Can it be anyone? Well... probably not.

  Even if Bubai did have free selection, he can’t be greedy. Woman wasn’t his aim, and he certainly didn’t want to give off the wrong idea.

  Moreover, by switching to “fresh meat”, the guy was probably referring to his daughter Jia Wan. But…

  Should Bubai change to the daughter?

  Honestly, it matters not whether it be mother or daughter, but as a wise sage once said: the daughter rocks, but the mother is even better at rocking!

  Ahem, it was best to keep it the same, implying that he was satisfied with the status quo.

  This will, in turn, help lead Jia Shizi down the rabbit hole of paying more and more in order to change the status quo.

  Determining his course after the blink of an eye, Bubai wore a reluctant face and voiced his opinion, “There is no need for change at the moment. Perhaps later, I might consider it if circumstances allow, but now…”

  Bubai wryly smiled, speaking as if he was preparing for his own funeral, “We’ll have to see if I manage to survive first. Brother Jia should understand.”

  “That’s right. The exchange is happening soon, isn’t it?”

  Almost imperceptibly, a predatory glint flashed past Jia Shizi’s eyes, but it was quickly masked by a friendly grin.

  “Hah! A brother I, Jia Shizi, recognize can’t be weak!”

  As if trying to instill confidence into Bubai, Jia Shizi flexed his biceps, each muscle standing out like a chiseled statue.

  “I have no doubt Brother Mo is a hidden dragon and will show everyone what you’re made of! When that time comes, I hope Brother Mo won’t forget about this brother and push off my gifts.”

  Heh. Gifts? That’s just a nice way to say it. This guy’s "gifts" were merely a pretext to extract more benefit.

  If anything, this Jia Shizi probably wants to turn him into a full-time essence generator, which would be his fate should he end up caught by a big clan!

  This was exactly why Bubai went a full circle trying to stave off the Taiyin Clan’s investigation instead of simply turning himself in.

  While there were undeniable advantages to selling his essence full-time, Bubai wasn't prepared to commit to it unless the timing and conditions were ideal.

  Of course, some things were better left unsaid, and a perfunctory response should be enough to temporarily keep this Jia Shizi at bay.

  “Of course, of course! How can I refuse a good brother’s gifts? But, Brother Jia, please don’t send too much or Bubai will have to worry about not having adequate return gifts!”

  “Hahaha!” Jia Shizi’s hearty laugh drummed against Bubai’s shield, his subsequent words finding their way past it.

  “Brother Mo, there is no need to calculate so much when it comes to gifts and returns between brothers! As I’ve said before, what I give to brother, I never ask for any return! Since Brother Mo can accept my formation sundries before, what’s more some women!”

  Being reminded of the “trash” he accepted during his poor ol’ days, Bubai could only inwardly curse.

  Merlin’s beard. That “forgotten” favor came back to bite him now!

  Knowing some acts must go on, Bubai could only perfunctorily stave off the debt collector, “Haha! Right. Right. But matters like these, we can discuss it further after everything is over.”

  “Haha. Brother Mo is right. It’s best to discuss when everything is over.”

  The two “brothers” grinned at each other, their eyes flashing with unknown meaning.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  Knowing he can’t get much more out of Bubai, Jia Shizi wrapped his thick arm around his robed wife's waist and brought the exchange to its end.

  "Alright, Brother Mo, I won't intrude any longer. I'm sure you have much to discuss with your… little maid."

  Unperturbed by the teasing tone with an edge that hinted at deeper currents, Bubai bid the man farewell with a polite salute, “Then, Bubai won’t hold Brother Jia back any longer.”

  “Hahaha!” Laughing with beauty in hand, Jia Shizi turned to depart on his journey to the west.

  Bubai watched the laughing lion leave with a smile stuck to his face, but as soon as the other party were out of earshot, he allowed his smile to fade, wordlessly turning back toward his tower.

  Wei Er, still staring reluctantly into the distance, was awoken by the rumbling of the tower entrance.

  She looked over with fleeting panic and rushed to catch up with her “master”.

  Entering the tower, the corridor’s walls and ceiling seemed to absorb the tension of its owner, creating a heavy silence.

  Bubai wordlessly trekked along the corridor. When he walked past Wei Yi waiting in the corridor, their eyes briefly met.

  The older sibling of the twin accepted the silent signal without a single ounce of change in her composed expression.

  After Bubai passed by, Wei Yi went over to take her younger sister’s arm, gently ushering her toward the bathroom, “You must be exhausted after the trip. Let sister help you…”

  Through his divine sense, Bubai noted the shared smile between the twins and their open display of sisterly affection, but he knew better than to trust appearances.

  After all, their paths had long diverged. The game was already afoot, and every move would count in the days to come.

  Going up the stairs, Bubai’s ears picked up the soft click from a door closing.

  Bubai finally let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, and a soft smile broke the ice on his face.

  He continued on up, letting the rare tenderness soften his features.

  Entering the lounge, Bubai plopped down on a round, ornate glass chair, his gaze settling on the staircase.

  Shortly after, Xiao Lan, dressed in a lilac robe with her winter mantle draped over her shoulder, descended into his line of sight.

  Their eyes met, and Bubai greeted her with a playful smirk, “Morning, sleepyhead.”

  Approaching him, the stunning woman with an aura as cold as ice, retorted icily, "You didn't wake me."

  Seeing her enter his arm’s reach, Bubai smiled warmly, reaching out to pull her to sit sideways on his lap. “I just wanted to let you rest a bit longer.”

  “…” Xiao Lan pursed her lips, her eyes locking onto his. "Staying until tonight?"

  “Yes.” Bubai’s gaze dropped to her purplish lips, then back to her eyes. “But I’ll need to step out for a bit later to handle some matters.”

  Xiao Lan’s voice softened, almost a whisper. “So, there is time…”

  For a moment, they simply stared at each other, their faces barely inches apart.

  Then, slowly, the iceberg beauty leaned in, her lips brushing his in a tentative kiss…

  That soon deepened as they both surrendered to the moment...

  Downstairs. Bathroom.

  Wei Yi carefully handed a cup of water to her twin, who was soaking in a circular tub filled with lukewarm water. "Try out the new tea Master bought. It’s a reward for your hard work and will soothe your mind.”

  Wei Er eyed the clear liquid dubiously, bringing the cup closer to her face. "Really?"

  With a composed face, Wei Yi whispered back, “It’s meant to soothe you down there…” She pointed discreetly into the water, causing her younger sister to blush deeply.

  “It doesn’t hurt,” Wei Er protested weakly.

  “Don’t try to act strong,” Wei Yi chided with a gentle rap on her sister’s forehead. “You don’t want to show weakness in front of Master, lest he decides not to let you go next time.”

  “Ah?! Who’s he to control me!” Wei Er puffed her cheeks in defiance but still obediently sipped the tea. She smacked her lips, a puzzled look crossing her face. “Mmm, it’s got a strange taste.”

  Wei Yi smiled softly, her fingers massaging her twin’s shoulders. “What does it taste like?”

  “It tastes like, mm, like…” The younger sister’s mumbles grew fainter with each word...

  Soon, Wei Er’s slack hand drooped to the side, the ceramic cup slipping from her grasp-

  It hit the ground with a sharp crash, shattering into countless pieces...

  Wei Yi gently caressed her sleeping sibling’s head, her eyes lingering on the broken shards scattered across the floor, a barely audible murmur escaping from her heart, “Sorry...”

  Upstairs.

  Capturing the scene with his divine sense, Bubai smiled inwardly.

  These knockout powders were truly useful. Aside from having a strange taste, it’s colorless and effective against most mortals after just a sip. Really sinister and convenient.

  Of course, personally, Bubai preferred the efficiency of striking acupuncture points to render others unconscious—it was cleaner and only required a bit of Qi.

  However, this drug method had its merits.

  Aside from being a stringent loyalty test for his smart maid, it was also his key for feeding her some fake information.

  His maid was still kept out of the loop regarding the effects of the incense.

  So, this was his intentional disclosure to fabricate a cause for her memory gaps. It was just small details to fill in the blank, just in case.

  Sensing his maid cleaning up her shattered bonds, Bubai knew it was time for him to step in.

  Gently easing away from her soft lips, Bubai leaned his forehead against hers, soothing the beauty in his lap, “Xiao Lan, we’ll continue... later.”

  Xiao Lan’s eyes opened and met his, her cool breath reluctantly caressing his lips, “En. I’ll cook some rice and... wait for you.”

  “Good.” Bubai gave her another peck on the lips, then disentangled himself, setting Xiao Lan lightly on the neighboring chair before heading toward the stairs.

  It’s time to go see what his little spy has to report.