At the doorway of the exercise hall, Guan Ya watched as the others carried Yuan Shi through the living room and into the guest room, only then relaxing and turning her gaze back. She then pushed open the brown-painted wooden door, turned sharply on Fu Qingyang inside the exercise hall, and said, "You were too forceful. You didn't even open the door yourself, yet you blame others for spreading the word?" Fu Qingyang was gently wiping his hands with a damp cloth, speaking calmly. "Every injury Yuan Shi sustained was necessary—my judgment and control were precise." "Her legs were broken, and yet you claim precision? You..." Guan Ya seemed to have something come to mind, her anger fading as she stared at her brother-in-law with a look of surprise. "Ah—so she must have hit you like that?" Fu Qingyang's expression darkened. "It has nothing to do with you." Guan Ya chuckled with satisfaction. Fu Qingyang turned to the Dog Elder and nodded. "Master Elder, the meeting is over. There's nothing further to attend to—I'll leave now." "Hmph. Since becoming a Master, he's grown increasingly blunt in his speech." The dog elder, in a crouched sitting posture, rose, lifted her paw to step out of the soft mat, and vanished into the training hall the very next moment. After sending away the visitors, Fu Qingyang turned to his cousin, his brow furrowed. "What's going on between you and Yuanshi? Have you two officially established a relationship?" Guan Ya firmly denied, saying, "Of course not. He's definitely pursuing me, though—I haven't agreed to it. As your cousin, I've always had a steady stream of suitors." Fu Qingyang spoke with a touch of irony, "Ordinary suitors wouldn't make you this tense. The tone and expression you used when questioning me just now—well, it sounded like I'd killed your husband." Before the scout's keen perception, any pretense was unnecessary. Guan Ya decided to drop the act, shrugged, "I do have a genuine fondness for him—quite natural. He's well-built, talented, and speaks beautifully. His appeal to women is far stronger than yours, who's always trying to appear cool and stiff, like a faceless statue." Fu Qingyang paid no attention to his sister's mockery, saying, "Last night, I spoke with the family. The elders are delighted by your promotion to the rank of Saint. You've clearly demonstrated your talent—yet this seems to be anything but a positive development. The momentum behind the marriage alliance has grown stronger. For instance, my beloved aunt, and even her husband, who has been divorced for years." Guan Ya's expression turned slightly pale. Fu Qingyang continued, "Your talent has greatly pleased the members of the Miller family. They believe you possess the potential to be a true steward, capable of producing offspring of exceptional lineage for their family. "Your father is deeply honored. He's eager to board a flight right now and bring you back to join the marriage alliance. After all, as one of the Ten Major Powers of the Heavenly Judgment Organization, the Miller family is a significant force in your career advancement." Guan Ya frowned, and gave a cold laugh. "Then why hasn't he come yet?" "Fu Qingyang chuckled dryly, "Because my cool-acting, expressionless cousin told him that anyone daring to step into Songhai would have to make Guan Ya an orphan—without a father." Guan Ya exhaled in relief. Fu Qingyang set aside his dry smile and spoke calmly, "My stance must be taken seriously by the family, but how long can I support you? When young men marry and young women find husbands, you're now twenty-six, and my cousin has been holding back your marriage—how can that be justified? This matter is acceptable once or twice, but not three times. "Your original talent is quite impressive. Without the Miller family, the elders would have gladly approved your connection. Yet, even a brilliant individual cannot outshine a vast, established family. "By marrying into the Miller family, Fu's influence overseas will grow significantly—both politically and commercially. These benefits are beyond what your current status can offer today." "Indeed, there are investors within the family with keen insight, and Yuan Shi shows tremendous potential—many will surely be enthusiastic about him. But your fiancé also possesses solid talent, perhaps only half a disappointment." "So I suspect the older members of the family will handle this thus: they'll introduce younger, beautiful women from the family to Yuan Shi Tianzun, replacing your position." To be considered only half a disappointment—indeed, that's a true gem. . . . Guan Ya said with growing frustration. "What do you propose?" "Never ask me!" Fu Qingyang spoke coldly. "This is your personal matter. You should handle it yourself. Life's major decisions must always rest with you. Any regret you feel will be your own." "If you truly admire Yuan Shi and believe a future with him lies ahead, then stand firm and fight against the family. If, however, he fails to give you a sense of security and leaves you feeling uncertain about the future, then marrying into the Miler family might well be a sound alternative." Fu Qingyang said, "I'll go change my clothes. There are two guests coming later—take your time and think things through." With that, he left the practice hall. What future could I possibly have? He's so young, so isolated... Guan Ya opened her mouth to speak, then fell silent, standing alone in the practice hall for a long time. The group quickly exited the room. As the door closed, Zhang Yuanqing heard Qingteng say: "We'll edit the video—cut out the chatter." Then Li Dongze's voice: "Get rid of those close-up photos—we find them a bit unrefined. Hmm, but if you can sell them, I'll just forget I said anything." Zhang Yuanqing: "..." I'll hold you accountable once I'm back on my feet... He muttered, closed his eyes, and carefully relived the battle (before he was struck) against Fu Qingyang. "Fu Qingyang is a scout—his sword attacks are sharp and precise, and he's guaranteed to land every strike. In a one-on-one duel, he's practically unbeatable..." Although he used his unique ability as the Night-Wanderer to counter the power of the rules, this advantage wasn't significant in actual combat. First, Fu Qingyang didn't use any props—beyond his strikes, he couldn't employ other tactics. Second, his technique of using his body as a puppet introduced excessive delay, making it effective only during practice sessions. In a life-or-death battle, that move was useless—he'd be cut down within moments. Before any top-tier defensive item could be obtained, one couldn't engage in close combat with Fu Qingyang. As he was pondering, the door to the guest room opened. Guan Ya entered, wearing a loose exercise outfit. "Are you all right?" she glanced at the splint on Zhang Yuanqing's leg. "Just a minor issue. Sit down and chat with me a bit—once we've talked, I'll be fine," Zhang Yuanqing tapped the bedrail. Guan Ya smiled gently. "You look just like a little boy waiting for his mother to read him a bedtime story." She settled herself by the side of the bed, and Zhang Yuanqing immediately sat up, reaching out to embrace her waist with both arms, chuckling, "In truth, I'm waiting for Red Riding Hood to walk right into my arms—like a big, patient wolf." As his hands gently touched the firm curves of Guan Ya's waist, she suddenly jerked away, as if electrified, refusing his affection. Zhang Yuanqing paused, looking at her in quiet surprise. A touch of regret flashed in Guan Ya's eyes. She opened her mouth, as if to defend herself, but as the words formed, they dissolved into: "Yuanqin, you don't always have to be like this..." Zhang Yuanqing stared at her for several seconds, then slowly furrowed his brow. "Miss Guan, what's wrong?" "Nothing," Guan Ya shook her head, saying, "I just wanted to say that, we're merely colleagues." The way you speak—truly like a 'dissatisfied woman,' Zhang Yuanqing thought, chuckling. "Then go on. I'd like to rest alone for a while." Guan Ya was momentarily stunned, not expecting such words from him. Her expression dimmed slightly, and she said nothing, simply turning toward the door of the guest room. "Click!" As she turned the door handle, preparing to open the door, her body suddenly stiffened. A cold force tightly adhered to her back, seizing control of her movements. Guan Ya turned without control, moving toward the edge of the bed, yet her expression remained calm and composed, slightly puzzled, frowning. "Y As soon as she finished speaking, she collapsed onto the bed, landing directly into Zhang Yuanqing's arms. Instantly, the spiritual presence resting upon her dissolved, and the man beneath her immediately spread his arms, tightening his grip around her waist. "Yuanshi, you're doing this again," said Guan Ya, her hands braced against Zhang Yuanqing's sides, her gaze full of irritation as she scolded, "If you act any like last night, I'm going to hit you." Though her tone was sharp, compared to the subdued resignation and melancholy she'd carried when leaving earlier, she now felt surprisingly uplifted and at ease. Zhang Yuanqing replied, "I'm not taking advantage—I simply feel that we should talk. Any distance or misunderstanding between us stems from insufficient communication." Though not particularly skilled at romance, he was an expert in interpersonal relationships, and situations of awkward miscommunication rarely occurred in his presence. Seeing that Guan Ya remained silent, he continued the conversation, "What's on your mind?" "Guan Ya hesitated slightly, smiled lightly, saying, 'It's nothing really—just that your size is a bit small. I was wondering whether I should switch to a larger one.' Yet instead of laughter or complaints, Zhang Yuanqing's eyes were profoundly calm, even deep and thoughtful. 'Guan Ya, if you only keep avoiding me, how can I ever reach your heart?' From Guan Ya's earlier behavior, he realized that the issue at Yuan Gong wasn't just social—her romantic life was also troubled. That's why he had said those words earlier. Undoubtedly, star divination doesn't have direct combat power, but this skill is incredibly useful—it always serves as an early warning. Even if the interpretation isn't perfectly accurate, it prompts timely awareness and allows you to address existing issues before they escalate. Guan Ya paused, her eyes suddenly softening, and smiled, 'Yuan Shi, now you truly give me a sense of security.' She immediately smoothed her expression and said softly, "The family wishes to arrange a marriage alliance for me, to the Mieler family of the Heaven's Punishment Organization—a power even larger than the Fu family. The Heaven's Punishment Organization operates worldwide and is the largest and most powerful spiritual realm organization. I fled from the Fu family to join Fu Qingyang precisely to resist the family's marriage arrangements. My reluctance to advance stems from this: the Mieler family will not allow a female at the Transcendent Realm level to bear a descendant of the family. Yet I didn't expect them to still hold onto their marriage intentions. Later, Fu Qingyang told me that by demonstrating sufficient value, I would gain leverage in negotiations with the family." "Ah, I remember now. Fu Qingyang mentioned the marriage alliance. I recall that the Chiyoshi Group in Japan is backed by Ten-Punishment, and Reina Shinao must have deep insights into both the group and the Miller family. Zhang Yuanqing thought for a moment, then said, "You don't want to break ties with the family, fearing that I might offend the Fu family and thus face obstacles in promotion. You're also concerned that a rift between the Fu and Miller families might cause losses?" Guan Ya nodded hesitantly, "My parents divorced many years ago, and I've never been particularly close to them. Instead, several elders and my sisters in the family have always been very close to me. I don't want to sever ties with the family—without close relatives, I'd feel so lonely." Just as Zhang Yuanqing was about to say, "Then what would you like to do?", a sudden insight from his mentor surfaced in his mind—the sense of security lies in taking full responsibility during major matters and resolving all challenges. He continued, "Now that you've reached the Saint Realm, even without the family's protection or support, you can certainly live a comfortable and fulfilling life." The captain reminded you to upgrade, to tell you that strength allows you to break free from family dependence. Guan Ya didn't find comfort in it—she merely gave a perfunctory nod. Zhang Yuanqing shifted his tone, "By next mid-year at the latest, and by year-end at the earliest, I will be promoted to Master status. Then I'll go to the Fu family to propose. A Master marrying a daughter once deemed unworthy—can't that be a natural success?" Guan Ya stared at him for several seconds, as if confirming a deep-seated intention, and finally broke into a smile, saying, "What exactly is our relationship, that you'd ask me to marry you?" Zhang Yuanqing slowly guided his hand from her waist to her hips, "What do you think our relationship is?" "Bei Yue, yesterday while delivering food, I encountered a freelancer—I sense potential in him to develop him into a member of the Spiritual Energy Association. But I'm not sure if he's been involved in any recent incidents; I'm afraid he might draw official attention." The young-faced person, serving blood bun, sighed regretfully: "Damn Yuan Shi... Ah, just stay low, stay low." Kou Bei Yue replied calmly: "What's there to fear? Yuan Shi Tianzun is nothing special. Even if I stand before him, he won't dare to kill me." "Go on, keep blowing it up!" The blood bun was about to speak when his phone on the table vibrated. He set down his milk tea, picked up the phone, glanced at it—his pupils suddenly widened. The message read: "New addition to the Personnel List: Kou Bei Yue, Master of Mist, Level 4." "Reason for the reward: Yuan Shi Tianzun's ally!" "Reward amount..." The blood bun suddenly turned to Kou Bei Yue, narrowing his eyes. ... Zhang Yuanqing picked up a generous portion of tender, plump, and elastic soft meat, and with the pad of his thumb, felt through the thin, soft workout He lifted his head to kiss Guan Ya, but she tilted her head aside, refusing him. He was always too forceful—she didn’t want to leave with a swollen mouth, with so many "idle guests" already in the villa. Zhang Yuanqing settled for a series of tender, rain-like kisses on the long, snow-white neck of the elder lady, lingering and licking with puppy-like devotion. Soon, she grew soft and her eyes grew languid. The life coach had once said: "To gain an advantage is like capturing a city—step by step, never staying still." So, with one hand, Zhang Yuanqing reached beneath his workout shirt, tracing up the smooth, jade-like back, and with a soft click, unfastened the straps of her bra. Just as he was about to try out the facial milk, the door began to knock—dully, steadily. Guan Ya jolted, as if awakened from a dream, leaping off him, her hands flying to her back, fastening the shoulder straps. Then she gave him a look—fierce in intent but full of grace, and strode off to open the door. Standing at the door was a rabbit-dress maid. She first glanced at Guan Ya, whose cheeks were flushed and whose features were delicate and charming, then turned her gaze to Zhang Yuanqing lying on the bed, and said, "Master Yuan, Miss Anne and Mr. Bill would like to see you. The young lord has agreed."