Chapter 36: Rising Fame, Tender Moments in the Pavilion
In the end, the Han Clan was wiped out from the Eastern Reaches in a single, decisive blow.
This event sent shockwaves through the Central World State and the rest of the Eastern Reaches.
If even the Han Clan, one of the most powerful clans under the Sword God School, could be destroyed so easily, what chance did any middle-class sect have if they tried to challenge the Sacred Cloud School to make a name for themselves?
That one thought terrified countless cultivators.
Truly, the young patriarch of the Sacred Cloud School was not one to be trifled with.
Chen Xiaosheng was initially furious with Chen Ruyi for letting the Chen Family look weak to the community.
However, Liu Ming's actions quickly reversed their loss of reputation. Being linked with someone who could wipe out a ruling clan from an upper-class sect was enough to restore their standing among the Nine Great Families.
Liu Ming gave Han Zichen's unrefined heavenly grotto essence to some pill experts in Immortal Cloud City.
They used it to create grade-3 pills.
Then, he gave these pills to his three female disciples.
When they took the pills, their lifespans increased by 4 years!
With everything sorted out, Liu Ming now only had to focus on the upcoming Disciple Market Auction, which was coming up fast.
...
Two days forward.
News of Liu Ming's actions continued to spread everywhere in the Eastern Reaches.
You couldn't go to work or visit a friend without hearing his name. He was the only topic anyone wanted to discuss.
Drunk men in bars spent their time talking about him, and women who sold street food even created special dishes named after him. Some of them couldn't talk about him without blushing.
While the young lord's actions might not be justifiable, people remembered that the Han Clan's young master had hurt their loved ones, destroyed their market stalls, and nearly wrecked the Commercial District.
For many, it felt like the world was a far better place without him and his clan.
...
"Hey, have you heard about it?"
"You mean the Han Clan getting wiped out by the young patriarch of the Sacred Cloud School? Of course! That's old news by now."
"That young patriarch is quite ruthless. Doesn't he realize that punishing the whole clan for the actions of one person is a major abuse of power?"
"Well, it's not surprising. Cultivators often act out of anger. It's likely the young patriarch's way of showing dominance not just for his sect, but also for the Liu family. They used to be one of the Nine Great Families back when it was still the Ten Great Families."
"True. In an era where every seedling posseses raw talent, if one is not ruthless, they will surely get outshone and crushed by someone with more skill and ambition."
While this discussion was going on, a cloaked young woman sat at a table, enjoying a large plate of Two-Horned Rabbit meat. She listened to everything the locals said and responded with a nod or a smile.
Nom~ Nom~
Mmm~~
She bit into the meat with her sharp fangs, tearing off a large piece and chewing it.
"That young patriarch... he sounds quite strong."
When everyone around heard her voice, they all immediately turned to look at her.
She didn't say anything else.
Instead, she lowered the rabbit meat and pulled down her hood, revealing her striking blue horns and azure-colored hair.
As soon as her appearance was visible, the people around her grew frightened and fell silent.
They knew exactly what she was.
"Th-, That's a dragon girl..."
"Indeed, she's definitely from the Beast Province. What's she doing here... in the Eastern Reaches?"
"I'm not quite certain. Just look at how long her horns are for someone so young. She must be a royal──those types are incredibly strong and have powers beyond imagination."
For the Dragon Race, the length of their horns was a key measure of their power.
This system of measurement was established even before the Demon World State adopted it from the Demon Realm.
Dragons with long horns were called Greater Dragons, while those with shorter horns, which was more common, were known as Lesser Dragons, like the citizens of Dragon God City.
The third category in this system was for dragon people who were direct descendants of Imperial Dragons.
These individuals were known as Royals.
That was what the dragon girl was!
Sigh~
With a faint smile on her face, Qing Zhilan closed her eyes gently and stood up from her table, though she wore a slightly displeased expression.
"It seems I've ruined the mood..."
Directly after she stood, everyone in the restaurant fell to the floor and kowtowed immediately.
"We pay respects to the dragon royal!"
They knew that disrespecting a royal could lead to their painful and untimely deaths.
"Whatever... goodbye."
Qing Zhilan brushed off their extravagant farewells and waved goodbye to the restaurant as she left. She didn't pay for the food, but who would dare to stop her?
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[Chen Family Estate, Guest House]
Liu Ming and Xiu Meixiang were in a luxurious pavilion.
It had a stunning view of distant mountains and floating immortal clouds. The refreshing breeze and the peaceful surroundings, filled with butterflies and singing birds, made the setting perfect.
Xiu Meixiang sat on a large sofa, holding a bowl of grapes.
Eeeeeee...
She looked as if she might blush so hard she would burst, but her excitement was even greater than her embarrassment.
Why did she feel this way? Liu Ming was lounging comfortably on the wide sofa, his head resting gently on her lap.
This was the kind of scenarios the pure-hearted Junior Sister could only dream of.
For someone like Yu Lan, it might seem normal, but Xiu Meixiang preferred emotional intimacy over physical intimacy.
To her, everything about their arrangement felt absolutely perfect──so much that she would nervously press her knees together from time to time.
"Open wide, Senior Brother!"
She could drop grapes into Liu Ming's mouth and watch him chew with a smile.
"Oh, your hair…"
She could also adjust his hair as an excuse to touch and lovingly caress her beloved Senior Brother's forehead.
Hnnn...
Her heart would race whenever Liu Ming opened his eyes and looked up at her. No matter how he saw the scene, she viewed it as a slow-motion romantic moment.
Never before had the young lord looked so kissable to her.
"Senior Brother..."
"Hm? Are your laps aching you already? I can get off..."
"N-, no! Meixiang prefers if you stay like that."
"O-, okay, then."
"Open your mouth wide this time. Meixiang is going to give you even more grapes."
"Oh, alright!"
Liu Ming opened his mouth, expecting to taste the cool, chewy flesh of grapes.
Hmm?
Instead, he felt something quite different──a warm, slightly hot piece of meat.
It was wet, but in a soothing way.
The sensation was delicate, wrapping around his tongue with warmth, softness, and gentle pressure.
Xiu Meixiang was kissing him... intimately.
The wetness and movement of her tongue against his own were very comforting.
She placed her soft, slender hand on his cheeks and pressed her tongue deeper into his mouth. Liu Ming responded by pressing his tongue back against hers. For a moment, it felt like their tongues were fighting, trying to pin each other.
Her coral-pink lips pressed against his, and the saliva from their passionate kiss made their lips slide and caress each other in a romantic way.
Mmwahh~♡
When she finally pulled away, a long, sticky strand of saliva connected their mouths until it eventually broke.
"Meixiang..."
That was all Liu Ming could say.
Xiu Meixiang's cheeks flushed as her large green eyes narrowed, glancing away shyly. She covered her mouth with her right hand and spoke softly.
"I was just trying to thank dearest Senior Brother for restoring my lifespan. Sigh~ M-, Meixiang knows she's caused Senior Brother a lot of trouble…"
Her shy but oddly cute expression shifted to one of sadness and disappointment. She felt that if she were stronger or more capable, everything that had transpired might have been avoided.
"I... I've told Senior Brother before that I don't have much talent, and I can't offer much besides cleaning, cooking, and helping Senior Brother whenever needed.
"I don't know my family since I was abandoned as a child and found by Sect Father. So, there are certain things Meixiang doesn't know, but is willing to learn... if Senior Brother will give me a chance.
"Meixiang isn't strong or particularly smart either. Still, that doesn't mean I can't do my best to help you in any way I can. In the end, Meixiang is willing to support someone as outstanding and inspiring as Senior Brother."
Her weakness was what led to everything that happened.
If she had been able to defend herself properly against Han Zichen, maybe the hundreds of Han Clan cultivators and their young lord wouldn't have died.
More importantly, people wouldn't see her precious Senior Brother as a ruthless monster who abused his power.
She cared deeply about that.
Fortunately, Liu Ming understood all of this without her having to explain. In fact, he understood it so well that he knew a student's mistake often reflects on the teacher.
The young patriarch gently touched her cheek, using his thumb to softly stroke her attractive bottom lip.
"Meixiang, you don't need to worry about anything. Remember, even though we have a close relationship, I'm still your master. I'll make sure you get strong enough to stand on your own. All I need is time, and all you need is patience. Got it?"
He maintained eye contact the whole time as he spoke to her.
"Meixiang agrees..."
When she nodded, her expression became quite warm and cheerful, with a slight blush on her cheeks.
'Cute...' Liu Ming thought.
━ ━ ━
[FOOTNOTES]
The platform is experiencing a server migration, so this chapter that was supposed to be published three hours ago only worked now.
Sorry for the delays.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone