The valley was silent, surrounded by lush green trees, the sounds of small animals rustling were drowned out by the wind, and only occasionally could a roar or chirping be heard.

Pop! Pop! Pop!

In a small, rustic wooden house, a graceful woman wielded a hatchet, splitting firewood with each swing, cleaving each piece of wood in two.

She looked up at the golden expanse of millet ahead, brilliant and beautiful, and when birds occasionally fluttered by, a trace of envy would flash through her eyes.

The charm between her brows carried a hint of sorrow. Glancing at the time, it was already breakfast time, and the porridge in the kitchen had cooked very thin.

Standing up, the sound of clanging chains rang out. Her left foot was connected to a heavy metal chain, with the other end linked to a metal ball. Struggling with the weight, she dragged the metal ball into the kitchen.

With a wave of her hand, the pot lid floated up. Her Spiritual Power was not weak. After serving the porridge, she sat on the doorstep, glanced at the person on the mountaintop, and then began to eat.

After a while, she put down the bowl and chopsticks, took a paper book from the Storage Celestial Treasure, and began to read out of boredom, reading for nearly ten hours straight.

As the sky filled with colorful clouds, a figure gently descended. The woman furrowed her brows slightly, shrinking back, saying nothing, her head lowered as she continued reading.

"You have already reached the stage where you can absorb the essence of the sun and moon, live on wind and dew, achieving longevity like an Earth Immortal. Why bother eating the food of mortals?"

Zhao Hao’s tone carried a hint of disappointment as if he were berating her for not living up to expectations. Cultivators continually evolve through cultivation, worlds apart from ordinary people. An Earth Immortal could no longer be considered the same species as mortals.

Jiang Xi shook her head: "I’d rather linger in the rivers, savoring the world’s chaos, than live a dull life. If immortality means living like you, I don’t want it."

"All you have left is your stubbornness." Zhao Hao waved his hand, and the chains that bound the woman fell away, saying, "You are already my woman. Don’t make me unhappy, or you won’t like the consequences."

"Ha, a rapist." Jiang Xi retorted coldly, "You dragged me from my sect, forcibly took my body, and greatly advanced your cultivation by consuming my unique Primordial Yin without any respect for me.

Your woman? Is that what you call being your woman? What woman would be as unlucky as I am to encounter a man like you."

"Say what you will." Zhao Hao hoisted the woman over his shoulder, and she didn’t even bother to resist, which made Zhao Hao feel dull. He said, "What choice do you have now but to follow me? Besides, as a True Inheritor of Celestial Sword Mountain, what’s so bad about being with me!"

He, Zhao Hao, was a grand man, yet this woman was still picky, truly infuriating. Furthermore, he had elevated her cultivation level by a Great Realm through the Dual Cultivation Technique. What was she dissatisfied with?

Throwing her onto the bed, stripping her clean, Zhao Hao pressed her beneath him. The woman lay as still as a log, saying nothing, her eyes fixed on him, unblinking.

After a while, Zhao Hao also felt it was quite dull and shouted, "Woman, you’ve angered me!"

"If you’re a man, then kill me." Jiang Xi spoke in a flat tone.

"What are you dissatisfied with!" Zhao Hao demanded.

Jiang Xi laughed until tears came out: "I am dissatisfied with everything. None of this is my choice, it’s all due to your coercion. Our ill-fated relationship is solely because I am an exceptional Furnace Cauldron.

Moreover, you never care about my thoughts, showing no respect for me. I feel like I’m living as a bitch. Summoned and dismissed at your will, I’m a slave to your desires, a tool to enhance your cultivation.

You don’t care for me, don’t love me. You live in your own world where everything you do is correct, ignoring others.

Life here is leisurely, but my spirit is in agony. Yet, my greatest torment is that my child will have a father like you! It is his misfortune, and my misfortune too!"

"You have a child?!" Zhao Hao, who was originally angry, was taken aback by her words. His swordsman eyes widened with joy, and after confirming it, he laughed wildly.

To become a father, he felt that joy, understanding the feelings his father once had. However, for Jiang Xi, the prospect of becoming a mother was filled with incredible conflict and unimaginable pain.

A child born into such a "family"—who knows if it’s a blessing or a curse. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

A month passed in a flash. Zhao Hao’s time spent cultivating in this place had also reduced. He was willing to spend a lot of time caring for Jiang Xi, using various Spiritual Objects and Immortal Medicine to nourish her body, and even pouring his own Magical Power to provide energy essence for the fetus.

However, Jiang Xi grew increasingly haggard, her mental state deteriorating significantly, to the point where she would cry and laugh for no reason, and at times, Zhao Hao felt she was on the verge of madness.

Though this woman was important, she was not worth even one percent of the position her child held in his heart. Still, he had to exert significant effort on Jiang Xi for the child’s safe arrival.

"What do you want to eat? I’ll go buy it for you." Zhao Hao had never bought anything for anyone before.

"Roast suckling pig." A flash of liveliness appeared in Jiang Xi’s eyes.

A few minutes later, a figure crossed dozens of miles, and a roast suckling pig appeared before her. Zhao Hao said coldly, "Eat."

"I’m not hungry anymore." Jiang Xi lay on the bed, and after a while, she said again, "I’m hungry."

The roast suckling pig was still on the table. Zhao Hao thought this woman was truly troublesome, but since his son was still in her belly, he heard Jiang Xi say, "If you don’t feed me, I won’t eat."

"Damn it, you woman, if you’re going to eat, just eat; you want me to feed you? Do you really think you’re royalty?" Zhao Hao rarely yielded to others’ will, and now he was angry.

"Then I won’t eat." Jiang Xi slept soundly under the covers. Three hours later, Zhao Hao sat by the bed with a bowl...

Suppressing his nature for half a month, Zhao Hao was clearly displeased, yet he had to put on a smile so Jiang Xi wouldn’t get upset and affect the fetus.

He felt that this period was the most painful time of his life, even more so than when his father died because he wasn’t being his true self now.

"I want to go shopping, watch a movie, go to the snack street, I want to..." Jiang Xi glanced at Zhao Hao, who nodded repeatedly, "Alright, I’ll take you, whatever you want."

...

"He is in Peacock Demon City. I’ve heard a woman is with him now. Lately, there’s been little news; it’s hard to imagine this is the once defiant Zhao Hao."

Through surveillance cameras and transaction records, Di Xuan easily tracked down Zhao Hao’s residence. As a lieutenant general, he had a lot of authority.

This was indeed unlike him. Wherever Zhao Hao went, trouble would follow, and if it weren’t for his background and power, many would want to cause him trouble.

Wang Xuan and Di Xuan changed their appearances and auras into a middle-aged man and woman, entering Peacock Demon City, searching for Zhao Hao’s whereabouts.

The man was rough and boisterous, exuding the aura of a nouveau riche. The woman was of superior appearance and build but wore heavy makeup and had an egg-sized diamond ring on her finger.

As the two walked, their steps were bold and unrestrained, like Dragon’s gait and Tiger’s pace, drawing attention.

Peacock Demon City was built by a Demon Saint, located at the border between human dwellings and the primeval forest. Both humans and demons could visit. Though it wasn’t under Federation Government control, there were still many rules similar to urban areas, allowing the Demon Race to enjoy human civilization openly.

The city gate, a hundred meters wide and tall, was particularly imposing, guarded by two ten-meter-tall lions, whose eyes occasionally moved.

Wang Xuan and his clone’s aura was merely at the Divine Treasure Realm, appearing ordinary in this demon city, not attracting attention.

Many demon beasts roamed the streets, their eyes captivated by the flashing neon lights and the images on large nano screens. Though they hadn’t transformed, their intelligence was not low, naturally drawn to the liveliness.

Many humans conducted business here, including a large number of bold ordinary people who brought various human items to earn money. Most were unrelated to cultivation but were quite popular.

Wang Xuan saw a person with a wild boar’s head, a true second junior brother, a Demon Immortal who barely transformed at the Sky Realm. Some Demon Immortals deliberately retained tails and ears for identification, showing their demon identity.

"A bottle of wine, please." Wang Xuan slapped the table, and the fox-faced owner handed over a bottle of strong liquor, charging him ten thousand Star Yuan, ten times the price of human cities.

A quarter hour ago, he had already spotted Zhao Hao, luck being quite good. However, a woman followed Zhao Hao, her belly slightly bulging, like a pregnant woman.

It seems Zhao Hao’s personality had improved considerably since starting a family, speaking little and merely echoing the woman: good, very good, okay. Then paying the bill.

After downing a bottle of strong liquor, Wang Xuan, reeking of alcohol, wrapped his arm around the waist of the beautiful woman beside him, heading towards a jade carving shop.

After looking around forever, Jiang Xi was quite fond of three pieces of jade, examining them meticulously, down to the micrometer-scale stone mountains. The scenery in one piece of jade was like a world worth savoring.

The shop was small, but the items sold were million-Star Yuan level artworks, not to be underestimated.

The unshaven middle-aged man burped, reeking of alcohol, and patted the woman’s buttock beside him, asking, "Which one do you like? I’ll buy it for you!"

The woman Di Xuan transformed into felt particularly uncomfortable but coquettishly said, "Oh hubby, I like this, this and this. I want to buy them all."

She pointed at the three pieces of jade Jiang Xi had been playing with for a long time.

Wang Xuan slicked back his hair, then slapped the table heavily, drawing everyone’s attention, and said cheerfully, "Alright, I’ll buy these three pieces of jade. Money is no issue."