[Please allow me to slowly unpack this.]

The night was as serene as still water, and a quiet hush fell over the Marquis’s Mansion. In the sky above, stars twinkled like the eyes of mischievous children. Miss Wind Bell sat alone on a stone bench in the pavilion. The stone felt a little cool to the touch, a welcome sensation that dispersed the sweltering southern heat. With her delicate hands cupping her chin, she gazed up at the night sky. An occasional breeze would stir her long skirt, its hem fluttering to reveal a glimpse of her fair white calf.

After recuperating here for a while, Miss Wind Bell’s physical injuries had completely vanished. Ling Xiao’s Spirit Medicines were indeed of the highest quality; despite how severe her wounds had been, they hadn’t left a single scar on her body.

’But he seems to be getting busier and busier,’ Miss Wind Bell thought with a hint of melancholy, sighing softly. ’I feel so useless... Should I leave this place?’

Miss Wind Bell was the kind of girl who appeared carefree on the surface but was, in fact, incredibly perceptive. She could sense that Ling Xiao was fond of her, but he already had other women by his side.

’Should I give up?’ A sudden wave of sadness washed over Miss Wind Bell, leaving her mind in turmoil. She stood up and paced alone in the courtyard, lost in thought for a long time. In the end, Miss Wind Bell decided to leave, at least for now. Perhaps... she hadn’t even decided for herself whether she was truly in love with Ling Xiao.

After leaving a note, Miss Wind Bell got ready. In the mirror, the dashing and spirited young woman’s face broke into a confident smile. ’Maybe one day, when I’ve figured things out, I’ll come back and find him!’ she thought.

’When that time comes, even if he’s like my father, who got me a bunch of stepmoms, I’ll just have to accept it!’

After packing all her belongings, Miss Wind Bell picked up a porcelain vial. It contained the Elixirs Ling Xiao had refined and given to her. She thought for a moment before carefully tucking the vial inside her robes, close to her heart.

She turned to head out, not planning to leave through the main gate. ’Since I’ve decided to go, it’s best not to wake anyone,’ she thought.

With that thought, Miss Wind Bell made her way to the rear courtyard. It was like a small forest, full of tall trees whose leaves rustled in the night wind. RUSTLE... RUSTLE... Like a nimble cat, Miss Wind Bell leaped lightly onto the courtyard wall. Just as she prepared to jump down, a voice suddenly spoke next to her ear.

"Leaving just like that?"

"Ah—!" Miss Wind Bell let out half a scream before quickly covering her mouth. She teetered on the wall, nearly falling off, feeling exactly like a thief caught red-handed. She spun around and snapped, "Are you trying to scare me to death?!"

Ling Xiao chuckled as he stepped out from the shadows. "I’ve been cultivating here the whole time. You’re the one who was sneaking past, weren’t you? If you have nothing to hide, why would you be scared?"

"Tch! I wasn’t scared! You deliberately tried to frighten me!" Miss Wind Bell shot Ling Xiao a look. "What would I be scared of? I was just going out for a walk to clear my head!"

Ling Xiao suddenly walked closer to Miss Wind Bell, the light in his eyes twinkling just like the stars in the night sky.

Miss Wind Bell grew tense. ’He... what is he going to do?’ she thought frantically. ’If he tries something... should I resist? No! Even if I like him a little, I can’t just let him have his way! Absolutely not!’

Ling Xiao walked right up to Miss Wind Bell, gazing at her. "You know," he said softly, "if you wanted to leave, you could have just told me. Why choose to sneak away like this?"

"I... I... I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to say it to your face."

Miss Wind Bell retreated two steps until her back hit the wall. A coolness instantly seeped through her clothes from the stone. This part of the wall was perpetually shaded by massive trees, never touched by sunlight, and was therefore quite cool.

Ling Xiao looked deeply into Miss Wind Bell’s eyes and said softly, "Actually, in my heart, you and they are all the same."

"’They?’ Who’s ’they’? The same in what way?" Miss Wind Bell felt her heart pound, a strange weakness spreading through her body. ’Damn it,’ she thought helplessly, ’is this what it feels like to fall for someone?’

"Ye Zi, Yisha, and you," Ling Xiao said, his voice soft but firm. "You are all important to me."

"Then... what about Miss Huangpu? And what about Chunlan and Qiuyue?"

Miss Wind Bell felt as though her heart would leap out of her throat. There was still some distance between her and Ling Xiao, yet she felt an overwhelming pressure that made her want to turn and run. But her limbs felt too weak to move.

"Chunlan and Qiuyue are my Maids, hehe. Surely you know that by noble custom, Maids... are the master’s intimates. As for Miss Huangpu, why are you bringing her up? Hehe, we’re just friends!" Ling Xiao chuckled, his face drawing ever closer to Miss Wind Bell’s. "But you... you’re different!"

As he spoke, he gently pressed his lips against Miss Wind Bell’s.

"Mmph..."

Miss Wind Bell only managed a brief murmur before she found herself enveloped in a broad, warm embrace. It felt so comfortable, so secure.

’So this is what a man’s embrace feels like.’ Miss Wind Bell felt herself melting into Ling Xiao’s kiss. By the time she snapped out of her daze, she realized his hand had already undone her inner clothes and was gliding up her smooth, slender waist.

"Ah... don’t."

Miss Wind Bell bolted upright in bed, her eyes dazed and her face scarlet. She blinked, trying to focus, and looked around her room. Shifting slightly, she cursed under her breath. Feeling the warmth and dampness between her thighs, she couldn’t help but curse Ling Xiao’s name again. ’That man is such a corrupting influence.’

Pulling the blanket to her chest, Miss Wind Bell leaned against the headboard. Silvery moonlight streamed through the window, bathing her long, well-formed legs. It cast tiny reflections on her clear toenails.

Miss Wind Bell sighed and got out of bed. Her decision was made. She had to return to her sect, no matter what. She needed to see if something had happened to her father; otherwise, there was no way he would have waited this long to come for her.

Miss Wind Bell left a letter on the table.

「An hour later.」

Miss Wind Bell glanced back at the magnificent Penzes Ancient City, bathed in moonlight, and at the new city under construction beside it. With a serene smile, she turned, and her figure shot off into the distance.

「Early the next morning.」

Ling Xiao awoke from his meditation. He felt he was just a hair’s breadth away from breaking through to the Late Fusion Stage, but he remained stuck at that bottleneck, which made him feel slightly frustrated.

Just then, there was a loud rapping on his door. BANG! BANG! Ling Xiao frowned slightly. Everyone in the mansion knew his habits; they would rarely disturb him unless it was urgent.

"Come in."

Chunlan pushed the door open. Seeing her young master sitting fully dressed on the bed and gazing at her calmly, she blushed slightly. "Young Master," she said, "Miss Wind Bell is gone. She left a letter for you."

Ling Xiao froze, feeling a pang of self-blame. In the days since his return, he’d been so focused on breaking through that he had neglected the young women around him. He never thought Miss Wind Bell would actually leave.

"Bring it here, let me see."

Ling Xiao took the letter from Chunlan. Unfolding it, he saw only a few lines of text. He couldn’t help but smile. ’It’s true that everyone has their strengths and weaknesses,’ he thought. ’This handwriting is just terrible!’

The characters were a crooked scrawl, but Ling Xiao could just about decipher them. The first line said:

"Don’t laugh! Hmph! I knew you would make fun of my terrible handwriting! I am a natural beauty, a master of martial arts, and an unrivaled qin player! So what if my handwriting is a little ugly? You’ll just have to put up with it!"

An image of the spirited Miss Wind Bell surfaced in Ling Xiao’s mind. He suddenly thought, ’She really has the same disposition as the clown. Neither of them can bear being cooped up!’

Shaking his head, Ling Xiao’s thoughts continued. ’I wonder if Ye Zi and Yisha are the same? And Chunlan and Qiuyue... are they?’ Suddenly, Ling Xiao felt that he had been incredibly selfish.

He was always thinking of himself. Cultivation, and then more cultivation. He rarely stopped to consider whether the women around him were happy. He found himself asking, "Chunlan, do you get bored being in the mansion all day?"

Chunlan was confused. Just a moment ago, her young master had been smiling at the letter. Why the sudden question? He didn’t seem angry, though, so she replied, "No, not at all. It’s never boring when you’re home, Young Master!"

"Oh? And if you were allowed to go out and have some fun, would that make you happy?"

"Ah? Go where?" Chunlan blurted out excitedly, before quickly adding, "I’m sorry, Young Master. I-I was rude."

"It’s alright," Ling Xiao said, looking at her. "From now on, if you and Qiuyue are bored, you can go out for a walk. You can even go out to gain some real-world experience. You both already have the strength of a First-rank Mad Sword Master, and with the Jade Maiden Sword Skill, you’d be hard-pressed to find a worthy opponent."

A panicked look crossed Chunlan’s face. Trembling, she looked utterly pitiful. "Young Master, did I do something wrong? Are you sending us away? We won’t vie for status with anyone, Young Master, please don’t chase us out... Chunlan and Qiuyue want to serve you for our entire lives!"

Half-exasperated and half-amused, Ling Xiao said, "What nonsense are you talking about? Who said anything about you leaving? I’m just afraid you’re bored and thought you could go out and relax from time to time. That’s it. Now go, go on." He waved his hand, dismissing her.

A look of pleasant surprise on her face, Chunlan stepped out and muttered to herself, "Why is the Young Master suddenly like a different person?"

Ling Xiao, who was still on the bed, overheard her. He shook his head with a wry smile. ’Only realizing it now?’ he thought. ’I was swapped out a long time ago.’

After finishing the letter, Ling Xiao understood. The girl was simply worried because she hadn’t seen her father for a long time and wanted to return to her sect to check on him, gaining some experience along the way. She wrote that once she’d had her fill of adventure, she would return to his side, and then he wouldn’t be able to get rid of her even if he tried.

Ling Xiao, a man who in both his past and present lives had been a complete blank slate when it came to romance, just smiled and murmured, "That girl certainly knows how to leave with style."

But what he didn’t notice were the faint... tear stains on the letter. (To be continued)