Dual Cultivation System: My Cultivation Was Crippled, So I Rely on Intimacy to Level Up

Chapter 197: Madam Wang Jealous? Gentleness Reserved Only for the One Beside the Pillow

Upon hearing this, the flamboyant smile on Gao Feiyang’s face instantly shifted into something far more suggestive. He covered half of his face with his folding fan, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper.

“Senior Brother Zhou, regarding those two little beauties of yours… leave it to me. Rest assured! I’ve already arranged for them to stay in a secluded, luxurious courtyard within Shangqing City. They’ll be pampered in a golden cage, completely safe and sound!”

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

Deep within the outskirts of the Ten Thousand Demon Mountains, a secluded valley echoed with the roar of a beast. A flash of brilliant sword light cleaved the air.

Boom! A massive Iron Back Demon Wolf, radiating an aura comparable to an early Foundation Establishment Cultivator, let out a final, mournful howl before collapsing heavily to the ground.

A petite, lovely figure leaped from the dense forest. Her movements were impossibly light and agile, as if she were truly riding the wind itself.

The young girl’s longsword pulsed with Spiritual Energy. With practiced ease, she split open the demon wolf’s skull and extracted a faintly glowing beast core.

It was Li Lanyin.

Under the dappled sunlight, her face looked more radiant and captivating than ever.

“Husband, look!” Li Lanyin held the core high, skipping joyfully toward Zhou Kai, who was leaning casually against a tree trunk nearby. She presented it to him like a cherished treasure.

Zhou Kai took the core and used the opportunity to pull her into his embrace. Lowering his head, he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Not bad at all. You’re already capable of slaying an early Rank 2 Demon Beast all on your own.”

For the past two months, he had rarely left her side.

They had climbed towering peaks together, looking down at the churning seas of clouds. They had strolled through the most bustling markets, where Zhou Kai shamelessly bought her every piece of jewelry and silk dress that caught her eye for more than a second.

And, like today, he had taken her deep into the untamed wilderness, personally guiding her through life-and-death combat and teaching her the brutal art of hunting Demon Beasts.

No matter how pragmatic or clear-headed Li Lanyin was, she was still just an eighteen-year-old girl.

At the age of first love, how could she possibly withstand such a relentless wave of gentle yet domineering affection? She had gone from merely resigning herself to her fate to actively snuggling against his chest, a clever smile always gracing her lips. Her heart had thoroughly, irrevocably fallen.

“Husband, I… I have already reached Foundation Establishment.” Li Lanyin leaned against his chest, her voice carrying a trace of dreamlike wonder. “I never thought I could have a day like this.”

She tilted her head up. Those eyes, which had once held nothing but indifference, were now brimming with starlight and adoration.

“Everything you have done for me, Lanyin remembers in her heart,” she whispered, gazing fixedly at him. “In this life, I will never betray you.”

The moment those words left her lips, a long-awaited chime echoed in Zhou Kai’s mind.

[Ding! Beauty Li Lanyin Affection +10! Current Affection: 100 (Unwavering)!]

Zhou Kai smiled faintly, pulling her even tighter against him.

Finally. My beauty puzzle is missing only the last, and most difficult, piece.

With a mere thought, he pulled up his system interface to inspect his “family assets.”

Those 15 maidservants had originally been at Qi Condensation Grand Perfection. Months ago, thanks to the “force-ripening” effect of his system points, every single one of them had shattered their bottlenecks and broken through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

If word got out that the eastern side of his spirit mountain was now a bona fide “Foundation Establishment Support Group,” it would scare a crowd of people to death.

Just as he had calculated, the five maidservants who were novices in the paths of Alchemy, Artifact Refining, and Formations were steadily providing their corresponding points.

But what pleasantly surprised him was that among the remaining 10, one actually provided Talisman points!

With this revelation, the last shred of utilitarian motivation for pursuing Mo Qianyuan vanished.

Can’t a man have just one normal, platonic relationship with a Junior or Senior Sister? Zhou Kai chuckled to himself. He and Mo Qianyuan had already settled into a very comfortable dynamic.

Once Mo Qianyuan learned that he was dabbling in talismans, she had guided him with utmost dedication. Sure, she was strict—demanding that he sit perfectly upright, that the talisman paper be flawlessly arranged without a single frayed edge—and she certainly had a sharp tongue.

But, whatever. It was a pleasant, leisurely life.

Some relationships were best left exactly as they were.

Zhou Kai’s gaze drifted to Master Li Yunmian’s stats on the System Panel. Her Affection was sitting at a rock-solid, completely immovable 90 points. He couldn’t help but sigh.

The older they get, the more they’ve seen. And the more they’ve seen, the harder their heart’s defenses become. Forget it. It’s just a matter of grinding away like water on stone. I can wait.

With the matters in the mountains settled, it was time to check on his business in the city.

In a prime location at the very heart of Shangqing City, a massive three-story pavilion had risen practically overnight. The architecture was stunning, featuring intricately carved beams and painted rafters that exuded pure luxury. On the grand plaque above the entrance, three large characters were written in a vigorous, flowing script: Heavenly Craft Tower.

On opening day, Mo Qianyuan, Gao Feiyang, and Shen Hanyi had all stood outside to show their support. Gao Feiyang had even publicly announced that “Proprietor Wang” of the Heavenly Craft Tower was none other than the Jade Maiden under Elder Yunmian—a person of exceedingly noble status.

With the terrifying prestige of a Golden Core Great Cultivator backing it, and the personal support of the Calamity Abyss Valley prodigies, business naturally boomed. Absolutely no one dared to pick a fight or cause trouble.

At this moment, within the luxurious private room of the Heavenly Craft Tower, Zhou Kai sat cross-legged. His head rested against the softness of Wang Qiaoqiao’s chest, a look of immense enjoyment on his face.

Wang Qiaoqiao’s delicate jade hands rested on his shoulders, gently massaging his muscles.

Faint purple lightning flickered at her fingertips—the manifestation of the Thunder Spirit Root her husband had defied the heavens to obtain for her. Thinking of this, waves of honey-sweet warmth flooded her heart.

“Husband, thanks to Senior Brother Gao playing matchmaker, the Qian Family has become our most stable raw materials supplier. Their prices are very fair,” Wang Qiaoqiao murmured softly.

“The Dharma Treasures refined by Sister Yu, those third-grade Pills you gave me, and Senior Sister Mo’s third-grade Talismans have become the ultimate treasures of our store.”

As she spoke, she picked up a peeled spirit fruit and brought it to Zhou Kai’s lips. “And that Quenching Spirit Bee honey? It’s practically being snatched off the shelves! The cheapest jars go for one Spirit Stone, but the premium jars are fetching fifty!”

She then retrieved three Storage Bags from her waist. “Here. This is this month’s tribute for Master. And these two are the profit-sharing dividends for Senior Sister Mo and Senior Brother Gao.”

In the center of the private room, Wang Daishan and Wang Xu’er, both clad in sheer, enchanting gauze, were dancing gracefully.

When the song ended, the two women hurried forward to brew a fresh pot of tea for Zhou Kai.

As she served the tea, Wang Xu’er’s gaze lingered on Zhou Kai’s handsome face for an imperceptible moment longer than necessary.

Zhou Kai didn’t even twitch an eyelid. Wang Qiaoqiao naturally reached out, intercepted the teacup, and brought it to his lips herself.

After taking a leisurely sip, Zhou Kai spoke in a lazy drawl. “These two… how about I give them to you as maidservants to order around?”

The words hung in the air. Wang Daishan and Wang Xu’er, who were tidying the tea set, both froze stiff.

Back in the day, the three of them had all been legitimate daughters of the Wang Family, destined to be offered up to Chen Xingze.

Who could have predicted fate’s cruel twist? Chen Xingze had been slaughtered by Zhou Kai. Wang Qiaoqiao had followed Zhou Kai and soared into the heavens, becoming the undisputed mistress of the Heavenly Craft Tower.

Meanwhile, Daishan and Xu’er had been reduced to unofficial concubines, lacking even the formal status of maidservants. And now, they were being told to serve their former clan sister.

Wang Daishan had ambitions, but she was sharp. She understood her precarious situation perfectly. Without a moment’s hesitation, she knelt to the floor and pressed her forehead to the ground.

“Everything is at Senior’s discretion. Daishan is dull-witted. In the future, I hope Sister Qiaoqiao will offer me her guidance.”

Wang Xu’er, however, bit her lip. A flash of stubborn unwillingness crossed her face. She refused to kneel. Instead, she took two steps forward, her beautiful eyes glistening with tears as she looked pitifully at Zhou Kai.

“Senior… Xu’er only wishes to serve Senior alone. With Sister Qiaoqiao, we are also sisters. Why must we distinguish between master and servant? It will only create unnecessary discord…”

Wang Qiaoqiao’s hands continued their gentle massage, but her voice dripped with ice.

“Husband, listen to her words. It sounds as if I’m deliberately making things difficult for her. Just now, when she made tea, she only knew to serve you. It seems her eyes couldn’t even see me, the legitimate wife.”

“Oh?” Zhou Kai finally opened his eyes. His gaze swept lazily over Wang Xu’er before he reached up and pinched Wang Qiaoqiao’s cheek. “When did you become so petty? They are your clan sisters, after all, and there’s no real bad blood. Why not give them some face?”

Hearing this, a glimmer of hope ignited in Wang Xu’er’s eyes, and she straightened her back slightly.

Zhou Kai chuckled lightly and sat up.

In a fraction of a second, the smile vanished from his face, replaced by an expression of dead, emotionless calm. His eyes became deep, unfathomable abysses. Just looking at them made Wang Xu’er’s heart tremble in terror.

Without any visible movement, two crimson Talisman papers, radiating a faint, bloody light, materialized in his hand.

He flicked his finger. Two drops of crimson Essence Blood shot from his fingertip and merged into the paper.

The blood talismans floated effortlessly in front of the two women.

“Sign it. Death Contract.” His voice was flat, devoid of a single ripple of emotion. “From now on, you will assist Qiaoqiao with all your heart. I will only say this once.”

Wang Xu’er’s face turned deathly pale. Looking at the ominous, blood-colored talismans, her entire body began to shake.

She finally understood. Zhou Kai’s earlier words about “giving face” weren’t a defense of her. It was a cold, brutal reprimand for her failure to understand her place.

Trembling uncontrollably, she and Wang Daishan pressed their fingers to the paper and signed their names.

The moment the contract bound their souls, Wang Qiaoqiao let out a light hmph. The pressure of her hands on Zhou Kai’s shoulders increased slightly, her tone turning incredibly sour.

“It’s not that I hold any grudges against them. It’s just that I didn’t expect you, Husband, to act one way in public and another in private! Who knows where else you’ve found other women behind my back!”

“Madam Wang is jealous now! She’s furious!”

Zhou Kai was instantly amused. He grabbed Wang Qiaoqiao by the waist and, amidst her startled gasp, pulled her into his lap so she was straddling him.

He put on a stern face, his eyes sharp as he began spouting absolute nonsense with a completely straight face.

“Me? Find other women? I wouldn’t have to if you hadn’t made my women disappear!”

He stared intensely into Wang Qiaoqiao’s eyes, his voice dropping into a dramatic interrogation. “Tell me. Where have you hidden Chuntao and Xiahe?”

Wang Qiaoqiao was utterly bewildered by the sudden question. Genuine surprise flashed across her face.

“Chuntao and Xiahe? Husband, haven’t you never touched them? Back when they were offered to you, you didn’t want them. I thought you found them to be eyesores, so I had them… kept away from your sight.”