"If the flowers bloom, the butterflies will come."

Shen Qiang, holding an oil-paper umbrella, looked at the river's surface rippling under the rain and suddenly remembered the phrase his teacher had chalked on the blackboard before the college entrance examination.

Bai Jiao, usually sweet and charming, glanced at Shen Qiang with a shy look in her eyes during their brief eye contact, then quickly and discreetly shifted her gaze to the river.

Shen Qiang smiled.

His mood inexplicably improved a lot.

And upon careful consideration, that once puzzling phrase had now become a reality.

Bai Jiao.

The heiress of the first-rate Cheng Xinyi family, sweet and lovely, with a delicate and exquisite stature.

Truly a famed belle in the Cultivation World.

In the entire Cultivation World, countless suitors, including scions of prominent families, disciples of major sects, wealthy merchants, and social elites, pursued her. If one wished to court her, one had no choice but to surpass these rivals.

But now, Shen Qiang was not pursuing her.

Instead, it was she who was testing Shen Qiang's reactions, like a butterfly fluttering before a flower, gently probing, only wanting to know if the flower wanted her to alight.

It was the same as with the other women around Shen Qiang.

Whether it was the campus belle, Xin Xiaoting, or the most beautiful freshman, Miao Xiaoxia, they were all the supreme goddesses in many a man's heart.

They were proud, noble, gorgeous, and beautiful, like goddesses worthy of their worship.

They racked their brains just to receive a smile from them but never succeeded.

But when with Shen Qiang, things flowed naturally; without pursuit, rarely any romance. Thinking about it now, had Shen Qiang ever really done anything for them like those lovestruck fools?

The answer is no!

Shen Qiang did nothing.

Shen Qiang only made his life brilliant, allowing himself to shine as resplendently as a blossoming flower.

And then, they came to him on their own.

Just like the current Bai Jiao.

Many pursued her—each a handsome and elite figure in the Cultivation World or business realm.

Yet in their presence, Bai Jiao behaved proudly, like a princess spoiled with adoration.

But now, she simply stood quietly, her arm entwined modestly yet shyly with Shen Qiang's, watching silently as the raindrops struck the river, creating ripple after ripple.

He withdrew his hand from Bai Jiao's arm.

The silent Bai Jiao froze, nervous, embarrassed, and somewhat despondent, her eyes filled with doubt as if her heart had been broken.

But at that moment, Shen Qiang's arm wrapped around Bai Jiao's slender waist, fiercely pulling her into his embrace.

Then he lowered his head and gently moved closer.

Bai Jiao froze, her delicate body stiffened, but her eyes brimmed with anticipation, and suddenly, she tiptoed.

In the rain, beneath the umbrella.

Amid the tapping of the rain on the umbrella, the two kissed passionately.

After a long while.

Their intense kiss ended, and four eyes met, Bai Jiao's eyes full of shyness.

But as soon as she turned her head, she was stunned.

Not far away, her extraordinary father stood calmly under a large black umbrella held by an attendant, watching her.

Bai Jiao hesitated, and though it was awkward, she immediately introduced, "Shen Qiang, this is my father, Cheng Xinyi Chairman Bai Shiyi."

Shen Qiang smiled and said, "Nice to meet you, Chairman Bai."

Standing under the large black umbrella, Bai Shiyi, with an expressionless face, commanded, "Take the young miss back. I will take a walk with Shen Qiang."

Upon hearing this, the attendant holding the large black umbrella directly approached Shen Qiang and Bai Jiao, then respectfully said, "Miss, it's time for us to go back."

Bai Jiao, nervous, said, "Dad, we..."

"Don't say anything, just go back first," Bai Shiyi stated indifferently.

Bai Jiao hesitated, but then had no choice but to turn around and follow the attendant away.

Watching Shen Qiang holding the oil-paper umbrella.

Bai Jiao's father, holding a black umbrella, turned and walked toward a man-made pavilion beside the river embankment road.

Shen Qiang quietly followed behind him.

Once inside the pavilion,

Bai Shiyi placed the open black umbrella on the ground. Then, ignoring everyone else, he sat on the stone bench inside the pavilion and scrutinized Shen Qiang, who was seriously folding up his oil-paper umbrella and hanging it on the side of the pavilion.

"Few can achieve Foundation Establishment with Demon Essence, and in the past hundred years, only you have done so."

Bai Shiyi's opening remark slightly surprised Shen Qiang, but Shen Qiang then said, "Perhaps there are more people who have done it, just that you are unaware."

"Perhaps," replied Bai Shiyi coldly, looking calmly at Shen Qiang, who now sat across from him on another stone bench, and getting straight to the point, he said, "If you want to marry my daughter, you need to send away those women around you; otherwise, stay away from my daughter."

"I appreciate your straightforwardness," Shen Qiang calmly said, staring into Bai Shiyi's eyes. "But the answer is no."

Bai Shiyi's gaze suddenly turned sharp as he said in a deep voice, "Young man, don't try to provoke me. You might have some minor fame, but you are not on my level yet."

Shen Qiang looked at him calmly, methodically took out tea sets from his Storage Ring, used True Yuan to boil water, then continued making tea calmly on the stone table while saying, "I will not betray those women who silently support me, not now, not ever."

"Send them away," Bai Shiyi demanded coldly. "Our Bai Family can offer you much more support."

"I thought mature men didn't indulge in daydreams," smiled Shen Qiang.

"Then stay away from my daughter!" Bai Shiyi said icily.

Shen Qiang smiled and said, "I won't betray Bai Jiao either, so I cannot fulfill your request."

Bai Shiyi's expression grew colder, and he looked at Shen Qiang seriously, saying, "Do you think just because your Heshenghe has a few capable demons, you can do whatever you wish? Don't force me to destroy it, because for me, that would be as easy as flipping my hand."

"The Long Yan Sword Sect thought the same initially," Shen Qiang said indifferently, raising an eyebrow. "But you know the outcome."

"Are you threatening me?" the look in Bai Shiyi's eyes brightened slightly.

Shen Qiang finished brewing two cups of tea and pushed one towards Bai Shiyi, saying, "It's a warning because I'm stronger than you think."

Bai Shiyi laughed, "Because you might become an Alchemist and you have a highly skilled Alchemist master? Do you think the only ones who can refine Gathering Qi Powder belong to your master's family? Or do you think a single Divine Grade Pei Yuan Pill from your master will make all cultivators comply wholeheartedly?"

Shen Qiang smiled, "No, but those items could draw interested cultivator buyers to Wanxin Hesheng."

Bai Shiyi laughed, "No one can shake the position of Cheng Xinyi."

With a calm gaze and a smiling face, Shen Qiang calmly picked up the tea cup in front of him and smiled, "What if I added a Jiazi Pill that can extend an ordinary person's life by sixty years, a Half Armor Pill that can extend a cultivator's life by thirty years, and a Thousand Return Pill that anyone can use to extend their life by a hundred years?"

"

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