[Ding! Wang Qiaoqiao’s Affection +30]

Zhou Kai raised an eyebrow.

Alright, she’s calculating her gains and losses again. After wavering between hope and fear, she’s finally figured things out.

Inside the quiet room, as the waves of passion subsided, Wang Qiaoqiao’s mind cleared.

She lay in the tangled sheets, her body still trembling slightly from the aftershocks, but her thoughts were sharp as a blade. She replayed every detail of her relationship with Zhou Kai.

The repair of her dantian was real; his weakness back then hadn’t been an act. The gruesome sword wound she had seen with her own eyes was real. His Qi Condensation Fourth Layer cultivation was absolutely true—spiritual energy fluctuations couldn’t lie.

So, Zhou Kai wasn’t some hidden senior expert playing games in the mortal world.

He was a monster. A true anomaly who had stumbled upon a heaven-defying body refining opportunity and luckily broke through to the Bone Forging realm.

That realization had initially caused her affection to plummet. She felt deceived.

But then, she thought again.

Zhou Kai has truly been good to me.

He was a Second Realm cultivator. Becoming a Third-Grade Alchemist was inevitable. There was even a possibility of him reaching the Golden Core in the future.

“Besides, I, Wang Qiaoqiao, am not an ungrateful wretch,” she whispered to herself, clutching the sheets to her chest. “Since I’ve already given him my body… from now on, I’ll follow him wholeheartedly!”

Her cheeks burned hotter at the resolve.

“Ahem.”

Zhou Kai gave a light cough, breaking the lingering silence. He reached out, his fingers brushing through her disheveled hair.

“Qiaoqiao, I still prefer your previous double-bun hairstyle. It was lively and cute. Just looking at it made me happy.”

Wang Qiaoqiao leaned into his touch. “If Zhou Lang likes it, Qiaoqiao will style it that way again later. It’s just… for daily business, this ingot bun appears more steady. It commands presence.”

Zhou Kai smiled and didn’t press further. “Alright. However, these next few days, you’ll stay here with me. Don’t go out.”

Wang Qiaoqiao paused, realizing the implication. “Mm. I’ll listen to Zhou Lang.”

Zhou Kai took Wang Qiaoqiao’s hand and pushed open the door of the quiet room.

“Big Brother Zhou!”

Chen Ziqing, who had been “coincidentally” waiting outside, immediately stepped forward.

Her beautiful eyes swept over Wang Qiaoqiao, taking in the slightly messy hair, the flushed skin, and the unmistakable scent of intimacy clinging to her. She covered her small mouth in feigned surprise.

“Oh my! Sister Qiaoqiao, what happened to you? Did something go wrong with your cultivation? Big Brother Zhou, you must take a good look. Don’t let Sister Qiaoqiao suffer any grievance.”

She took Wang Qiaoqiao’s hand with an intimate posture, her voice dripping with sugared poison.

“Sister stayed in the quiet room for so long; you must have gained something significant, right? Not like foolish me. As soon as Big Brother Zhou returned, he instructed me for three whole days, yet I haven’t seen any great progress. It’s truly shameful.”

Wang Qiaoqiao’s smile didn’t falter. She gently withdrew her hand and smoothed her hair back.

“Thank you for your concern, Sister Ziqing. Zhou Lang’s guidance is excellent; I benefited greatly. As for you, Sister, being at the Qi Condensation Second Layer at such a young age means your future is limitless. I can’t compare to such innate talent. Sister must not belittle herself and risk displeasing Zhou Lang.”

Wham.

The verbal parry was flawless.

Lin Zhiwei watched the scene from the corner of the courtyard. Her expression remained calm, but inwardly, she rolled her eyes so hard they nearly stuck.

In broad daylight. For half the day. Wang Qiaoqiao has lost her Primordial Yin… They really… Hmph! Men.

Zhou Kai glanced around. Chen Ziyi stepped out of her room, her expression serene.

“Everyone, come to the main hall. I have something to announce,” Zhou Kai said solemnly.

Inside the hall, the atmosphere was heavy.

Zhou Kai sat in the main seat. Chen Ziyi, Chen Ziqing, Wang Qiaoqiao, and Lin Zhiwei took their seats in turn.

“I’ve decided: the day after tomorrow, we kill Chen Xingze.”

The silence was deafening.

Chen Ziyi showed no surprise. She only nodded softly. “Husband, be careful in everything. Don’t let outsiders know.”

Chen Ziqing looked at Zhou Kai with sparkling, worshipful eyes. “Big Brother Zhou is so impressive! I’ve long disliked that Chen Xingze! Flaunting his status as the family’s Kirin Child and looking down on everyone! With Big Brother Zhou taking action, he’ll definitely be cut down! Ziqing will wait for your triumphant return!”

Lin Zhiwei nodded silently. “Senior Zhou, I can assist with formations.”

Wang Qiaoqiao’s heart, however, was in turmoil.

Chen Xingze?!

Zhou Kai actually wants to kill Chen Xingze… for me?

The thought made her heart race uncontrollably. Was it because she had been promised to Chen Xingze as a concubine? Was Zhou Kai venting his anger for her sake?

He treats me… this well?

A warm current surged through her body, and her eyes grew moist.

[Ding! Wang Qiaoqiao’s Affection +10]

Zhou Kai caught the shimmer in her eyes and felt a slight stir. This girl isn’t all calculation after all.

“Noon, the day after tomorrow,” he continued, his voice steady. “You all go wait for me outside the market first. After I deal with Chen Xingze, I’ll come meet up with you.”

Evening. The setting sun dyed the sky a bloody orange-red.

Zhou Kai arrived alone at Zhao Tieshan’s courtyard.

Zhao Tieshan was his usual forthright self. “Brother Zhou! A rare guest! Come in quickly! Sit! Drink! Drink!!”

They sat by the stone table. Zhao Tieshan poured two bowls of murky wine, sloshing it over the brim.

Zhou Kai picked up his bowl but didn’t drink. He looked at the burly blacksmith and spoke calmly.

“Brother Zhao… I found Uncle Sun.”

“Oh? Did you obtain the array?”

“No… He’s already dead.”

Clang!

The wine bowl in Zhao Tieshan’s hand trembled, hitting the stone table. He froze.

Moments later, he grabbed the wine jar fiercely, poured himself another large bowl, and laughed loudly—too loudly.

“Dead is dead! Him and me… we only met a few times anyway! Not close friends! Come on! Come on! Brother Zhou! Drink! Drink! Let’s not mention such depressing things!”

He insisted on clinking his bowl with Zhou Kai’s, then downed it in one gulp. He drank fiercely, as if trying to drown something clawing at his throat.

Zhou Kai watched him silently, drained his own bowl, and said nothing more.

Some things just needed to be hinted at lightly.

Two Days Later. Early Morning.

The sky was a bruised purple, just beginning to brighten.

In the Danyangzi Courtyard, Zhou Kai sat cross-legged in the center of the stone patio. His eyes were closed, his breathing slow and rhythmic.

The [Cicada Shell Art] was operating at full capacity, perfectly concealing his aura. To anyone watching, he appeared as a mere Meridian Opening Ninth Layer cultivator.

Time passed. The sun climbed high overhead.

At noon, the heavy wooden gates creaked open.

Chen Rulong and Chen Xingze arrived.

Chen Rulong wore his usual polite, scheming smile. “Master Danyangzi, we have come according to our agreement to collect the pill. I wonder how the preparations for the Foundation Establishment Pill are going?”

Chen Xingze stood beside him, his expression expectant and arrogant.

Zhou Kai stood up. A smile appeared on his face—though it didn’t reach his eyes.

“Patriarch Chen… Elder Chen… your esteemed presence honors us. My apologies for not welcoming you properly.”

He paused, letting the silence stretch just long enough to be uncomfortable.

“As for the Foundation Establishment Pill… the difficulty is too high. I lack talent. I’m afraid I cannot refine it.”

The smile on Chen Rulong’s face stiffened. A sharp, dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.

“What does Master Danyangzi mean by this? Do you intend to make fools of the Chen Family? Those materials…”

“Materials?” Zhou Kai laughed heartily, as if hearing a great joke. “Oh… those materials… naturally won’t be returned either.”

“Outrageous!”

Chen Xingze flew into a rage.

“A mere loose cultivator dares show such disrespect to our Chen Family?! Danyangzi! I think you’re tired of living!”

He took a step forward. The aura of a dual cultivator—Body and Law at the Ninth Layer—burst forth without reservation, rushing toward Zhou Kai like a tidal wave.

Facing the pressure, Zhou Kai remained unperturbed. His smile only widened, revealing teeth.

“Don’t be impatient, Elder Chen… Inviting you two here today isn’t simply about not wanting to return the materials…”

His gaze suddenly turned cold, freezing the air in the courtyard.

“I also want to invite you two… to leave your lives behind!”

Before his words could fade—

HUMMMM—!

A deep, resonant hum vibrated through the ground. The long-prepared [Hidden Kill Heaven-Confusing Array] activated instantly, sealing the courtyard from the outside world in a dome of invisible force.

Simultaneously—

The [Mountain Crashing Hammer] materialized in Zhou Kai’s hand.

“DIE!”

Zhou Kai roared violently!

His suppression vanished. Vitality surged within his body like a breaking dam! The terrifying power of the Bone Forging Realm poured unreservedly into the hammer.

Chen Xingze paled in horror, his eyes bulging.

“Bone Forging Realm?! You’re in the Bone Forging Realm?!”

Without hesitation. Without a single word of nonsense.

The Mountain Crashing Hammer, wrapped in a howl that rent the air, smashed down with the force of ten thousand thunderbolts toward the top of Chen Xingze’s head.

The young master’s face was frozen in a mask of shock and furious disbelief.