Husbandly Authority

Storm Port Governor's Mansion

Morning light streamed through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the Governor's Mansion's 888th floor, bathing the dining hall in warm gold.

Three crystal chandeliers hung beneath the vaulted ceiling, scattering flecks of light that made the silverware on the long table gleam.

Tang Ping lounged in a carved rosewood chair, sitting perfectly still. Without moving a finger, he controlled three pairs of silver chopsticks with Spiritual Telekinesis. One pair lifted an amber-colored Roasted Star-Beast Leg from a plate, another scooped up creamy Spirit Mushroom Soup, and the third delivered emerald-green Interstellar Vegetables to his mouth.

More than thirty dishes lined both sides of the long table. Amid the rising steam were free-range chickens and black pork flown in from Earth, as well as Purple Leaf Vegetables and Golden Pearl Fruits grown across the stars. Beside each dish sat a small jade bowl filled with pale red medicinal broth,

an improved version of the Rare Treasure Shop's specially made Spirit Condensing Dew. It tasted mildly sweet, enhanced the flavor, and slowly nourished one's Origin Force.

"Now this is the life." Tang Ping chewed on the tender chicken, his spirits lifting even higher.

The ingredients had all been grown or raised around Storm Port by farmers recruited from Earth. This single meal had cost over a hundred thousand Silver Blue Coins. That would have been an unimaginable sum to him once, but now it wasn't even enough to cover the daily interest on his account.

He was using telekinesis to turn a knife and fork as he carved the roast suckling pig on his plate when he heard the crisp clink of metal boots against the marble floor.

He looked up to see Luo Xiaoyu enter through the side door, holding a silver-white spear. The young woman wore a tight-fitting white combat suit that accentuated her upright figure. Her long hair was tied high, and her features held a cool, steely edge. The aura of cultivation still lingered around her, and her presence was as icy as ever.

"Governor!" The maids and servants standing nearby hurriedly bowed, their voices respectful.

Luo Xiaoyu waved a hand, and everyone retreated in tacit understanding, gently closing the hall doors behind them and leaving the two alone in the spacious room.

Luo Xiaoyu approached the long table and fixed her curious gaze on Tang Ping. Her oval face was full of interest.

In the past, whenever the man saw her, he would avoid her gaze and act like a coward. He was always saying things like, "I'm not feeling well today," or "I'm too tired," or "You're too fast; I'm nervous." Every time, he had to swallow several stamina-restoring pills before he could even bring himself to face her.

But today, Tang Ping sat motionless in his chair, as steady as a mountain. There was even an undisguised hint of defiance in his eyes, like a hunter waiting for his prey to take the bait.

Did he take medicine in advance? Luo Xiaoyu wondered, puzzled.

How did he know I was coming out of seclusion today?

But she quickly pushed aside her doubts. The battle intent she'd built up during cultivation was still running high, and she needed an opponent to let it out. She stopped, the icy aura around her growing even stronger, and said coolly, "Treat my illness."

Tang Ping grinned at that. He lightly tapped the control panel at the corner of the table. With a snap, the dark velvet curtains around the hall slowly descended, blocking out the morning light and leaving only the warm glow of the wall lamps.

The heavy alloy doors closed as well, shutting with a muffled clack and sealing off the outside world.

"Let's fight!" He stood up, the energy of his Wind-Thunder Domain surging faintly around him. His battle intent was every bit as strong as hers.

A short while later, the hall rang with the sounds of fierce clashes: the piercing whistle of a spear cutting through the air, the roar of colliding energy, and, now and then, the sharp crack of furniture breaking.

Hearing the commotion from outside, the maids and servants could only shake their heads helplessly and carry their cleaning tools farther away.

"Here they go again. They wreck the hall every time," an older maid muttered, though there was a hint of amusement in her voice. "Still, it's not all bad. We can sell the replaced furniture and appliances in the lower district. It'll cover our living expenses for months."

A younger maid nodded along. "Exactly. Last time, a few corners were broken off that crystal chandelier, but the rich merchants in the lower district still fought to buy it. We each got quite a bit out of it."

They exchanged smiles and paid no more attention to the commotion inside. After all, the Governor's Mansion replaced its furniture with a finer new set after every "sparring match," and they could earn a little extra on the side. What was there not to like?

"Go on, wreck the place! The livelier, the better," someone murmured, turning to fetch the cleaning supplies.

Ten hours later, the sounds from the hall finally died down.

Luo Xiaoyu was pinned beneath him, and as she felt the strength radiating from Tang Ping, her eyes filled with astonishment.

In the past, she had only needed to exert a little force to subdue him with ease. Today, though, he seemed like a different person. Not only had his strength surged, but he could also control the Wind-Thunder Fusion Domain with precision, deflecting each of her attacks.

"What kind of powerful drug did you take?" Unable to help herself, she looked at Tang Ping with concern, afraid he'd taken some harmful banned drug just to win and would ruin his health at such a young age.

Tang Ping seemed to see right through her. He spat a pale blue pill that still held a trace of warmth from his mouth. It was the most ordinary kind of Spirit Recovery Pill sold at the Rare Treasure Shop. It could replenish mental energy and Origin Force, and had no side effects.

He lifted his chin, his voice carrying a hint of smugness. "Satisfied? This wasn't because of some drug. It's the result of all the cultivation I've done lately—and my 'insignificant' talent."

Luo Xiaoyu fell silent for a moment, then abruptly shoved him away and got to her feet. She picked up the spear lying nearby and walked toward the Cultivation Room without expression.

Tang Ping froze, then hurriedly called after her, "Honey, where are you going?" He'd been waiting to press his advantage, so why was she leaving just like that?

Luo Xiaoyu didn't look back. Her voice carried through the air. "To cultivate. I used to have only myself to compete against. Now I have you, too. Next time, I'll definitely beat you.

"I, Luo Xiaoyu, am second to none!"

Before the last word had even faded, her figure vanished at the end of the corridor.

"Ah..." Tang Ping looked at the empty hall and sighed helplessly.

His wife was wonderful in every way—except that she loved cultivation too much. She didn't even give him a word of praise after he won, and went straight off to cultivate in seclusion.

"I should've held back a little," he muttered, rubbing his nose, caught between laughter and tears.

The thing was, he hadn't even gotten started!

In the end, Tang Ping had no choice but to press the call button on his Optical Computer. "Come in and clean up." The servants outside had been waiting for some time. At his command, they immediately filed inside with their cleaning tools.

The older maid in the lead surveyed the wreckage. Pieces of the crystal chandelier littered the carpet, one leg had snapped off a carved rosewood chair, most of the silverware had been knocked over, and medicinal broth had spread across the tablecloth in a dark stain. She couldn't resist teasing him. "Governor, you and the Madam certainly went at it harder than last time."

Tang Ping wasn't embarrassed in the slightest. "Sorry for the trouble, everyone. After you've finished cleaning, go to the accounts office and collect double pay."

"Thank you, Governor!" The servants beamed, and their hands moved even faster.

Watching them bustle about, Tang Ping turned and strode toward the Cultivation Room. Having tasted the joy of finally asserting his husbandly authority, he was brimming with energy; even his steps were lighter than usual.

As soon as he entered the Cultivation Room, he connected to the Virtual Universe and selected the highest difficulty training mode.

Again and again, his body collapsed from overusing secret techniques, and his consciousness returned to the virtual respawn point. Yet he only laughed more heartily.

After each respawn, he could clearly feel that his control over the Wind-Thunder Fusion Domain had improved a little, and the fusion of his Spiritual Telekinesis and physical strength had grown more seamless.

Most importantly, his proficiency went up by one.

A week later, the door to the Cultivation Room slowly opened, and Luo Xiaoyu emerged with a grave expression.

She had spent seven days in seclusion, not only consolidating her Star Rank cultivation but also taking her spear techniques to a new level. She'd thought she could easily win one back, but when she faced Tang Ping in another "one-on-one," his Wind-Thunder Fusion Domain still overwhelmed her, and even knocked the spear from her grasp.

Unconvinced, Luo Xiaoyu pulled up Tang Ping's cultivation records. When she saw that he had collapsed dozens of times each day in the virtual space, then resumed cultivating after just one hour of rest, she fell silent.

Without another word, she turned and went back into the Cultivation Room, raising the training intensity to the limit she could withstand.

If Tang Ping could do it, so could she!

Seeing how hard Luo Xiaoyu was pushing herself, Tang Ping naturally refused to fall behind. The two began a silent competition.

Seven days of training, one hour of sleep—Even the King of Hell would praise my health!

Even so, Luo Xiaoyu's anxiety only grew. She was already at Star Rank, where improvements in strength were measured in years. Even with the highest-grade Force Meal Package, it would take months to see any obvious progress.

Tang Ping, on the other hand, was still at Planetary Rank, a stage of rapid growth. On top of that, he had the rare ability to fuse domains. The gap between them wasn't shrinking; it was gradually widening.

After losing yet another "one-on-one," Luo Xiaoyu watched Tang Ping standing there, full of confidence. She bit her lip, turned, and went into the Cultivation Room, slamming the door shut behind her.

From then on, she devoted herself entirely to seclusion. Aside from eating and resting when necessary, she barely left the room. Even when Tang Ping invited her to eat with him, she only had a maid pass on the message: "Cultivation comes first."

Standing outside the Cultivation Room and listening to the sound of a spear cutting through the air inside, Tang Ping was completely dumbfounded.

Nothing left to do?