Chapter 115: Leaving Shanghai by Night

Xiao Cheng probably never imagined that the side effect of that slap yesterday would complete Zhuo Qinglian’s transformation from a girl into a woman.

After their passionate encounter, they were both left panting and drenched in sweat; while the union of two cultivators might seem effortless, it was, in truth, a physically demanding task. Once in the bathroom for a shared shower, Xiao Cheng found his restraint failing again at the sight of Zhuo Qinglian’s graceful figure. She resisted slightly, but in the end, she yielded to him.

Exhausted from the repeated bouts of intimacy, Zhuo Qinglian felt as though she had no strength left. She collapsed into Xiao Cheng’s embrace and, to her own surprise, fell into a deep and peaceful sleep.

She had been very busy lately. Since Xiao Cheng used his family’s influence to eradicate Yan Hongde, the Hongde Pavilion had been left leaderless, an opportunity Zhuo Qinglian was certainly not going to let slip by.

Watching her sleep so soundly, Xiao Cheng felt a surge of tenderness. This life was far more brilliant than his previous one; at the very least, he was no longer the reckless, immature boy in her eyes, but someone she could rely on. The sensation was real and profoundly grounding.

Xiao Cheng allowed her to rest in his arms without waking her, using the time to meditate and heal his internal injuries in preparation for his trip to Mount Shenfeng.

The trip was not a spur-of-the-moment decision but a long-standing plan. He was determined to obtain the Creation Heavenly Origin Fruit. In his past life, Mu Hongru had accidentally consumed one and, starting from scratch, became the youngest Golden Core expert in a hundred years within just three years. The fruit’s immense power was evident—it was exactly what he needed.

He had not known what the fruit was in his previous life, but having inherited the vast and complex knowledge contained within the Three Lives Jade Slip, he now understood its true nature.

According to the records in the jade slip, the Creation Heavenly Origin Fruit was an extremely rare spiritual fruit. Its growth conditions were harsh: it could only grow upon a Nascent Soul.

A Nascent Soul was something only high-level cultivators in the Nascent Soul stage possessed. Generally, when such a cultivator died, their Nascent Soul would dissolve into dust, never leaving behind a physical form. This was what made the growth conditions for the fruit so demanding.

The sole effect of the Creation Heavenly Origin Fruit was physical refinement. Once consumed by an ordinary person, their body would transcend its mortal limitations and become a spiritual body. This constitution was far better suited for cultivation, allowing one to resonate with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and absorb it through the skin, vastly increasing the efficiency of energy conversion.

As it was a fruit meant for physical refinement, it was best consumed before reaching the Foundation Establishment stage. This was the very reason Xiao Cheng had been suppressing his own cultivation speed since his rebirth.

A solid foundation was the only way to go further on the path of cultivation.

After circulating his internal energy through a few minor cycles, Xiao Cheng felt his internal injuries subside slightly; the healing properties of the Nine Profound Immortal Sutra were truly remarkable.

By the time Zhuo Qinglian awoke, it was already evening. Xiao Cheng told her he would be away for two or three days and asked her to look after his sister-in-law, Fang Yujia, briefly explaining the situation regarding the forced marriage. Zhuo Qinglian gave him a flirtatious, meaningful glare, thinking to herself that he was a greedy one, keeping his eyes on the pot while eating from the bowl, yet she agreed without hesitation.

It was night by the time they arrived at the Tomson villa. Fang Yujia opened the door with a joyous expression, only to freeze when she saw Zhuo Qinglian standing behind him.

Fang Yujia thought the woman was exceptionally beautiful, radiating a bewitching, feminine charm while possessing an ethereal quality that even she, as a woman, found captivating.

Fang Yujia frowned. She had long been aware of her brother-in-law’s womanizing ways, but bringing a woman home was another matter entirely.

However, she found Zhuo Qinglian somewhat familiar. She suddenly realized this was the same woman she had seen when searching for Xiao Cheng last time. Since Xiao Cheng had been shot, she had likely been the one caring for him, and a flicker of gratitude toward Zhuo Qinglian stirred in her heart.

"Welcome," Fang Yujia said. By nature, she was a cold person, and though she felt grateful, she could not bring herself to be overly effusive, offering only a polite welcome.

Having joined the Xiao family quite late, Fang Yujia had not known Zhuo Qinglian previously, and this was their first real meeting.

"Hello. I’ve heard Xiao Cheng praise you as being as beautiful as a celestial being, and seeing you today, it is certainly true," Zhuo Qinglian said, not stingy with her compliments. Having climbed her way up from the very bottom of society, she was naturally more polished in her social dealings than the average person.

Hearing that Xiao Cheng had praised her, Fang Yujia felt a bit awkward. A brother-in-law praising his sister-in-law in front of his own woman felt inherently strange.

Xiao Cheng, who had been worried about potential conflict between the two, was relieved to see the transition go smoothly.

"Sister Yu, let me introduce you. This is Qinglian!" Xiao Cheng said with a smile.

"Oh? Nice to meet you!" Upon hearing the introduction, Fang Yujia realized this was the same Zhuo Qinglian who had frequently visited the Xiao family estate years ago to perform Kunqu opera for their grandmother. She had heard Ning Jingzhe speak of her before, and now, Zhuo Qinglian did not seem as terrible as she had been described.

"Grandmother has often mentioned your Kunqu singing lately," Fang Yujia said.

The three of them sat on the sofa, and Xiao Cheng began to explain his upcoming departure.

"Sister Yu, I plan to leave Shanghai for a few days to take care of some matters. I’ve asked Qinglian to stay for a while to keep you company and help out." He did not mention the forced marriage or Wang Qiyi, only speaking of mutual support.

Fang Yujia finally understood. Her brother-in-law had brought Zhuo Qinglian to look after her. She knew he was referring to the pressure from the Fang family and looked at Zhuo Qinglian with gratitude.

She knew from Ning Jingzhe that Zhuo Qinglian was a powerful expert. For someone of her status to come specifically to care for her was a favor granted both to her and to Xiao Cheng.

At the same time, a sense of melancholy washed over her. Zhuo Qinglian was incredibly beautiful, capable, and influential. By comparison, she felt she was nothing. Without the backing of the Fang and Xiao families, she had no status or power; she was all alone, possessing only her looks.

Zhuo Qinglian could share Xiao Cheng’s burdens, while she could only be a source of worry and injury for him.

How useless she was!

"Sister Yu, regarding what we discussed yesterday, has the company started working on it yet?" Xiao Cheng asked. This was a crucial part of his plan, one that would bring the Xiao family significant revenue next year to hedge against the risks posed by other family enterprises.

"Yes, it’s already on the agenda. The cure for rabies is showing some progress..." Speaking about her area of expertise, Fang Yujia finally felt a bit better. At least she wasn't entirely useless; she could still help Xiao Cheng in these aspects.

Xiao Cheng nodded, gaining a deeper appreciation for his sister-in-law’s efficiency. With her overseeing these matters, he felt much more at ease.

"Qinglian, please take good care of things these next few days. If you encounter anything you can't resolve, call Hong Jiuling. I will give him a heads-up," Xiao Cheng added, not wanting to leave things to chance.

He had told Zhuo Qinglian about the Fang family's pressure but had not mentioned Wang Qiyi. The move involving Hong Jiuling was a precaution against Wang. Wang Qiyi was still recovering from his injuries and was no match for Hong, so if things went south, he believed Hong Jiuling would be more than happy to act as his enforcer.

With everything arranged, Xiao Cheng breathed a sigh of relief. He was currently too thinly spread, worrying about so much just by leaving Shanghai. It was clear he needed to increase his strength and develop his own forces immediately.

After a meal, it was past nine o'clock when he left the Tomson villa. Mount Shenfeng was located near the Yellow Mountains in Anhui, not too far from Shanghai. Xiao Cheng drove through the night; he was determined to secure the Heavenly Origin Fruit.