, and a few people appeared in the void. Hao Ren smiled at them, and he asked, "Hello, everyone, long time no see."


    The people shivered, Hao Ren was wearing his official robes, a golden dragon was embroidered with a gold thread on a silky black and red robe.


    The governess of Samsara County, was a beautiful lady who used to be the princess of the same nation in the past, her name was Dai Shanguang. She was also present among the people, she took a deep breath and said, "I have seen, Your Excellency, Wandering Dragon. Welcome to Samsara County."


    Hao Ren sighed and waved his hand as he said, "Governor Dai, is it not a bit too late for you to welcome us? Your administration really let us down. Ye Long was the pride of the Empire, the youngest sword grandmaster in the realm. He fell because your scouts failed him, didn''t they?"


    Dai Shanguang looked at Hao Ren and then at Ye Jian before she lowered her head and bowed to them as she said, "This lapse is indeed our fault, and every government employee involved in this situation has been captured. We will be executing their families, all nine generations for the crime."


    Ye Jian asked, "Where is the Star Horizon City?"


    Dai Shanguang knew that her attempt of appeasing the Sword Saint was a futile one and she said, "Please follow me, Your Excellency."


    Hao Ren nodded and then the people followed her at a high speed. Dai Shanguang seemed to know that Hao Ren would be coming over so she made arrangements beforehand.


    Another five minutes, before they appeared at the edge of the targeted location. Ye Jian used his Yin and Yang eyes and he frowned. Hao Ren mumbled, "Eye of Insight."


    He saw a huge city and the place was covered with not just one array formation but multiple formations, they were all spread around and even the smallest of the gap was covered tightly, trying to achieve the impregnable formation cage.


    However, all this was waste when it came to the Eyes of Insight, the system was rather generous to give this kind of free pass to Hao Ren.


    The young man said, "Come, we go in, and then you can hunt them all."


    Dai Shanguang was shocked, although she was aware of the monstrous strength this young man had, but walking into the enemy den, after a few minutes of inspection, refreshed her world views.


    Hao Ren walked in the void and Ye Jian followed him with a sword sheath in his hand. As they appeared closer to the city wall, Hao Ren said, "Old Jian, take aim and cut there."


    The young sword saint took out the sword from its sheath and the attack directly cut through the array barrier. Ye Jian attacked the node. The array was not dispelled but it was no longer working properly as well.


    As for the small arrays around the gaps, Hao Ren waved his hands and dispersed them quickly. Soon, they came inside the city, and Dai Shanguang also followed them. The young man said, "Xiao Jian, go and apprehend them. Don''t kill them too quickly. Umm, we need to find Xiao Long as well. I will look for him, you go ahead."


    Ye Jian nodded and then he vanished into the city with a pair of cold eyes. Hao Ren then looked at Dai Shanguang and said, "Let''s go, find Ye Long."


    The latter nodded and the two began to move around the big city. After a few minutes, the young man inspected the city and said, "Ugh, they have damaged so much of it. These things need to have the money to compensate, or I will have them work as a fuck toy in brothels."


    Dai Shanguang shivered, because the young man was not lying, she could sense that he was not just joking about this. They came to the center of the city and there, Hao Ren found Ye Long''s body.


    The young warrior was stabbed through his back, someone snuck up on him. The reason Hao Ren wanted to find the corpse was so that he could look for clues. He didn''t want to believe that Ye Long, the star of the younger generation Ye Generals would fall so easily even if the enemy had a realm suppression array in place.


    When they approached the corpse, Hao Ren waved his hand and dispelled the trap formation around the corpse. Dai Shanguang said, "Your Excellency, it seems the enemy is playing the long game."


    Hao Ren nodded, and cast a line of spiritual energy that emitted from the tip of his finger and connected to Ye Long''s wrist. He sensed the dead body''s condition and while the remains of a spiritual cultivator didn''t really decompose like that of a normal human, they still had a few things that could tell Hao Ren about the cause of death.


    The young man saw a penetration wound from the back of Ye Long''s heart, and there were a few more wounds but they didn''t appear to be serious. After confirming that there wasn''t anything else that he needed to pay attention to, he walked over and collected Ye Long''s sword. He sensed that a spirit had originated inside the blade but it was now damaged.


    The young man sighed, and placed the sword back in Ye Long''s hands before lifting him up in his arms. As he turned around, he found Ye Jian standing before him and the latter said, "I killed the low level people of the resistance, and the ones here are the high level shot callers, the leader was a prodigy who rose to Dao World realm, Nayan Chisti, and the vice leader was Dao Ming, followed by the strategist they have, Suleiman."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will handle them, you take care of Xiao Long."


    Ye Jian took hold of Ye Long and he couldn''t help but shed some tears. Hao Ren walked over to the people who were kneeling on the ground and he snapped his finger. The people were sent into a daze, and the young man asked, "Who attacked Ye Long from behind?"


    Ye Jian opened his eyes wide in shock. He checked his disciple and found that it was indeed as Hao Ren said. One person from the seven, said, "It was me."


    Hao Ren looked at the young man and asked, "Where is his divine soul?"


    The young man replied, "I have sealed it inside the crystal on my neck. I wanted to use it to make sure that Sword Saint would not harm me, but I underestimated him."


    Hao Ren reached over, and asked, "The sealing crystal, give it to me now."


    The young man shook his head and said, "I already destroyed it when Sword Saint killed my strongest guard as if squashing an ant."


    Hao Ren clenched his fist and said, "Take off your clothes all of you. Get naked and then you will make a round around the city before coming back here. Go."


    The young people stood up and did as they were told. Hao Ren was going to make an example out of them.

 Chapter 462: Death Is A Luxury.

    The young man was dazed, he took off his clothes and then he ran out around the city. Hao Ren watched the scene before he turned to look at the vice leader of the rebellion, Dao Ming, and he asked, "Tell me, who is behind all this?"


    His voice was calm, and Dao Ming replied, "The Shiya Kingdom royalty. They have been trying to get inside the Crescent Moon Empire. They have been trying to entice many young talents that have been gaining some fame in the world. We were the first to give in to their efforts."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "Tell me, how many others have joined this cause of the Shiya Kingdom and how have they been planning to execute the situation."


    Dao Ming shook his head and replied, "Only Suleiman knows what is going on."


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at a man kneeling on the side. His legs had been cut off completely. The young man could speculate that Suleiman must have tried to run away, and Ye Jian was kind enough to spare his life. Hao Ren thought for a second and asked, "Tell me who else is involved in your ploys."


    Suleiman replied, "Two people in the Alm Peak City, three people in Crescent Horizon City...."


    When Suleiman finished, there were around seventy people who had joined hands with the Shiya Kingdom on the east. Hao Ren tool a deep breath and took out a talisman as he muttered the words that Suleiman said just now. Then the talisman sent out a message to the people back in the Capital.


    Hao Ren looked at Ye Jian, who was cradling the body of his disciple and said, "Ye Jian, these men are yours to handle. I would suggest that whatever you wish to do to them, do it publicly. The same instance will be done on the other rebels."


    Ye Jian clenched his fist and said, "Young Master, may I be selfish and ask you a question?"


    Hao Ren nodded and the latter asked, "Can we destroy the Shiya Royal Family?"


    The young Emperor took a deep breath and said, "It looks like the world has perceived our quiet as our weakness. Well, let''s go and deal with it. First, settle these people, and then we will make a move."


    Ye Jian nodded, he took out a shroud from his space ring, and wrapped his disciple in the cloth and put his corpse back in the space ring, and he walked over to the two men who were kneeling. He grabbed the backs of their necks, and arrived directly in the center of the city, and he said, "People of Star Horizon, please come out."


    Nayan Chisti was still running around at a quick pace, and his speed was high. However, none of the people were paying attention to him. They all looked up in the sky. Ye Jian was holding two men like they were chickens and he said, "These men, along with that naked runner, tried to rebel against the crown. They isolated the entire city and demanded the governor house to give up control on the city.


    They wanted to take power, and invite the eastern Shiya People to rule above you all. This was not enough, they killed the loyal city guards, they killed the city lord, and also implicated the innocent citizens.


    When the inspector was sent from the Capital, they even murdered the inspector by using sneaky means. Today, they would face the punishment for all the crimes I listed above. Anybody has any objections, step forward now. However, if your reason is not good enough then please do not blame me for being ruthless."


    None stepped forward, but suddenly from amidst the crowd, a voice rose, "Kill them, slay these bastards. How dare they betray, The Empire?! How dare they!?"


    "Kill them, Kill them."


    The entire city was filled with echoes of such calls, and Ye Jian said, "Good. Then let us do this."


    He waved his hands and several swords appeared in the god, then they began to cut the two people. Whenever the blood loss became significant, a red pill was shoved inside the mouth of the enemy.


    Ye Jian took thirty minutes, but when he was done, the city cheered. Then he looked at Nayan Chisti and caught him as well. Then he skinned the man, cut of his fingers, broke his bones, and then dissected his body as if he was a cadaver, and while doing all this, he made sure that Nayan was alive.


    When they were finished, Ye Jian moved over to stand beside Hao Ren and said, "Young Master, it is done."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Let''s go, we have more work to do."


    ...


    They left the city, and came to see the Dai Shanguang in the capital of Samsara County, and told her what happened. Dai Shanguage was shocked, and then she clenched her fist and said, "Sire, shall I send out for the generals?"


    Hao Ren waved his hands and said, "No need. They worked hard by risking their lives for some unknown person."


    Dai Shanguang felt quiet, and Hao Ren said, "We are heading back to the Capital, we will be taking quick action from there."


    ...


    In the capital, Ye Xian was mobilizing agents to deal with the people of the Herald Merchant Group, and the rebel supporters at the same time, when she heard someone behind her say, "Very Good."


    She turned around and Hao Ren was standing there. The latter smiled and then he continued watching how things proceeded before he said, "I will take down the Royal Family of Shiya kingdom."


    Ye Xian was shocked but then she understood that Hao Ren was going to kill the chicken to warn the monkeys. She immediately said, "Someone get me all the information that we have about the so-called Shiya Kingdom."


    The people inside the department moved, and at this moment, Maya Okudera arrived, and she asked, "Ye Xian, what is going on?"


    The young lady bowed and replied, "Prime Minister, His Excellency has sent an execution order against all the people of the Herald Merchant Group, the rebels lying undercover, and he also is heading towards the Shiya Kingdom as we speak. I had people arrange the information we have and hand it to him."


    Maya Okudera was stunned, and asked, "What about trials? What about the laws and the system?"


    She was frowning and at this moment Ye Xian replied, "The laws are meant for the people of our country. The citizen of Crescent Moon Empire, the people who betrayed us, the people who tried to break us from outside, and the ones who are serving these outsiders, they are no longer the citizens of the empire and thus, they shall be executed, so that none of the other outsider can look at us to take action."


    The Prime Minister was in a daze for a second and then she said, "It seems like peace has made me shallow."


    Ye Xian smiled faintly and then she began to transmit the information to Hao Ren with a few Talismans.


    ...


    Hao Ren and Ye Jian didn''t take the army or anything. They were going to handle the royal family of the Shiya Kingdom and then they would have their forces charge in and take over, in the message that Ye Xian sent, Prime Minister Maya Okudera has mobilized the military to follow along with Hao Ren and Ye Jian, so that the attack is not delayed.


    As they were flying through the void, a voice echoed in Hao Ren''s mind, "Love, I gave you free hand and you kicked off a war?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "Lingshi, they killed Ye Long. He was not just a disciple or a soldier, he was raised by Ye Jian, he was family. If someone kills my family, what shall I do? Let them waltz in front of me?"


    Han Lingshi fell silent before she said, "It seems Maya forgot to mention that in her express warning. Since they dared to lay hands on family, make sure everyone in their family regrets it."


    Hao Ren nodded as he replied, "I intend to do just that."


    Han Lingshi wanted to say more, when Ye Jian said, "Young Master, a contingent of Dao Sky level experts. Around twenty of them."


    Hao Ren said, "Love, gotta go, duty calls me."


    Han Lingshi wished him luck and then the communication stopped, as Hao Ren asked, "Do you want to take them all on your own?"


    Ye Jian held the hilt of his sword and said, "Yes, the rage in my heart is still burning strong. I shall use them to calm down a little bit more."


    Hao Ren nodded and waved his hand as he gave Ye Jian a jade slip, "This will obstruct seven life threatening attacks."


    Ye Jian took the slip and stuffed it inside the belt of his Hanfu as he moved in the direction of the enemy forces, while Hao Ren used his full speed and vanished from sight.

 Chapter 463: Reminding The World.

    Hao Ren flew through the void at a higher speed than before. Ye Jian was capable of dealing with the experts that were trying to obstruct them. Had it been Hao Ren, who faced them, they might have died by now. This was the difference between their levels and thus Ye Jian took the initiative to help him with the ants.


    Hao Ren came to stand above the capital, and found that the place was covered with a huge grand formation. He used the Yin and Yang eyes, and found that it was a defense array, but it was not on the World level.


    The young man took a deep breath and spoke in a sonorous voice, "King of Shiya, would you come out to accept an easy death, or shall I lay waste to your capital?"


    His voice caused the void to ripple, the surroundings echoed with his voice, and the killing intent radiating from his body caused the void to crack in some places. Hao Ren waited for a few minutes, but when he saw no input from the otherside, he took out his sword and said, "Void Slash."


    He swung his sword down and the sheer momentum sent ripples through the void. The attack landed on the formation, and it all came apart like a crystal dome. Hao Ren then sent another wave of void slash, to the royal palace.


    "How dare you!"


    A young man flew off from the royal palace, and charged at Hao Ren with a spear in his hands. Hao Ren snorted and clenched his fist as he said, "Titan Fist, Breaking Rivers."


    His fist swung in with an inward drilling motion and echoed a sonic boom.


    Boom!


    The young man saw visible ripples heading towards him, and his back was covered with cold sweat. He wanted to retreat but it was too late now. He had committed too much in his attack. The ripples clashed with the tip of his spear even before he could direct his spiritual energy through the weapon.


    His spirit channeling was disrupted, and it caused him to suffer from a backlash and he coughed up blood. Hao Ren looked down at the Royal Palace and said, "King of Shiya, do you wish to make up for the death of my brother, by sending this incompetent son of yours to face me? Have your guts and valor also shriveled up like that wrinkly nut sack you call a face? Coward, your actions bring shame to even pigs."


    The people in the city below were ordered to stay indoors, and at this moment, they were shocked, because their King was the strongest person in the whole kingdom and who dared to insult him as such?


    A dignified figure walked out of the palace, dressed in emerald green armor, and his steps were calm and steady. Hao Ren looked in the eyes of the man straight and they just stood across each other in a stare-down.


    After five minutes, the man asked, "So, what is the reason that causes you to come here uninvited?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "Your shady act of sneaking in my backyard, trying to entice rebellion among my people and divide them. If that was not enough, the death of my brother, that was made possible by your schemes, that is what caused me to come over. The urge to destroy the kingdom that cannot help but want to play a thief and a bandit, I could not help myself and came here to cause destruction."


    The king of Shiya glared at Hao Ren through his helmet and yelled, "Since you dare to come here, then don''t think of leaving."


    Hao Ren chuckled, and said, "You are reaching for a sky higher than the length of your arms."


    He raised his sword and said, "Four Season Sword, Rain Of Blood."


    His sword vanished from his hand and a thousand blades appeared in the void, and they shot down from the sky, aimed at King Shiya. The man on the other side was shocked, he raised his blade wanting to defend himself, but the attack crashed into him with a momentum of a mountain.


    King Shiya was sent back reeling from the impact of the blade rain and his inner organs were rattled. He was shocked, because when he wanted to counter, he realized that his priced armor was cracking one inch at a time. The more he moved, the severe the damage got. Hao Ren said, "That was twenty percent of my strength."


    He raised his sword again and said,"Four Season Sword, Dead Cold."


    This time it was a horizontal slash and the aftereffects caused the winds to pick up pace, the temperature drop sharply and it caused King Shiya to shiver. The man raised his spiritual energy around him to defend himself from the winds and he swung his sword as he yelled, "Sovereign Sword Art, Indomitable Will."


    His sword attack crashed against the winds Hao Ren created, but it bore no result, the so-called slash condensed with spiritual energy was dispersed like a castle of cards. The next moment a frost appeared on the surface of the golden sword used by King Shiya.


    Following the attack, Hao Ren vanished from his spot and dealt a roundhouse kick to the ruler and sent him crashing into the palace walls.


    Bang!


    The surroundings rang, and the gates of the royal palace were destroyed, and Hao Ren, still holding the young prince from the back of his neck, descended from the sky slowly. He looked towards the grand palace and said, "Old fossils, if you wish that the people of your kingdom live, come forward and confess your crimes. Otherwise I will reduce this land to ashes."


    His voice was calm, but it was cold. Hao Ren was very angry, not only because these people killed Ye Long, but also because they didn''t have the strength to back their own conquests.


    The young man moved forward and his speed was steady. As he reached the gates, none of the guards dared to attack him, because they were frozen stiff from the pressure of the Dao World Realm.


    Hao Ren didn''t come here to slay people indiscriminately. He only came over to gather intelligence and avenge the disciple of his brother. He appeared next to King Shiya, who was still on the ground, keeling over as he coughed violently.


    Hao Ren raised his foot, and with one clean swing the ankle made contact with the ribs of King Shiya, followed by a crisp cracking sound that sent the man flying in the distance and this time crashing in the grand statue in the front of the main building entrance.


    The statue exploded on impact and rubble was sent flying in the surroundings. Hao Ren said, "Did you not hear me? Very well. Seems like you have forgotten what I am capable of."


    As he stepped ahead, he left behind a patch of flames. These yellow flames caused the temperature to increase as it consumed the gardens in no time. Followed by the gardens, the palace walls were also completely covered in these flames.


    The citizen outside yelled, and screamed, "Fire! Fire! The Royal Palace is on fire!"


    "Quick! Get water!"


    Hao Ren didn''t mind if the folks tried to splash it with water, he kept moving inside, and then a ball of flames condensed above his palm, and followed by that Hao Ren sent the fire ball, which was as big as a fist.


    The ball landed on the building and the walls quickly began to be covered in flames. Hao Ren said, "I told you all, if you don''t come forward, then I will reduce it all to dust. Now, you will understand."


    All of a sudden, a couple of figures appeared before him and they bowed their heads as they said, "Your Excellency, please calm your anger. The slaves cannot bear it anymore."


    Hao Ren snorted and said, "How dare I have slaves like you, who backstab me?"


    The old men shivered; they were half step Dao World realm experts, but compared to Hao Ren, it was the difference between a rock and a mountain.


    Hao Ren asked, "Who else is involved in this apart from you?"


    The old people shook their heads as they said, "It was only us, we wished to enhance our cultivation and the only way we could do that was to exhort resources from the crescent moon empire."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "So, you could have just come up to beg for them. After all, that is what you deserve, alms."


    These men were already hypnotized, and couldn''t do anything to him. Hao Ren said, "Fine, go take out the swords and fight to death. The one who survives will be given a chance to be of use like a slave."


    The two old men bowed and they took out their weapons as a sky shattering battle ensued above the royal palace. Hao Ren stood on the ground, with his foot placed on the neck of the young prince. He looked at the injured King and said, "Go inside and tell your family that from now on, the Shiya royal family is disbanded, and if they have complaints, they can come to find me, and I will send them to Yama, who can answer all questions."


    The events of the day resounded around the world, and the memory of an evil conquerer resurfaced.

 Chapter 464: Terror.

    The Shiya King had no other option but to announce the disbandment of the royal family. The decree was read instantly, and there were many people who raised an objection, but when they saw the King in shambles they were shocked.


    One of the young princes watched this calmly and he decided to confront Hao Ren about this issue, and while the people were acting like ants on a stove, this young prince walked out of the palace and found Hao Ren holding his brother under his foot.


    Hao Ren raised his brows, took his attention away from the battle of the old men, and looked at the young man and asked, "So, what do you want, little one?"


    The little prince took a deep breath and he asked, "Greetings, my lord."


    Hao Ren couldn''t help but smile faintly and then asked, "What do you need?"


    The little prince must have been around twelve years old, he mustered up all his courage and asked, "Lord, if the royal family is disbanded, then what shall the civilians do? There would be no order, and the bandits and zealots of the cults would run amok."


    Hao Ren realized that he didn''t consider the civilians, he looked at the young prince and asked, "What do you think I should do then? Your father has led people to sow discord in my region, causing trouble for my people."


    The young prince took a deep breath and said, "Your Excellency, I beg your pardon, but aren''t you going to do the same as what my father did?"


    Hao Ren froze, he thought and realized that he was really doing what he was doing. The young man took a deep breath and said, "What you say does have some logic in it. So, you think I should deal with your father, and the ministers involved in this?"


    The young prince hesitated and then said, "Yes, necessities force you to do things that make you cruel, but then again, every action has its own consequences."


    Hao Ren was astounded by the wisdom of this young boy. He asked, "Go in, call your mother, and any other immediate family members."


    The young man bowed to Hao Ren and said, "I am an orphan in the palace, My Lord."


    Hao Ren furrowed his brow and he looked at the young man once again, and observing his dress he asked, "Then why do you have the dress of a prince on your person?"


    The young man replied, "My father was a Duke, and he fell while defending the Venetian Tower City."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath and said, "Good, then from today on, you would be the Leader of this place."


    The young man was shocked and then Hao Ren said, "Don''t worry, you will have full support from the old skeletons."


    He then looked at two old men and let out a whistle, "Oi, old dogs, come over."


    The two of them froze and then came over to Hao Ren and bowed their heads. Hao Ren said, "You will go inside, tell the King Shiya, that this young man will be the King from now on. The royal family will give up all their rights, half their assets will be going to the Imperial vault and this young man has a sword heart, if anything happened to him before his talent is developed, I will come again and this time, I will lay waste to this place."


    The two old men nodded, and they took the young man inside. There was a huge ruckus, after all the son of the duke was crowned king. The old men were shocked so much that they literally silenced every objection with their sword.


    Hao Ren waited outside for a few more minutes, and Ye Jian came over, he was covered in blood, and his robe was torn from some places. Hao Ren looked at him and asked, "It was hard?"


    Ye Jian shook his head and replied, "I just took my time killing them."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then the two older people came over, and they said, "Lord, the decree has been approved, all the people will now listen to Shiya Chen."


    Hao Ren said, "Good, now give me the account of all the people involved in this conspiracy."


    The old man nodded and then he took a deep breath and said, "Yes, Sir."


    They gave out a list of people, and Hao Ren passed it to Ye Jian. He said, "Change your clothes, wear your armor, and go out there. While you are avenging your disciple, you are also avenging the dignity of the Crescent Moon Empire."


    Ye Jian was hesitating and Hao Ren said, "General Ye Jian, the first sword of the empire. Do you remember the day this title was bestowed to you? What did you say at that time?"


    Ye Jian shivered, he looked at Hao Ren and in the eyes of the young man before him, he found a spark similar to when he had first met Hao Ren, who saved him from slavery.


    Ye Jian took a deep breath and then he knelt on the ground as he said, "I will finish this task, Your excellency."


    That said, he took out a black armor from his space ring, put it on, and vanished from his spot. Hao Ren looked at the young prince under his foot and said, "You have courage, but remember to use it where it is needed."


    Then he turned around and walked away as he said, "Shiya Chen, when you grow up, come and see me."


    At this moment the people didn''t know what this sentence meant, but in the future, after a couple of years, Shiya Chen stabilized the kingdom and formed an alliance with Crescent Moon Empire, gradually propelling the status as the overlord of the east.


    ...


    Hao Ren returned to the Crescent Moon Empire, but Ye Jian stayed in the Eastern continent for a month. During thirty days, he killed several experts, which included some high level independent cultivators, alchemists, evil cult heads, and sect masters who lost vision of their path.


    Ye Jian destroyed the evil cults thoroughly, they stood no chance against his blade. Whenever he came across an evil cult, he left trails of blood on the ground. The entire eastern continent was terrified by the might displayed by Hao Ren and Ye Jian.


    ...


    In one of the eastern sects, The Heavenly Wind Sect, a middle-aged man took a deep breath as he looked at the spiritual letter before him and sighed, "Thank heavens."


    A young woman asked, "Father, why are you thanking the heavens?"


    The man replied, "Just now I received the news, General Ye Jian of the crescent moon empire holds the kill order, and he is investigating everyone who was involved in the recent attempt to stoke rebellion in the Crescent Moon Empire. I regretted that I was late to respond to them, however, now, I feel like it was a blessing from the heavens."


    The young lady raised her brow and asked, "This Ye Jian, is he not acting too bold in the eastern land?"


    The middle-aged man shook his head and replied, "He has the strength to back himself. Many people tried to go and stop him but they couldn''t deal with him. Had you been in his place, could you fight continuously for thirty days with all those experts?"


    The young lady shook her head and then he said, "I understand what you mean to say now."


    The same situation was unfolding in every major big force stronghold in the eastern corridor. The people who had the ideas to make moves against the Crescent Moon Empire were shocked. They all thought about coming up with a way to stop Ye Jian, but then they all received a decree.


    The decree was written with red ink on a white scroll. It was delivered by the younger generation of the Ye Generals in person and they all had come wearing their war armors.


    The decree said, "Several years ago, to help the sovereigns protect their realms from the invasion of the Spirit Siphon Continent forces, the Crescent Moon Empire bestowed upon them a world level protection array.


    However, these very forces have now decided to return the favor with deceit. You are now given a warning, if anyone else tries to do something similar, then you will be met with the full strike force of the Crescent Moon Empire. The showcase of the intensity of this warning will be presented in the next thirty minutes, we hope you look at it and imagine what your future would be like."


    ...


    Xiao Mei had designed a long range drone plane and a heavy spirit bomb. This bomb was half as powerful as the nuke but it didn''t have any radiation. However, the impact would cause some serious devastation.


    As the decree promised, the drones carrying these spirit bombs flew over the eastern lands, and then dropped bombs, programmed to explode when they were two kilometers away from the ground.


    BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!


    The world realized the terror of the Crescent Moon Empire.

 Chapter 465: Dominance

    Hao Ren sat inside his room, he took a deep breath, and said, "System, come out please."


    *What is it?*


    The young man said, "In the twenty lotteries, you have given me a lot of boosting things, and almost all of them have been used. So, I would like to make a deal with you."


    *I''m listening.*


    Hao Ren replied, "If possible, I would like to exchange ten tickets if you raise my level to the third realm of the World expert rank."


    *Oh, I see, you are quite cunning. You want to get the cultivation boost, and then you would be using all your time to consolidate knowledge about artifact refining, to promote yourself to a second hala sage.*


    Hao Ren nodded, and the system continued, *Motion denied. If you wish to crack such deals, they don''t waste my time. If I gave you impeccable foundation and boundless strength, then what do you think would happen to the balance of power in the world? Would you be able to handle the integration of new world laws followed afterward? If a higher world found you at your weak, everyone would be turned into slaves, and unlike Spirit Siphon Realm, there are worlds where there reigns superior demon races. You will die before you realize what happened. Go back and cultivate honestly.*


    Hao Ren sighed, he knew that the system would not give him what he wanted, but now that he knew about the reason he had calmed down a lot and closed his eyes to cultivate. A couple of days later, Ye Jian and Ye Peng came back to the palace, and asked for an audience with him. Hao Ren allowed them over, and he found Ye Peng was jubilant and Ye Jian was simply an ice sculpture.


    Hao Ren asked them, "What is it?"


    Ye Peng smiled and took out several seals from his space ring, and said, "The power show caused a few dozen countries to give up the idea of rebellion and they all wished to surrender to the Crescent Moon Flag."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then said, "You both did good, but from now on, the Crescent Moon Empire will reveal its air force designs. The spirit vessels will be redesigned to command the oceans and look for resources under the water. Around seventy percent of the world is covered in water. I am talking only about the side next to our Spirit Shimmer Continent. So, send out experts and catalouge the marine life."


    Ye Peng nodded and said, "I will go and talk to Maya about this."


    Hearing his words, Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "Since when are you and the prime minister is on first name basis?"


    Ye Peng chuckled as he scratched the back of his head and said, "Young Master, please don''t tease me. I feel shy."


    Hao Ren''s face turned dark and said, "Get lost, you goof, find me the solution with your Maya."


    Ye Peng was like this only, completely different from Ye Jian. After Ye Peng left, Ye Jian sat down on the ground with his legs crossed and he said, "Young master, may I ask you for something?"


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "Tell me, what is it?"


    Ye Jian thought for a bit and said, "Young master, I wish to go into seclusion. I want to reforge my path."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and nodded, as he said, "Good, you can go, but who will become the first sword of the Crescent Moon if you are in seclusion?"


    Ye Jian replied, "Ye Yin, she is ready, she is only restricted by her cultivation realm but she has just broken through the sword grandmaster level."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "She is not, her battle experience is lacking. Well, don''t worry, if need be, I will have Ye Peng act and deal with things."


    Ye Jian nodded slowly, and Hao Ren tossed him a jade bottle filled with pills as he said, "Go, seclude yourself and do your best, when you come out, I will spar with you."


    Ye Jian nodded, accepted the pill bottle and left the place. Hao Ren closed his eyes and began cultivating.


    ...


    He didn''t know how many days it has been since he last went outside, when a voice rang in his mind, *Your wife is being hunted after she gained a special technique of cultivation that she found in a ruin, the team is doing their best but they are outnumbered and the battle is getting intense with every passing moment. Rescue her without being spotted by her, and you will gain ten tones of Nirvana Gold.*


    Hao Ren vanished from his spot, he directly opened a space portal above the southern spirit siphon continent, and then using the dragon ring on his finger, he sensed Han Lingshi''s aura and made teleported himself one more time.


    As he teleported a dozen times, he realized that he was spent, so he sighed and took a pill that restored his strength. The young man took a deep breath and then he asked, ''System, where is Lingshi?''


    *Three miles west from here.*


    Hao Ren flashed from the direction once again, and stood one mile away from the spot, he could hear the loud weapon clanging sounds, and even more he could hear the voices of the people. He took a deep breath and focused his mind on Han Lingshi.


    After a few seconds, he confirmed that Han Lingshi was locked in a fight and the attackers were closing in to defeat her and steal what she had. Hao Ren decided to make a move.


    ...


    Han Lingshi stood with her back facing a huge boulder, and her eyes were locked onto the young people trying to kill her. There was a wound on her shoulder, it was healing but very slowly.


    One of the assailants said, "Beauty, why are you struggling? We just want to spend some time with you and see that spirit cultivation technique and exchange ideas."


    The others chuckled, this was obviously an act of insult hurled at Han Lingshi, the lady was tired from the battle and she needed rest, she could have called Hao Ren but she wanted to smelt herself in this flame of battle and grow stronger.


    Suddenly, she was overwhelmed with exhaustion, and before she could react, she fell to the ground, losing her consciousness. Hao Ren appeared beside her, and waved his hand to cast an elevation spell on her. The people were shocked, and the young man looked at Han Lingshi''s face very gently.


    A hoarse voice interrupted this feeling of joy for Hao Ren, who turned around and asked, "Who was it?"


    A burly man stepped forward and said, "Me, what can you do?"


    Hao Ren raised his hand and snapped his finger as he said, "Kneel."


    The man was pressured by a mountain and he literally knelt before Hao Ren. The latter walked up to the man with a slow pace, and then said, "Next life, be a better person, my wife is not someone you can tease."


    Then he waved his hand causing the burly man''s corpse to transform directly into ashes. The people were shocked, Hao Ren had used the phoenix flames at the highest level intensity.


    He looked at the people in the surroundings, and said, "Anyone else, who wants to prove their manliness? "


    The people took half a step back and Hao Ren said, "When she wakes up, you will say that an mysterious elder stopped and rescued her, his sermon changed your mind and now you will not harm her. Okay?"


    The people nodded, but Hao Ren still waved his hand and a number of yellow wisps entered inside the soul sea of the people, and Hao Ren said, "You try to as much as think about her, and the wisp will burn your immortal soul."


    The people shivered, they could sense a subtle flame chain condensed around there immortal souls, and Hao Ren said, "I will not seek revenge if I were you."


    He took a step forward and his aura climbed. The aura from his body rose so high that it challenged the aura that of a peak world overlord realm expert, and the people have never seen a person this strong. Their faces turned pale.


    Hao Ren asked, "Do I have your compliance?"


    The people nodded, and then Hao Ren said, "You may leave, and this area is off limits, unless you have a very strong indomitable death wish."


    The people vanished from their spots, they were all geniuses in their own manner, but one of the most dominating people in their group had been killed with ease, they didn''t even have the chance to take out their means to defend themselves. They all had defense means on them bestowed upon them by their families and forces, but this person rendered them all useless.


    They were so scared from Hao Ren that they almost pissed themselves. After they left, Hao Ren erected a barrier around Han Lingshi and asked, ''Do I have to save the rest of them as well?''


    *Is that even something you need to ask about?*

 Chapter 466: Suspicion.

    Hao Ren secured Han Lingshi and then he used his divine senses to look for the rest of the girl gang. His speed was quick, but the situation the rest of them were caught in turned out to be trickier. Hao Ren sighed and came closer to where Hao Mei was surrounded by a bunch of middle aged men.


    One of them said, "I am Katar, The sect master of the Profound Mystery Sect. I offer you to be the saintess of my sect, you will enjoy the best resources there are in the central region. What do you say?"


    Hao Mei looked at the man coldly and said, "This is the crudest method of recruiting disciples that I have seen. I don''t wish to join your sect, I already have a master, and I will not acknowledge another person as a master."


    Katar frowned and said, "Look here, young lady, you are overestimating yourself. As long as you agree, I will guarantee your safety. Otherwise if I leave, that man in the blue robe there, will refine your profound Yin blood for a pill."


    Hao Mei turned her gaze to the man in the blue robe and frowned, she was not confident that even if she used her escape talismans she would be able to defend against this many people. Another thing was the status of the rest of the party members, how can she just leave them all behind in such a situation? She was the Blizzard Blade of the Spirit Shimmer Continent, and the Warring Princess of the Crescent Moon Empire, her pride prevented her from taking a step back. She would rather take a glorious death.


    Just when she was about to charge, she spotted a figure descend from the skies, and came to stand before her. She was surprised and the figure said, "Heal yourself before you talk. Empress Dowager would beat me senseless if she found out."


    Hao Mei heard the remark and couldn''t help but chuckle a little before she nodded and sat down on the ground to heal herself. Katar and the rest of the men were surprised to see Hao Ren and the former questioned, "Who might you be, fellow Daoist?"


    They all couldn''t sense Hao Ren''s strength but he gave off a strong vitality. Hao Ren smiled and replied, "My name is Hao Ren, this young lady is my elder sister. I hope that you all stop forcing her."


    The people were shocked, they couldn''t help but wonder where such a genius pair of siblings fell in their laps. They all exchanged gazes and they looked at Hao Ren with greedy eyes.


    Hao Ren smiled at them and he could see their gazes. The man in the blue robe said, "Sect Master Katar, you can take the girl, I want this boy."


    Katar looked at the man in the blue robe and nodded. He said, "Boy, you have heard the offer from Master Yinchao, what do you say?"


    Hao Ren smiled, and then he vanished from his spot. When he reappeared, before anyone could react, he was holding Master Yinchao from the back of his neck and the latter''s face was flushed. Hao Ren asked, "You wanted to make a pill out of my sister, right?"


    Yinchao was shivering, for some reason he could not even move, and then Hao Ren clenched his grip tighter. The head of Master Yinchao exploded directly, and then Hao Ren looked at the rest of the men, causing them to retreat five steps in shock and fear.


    Hao Ren said, "That was enough to prove that we don''t need you, kindly fuck off, before I fuck you off."


    The men shivered, they sensed an unfathomable might radiating from Hao Ren. They all vanished from their spots. Katar was the only one left standing, and Hao Ren said, "Kneel."


    Katar knelt on the ground, his face covered with cold sweat. The young man picked up his feet and came over to him and he pressed his index finger on the brow of the middle-aged man. Then he channeled a wisp of Phoenix flame inside the soul sea, causing the chain to wrap around Katar''s immortal soul.


    Hao Mei opened her eyes and she stood up. Hao Ren looked at Katar and said, "He will be your guard from now on, go, kill anyone who doesn''t retreat, and rescue everyone, however, don''t tell them about my involvement."


    Hao Mei was confused and asked, "Why not tell them?"


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "They won''t grow if they know they have my support."


    ...


    Hao Mei spent half a day rescuing the rest of the people, and then she came to the place where


    Han Lingshi was recovering as well.


    The young lady sensed the presence of her people and opened her eyes. All the ladies had gathered but then they spotted Katar, who was injured in various places but he was taking a pill and recovering from his wounds with a bitter expression. Hao Mei said, "This is Senior Katar, he is the sect leader of the Profound Mystery Sect, a small sect located in the central region of the Spirit Siphon Continent. He stood up for me, and then helped me rescue the rest of the people."


    Han Lingshi stood up and bowed to Katar, as she said, "You have the eternal gratitude of the Crescent Moon Empire."


    Katar shook his head, he still remembered how Yinchao ended before him and the rest of his peers rushed away, Hao Mei had told him that Han Lingshi was the wife of that man. He bowed back and said, "Your Excellency, please don''t embarrass me, it is my duty to stand up for the ones in need."


    Han Lingshi smiled faintly and complimented, "Warriors of your caliber and courage are rare in this world. Sect Master Katar, tell us more about your situation and sect."


    Katar began to talk to Han Lingshi, but the rest of the people didn''t notice that Han Lingshi was suspicious. It was not because she found any flaw with Katar''s words, but she could sense a faint familiarity emitting from him. After Katar finished speaking, she frowned thinking that it must be her imagination.


    She asked, "Big Sis, how did you manage to get away from the blockade?"


    Hao Mei sighed, she said, "There was one expert who wanted to make a pill out of me, and that man blocked off the rest of the people. In the end, Master Katar helped me, and we defeated the pill master before and implored him for help."


    The people nodded and suddenly, Han Lingshi heard a voice in her mind, "Lingshi, my love, where are you?"


    She smiled faintly and replied, "Earlier I was in a pinch, but now, I am fine."


    Hao Ren concernedly asked, "What pinch? Tell me."


    The young lady shook her head and said, "Nothing big, so how are things at home?"


    Hao Ren began to give her a detailed account of the changes, and the events that were relative to the air force establishment and such things.


    Han Lingshi also told him about her day, and she spoke with great calm and patience. The young man was calm and that helped him dispel the faint suspicion she developed.


    However, on the other side of the ring, Hao Ren was shocked, he mumbled to himself, ''How intuitive she is, like what is wrong with her.''


    ...


    Hao Ren was sitting in the palace room, with his eyes closed, and it had been a week now since the last incident, and the ladies were all in seclusion as well.


    At this moment, the door was knocked on and Hao Ren said, "Come in."


    The person coming inside was Ye Xian accompanied by Prime Minister Maya. The latter said, "We have some information."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and asked, "The source?"


    Maya replied, "General Ye Yue, the fox division."


    Hao Ren nodded and asked, "What is it about?"


    Ye Xian stepped up and placed a dossier on his table. Hao Ren began to read through the content and then he asked, "They defected to the Spirit Siphon Forces or were they forced to do this?"


    Ye Xian replied, "Apparently, the lead of the Liquid Metal sparked up their curiosity and the researchers left the nation under work permit. They traveled for five months, before they went missing. The fox division issued a search warrant, and only recently were they able to locate them in the vicinity of the Iron Mountain Sect."


    Hao Ren frowned, and said, "Tell the fox division to pull back. Have them charm one of the locals, and only one of them, a beggar most suitably and then have the beggar carry out the reckon. I suspect there is a bigger hand at play in the shadows. Also, when communicating the information with Lingshi and the rest, tell them to avoid the areas where the Researchers have been to avoid getting recognized and falling in any probable trap."


    Ye Xian bowed and said, "Understood, Uncle Master."


    Hao Ren nodded, and Ye Xian left, he looked at Maya Okudera and asked, "What do you think?"


    The lady replied calmly, "There is a bigger hand, and this seems like a line they laid to lead us out."


    Hao Ren hummed in agreement and said, "Let''s see what is it, when the time comes."

 Chapter 467: Infiltration.

    Hao Ren sat inside his study, and while he looked calm, his mind was ticking. He disliked this feeling, and he stood up from the chair and headed out. After a small tour of the palace, he came to Xiao Mei''s lab. She saw him and asked, "What''s gotten to you?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Three top metal researchers defected to an opposing party."


    Xiao Mei reacted, "Oh, that, is it really an issue that is causing you to think so much?"


    Hao Ren knew this extra smart artificial intelligence assistant of his must have run through a bunch of combinations and permutations. He said, "What I am worried about is, if I go and take action against those people, who will take care of the Empire here? We have just gotten the air force to be incorporated and the people are eagerly joining forces. If any of the opportunists found out about my absence, they might try to take advantage."


    Xiao Mei rolled her eyes and said, "You just want validation from me. Do you know how heavily the borders are defended? We have so many experts that even if we send out a batch of civilians, there might be a flood of blood."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "That is what I intend to avoid. The more cornered an animal, the harder and more desperate they become."


    Xiao Mei shook her head and said, "You don''t have to worry about that. You can initiate the network and have them spark up a little fire whenever someone wishes to make a move and try to reach for the cookie that doesn''t belong to them."


    Hao Ren nodded, and said, "Hmmm, well that makes sense."


    Xiao Mei asked, "What do you intend to do with the defected researchers?"


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and replied, "I wish to confirm my suspicion before I decide that."


    Xiao Mei nodded and then the young man picked up his feet and then he decided to leave after thanking Xiao Mei. After a few minutes, Ye Xian was summoned to the throne room, along with the ministers.


    Hao Ren sat on the Throne and nodded to Maya Okudera. They were going to follow the protocol, and the lady took out a scroll. The people saw the golden scroll and they knelt on their knees, bowing to the imperial edict.


    Maya Okudera said, "Ye Xian, receive the decree!"


    Ye Xian replied, "Here!"


    The people wondered what the decree could be about, and Maya Okudera said, "By the will of the Regent, His Excellency, The Wandering Dragon, you are now in charge of the Crescent Moon Empire''s intelligence division till any further instructions from Commanding General Ye Yue, or His Excellency himself.


    You are tasked to locate the threats to the empire located in other countries, and to keep them occupied within themselves until the Sovereign returns. Maintain the status quo."


    Ye Xian cupped her fist and said, "Thank you for the opportunity, Your Excellency."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then Maya Okudera went on to issue a few more decrees. Finally, the last scroll was taken out, it was a jade scroll, and Maya Okudera said, "General Ye Peng."


    Ye Peng was shocked, and then he stepped forward with a serious expression and knelt on one knee as he bowed his head awaiting the decree. Maya Okudera said, "You are being promoted to the defence head of the nation. You will be monitoring the movements of the immigrants from the nations around us, and at the same time, you will be representing the will of the crown and send out a letter to the neighbors that if they try to infiltrate the borders, it would be considered as an act of war, and Crescent Moon will retaliate with Full force."


    Ye Peng and the rest of the people were shocked. They were surprised to see this, but after the general accepted the command, Hao Ren stood up from the Throne and said, "You all must be thinking about the reason behind this walling up of the nation. Yes, it is true that the walls are not made to keep the outsiders out, but to protect the insiders.


    Yesterday, we received information that the people from the Spirit Siphon Continent have poached three metallurgy researchers from us. I wish to go in and investigate this issue a little better because while it may seem like a bit too simple, it is not. I am not able to believe that someone would give up on us to be a slave in some forging capital.


    Yes, yes, some of you are itching to go there yourself and handle the situation for me, but what you need to understand is that while we have grown stronger than what we were in the past, we are still very weak compared to the people overseas. The difference between the world realm and the Dao realm, allow me to clarify this for you."


    As soon as he said this, his eyes turned cold and his aura began to radiate. The courtiers were being pressed down by the aura and Hao Ren casually said, "This is only twenty percent of what I can do."


    The people gulped and they understood that Hao Ren stood in a completely different league now, and they all wanted to get stronger.


    Hao Ren said, "While I am outside, I will be keeping check on the situation. If anyone doubts us, call them over, and give them a power show so that they can seal their mouths. At the same time, maintain contact with the Guan family and squeeze them as much as you can without harming the connections. Understood?"


    The people replied, "Yes, Your Excellency!"


    The session was concluded and Maya Okudera initiated a gag order about what went inside the throne room, and if anyone dared to cause trouble they would be punished according to the imperial laws.


    They might sound like an easy nation, but once you pissed them. Crescent Moon Empire would give you the hell you wanted.


    Hao Ren walked through the corridors with his hands behind his back and Maya Okudera asked, "Who would hold the will of the Royal Family?"


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and said, "Invite my mother, she has been resting there in that barren place for a little too long."


    The lady nodded, and then she asked, "What do you plan on doing when you go there?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "It won''t be easy to enter the Iron Mountain Sect territory as they would be expecting us. Don''t worry, I will handle it myself."


    Maya Okudera nodded, and then Hao Ren went to the forge that he had made back when he was still trying to learn about the skills to reach the Dao Realm.


    He also called Xiao Mei, who was confused, but asked, "Boss, do you need something?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I want you to hand print the blueprints for a puppet that could use spiritual energy as the source. It should be a battle puppet."


    Xiao Mei nodded, and then after a few minutes, she came over personally to deliver the documents, and Hao Ren got to work. However, the uncertain aspect of this whole ordeal was if Hao Ren would even be able to refine it at all. There were a thousand pieces and they all needed to be perfect.


    Xiao Mei said, "You can always quit."


    Hao Ren snorted and said, "Thank you for the advice, please leave me to my work."


    Then he began to smelt the materials and then began to refine them into various parts as mentioned inside the blueprint. His speed was quick, and he was channeling the phoenix flames through the metal to remove all the impurities.


    ...


    After two weeks, at the gates of a huge city a young man was dressed in brocade clothes as he walked ahead, and the entire crowd was looking at him, or rather, they were looking at the black puppet walking behind the young man. The domineering black color was a polish, underneath the style was a beast.


    Hao Ren was stopped at the gates and the person asked, "Only refiners are allowed to go in. Do you have anything to prove your skill?"


    Hao Ren smiled and then he pointed at the black metal beast behind him, the guards were surprised and one of them asked, "Little Master, can your tin man really do anything?"


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "You can try and attack me."


    The guards looked at each other and then at Hao Ren, they lost the mood of attacking him. Hao Ren didn''t want to make a scene either, and he was allowed inside the city, and Hao Ren could understand why this place was called the land of science.


    He spotted refiners in every corner of the street. He was shocked, but then he realized that this mission was going to allow him to live in the plain site and this brought a smile on face. With that said, "Infiltration successful."

 Chapter 468: Master Hephis Acknowledgement.

    Hao Ren stood before the doors of a huge city set at the foot of a black mountain that reached beyond the clouds. The young man had spent a few days in this place, and he knew how things worked. If you wanted power, then you have to be an artifact refiner. Even the people from World Overlord level didn''t dare to make any moves here.


    At this moment, he had just come out from a small hunting trip. He entered the city, walked through the crowded streets before he finally reached a reclusive building where sounds of hammer didn''t stop at all. Two days ago, when Hao Ren had come to this place, he found out about the terrifying reputation of a person called Grandmaster Hephi, this man was an artifact refiner and could make the highest level of spirit artifacts in the city.


    Hao Ren entered the premise, and the people looked at him calmly. Suddenly, a calm voice called out to him, "Yo, Apprentice Brother Ren, did you get the task done?"


    Hao Ren turned to look at the young man walking over with a smile. This guy was called Den, he was also an apprentice with Hao Ren, but he was a local and very haughty in his demeanor. He walked over to Hao Ren and asked, "Did you find my quota as well?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Apprentice Brother Den, did I not tell you that I wouldn''t give you anything?"


    Den frowned and then he asked, "Are you sure you want to do this?"


    Hao Ren said, "I am, what do you want from me now?"


    Den replied with a cold face, "Then I hope you can still speak like this when I am done with you."


    That said, Den reached over to attack Hao Ren, who sighed and raised the back of his hand to smack the guy.


    Clap!


    A loud sound echoed through the reception lobby, and Hao Ren said, "Next time you want to fight, at least have some skill or you might end up dying in the sewer like a loser."


    Dropping these words he left the place calmly, but until he had vanished from the spot, Den had yet to regain his senses and yelled, "Hao Ren! I will kill you!"


    ...


    Hao Ren didn''t bother about the roar and many other people were the same, the young man then appeared next to a counter where a young lady was handling the abacus, and he said, "Senior Sister Lin, I have completed the task."


    Lin raised her head and asked, "Where is your token and the evidence?"


    Hao Ren took out a jade token and passed on a space ring as well. Lin frowned and Hao Ren said, "The evidence is inside the space ring."


    She nodded and ran a spiritual scan through it before she opened her eyes wide, and she asked, "You know the result of cheating?"


    Hao Ren nodded, and took out a small stone and said, "Here, senior sister."


    Lin looked at him and then she nodded before checking the video recorded inside it. She sighed and said, "I didn''t expect that apart from the theoretical knowledge of artifact refining, you also are well versed in sword art."


    Hao Ren bowed slightly and asked, "Do I pass the test?"


    Lin nodded and replied, "Yes, you do, now you can get into the forge and learn the techniques."


    Hao Ren nodded and replied, "Thank you."


    Lin gave him a token and said, "You can go to the basic forge for apprentices, and it just so happens that today is the day when Grandmaster Hephi is coming to guide you all."


    Hao Ren was surprised and asked, "I was told that he would come once in six months."


    Lin smiled and replied, "Today happens to be the sixth month completion."


    Hao Ren smiled faintly and made his way to the apprentice forging hall. He found that at least three dozen people were standing in lines, all manning an anvil, while some apprentices took the task of a wind blower to control the fire under the furnace. Hao Ren''s arrival didn''t catch much attention as there were many people coming and going inside the forging hall.


    Some elder apprentices were walking around monitoring the youngsters. Hao Ren came to a shelf and picked up a book to read through the technique, and then he went on to read other techniques as well. After he finished reading them all he placed it back on the shelf and found an empty working station.


    He took out a few metal blocks from his space ring and then he tossed them inside the furnace, then he waved his hand and a ball of spiritual flame moved under it. This time the people were shocked, Hao Ren didn''t bother, he waited for the elements to smelt properly before he waved his hand to manipulate the spiritual energy and caused the furnace to tilt and gradually deposit the molten metal inside a mold.


    Then he waited for the metal to set down and grabbed a hammer from the side, before he raised it high and swung it down, and it caused a ding to ring throughout the forging hall. Following that, Hao Ren began to swing the hammer with great focus and refine the metal.


    Ten, hundred, five hundred, thousand.. the swings continued, and the fetus of the broad sword reduced into a long sword. After a few minutes, the young man used his spiritual energy to inscribe runes on the blade while the metal was hot. There were many people who watched him with great shock.


    These were the moves similar to a seasoned forging master. Hao Ren checked the blade one time before he dipped it inside water to quench the hot metal. After a few seconds, he took it out and everyone saw a black blade gleaming with deadly luster.


    Hao Ren gave it a swing and then he took out a carving knife from the space ring to decorate the blade, however, just when he was about to do this, a loud voice shocked the entire forging hall, "Stop! What the fuck are you doing!"


    Hao Ren turned around and saw an old man with a lean physique walking over. The people all noticed the old man and they bowed down. Hao Ren could guess the identity of the old man and said, "I have seen Grandmaster Hephi."


    The old man nodded and came to stop when he was two meters away from Hao Ren. He asked, "What were you doing?"


    Hao Ren looked at the sword and said, "I wanted to carve my seal on the hilt."


    Hearing this the old man frowned and then he nodded as he asked, "May I see?"


    Hao Ren nodded and handed over the blade with both hands as he said, "Here."


    Grandmaster Hephi raised the blade in his hand and gave it a thorough check before she said, "Good, it looks nice. Let''s see if it would last other tests as well."


    He channeled his spiritual energy through the balde, and he found that the channeling was seventy percent, and the old man opened his eyes wide, as he looked at Hao Ren and asked, "Come with me, we will test the strength output as well."


    Hao Ren nodded and under the gazes of the people around him, he followed behind the old man and came to a pillar inside the central hall. The old man didn''t waste anytime, and slashed the blade against the pillar, and a formation barrier was activated. The sword attack landed and the vibrations caused the people to shiver a little.


    The old man looked at the sword as if it was a treasure. After a few moments, he asked, "Which technique did you use?"


    Hao Ren replied calmly, "Continuous Refining Hand."


    Hephi frowned and then he stroked his beard as he asked, "Have you forged in the past?"


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I used to forge in the forging back at home but nothing major."


    Hephi nodded, gave back the sword to Hao Ren and said, "You should follow me from tomorrow onwards."


    Hao Ren bowed to the old man and said, "Thank you for your generosity."


    Hephi shook his head and said, "I will see you in the morning."


    Hao Ren bowed to the old man before holding his sword and vanish from the place. The old man sighed and said, "You all have been here for a few months, and even then, your skills haven''t improved even a bit. What do you feel when a youngster man who came here two days to study and he was able to cast a middle-level spiritual artifact. Do you now see the difference between him and you? Go back and work, dimwits."


    Then he walked back to his residence, and Hao Ren lay in his bed, thinking about what he should do to counter Hephi, and also push the hand in the shadows to come out in the darkness, so ho could have a face to face battle.

 Chapter 469: Master Ren.

    Hao Ren appeared at the location designated by the elder, and waited patiently for the latter. However, as he was thinking about infiltrating the place deeper, and learn more things, his mood was spoiled by the enemy that came across the narrow path of life.


    Den spotted him while he was accompanied by several lackies under his command. He smirked and decided to make a move against Hao Ren and teach him a lesson for the slap in the past. He looked at the young man beside him and said, "That is Hao Ren, the bastard who slapped me."


    The brows of the young man furrowed and he said, "His aura, its being held back, I cannot see through his cultivation realm."


    The people in the group frowned and then Den said, "What does it matter? Just kill him and be done with it. Latter, leave the sect and run away. I will give you a hefty reward."


    That was all, the reward word was enough to cause their blood to pick up the pace. A few of them wanted to rush over, when they froze in their steps. They spotted Grandmaster Hephi walking over with his hands behind his back and his eyes observing everything in the surroundings.


    They all bowed and greeted the old man who nodded indifferently, and to the shock of their lives, they saw the old man stop before Hao Ren, who bowed and said, "Good morning, Grandmaster Hephi."


    The old man smiled faintly and said, "Come along, we are going to get your skills honed. I can tell that you are close to the level of a master artifact refiner."


    Hao Ren smiled and bowed, "You sure have the vision like a torch, Sir. Thank you for your guidance all this while."


    Hephi waved his hand and said, "You are a young and talented man, and I am not sure if I should take you as my disciple, but anything else would be below your level. Consider this as me lending you a hand."


    Hao Ren cupped his fist and said, "My family has a saying, return a favor tenfold, and grievances twentyfold. Ren has noted this favor, I shall return in to you tenfold in the future, Grandmaster."


    The old man was surprised and then he laughed hard, and it caused the place to tremble a little. Hephi regained his composure and patted Hao Ren''s shoulder hard as he said, "Good, you have some character. Come, we are getting late."


    Hao Ren respectfully followed the old man, but his eyes were actually noticing everything that existed in his surroundings. The place was covered with arrays, and Hao Ren had used the eye of insight to inspect the surroundings. He was using the skills to get a better sense of the place, and to find the three researchers that have defected this place.


    As they walked around the establishment, Hao Ren realized that this place was a multi-courtyard building. There were many layers in this whole Iron Mountain Sect. Hao Ren was in the outer court of the sect and he was in the northern quadrant.


    Hephi was the Northern Outer Quadrant elder, and he was a grade one Grandmaster. As they walked the old man asked, "Ren, do you know the divisions of the Refiners?"


    Hao Ren replied, "Yes, Grandmaster."


    The old man said, "Tell me about it."


    Hao Ren took a deep breath to calm his mind and said, "There are three major realms in refining, Master, Grandmaster, and finally Saint. These three major realms are divided into nine sub categories each. For example, the weapon forged by a One Star Master would be able to conduct ten percent of the initial spiritual infusion inside the weapon.


    Every ten percent corresponded to a higher level star, twenty percent would be two star, and so on. For a grandmaster, the defining characteristic would be the elemental affinity. I read in a book, that to become a grandmaster, one should forge five weapons with affinity to the five different elements, and each of the weapon should boost ten percent of the elemental damage or property in an artifact.


    As for the saint realm, I didn''t try to look into it so that I don''t bite more than I can chew.|


    The old man sighed as they stood before a big hall, and said, "You have done your homework, but now you will be enter my forge and I will need you to do more than just recitals."


    Hao Ren nodded and thanked the guys, because he was already a master refiner.


    ...


    In the background, Den and his fellows were watching the scene with a pale face. The young man who commented about how he couldn''t see the aura radiating from Hao Ren said, "It was a stroke of fate, Brother Den, please don''t try to talk with me anymore. I would not play the role of a borrowed knife in your conquest."


    That said, he flicked his sleeves and left the place, the rest of the people looked at Den but they didn''t make a comment and dispersed silently. Den was shocked, his social standing that he was so proud about had fallen apart by a casual appearance of the old Grandmaster. He couldn''t understand how Hao Ren managed to form a connection with the Grandmaster of the outer court.


    ...


    Hao Ren came to a big refining hall, and the old man said, "This is my refining room. The arrays around the anvil and the rest of the apareture are used to stabilize the refining process, and also keep the spiritual energy flow clean inside the room."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then the old man began to grind Hao Ren. He said, "You are already a Seven Star Master, but your refining technique has yet to gain that finesse you need to step out in the world. Bring your sword."


    Hao Ren handed out the black blade that he had forged yesterday, and the old man said, "Black star iron and Cotton Wool Steel. Refined five thousand times with great dedication, and can gain seventy percent circulation. This is a good weapon, however, you need to mix the right portion of metals for it."


    Hephi told Hao Ren about the various metal combinations and the latter nodded. Hao Ren had intentionally messed up the combination to prevent an uproar. However, it was because he wanted to latch himself to the old man to get deeper in the sect.


    Hephi led Hao Ren to a shelf where all the metals were stored and then he selected a few blocks as big as a human head. Then he said, "Pick up the two metals you used in the sword."


    Hao Ren nodded, and picked up two blocks of metal, and Old Hephi said, "Use the same with a thirty seventy ratio. The steel would be used thirty percent."


    Hao Ren nodded, and then he quickly divided the blocks using his sword energy, which didn''t escape the old man and he raised his brow, as he asked, "Were you going to retaliate against those boys."


    Hao Ren didn''t pause and nodded calmly. The old man was surprised and asked, "Why?"


    The young man replied, "It is because I don''t have the patience to let them bother me every now and then."


    Hephi nodded and asked, "However, as an artifact refiner, you should have some patience, and the stature of a mountain. That will help you connect with the process better."


    Hao Ren recalled how he had comprehended the meaning of the mountain back when he was in the blue star. He took a deep breath and pondered over the idea before he found that it was really plausible. He looked at Old Hephi and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Instructor."


    Old Hephi smiled and waved for Hao Ren to continue the forging. The two metals were smelted and then poured into a mould before he took out the semi-solid shape and began to beat it with the hammer and channeled the flame energy around the fetus to make sure that the metal mixes with each other properly.


    The old man nodded from the side, and said, "After the forging is complete, you would need to learn about presentation. How can you make a shabby looking masterpiece? How can you survive if your artifacts don''t stand out?"


    Hao Ren almost lost focus and laughed at this, but he handled it as if the old man was speaking gibberish and began to recall the meaning of the mountain and his swings gradually changed. The ding changed into a dang, the speed reduced a lot and the reverb of the vibrations traveled through the void, causing it to ripple faintly.


    Hephi was shocked, he thought, ''What sort of a monster is this guy? He has the comprehension of a true meaning of the mountain that took me ten years after I became a master? It wouldn''t be good to pressurize him too much or I might end up doubting my own path.''


    His worries were not unfounded, if Hao Ren had relied on guidance from the elders, then he would have become a supreme already. The refining continued for five hours, and when Hao Ren finished, Hephi chuckled and then laughed out loud as he said, "Good job, Master Ren."

 Chapter 470: Undercover Encounter.

    Hao Ren gained praise from Old Man Hephi and he continued refining one sword after the other, his usage of the heart of the mountain was getting better with each try. Old man Hephi left him alone and Hao Ren finished refining the last sword for the day, and looking at the ten blades that were laying on the table, he sighed and said, "I thought the old man won''t leave me alone but thankfully he did, now let me see what I have actually gained."


    He began to inspect the blades with a thoughtful expression on his face. He took a few minutes and then he sighed, as he mumbled, "God damn, I never realized I had such a cool card up my sleeves."


    He stored all his weapons inside his space ring, and just when he was about to walk out, he found Old Hephi coming back with a young girl behind him. The old man said, "Ren, this is Xiao Yu, she will be your attendant from now on, and she will be guiding you to the Refiner Council. There you should forge your best artifact and gain a ranking. That will elevate your status in the sect."


    Hao Ren nodded and then bowed to the old man to express his gratitude. Xiao Yu gestured and said, "Young Master, this way please."


    Hao Ren thought of something and followed calmly. If the status of this woman was really that of an attendant, why did Old Hephi act himself? He could have been assigned for a normal apprentice disciple and that would have solved the trouble. Better yet, if he wanted to keep a good rapport with Hao Ren, then he could have assigned Den to be the personal attendant.


    After a few minutes, they came out of the Elder Courtyard, and many people saw this sight. They were shocked, Den had yet to give up, and was trying to catch Hao Ren unguarded but when he saw Xiao Yu leading him, he was surprised.


    Xiao Yu also saw him blocking the way and asked, "Junior Den, what is the meaning of this?"


    Den was stunned, and Hao Ren smiled faintly, as the former gathered his wit and asked, "Senior Sister, I was looking for you to guide me about the refining technique."


    Hao Ren mused over the fact that this guy was simply too patient to swallow this, and Xiao Yu frowned as she said, "You may come to find me tomorrow, right now I am taking Master Ren to the council office so that he can get a ranking."


    Den heard him and he staggered to the side. Xiao Yu nodded, indifferent to his shock and she led the way forward. Hao Ren passed by Den and almost had the urge to smack the shocked and doubtful face of this bastard, but he held back.


    The two of them walked silently and after they came to the Western Quadrant market area, Hao Ren pretended to look around and after a few minutes, he said, "Miss Yu, can I check a few things over there?"


    Xiao Yu turned around sharply, and then she looked at Hao Ren who looked right in her eyes and snapped his fingers. Xiao Yu sensed the world slow down and freeze around her. Her eyes opened wide, and Hao Ren raised his brow as he remarked, "Interesting. Who cast this spiritual seal on you?"


    Xiao Yu was dazed when she heard this question and said, "Lady Samaira."


    Hao Ren thought and asked, "Who is Lady Samaira?"


    Xiao Yu replied, "Western Head of the Refiner Council. She is the one who is leading the operation here."


    Hao Ren nodded and just when he was about to ask another question a calm voice sounded beside him, "I thought you were watching the house."


    This time Hao Ren sensed the world slow down and freeze as he turned around and shivered. Han Lingshi was standing there with Ye Yin behind her, and the young man replied quickly, "Someone tried to conspire against us, and so I came here to investigate. The fox squad cannot handle this task. The enemy is holding three researchers behind by mind controlling means. I swear this woman is an enemy mole. I am using my own skills to counter them."


    Han Lingshi looked at him unimpressed and Hao Ren realized the more he talked the more it would put him in a pinch. However, after a few minutes, Han Lingshi chuckled and said, "I am aware of it, Maya told me, that''s why I decided to swing by and check on you."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "You scared the shit out of me."


    Han Lingshi smirked and extended her hand to him. Hao Ren smiled and reached out to hold her hand but the lady rolled eyes and smacked his hand away and said, "I am short on expense, empty your pockets."


    The young man sighed, and he obediently handed over his space ring to her. Han Lingshi checked the content and took a few million superior spirit stones and said, "I left you enough to buy materials and things you might need to continue the operation."


    Hao Ren sighed and nodded as he took back the space ring and said, "This is enemy territory, leave before things get messy, and I am not joking Lingshi."


    Han Lingshi nodded with a smile and said, "I will leave after the auction."


    Hao Ren nodded and watched her vanish in the crowd before he turned around and looked at Xiao Yu as he said, "Take me to the council."


    Xiao Yu nodded, she was now his slave because the spirit imprint on her soul would only control her when the other person specifically took an initiative, however, his hypnotism was different. It was an endless trance until he undid it, the subject would be constantly following the prime mandate, to serve him with utmost loyalty.


    They came to the center of the place, and Hao Ren found that the refiner''s council was at the center of the city, four roads led from the four entrances, dividing the place in the east, west, north and south city quadrants.


    They climbed the stairs of the western wing and the first thing that caught Hao Ren''s interest was the heavy hammer levitating in the void inside the reception hall. Xiao Yu said, "That is the Divine Hammer, it was said that it was the tool used by the Saint Refiner, Lord Tang Sen."


    Hao Ren nodded and looked at the hammer with great interest. He could sense that the hammer emitted Dao Resonance but it didn''t look very glorious. He asked, "Is this hammer damaged?"


    Xiao Yu nodded and said, "It was a spirit tool and after the Saint fell, the spirit regressed and went into deep sleep. Many saint refiners have come over since then, trying to have this hammer acknowledge them, but none could succeed."


    As they were talking they reached a counter, where a burly middle-aged man was sitting. Xiao Yu said, "Elder Brother Tei, Grandmaster Hephi has sent a candidate for the Master''s assessment."


    The middle-aged man raised his head and looked at Xiao Yu before he nodded and gave out a form while saying,"One examination is going through, you can fill the form and pay the fee for the examination."


    Hao Ren was surprised to hear that the examination would need to be paid for. He asked, "Sir, how much do I need to pay?"


    The buffed up man looked at him and said, "Ten Thousand High Spirit Stones, if you pass, they would be used to recharge your council card. You can use that card to buy metals and other things."


    Hao Ren sighed and gave out ten Superior Spirit Stones. Tei looked at the shining stones on his table and he smirked as he replied, "You sure are rich."


    Hao Ren shook his head like a rattle, "This is all the generosity of my wife. She is the one who takes care of me."


    Tei was surprised and so was Xiao Yu, but they didn''t say anything. Xiao Yu filled the form with basic information before Hao Ren checked it and then signed his name.


    After the submission, Tei said, "You can go inside, Xiao Yu. The exam will begin in a few minutes, don''t waste time here."


    Xiao Yu nodded and said, "Senior Brother, this way please."


    Hao Ren noticed that Tei was acting normal but the way he addressed Xiao Yu was special, he asked with spiritual communication, "Tei is in the fold with you lot?"


    Xiao Yu nodded and replied, "Indeed, Master, you can see everything. He has been wanting to take me down for a long time, but his level in the hierarchy is not high and that''s why he has not succeeded. Humph, a block of iron wants to entangle with me. Forgive me, Master. I don''t like him."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "Get me a list of all the people that are your associates, from the grass root to the crown of the tree."


    Xiao Yu nodded and replied, "After the exam, I will get it done, Master."


    They reached a place which had a big wooden plaque hanging from the top, saying, Examination Hall.

 Chapter 471: Rising Status.

    Hao Ren stood next to a table, and like him there were several other people standing around as well. At this moment, an old man came over from the side, and despite the wrinkles on his face, he was radiating a strong vital energy. The old man looked over at all the people before he nodded and said, "So, there are two parameters that you need to meet to pass the exam."


    The old man paused and he continued, "You will need more than two metals to refine this artifact, and you should achieve at least ten percent energy flow value. Only then you would be called a Master. It may seem like the difference between ten and twenty is not very high but that''s not true. There is a big difference and many people cannot cross it for their entire life. Today, you will be tested on these two points."


    The people nodded, Hao Ren was surprised by the first half but he didn''t mind it. The old man said, "I am Grandmaster Sei, you will have two hours to complete the exam and after that, the artifact would be tested by me and you will be given the results. I hope you work with honesty. Begin!"


    Hao Ren looked to the side, and then he began to calmly pick up the metals used for his project. His speed was fast, and then he went to a vacant surface. Recalling the proportions of a sword that he had acquired back at the Spirit Shimmering Continent.


    He used his sword intent to chop the blocks off into smaller segments and then placed them above each other and then waved his hand to cast the Phoenix Flames under the furnace to preheat the furnace a little and then he tossed over the metal portions inside the hot furnace.


    The other people had a same speed as him, and Hao Ren was not afraid of anyone. This was not a competition, he only had to forge a weapon good enough and then gain a rank. After taking a few minutes, when the metals were smelted, he took them out using his spiritual pressure and then took it out to solidify, before he picked up his hammer, and placed the hot block on the anvil.


    Then he swung down the hammer, and a clang rang through the examination hall. The metal clanging sound dazed the people, and Grandmaster Sei turned to look at Hao Ren with great interest. He watched as the young man used the true meaning of the mountain to flatten the block and then fold it over, before he placed it inside the furnace once again. The heated metal shone red, and then Hao Ren took it out once again before he flattened it and folded it again.


    The process of heating the metal, beating the metal, and then folding the metal was changing the density of the weapon while also giving it a stronger characteristic. Hao Ren refined the weapon ten thousand times within an hour, and while doing so, he carved spiritual arrays on the blade. These arrays would help the user in increasing the flow of the spiritual energy which in turn increased the damage done.


    ...


    Grandmaster Sei sighed and he stood up from the chair as he said, "Time''s up. Place your artifacts on the center table and wait for the results outside."


    Hao Ren did as he was told, a silver sword from his hand was placed on the table before he turned around and left the place with utmost calm on his face.


    ...


    Outside the examination hall, many people stood silently contemplating the things they did inside the hall, this was causing them to get anxious, while some appeared confident. Xiao Yu walked over and asked, "Master, how was it?"


    Hao Ren replied, "It was fine. Did you prepare the list I asked you to?"


    Xiao Yu nodded and took out a small paper slip, there were twenty names written on it and they were all people placed in important positions. Be it the vice leader of the Merchant Guild, or the Deputy Chief of the City Guard, they were all in cahoots.


    Hao Ren thought of something and asked Xiao Yu with the spiritual communication, "Are they all like you? Spiritually imprinted by that lady?"


    Xiao Yu nodded and then she shook her head, as she replied, "There are some people who joined willingly and there are some who are being manipulated. The latter part of the people are all talented. The organization head has never made a public appearance."


    Hao Ren nodded, and just when he was about to move on, the door behind them was pushed open and Grandmaster Sei walked out with a quick step. He said, "Out of forty who applied today, three managed to pass."


    This caused the people to be disappointed but also eager to find out who these three people were. Grandmaster Sei nodded and said, "The person who ranked third is Master He, your weapon was able to achieve a twenty three percent energy flow, and so you are now a Two-star Master He."


    The man called Master He bowed and thanked the old man who continued, "The person who came second is Xiao Han, come out."


    A young man walked out of the crowd and the old man said, "You refined a spear that attained a forty percent flow of spiritual energy, that makes you a Four-Star Master He."


    The man smiled and the people cheered for him. After that, someone from the crowd asked, "Elder, is there someone even better than Senior Brother Han?"


    The elder smiled and replied, "Yes, there is always someone better than you and me. Never get arrogant, and always try to learn more."


    The old man finished speaking and he looked at Hao Ren as he said, "The first person in the standings is rather new to the city but he is an old soul when it comes to refining. You have given us a surprise, Eight-Star Master Ren."


    Boom!


    The people were shocked, because they didn''t expect that the gap between Han and Ren would be so big. Hao Ren himself was a little surprised and the old man said, "Are you perhaps thinking why you were given the Eight-star rank? That is because of the unique spirit channels that you have carved inside the blade body."


    Hao Ren bowed in thanks and the old man asked, "Well, take these results and then go to the reception counter, they will give you the badge and the rule book. Keep up the good work everyone and may you all grow stronger."


    That said, the old man vanished from the place, and he took away Hao Ren''s sword as well. The young man couldn''t help but curse the old man for being a thief. Xiao Yu led him to the front counter, where Hao Ren received his status badge and put it on almost immediately.


    After the formalities were completed, Tei, the man behind the counter said, "You can now accept refining missions and the commissions will be paid in points."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "I don''t want points, I want metals."


    Tei chuckled and said, "Points are the internal currency for the council, you can exchange them for precious metals and pills."


    The young man understood and nodded before he said, "Well, I will come to accept missions later, for now, I will be celebrating."


    Tei sighed and said, "I would have like to crash the party but I still have work to do."


    Hao Ren realized that this man wanted to enter the circle, but he held no value to him, so he smiled and said, "Some other time for sure then."


    Tei nodded with a smile and Hao Ren passed him ten superior spirit stones and then left the place with Xiao Yu. He could sense Tei''s prolonged gaze on his back, that was because this guy was also a member of the so called organization that controlled the flow of everything inside this city.


    After leaving the council office, they both took the same path to go back to the sect accommodation areas when Hao Ren asked, "Can you contact all these people to meet me?"


    Xiao Yu shook her head and said, "Master, I am just an errand runner, if you want someone to invite these people over, then you should first handle Grandmaster Hephi. He is not manipulated by the council head, but he sure plays with her under the sheets from what I hear.


    If my guess is correct, she should be coming over to congratulate you."


    Hao Ren raised his brow and said, "You mean to say scout me."


    Xiao Yu nodded with reverence in her eyes, Hao Ren thought about it and asked, "What is her cultivation level?"


    Xiao Yu replied, "Umm, she is Dao World Peak, or probably half step World Human."


    Hao Ren frowned but then he said, "This is good enough. I can handle her, but first, I will handle Old Hephi, a poor guy who made his bed with a woman who brought him trouble. I feel bad for doing this to him."


    That said, they reached the sect accommodation and the disciples were shocked looking at the badge on Hao Ren''s chest, they all bowed and greeted him as Master Hao, his rising status was going to give him some good leverage in the upcoming event.

 Chapter 472: Making Moves.

    Hao Ren returned to the accommodation complex of the western area of the Iron Mountain Sect. This place could be said to be the backyard of the western shot callers of the sect, but after questioning Xiao Yu, he found that Grandmaster Hephi was innocent. This old man had not been charmed by Lady Samaira because she was genuinely in love with him.


    This was surprising but after some thinking, Hao Ren decided to wait till he has met with the lady face to face before deciding how to act with the old man. He spent a day inside his room, before the door was knocked, waking him up from refining his second halo.


    The young man frowned and opened the gate to find Xiao Yu waiting outside. He said, "This better be good."


    Xiao Yu bowed her head and said, "Master, all the people on the list have been gathered and they are waiting for us in the Drunken Mortal Hotel."


    Hao Ren thought for a bit and nodded as he said, "Good efficiency. Come along, as long as you prove your worth, I won''t treat you badly."


    Xiao Yu bowed deeply in gratitude and she led him to the Drunken Mortal Hotel. As she entered the place, an attendant came over hurriedly and bowed to her and said, "Maiden Yu, the cloud pavilion has been cleaned up and the guests have arrived."


    Xiao Yu tossed a couple of spirit stones to the waiter and said, "Go on, I will lead Master Ren over by myself."


    Hao Ren followed her through the corridors on the lower levels and he found that a contingent of the shadow guards was also seated their with Hao Mei, Han Lingshi and the rest. They all wore flexible artificial skin masks which made their appearances rather mediocre.


    Han Lingshi saw him and smirked as she passed on a spiritual message, "Look, who''s out on a date."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and replied, "Wife, I am loyal to you, okay? I came here to handle some business. Not all of us have the liesuresome life."


    Han Lingshi retorted, "I stayed home dealing with things, and it is your turn now, deal with it."


    Hao Ren gave her a sneaky thumbs up and blew a kiss before stepping up the stairs and heading to the private area. On the floor above, Xiao Yu led them to the so-called cloud pavilion and then she opened the door for Hao Ren.


    Inside the pavilion, which was just a room, surrounded by an isolation and illusion array, Hao Ren spotted ten people. There were men and women from the lower levels of the Refiner Council. Xiao Yu entered the room behind Hao Ren, closed the door, and said, "I apologize for the delay, Master Ren was busy forging a sword."


    The people stood up and bowed to Hao Ren and the young man returned the courtesy as he said, "I apologize for inviting you all here, and then arriving late. As an act of punishment, I will drink three cups of wine."


    He picked up a cup of wine from the table and downed it, Xiao Yu quickly poured the wine in his cup again and Hao Ren chugged it down, exactly three times, before he bowed slightly to the people.


    Tei picked up his cup and said, "I accept your apology, Master Ren. Thank you for giving us face."


    He downed a cup as well, followed by him everyone drank a cup of wine, and Hao Ren sat down with a smiling face. The rest of the people were smiling as well, and they chatted with Hao Ren, some ladies tried to flirt with him, to which he replied that he was married.


    One of the ladies were surprised, and asked, "Is it not common for a man of your stature to have three wives and four concubines?"


    Hao Ren shrugged his shoulders and said, "I am not sure about the others, but I have no intention to take another woman in this lifetime."


    His resolve shook the hearts of the people, the lady said, "For the first time in my life, I am feeling jealous of another sister. Hahahaha, you are a real man Master Ren."


    Hao Ren bowed slightly as he tossed to the lady and they both drank a cup of wine. After a few minutes, the people were all dizzy from drinking so much, however, Hao Ren was still sober, because he directly refined the wine with the spiritual flame inside his body. Suddenly he said, "I wonder how long will it take me to reach the level of a grandmaster and get a firm standing in the Council."


    The man sitting next to him was a high clerk in the store room, his name was Bai Chong, who said, "It will not be long, Master Ren, you are already at the eight star level."


    Hao Ren smiled bitterly and said, "Brother Bai, in this world of the strong, having someone strong to back you up is necessary. If not for Grandmaster Hephi, I might still be an unknown apprentice in the hall."


    The people all looked at him and found him very humble. Hao Ren was not sure if these people had lowered their guards, so he said, "Well, forget it, let me play a song for you, and then we will continue to party tonight."


    One lady, a receptionist from the Archive department said, "I didn''t expect Master Ren to have a talent for music, now I am curious."


    Hao Ren chuckled and said, "Big Sister Tama, you are complimenting me too much. However, since you are curious, let me display my ugliness."


    The young man smiled and then he took out a Guqin from the space ring. He took a deep breath and then began to play the song calmly. The notes caused the people to calm down, and their moods settled down. After a few minutes, while the song played on, Hao Ren cast the hypnotic spell.


    It took ten minutes, before the people looked over at them and Xiao Yu noticed that they had the same eyes like her. She was shocked to see Hao Ren''s methods and her reverence for him grew even more. The young man looked at the people and said, "You all have two tasks from now on. First is to find and locate the three researchers from the Crescent Moon Empire, and second put in a good word for me in your circle and get me to meet Lady Samaira as soon as possible."


    The people nodded and said, "Yes, Master."


    That said, the party came to an end and they all left the place. Hao Ren sat inside the pavilion and he said to Xiao Yu, "Go and order some good food for me, I am hungry."


    Xiao Yu left the place, and sure enough, Han Lingshi came over with Hao Mei and the former asked, "What is going on?"


    The young man replied, "There is an organization here that seems to be working in the shadows. I am not sure about their real motive, and they have taken custody of three researchers from the Liquid Metal project. They ought to pay."


    Han Lingshi nodded and said, "Well, shall I play some pieces as well? This place is one of the refining hubs of the Spirit Siphon Continent. If we conquer it, we will have a great advantage."


    Hao Ren shook his head and said, "It is not necessary to capture this place, it ranks seventh in the list of refining hubs. They have shady business going on, and if they had connections with the stronger forces from the other refining hubs, it would only come back to bite us in the ass."


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "Good thing we are heading to the big places after this for scouting."


    Hao Ren looked at the two of them and said, "You better be careful, and leave behind some people to manage teleportation points."


    Hao Mei nodded and said, "Yes."


    The trio talked for a bit, when the door was knocked and Xiao Yu came inside with a row of waiters. She was shocked to see the two women, and Hao Ren said, "This is Xiao Yu, for the next few days, I will be in seclusion to refine the second halo, she will be your guide around the city."


    Han Lingshi and Hao Mei nodded, while Hao Ren said, "Xiao Yu, make sure that you avoid all and any rich silk pant bastards, if they still try to make a mess, tell them of my name. If that doesn''t work, tell me about what they do, I will handle it."


    The young lady nodded and then the family began to eat and drink. The two ladies had grace and Hao Ren went wild. The picture was one of contrast and harmony. After the meal, Han Lingshi asked, "Will you pay the bill for all the ladies too, love."


    Hao Ren rolled his eyes and replied, "Lingling, you have changed, how can you rob me like this? Tell me, who put you up to this? You are making moves on me. I feel so betrayed."


    Han Lingshi rolled her eyes and said, "Drama King!"

 Chapter 473 473: Lady Samaira.

    Hao Ren had a good meal with his wife, and then he returned to the accommodations only to find Den standing by the door with a middle-aged man. Watching Hao Ren''s arrival, the middle-aged man slapped the back of Den''s head and said, "Wastrel, why are you not kneeling before Master Ren?"


    Hao Ren was surprised at the display, but the next moment, Den sat down on the ground without any resistance. The young man asked, "What is going on?"


    The middle-aged man stepped forward and bowed as he said, "Master Ren, I am Dan Yulin, this wastrel son of mine has offended you, and so I came here to seek your forgiveness."


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "It was nothing, I don''t wish to escalate this issue and nor do I have the time to waste here, you can leave. As a senior, it is really not right for you to come and bow to me. Sending Den would have been enough."


    Dan Yulin was surprised, had it been someone else saying such things he would have thought that the person was making things difficult for them but Hao Ren had a way with his words, regardless of what he said, the people would accept it. Hao Ren didn''t have any need of this middle-aged man, even he were to brainwash him it didn''t serve the purpose.


    Dan Yulin nodded and bowed once again as he said, "Thank you for your generosity Master Ren."


    He then lightly kicked his son and said, "Pig, get up! Don''t consume Master Ren''s precious time."


    Den stood up and Hao Ren watched the two of them leave silently before he entered the room and sat down in cultivation to engrave his comprehensions on the saint halo.


    ...


    In the distance, Den looked at his father and asked, "Father, are we really going to return home like this?"


    Dan Yulin glared at the man and asked, "Do you want him to beat you up as a showcase of forgiveness?"


    Den shook his head like a rattle and asked, "But, since he didn''t say it clearly and he didn''t accept any of the gifts that you brought, does that not mean he will be holding a grudge?"


    Dan Yulin sighed and said, "Idiot, what is the social status of an eight-star master? Do you think he would be caring about ants when he walks his path? People like him only care about their own Dao paths and nothing else, so as long as you don''t mess with him, he won''t bother with you. So, please do our family a favor, if you cannot be a pillar of strength then don''t dig up pits either."


    Den nodded, he knew that he was a wastrel and that his father had a hard mouth but a soft heart. The two walked ahead and Dan Yulin said, "If in future you find that anyone is trying to make trouble for Master Ren, then you should better find me and tell me about it."


    Den was confused and then asked, "Is it so that we can develop a better relationship with him?"


    Dan Yulin looked at his son and said, "At least you are not a complete fool. However, it is not exactly to form a relationship, but to simply repay the favor. He addressed me as a senior, but he didn''t bow to me. He gave me a lot of face today, I would like to return the favor. Now, get lost and focus on your training, if you cannot become a senior apprentice within a month, I will discount your third leg."


    Den shivered before he ran away.


    ...


    In his room, Hao Ren was sitting on a cassock and behind him a Halo was shining, and every few moments, new characters appeared on the surface of the halo. Hao Ren had managed to only fill up one quarter of the halo even after the aid from the system. The biggest issue was the size of this second halo. This thing was twice the size of the first halo, and Hao Ren didn''t like that but he could do nothing else about it.


    While he was comprehending like no tomorrow, the Iron Mountain City was buzzing, they all heard about the legend of a young Apprentice refiner, who was promoted to the eighth star Master directly. They were shocked to find that the Grandmaster responsible for the inspection had even turned in the sword refined by the young man to the higher ups of the council.


    Although for these elders it was not a big deal, but when they saw the weapon they could tell that the person really had skill.


    On the top floor of a huge tower, known as the Council Scepter, four people were sitting around a small table where a sword was resting. This sword belonged to Hao Ren, the four people were the deputy directors of the council. There were three men and one woman. The men all had buffed up physiques while the woman looked rather delicate. They all seemed to be in their mid thirties, and one of the men asked, "Western Director, do you have the intentions to cultivate this talent in your district?"


    The person who spoke wore a yellow robe with the word east embroidered on his back. The lady wore an emerald green silk robe that highlighted her figure very nicely, and after listening to the question she said, "Yes, I do have that intention. The western district has been lacking talents and the business has been affected. Looking at this sword, we can regain the trade contract with the Sovereign Sword Sect."


    The other people nodded and the man wearing a blue robe with the word North on his back said, "Don''t milk him to death, rather have him train some people so that the production can be increased."


    The lady nodded and replied, "I will be careful about this, also, may I ask what is the status of the liquid metal?"


    The gazes shifted to the man in the red robe, this guy was the strongest among them and he was a person in the world human realm, same as Hao Ren, and he was the one who held the three researchers from the Crescent Moon Empire under his custody.


    The man sighed and said, "They have a strong barrier cast upon them. I am not sure who is this person but we haven''t been able to gain much information from them. The only thing that we have managed to find out is that they have a very creative mind and they have hundreds of items that we can refine and make profit."


    Lady Samaira shook her head and said, "I am sure that the force behind them must have noticed their absence, and if they have such profitable products, then they must have the strength to defend the authenticity. If we develop such products, sooner or later, they might come to our doors. We should not risk it."


    The other two men nodded and the Director of the Southern district said, "Fine, I will try to look into their minds a little more, but at the end of the year, if it didn''t reap any results I will be sending them on their way and wrap it all up."


    The people agreed and the meeting was called off, Lady Samaira sat on the chair without moving as she looked at the blade on the table. After some thought she picked up the sword and said, "Good weapon, let''s see if you are as good as they have been saying."


    She vanished from her spot and aftera few minutes, she appeared at the entrance of Old Hephi''s home. The lady waved her hand and the guards bowed to her before opening the gates. Lady Samaira walked around the courtyard as if it was her place. Her affair with Grandmaster Hephi was not hidden from anyone.


    The old man was standing inside his refining room with a few blueprints in his hands. He heard the footsteps behind him and turned around to look at the person with a faint smile on his face. Lady Samaira walked over to him and hugged him before asking, "How was your day?"


    Old Hephi chuckled and replied, "It was good, what about you? How did the meeting go?"


    Lady Samaira shook her head and said, "The same old. By the way, they were all curious about Xiao Ren, how about you call him over for me to meet and make arrangements?"


    The old man was surprised and asked, "What is going on?"


    Lady Samaira smiled and replied, "We lack Masters above Sixth Star, and he would be a good piece for production overhauling. We wish to resecure the contracts with the Sovereign Sword Sect."


    Old Hephi nodded in understanding and said, "Well, I will call him over, but Samaira, please don''t scare the boy."


    Lady Samaira chuckled and asked, "When have I scared anyone? Hephi, you have changed."


    She turned coy with him, and the two frolicked before the old man called a servant and sent for Hao Ren.

 Chapter 474: Motives.

    Hao Ren was comprehending his path when the door was knocked again, and he frowned before opening his eyes. He waved his hand and the door flung open. The accommodation of a master was simple, he had one room, with a bed, a cassock, and a table on the side. While it sounded rudimentary, the main point of this room was the spiritual energy that absorbed the spiritual energy from all six directions and channel it towards the cultivator in the center of the room.


    Hao Ren looked at the servant outside, and he stood up with a raised eyebrow. He found it hard to believe that the progress of the situation to be so quick. He asked, "What is it?"


    The servant outside replied, "Lord Ren, Master has invited you over."


    Hao Ren stood up from the cassock and took out a small bag of spirit stones and passed it to the servant as he asked in a hushed tone, "What is the purpose?"


    The servant looked around, pocketed the bag of spirit stones and replied, "Lady Director is here."


    Hao Ren understood what was going on and said, "Good."


    Then he quickly walked through the various alleys, and came to the Grandmaster''s house, the guards didn''t block him, and Hao Ren headed to the living room directly. Another servant informed Old Hephi and Lady Samaira who were getting cozy with each other. The lady stood up and fixed her clothes, when Old Hephi fixed his appearance as well.


    Lady Samaira said, "You can stay here, I would to talk to him and see if he is really as good as they say he is."


    Old Hephi sighed and said, "Samaira, be gentle."


    The lady nodded and then she left with a faint smile on her face. Old Hephi sighed and mumbled, "Heavens, please watch over Xiao Ren."


    ...


    In the living room, Hao Ren was sitting with a calm expression on his face, he sensed that someone was approaching and he turned his head to look at the person before he used his Eye of Insight.


    His brain was flushed with the information regarding the lady walking over with grace and elegance. He could see why she was applauded as the refined beauty, her face was gentle and serene, but her eyes were akin to that of a fox demon, sensual and seductive. Her figure had perfect proportions, every man would be willing to dive under her pomegranate skirt.


    The young man stood up as he was thinking if he should undo the charm this lady had cast around on the people to shake her mindset and gain the upper hand, however, on the other hand, he decided to take the game on the roll and see how it unfolded before making a counter.


    He held his fists and bowed slightly as he said, "Greetings, Director."


    Samaira was not surprised by the fact that she was recognized and nodded as she said, "Master Ren, raise your head. I cannot accept this bow from you, because you are the youngest Eight-star Master Refiner. Please don''t shame this old one."


    Hao Ren smiled and replied, "You praise me too much, Madam Director."


    The lady gestured him to sit down and she did the same, but rather than across him, she sat adjacent to him on a chair and waved for a servant to pour them some tea as she asked, "So, where have you been all the time before you came to the Iron Mountain City?"


    The young man didn''t hide and said, "I come from across the endless ocean, the Crescent Moon Empire."


    His words surely shocked Samaira, she didn''t expect to hear this. Hao Ren said, "My parents are the native of the distant north of the place, and when I was travelling, the two lands merged, so then I heard from a fellow refiner about how they were about to travel through the Spirit Siphon Continent. So, I tagged along with them."


    Hao Ren spoke very calmly and he observed the expressions on Samaira''s face. The lady looked at Hao Ren and asked, "Do you know that saying all that can spell your death?"


    Hao Ren acted surprised and asked, "But why Director? Have I done anything to harm the Iron Mountain City ever since I came here? Don''t cultivators travel the world to gain experience and find opportunities?"


    Samaira looked at him with a deadpan expression and said, "The Iron Mountain City is not someplace where everyone can come and go as they please. This is a strategic location, and in a place where traveling is forbidden, you dared to hide your identity and waltz in as if it is your backyard? You have to know which opportunity you should take and which to leave if you wish to live long enough."


    Hao Ren used his sleeve to wipe the non-existent sweat from his forehead and he asked, "Director, please tell me what can I do to avoid death? Please help me out, I implore you. I really have no bad intention in my heart."


    Samaira pretended to think for a bit and asked, "If you can take a heavenly oath that you would serve the city for your whole life, and will never hold any ill-intention against it, I will let you go."


    Hao Ren nodded hurriedly and he said, "I will take the oath right now."


    Samaira smiled, and nodded as she praised him. "I like your decisiveness. Don''t worry, the Iron Mountain City will support you and you will surely become a Grandmaster."


    Hao Ren bowed to her and took a deep breath as he said, "I swear in the name of heavens, that I will have Director Samaira serve me like a bitch till the end of her life."


    Lady Samaira was used to watching people submit to her whims with ease, but when Hao Ren finished the oath, she had yet to react. Outside the courtyard, lightning flashed and clouds thundered.


    Samaira looked at Hao Ren with her eyes wide open and the latter said, "Freeze."


    Then he used his complete strength to appear next to her and tapped several of her acupoints. The impact sealed her spiritual energy, and then Hao Ren stuffed a pill in her mouth. He said, "What you ingested is Spirit Vaning Poison that I specially manufactured. If you focus, you should be able to see that the spiritual energy in your body is gradually fading away. That is my doing. If you wish to live, then give up your mental blockades."


    Samaira was stunned, she didn''t know how the tables were turned, from the intimidator, she had turned into a lamb that was put up for slaughter. The young man took a deep breath and waited patiently before the lady nodded, and Hao Ren said, "Put down the guard and I will handle it."


    Samaira, let down her guard and she didn''t protest, however, Hao Ren was aware that this was just a temporary solution. If he didn''t act now, the lady would break the hypnotism and then she would attack him.


    When she had come inside the room earlier, he had used the Eye Of Insight, the skill gave him the information that while Samaira lacked offensive skills, she was a master of the soul, and mind. She was a psychic in the mundane terms.


    This was why, after casting the hypnosis spell, he fed her a pill as well. He looked at Samaira, as she enjoyed the relief from the antidote, and he said, "Focus on the pill you took, the core of that pill carried the heart demon poison. As soon as you attack my hypnotism, you will feel the pain equal to thousand knife stabs to your heart. I would hold back on rebellion if I were you, Asin Thana."


    Samaira wanted to lash back but when she heard the name he used in the end, her eyes widened in shock and her face turned cold. Hao Ren continued in a low voice, "The last living member of the Thana tribe, the soul masters hunted down by the people from the Iron Mountain City, and specially, the leader of the southern district, Kano Ty."


    The lady shivered and Hao Ren said, "Your motive is to destroy him, and my motive is to save the Three Researchers in his custody. If you help me obediently, when it all ends, you will be the queen of Iron Mountain City and Grandmaster Hephi will be the King, of course, I know that you are using him to increase your strength slowly, but you also love him, which was surprising to me."


    The lady became even more anxious and she was trying to look around when Hao Ren suddenly leaned in close to her face and asked in her ear, "What would happen if they found out your reality? They would give you a death that would become an example. Do you want the five decade old planning to fail at this stage?"


    Samaira shivered, Hao Ren looked like a demon in her mind, and she shivered when she looked at him. She understood what his motive was and she nodded. After all, if not giving in, she could tell that he would kill her, and then he will tell Hephi the truth about her. She was so scared that she almost pissed herself.

 Chapter 475: The Truth.

    Hao Ren subdued Director Samaira, with ease, he may not be spiritually strong, but his prowess was high. He was half a realm stronger than Samaira, but when it came to the director of the southern district, Hao Ren had a feeling that the person in question isn''t simple.


    The young man scratched his chin in thought and then he looked at Samaira and said, "Find out more about the strength of that Southern Director. I will not indulge your secret."


    Samaira nodded and said, "I understand."


    Just when they were talking, Grandmaster Hephi came over with a worried face, when he saw that Hao Ren and Samaira were sitting on the couch with calm faces he let out a sigh and asked, "How is it going?"


    Hao Ren stood up and said smiled, "Lady Samaira has been kind to me, Instructor. She has told me to produce weapons for a big order that our sect needs. After that I will be given some time off to focus on my cultivation."


    Hephi looked at Samaira who nodded, following the story Hao Ren has cooked up on his feet. The old man sighed and said, "That is good, work hard and learn well. If you need anything, you can come and find me. In the western forging division, I still have some say."


    Hao Ren bowed and said, "I will head back to the lodgings and take the rest of the day to cultivate and comprehend as tomorrow I will be spending more time in forging hall."


    Samaira nodded and said calmly, "Do well, I will come and check on you every week."


    Hao Ren bowed and shook his head as he replied, "Senior, you can summon me to the directorate."


    Samaira looked at Hao Ren and internally thought, ''Senior? Me? Bastard you manhandled me in the house of my man as if I am a chick. How cunning are you?''


    Hao Ren then took his leave without caring about what the lady had to say. As he came to the lodging, he thought and said, "System, withdraw five lotteries from the left over."


    *You remember them? I thought you wanted to prove to the world that you are invincible on your own. Anyways, that''s not my concern, here, five withdrawals.*


    *Fifty years of cultivation*


    *Comprehension of World Titan Cultivation Sutra (Great success)*


    *Blueprint for nine star spiritual sword.*


    *Pill recipe, Soul Slave Pill*


    *Blueprint for Spiritual Puppet*


    Hao Ren was surprised by the flow of spiritual energy in his body and then his cultivation rose to middle of World Human realm. Then his brain was flooded by the higher level of his Titan cultivation sutra. There were a few extreme Yoga poses that would help him refine his physique even further.


    Then he began to inspect the blueprints in his mind and the pill recipe. He smiled and said, "System, you dog, you rock!"


    *Hmph, asslicker.*


    Hao Ren didn''t mind the grumpy yet smug system, he began to stabilize his cultivation and the night passed. As he opened his eyes, Han Lingshi communicated with him and asked, "Umm, Ren, I think I have provoked some trouble for you."


    Hao Ren raised his eyes and asked, "What is going on?"


    The lady coughed a little and said, "Well, the situation is that, a young master was hitting on sister Hao Mei, so she told him to leave, but then I couldn''t help it and froze him up. When Ye Yin investigated, it turned out that this guy is the youngest son of the Southern Director. What shall I do?"


    Hao Ren sighed and said, "Since you have already used a heavy hand, just go all the way and freeze even his soul."


    Han Lingshi was shocked and asked, "Won''t it cause trouble?"


    Hao Ren replied, "No, Kano Ty is an enemy, weaken his forces. Kill that kid, and then leave quickly. The auction has been settled, right?"


    Han Lingshi replied, "Yes, it is all settled, I will be leaving now."


    Hao Ren didn''t have to worry about how the people would leave, because they had a squad that minded remote teleportation array. He stood up and said, "Give me your location, I will come over to collect the teleportation array remnants."


    The young lady nodded and said, "Good."


    After a few minutes, Hao Ren reached a slightly vacant alley, and he could hear the hustle bustle coming from the distance, seems like the people had recognized the dead son of the Southern Director, and he quickly dissolved the isolation barrier and illusion array before he went closer to the Teleportation array and collected it inside his space ring completely removing all the traces.


    He then went back to his accomodation, only to find Xiao Yu waiting for him. The young lady bowed and said, "Master, I had just left Madam alone for a bit and then she got into a situation."


    Hao Ren waved his hand and said, "Don''t worry so much, it is sorted, find me a nice mansion near the Council. Find me in the refining hall later on."


    Xiao Yu nodded, and Hao Ren went to the refining hall, where he was greeted by bows from apprentice refiners and the masters of the lower status. He bowed to greet the only Nine-star artifact refiner in the refining hall, the person was an old man, Master Kai.


    Master Kai asked, "Xiao Ren, what do you want to refine?"


    Hao Ren told him the metal, and the old man waved to an apprentice under his tutelage, and said, "Bring Master Ren the metal."


    The old man said, "I will be checking the quality of your artifacts. I hope you don''t take offense."


    Hao Ren smiled and shook his head as he said, "How can that be? With you here, I will get to learn a lot Master Kai. Huhu, if I manage to ascend to nine star level, I will treat you to the best wine in the city."


    Old Man Kai had a stern face, but he loved wine, and hearing this, the old man smiled and said, "Good."


    Hao Ren then began to work with the metal and smelt it using his spiritual flames. Then he raised the hammer and the grinding began.


    ...


    While Hao Ren was grinding himself in the refining hall, using the enemy resources to grow stronger, an old man stood before the frozen body of a young man. This old man was Kano Ty, and the sculpture belonged to his youngest son, Kano Rey. He asked with a deadpan face, "How did it happen?"


    A middle-aged man said, "Master, Young Master sent me away to bring an aphrodisiac that he wanted to use on a female he liked. However, those ladies didn''t give in, and one of them attacked with a flame, the flames were so cold that they froze the Young Master even before he could act. Even the protection methods that you left on him couldn''t come through. When I reached the lady had gone, I extracted the information from the people around who witnessed the scene and they told me everything."


    After a few minutes of silence, Kano Ty looked at the man and waved his hand and the man exploded into a burst of flesh and bones. The old man said, "Go and compensate his family."


    The servant nodded and left quickly, Kano Ty was about to say something when a middle-aged man dressed in yellow robes walked in. The person was the eldest son of Kano Ty, then he looked around and raised his brow as he asked, "Father, we have a clue on the liquid metal."


    Kano Ty turned his focus to look at his eldest son and asked, "What is it?Tell me quickly Lai."


    His eyes were filled with fervor, and obsession. The young man said, "Well one of the researchers broke down, although he died, he said that the liquid metal is not a metal, but it is a living thing. This metal has a spirit."


    Kano Ty furrowed his brows and asked, "Spirit, how can a metal come alive? Hmmm, looks like I have to consult him."


    He turned his eyes to look at his elder person and said, "Deal with the funeral of your brother, I have to deal with something."


    The old man vanished from his place, and then he appeared inside a secret room, he walked up to a crystal ball that was placed in the center of the room. He channeled his spiritual energy into the crystal ball, and a young man''s face appeared inside.


    The person asked, "What is it?"


    The old man said, "Your Highness, we have found a clue."


    "Speak."


    Kano Ty bowed and said, "Your Highness, they said that the metal is alive."


    The cold looking young man frowned and said, "Hmm, alive. Maybe it works the same as infused spirits. Good, I will experiment here, and when I have the liquid metal, the Spirit Siphon Continent will be mine."


    Kano Ty bowed deep and said, "Long Live Demon Moon."


    The young man was the prince of the Demon Moon Country, a hellish place that believed in slaughter and command only.

 Chapter 476: Face Off.

    Hao Ren was inside the refining hall, and he was working like a machine, every sword that he produced was better than the last, and the people were shocked. They didn''t understand how he managed to do this, even the Nine Star Master, Old Man Kai was shocked, he almost thought that he had been wasting his life.


    This monster called Hao Ren was going crazy and every ten swords, the percentage of Spiritual energy flow was increasing by one percent. This speed of growth was not unbearable, but even more so, abominable. They didn''t know what to do to make him stop, because one day, they ran out of materials that Hao Ren needed to make the sword.


    Today was the seventh day, his seven hundred swords he had refined, were all placed on a table, and they were neatly lined up. It was noon when Samaira appeared inside the workshop and she came under the cover of inspecting the articles. She checked them and then nodded in approval.


    She looked at Hao Ren and said using spiritual communication, as she held the sword in her hand and turned down to check it, "There is a news, the youngest of the five sons of Kano Ty is dead. He was killed by a girl, however, the old man left the corpse to be dealt by his eldest son and he went to the secret dungeon in his mansion. From what my spies gather, I am sure he is conspiring something big."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "It seems that whatever he is planning to do is related to the liquid metal in his mind."


    Samaira agreed and asked, "What shall we do?"


    Hao Ren asked, "Get me to meet with Kano Ty once, I will decide then, is that possible?"


    Samaira thought and nodded before she said, "I will arrange something for you."


    Hao Ren nodded and then waved his hand at her to leave. Thankfully the people didn''t witness the interaction or they would have puked blood for him to treat the Director like this. Samaira had a small exchange with Elder Kai, who nodded repeatedly and then left the place.


    Old Man Kai sighed, and said, "Xiao Ren, you are so blessed. The Director just said that you will get a proper rest for a day from now on, and not to exhaust yourself."


    The young man nodded and bowed to Old Man Kai and then he left the refining hall to get to his room and comprehend all that he had learned. He was not etching the step by step improvisation entry on his Halo, it wasn''t a journal, but he was etching the meaning of refining the artifacts that he had come upon in the past few days.


    ...


    After a day, Hao Ren was back to refining the swords and he was growing even quicker than before. His hammer and his flames became the only thing that remained in the refinery, other people just stood by to watch him refine the swords. They were learning from his movements and his concentration. With everymove, his carved muscles rippled and the people could even detect the power generation path.


    Suddenly, Hao Ren said, "Muscles are like springs that store energy, if you move the springs, the energy moves with them too. All the muscles are connected, and when you move them all in a perfect sequence, they generate the maximum force you need. However, not every strike needs maximum force, so you ought to find the balance and the exact amount that you need to purify the metal and refine it with perfection.


    After your body, you need to sense the metal, that is the hard part after all, you are holding it with a pair of tongs, the best solution is to run your spiritual energy over the surface of the artifact and try to find the changes with every single strike. The method is exhausting but it works like magic.


    Also, each of you swines will get me wine for the lecture. I am not sharing it for free."


    The people broke away from the stupor and chuckled. Hao Ren paused and turned around to look at the people and said, "Old Kai, you have to note their names, and if they dared to skip the wine tribute, complain to the Director."


    Old Kai laughed and said, "You got it. I have some wine on me so take some from me first."


    Hao Ren chuckled and the rest of the people realized that he was not arrogant, he just didn''t like to talk much as he focused on his craft. After sharing a goblet of wine, Hao Ren said, "Old Kai, I will cook some spirit food for you lot on the occasion of my rank promotion."


    Silence!


    The entire place fell silent, and then Hao Ren raised the latest sword that he had refined and handed it to Old Kai who took the hint and channeled spiritual energy inside the sword and his hands shivered. He mumbled, "Perfect flow!"


    All the refiners who heard this got agitated as if they were chicken and have seen blood. Old Kai passed on the sword to the rest of the people and he looked at the young man beside him before asking, "You rascal, how long had you been hiding this? Were you holding back in your assessment?"


    Hao Re chuckled and said, "Hahahaha, I am not that omnipotent. I just broke through while refining last week. It gave me a lot of insights and when I pondered upon them I found many ways to solve the problems and improve my level. That was all."


    As he finished speaking, the people returned the sword, and Old Kai said, "Tomorrow is the day when Director Samaira comes for the weekly inspection, you should tell her about this, and she will take you to the assessment and handle your promotion process."


    Hao Ren nodded and said, "I will do just that, I also wish to meet with the other directors."


    Others thought he probably wanted to learn from the older people, but they didn''t know that he had another motive.


    ...


    Samaira was sitting inside her office, and reading a report, before she sighed and said, "This kid sure is a monster. He has my entire grassroot agents in his control. However, it is good that he is strong, he has no reason to deceive me. I heard that Xiao Yu has been searching for a nice mansion near the council, hmm, I shall help her out or she will keep searching in different districts like a brain dead puppet."


    Then she stood up and stretched her body before saying, "It is time I go and find Hao Ren again, Kano Ty is getting out of hand in search of Liquid Metal."


    ...


    When she came to the refining hall, she was shocked to find Hao Ren advancing to the pinnacle of the Ninth Star Refiner. She finally had the reason to throw this guy in a cage with Kano Ty and watch either one of them die and the other find her loyal. She was calculative despite the poison in her body because that was how humans worked in this world.


    She said, "Come with me to the directorate and we will get you a new badge."


    Hao Ren nodded and followed her, after they left the refinery, Samaira said, "I have some news."


    The young man said, "Listening."


    Samaira clenched her fists and forced herself to calm down, as she said, "Kano Ty''s eldest son has killed one of the researchers who gave him a clue."


    Hao Ren''s gaze turned cold and he asked, "What was the clue?"


    Samaira said, "It was something about the Liquid Metal being alive."


    Hao Ren shook his head and sighed as he said, "The loyalty they had is something you calculating cowards can never know. Bring me to Kano Ty, now."


    Samaira nodded and then they quickly came to the Council Tower, and Samaira was greeted with bows and praises, but she took Hao Ren to the chambers of the district directors hurriedly. She also gave him a calm hint when they were on the steps, "Please don''t do something too loud, it would be very risky."


    Hao Ren looked at her and said, "Don''t teach me. If I die, you would still get the best of it."


    Samaira gulped and came to the room of the southern director and knocked on the door.


    A hoarse voice sounded from inside, "Who is it?"


    Samaira said, "Director Kano, I have come here with a native from Crescent Moon, he has something to tell you."


    Hao Ren nodded at her, and the door was pulled open from the inside and an agitated old man appeared before the young man. The old man grabbed Hao Ren''s collar and asked, "What do you want to tell? Make sure that it is important or you will die."


    Hao Ren smiled calmly and said, "The Liquid Metal does not have spirit, it has technology, special arrays ingrained on the particles to make it work in different manners."


    His words shocked the old man and then Hao Ren said, "That is all that you will know."


    His hand was placed on Kano Ty''s abdomen and he unleashed his spiritual flames directly to burn a hole through the Dantian as if a spear of flames stabbing through Kano Ty''s body. Then Hao Ren used his other hand to slap Kano Ty, and sent him flying back inside the room, with Samaira watching the scene like a stupid wooden dummy.