I gazed at Fu Yating and pondered what schemes she might be hatching. Her large, innocent-looking eyes wandered around, looking at everything with child-like wonder.

Either way, out of sight, out of mind.

"I will help you get back to your group," I smiled, playing the dutiful fiancé, ready to take her back.

"Oh, it's already late at night," Song Song suddenly said in her faux innocent voice. It was as if she hadn't brazenly laughed when she saw Fu Yating looking like a lost cat. "Don't worry, we will take you to your place tomorrow, little flower."

I usually had a good read on what Song Song was up to. Sometimes, she didn't need to say anything for me to understand, and vice versa. We had fought and bled together long enough to instinctively grasp each other's intentions.

But I had no idea what Song Song was up to right now. There was nothing for her to gain by bringing my fiancée into our home. Song Song was smart enough to see it wasn't a coincidence she had come here.

The soft, chilly night wind washed over us, causing Fu Yating to shake like a leaf.

Song Song opened the gate for Fu Yating and told her to follow as we entered the mansion. As soon as we stepped through the doors, arrays activated, lighting everything up.

We walked into one of the guest rooms we never used. The small room exuded a warm and inviting charm. Dominating the cozy space was a plush red couch, its fabric felt like touching clouds. The walls were a soothing blend of white and beige, enhancing the room's tranquil ambiance. Complementing the couch was a unique wooden table with elegant marble feet.

Song Song sat on the couch, and Fu Yating followed, sitting beside her.

My friend then looked at me and smirked, "You lovebirds should spend some time together. I'll make you some tea."

"You know how to make tea?" I asked, genuinely shocked.

Song Song narrowed her eyes dangerously and softly laughed, "You're always such a jokester."

Why was she annoyed by that? It was a genuine question.

I should be the one angry here. I had planned to read a fascinating book on illusionary arrays. I slept more than usual yesterday to have fun today and spend the rest of the night reading until dawn.

But despite my complaints, Song Song walked away to prepare some tea.

What was the benefit of bringing someone like Fu Yating around? She wasn't even at Qi Gathering and seemed like she would only bring trouble.

Fu Yating glanced at me but said nothing, knowing that Song Song could hear us even if she was on the other side of the mansion. Foundation Establishment Cultivators had crazy senses like that.

The door creaked open shortly after she left, and Song Song came in with a tray of steaming cups of tea.

"I made more than needed, just in case our guest likes tea," Song Song said politely.

"Ah, thanks," Fu Yating bashfully said.

As Song Song sat down, I picked up my cup of tea and drank it while standing. The tea flowed down my throat, its taste a bit too overwhelming, leaving a strong, lingering aftertaste.

I was just waiting to see what this was about before leaving. How did I get involved in this?

Sure, Fu Yating was my fiancée. But it was Song Song's problem now. She was the one who insisted on bringing her into our house. I had reading to do. Who knew when I would get another chance like this to read with the tournament around! Those illusionary arrays were really cool when I was under their effect. I couldn't wait to learn about them!

"No need to be so polite," Song Song told my fiancée, offering her some treats that she pulled out of her storage ring. "Liu Feng sure is lucky to have someone like you."

My fiancée looked aside, embarrassed.

Ah, so that was what Song Song wanted. She knew Fu Yating was acting and was just having a blast.

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"T-Thanks," Fu Yating stuttered and played with her fingers as her face flushed red.

Song Song leaned against her, "You know, he mentions you all the time."

No, I didn't!

Song Song didn't know I even had a fiancée until recently. I doubted she even knew her name.

Fu Yating tried extra hard, her face looking like a tomato. It felt like she was going to pass out.

"Liu Feng once saved a small clan from a bandit attack. The clan leader wanted to offer his daughter to their hero, but he said there was only one person in his heart," Song Song droned on, sending a teasing smirk my way.

Song Song definitely knew what she was doing, and wasn't going to stop anytime soon either.

"Perhaps we should escort her to her Sect, or they might get worried," I insisted.

"Oh no, let her stay with us," Song Song insisted, her smile turning sickeningly sweet. "Otherwise, people might think you're too cruel to your fiancée. This is the woman you will be married to!"

"It is improper," I smiled through gritted teeth.

"Love makes people do many strange things," Song Song refuted me and added, "I will personally send a letter to her Sect to explain things."

I kept my smile on but said nothing.

"Young love is like a brilliant fire; it should not be quenched," Song Song said passionately. She had a faraway look in her eyes and was playing her part as a tragic character in a play.

Since when did the crazy murder hobo turn poetic?

I knew the chances of Fu Yating being a danger to us were slim to none. We were on our home turf with arrays around here that made Song Song fight at least to the middle Foundation Establishment level of strength. Also, Fu Yating was not even a peak Body Tempering Cultivator.

"Where is she going to sleep?" I asked.

Song Song raised her brows and smirked. She was about to say something, and I looked at her seriously and shook my head.

The smile slipped off Song Song's face, and she shrugged. "She will sleep in one of the guest rooms."

"Well, goodnight to you ladies. I'm going to do some light reading," I nodded and walked out of the room without saying anything else.

…

That light reading continued for the next twelve hours. When I finally finished the book, I stood up from my bed. Unlike what one might expect, my room in the mansion was simple.

The room was cozy, centered around a large king-sized bed with crisp white linens. Soft, calming beige walls and a single window allowed natural light to filter in. A wooden nightstand held a small oil lamp-like artifact and a few books. The floor was carpeted in a neutral tone, adding to the room's comfy elegance. A comfortable armchair sat in one corner, completing the serene atmosphere.

Stretching, I felt the muscles on my back loosen. One of the benefits of being a cultivator was that despite my poor reading posture, there was no pain.

I placed the book on arrays on the table and opened the window, feeling a swift wind seep through. Judging by the rising sun, it was roughly six in the morning.

Song Song was already in the yard, cultivating next to a sleeping Speedy, who hadn't moved since we left him there yesterday. Fu Yating was engaged in physical training nearby.

Ah, the joy of being a Body Tempering cultivator, where physical training was the only path to advancement.

I jumped out of the window, taking another book from my storage ring in midair before landing gracefully.

The night had gone as planned. I had read books on illusionary arrays, but it was less exciting than I had hoped, as creating my own illusions would take time.

I sat down next to Song Song, cracking open the new book on illusionary arrays and leaning against Speedy's shell. A comfortable feeling settled over me, and I smiled.

Initially, I had assumed Fu Yating would disrupt my reading time, but she remained surprisingly quiet.

"What do you think of her?" I asked Song Song, keeping my eyes on the book.

Song Song paused her cultivation, opening her blue eyes. "At least she's hardworking, but her talent for cultivation is quite low."

"Low? Our talents are about the same," I reminded her.

"She won't break through to Qi Gathering anytime soon, though," Song Song reasoned.

I had to agree. Sensing Qi was usually the toughest step in early cultivation stages. Even with my talent, breaking through was a challenge. Average cultivators with my talent faced even greater difficulties.

Fu Yating moved swiftly, her movements a blur to mortal eyes but painfully slow to mine.

"At best, she might reach Qi Gathering in her twenties, perhaps mid-twenties with a few setbacks," I estimated. "People with my talent usually reach it by their mid-twenties, but she is hardworking. She could reach it sooner."

"Don't forget, when it comes to Body Tempering, female cultivators generally face more challenges in advancing since it doesn't rely so much on talent," Song Song reminded me.

While women cultivators didn't differ much from men upon reaching Qi Gathering. There were even techniques like the ones Song Song used to hasten their cultivation. Which as far as I knew there were no techniques that could hasten a man’s cultivation just by remaining a virgin..

However, in Body Tempering, they struggled more to reach the physical thresholds required for advancement. That was why she was at a lower cultivation level than even the original Liu Feng.

Fu Yating was only at six-star Body Tempering—not necessarily bad for her age, but not exceptional.

It was also unlikely she received the same support from her clan that I had. After all, in her clan's eyes, she was destined to marry into mine. Investing heavily in a future Liu Clan member might not have seemed worthwhile.

I felt sympathy for her plight. Her cultivation journey was undoubtedly challenging. Thankfully, she didn't appear to blame me for her circumstances.

Or perhaps she did blame me but was clever enough to conceal it.

I turned towards Song Song; her marble-white skin glowed in the sunlight, her long lashes fluttering as she glanced at me from the corner of her eye.

"How did you manage cultivation during Body Tempering?" I asked.

Song Song shrugged, closing her eyes and returning to her cultivation. "Just gather a bunch of cultivation resources."

She saw the world through a straightforward lens. Though Song Song's approach was a practical one. Due to my connection with her, I also had access to those resources.

Now the question remained: should I help my scheming fiancée?