"You can fly through the air! What kind of martial art is that?"
High in the sky, Wang Yuyan, held tightly in Xu Xiao's arms, gripped his arm for dear life, afraid to let go.
She had read martial arts texts extensively since childhood and was well versed in all kinds of martial arts, but this was the first time anyone had carried her into the sky.
"A martial art unrivaled under heaven. What, are you scared?" Mindful of the woman in his arms and the two beside him, Xu Xiao did not fly too high, staying a little over thirty meters above the ground.
Even so, that was a height ordinary martial arts could scarcely reach.
"Hmph! I'm not scared. Besides, there's no such thing as a martial art unrivaled under heaven, only a person unrivaled under heaven."
Wang Yuyan snorted in disbelief. She had read martial arts texts extensively since childhood and had long since scoffed at the idea of any martial art being unrivaled under heaven.
The same martial art in different people's hands could be as different as heaven and earth.
The young girl still remembered Xu Xiao's earlier jabs at her cousin and added a retort.
"You actually dare to call your martial art unrivaled under heaven. You're so thick-skinned."
"Am I unrivaled under heaven? I'll prove it to you myself. As for that cousin of yours, you'd better stop thinking about him. It'll be better for you and for him."
"I'm a rather overbearing man. You're my women, and whoever you think about will die all the sooner!"
Like A Zhu and A Bi, Wang Yuyan held Murong Fu in the highest admiration. All three of them did, and that displeased Xu Xiao greatly.
He made up his mind that the next time he met Murong Fu, he would expose the man's true face to them.
"What gives you the right?"
"The fact that I'm unrivaled under heaven." Xu Xiao gave her a blunt, overbearing answer.
A woman he had set his sights on was naturally his. Anyone else who so much as gave her an extra glance was in the wrong.
"Take a good look at the scenery back home. You won't be coming back anytime soon."
With that, Xu Xiao flew higher again, taking in the entire lake island of Mantuo Manor at a glance.
He was telling the truth. Now that he had obtained the most beautiful woman in Tianlong, it was time to attend to serious business.
Once his plan began, the three women would stay by his side and would not be able to return here for a long time.
All three heard Xu Xiao's words. Wang Yuyan did not understand what he meant, but that did not stop her from summoning the courage to try this strange new experience.
As they rose high into the sky and the things below grew smaller and smaller, Wang Yuyan grew bolder.
Not only did she gaze down curiously at the lake islands around Swallow Dock, she also called out to A Zhu and A Bi beside her, "Sister A Zhu, Sister A Bi, you're coming along too!"
Wang Yuyan's innocent, carefree greeting was well meant, but hearing it reminded the two women of everything they had been through.
Honestly, this young cousin! She's been chatting so happily with that scoundrel, and only now has she noticed us.
Poor young cousin. She's never even stepped outside her secluded chambers, and now she's about to fall into the devil's clutches. Alas, what a hard fate for a woman.
A thousand thoughts ran through the two women's minds before A Zhu finally answered.
"Yes, young cousin. We... we're coming along too."
"They're the women I took last night, and so are you. From now on, don't call her 'young cousin.' Address one another according to age. You're all one family now."
Xu Xiao cut in. The first sentence was for Wang Yuyan, and the last two were for A Zhu and A Bi.
"Ah!" Wang Yuyan's large eyes were filled with disbelief.
How had her cousin's two pretty maids become this stranger's women?
And when had she become his woman too?
Wang Yuyan had grown up sheltered in her chambers. Though she knew little of the world, she understood what he meant by "my women."
Her somewhat befuddled mind now truly grasped what it meant for a strange man to have abducted her from the island.
"No, no! Put me down! I never said I wanted to go with you."
"If you take me away like this, Mother won't be happy."
Wang Yuyan panicked and began squirming in the sky, paying no heed to the fact that they were dozens of meters in the air.
"Behave."
Smack!
Xu Xiao gave her pert backside a light slap.
"You!"
In an instant, the blush on Wang Yuyan's cheeks spread over her whole body, turning even the tips of her ears scarlet.
"If you keep yapping and squirming, I'll keep spanking you. Think carefully!"
Xu Xiao threatened her with a wicked grin.
As for how that had felt, he could only say it was beyond wonderful.
"You!" Wang Yuyan's almond-shaped eyes widened. In the end, she could only yield to Xu Xiao's threat and spit out one word.
"Disgusting!"
"You flatter me, you flatter me. Once we've settled down, I'll show you something even more disgusting."
Xu Xiao took Wang Yuyan's scolding as nothing more than praise.
He knew exactly what he was: he could never be a righteous gentleman, and could barely manage to be a genuine villain.
He acted as he pleased and pursued whatever benefited him, indulging in wine, women, wealth, and temper alike.
Was that a bad thing? No, it was a good thing.
A gentleman could be deceived by appealing to his principles, but a villain? Heh. If you dared provoke him, he dared kill you.
With Xu Xiao's threat hanging over her, Wang Yuyan dared not make another fuss. Tears brimmed in her large eyes, but though she wanted to cry, she dared not.
After carrying the three of them once around the lake island of Mantuo Manor, Xu Xiao headed straight for Gusu City.
Must I really give myself to him? I don't want to!
Cousin, where are you? Please come save me!
As she watched her home recede farther and farther away, Wang Yuyan could not help letting her thoughts run wild.
Suddenly, her sharp eyes spotted several pleasure boats on the lake. The great sails flying above them, each bearing the character "Wang," caught her attention.
"Mother! My mother is back!" Wang Yuyan shouted excitedly, trying to attract the attention of the boats on the lake from dozens of meters above.
"Oh, is your mother, Li Qingluo, down there?" Following Wang Yuyan's cry, Xu Xiao looked down and indeed saw several pleasure boats flying flags marked "Wang."
"It's definitely my mother. She went to Gusu City two days ago and should be coming back today."
"Why won't you let me go? Our Wang Clan has a reputation in the martial world. If they find out you abducted me, you'll have a hard time making your way in the martial world."
Even after seeing what Xu Xiao could do, this innocent girl still vainly hoped to use her family's influence to force him to release her.
It really was somewhat... laughable!
Young cousin, this man responds to gentle words, not threats. You've seen what he can do, so how could you make such a foolish move?
At Wang Yuyan's words, A Zhu and A Bi, beside her, both felt their hearts sink.
Wonderful. Madam Wang down there might suffer for this too!
Sure enough, Xu Xiao, who had originally intended to ignore the boats below and fly on, gave a cold laugh and descended straight toward them.
"Oh? Then I'd like to see what your dear mother can do to me."
"Let me see just how your Wang Clan intends to make it impossible for me to move about in the martial world."
Xu Xiao had long been nursing a bellyful of resentment because of Murong Fu and had been fretting over having no one to make an example of.
And here one was, right away!