Chapter 9 Shaken
"Do you want to use the Foundation Establishment Cultivation Grand Gift Package?"
"Use it!"
He didn't hesitate.
"The Foundation Establishment Cultivation Grand Gift Package is being used…"
"The Foundation Establishment Cultivation Grand Gift Package has been used successfully! The Host's current cultivation has broken through to the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm!"
As soon as the System prompted, Chen Qing immediately felt his Dantian become vast and full. A powerful energy spread through his meridians, flowing through his limbs and bones, filling his entire body.
He had indeed broken through to the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm!
Foundation Establishment cultivation, before joining a Sect, was definitely a very impressive achievement.
Even the entry requirements for those large Sects were merely reaching the second or third layer of the Qi Refining Realm.
If Chen Qing were to participate in the assessment with his Peak Foundation Establishment cultivation…
Assessment? There was no need for any assessment; he would directly join the inner courtyard, choose a personal Master, and enjoy the treatment of a Prodigy!
However, at present, Chen Qing had no intention of joining a Sect. What could a Sect give him?
It was better to plan early and focus more on Xia Qingyue, so that she would willingly consummate their marriage with him sooner, and he could obtain Dominator cultivation.
By then, with the Undying and Imperishable Body and Dominator cultivation both in hand, the protagonist? It was fine if he didn't provoke him actively, but if he dared to provoke him, Chen Qing would definitely eliminate him!
Hiding the System panel, Chen Qing glanced at Xia Qingyue, who was staring blankly at the sugar figurine, motionless, and said, "Eat it, don't worry, it's not poisoned."
"It's too beautiful, I can't bear to eat it," Xia Qingyue blurted out her true feelings.
Chen Qing seized the opportunity and said, "Oh, what's there to bear or not bear? If you want to eat it in the future, I'll draw another one for you."
"…" Xia Qingyue hesitated, her beautiful autumn-water eyes looking at Chen Qing, a ripple she herself hadn't noticed, fleetingly appeared.
Since Chen Qing had said so much, Xia Qingyue was worried that if she didn't eat it, he would misunderstand.
She could only open her thin lips, take the sugar figurine into her mouth, and feel the sugar threads melt, the sweetness filling her mouth…
As they walked, Chen Qing noticed that Xia Qingyue's walking posture was a bit strange.
"Wait!"
Chen Qing suddenly spoke. Before Xia Qingyue could react, he had already squatted down, lifted Xia Qingyue's skirt, revealing her ankle.
"You, what are you doing!" Xia Qingyue said nervously.
"When did this happen? Why didn't you say anything earlier?" Seeing Xia Qingyue's red and bruised ankle, Chen Qing's face showed a look of blame.
"It's nothing, just a small injury, you don't need to worry about it." In fact, when they encountered assassins earlier, Chen Qing pulled Xia Qingyue behind him, and due to the uneven ground, she twisted her ankle.
"How can that be!" Chen Qing walked in front of Xia Qingyue, turned his back to her, and squatted down, "Come up, I'll carry you back."
How could Chen Qing miss such a rare opportunity to spoil his wife?
"This…" Xia Qingyue looked hesitant.
On one hand, she didn't want to have too much physical contact with Chen Qing.
On the other hand, this was a busy market. With so many people and so many eyes watching, Xia Qingyue felt very embarrassed.
"If you don't come up, I'll rebel," Chen Qing said solemnly.
"Don't scare me, I'll listen to you." Although she knew Chen Qing was just joking, Xia Qingyue didn't dare to gamble.
She took a step forward and lay on Chen Qing's back.
Chen Qing then lifted Xia Qingyue's thighs with both hands, said "Hold on tight," and then stood up.
Throughout the journey, Xia Qingyue buried her small face deep into Chen Qing's back, not daring to look at the surrounding people's gazes.
Recalling, the last time she was carried like this was when she encountered a wild beast attack, was too scared to walk, and was carried by Ye Feng…
She quickly stopped her thoughts.
The more she thought, the more Xia Qingyue felt she was letting Ye Feng down.
He was clearly in an unknown state of life or death, yet she was here with another man…
"Oh! They're showing off their affection! They're showing off their affection!"
Hearing the joyful shouts of children in her ears, Xia Qingyue's face turned even redder.
She could hide her face, but she couldn't hide her equally red ears.
When the children's families saw that the person carrying someone was Chen Qing, the Devil King of Chaos, they quickly covered their children's mouths, knelt on the ground with a thud, and begged for his forgiveness.
Chen Qing naturally didn't care about these things.
There were things that concerned him more.
"Successfully pampered wife! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Fourth-grade Heavenly Profound Medicinal Pill +1!"
'A fourth-grade Medicinal Pill?!'
Chen Qing was already eager to refine this Medicinal Pill and quickly increase his strength.
Thinking about it, if this continued, perhaps before he even took Xia Qingyue, he could rely on the System's massive rewards to prematurely achieve Dominatorhood.
As he thought of this, a question arose in his mind.
He asked, 'System, if I achieve Dominatorhood prematurely, won't this reward be invalid?'
"Please rest assured, Host, the System rewards will only have a one-plus-one-equals-two effect!"
'That's good!'
Hearing the System say this, Chen Qing was relieved.
Double Dominator cultivation!
For him, it was no longer just attractive, but extremely attractive.
One layer of Dominator strength was already enough to dominate the entire Heavenly Profound Continent; with double Dominator cultivation, what difficulty was there in ruling for eternity?
Not to mention, he also possessed the Undying and Imperishable Body, allowing him to exist for a long time, continuously Cultivate, and increase his cultivation!
Before long, Chen Qing carried Xia Qingyue all the way back to the Chen Manor, to his and Xia Qingyue's bridal chamber.
After placing Xia Qingyue on the bed, he ordered someone to bring ointment.
He had Xia Qingyue sit on the bed, lift her foot, took off her shoes and socks for her, revealing a fair and delicate jade foot.
Seeing Xia Qingyue's shy expression, repeatedly trying to pull back her small foot.
Only then did Chen Qing confirm that unlike his previous life, women in the Heavenly Profound Continent cared much more about their feet being seen by others.
"It might hurt a little, bear with it," Chen Qing dipped some ointment with his finger and reminded Xia Qingyue.
"Mm," Xia Qingyue pursed her red lips and nodded in agreement.
Seeing that she was mentally prepared, Chen Qing began to apply the ointment, his movements extremely gentle.
Aside from the initial slight pain, Xia Qingyue could then clearly feel the pain disappearing, replaced by a warm sensation…
Looking at Chen Qing, who was diligently and meticulously applying the medicine for her, Xia Qingyue's heart was difficult to calm.
As a princess who had not experienced the world, whose emotional life was a blank slate, and who had grown up in the deep palace since childhood, being treated this way by a male, Xia Qingyue couldn't help but think, 'If there was no Brother Feng, then what about him and me…'
Halfway through her thought, Xia Qingyue suddenly reacted, startled by her own idea.
She quickly pulled back her small foot and said to Chen Qing, "It's fine now."
"Successfully pampered wife! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Communication Jade Talisman +2!"
Seeing that the reward was already in hand, Chen Qing didn't care.
After studying it, this Communication Jade Talisman was similar to a mobile phone from his previous life on Earth, or rather, its performance was more powerful; it could communicate without interference even tens of thousands of miles away.
Chen Qing couldn't think of a use for it for now, so he put it into the System backpack.
"Since that's the case, it's getting late, you should rest first," Chen Qing said as he stood up.
"What about you?" Being alone in a room with a man, Xia Qingyue couldn't help but feel nervous.
"I need to Cultivate," Chen Qing found a spot, sat cross-legged, took out a Medicinal Pill, and quickly entered a state of cultivation.
Feeling the powerful, terrifying spiritual might released from Chen Qing's body, Xia Qingyue was 100% certain that Chen Qing was definitely not a simple pampered young Master from a noble family.
She lay down, turned over, and closed her eyes.
Xia Qingyue tried her best to recall every detail of her past with Ye Feng, fearing that she would once again, like before, be confused for a moment and develop inappropriate feelings for Chen Qing.
'Brother Feng, don't worry, Xia Qinyue will definitely not do anything to let you down! Never! Xia Qinyue's heart will always belong to you!'
In a flash, it was midnight.
On Da Mang Mountain, in an unnamed Immortal Cave.
Ye Feng finished meditating. Having been in seclusion for half a year, he was already accustomed to opening the System panel at this moment and using his newly refreshed sign-in count.
"I wonder what kind of powerful reward I'll sign in for this time? I hope it can help me leave seclusion early." Ye Feng fantasized about leaving seclusion early, reuniting with his father and younger sister, and achieving a positive outcome with his childhood sweetheart, Xia Qingyue.
***
Chapter 10: Favorability increased?
He stopped thinking too much.
Seeing the System panel that popped up, with one sign-in attempt remaining and the option to sign in, Ye Feng clicked [Confirm Sign-in] without hesitation.
[Signing in...]
[Sign-in successful! Congratulations to the Host for receiving the reward: One Hundred Thousand Death Warriors Army!]
"A hundred thousand strong army, and they are all Death Warriors who only obey me!" After clearly seeing the reward content and repeatedly confirming it, Ye Feng was overjoyed.
With this One Hundred Thousand Death Warriors Army, even without Cultivation, he could contend with a Martial Emperor.
Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel smug. He wondered if, after emerging from seclusion, the Martial Emperor, knowing his top-tier Cultivation and his One Hundred Thousand Death Warriors Army, would still look down on him as before, giving him perfunctory excuses and refusing to agree to his marriage with Princess Xia Qingyue.
Most importantly, Ye Feng was certain that this mere One Hundred Thousand Death Warriors Army was definitely not the System's limit. In the next twenty-nine years, let alone one hundred thousand, even one million, ten million, or one hundred million, were not impossible to achieve!
Ye Feng couldn't help but fantasize in his mind: after emerging from seclusion, he would sweep across the entire Sky Profound Continent with a vast army, conquer it, then declare himself king, return triumphantly, and marry Xia Qingyue.
Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle with excitement.
He raised his arm, wiped the drool from the corner of his mouth, and swallowed.
Afterward, Ye Feng closed the System panel, adjusted his meditation posture, shook his head to clear out extraneous thoughts, and continued to enter a state of Cultivation.
Sign-in, Cultivate, sign-in, Cultivate... After half a year, he had long adapted to this repetitive rhythm.
Although it was monotonous, being able to clearly feel himself getting stronger was also a kind of enjoyment.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
After an entire night of Cultivation, Chen Qing's Cultivation had successfully Broken Through a major Realm, reaching the Golden Core Realm.
Subsequently, relying on the assistance of other scattered Medicinal Pills, coupled with his innate Comprehension Ability, he Broke Through to the second level of the Golden Core Realm as the sun rose in the sky.
Opening his eyes, he noticed a ray of sunlight shining through the window onto Xia Qingyue's face. Chen Qing stood up and walked over.
He used his body to shield Xia Qingyue from that ray of light.
[Successful Petting Wife! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Profound Rank High Grade Cultivation Technique, Diamond Body Protection Art +1!]
Just as Chen Qing had thought, this indeed counted as petting his wife, and he received a considerable reward.
He happened to be lacking a defensive Cultivation Technique, and the System conveniently provided it.
Chen Qing silently began to Cultivate this Cultivation Technique.
Unbeknownst to him, Xia Qingyue had actually already woken up and had been pretending to sleep.
She was surprised that Chen Qing had truly Cultivated for an entire night.
Initially, she had been worried that Chen Qing might act inappropriately after she fell asleep, so she didn't dare to sleep.
However, she couldn't resist the drowsiness and fell asleep at some point.
When she woke up again, she noticed the dazzling sunlight shining in from outside the window.
Just as Xia Qingyue decided to open her eyes and sit up, she heard Chen Qing's footsteps.
Thus, Xia Qingyue chose to pretend to sleep, originally thinking she would catch Chen Qing's hypocritical evidence, believing he couldn't keep up the act anymore.
Who would have thought that she was judging a gentleman by her own petty standards?
Xia Qingyue truly hadn't expected Chen Qing to be so gentle and meticulous.
He was willing to delay his Cultivation progress just to shield her from the dazzling sunlight...
Unbeknownst to her, Chen Qing was purely after the petting wife reward and wasn't thinking as much as she imagined.
But the effect was precisely what Chen Qing wanted.
The unexpected gains were not limited to this.
Chen Qing stood in place and Cultivated for a full hour, comprehending the Diamond Body Protection Art to the third level.
Xia Qingyue, who had not yet undergone her Awakening and was still an ordinary person, naturally couldn't perceive this.
In her eyes, Chen Qing had genuinely shielded her from the sun for two hours.
Xia Qingyue considered herself not to be a person with a heart of stone...
If she wasn't heartless, how could she not be moved?
Chen Qing's actions these past two days, in Xia Qingyue's perception, were absolutely the best anyone had treated her, besides Ye Feng and her father, Xia Cheng.
As a husband, he was definitely an excellent match.
'No! I can't keep thinking like this!'
Realizing she had once again "betrayed" Ye Feng, Xia Qingyue quickly stopped her thoughts, opened her eyes, and sat up from the bed.
Just as Chen Qing finished Cultivating, he saw her and immediately ordered someone to bring a basin of warm water, intending to personally wash Xia Qingyue's face.
He couldn't miss this opportunity to earn petting wife rewards.
"I can do it myself."
"Ah!" Xia Qingyue's words had barely left her mouth when Chen Qing refused her, "It's better if I do this kind of thing."
Xia Qingyue couldn't contend with Chen Qing's assertiveness. Watching him rinse the washcloth, she finally couldn't hold back and asked, "Why are you so good to me?"
She didn't remember any ill-fated connection between her and Chen Qing at any point in their lives.
"You are my wife. As your husband, isn't it only natural for me to be good to you?" Chen Qing retorted earnestly.
"…" This single sentence left Xia Qingyue speechless.
Seeing Chen Qing's serious expression, Xia Qingyue finally realized: Yes, it was only natural for a husband to be good to his wife.
She understood that Chen Qing was truly earnestly fulfilling his responsibilities as a husband, and only she was being indecisive...
The more she thought about it, the more a sense of guilt welled up in Xia Qingyue's heart towards Chen Qing.
"Come, wife, close your eyes. I'll wash your face for you." Chen Qing looked forward to what kind of petting wife reward he would get.
Xia Qingyue obediently complied.
Chen Qing placed the warm towel over her face...
[Successful Petting Wife! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Grade 3 Scarlet Feather Medicinal Pill +10!]
Grade 3 Medicinal Pills! Ten of them??
Chen Qing clearly remembered that previously, when he also washed Xia Qingyue's face, neither the quality nor the quantity of the rewards were as high as now.
Why? Chen Qing didn't understand.
Then, the System provided an explanation: [The strength of the target object "Xia Qingyue's" favorability towards you will also affect the quality and quantity of the petting wife rewards!]
'So that's it!'
Seeing the detailed explanation from the System, the confusion in Chen Qing's heart was finally resolved.
'Hiss! Wait a minute?'
But the next moment, he realized something was wrong.
'Favorability is a factor in the reward level. Now that the reward has increased, doesn't that mean her favorability towards me has increased?'
[Replying to Host, yes.]
The System gave an affirmative answer.
'Interesting!'
Chen Qing immediately became interested.
He felt that if things continued like this, he wouldn't be far from the Martial Emperor Realm!
After wiping her face once, Chen Qing turned to rinse the washcloth again. Although he wouldn't wash Xia Qingyue's face a dozen times like before, once was certainly not enough.
Looking at Chen Qing's busy figure, Xia Qingyue's emotions were complex.
She hesitated several times before speaking.
Seeing him wring out the washcloth and turn around, Xia Qingyue gritted her teeth, hardened her heart, and asked, "Since you have no intention of using me to rebel, why did you marry me?"
***
Chapter 11 If There Is an Afterlife...
Upon hearing this, Chen Qing, while wiping Xia Qingyue's face, countered, "Does Madam believe that the only reason I want to marry you is to use you to rebel?"
... Xia Qingyue was speechless.
[Successful Wife-Pampering! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Comprehension Ability +10!]
Chen Qing seized this opportunity to greatly narrow the distance between him and Xia Qingyue, continuing, "Does Madam believe in love at first sight?"
"Love at first sight?" Xia Qingyue was full of confusion.
"Exactly." Chen Qing nodded, then turned to rinse the face towel, and continued, "The first time I saw you, I had a strong desire to be with you for the rest of my life. At that moment, I recognized you, I wanted to have you, and in this life, it can only be you!"
With their eyes meeting, Chen Qing brought his acting to its peak.
As a Rebirth person who had lived another life, even if he hadn't eaten pork, had he not at least seen pigs run? He had simply seen too many of these corny love confessions.
Picking out any two lines felt like a dimensionality reduction attack.
From the ripples and waves that appeared in Xia Qingyue's eyes, it was not difficult to see that his words had indeed achieved significant results.
The subsequent System reward further proved this point.
[Successful Wife-Pampering! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Comprehension Ability +20!]
On the other hand, after learning Chen Qing's "true" thoughts, Xia Qingyue immediately understood him.
Because Xia Qingyue harbored the same feelings for Ye Feng.
With just one glance, she had recognized him; it could only be him!
Their eyes met, and looking at the deeply affectionate man before her, Xia Qingyue couldn't help but feel guilty towards him.
She thought to herself, 'If it were you, you should be able to understand me, right? In this life, I am destined to let you down. If there is a next life…'
[Successful Wife-Pampering! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Charisma +20!]
[Successful Wife-Pampering! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: Comprehension Ability +30!]
...
After repeatedly gaining wife-pampering rewards six or seven times, Chen Qing finally let Xia Qingyue off the hook regarding washing her face.
Having completed everything, Chen Qing decided to take Xia Qingyue to offer tea to his father, Chen Xiong, as his daughter-in-law.
Xia Qingyue did not refuse. Nowadays, she no longer resisted such matters.
She thought that even if it was just a pretense, at least until Ye Feng returned, she would play the role of Madam well, trying her best to make Chen Qing feel more comfortable and reduce his guilt.
Before long, the two arrived at the Chen family's main hall.
Chen Xiong sat on the patriarch's seat, and upon seeing Chen Qing and Xia Qingyue arrive, he stroked his beard and laughed heartily, "A perfect match! Truly a perfect match!"
"Father, Xia Qinyue is here to offer you tea," Chen Qing said.
"Good, good, good!" Chen Xiong was overjoyed.
"Please drink your tea." Xia Qingyue walked up to Chen Xiong and handed him the pre-prepared tea. At this moment, she still couldn't bring herself to call Chen Xiong, the universally recognized treacherous official, 'Father'.
"Good, good!" Chen Xiong took the teacup, smiling from ear to ear.
He took a sip of tea.
Immediately, he took out a spatial ring and handed it to Xia Qingyue, "This is a small token of my affection, take it. If it's not enough, ask me for more."
"Thank you." Xia Qingyue glanced at Chen Qing, and seeing that he nodded, she accepted Chen Xiong's kind offer.
Then, Chen Xiong placed the teacup on the table, quickly walked over to Chen Qing, pulled him aside, and in a voice only the two of them could hear, whispered, "How is it? How's the progress?"
"What progress?" Chen Qing asked, feigning ignorance.
"What else could it be! Of course, it's about the Legacy of my Chen family's incense!" Chen Xiong was slightly agitated.
"It's not that fast, just be patient." Chen Qing shook off Chen Xiong's hand and walked towards Xia Qingyue, telling her, "Didn't you want to return to the palace? Let's go, I'll accompany you."
"Then... Xia Qinyue will take her leave first." When facing Chen Xiong, despite his very kind demeanor, Xia Qingyue couldn't help but feel apprehensive.
Chen Xiong acknowledged her, then ordered someone to prepare a carriage to send Chen Qing and Xia Qingyue into the palace.
Watching their departing figures, Chen Xiong suddenly gasped, "How come I suddenly feel that Qing'er seems much more handsome than before? This temperament, it's like a banished immortal descending to the mortal world!"
"Indeed, he is a member of my Chen clan, truly worthy of being my Chen Xiong's son!"
Ultimately, he rationalized it with such a reason.
On the other side, Chen Qing and Xia Qingyue got into the carriage.
Feeling the carriage wheels rolling and the journey beginning, Xia Qingyue handed over the spatial ring, "This is too valuable, I cannot accept it."
She had tentatively peeked inside earlier, and this spatial ring actually contained one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.
Regardless of Chen Qing, just this spatial ring and one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones already confirmed that Chen Xiong was undoubtedly a treacherous official.
After all, even the current Martial Emperor would find it absolutely not easy to produce one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones.
"What's there to not accept? You are my Chen Qing's Madam, you are his Chen Xiong's daughter-in-law. Let alone one hundred thousand High-Grade Spirit Stones, even a billion would be perfectly justified!"
While Chen Qing said that, he was thinking to himself that once matters here were settled, he would definitely extort a large sum from Chen Xiong.
Spirit Stones are not only the absolute currency for transactions between Cultivators and the secular world, but also excellent Cultivation resources.
Cultivators can absorb the Spiritual Qi stored within Spirit Stones and refine it to improve their Cultivation.
The higher the quality of the Spirit Stone, the more Spiritual Qi it contains.
Of course, if the Spiritual Qi is completely absorbed, the Spirit Stone will also become a useless rock, no longer possessing any value.
"Alright..."
Seeing that Chen Qing had spoken to such an extent, Xia Qingyue had no choice but to temporarily accept it, deciding to keep it safe.
When Ye Feng returned, she would return every single bit to Chen Qing, not owing him anything!
Before long.
The carriage drove through the Imperial Palace gates.
Seeing the Chen family's crest on the carriage, the guards didn't dare to speak, let alone block and check their identities.
They knew very well that in Great Wu, the Chen family's carriage was no different from the Emperor's Dragon carriage. If they blocked it, a few heads wouldn't be enough to lose.
Before long, the carriage stopped, and Chen Qing and Xia Qingyue got out.
"Come, be careful not to fall." Chen Qing naturally wouldn't miss this good opportunity to gain wife-pampering rewards, reaching out to help Xia Qingyue.
[Successful Wife-Pampering! Congratulations to the Host for receiving a random reward: longevity fruit +1!]
Chen Qing looked at the detailed description. After consuming this longevity fruit, one fruit could increase Lifespan by a hundred years.
For him, who now possessed immortality, it was naturally useless.
However, Chen Qing could easily imagine how many people, how many powerful individuals, would flock to him, breaking their heads to beg him for a transaction, if he were willing to trade longevity fruit.
He temporarily stored it in the System inventory.
In the time that followed, Xia Qingyue fulfilled her duty as host, and at Chen Qing's request, decided to take him on a good tour of the Imperial Palace.
His previous self had very few memories of the palace, disliking places that required adherence to rules.
As a Transmigration person, Chen Qing rarely had such an opportunity to broaden his horizons, so he naturally wanted to thoroughly understand the internal situation of the Imperial Palace.
After a tour, the two arrived at the Imperial Garden.
Various exotic sights and gurgling lake water came into view.
Chen Qing was about to say something when an unharmonious, mocking voice came from the side, "Heh, earlier she said she'd rather die to preserve her purity, but now she's here sightseeing and chatting happily with the treacherous official's son. How ridiculous! How pathetic! How lamentable!"
***
Chapter 12: Golden Core Realm
The four words'Son of a Treacherous Minister' echoed in Xia Qingyue's ears like a clap of thunder.
She turned her head and saw Chen Qing's Face immediately darken. Xia Qingyue panicked and quickly said, "My younger siblings are ignorant and speak without thinking. Please don't take it to heart."
"Don't worry, I'm not that irritable." Chen Qing gently patted the back of Xia Qingyue's hand, which was gripping his arm.
He then walked towards the pavilion where the princesses and princes were.
Xia Qingyue had no choice but to follow him.
Seeing Chen Qing walk towards them, the princes and princesses, who had just been righteously indignant, now showed expressions of worry and fear.
They had heard how arrogant and overbearing Chen Qing was.
They knew that simply being a prince would not deter him.
Half a month ago, a prince was slapped twice by Chen Qing in front of many ministers for offending him.
Although the royal family's Face was severely damaged, the Martial Emperor only punished Chen Xiong with half a year's salary for lax discipline.
As for Chen Qing? He received no punishment at all.
And that half-year's salary was not even a drop in the bucket for a powerful minister of Chen Xiong's caliber.
This further proved how astonishing the power of the Chen family father and son was in the Great Wu Dynasty; even when a prince was beaten, the Martial Emperor could only turn a blind eye and deal with it leniently.
Returning to Chen Qing, as he was about to step onto the pavilion's steps, a figure suddenly appeared.
"The princesses and princes are still young and do not know how to speak properly. I ask Young Master to be lenient."
Chen Qing was unfamiliar with this middle-aged man who spoke while cupping his hands, having never seen him before, but he immediately recognized him as a Cultivator at the Peak Foundation Establishment Realm, likely a guard secretly protecting the princesses and princes.
"A mere Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator dares to block my path? Get lost!" Chen Qing released his pressure.
"Golden Core Realm?!" The guard was greatly shocked.
He never expected that the rumored good-for-nothing, unlearned Devil King was actually a Cultivator.
Not only that, at such a young age, his cultivation actually surpassed his own, who had Cultivated for decades!
The guard was powerless to resist Chen Qing's pressure; it was as if an invisible mountain pressed down on his shoulders, his knees buckled, and he knelt with a thud before Chen Qing.
'Golden Core Realm?!'
Upon learning Chen Qing's current cultivation Realm from the guard, not only Xia Qingyue, but also the princes and princesses, were equally shocked and afraid.
This was completely different from the'son of a treacherous minister' they knew, who only relied on his father!
Among these princes and princesses, only one possessed cultivation talent, and even with the support of vast royal resources, he was currently only at the third level of Qi Refining Realm.
Yet, Chen Qing, who was clearly only a few years older than him, had already entered a cultivation Realm he could not hope to reach!
Thinking about how he had just considered Chen Qing a useless person who only relied on his father, he felt his cheeks burning with pain, as if he had been severely slapped by an invisible hand.
He asked himself, 'If he is useless, then am I not even worse than useless?'
Chen Qing's figure swept past the guard, who was still suppressed by his pressure, and came before the princes and princesses. "What did you say about my wife just now?"
...Everyone lowered their heads, not daring to answer.
"You find her pitiful? Ridiculous? Deplorable? Then who among you knows that if she hadn't compromised with me, a hundred thousand iron cavalry would have broken through the city gates today, stormed into the capital, and annihilated your Xia clan?" Chen Qing asked again.
Hearing these words, Xia Qingyue's heart trembled.
Only then did she realize that Chen Qing wasn't angry about being called the'son of a treacherous minister,' but rather angry that her reputation had been slandered, and he wanted to seek justice for her.
[Successful Wife-Pampering! Congratulations, Host, you have received a random reward: Shadow Puppet +10!]
'Ten Shadow Puppets with Peak Soul Emergence Realm strength!'
Chen Qing showed a look of surprise, truly not expecting such a generous reward this time.
That's right, the reason he staged this was because he considered that his wife Xia Qingyue's reputation had been insulted, and as her husband, stepping forward to defend her and protect her reputation was naturally a form of wife-pampering.
Facts proved his idea was correct.
As for his own reputation? That didn't matter. Chen Qing only wanted to pamper his wife and get rewards, so he could achieve the cultivation of a Great Emperor as soon as possible.
He firmly believed that as long as his strength was sufficient, there would naturally be great scholars to debate his Dao.
After Chen Qing's explanation, the princes and princesses finally realized how much their elder sister, Xia Qingyue, had sacrificed for them, for the entire Great Wu imperial family, and for the future of the nation.
They couldn't help but blush and feel ashamed.
"This time, for Xia Qinyue's Face, I won't bother with you. Behave yourselves!" Chen Qing, seeing his objective achieved, had no interest in continuing to fool around with these young princes and princesses. He turned and left.
At the same time, he withdrew his pressure, making the kneeling guard feel much lighter. However, he dared not rush to get up, willingly remaining on his knees.
As a Cultivator, how could the guard not know the Dao of respecting the strong?
"Madam, there are many beautiful sights in this imperial garden. Shall we go explore other places?" Chen Qing came before Xia Qingyue and suggested.
"Madam?" Seeing Xia Qingyue remain silent, Chen Qing raised his hand and waved it in front of her eyes.
"Okay!" Xia Qingyue suddenly snapped back to reality and agreed.
She left the pavilion with Chen Qing and walked away.
Along the way, she would occasionally steal a glance at Chen Qing with her Phoenix eyes.
She suddenly felt that the whole world had misunderstood Chen Qing, truly deceived by his exquisite acting skills.
Not only was he not a profligate, but he was also extremely shrewd, knowing how to conceal his brilliance and develop discreetly.
Although Xia Qingyue had not been exposed to much about the cultivation world, she knew that for Chen Qing to reach the Golden Core Realm at his age, talent and effort were both indispensable!
The more she looked, the more she felt she couldn't see through Chen Qing, as if gazing into an abyss, a sense of powerlessness permeating her entire being.
It was hard to imagine where the future of Great Wu would head if Chen Qing continued to grow like this.
Thinking of this, Xia Qingyue hesitated, her mind wavering about whether she should leave Chen Qing when Ye Feng returned in the future.
She didn't think Ye Feng would be Chen Qing's opponent.
At that time, if Xia Qingyue were to abandon everything, disregard the survival of the imperial family and Great Wu, and elope with Ye Feng to wander the world, she absolutely could not do it.
Xia Qingyue was weighing her options. Based on Chen Qing's attitude towards her these past few days, if she was willing to stay by his side, she could at least buy more time for the continuation of the Great Wu Xia clan.
At least she could persuade Chen Qing not to rebel with Chen Xiong, start a war, and create a cruel situation where the people suffered.
As long as she sacrificed herself, she could preserve so many people. In Xia Qingyue's view, it was definitely something worth considering.
After a brainstorm and weighing the benefits, Xia Qingyue ultimately firmed her resolve to stay by Chen Qing's side, sacrificing herself to preserve the lives of countless others.
'Brother Feng, you and I are fated to be without a connection in this life. It is destined that we will only meet again in the next life!'
Chen Qing could not read minds, so he naturally had no way of knowing Xia Qingyue's inner thoughts.
He caught a glimpse and thought of a new way to pamper his wife and get rewards.