Counting the Spoils (Continued)

So he tentatively asked, "How about Uncle plays piggyback ride with you?"

Then he was hit by Liu Qingqing, who had regained control of his body.

After several attempts, he still couldn't get the answer he wanted. Si Ming felt helpless, like a tiger trying to eat a snail but not knowing where to start. After thinking about it, he decided to take it slow and steady, starting with chatting more to build intimacy and gradually open her heart. After all, you can't rush things, especially since the other person seemed to be a girl with autism.

Of course, dragging it out for too long is also not good. If it turns into Vengeful Transformation like Wan Ziling, it will be the end. Wan Ziling was able to forcibly pull herself back. Ordinary people don't have such a firm will, let alone a little girl. Therefore, Si Ming prepared his final trump card.

He planned to take Xie Xiaomei back to the Sea Continent to ask Yu Shuying for help.

In the face of Mind-Reading Technique, it doesn't matter whether you're willing to talk or not, or whether you're lying.

To resist Yu Shuying's Mind-Reading Technique, one must either be deeply cunning, using self-hypnosis or suggestion to conceal one's true intentions beforehand, or possess cultivation far exceeding Yu Shuying's. Xie Xiaomei possessed neither. Fortunately, the Beast King's original body was eventually transferred to Myriad Filth Tainted Blood. If it had been inherited by Liu Qingqing's original body, the Mind-Reading Technique would have been powerless.

So, in the following days, Si Ming directed the disciples of the Evil-Slaying Sword School to search for materials for setting up the formation, while trying his best to communicate with Xie Xiaomei and increase their understanding. Although to outsiders it seemed like he was flirting with Liu Qingqing, fortunately, neither of the Si Clan sisters were jealous. Si Huaruo was only wary of Si Jingyu, so everything went quite smoothly. Si Shuiyun took the lead and occasionally made a few sarcastic remarks, but she only touched on the point.

In response, Si Ming had to be thankful that the women around him weren't the type who were obsessed with romantic love and only cared about their own little world. If they were like those in youth campus dramas where "going to school isn't for studying, but for dating," that would be one thing, but if they were like those in Qiong Yao's stories where "you only lost a leg, but she lost love," then it would be really tough.

Of course, if Si Ming were to encounter such a woman, he would definitely not dare to provoke her; avoiding her would be the right thing to do. It is human nature for a man to want to have women on both sides, and it can even be linked to biological instincts. But this does not mean that he is obsessed with sex and wants to sleep with every woman he sees. In fact, he is selective. For example, he would not dare to touch the yandere type.

The reason why male protagonists in Japanese manga can still live a carefree life even after attracting yandere characters is because the author draws an 18+ line for them, allowing only ambiguous relationships and forbidding any serious confrontations. Thus, the yandere sees that she still has a chance to possess them and doesn't go to extremes. As for the "heroes" who cross the line, such as a certain man whose name starts with "I," their fate is self-evident.

The reason Si Ming didn't encounter a tragic love triangle wasn't because he was particularly skilled in romance. In fact, he didn't have the ability to be untouched by countless women. A little analysis reveals that most of the women he had ambiguous relationships with had their own careers or lofty ideals.

Murong Qing, with her strong, independent womanly demeanor, needs no introduction. If she were to marry an ordinary, stay-at-home type of man, they probably wouldn't see each other for half a year. Hongdou has been painting since childhood, spending half her life on it. Si Jingyu and Si Huaruo have powerful Lineage behind them, so even if they're unwilling, they can't truly abandon them. Yu Shuying is a triad boss, and although it's just a game, she wants to make a name for herself, and she also has grudges to settle with the Remote Heaven Society. Liu Qingqing seems to be the most easygoing, without any goals to strive for, yet she's currently in the process of becoming Saintess Candidate.

In the Celestial Empire palace dramas, the emperor's harem is always depicted as restless, rife with intrigue, power struggles, and treacherous schemes, a constant state of suspense and danger. This has even spawned a genre called "palace intrigue drama." What is the fundamental reason for this?

It's all because those women have too much free time.

Living a lifetime in the deep palace, without needing to work, and with the entertainment industry underdeveloped at the time, there was no way to pass the time by playing games, chatting on forums, or watching videos. The only thing left to do was to study one's competitors. When you invest a lot of time in one thing, even without talent, you can develop an extraordinary level of skill.

Imagine the emperor issuing an order that all the concubines in the harem must weave one hundred flower baskets by hand every day, and they are not allowed to sleep until they have finished. Moreover, someone is assigned to supervise them. Then everyone would be busy working every day, discussing flower basket weaving techniques with each other. Where would they have the mood to play palace intrigue?

If you want to build a harem, never choose a pampered young lady who has no worries about food and clothing and no ambition. No matter how beautiful she is or how innocent and carefree she is, it won't work. They have nothing to do all day, so they will naturally focus their attention on the things between men and women and think about how to take ownership of the male master's lower body.

For example, Si Huaruo is currently practicing the "Heavenly One River Diagram" intensively. Although she and Si Ming are in the same residence, they may not see each other even once a day. If you go to see her now, she might complain that you are interfering with her cultivation and disrupting her train of thought.

However, this rare period of rest was not entirely peaceful and uneventful. Previously, everyone was worried that someone would take advantage of the Evil-Slaying Sword School, but unexpectedly, it still happened even with Si Ming in charge.

It can only be said that the tallest tree in the forest is the first to be felled by the wind. The Evil-Slaying Sword School Sect has long held the top position in the Eastern Martial World Arts World. The Evil Dao see it as a thorn in their side, and there are also sects in the righteous path who see it as a thorn in their flesh. The only difference is that the former want to completely eradicate it, while the latter want to replace it. Unfortunately, in the past, they were afraid of the Evil-Slaying Sword School's powerful strength and could only suppress these thoughts deep inside. Now, they have finally ushered in the dawn of realizing their wishes.

With only three severely injured Grandmaster remaining in the Evil-Slaying Sword School, this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Even though they knew that the Heavenly Martial Alliance was stationed there and had heard the news that he had completely annihilated the Beast King Anye, they had not witnessed it with their own eyes. Therefore, many of them still came to try their luck, hoping for the best.

Then, Si Ming slapped them back.

Si Ming didn't even bother recalling how he had humiliated and slapped these guys who had been blinded by desire. He simply described them with ten words: "A thousand miles to humiliate them, a small gift but a heavy sentiment."

On the other hand, although the upper echelons of the Evil-Slaying Sword School Sect suffered heavy losses in combat power, none of the lower-level disciples lost their lives in the battle to kill the Beast King. Despite the calamity of the Blood Abyss Sect's siege of the Righteous Qi Peak, their Primal Qi was still intact. Therefore, they used their network of connections to quickly gather all the materials for setting up the formation.

After waiting for two more days, seeing that no one else came to his door, Si Ming decided to head back home. After all, summer vacation was almost over and the new semester was about to begin; if he didn't go back soon, he would miss the start of the new semester.

That morning, Wu Xiu began setting up the improved Flesh and Blood Wormhole magic array. Everyone gathered to the side, and since waiting was too boring, they decided to spar with each other.

Si Ming, wielding a black, eyebrow-length staff, engaged in a Blood Spirit Clone. Although the Blood Spirit Clone looked exactly like Liu Qingqing's soul did not reside within it.

The Blood Spirit Clone also wielded a staff, sometimes as agile as a venomous snake spitting its tongue, sometimes as powerful as an iron cavalry charging, attacking Si Ming with slashes, sweeps, smears, points, and thrusts, like a storm.

Faced with the opponent's relentless attacks, Si Ming's staff blocked left and right, defending like an impregnable fortress. Occasionally, he would counterattack with a single blow, which would thwart the opponent's offensive and force them to scramble to dodge.

Clearly, although he was on the defensive, he had the upper hand and controlled the rhythm of the battle.

After a brief exchange, the Blood Spirit Clone's attack slowed down. Si Ming to slash diagonally, then wielded it like a spear, spinning rapidly and piercing through the air. The air currents surged like a tide, easily knocking the opponent's staff out of his hand.

Just as the tip of the staff was less than an inch from the Blood Spirit Clone's neck, suddenly the five fingers spread out, and the Blood Spirit Clone's fingers were like ten short swords, crisscrossing and cutting through the void.

The crisp sounds continued in succession, and in the blink of an eye, the staff was shortened by half.

At this moment, the Blood Spirit Clone suddenly turned around, moving with strange and agile steps, sometimes forward, sometimes backward, sometimes left, sometimes right, leaving a series of blurry afterimages. It seemed as if it had suddenly transformed into seven or eight people, fighting around Si Ming. At the same time, she transformed her right hand into a blood sword, launching attacks from various tricky angles.

Faced with attacks coming from all directions, Si Ming calmly responded. First, he activated his Blazing Sun True Qi to cover the short stick, preventing it from being cut again. Then, he used the stick as a sword and swung it quickly, sometimes as fierce as a raging dragon dancing wildly, and sometimes as graceful as a nimble snake moving.

After the decisive battle with the Beast King, Si Ming's Swordsmanship improved once again, especially his understanding of the Evil-Slaying Sword Art, which surpassed the Great Completion and reached the Perfection realm, where he could switch between strength and gentleness at will.

At this moment, he was using the Beast King's Evil-Slaying Sword Art, which was as light as a feather, as swift as a breeze, and incredibly versatile.

Although he claimed that the Beast King's Evil-Slaying Sword Art had gone astray, a wrong path is not the same as a path of return. It's just that compared to a broad, smooth road, it's full of obstacles and rugged terrain, requiring more effort and time to travel the same distance. But if it can be forged, it can still be a direction forward, and even, "If many people walk on it, it becomes a road."

In addition, in terms of skill, the Beast King's Evil-Slaying Sword Art is superior to his. After all, this man has been practicing on paper for over a hundred years. Even a recluse who studies behind closed doors for a hundred years can eventually turn an iron rod into a needle, let alone a strong person like him.

Si Ming readily embraced the idea of "borrowing" from the enemy's strengths, surely possessed the foresight to do so.

After exchanging blows for dozens of rounds, the Blood Spirit Clone was completely sealed off by layers of staffs. In the blink of an eye, its offensive collapsed, and it could only parry with its arms. Occasionally, it would find an opening to get close, but it could not break through Si Ming's impregnable defense and was soon forced back by the fierce wind of the staffs.

At this moment, Si Ming wielded his staff with a series of flashes, and countless staff shadows spread out like a surging tide, engulfing the Blood Spirit Clone. This move had both the shadow of the Beast King's sword-transformation into the wind and the original doctrine of emphasizing sword momentum, which can be said to be a combination of the strengths of both.

In theory, no one can dodge this move; the only option is to counter it head-on with a special move. However, this theory applies to human opponents.

Suddenly, the Blood Spirit Clone shrank, turning into a blood droplet the size of a fingernail. It plummeted downwards, dodging the attack. Upon landing, it reverted to its human form, flipped over, and slid along the ground, darting up from a blind spot that the staff could not block.

Such skill is impossible for a human to achieve; even the most delicate and boneless creature would be helpless. Moreover, after dodging, the Blood Spirit Clone quickly launched a counterattack, its attacks swift and rapid. Its fingernails gleamed coldly, and its claws crossed, viciously clawing towards Si Ming's chest. This was clearly the style of an assassin.

Now Si Ming didn't even have time to sheathe his sword to defend himself. Helpless, he could only clench his fist and punch out, blasting his opponent into a shower of blood.

"I'm not fighting anymore. This girl is the bane of brute force. Unless I use my ultimate move, I can't do anything to her."

In the blink of an eye, the blood condensed again and transformed into the appearance of Liu Qingqing. However, upon closer inspection, it was not difficult to see that the Blood Spirit Clone was more mature than Liu Qingqing herself, and its eyes were more aggressive.

After Myriad Filth Tainted Blood absorbed the Beast King's essence, Liu Qingqing refined it into its current form. According to Liu Qingqing, she refined it based on her dream self, and the fighting style is also very similar. Unfortunately, she can only imitate the style and cannot learn the moves.