Mission: Seduce the Master!

Setting aside all trivialities and jokes, it could be assumed that the scorpion was most likely a prepared trap.

As soon as these two entered the city, the mysterious residents disappeared, and then a boss appeared... this was a conspiracy!

"I'm not sure if it was aimed at us, more likely it's just bad luck for someone," he thought, furrowing his brow: "If an ordinary Core Formation cultivator, even if he is at the ninth stage, were to encounter this, he would not be able to avoid death."

The scorpion's stinger was coated with a thick and dense layer of venom, so powerful that it could allegedly dissolve the highest quality armor.

Moreover, its one-body defense could become an obstacle for cultivators whose attack power is at least not at the Soul Nascent level. This could become the last journey for many.

And I don't know how else to explain it, but the fact that Xie Qing was attacked by the scorpion was already a hidden blessing for other cultivators.

"In other words, I'm a saint," Xie Qing thought, smiling unabashedly at his arrogance.

However, beneath his confident exterior, sharp, cunning eyes caught the panicked city residents, from whom an unconcealed devilish Qi was already being felt.

This meant that these idiots no longer wanted to hide - simply couldn't, seeing the strength of their opponents.

"Strange. Mom, how did the devilish cultivators manage to escape from the Southern Continent? The teleportation formations there are so strict that they can only be found in the territory of the Sect of the Resting Eagle," Xie Qing puzzledly tilted his head to the side and asked, then slapped the ground: "Dao Technique - Earth Shake."

Boom! Roar! Roar!

The earth began to tremble, and the fleeing crowd fell to the ground. When some of them tried to escape, Xie Meiling simply waved her hand, and chains appeared that instantly restrained them.

With a carefree gait, Xie Qing approached these guys and sat on his haunches, looking in surprise at one of them in the eyes.

"Wow! Red, how dangerous... is this the consequence of using devilish Qi?" Xie Qing mused aloud, then smiled, patting the middle-aged man who angrily looked at him on the head: "Wow, what a dangerous look. Be careful, or I'll gouge out your eyes."

"...Why are you talking like a gangster now?" Xie Meiling shook her head.

"Well, I thought it would look cool," Xie Qing casually replied.

He got up from his haunches and kicked the man in the stomach. To be honest, Xie Qing was a little upset about their sudden attack.

They ruined his wonderful mood, and the first day of their journey started with some crap! He was upset!

However, nonetheless, it was even good - if you think about the safety of the world. It was possible to detect traces of devilish cultivators.

"Hm... Master said she would deal with it, so I have no problem," Xie Qing casually said, cracking his neck and pointing his chin at the crowd of bound residents - they were the only ones left afloat: "What to do with them? Interrogate?"

"Hm," Xie Meiling grunted and shook her head: "Their minds are washed, they are just slaves without the ability to think beyond what the devilish cultivator has endowed them with. All these people are mortals without a single Qi."

"Can. They. Be. Burned?" raising an eyebrow, Xie Qing said, and seeing his mother's indifferent face, he sighed: "I don't want to kill either, but you know that it's impossible to remove the devilish Qi from them until someone with special Qi control power is with us. And there are no more than a hundred such people in the whole world."

"I doubt they would agree to spend time on ordinary mortals," Xie Meiling shook her head, then said: "Kill them, but painlessly."

"Understood."

Xie Qing did not hesitate for a second, and in the next second, he put his hand on the scabbard, then slightly pulled it out, and a bright glow appeared.

Like moonlight, it pierced the heads of the bound victims of the situation, and they died, not even realizing what had happened.

They did not feel pain - their eyes were blinded by the silver glow of Xie Qing's sword.

In one blow. The Qi aura shattered their minds, finishing them off. This is a fairly gentle method because usually such mortals are simply burned.

Waving her hand, Xie Meiling raised a fire, and soon the bodies turned to ashes.

***

The second day they were passed without problems, as before. At sunset, Xu Mei contacted them, reporting that devilish cultivators had indeed been detected during the investigation.

"It's unthinkable. It's as if I was slapped in the face," she complained, looking at Xie Qing with puppy eyes: "Imagine, husband, that rude Zhang Mei even scolded me... but I'm not to blame here!"

"Hehe... it seems you said something wrong again, so they scolded you. Which is very likely,"

"Pf! What if I called her an old woman? She's older than me if you think about it!" Xu Mei parried with puffed cheeks.

Xie Qing just smiled piously, not commenting on it in any way. Although he wanted to tease Xu Mei, reminding her of her age, but...

The first rule of the Fight Club... that is, the first rule of dealing with women - don't ask their age.

So...

Xie Qing chooses [Silence]... it turned out to be effective!

After they flirted a little, Xie Qing broke the connection and turned his gaze to his mother.

"Hm, lovebirds..." Xie Meiling snorted, rolling her eyes.

She was dressed in strict nightwear that did not reveal her skin - the fabric was not semi-transparent, like Xu Mei's - closed and too ordinary.

Although Xie Qing had already seen many places on Xie Meiling's body, the woman believed that she should not show her skin to her son... or rather, she was embarrassed.

The young man did not insist. He knew that it would be uncomfortable for Xie Meiling, so he calmed his mind.

They stopped in a small town located ten thousand li from the borders of the Eastern Continent.

The Dynasty influenced most of the continents but ruled only two continents - Eastern and Western, partially also Northern. The rest were either under the control of sects or under the control of small kingdoms.

No one touched them - and did not want to. Except for the Southern Continent, the other continents were not so profitable and tasty-looking for the dragon in the form of the Huanglun Dynasty.

The Northern Continent - the homeland of Xie Qing, however, there were only a few dozen notable places there, the rest of the places were mostly wastelands, which in some months were painted white with snow.

By the way, the Northern Continent was the only place where snow has ever been seen. In other places, it was warm all year round, like in spring.

It is unknown what is associated with such an anomaly. According to legends, two immortals fought together with each other, and then someone tragically died, in the end, he was a cultivator of yin energy, because of which everything was plunged into cold for centuries.

Did Xie Qing believe in this? He treated it with skepticism.

"Immortals? I don't think I can believe the legends. As one wise man said, until your eyes see a naked female breast, you will never know its real size!"

Of course, there was no such wise man. He made it up just now, and although one could be surprised at his perverted mind for about ten paragraphs.

He needed to meditate.

Sitting in the lotus position while Xie Meiling fell asleep, the young man meditated. Thin energy trails of Qi swayed around him, looking mysterious and powerful.

Xie Qing himself breathed evenly and calmly, inspiring confidence in all who looked at him.

A powerful aura emanated from him - this was most likely connected with his cultivation technique. Over time, his superior aura of the ultimate being began to take on a more distinct form, making it easier to intimidate enemies.

"No..." Xie Qing muttered and opened his eyes, in which disappointment was read: "There is progress, but it is tiny, almost imperceptible."

He was upset - this brought him a lot of suffering. The inability to break through to the next level was like chains binding him to the ground when his heart wanted to be in the Heavens.

Moreover, his breakthrough directly decided the further fate of his plans... a plan for a carefree life and becoming the greatest cultivator with the greatest harem!

Although it was a somewhat absurd dream, if he could bring it to life, then why not?

Brushing the ends of his hair off his face, Xie Qing looked out the window - it was already deep night. Behind him, he heard the calm and even breathing of his mother, she had long been asleep.

"Ah... I wonder if someone will come and kill me? I want to break through as soon as possible..." thought Xie Qing, raising a red flag.

From his research, one could learn that when a cultivator's life is in mortal danger, his potential awakens.

This was the easiest and at the same time the most dangerous method of breakthrough. However, it was used either by strongly desperate people or by madmen.

Or those who were too lazy to spend their time on careful meditation, which would take several years - Xie Qing also included himself in their number.

And so, the next morning...

The red flag worked.

***

Boom!

Beyond the not-so-developed city, a loud explosion was heard. The city's residents turned in that direction, frightened by the Qi emanating from there. Chaos began.

At the same time, twelve people met a hundred miles from the city walls. Ten of them were bandits dressed in funny multi-colored outfits with swords, on the other side - Xie Meiling and Xie Qing.

Someone from the crowd of colorful guys came forward, then threateningly raised his sword into the air, pointing the tip of the sword directly at Xie Qing, from whom no Qi was felt.

"Boy, you're new to these parts. You can't leave here without paying the tribute, understand?" the bandit said threateningly with a menacing smile: "So that you understand, no one has escaped from the claws of the bandits of the 'Divine Peacock'...

"Pff..."

"...yet. Hey, why are you laughing?!"

The bandit looked angrily at Xie Qing, who didn't even try to hide his laughter. With a smile on his face that only added +5% to his beauty, he wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes and smiled.

"Sorry, you can continue," the young man replied with an obvious carefree tone.

"You... guys, attack him!"

The nine colorfully dressed guys standing behind the bandit drew their swords, making a metallic sound. They looked threateningly at Xie Qing, and at Xie Meiling - with lust.

"Hmph!"

No matter how thick-skinned Xie Qing was, he definitely would not tolerate such disrespect to his mother. He drew his sword and narrowed his eyes.

"The strongest - the one who represented their gang, a cultivator at the third stage of Core Formation, the rest are at Foundation Building. A bunch of trash."

He contemptuously snorted and put back his sword, considering it rude to smear the blade with the blood of various riffraff.

Seeing such a movement, of course, the bandits were provoked. How else? They were not taken seriously.

So, as if performing in a choir, they simultaneously shouted:

"You're done for!"