In mere minutes, the once-grand Wong family palace was reduced to a hollow shell.
Nothing remained but naked walls.
Li Qingmu stepped out through the front gates with his hands clasped behind his back.
He stopped and turned to survey the stripped palace.
Thoughtfully, he stroked his chin with narrowed eyes.
"Maybe I'll renovate this one into a play palace. Plenty of courtyards for all my future little ones to run around in without tripping over each other."
He glanced sideways at the empty plot beside it and gave a satisfied nod.
"And right there… that'll be Li family palace."
Official Wong was still on his knees.
The old baldy wiped fresh tears from his greasy cheeks with trembling fingers.
He looked up at the young man towering over him.
"You… you said you would take my wife too."
He sniffled loudly.
"Are you… still…?"
Li Qingmu let out a short, disdainful scoff.
"You wish, old man."
He swished his wide sleeves arrogantly.
"While I was clearing out this trash heap, I did happen to see your wife."
He leaned down slightly and cupped a hand beside his mouth as if sharing a dirty secret.
"And honestly? I get why you're always trying to steal other people's partners. I wouldn't want to share a bed with that either… and I've slept with a fat Zhen Rou."
Official Wong's face went from gray to apoplectic red in the span of a heartbeat.
His mouth opened as a vein throbbed at his temple.
Then he threw his head back and screamed.
"LIIIIII QIIIIIINGMUUUUU!!!"
The roar shook the mountain.
Hundreds of birds exploded from Fenghuang Peak in a panicked cloud.
══════
A week later.
The riverside was peaceful.
Sunlight dappled the water.
The soft rush of the current was the only sound.
Until it was drowned by thick, fragrant smoke curling from a stone smoking pit.
Li Qingmu lounged on a wide wooden chair beneath the shade of an ancient spirit willow, fishing rod resting lazily across his lap as the line bobbed in the gentle flow.
His eyes were half-closed.
The smoke drifted over him.
He wrinkled his nose.
"Oi. Can you smoke that away from me? I don't want my robes smelling like cured fish."
An annoyed click of the tongue answered him.
It was from a beautiful senior sister.
Cheeks smudged with charcoal.
Hair tied back messily.
A whole Su Liyue looked so dirty.
She glared over her shoulder as she adjusted the rack of Black Rock Fish over the glowing embers.
Her once-pristine qipao top was rolled at the sleeves and streaked with soot and fish oil.
A Core Formation genius now reduced to this.
"This damn bastard…"
She grumbled in a voice low enough that a normal person wouldn't hear.
Then, louder, with a cute little frown that somehow made her look even more dangerous.
"How dare you make me use Red Flame Spirit Wood to smoke Black Rock Fish! Do you know how toxic the smoke is for the lungs?!"
Li Qingmu yawned, not even opening his eyes.
"Red Flame Wood draws out the earthy qi in the fish's gall bladder. It balances the cold yin in the flesh and makes the meat sweeter. You, of all people, should know that."
Su Liyue stared at his calm, smug, closed-eye profile like she was calculating exactly how long it would take to strangle him before anyone noticed.
"I know that."
She hissed through gritted teeth.
"I'm the best spiritual plant master on Zhulong Peak!"
Li Qingmu stretched his arms overhead with another leisurely yawn.
"Then do me a favor and become the best fish smoker on Fenghuang Peak. My pregnant angel is craving this with that special sauce I made yesterday."
He snuggled into the chair.
"Don't disappoint her."
Su Liyue clicked her tongue again, louder this time.
"Someone like you should just die single."
The fishing rod didn't even twitch.
"Hmm, seems like someone wants to get rusticated back to their former peak."
Li Qingmu said calmly.
Instantly, her expression flipped.
A sweet, charming smile bloomed as her eyes curved into perfect crescents.
"Nothing at all, Chief Li~ ♥️ I was just praising your deep knowledge of spiritual plants and your unparalleled good looks. How would I ever dare speak ill of you?"
Inside, her blood boiled so hot she half-expected steam to pour from her ears.
But the smile stayed glued in place.
Desperate to change the subject, she snatched the perfectly smoked fish from the rack and hurried over to hold it up like an offering.
"Here! It's ready~ Try it?"
Li Qingmu didn't even open his eyes.
"The smoke flavor's uneven. Do another one."
"…"
Su Liyue froze.
Her beautiful eyes bulged like a furious demon's.
She held the fish like a club she dearly wanted to beat him to death with.
She looks so dirty because of him.
And he wanted her to start over?
She was the proud Su Liyue.
Core Formation at thirty-three.
An Earth-Dao Core.
The sect's unparalleled spiritual plant genius!
Yet here she was, smoking fish like a kitchen maid.
All because she had begged to become the first official member of the Li Clan.
She had been so certain she could turn him into a dog who would do all she asked.
But this man wasn't human.
He was a demon wearing a handsome face.
In just a few days he had tormented her without mercy by making her massage his feet for hours, fan him with a massive iron folding fan from dawn till dusk, and whenever she made the slightest mistake…
Smack!
His spanks were so firm she would feel her two moons jiggle as her knees buckled.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
He spanked this sect big sister any chance he got.
At some point she had to start nursing her delicate jade rump with healing ointment.
It had gotten so red and swollen.
"Just having some fun with my big sister~"
He'd say with that infuriating smile.
And she would laugh it off through gritted teeth.
That was how much she needed his resources.
Nascent Soul was so close… she could taste it.
There was no turning back now.
Su Liyue took a deep, shuddering breath.
"…I'll smoke it until it's perfect, Junior Brother."
As she turned away, her thoughts raced.
『I've never wanted a man to lust after me this badly in my life. Why won't he just fall for me already? Am I not attractive enough? He smacks my ass, but it never feels like he's trying to cop a feel…』
She sighed and crouched again by the fire pit.
Li Qingmu finally opened his eyes.
His eyes drifted downward and lingered.
The way Su Liyue tended to the fire was a sin.
Her short, dark skirt had climbed the huge curve of her round and tender rump.
Between the lines of her panties he could still see sizzling red handprints on both cheeks.
No elder will touch her if they see this.
Big Sister Su Liyue is now his property.
Li Qingmu's lips curved faintly.
『To be honest… she really does have an incredible ass. It's no wonder half the elders on Zhulong Peak are secretly in love with her.』
From the bushes twenty zhang away came a chorus of dramatically stifled gasps.
"Did you see that?!"
"Chief Li was staring at Su Liyue's ass!"
"He's married! Poor Zhen Rou…"
"Tch. As expected of that witch. She can steal any man she wants."
"Shh! They'll hear us!"
These were the jealous disciples who had been spying ever since Su Liyue joined the Li Clan.
They raced to spread the juicy tale.
Within hours, the entire sect was buzzing.
"Have you heard?!"
"Chief Li was openly ogling Su Liyue's backside while she smoked fish for him!"
"Another man turned into Su Liyue's puppet."
"No, no—I heard the full story. She forced herself on him that very night. He took her to bed, rocked her world so hard she's hiding a child now!"
The rumors grew wilder by the day.
Two weeks later, a painting began circulating.
Li Qingmu cradling a swollen-bellied Su Liyue while a toddler tugged at her skirt.
It made its way up peak after peak until it reached the worst place possible.
Three-Legged Crow Peak.
In a cloud-wreathed pavilion, Patriarch Zhen sat sipping tea with beautiful Song Yan and her gaggle of noisy nieces and nephews.
He unrolled the painting.
His eyes locked onto the image.
The teacup in his hand shattered.
He released enough anger to evaporate the clouds in the sky and tremble the pavilion.
"That ungrateful little bastard!"
He slammed a hand on the tea table.
"Cheating on my daughter? I'll skin him alive!"
Song Yan lifted a delicate eyebrow.
"Guang, you'll scare the children. What has you so suddenly furious?"
The man shoved the painting across the table.
Song Yan glanced at it.
Her flawless face soured ever so slightly.
There was a rare look of sadness in her eyes.
『So… these are the kind of women he likes?』
She set her teacup down.
"Song Yan?"
Zhen family patriarch barked her name three times before she responded.
"…Yes?"
"Well?! What do you have to say about this?!"
Song Yan tossed the painting aside like it was trash.
"I'll speak to him later."
Her voice was cool as mountain spring water.
But her fingers tightened around the teacup.