On the way home.

"Daddy, I want to go on a picnic with my classmates," Xu Yiyi said, her voice soft and tender as she sat on Xu Lai's shoulders, eating cotton candy.

"Okay."

"But Mommy seems very busy..."

"No problem, I'll talk to her," Xu Lai said firmly.

A true warrior dares to face death. Since his darling daughter made a request, what kind of father would he be if he didn't agree?

"Daddy."

Moved to tears, Xu Yiyi hugged Xu Lai and gave him a big smooch, which delighted him to no end.

Hehe, my daughter is so adorable. It would be worth it for that kiss, even if Ruan Tang punished me by making me kneel on a washboard!

「An hour later.」

Sitting behind the desk at home, Ruan Tang didn't look up from her documents. "I have an important meeting tomorrow," she said. "It's not possible."

Peeking from behind the door, Xu Yiyi's big eyes grew dejected.

"Woman, you're going too far!" Xu Lai, sensing his precious daughter's change in mood, slammed his hand down on the table.

"Hmm?" Ruan Tang's eyes were sharp as knives as she looked at him coldly.

Xu Lai's momentum deflated instantly. "...Let's talk about the meeting later. Do me a favor, okay? I've already promised my girl."

Ruan Tang leaned back in her chair and beckoned with a smirk. Xu Lai leaned in to listen.

After hearing his wife's demand, Xu Lai feigned shock. "What, you want a kiss? No way! I won't sell my charm!" he refused righteously.

Ruan Tang was completely baffled. When had she ever said that? She had just asked Xu Lai to cook some more dishes, like spicy crawfish, for the picnic!

"Daddy, it's just a kiss with Mommy, it's no big deal," Xu Yiyi's voice called out weakly from outside the door.

Xu Lai reluctantly agreed. "Alright, for my daughter... I'll do it!"

Then, as Ruan Tang stared in stunned disbelief, Xu Lai quickly pecked her on the cheek and ran off like the wind.

"Xu Lai!!!"

Ruan Tang's angry voice echoed throughout Haitang Court.

When Ruan Lan got home, she saw her brother-in-law on the balcony with a troubled frown.

"Yiyi, what's wrong with your dad?"

"My dad is a hero. To take Yiyi on a picnic tomorrow, he agreed to Mommy's unreasonable demand."

After learning the full story from Xu Yiyi, Ruan Lan's expression was incredibly complicated. How could my sister ask Xu Lai for a kiss? It's clear that he was the one taking advantage.

"Brother-in-law, you've got some nerve, taking advantage of my sister and still getting Yiyi to admire you," Ruan Lan remarked.

"Can you call it taking advantage when it's between a husband and wife?" Xu Lai said, propping his hands on the railing and looking out at the sea. "The wind today is quite boisterous."

"..."

What more could Ruan Lan say? She could only forgive her brother-in-law on her sister's behalf and discuss how to win her over, as she felt obliged to help, seeing as a favor accepted is a debt owed.

"My sister is a bit of a neat freak. She only wears a nightgown to bed, and underneath... hehehe... I suggest you just force the issue and make it a fait accompli!" Ruan Lan slapped her thigh, thrilled with her own idea. "Isn't my plan just brilliant—"

THUMP!

Before she could finish, Xu Lai flicked her on the forehead. "Warning: that'll get you arrested!"

"Didn't you two do the same thing before?" Ruan Lan cried, clutching her forehead with teary eyes.

"We were drunk back then, and it was consensual, understand?" Xu Lai said with a stern face.

"Then just get drunk again," she suggested.

"..."

Xu Lai stared at Ruan Lan with a deep gaze. She felt inexplicably flustered and clutched her forehead. "If you hit me again, I'll beat you up! I'm a Taekwondo black belt, you know!"

"Your sister would definitely shed tears of joy if she knew her little sister was scheming to sell her out."

"Can you call it scheming when it's between sisters?" Ruan Lan retorted.

Just then, Ruan Tang came downstairs. Xu Lai said lazily, "Honey, your sister..."

"Your sister!" Ruan Tang replied coldly. "Is standing on the balcony too comfortable for you? How about kneeling on a washboard instead?"

"Daddy, you can't argue with Mommy!" Xu Yiyi pouted, her voice sweet.

Xu Lai was frustrated. "That's not what I meant..."

Ruan Lan giggled, patting Xu Lai's shoulder. She spoke with mock gravity, "Brother-in-law, any act of betraying your teammate will be punished by the heavens."

Xu Lai fell silent, quietly thinking about what to prepare for the picnic tomorrow. Xu Yiyi had said the outing would last three days, and their destination was Jiuye Mountain, on the border between East Sea City and Liu City. The place had a lake as well as a hot spring resort. Most importantly, Jiuye Mountain was home to a vast forest with a rich variety of flora and fauna, making it an excellent spot for camping.

Xu Lai rejected his dear wife's idea of preparing food in advance and packing it. After all, he's a man with a Storage Space. Ingredients taste best when they're prepared fresh.

In reality, there was no need to bring anything, as the kindergarten would have everything prepared. It was an aristocratic kindergarten, after all, with an annual tuition of 300,000, which covered all sorts of expenses. Still, taking advantage of the evening glow, Ruan Tang and Ruan Lan took Xu Yiyi shopping for swimsuits and other things for the hot springs.

Not long after the three of them left, Xu Lai suddenly sensed something. He looked down the mountain, where two figures were quickly approaching.

One was a middle-aged man and the other a white-haired elder. The former was burly, with the build of a bear, while the latter, a stooped-over old man with a goatee, had to pause and pant for breath every few steps. He looked like he already had one foot in the grave.

"Master, this is Mount Haitang," the middle-aged man said respectfully.

"HUFF..." The white-haired elder took a deep breath, his eyes glinting with a sharp light. "Indeed, this is the Spirit Vein!"

Yan Tingshan stood with his hands behind his back, his voice tinged with pride. "From this day forward, Mount Haitang shall be my, Yan Tingshan's, cave abode. Wang Liu, we're going up the mountain."

"But Master," Wang Liu hesitated, "there's a rumor in the Martial Dao World that this place was blessed when the Flower Fairy entered the Divine Gate Realm, and that she left it for her illegitimate child..."

The Flower Fairy. No one knew her real name. At sixty, she reached the Ninth Grade and became the third female Great Martial Sect. And ten years ago, she was rumored to have reached the pinnacle of the Ninth Grade. If she could just break through that final barrier, she would enter the legendary boundary! That was why she chose to enter secluded cultivation. The Martial Dao World hadn't heard from her for ten years. For her to reappear now...

Yan Tingshan, who had only reached the Eighth Grade two years ago, also began to have second thoughts. But all of Huaxia's Spirit Veins were already occupied by Great Martial Sects or top-tier Sect Gates. Without a Spirit Vein, how could one's Martial Dao cultivation level advance rapidly?

Yan Tingshan declared coldly, "I don't care if it's related to the Flower Fairy or not. This Mount Haitang... I want it!"

"Yes, Master." Wang Liu nodded, supporting his master Yan Tingshan as they walked step by step up Mount Haitang.

A thick Spiritual Energy washed over them, and greed surged in the depths of their eyes. This is no ordinary Spirit Vein! The richness of its Spiritual Energy far surpassed that of the Shushan Mountain Range.

But all of a sudden, Yan Tingshan felt a gaze land upon him. He instantly broke out in a cold sweat but dared not make a single move.

He had a horrifying premonition. If he so much as moved, that terrifying, unseen existence would crush him to death with ease!

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