Ian Song returned to his temporary mansion not long after.
The members of the Vermin Squad rushed over to congratulate him. It was Adrian Zhang and Moira Ji, who had attended the banquet, that vividly recounted everything that happened, getting everyone fired up and starry-eyed.
“Awesome! Captain, you were absolutely awesome!” someone shouted.
With their captain so impressive, everyone felt honored as well, so they all came to congratulate Ian.
Actually, Ian didn’t feel particularly proud about it all.
To others, Princess Myra Vance seemed unattainable, but to him, she was just a powerful woman with influence.
As for the Vermin Squad’s visit, he could only accept it helplessly and let them make a ruckus.
After all the noise, it wasn’t until around three or four in the morning that the group finally left. Fortunately, before leaving, the female squad members teamed up to clean up the messy courtyard.
“Young master.”
Lena Wei hesitated, wanting to say something but stopping herself.
“Say it, what is it?”
Ian beckoned Lena Wei over and, at his signal, she sat on his lap.
Ever since his marriage, he’d somewhat neglected Lena, his personal maid.
“Young master, I really think you should have accepted Princess Myra’s offer,” Lena said nervously.
Lena was an ambitious woman. Even after following Ian, she’d never relaxed her guard. Besides cultivating, she always paid close attention to gathering information, so she understood exactly what kind of figure Princess Myra was. If her young master became the princess’s personal bodyguard, the benefits would be unimaginable, and as his maid, she’d rise with him.
Ian wasn’t surprised by Lena’s advice; he understood her ambitions well. But there were things he couldn’t explain to her. In fact, not just Lena—even the Vermin Squad thought he should have accepted Princess Myra’s offer.
To submit to others is just a sign of lacking strength.
Now that he had power and resources, why should he become someone else’s subordinate?
Since he couldn’t explain, he didn’t bother. Instead, his hand quietly slipped under Lena’s dress, moving up until he grasped a soft, full curve, kneading and teasing it at will.
“Young master!”
Lena let out a soft moan, her eyes growing misty as she lifted her head for a kiss.
Ian didn’t hold back; he lowered his head and kissed her inviting lips, savoring the moment.
After a bout of passion, Lena was left exhausted and fell into a deep sleep.
Ian, however, flashed into the Divine Temple.
He had left Chloe Snow in the Divine Temple some time ago, letting Old Man Tanner guide her cultivation.
The next moment, Ian arrived at a lakeside cabin on a beautiful, verdant planet.
In front of the cabin—
A young girl was practicing swordsmanship.
Her sword glimmered like water, sometimes flowing gently, sometimes striking like lightning. She had already developed her own understanding of swordsmanship.
Ian had set the time flow on this planet to three times the normal rate.
As a result, Chloe had already been cultivating here for over two years.
After about half an hour, Chloe finished her sword practice and stood still. Suddenly, she spotted a figure not far away, and her delicate face lit up with utter joy.
“Big brother!”
Like a swallow returning to its nest, Chloe threw herself into Ian’s arms, rubbing her face against his chest. After a while, he actually heard her start to sob.
“What’s wrong, little one?”
Ian stroked her hair and asked softly.
“Nothing, I just missed you,” Chloe whispered.
After two years of cultivation here, Chloe had changed a lot.
First, with no shortage of expert guidance or resources, she had already condensed her Nascent Soul.
Second, the little girl from before had grown into a graceful young lady.
“It’s all my fault!”
Ian could sense Chloe’s deep attachment to him, which made him feel a bit guilty for not visiting her sooner.
“Don’t blame yourself, big brother. I just missed you too much.”
For a moment, Ian felt even more guilty.
But soon, with his glib tongue, Ian coaxed Chloe into laughter, then took her to the lakeshore, where they sat together, took off their shoes and socks, and dangled their bare feet in the chilly lake water.
The two of them chatted, and before they knew it, two hours had passed.
Ian suggested taking Chloe out of the Temple, but she refused. Her reason was simple—she wasn’t strong enough yet, and if she left, she’d only be a burden to him.
Hearing this, Ian hugged her again, feeling even more protective.
He actually wanted to tell her that he was already strong enough to fear no gods, but after some thought, he worried it might undermine Chloe’s confidence, so he agreed to let her keep cultivating here.
Before leaving, he met with Old Man Tanner to ask about Chloe’s progress.
With another flash, Ian shifted to another planet.
Thanks to the tenfold time acceleration, Cici had already absorbed the power of one blood-red mini dragon. Her strength now far surpassed late Tribulation level. Once she finished absorbing the second blood-red dragon, she should reach the Human-Immortal tier.
The next morning—
Ian was warming up with boxing in his courtyard when Jackson Wenren hurried over.
“Captain, Princess Myra’s personal maid is here.”
“What does she want?”
Jackson looked exasperated. “Captain, did you forget? You made a bet. If she lost, she’d have to serve as your personal maid for three days!”
“Oh, right. Just handle it however you see fit. After three days, just tell her to leave.”
Ian nodded in sudden realization, then spoke casually.
He didn’t care about the bet at all—he’d only made it to humiliate her, not because he actually wanted a personal maid. He wasn’t afraid of Princess Myra, but he didn’t want to offend her for no reason either.
“Isn’t this a bit inappropriate?” Jackson Wenren asked cautiously.
“What’s wrong with it? Go on!” Ian replied.
Ian waved his hand dismissively.
Jackson could only sigh and go carry out the order.
In the reception hall, Jackson greeted the charming young lady politely, “Miss Sunny, I’ve already reported to the Captain. I’ll show you to your room now!”
Upon hearing this, the young lady frowned in displeasure, “Where’s Chu Fan? Why won’t he see me?”
After last night’s banquet, Princess Myra had scolded her harshly, pointing out how Chu Fan had toyed with her without her realizing it.
For a moment, the young lady was mortified and deeply resented Ian. But to her frustration, her own princess kept praising Chu Fan, clearly impressed and eager to recruit him.
To redeem herself in the princess’s eyes, the young lady decided to help her recruit Chu Fan. So, she came to Ian’s residence early this morning—partly to fulfill the bet, and partly to try to win over this infuriating man.
But she hadn’t expected to be snubbed immediately; that wretched Chu Fan wouldn’t even give her a chance to meet him.