Stud Stud

One thousand meters beneath the Deep Cold Cavern.

Bone-chilling winds howled, carrying with them a black, baleful aura. Tang Ping kept his eyes tightly shut, his muscles tensed to the point of trembling. Any cold sweat that beaded on his forehead was instantly frozen into fine frost.

But he dared not let his Spiritual Telekinesis waver for even a second. He manipulated twenty-four Sky-Splitting Swords, weaving them nimbly through the cavern. As the sword light flickered, the originally jagged rock walls were shaved smooth, and the freshly cut stone blocks piled in the corner were slowly being assembled into a crude stone chamber.

This was a temporary shelter he had specially crafted for himself and Luo Xiaoyu.

The last time they had "dual cultivated" in the cavern until they were utterly exhausted, they had accidentally rolled down a steep slope and were nearly "diced" by the baleful aura and sharp rocks. With this stone chamber, they would at least have a place to shield themselves from the wind and avoid danger.

It's a good thing miners can only operate at a depth of one hundred meters, Tang Ping thought with relief. He was currently training at a depth of one thousand meters, far removed from the crowds. He hadn't been disturbed yet, which was perfect for focusing on improving his strength.

However, the price of this progress was truly steep. Every moment, the baleful aura eroded his physical body, and his sea of consciousness was constantly bombarded by various illusions meant to test him.

Ordinary illusions were manageable, but whenever he encountered a "female-themed trial," Tang Ping couldn't help but lose his focus, ultimately failing the test.

"Sigh!" Tang Ping opened his eyes and let out a helpless breath. With a thought, the twenty-four flying swords "swished" back into his Sword Box. He gazed at the howling wind outside the cavern and consoled himself, Who can blame me for being such a passionate man? I can't be blamed for that.

Just then, his personal terminal suddenly chimed with a notification; it was a message from the management of the Lost City.

"ScumbagNoDick": "City Lord, the guild suddenly sent someone named Luo Kedi, claiming he's here to serve as the Deputy City Lord. Would you like to meet him?"

This username... it looks wrong no matter how I look at it. Tang Ping's mouth twitched as he replied: "Change your username when you have time!"

"Understood, City Lord!" the other party replied instantly.

Ten minutes later, at the gates of the Lost City.

Tang Ping stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in black. Behind him stood one thousand NPC guards at the ready: one hundred at the peak of the Star Rank and nine hundred at the peak of the Planetary Rank. Each was clad in Black Iron Armor and carried the blood-soaked aura of those who had seen many battles; it was clear they had been hired at a great cost.

He frowned, his heart full of confusion: the Lost City was a remote and barren place. Aside from the Deep Cold Cavern and a mine, there was nothing of value here.

When the guild spent a fortune to build the city and hire guards, the mine's income was only enough to maintain the city's operations and pay the guards' salaries. Why would they suddenly send a direct descendant of the Luo Family to serve as Deputy City Lord?

Could it be that a treasure had been discovered in the Deep Cold Cavern? Or was this a case of internal power struggles within the family, turning even this godforsaken place into a "battleground"?

The more Tang Ping thought about it, the more likely the latter seemed.

The struggles between direct descendants of great families were ostensibly "competitive but not destructive," but when it came to collateral branches or outsiders, they were often ruthless. Although he was currently at the Star Rank, he was still far too weak in the face of a behemoth like the Luo Family. If he were truly dragged into their struggle, he might not even know how he died.

If it comes to it, I'll just resign, Tang Ping decided.

With his current resources and cultivation speed, reaching the Universe Level was only a matter of time. By then, as a supreme Universe Level powerhouse possessing a high-level domain and the potential of a Domain Lord, he would naturally have a say in the Luo Family. There was no need to take risks at this moment.

Just as he was pondering, a commotion erupted in the distance, accompanied by the coquettish cries of women.

"Young Master, walk slower! The sand is getting in my eyes!"

"Master, wait for me! My skirt got caught on the camel!"

"Hubby, help me blow it out, sand got in! This dump is way too dirty!"

"Husband, is there any water left? I'm dying of thirst..."

"Come here, let me moisten you up."

Tang Ping stared at the distance, dumbfounded.

At the edge of the desert, a procession was slowly approaching. Everyone was riding white camels. Leading them was a young master dressed in ancient white robes, waving a folding fan and looking like a total dandy.

Behind him followed dozens of women—humans, members of the Cat-Ear Race, and Winged People. They were a mix of slender and curvy, noisy and bustling like a mobile "harem."

Luo Kedi? Tang Ping suddenly recalled the name.

The Luo Family's premier "stud," he had married over a hundred wives and fathered hundreds of children while still in his prime. He was known as the "number one person to fleece the family." It was said that half of his salary went toward marrying wives and raising children, and he had to pinch pennies with the remaining half, even haggling with shopkeepers over the price of a bottle of wine.

Before Tang Ping could react, the white-clad young master spotted him, immediately closed his folding fan, and plastered a look of grievance on his face, rushing toward him with a mournful expression.

"Wuwuwu, Brother Tang Ping! From now on, we are brothers in misfortune! This dump is way too remote. You're strong, you have to look out for me!"

Tang Ping suddenly realized: the guy had lost a family power struggle and been exiled here. He had been nervous for nothing; his worries were wasted.

The two hit it off immediately, finding a teahouse to sit down in, and the more they talked, the more they clicked.

They chatted about everything from the guild management's corruption to the power struggles among the family's direct descendants, and even complained about the ancestor Luo Hongguo for having no vision and failing to recognize their "peerless talents." Their venting was endless.

After rambling for a long time, Luo Kedi suddenly changed the subject: "By the way, Brother Tang Ping, what's your monthly salary now?"

Tang Ping waved his hand casually: "About a million Silver Blue Coins." After breaking through to the Star Rank, his salary had increased tenfold. The guild's benefits were indeed good, but converted to Black Dragon Coins, that was only a thousand—not even enough for one of his meals—so he hadn't paid it much mind.

To his surprise, Luo Kedi slammed the table and stood up, his eyes wide: "What? A million? I only get nine hundred thousand! Why? We're both at the Star Rank!"

He immediately pulled out his personal terminal to contact the guild management to demand an explanation. After arguing for half an hour with spit flying, he happily told Tang Ping: "Done! Now we both get a million!"

Tang Ping looked at his smug expression and was speechless. Was it really worth being this petty over such a small amount of money?

Luo Kedi seemed to sense his disdain and advised him earnestly: "Brother, don't look down on these hundred thousand Silver Blue Coins a month! Every bit of money is saved little by little, and it must be spent where it counts!"

"Do you know? Outside of Earth, you can use this money to marry two alien maidens—one gentle and virtuous, the other talented in song and dance. Each has their own unique charm!"

He changed his tone, his face full of contempt: "As for those girls on Earth, forget it! Who knows how many men they've been with, yet they still dare to ask for hundreds of thousands in dowry. They treat us like suckers!"

"Brother, we have to open our eyes and see the world!"

As he spoke, he suddenly slapped his thigh: "Oh, right! I forgot to introduce you to your sisters-in-law! Come, come, all of you, come over and introduce yourselves to Brother Tang Ping!"

Dozens of women immediately crowded around, looking at Tang Ping with eager eyes. Luo Kedi scratched his head and laughed sheepishly: "There are too many of them, I can't quite remember all their names. Please, bear with me."

Tang Ping looked at the spectacle before him and sighed helplessly, having no choice but to take out his personal terminal and transfer one thousand Silver Blue Coins to each of the women as a greeting gift.

Having received the gift, Luo Kedi was even more delighted, patting Tang Ping on the shoulder as he said, "Brother Tang Ping, I see you only have Luo Xiaoyu by your side; it's too lonely! Another day, I'll introduce you to a few good ones, guaranteed to be gentle and obedient!"

Tang Ping: "..."

He gazed at the bustling crowd outside the teahouse, then thought back to the empty, cold Lost City from before, and suddenly had a premonition that this place would likely never be quiet again.

It was quite interesting.