Chapter 94: You Look Terrible, but Your Cry Is Beautiful

The car drove into a vast estate on the outskirts of the city.

Inside the grounds, the lights shone brilliantly, and the whole place had been arranged like a grand hotel.

By the time the car arrived, many well-dressed magnates were already lined up at the entrance, waiting in attendance.

Shen Qingshan said with deep respect, “Young Master, tonight I have hosted a reception here in the Shen family estate with several wealthy figures from the Northwest, to welcome you and dust off the journey for you. Please, rest here in the estate tonight.”

Ling Xiao nodded.

“You’ve been thoughtful.”

“It is my duty to serve the Young Master,” Shen Qingshan replied. “Please, come with me.”

“This is Jiang Qing, one of the most famous coal barons in the Northwest. He owns more than twenty coal mines and is unimaginably wealthy.”

“This is Xu Qingyan, a renowned property tycoon of the Northwest. His assets exceed thirty billion, and many of the shopping centers in our region were built with his company’s involvement.”

“And this is the Northwest’s most celebrated film star, Miss Zhong Lianshui. Not only is she beautiful and gifted in song, she also holds agency rights for most of the luxury brands in the Northwest.”

And so on.

As Shen Qingshan walked, he introduced one person after another to Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao merely walked forward with his hands clasped behind his back, his expression proud and aloof, giving the occasional nod.

Yet not a single person dared show him the slightest disrespect.

These worldly tycoons all knew how terrifying martial cultivators could be. They also knew exactly what kind of status the young master of a sect possessed.

Like an emperor, Ling Xiao looked down upon the crowd and walked across the red carpet into the villa hall within the estate, while the others hurried after him.

The hall had already been arranged in perfect order, with all manner of luxurious wines and rare delicacies laid out in abundance.

Even a specially invited orchestra had been brought in to play soft and pleasing music for the guests.

Ling Xiao came to the honored seat at the very front of the hall, then turned and swept his gaze across the assembly.

“I’ve never liked unnecessary chatter. Everyone who came here tonight, I, Ling Xiao, will remember. The Northwest, from this day on, belongs to me, and it belongs to all of you. As for those who did not come, there is no need for them to come again in the future.”

It was a simple, direct statement, and the people below were immensely satisfied. Thunderous applause broke out.

“Young Master is wise!”

“We are willing to follow the Young Master and unify the Northwest!”

Ling Xiao lifted a glass and raised it toward the crowd in a toast. The others quickly did the same, saluting him with their own glasses.

After the brief opening, the real socializing began.

Shen Qingshan stayed at Ling Xiao’s side, receiving one wealthy guest after another as they came forward to offer toasts.

This tiresome display of formalities went on for more than half an hour.

After downing more than a dozen glasses of red wine, Ling Xiao loosened the tie at his throat, looking somewhat impatient.

Even for someone in a position of power, being toasted by others was a pleasant thing.

But too much of it became uncomfortable.

He handed the empty glass to Shen Qingshan.

“Take care of the rest. I’m going to rest for a bit.”

“Yes, Young Master Ling.”

Ling Xiao walked straight to the window, lit a cigarette, and leaned against the sill while gazing out into the night, his eyes carrying a faint trace of weathered solitude.

That melancholic air made the hearts of many young women pound wildly.

“So handsome!”

But no one dared step forward to strike up a conversation.

They still had a bit of self-awareness.

That solitary, proud figure was not something ordinary women like them could lay claim to.

Yet at that very moment, another woman entered through the estate gates.

She wore a black gauze dress and a small hat, and walked directly into the villa.

The instant she appeared, it was as though the entire scenery inside the villa had been reborn.

She was a truly breathtaking woman.

Among all the women Ling Xiao had ever seen, none had ever surpassed her.

Her eyes, dark as ink, shimmered with starlight. Her skin, as fine as jade, gave off a luminous sheen. Her exquisitely delicate features came together to form a face of incomparable beauty. Her waterfall of black hair completed the picture to perfection.

And that was only her face. Below the neck, she was even more flawless.

The moment she appeared, every other woman in the hall seemed dim beside her, and every man fixed his gaze upon her body, unable to look away for even a moment.

A woman like this was rare in the world.

With her present, people seemed to finally understand the meaning of a single glance toppling a city, and a second glance toppling a kingdom.

She was truly priceless.

Ignoring the jealous and greedy stares of those around her, the woman walked straight to Ling Xiao’s side and smiled radiantly.

With the window as a backdrop, the two of them formed a perfect picture of a handsome man and a beautiful woman, a sight so lovely it was almost unbearable.

In that instant, all jealousy and greed vanished.

These two were the true perfect match.

Ling Xiao glanced at her without saying much, then turned and headed upstairs.

The woman smiled faintly as well, swaying her graceful hips as she followed him.

Seeing this, everyone present could not help but take their leave from Shen Qingshan.

Shen Qingshan frowned.

“How strange. Where did such an exquisite beauty come from? I’ve lived in the Northwest for so many years, yet I’ve never seen a woman so shockingly, so hauntingly beautiful.”

Since Ling Xiao had said nothing, he found it inconvenient to say more. He could only shake his head, leave the hall, and head back to his own quarters.

Cai Xiaoya was also full of confusion and could not help asking the man beside her, “Mr. Ming, that woman just now was...?”

Ming Cheng gave a sly smile.

“She’s our young master’s woman, of course.”

Very soon, a delightful melody began to drift through the entire estate.

“Oh...”

“G-gentler...”

Even the moon in the sky seemed embarrassed by it, hiding behind the clouds.

Only after an hour did the music gradually fade away.

Ling Xiao sat by the window and lit another cigarette. The pure moonlight fell across his face, making him look like a man carved from jade.

To be elegant and handsome like a tree in the wind was exactly this.

On the bed, the woman removed the last silver needle from her body. She did not bother putting on her outer clothes, wearing only a bra and panties as she walked barefoot to Ling Xiao’s side and sat down across from him without a trace of restraint, completely unconcerned that all her charms were on display.

“It’s been so long since we last saw each other, and you don’t have anything to say to me?”

Ling Xiao frowned slightly and thought for a moment before saying, “The way you were clutching the sheets was rather pathetic, but your cries were still as beautiful as ever.”

The woman rolled her eyes, reached out, and snatched the half-finished cigarette from Ling Xiao’s mouth, then put it between her own lips without the slightest hesitation.

“You know I’m beautiful, and yet why didn’t you just have me from the start? Use your supreme power to drive out the cold force inside me, and then I wouldn’t have to come to you for acupuncture every single season!”

Ling Xiao smiled faintly.

“Hall Master Gu, openly trying to seduce the Young Master—according to the valley’s rules, you should be careful. You may end up on the guillotine.”

“Please. So fake. Men are all the same. If no women chase you, you’d be eager to play your way through every woman in the world. But once women do chase you, you suddenly can’t be bothered to look their way. In the end, it all just means you’re hopelessly rotten.”