Shen Wuxiao couldn’t help but burst into laughter.
“I own shares in half the entertainment venues in the capital. Every time you go out, you never spend a cent—and you still call me stingy?”
“Lululu!” Hong Ye stuck out her tongue. “That’s a different matter!”
“Remember that time we had dinner together? As soon as the dishes were served, you flipped the table and said not even a dog would eat that food. Then you left. If that’s not stingy, what is?”
“Tch.” Shen Wuxiao was too lazy to argue.
Soon, Jiang Huaiyue walked in with a plate of fruit.
She seemed to have calmed down after spending a bit of time in the kitchen.
“Wu Xiao, you’re swearing again. Are you bullying Ye Zi?” Jiang Huaiyue set the fruit on the coffee table and was about to sit down when Shen Wuxiao suddenly pulled her into his lap.
Jiang Huaiyue struggled a little, but when she couldn’t get free, she gave up. Still, she felt like this was a bit too much public affection.
Shen Wuxiao smiled. “How could I bully her? We were just discussing whether I’m stingy.”At that, Jiang Huaiyue quietly reached out and pinched his waist. She didn’t use much strength—just enough to warn him.
Shen Wuxiao didn’t mind. He even leaned into it and asked playfully, “Come on, tell the truth. Is your man stingy or not?”
“Yes, Sister Yue, you tell us! You’re the most objective here!” Hong Ye added cluelessly.
Jiang Huaiyue was at a loss for words.
How was she supposed to answer that? Saying he was stingy wasn’t quite true, but denying it completely didn’t seem right either.
Shen Wuxiao then stretched out his hand and flipped it over, examining the back.
“Hey, don’t my middle and ring fingers look like those of that general in the tomb-raiding movie? So long and precise!”
“Those Fa Qiu Zhong Lang generals were amazing. They’d stick their fingers into a trap, tap a few times, and—bam! The mechanism opens!”
“Huh?” Hong Ye was completely thrown off.
How did they jump from stinginess to tomb raiding?
Jiang Huaiyue shot him a sharp glare. This bastard was clearly doing it on purpose.
But Hong Ye didn’t pick up on anything. She was still concerned. “Sister Yue, have you ever felt wronged being with him?”
Jiang Huaiyue smiled gently, just about to reply, when Shen Wuxiao opened his mouth again.
“Ye Zi, you don’t know how hard things are for the two of us.”
“Huh?” Hong Ye blinked in surprise. “Why?”
Was their relationship rocky?
Shen Wuxiao sighed dramatically. “I’ve been living in your Sister Yue’s shadow since day one. Always trying to survive in the cracks.”
“No way!” Hong Ye gasped.
Sister Yue was so beautiful, gentle, and elegant. She didn’t seem like the abusive type at all.
“But it’s not easy for her either. You know what I’m like,” Shen Wuxiao added. “She’s had to live under my tyranny too.”
Jiang Huaiyue looked at him in disbelief, mouth slightly open.
This idiot!
Hong Ye, innocent like white paper, was leisurely riding a bicycle while Shen Wuxiao had already drifted halfway back from Bayinbuluke. Just look at Hong Ye—her eyes were wide with shock, her mouth almost big enough to catch an egg.
Was this the gap between Earth’s surface and the stratosphere?
“Ye Zi, how about we go out and grab your favorite food? I’ll cook for you tonight,” Jiang Huaiyue suddenly suggested, sensing that she couldn’t let Shen Wuxiao keep spouting nonsense. Hong Ye was smart—no need to let her pick up bad habits.
“Okay!” Hong Ye nodded eagerly.
“Then I’ll—” Shen Wuxiao began.
“Play by yourself,” Jiang Huaiyue cut him off, standing up.
She walked to the sofa, took Hong Ye’s hand, and the two left together without giving him another look.
Shen Wuxiao slumped back on the sofa, finally relieved.
Both women were strong-willed—he didn’t have to worry about them being taken advantage of.
Closing his eyes, he took a moment to relax.
Now that Lin Fan was dead, the narrative around him had been wiped clean. A new protagonist was bound to emerge soon.
But Shen Wuxiao had no idea what kind of person the next one would be.
“Wait… I still have that mysterious gift box from the system!”
He sat up suddenly.
“Tongzi, open the mysterious gift box.”
[Ding, of course, Host!]
[Opening…]
[Ding! Congratulations to the host for obtaining “Vajra Hand”! By channeling true power to your hands, the Vajra Hand can be activated.]
[Your hands will become as tough as meteorite iron, indestructible. This upgraded martial art allows you to destroy weapons and attacks up to your current cultivation level with bare hands.]
“So… is this a martial art or a weapon?”
[Technically, it can function as both.]
“Is that all from the gift box?”
[And… Congratulations to the host for obtaining the active concept skill: 100% Barehanded Blade Catch.]
[This skill guarantees that in any situation, the host can catch the first sharp weapon attack barehanded, regardless of angle or force.]
“Damn! That pairs perfectly with the Vajra Hand!”
[Correct. They are compatible. Note: Concept skills have cooldowns.]
“So I can block the first hit no matter what, then wait for cooldown?”
[Yes. The cooldown time is fifteen minutes. However, it only applies per opponent. If someone else attacks, you can use it again immediately.]
“That’s powerful! Even a 9th-Rank Grandmaster’s first strike would be useless against me!”
[Indeed.]
“Anything else?”
[One final reward… Congratulations to the host for obtaining a ‘Free Battle Card’!]
[This is a one-time-use item. When used, no matter the opponent’s level or grudge, they will cease combat and agree to postpone the fight.]
[Use and destroy.]
“Whoa, it’s a concept card?!”
“With this, I could slap a peak 9th-Rank Grandmaster and walk away. He can’t fight back!”
[Yes, Host. But please be aware—you’re currently in a high-level martial arts world. So far, you’ve only encountered some low-level Children of Destiny.]
[Cultivation ranks start from 1st Grade and go up to 9th Grade. Beyond that, there are Martial Prime Ministers, Generals, Marquises, Kings, Masters, Honored, Emperors, Semi-Saints, and Saints.]
[True elites have not yet appeared. Only then will you be in a truly advanced martial realm. Grandmasters are just the beginner level.]
Shen Wuxiao already knew this. As far as he was concerned, he was still lingering at the gates of Novice Village, not even inside town yet.
From top to bottom: Saint, Semi-Saint, Martial Emperor, Martial Lord, Martial Patriarch, Martial King, Martial Marquis, Martial General, Martial Prime Minister… the road ahead was absurdly long.
“Is that all the mysterious gift box had?”
[Yes. A gift box provides at most three items, at least one.]
“Fine. That’s more than enough.”
Shen Wuxiao was eager to try out his new skill—this guaranteed blade-catching ability was just too tempting.
A sudden thought struck him.
He picked up the fruit knife on the table and hurled it toward the wall. Then, he turned around to face away.
The knife bounced off the wall and flew straight at his back.
Without thinking, his body moved on its own. In the next second, he spun around and raised his hand.
Clang!
With a crisp sound, the knife was caught cleanly in his palm.
“…Damn. That’s ridiculously overpowered!”