Fatty Wang's Courtyard,
Nestled amidst the mist-veiled foothills of the Verdant Pill Peak of Supreme peak Holy Land, Fatty Wang's courtyard stretched like a hidden oasis cradled in the arms of the mountain.
It was no humble abode, but a lavish sanctuary befitting the only son of Elder Wang, a master alchemist.
( Alchemist rank: 1-9, Master, grandmaster, saint, emperor... )
The courtyard itself was encircled by a fence of white jade, its surface etched with runic formations that shimmered faintly beneath the morning dew.
A narrow stone path, paved with polished spirit stones of varying hues, wound its way through the compound like a serpent made of moonlight and wealth.
Clusters of immortal orchids; rare and fragrant, bloomed in silence beside twin koi ponds, their petals stained with hues of imperial gold and frost-touched violet.
Twin Koi ponds are believed to bring a long live fortunes and heavenly virtues of ancestors.
It is also believed to increase the bloom luck for the holy son, increasing the chances of finding Dao companions.
...
Furthermore,
The air was steeped with the calming scent of burning incense, brewed from millennia-old sandalwood and the dried leaves of a Ten-Thousand-Year Heart Lotus, a fragrance known to temper one's spiritual fire and soothe inner demons.
Resting on a small swing made out of pure spiritual crystal, Fatty wang enjoyed the humble footwash of his maid.
His maid was a moderate looking maiden, with a slightly curvy figure, a medium jade mountain on her chest, and hip like the arc of a harvest moon.
"Holy son... few of my sisters said we will be going to hunt at Xitto forest, this humble maid lacks a good weapon, can you bestow me one, this one will never forget your grace," She said trying to please him.
She is an outer disciple of the sect, with below-average talent, currently at First Step of the Qi master realm.
Fatty Wang, garbed in a loose brocade robe embroidered with three golden cranes, lazily lifted one eyelid, revealing a gaze that shimmered like melted jade.
"Yaiiiii!!!" He yawned, the swing creaking softly beneath his considerable weight as he lifted a roasted spirit fruit to his lip; the one that had been soaked in kirinblood Wine for seven days and seven nights.
"Hmph... even ants crawl faster than your flattery today," he muttered, voice sluggish but not displeased.
What is there that Young Master Wang hasn't experienced?
He knows the flattery of such cheap women.
During his time, what was there he hadn't done, from taking the innocence of maidens of the sect, to bullying the weak.
After meeting Ye Chen, Qi Luck corrupted his mind and he remained low, acting like a dog to Ye Chen.
If Ye Chen says to go south then he would never go north.
...
The maid blinked, quickly lowering her head.
"This servant was too blunt, please forgive me. This lowly one's heart simply burned with longing… not for riches, of course! But to serve your divine grace more worthily, to not shame your shadow even in the wilds..."
Her eyes sparkled like moonlit water, lips curled into a practiced smile.
She subtly shifted her posture, letting her curves accentuate beneath the translucent layer of her robe.
Fatty Wang squinted at her, then chuckled, his belly jiggling slightly.
"Pfft… Little Yanyu, you speak of shadows and wilds, but your true Dao lies in the art of sweet words and softer gestures,"
Still, with a lazy flick of his hand, a low-grade spatial ring flew into her lap.
Inside it shimmered a beautiful silver dagger engraved with a powerful talisman.
Though only a mid-grade mortal artifact, to a Qi Master realm outer disciple, it was akin to a divine weapon.
Yanyu's breath caught. "T-this… this is too precious!"
Yet she made no attempt to return it.
Fatty Wang waved a chubby hand.
"Just a leftover toy from one of my father's apprentices. I was going to use it to chop spirit radishes,"
The spiritual garden is a forbidden area to others and only Fatty wang and a few selective disciples of his father can enter there.
She clutched it to her chest like a sacred treasure.
"Holy Son's generosity reaches across realms… I shall etch your kindness into my very soul!"
He rolled his eyes. "Just don't die in the first ten steps into the forest. Would be a waste of my radish knife..."
She giggled with sweet delight, then leaned in closer, whispering near his ear, "After the hunt… this one shall return to give her thanks… in a more personal way,"
Fatty Wang raised a brow, intrigued.
But before he could respond, a faint ripple passed through the spiritual formations guarding the outer edge of the courtyard! It was subtle, but present.
His smile froze.
He leaned back, eyes half-lidded.
"Hmm… Yanyu, go prepare my Spirit Tea. I feel the weather's about to turn stormy,"
Yanyu, disappointed by the abrupt change in his tone, bowed respectfully and scurried off.
Becoming his concubine is a great honor to her and she knows it too.
For a humble girl like her, having a great husband with a background is a dream.
As Maid left... Fatty Wang's eyes turned cold.
He is one of the core disciples of the sect, not from his father's grace but sheer talent.
He is a Second stage of Qi saint powerhouse, with mastery over various martial arts and spiritual arts.
Not only that, but he can even defeat the fifth to sixth stage of the Qi Saint realm powerhouse without much problem.
He has a great foundation, a fully cleansed body, and blood with high bone density.
"Get out... I know you are here,"
His tone turned frigid, the jade swing groaning under his shifted weight.
Spiritual pressure unfurled like a storm cloud; Arrogant, dense, confident.
But alas…
When one has yet to see the true vastness of Mount Tai, it's better not to act clever.
Swish!
With a soft whisper of a breeze.
A clean line of red formed around his thick neck. He blinked.
Plop.
His head rolled off his shoulders like a ripe melon falling from the vine, mouth still twitching with the final syllable.
His body slumped back onto the swing, blood spurting in a lazy arc across the polished spirit stones.
One koi leapt up from the pond as if to catch a drop of karmic blood.
Matter of fact, before he even started speaking his dialogue, his head was chopped off, but the precision and speed was so good and fast, that he managed to speak what he wanted, and relese the spiritual pressure before his head fell down.
...
"Hmm, I wonder how he managed to sense me, when I am traveling through the void, could there be some kind of array placed here..."
Li Mei released her spiritual energy and could sense a detecting array, placed there.
But without anycare, she left the place knowing, that poor girl will be punished.