Wang Xiaoqiang arranged Leng Qingqiu and himself in the same team, naturally wanting to spend more time with her and cultivate their feelings.

Leng Qingqiu did not resist; she also wanted to spend more time with Wang Xiaoqiang. She wanted to give her heart to Wang Xiaoqiang.

The two walked hand in hand through the snow-capped mountains, Leng Qingqiu's beautiful eyes constantly turning, her elegant nose deeply inhaling as she earnestly searched for the Blood Lotus.

Wang Xiaoqiang was carefully observing Leng Qingqiu, her face fairer than frost and snow without a flaw, becoming more beautiful the more he looked.

The more he looked, the more he felt she was untouched by the mortal world, like an Immortal Maiden of the Nine Heavens descended to the earthly realm.

Leng Qingqiu didn't mind Wang Xiaoqiang's gaze, occasionally meeting his eyes with hers. The two would banter affectionately, but Leng Qingqiu noticed that the closer her heart got to Wang Xiaoqiang, the quicker the "Path of Ruthlessness" she had painstakingly understood would recede.

However, she didn't mind anymore.

Because she wanted to abandon the Path of Ruthlessness, she hoped to love and be loved by others. What difference is there between living without emotions, friends, or lovers and being a walking corpse!

Ever since she started practicing Ruthless Cultivation, Leng Qingqiu had felt that heart-wrenching loneliness.

From now on, she didn't want to be lonely anymore.

"Oh? There's a Blood Lotus there, let's go pick it!" Leng Qingqiu quickly found a Blood Lotus growing on the edge of a cliff. Leng Qingqiu lightly turned her right hand, her body soared towards the Blood Lotus on the cliff, and Wang Xiaoqiang followed, the two flying together like birds in flight.

"Oh? It's a Twin Lotus." Leng Qingqiu said with some surprise, because the Twin Lotus was larger, and its Blood Qi was more intense.

"Let's pick it together," Wang Xiaoqiang said.

Leng Qingqiu nodded, and then the two of them reached out together, holding the Twin Lotus and picking it.

The moment they picked the Twin Lotus, Wang Xiaoqiang said, "The Twin Lotus is a joyful object, an auspicious object, an embodiment of love and beauty. It symbolizes beautiful love, a harmonious union for a hundred years, hearts intertwined... Qingqiu, I will keep this Twin Lotus forever because it is something we picked together, a testament to our love..."

Listening to Wang Xiaoqiang's words, Leng Qingqiu's jade-like face turned red, like the brilliant beauty of a white hibiscus touched by the setting sun. Amidst her shyness, there was also intoxication. As her heart was overwhelmed with emotion, her Path of Ruthlessness receded like the tide, dissipating...

Suddenly, losing control of her body, she began to fall. Seeing this, Wang Xiaoqiang quickly followed, catching her just before she hit the ground, feeling her soft, delicate body as if it were boneless.

Leng Qingqiu touched Wang Xiaoqiang's face and sighed, "Little Qiang, being with you makes my Path of Ruthlessness fade quickly. Its retreat will cause great backlash, leaving me weak..."

"It's okay, I'm here. I'll always protect you, care for you... and not let you suffer any harm or grievance..." Wang Xiaoqiang said.

"You, with your sweet words, who doesn't know you're a big flirt? I already saw it at the Armor Snatching Tournament," Leng Qingqiu playfully accused.

"Uh... I..." Wang Xiaoqiang was momentarily embarrassed, wanting to argue but at a loss for words. Smart as she was, wouldn't Leng Qingqiu see through his flirtations? The more he explained, the worse it could get, so he stopped talking.

"Alright, I don't blame you. If I cared about such things, I wouldn't be with you." Leng Qingqiu playfully glanced at Wang Xiaoqiang, hooked her jade-like arm around his neck, and kissed him on the forehead. Wang Xiaoqiang lowered his head and kissed her red lips directly.

The two kissed passionately for a long time until Leng Qingqiu almost ran out of breath, pushed him away, and when Wang Xiaoqiang wouldn't release her, she punched him lightly with a pink fist.

Only then did Wang Xiaoqiang let her go, seeing her face, as icy and pure as jade, blushing. Out of breath, a sense of accomplishment surged within him, and he grinned mischievously.

"You're terrible!" Leng Qingqiu pushed Wang Xiaoqiang away, stood up, and said, "Let's focus on the task at hand, let's continue searching for Blood Lotus."

...

With Leng Qingqiu joining them, the afternoon's harvest was abundant. Besides the Twin Lotus, the two teams collected ten Blood Lotuses in total, making it twenty with the ones they already had.

With twenty Blood Lotuses, Wang Xiaoqiang thought it would last for a while and decided to head back.

The next morning, Wang Xiaoqiang led the team out of the Snow Territory, first returning to the Imperial Palace of Capital City, where the Lotus Princess received him, and they discussed the war together.

At this time, news from the Yan Kingdom's border arrived. The army led by Wang Xiaoqiang's Avatar had won a great victory, driving out the invading Yan Kingdom forces and stationed there.

The real Wang Xiaoqiang was very pleased to hear this.

The Lotus Princess was also quite relieved, and suggested, "Little Qiang, now that the foreign enemies are cleared, and the war is settled, why not return to court?"

Wang Xiaoqiang said, "No, we can't just keep taking hits passively. This war was started by the Yue Kingdom, and I want to give Yue Kingdom a taste of suffering, teach them a lesson, or they might invade again in the future."

"Alright, be careful with everything and take care of your health," the Lotus Princess said with concern.

Her watery eyes caught Wang Xiaoqiang's gaze, and instantly he felt like he was falling into them, so he quickly looked away, marveling at the woman's magic power while patting his chest, "I'm now the Undying Golden Body, immortal in physical form, so you don't need to worry about me. Take care of the national affairs carefully."

Women generally oppose war and hope for peace, but the Lotus Princess didn't stop Wang Xiaoqiang from waging war against the Yue Kingdom. They all understood Wang Xiaoqiang—once he decided on something, he would do it and do it well.

"Ah!" The Lotus Princess was moved by Wang Xiaoqiang's concern for her. Since Huang Ce's death, no man had cared for her like this. She had been extremely lonely and desolate for more than a year.

She admired strong men. For Wang Xiaoqiang, she had appreciation, and after several interactions, she grew to like him. However, this liking was more of an elder's fondness for a younger person, a woman's fondness for a man. It included friendship, familial care, and even a slight hint of love, but this slight hint of love she dared not even think about—it's her son-in-law, after all?!

If it weren't for this layer of relationship, perhaps she could consider it, but now, it's absolutely impossible!

She hoped Wang Xiaoqiang would regard her as an elder, and she sincerely treated Wang Xiaoqiang as kin, and at this moment she said again, "Little Qiang, stay at the palace for a day, accompany Hua Shao, and the three of us will have dinner together tonight..."

Wang Xiaoqiang nodded in agreement. He wasn't an administrator, and the Imperial Dynasty couldn't be led by women forever, so he really thought he should spend more time with Hua Shao, have a child with her early, so there would be someone to succeed the Imperial Throne in the future. (To be continued. If you like this work, feel free to recommend it and vote for it on QiDian (qidian.com). Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please read on m.qidian.com)

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