Dusk deepened as the carriages returned to the residence.

Su Wan rushed out to meet them, eyes red. She pulled Xiao Qing tightly into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

Once her emotions steadied, she immediately regained the composure expected of the household matriarch.

With one hand, she instructed people to help Xiao Zhatian back to his room. With the other, she held Xiao Qing’s hand tightly, then cast a long, searching look at Xiao Che—countless unspoken words contained within that glance.

…

Xiao Residence.
Righteous Sword Pavilion.

The courtyard lamps were already lit.

Xiao He stood watch by the door. The moment she saw Xiao Che, her eyes lit up and she hurried over.
“Young Master! You’re finally back.”

Her hands moved quickly as she prepared hot tea and a fresh towel.

Xiao Che took them, roughly wiped his face, then downed a mouthful of hot tea.

“Thanks for your hard work, Xiao He. Go get some rest.”

She answered softly, but still lingered there, looking as though she wanted to follow him in and continue serving.

Xiao Che felt a little uncomfortable under her gaze and waved his hand. “I can handle it myself. Go on, get busy.”

Only then did Xiao He retreat, a trace of grievance on her face.

Xiao An had been standing silently in the corridor. When Xiao Che glanced his way, he bowed slightly and withdrew as well.

Xiao Che closed the door.

At last, the room fell completely quiet.

He walked to the table, braced himself against its edge, and sat down on the round stool.

Closing his eyes, he let out a long breath.

So much on his mind…

So much had happened in a single day that he really needed to sort it all out.

In his previous life, an overworked corporate drone who’d dropped dead from exhaustion.
Now, transmigrated into the cultivation world as a so-called useless young lord.

He’d shared intimacy with a peerless female emperor, gained her ten-thousand-year primal yin, restored his cultivation to the seventh layer of Foundation Establishment, and even received a congenital spirit treasure called the Hongmeng Heavenly Book.

As long as resources were sufficient, it could endlessly deduce cultivation techniques.

Today, he’d used ruthless methods to cripple a mortal enemy, brought his sister home, intimidated everyone present—and somehow ended up saddled with a massive debt of one thousand “contribution points.”

But more importantly, he’d truly felt the warmth of blood ties.

In this life, he had a family.

In this life, within the cultivation world where longevity was possible, he had to live brilliantly—and protect that warmth.

And right now, what mattered most was strength.

Strength required resources.

His consciousness sank into his storage ring.

A pitiful one-meter-square space held only thirty or forty low-grade spirit stones, a Qingfeng Sword, and three jade slips containing basic cultivation techniques.

The White Deer jade pendant Bai Ling had given him, smooth and translucent, stood out as the most eye-catching item inside.

Xiao Che frowned slightly and shifted his thoughts.

“Xiao An.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

Xiao An answered immediately, pushing the door open and entering, hands folded respectfully.

“How many resources does the Righteous Sword Pavilion still have under its name?”

Xiao An clearly knew the accounts by heart and replied without hesitation, his voice low.

“In reply to Young Master, there are one hundred and seven spirit stones left on the books. As for mundane gold and silver, those are plentiful—several tens of thousands of taels, all stored in the treasury.”

One hundred and seven… Even adding what he had on hand, it wouldn’t reach one hundred and fifty.

Still absurdly far from the Hongmeng Heavenly Book’s requirement of “one thousand low-grade spirit stones for a single strand of Hongmeng qi.”

Xiao Che’s fingers tapped the tabletop unconsciously.

Making money.

Right now, the most urgent thing is making money.

With that thought, he flipped his palm and took out the small White Deer jade pendant from the storage ring.

“Seven days from now, the White Deer Academy’s preliminary selection in Cangyun City—what’s the procedure?” Xiao Che asked bluntly.

Xiao An was clearly well-informed and answered smoothly.

“In reply to Young Master, that is the academy’s unified entrance grand examination. It’s held once every three years, simultaneously across the thirty-six prefectures. Any cultivator under thirty can participate. They mainly test spiritual roots, cultivation level, and mental fortitude. All results are sent to the main academy, ranked uniformly, and admissions are decided based on merit.”

“Understood.”

Xiao Che nodded.

Seven days from now, he had to go—and he had to win decisively.

This wasn’t just a promise to his sister. It was also the fastest way to access higher-tier resources and resolve his current ‘money problem.’

After dismissing Xiao An, Xiao Che sat cross-legged on the bed to circulate his qi for a little under half an hour. By then, the night outside had grown deep.

The door was gently pushed open, bringing with it a trace of moist warmth.

Xiao He walked in, freshly bathed. She wore only a close-fitting plain white inner garment. Her dark hair, still damp, fell loosely over her shoulders, tiny droplets clinging to the ends.

Steam had flushed her cheeks pink, and her eyes—like black grapes soaked in water—looked especially tender under the lamplight.

This girl… was downright lethal.

She held a clean towel and, out of habit, walked up to Xiao Che. Her voice was soft and sweet.

“Young Master, let Ah He help you change and rest.”

The sound was like a feather brushing against his ear.

As she spoke, she naturally reached out, her fingertips lightly touching the lapel of his outer robe.

Xiao Che’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily.

A personal maid—by the customs of this world—was already a candidate for a bed servant.

In the dead of night, with warm candlelight…

If he really took her, it would almost seem… only natural?

The thought had barely surfaced when a certain spot at his lower back reflexively twinged.

Almost at the same time, an annoyed female voice seemed to echo in his mind, as if right by his ear.

…Forget it. Staying alive was more important.

Almost immediately, he raised his hand and pressed down on her wrist.

The touch was warm yet slightly cool, carrying the unique softness of a young girl’s skin.

Xiao He looked up at him in mild surprise.

“No need.”

He released her, his voice drier than he’d expected. “I’ll do it myself. You… dry your hair and go to sleep early.”

Xiao He blinked, a little confused, but she never disobeyed him. “Oh… then Young Master should rest early too.”

She obediently stepped aside, went to her small couch, sat down, and slowly wrung out her hair with the towel—though her gaze still drifted toward Xiao Che from time to time.

Xiao Che removed his outer robe, leaving only his inner clothing, blew out the lamp, and lay down.

In the darkness, his senses sharpened.

The faint breathing from the other side, the light milky fragrance—all of it was clearly perceptible.

Across two lifetimes, this was his first time sharing a room with a girl in the quiet of the night. A subtle, uneasy tension quietly spread.

In the dark, certain images replayed over and over in his mind.

The flushed cheeks.
The damp, glistening eyes.
That cool, soft touch at his fingertips…

Forget it. She was only fifteen or sixteen. If he really did something, what would that make him? A beast?

But… when the meat’s right at your mouth, and you do nothing, doesn’t that make you worse than a beast?

…Stop! Neither his life nor his waist could afford that kind of damage.

After a moment of silence, he suddenly spoke, his voice low in the darkness.

“Xiao He.”

“Mm? Young Master?” she responded immediately, her voice soft.

“You’ve been in the residence for ten years now, right? Do you remember anything about your family?”

The other side was quiet for a short while.

“I don’t remember.”

Her voice carried a hint of confusion. “I only vaguely remember… being very hungry, very cold. Then I was sold. The broker brought me to the residence. The old madam was kind and bought me, assigning me to serve Young Master.”

She paused, her tone turning content.

“From then on, the residence became my home. Young Master… became the person closest to me. I have food to eat and clothes to wear, and I even get to learn about characters by following Young Master. It’s really nice.”