— A Few Days Later - Prosperity's Gate City —

Prosperity's Gate City was a First Rank City, its prosperity rivaling even the capital of the Vermilion Bird Province, the Vermilion Bird Imperial Capital. This city was also the ancestral land of the Ximen Clan. The wealth and power accumulated here alone were said to rival that of an entire royal dynasty.

And that was only the wealth within this single city. If one were to count the Ximen Clan's assets as a whole, their fortune could easily match that of an empire.

The Ximen Clan was an ancient family, rumored to have survived the Great War Era, an age said to be second only to the Primordial Era. Their centuries of accumulation and influence were no exaggeration.

Moreover, many prosperous businesses across the continent had ties to the Ximen Clan, whether they were auction houses, artificer workshops, alchemy pavilions, spirit herb gardens, or even industries tied to mortal livelihoods such as money exchange shops, farms, ranches, and textile weavers.

In fact, most of the Ximen Clan's revenue came from mortals rather than cultivators. It could be said that from the birth of a mortal to their death, there would always be a product or service connected to the Ximen Clan present in their daily life.

As for spirit stone mines, such ventures were reserved for large sects like the Heavenly Sword Sect or great dynasties. This was one of the main reasons the Ximen Clan had survived for so long…

They avoided meddling in "hot potatoes," businesses that drew the attention of powerful cultivators or major sects. Instead, they would abandon or lease such ventures to others.

This strategy allowed the Ximen Clan to prosper despite the chaotic, cutthroat nature of the cultivation world.

As the young master and future heir of the clan, Ximen Hao was expected to understand all of this and use his abilities to oversee the vast business empire, gaining control over the clan's immense wealth.

Managing the Ximen Clan's fortune alone was a monumental task.

To achieve this, Ximen Hao needed to secure the loyalty of the clan's Five Pillars:

The Vault of Prosperity, The Whispering Hall, The Ever-Green Manor, The Hall of Nurturing Wisdom, and The Law Enforcement Hall.

These five pillars were currently under the supervision of his father, Ximen Hong. However, Ximen Hao now had to work hard to earn the trust of the five heads overseeing them.

To make matters worse, two of these pillars were managed by his half-brothers, born from concubines. This made Ximen Hao's mood particularly gloomy.

Although he had full support from the Law Enforcement Hall, both the Vault of Prosperity and the Hall of Nurturing Wisdom remained neutral.

Meanwhile, the Whispering Hall and the Ever-Green Manor each supported one of his concubine-born brothers.

Ximen Hao sat in his study, reading a report from the Law Enforcement Hall. The document detailed evidence of corruption involving one of the vice hall masters under his brother, Ximen Ren, who oversaw the Ever-Green Manor.

"Heh… that hypocritical bastard," Ximen Hao sneered. "Now I have a perfect excuse to cut off one of his arms."

"My lord, please rest for a while. You only returned yesterday evening, and you still haven't taken any proper rest," a soft, soothing voice spoke, drawing Ximen Hao's attention away from the document in his hand.

The voice belonged to a girl with an orchid-like demeanor. If Mo Xingyao's beauty was like the first spring that brought smiles and warmth to others, then this girl's beauty was like a demure orchid graceful and calm, radiating a gentle fragrance that soothed the soul.

She was Xiao Mei. Of course, she was also Yun Feng's childhood sweetheart, who had no choice but to enter the Ximen household as Ximen Hao's bed warmer.

Xiao Mei placed a bowl of chicken soup on Ximen Hao's table, then stepped back cautiously, as if afraid of him. She did her best to make herself useful beyond serving in bed; after all, she needed Ximen Hao's resources to cure her ailing father.

At first, Ximen Hao was irritated by the interruption, his mind having been fully focused on his work. But as he looked at her face, he quickly calmed down.

Looking at her face reminded him of that man, the potentially Heaven's Chosen Yun Feng.

Besides, Ximen Hao genuinely liked her quiet and obedient demeanor. Otherwise, he would never have bothered to steal her from that trash, Yun Feng.

Honestly, he still felt uneasy… deeply uneasy about Yun Feng. Something inside him told him that one day, that man might bring about his downfall, and possibly the downfall of the entire Ximen Clan.

He thought back to Wei Chen's broadcast about the Heaven's Chosen. From what he had gathered, Heaven's Chosen seemed to be heavily tied to fate itself. Any imbalance in fate caused by human actions could trigger the appearance of a Heaven's Chosen.

In his case, the worst possible scenario was that he had already triggered the Heaven's Chosen mechanism.

His thoughts drifted to Wei Chen's broadcast about Vice Sect Leader Jian Heng, who was also a Heaven's Chosen. Jian Heng had faced a similar issue to Yun Feng's, his problem began because of a woman.

According to the broadcast, the woman who was supposedly Jian Heng's other half had decided to take her own life because she still loved him.

If the Heaven's Chosen was the protagonist of destiny, then that protagonist would also need someone who complemented him, his destined other half.

Thinking back on the past five years, Ximen Hao realized that he had not even touched Xiao Mei. Either he had been too busy or had already vented his desires on the courtesans outside. And every time he resolved to claim her, something urgent would happen to distract him.

It was strange. Before hearing Wei Chen's broadcast, he would have blamed it on simple bad luck.

But now… he wasn't so sure.

If there was a way for him to somehow reduce the backlash, maybe…

Ximen Hao looked at Xiao Mei's face, deep in thought.

The orchid-like girl fidgeted nervously under his gaze.

At that moment, Ximen Hao made a decision. He would change. He would do something that his old self before watching Wei Chen's broadcast, would never have done.

"A servant told me you wanted to enter the Ximen Clan library, right? What do you wish to browse?" he asked the orchid-like girl.

"Err… I… I wanted to browse books about medicine," said the orchid-like girl softly.

"Medicine?" Ximen Hao repeated, raising an eyebrow. "You can read?"

"Yes, young master. My father was a scholar who once served the former Azure Dragon Dynasty. I had the chance to study under him," said the orchid-like girl.

"Was the Ximen Clan's doctor not to your satisfaction, so you want to learn medicine to cure your father yourself?" Ximen Hao asked. His tone was strange as he trying to be genntle but he's not accustomed to it, and this made the girl misunderstand his intent.

"No! Of course not, how could I dare…" Before the girl could continue apologizing, Ximen Hao raised his hand, signaling her to stop.

Then, in a calm voice, he said, "This is just a question, not an interrogation. You don't need to apologize. If you find something unsatisfactory, just tell me. As for the books…"

Ximen Hao paused, tapping his fingers lightly on the desk as he thought.

"If you truly wish to learn medicine, I'll speak with the head of the Hall of Nurturing Wisdom. Teaching you medicine should still be within their capabilities," Ximen Hao offered.

"Really?" Xiao Mei's eyes brightened, her voice filled with surprise and excitement.

Ximen Hao looked at her and replied evenly, "I always keep my promises. I said I would cure your father's illness, and I've already sent the best doctor in the Ximen Clan to tend to him."

He deliberately left out the other side of their bargain.

The deal was simple: in exchange for her entering his household as a bed warmer, he would provide treatment for her father's illness. But he chose not to mention it.

It's not because he no longer desired it, but because he rather leave it be. The rice was not yet cooked, and he knew better than to provoke the ire of the Heaven's Chosen any further.

In truth, if Yun Feng were to show up and take this girl away, Ximen Hao would gladly let her go, if it meant that bastard would leave him in peace.

At that moment, a man in black clothing, Number One, entered the study from outside.

Number One glanced briefly at Xiao Mei, and Ximen Hao immediately understood the meaning behind that look.

"Xiao Mei, wait for me outside. I have something to discuss with Number One," Ximen Hao said.

Both Xiao Mei and Number One were momentarily stunned. Ximen Hao had never called her by name before, he usually referred to her as "you," "woman," or "farmer girl."

Number One looked starngely at his young master and the girl but wisely kept his thoughts to himself.

After regaining her composure, Xiao Mei bowed slightly and excused herself, quietly leaving the room.

Outside the study, Xiao Mei looked puzzled. "Did he drink a wrong medicine this morning?" she muttered to herself, still confused by Ximen Hao's strange behavior.

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