The speaker was Yans Ruxue.

Women understand women better, and Yans Ruxue could tell at a glance that this Dai Yu was a woman.

On hearing this, Wang Xiaoqiang recalled Dai Yu's delicate face with its yin softness and realized with sudden clarity, "Hmm, she really is a woman. But why would she disguise herself as a man? And it seems like she's quite wary of me... Why is that?"

True Person of Taiyi and the two young ladies from the Yans Family were also secretly puzzled by this.

Wang Xiaoqiang waved to the three of them and said, "This matter is trivial, let's not dwell on it. Come, everyone sit down and eat."

The four of them sat down at a spacious table and saw it laden with mountains of delicacies and fine wines.

Although the fare could not compare with that of Jade Banquet Hall, it was not far behind in terms of class.

Clearly, the treatment provided for the marquis was quite decent.

After a fulfilling meal and drinks, True Person of Taiyi was busy with his cultivation, while Wang Xiaoqiang took the two Yans sisters to bed.

The sleeping chambers of the marquis were quite vast and extremely luxurious. The large bed in the chamber was gilded and silvered, with intricate and beautiful carvings, and it was huge, easily accommodating ten people to sleep on it together.

The clear purpose of constructing such a large bed, at great expense, was self-evident: it was surely meant to roll in the sheets with as many women as possible.

It was evident just how licentious and unrestrained the previous Marquis Jiang Kun had been.

The next day.

As the manager of the Marquis' Mansion, Dai Yu came early to meet Wang Xiaoqiang and asked if there were any orders for her?

Seeing that Dai Yu was still dressed as a man, with her face bare of makeup and looking like a suave and dapper young gentleman, Wang Xiaoqiang chose not to confront her about it. When she asked, he replied, "There's nothing much, I just need you to manage all the affairs of the Marquis' Mansion, both inside and out. Oh, and you're also welcome to move your family into the mansion to live..."

On hearing that, Dai Yu's expression changed, she took a deep breath, and in a cool tone said, "Lord Marquis, I am really sorry, but I'm just a manager of the Marquis' Mansion, not your housekeeper. You can certainly command me on major concerns, such as the renovation or reconstruction of the mansion... However, as for your personal matters, I would not dare to intervene. Besides, how could I, a mere commoner, have the privilege to live in the Marquis' Mansion? Wouldn't that disrupt the order?"

Seeing Dai Yu's cold demeanor, Wang Xiaoqiang knew she might have some prejudices against him, so he didn't insist, simply saying, "Uh, okay, as you wish."

Dai Yu quietly let out a sigh of relief and then turned and left as if escaping.

Wang Xiaoqiang watched Dai Yu's hips, slightly broader and fuller than a man's under the loose robes, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and mused, "Dressed as a man, she's already so handsome. If she were to dress as a woman, I wonder how beautiful she would be? But I actually like her better when she's in men's attire..."

The Marquis' Mansion, as the name suggests, is where the marquis resides.

Currently, the mansion housed only Wang Xiaoqiang and four others, along with about a dozen servants and house servants.

Wang Xiaoqiang transferred twenty soldiers with cultivation bases at or above the Fifth Transformation of the Immortal from the City Guard Army to be stationed at the Marquis' Mansion.

Originally, Wang Xiaoqiang wanted Dai Yu to serve as the housekeeper of the mansion, but since she refused, he had to find another old housekeeper.

The housekeeper's surname was Ge, and Old Ge, upon seeing the scant dozen or so servants and house servants, felt it too shabby and subsequently hired ten maidservants.

Wang Xiaoqiang settled down in the Marquis' Mansion.

As a Thousand-House Marquis of the Empire, each year he received a generous amount of tributes from all over, including daily necessities, high-quality foodstuffs, luxurious fabrics, gold and silver jewelry, as well as materials beneficial for cultivation...

With a hefty official salary, living a life of luxury, Wang Xiaoqiang's days were naturally comfortable.

While enjoying himself, Wang Xiaoqiang did not forget his official duties.

As a strategic point vied for by military families, the military aspect of Yue Land needed to be strengthened. Wang Xiaoqiang would visit the barracks in North Luoo River City periodically for inspections.

The barracks housed tens of thousands of soldiers, most of whom were in the Immortal Realm, with only about a dozen officers above the True Immortal Realm, though they were all past their prime.

This goes to show that cultivation is no easy task; without talent, one is left only to compensate with time.

For someone like Wang Xiaoqiang to reach the Immortal Venerable Realm in his twenties is indeed a rare sight within the Yellow Dragon Empire, especially since Wang Xiaoqiang lacks a Spirit Root.

It is precisely because of this that every time Wang Xiaoqiang appears in the barracks, he would receive the fervent adoration of tens of thousands of soldiers.

Sometimes, Wang Xiaoqiang would also impart some cultivation shortcuts to the soldiers and encourage them to practice diligently.

Although these officers and soldiers had great respect for Wang Xiaoqiang, he did not overly seek to win them over, for during large-scale wars, these soldiers wouldn't be of much use; at best, they could help refugees escape. Real combat was reserved for the very few. The ones to turn the tide of the battle were always those with profound cultivation bases.

For example, an individual at the Immortal King Level could, with a mere hand gesture, eradicate these tens of thousands of soldiers in one fell swoop.

Apart from sharpening soldiers and practicing cultivation, Wang Xiaoqiang's remaining time was spent on eating, drinking, and merrymaking.

Old Ge was a shrewd old man, not only was he competent in his dealings but also skilled at discerning the thoughts of others.

After several interactions, he knew about Wang Xiaoqiang's penchant for women and often sought out beautiful girls among common folk to secretly send to the Marquis' Mansion for Wang Xiaoqiang's pleasure.

Each time the task was carried out with utter discretion, never sloppy, leaving no stain behind. Old Ge's level of handling affairs had reached a certain realm. This impressed Wang Xiaoqiang immensely.

To this, Wang Xiaoqiang offered no objections; after all, isn't life meant to be enjoyed?

But he did have his principles, for instance, he didn't want women of lesser beauty, non-virgins, or those with unclear backgrounds.

Although Wang Xiaoqiang's "three no's" were quite strict, it was not difficult to find women who fit the criteria among the tens of millions of people in Yue Land.

Only then did Wang Xiaoqiang understand why so many people went to great lengths to compete and climb the ranks in their careers – those who are at the top have such tremendous perks. As a Myriad House Marquis, he could, from tens of millions of people, select beauties at will for his enjoyment.

However, a beautiful woman without personality is much like a vase.

Though vases are nice to look at, they inevitably become tedious after a while.

But a woman with personality is a different story, especially a beautiful and spirited woman shrouded with a hint of mystery. She becomes even more captivating.

Dai Yu, for example, continued to preoccupy Wang Xiaoqiang's thoughts.

Although Wang Xiaoqiang very much desired to befriend Dai Yu, then perhaps to progress beyond the bounds of friendship, Dai Yu's attitude towards him had always been cold.

That day, as Old Ge accompanied Wang Xiaoqiang on a stroll through the garden behind the Marquis' Mansion, Wang Xiaoqiang inquired, somewhat nonchalantly, "Old Ge, has Dai Yu visited the mansion recently...?"

"She has not come by," Old Ge replied, "She wouldn't visit unless it concerned a significant matter..."

With a wry smile on his face, Wang Xiaoqiang said, "Hmm, this Dai Yu seems to have a prejudice against me, though I can't imagine where I've offended her."

"Lord Marquis, it's all because you treat the servants too kindly. A mere Dai Yu dares to be indifferent towards you. If it were the previous marquis, Jiang Kun, he would have beheaded her by now," Old Ge indignantly said, feeling wronged on behalf of Wang Xiaoqiang.

Wang Xiaoqiang waved his hand dismissively, "If she hasn't committed any crime, why should I kill her..."

"Lord Marquis, you don't understand. Dai Yu is too proud. She's actually nicer to you. She was even colder to Jiang Kun. Fortunately, Jiang Kun was executed by His Majesty; otherwise, hmph, Dai Yu would definitely have been overpowered by him..." Old Ge said, lowering his voice suddenly, "Lord Marquis, should I threaten her a little...?"

"You know I don't want to resort to violence; besides, a melon forcibly twisted off the vine is not sweet..." Wang Xiaoqiang waved his hand, saying, "Moreover, a mere Dai Yu is not worth such a fuss."

If the hard approach wouldn't work, let's try the soft one. Old Ge, that clever old strategist, came up with another suggestion, "Ah, right, Lord Marquis, the Mid-Autumn Festival is fast approaching. Every year, Dai Yu organizes a lantern festival. She invites scholars and elegant gentlemen to recite poetry and compose essays at the festival. Lord Marquis, perhaps we could vacate the back garden to do her a favor... and take the opportunity..."

"Mmm, that's a good idea. You handle this matter..." Wang Xiaoqiang said, and after thinking for a moment, he added, "But remember, absolutely no rough behavior."

"Yes, Lord Marquis, I'll go take care of it right away." Old Ge bowed and immediately went off to find Dai Yu. (To be continued. If you like this work, you're welcome to vote for it at qidian.com with recommendation tickets and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please read at m.qidian.com.)

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