Mother and Daughter Reunited

Outside the villa, An Rongru waited anxiously. She had been using "Life Detection" to observe Jian Hanyao's life aura while also keeping watch over the changes in Mu Xiao's aura. When An Rongru discovered that her daughter's aura had suddenly encountered Mu Xiao's, and her daughter's aura had grown stronger as the two life auras clashed, she knew what had happened.

An Rongru did not need to think to know that the two must have fought. She knew Mu Xiao was a measured man and would not strike first, especially since he should have known the girl's identity. Therefore, her daughter must have started the conflict.

An Rongru roughly guessed that Jian Hanyao had mistaken Mu Xiao for one of those ill-intentioned guards outside and attacked him. She could only pray that Mu Xiao would not hit too hard and injure Jian Hanyao. She was even more afraid that her daughter's relationship with Mu Xiao would turn sour in the future, making it difficult for her to openly reveal her relationship with him.

Only when Mu Xiao shattered Jian Hanyao's "Stronger When Facing Strength" ability did her aura naturally calm down, becoming much weaker instead. An Rongru noticed this and worried whether her daughter had been hurt, but when she sensed the two heading toward the fifth floor, she understood that they must have reconciled. Her tense heart finally relaxed.

What An Rongru did not know was that Mu Xiao truly wanted to strangle the sharp-tongued girl behind him.

"I don't care what my mother asked of you, or what she promised you, but I'm warning you seriously: don't set your sights on my mother. Otherwise, I'll never let you off for the rest of my life." Jian Hanyao's soft, pure, beautiful face was filled with an utterly mismatched savage ferocity. The gentle princess-like air around her had turned into arrogant, overbearing menace. She did not possess the elegance of a refined young lady in the slightest.

The title Violent Princess had not been given to her for nothing.

Mu Xiao recalled that in the future Age of Evolution, Jian Hanyao would become a renowned New Human powerhouse and the strongest female general under the Flame Queen.

Even Mu Xiao could not deny that she was an extraordinarily gifted New Human. She possessed the innate ability "Stronger When Facing Strength," a talent perfectly suited for cultivating Source Force Martial Arts. It would grant her terrifying combat power capable of killing enemies above her level. In close combat especially, she possessed unparalleled battle instincts. Among New Human powerhouses of the same rank, few had ever defeated her; at most, they could only force a draw.

Moreover, the powerhouses who had drawn with her were all among the top experts of major factions, famous New Human powerhouses in the outside world.

Yet in the future, besides her reputation for overwhelming combat strength, she would also earn an exceptionally resounding nickname—Violent Princess. She had the innocent, delicate face of a princess, but combat power more violent and terrifying than that of most men. Gradually, the outside world gave her that strange title.

"Are you deaf, or are you something that can't understand human speech?" Jian Hanyao could not stand Mu Xiao's dismissive attitude.

Mu Xiao turned around and gave her a strange look. With a deeper meaning behind his words, he said, "I really don't know how you managed to survive until now."

Indeed, with a venomous mouth like hers, Mu Xiao truly could not imagine how she had walked step by step onto the path of becoming strong without being blasted to pieces by other New Humans.

"At least I didn't rely on men like you beasts." Jian Hanyao sneered and quickened her pace up to the fifth floor to find her mother.

If she knew I had practically already claimed her mother, I wonder if she would fight me to the death.

Mu Xiao now understood why An Rongru had had the foresight to hide their relationship and not tell her daughter. She had been afraid that her unreasonable daughter, filled with violent impulses and possessing an atrocious temper, would explode into a rage that could not be reined in.

"Are you a turtle?! You walk so slowly even over such a short distance, hurry—"

Jian Hanyao had already caught sight of her mother below. Her heart overflowed with excitement and joy, but when she turned and saw Mu Xiao strolling over at a snail's pace, she could not help hurling insults at him.

However, halfway through her words, she met Mu Xiao's icy gaze. A dark, frenzied Killing Pressure crashed into her heart with a berserk force like mountains and seas overturning, so violent it nearly solidified into substance.

In an instant, her mind and will were shattered completely. All strength abruptly drained from her body, her legs gave way, and she fell to her knees with a deathly pale face. "Watch your tone from now on. Before you possess sufficient strength, you should remain humble before someone stronger than you. Otherwise, death will be your fate." Mu Xiao's eyes were deep and utterly emotionless, his voice like a freezing wind from the netherworld, filled with cold and merciless hidden killing intent.

Jian Hanyao's face was white as paper, her eyes unsteady. Boundless terror surged from the depths of her heart. Cold sweat soaked through her clothes as she knelt helplessly on the ground, shivering.

Mu Xiao ignored her terror. After all, if he did not teach her a lesson, making this violent woman submit to him in the future would only become more difficult.

Outside the villa, An Rongru had no idea what had happened inside. Her heart was now filled only with joy that her daughter was safe. When Mu Xiao jumped down from the window, her mature, flower-like face still wore a gentle and kind smile. But after hearing what he said next, she could no longer smile.

"Your daughter is a highly promising New Human, but I don't want you to indulge her too much. Otherwise, she may head down the wrong path and die even sooner. That's why I taught her a small lesson just now." As Mu Xiao spoke to An Rongru, he activated the repaired Hovering Platform, turning it into a large disc with guardrails.

"She's not hurt, is she?" An Rongru frowned, speaking worriedly. "Han Yao isn't bad by nature. It's just that her father left early when she was little, so she became overly independent and mature. She did not have many friends, let alone close confidants. I also spoiled her too much before, which is why she developed such a willful, arrogant nature."

"Xiao, I hope you can help her grow up and let her live well in this world." Her tender, moving eyes revealed a pleading gaze. Maternal radiance filled her delicate face, making even the most hard-hearted person unable to bear refusing her.

"Don't worry." Mu Xiao's star-like eyes fixed on An Rongru's beautiful, dignified face. "As long as she is willing to follow in my footsteps, I am confident I can turn her into a Super New Human powerhouse."

Mu Xiao knew very clearly the future evolutionary path of Jian Hanyao, the Violent Princess. During the war in which the Moon and Earth erupted into true conflict, he had fought alongside this Violent Princess for a time, so he had a general understanding of her cultivation and evolution. It was simply that she was still far too immature now, lacking the mature, cold, breathtaking charm she would possess in the future.

However, in the future Age of Evolution, most New Human powerhouses were first-generation New Humans from the beginning of the apocalypse—the very era in which Mu Xiao had been reborn.

The New Humans of this time, so long as they survived, would all become Evolvers with some degree of fame. Mu Xiao was a first-generation New Human, and Jian Hanyao was one as well. Therefore, it was not strange for people from the same generation to know something about one another.

Having received Mu Xiao's personal promise, An Rongru smiled in relief. It was the feeling of finally having someone to rely on in life.

"Let's head up first. We can investigate everything else later. After all, the trouble in the villa district hasn't been completely dealt with yet." Mu Xiao stepped onto the Hovering Platform and reached out to take An Rongru's soft hand.

An Rongru nodded gently, clasped Mu Xiao's outstretched hand, and stepped onto the Hovering Platform.

After she had steadied herself, Mu Xiao pressed the activation button beneath his foot, and the Hovering Platform rose smoothly and slowly.

"Mom!"

The moment Jian Hanyao saw An Rongru enter, her agile body threw itself into An Rongru's warm embrace. Tears she could no longer restrain streamed down like a small brook, and she soon began to sob softly, as though all the helplessness, fear, worry, and even the grievance of being "bullied" by Mu Xiao over the past days had poured out with her tears.

"It's enough that you're safe, Han Yao. Mom is truly happy and relieved, and grateful that heaven has watched over us." Tears shimmered in An Rongru's beautiful eyes as she gently soothed Jian Hanyao's emotions.

Jian Hanyao lifted her delicate, pretty little face, covered in tears like pear blossoms after rain. Her pitiful appearance made people want to protect her.

Yet her teeth ground audibly as one slender jade finger pointed straight at Mu Xiao, who had entered through the window. She said viciously, "Mom, did this bastard touch you? Did he make any filthy demands of you? Tell me everything. If he did, then even if it costs me my life, I'll kill him!"

"Han Yao, watch your mouth. You can't speak to Mr. Xiao... with that kind of attitude." A charming blush spread across An Rongru's breathtaking face, and her heart raced wildly. Mu Xiao truly had touched her last night—every part of her—but how could she possibly tell her daughter such shameful private matters?

"Mom! Did you have a relationship with him?!" Jian Hanyao shouted furiously. Seeing the bashful expression her mother had never shown before, if she still did not understand, she would truly be as dull as a pig.

"No, no!" An Rongru hurriedly shook her head and waved her hands.

"Really?" Seeing An Rongru answer without hesitation and looking so nervous, Jian Hanyao knew her mother was not good at lying in front of her and had never deceived her. The fury rising in her heart gradually subsided, though the way she looked at Mu Xiao remained full of wariness and vigilance.

"Of course it's true." An Rongru held Jian Hanyao close and comforted her sensitive heart as she always had. She did not want her daughter to keep questioning her, nor did she want her to see the shy look in her eyes whenever she looked at Mu Xiao.

Mu Xiao watched the mother and daughter somewhat speechlessly. It was as though An Rongru was the daughter and Jian Hanyao the mother—one lacking a mother's authority, the other lacking a daughter's gentleness. Mu Xiao also realized that Jian Hanyao truly was fearless. Despite having just been warned, she still did not know how to restrain her aggressive attitude.

"Your reunion as mother and daughter is indeed moving," Mu Xiao said, breaking the warm atmosphere in the room. "But the hidden threat outside still hasn't been resolved."

Upon hearing that, An Rongru and Jian Hanyao both shuddered at the same time.