The moon bathed the river city in a soft, ethereal glow, its light filtering through the shifting clouds. The carriage came to a halt at the grand entrance of the Lin Family Estate, and Alex was swiftly ushered into the main mansion. The Fifth and Seventh Elders barely acknowledged him, heading straight to the Patriarch's courtyard with urgent steps. Alex, meanwhile, was left in the care of the family servants, who led him to a private courtyard of his own.

It was clear the Elders couldn't wait to report Lin Yue's success to the Patriarch. After all, she was his only daughter, a gem of the Lin family. Unlike Alex, cursed with a trash-tier spirit root, Lin Yue had been blessed with a True mid-grade spirit root. With the sect's resources, her path to greatness was all but assured.

Now, Alex found himself soaking in a warm bath in his private bathhouse. Damn, this felt amazing—especially after the grueling journey he'd endured. The past two days had been nothing short of a nightmare. First, he'd died, and now, he was stuck in the body of some random kid from the Lin family, in a world of cultivation, no less. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the tub, his hands resting on the edges. Pure bliss. The water must have been infused with herbs because it felt incredibly soothing, easing his tension away.

Just as he was about to drift off, a smooth, seductive voice broke the silence.

"Young Master, may I wash your back?"

Startled, Alex opened his eyes to see a silver-haired beauty approaching him, sponge and soap in hand. Wait, did this world actually have soap? The girl was a total bombshell. Her hair was tied up in a sleek bun, revealing a graceful, swan-like neck. Her eyes, a mesmerizing shade of blue, seemed to draw him in, and her lips, a luscious red, were almost too tempting to resist. Her porcelain skin was flawless. She wore a flowing green robe, even though it was loose, it barely concealed her massive weapons. A dark ribbon cinched her waist, emphasizing her hourglass figure. She was the sexy onee-chan type straight out of an anime.

"With pleasure, my lady," Alex replied, flashing her a grin.

She giggled softly. "Oh, young master, I'm no lady. I'm just a humble maid here to serve you. My name is Mei Ling, but if you prefer, you can call me Ling'er."

"Sure, sure… Ling'er," Alex responded, his tone playful.

Mei Ling moved behind him and began to gently rub his back with a sponge. As she leaned in closer, a delicate jasmine fragrance filled the air, wrapping around him like a soft embrace. After she finished washing his back, her hands slid around to his chest. As she continued, Alex couldn't help but feel the light pressure of her massive tits against his back, it was soft and comfy. Damn it, lady, you're doing this on purpose. His blood surged, pooling in a single, unmistakable place. He leaned forward slightly, trying to calm himself.

"Ling'er, that's enough. I can take care of the rest," he said, his voice betraying his unease. "You can go now."

"Why… young master! Did I do something wrong?" she asked, her voice trembling, her eyes glistening with unshed tears.

Damn it! She's playing innocent now? Seriously?

"No, no, Ling'er, it's not that. I'm just exhausted from the long journey. I want to finish up quickly and get some rest. I'm really tired," he replied, his words spilling out in a rush.

She rubbed her eyes and pouted, "Oh… young master, then I'll see you in the morning."

"Or… I could keep you company," she added with a teasing smile, playfully tracing her lips with her finger.

"Right… right… I'll see you in the morning. You can go now."

"Good night, young master," she said, her hips swaying hypnotically as she walked away, her laughter echoing down the hallway.

This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Woman, we just met today, and you're already teasing me like this? Alex shook his head as he stepped out of the tub, pouring a bucket of warm water over himself to rinse off. He quickly dried himself with a towel and made his way towards his room.

As he walked into the main hall, he realized he was utterly lost. Holy shit, this courtyard is enormous! There must be at least twenty rooms here, and I have no idea which one is mine. His eyelids grew heavy with exhaustion, and he decided to enter the nearest room. Without a second thought, he flopped onto the soft, comfortable bed and immediately fell asleep.

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The first light of dawn graced the horizon, pushing back the darkness. Morning had arrived. Birds chirped softly, and a light breeze drifted through the Lin Mansion, parting the curtains in a room within the western courtyard. A gentle ray of sunlight slipped through the opening, nudging Alex awake to a new day. He stretched his arms with a yawn, but as he opened his eyes, he found himself in an unfamiliar room. The architecture was foreign, reminiscent of an old Chinese drama. The ceiling had a wooden finish, and the walls were carved from what looked like jade. Paintings of mythical beasts adorned the walls—was that a whale? An eagle? Maybe it was something like a Kun...whatever it was. It wasn't a dream; he really was in a cultivation world.

He leaned back into the huge, soft pillows, thinking, *Damn, these pillows are really good. I could fall asleep again if I stay here too long.* As he shifted to his left, he noticed a silver-haired girl on the bed beside him. Her head rested on her right hand while the other playfully twisted a lock of her glossy hair. A beautiful smile graced her oval face.

"Huh... Ling'er! What are you doing in my room? In my bed?" Alex asked, surprised. Maybe he was still dreaming.

"Good morning, Young Master! Your room? You're in *my* room, Young Master—more precisely, *my* bed. My, my, I didn't know you were this eager," she teased, her lips curling into a playful smile.

Suddenly, Alex remembered last night. He had been so damn tired that he didn't care to find his own room. He just picked one at random, walked in, and collapsed into bed.

"Last night, I was so sleepy I didn't know which room was mine, so I just entered a random one. I'm sorry, Ling'er! I didn't know it was your room," he hurriedly explained.

"It's okay, Young Master! It was this servant's fault for not guiding you to your room. Please punish this useless servant," she replied softly.

"No, no, Ling'er! It was me who sent you away last night. It's my fault."

"So... Young Master won't blame me?" she asked, her voice turning cheerful again.

*Hmmm... women... stop acting so coy,* he thought.

"Yes, yes, how can I blame you?" he replied with a grin. Just then, his stomach growled loudly.

She giggled. "Ha...ha... Young Master, go freshen up. I'll make you a warm, healthy breakfast," she said before leaving the room.

Alex headed to the bathroom to freshen up. *This world even has toothbrushes and toothpaste,* he mused. After a warm bath, he returned to Mei Ling's room, where she had already prepared a sumptuous breakfast with dishes ranging from lamb to rice. He sat down and dug in, savoring every bite. Once he was full, he noticed that she hadn't eaten with him.

"Ling'er! Why aren't you eating? Aren't you hungry?"

"No, no, Young Master... I can't eat with you."

"Why not? Am I scary or something?"

"No... a servant can't eat at the same table as their master. Besides, this is spirit rice and meat from a tier-1 beast. They're so expensive that if anyone knew a mortal like me had eaten them, I'd be beaten to death."

Alex almost forgot—strength is everything in this world. The strong can do anything they want. A cultivator can kill, steal, or rob anyone, while mortals are left to be slaughtered and exploited. He had to be careful not to stand out while he was this weak. Maybe in the future, if he became stronger, he could change something—unless this world changed him also.

"I've already had my fill. You can eat the rest."

"No, Young Master... these are so expensive that even if I were sold ten times over, I couldn't afford them."

"But it'll go to waste if you don't eat it, and no one will know if you don't say anything."

"No, Young Master... thank you for your kind offer, but this humble servant must refuse."

Seeing her resolve, Alex didn't press the issue further. He didn't want to get her into trouble.

Mei Ling sighed in relief as he finally stopped pestering her. "Young Master, the Third Elder has summoned you. He told me you should be at the clan library by noon. If you're done here, let me guide you."

Alex followed Ling'er to the clan library, noticing how massive the mansion was as they walked. After half an hour, they finally reached the gate of the library, situated on the south side of the mansion, about two miles from his courtyard.

Ling'er turned to him. "Please, Young Master, go in. The Elder is waiting inside."