Merlin’s beard. Bubai can’t help but admit: this blonde bade was exceptionally good at blowing the horn for battle, goading him into intense battles that certainly stirred up turbulent waves…

  Nevertheless, it wasn’t just all fun and wet games. The most important dream fishing was still a must.

  Of course, heeding the granny’s advice, Bubai still did it in moderation, making sure to switch between the two states for his captive: keeping her knocked out for interrogation and playtime in the windowless rooms, sometimes even blindfolded.

  To top it off, Bubai deliberately spaced out the different sessions, blurring her sense of time and ensuring she couldn't discern the duration of her unconsciousness.

  This muddling of her senses was a strategic move to prevent her from becoming suspicious upon waking up and discovering the gaps of missing times in her memory.

  Needless to say, his motives for keeping her in this state extended beyond mere interrogation purposes.

  Aside from easing his various fishing sessions, her confusion state mainly ensured she couldn't track his itinerary, be it his departures from the tower or his time spent on alternate activities.

  As an added bonus, keeping her unconscious also prevented her from wandering around the tower.

  Though Jia Fei appeared weak as if she was just a helpless pawn, the fact that was still a cultivator can’t be ignored!

  Allowing her to roam freely would be problematic, increasing the likelihood of her discovering some of the little secrets within his tower, especially if she interacted more with others.

  Though Bubai thinks he is good at keeping a lid on his secrets, he couldn’t guarantee that the other two in the tower were as careful, regardless of their loyalty.

  Moreover, some details could inadvertently slip out once they come under scrutiny, such as Xiao Lan’s recovered cultivation base, which Jia Fei could test with ease by inciting a fight.

  Another would be the whereabouts of his scorpions.

  Thanks to his “good” maid Wei Er, Jia Shizi was already privy to the fact that he raised these little critters, but the man still didn’t know they were the popular vitalized scorpion.

  Perhaps the man had his suspicions, but right now, Jia Fei was probably his only ticket to confirming this matter alongside his other high-priority secrets, such as the source of his essence and his weaknesses.

  So, to safeguard these secrets, Bubai made sure the blonde bade remained knocked out during his absences or personally supervised her at all times.

  And oh boy did he enjoy his full-time role as a supervisor. It was indeed an amazing job – one in which he spared no effort in digging more good memories from.

  Alas, all good things must come to an end.

  “Hahaha! I trust Brother Mo found my good wife to your liking?”

  Jia Shizi’s words finished off with a wide grin on his face, baring a row of teeth like fangs that demanded a response.

  Facing the muscular man blocking him in front of his tower in the morning, Bubai could only do his best to mirror the grin and fired back, “Brother Jia, is there a need to ask? You know she is indeed quite satisfying.”

  “Really?” Jia Shizi’s eyes narrowed in response, boring into Bubai as if trying to read his mind, “Then, that’s strange. Instead of watering the fragrant flower, why did I catch wind that Brother Mo went out for a walk…”

  Ah, of course. His recent trip had likely aroused the guy’s suspicions.

  Well, it wasn’t too surprising. After all, unlike the common muscle builder tropes in some stories, Jia Shizi’s intelligence was certainly not inversely proportional to his muscle mass.

  Guy’s got both muscles and brains!

  However, a good brain tends to make things really interesting.

  If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

  For one, the clever devil wasn’t openly accusing him. Instead, he was subtly probing in a low-key way, cautious not to jeopardize their relationship too quickly.

  The underlying reason was clear: greed.

  The value of Bubai's essence was equivalent to a whopping amount of contribution points, making it highly desirable for any cultivator!

  For body cultivators like Jia Shizi who relies on essence for cultivation, his essence was like an irresistible treasure! It was hard to not be greedy!

  Banking on this greed, Bubai wasn’t worried that Jia Shizi would leak any of his secrets, whether it be about his essence or his scorpions.

  After all, in this world where direct access to such benefits was tantamount to power, will anyone be willing to share?

  There was only one Bubai, definitely not enough to go around.

  If Jia Shizi were to report Bubai, it was basically cutting off his own road of exclusiveness! No cultivator was stupid enough to ruin their own interests!

  Armed with this knowledge and the irrefutable fact of his essence’s staggering value, Bubai would be an idiot if he doesn’t press for more.

  The initiative was in his hands!

  This was the reason that Bubai dared to toe the line, testing the limits of Jia Shizi’s bottom line with his excuses time and time again.

  Thus, once again, Bubai didn’t even hesitate to give another perfunctory excuse.

  “Oh, the wise elders once said, just like yin and yang, cultivation must balance both work and rest. So, I simply went to take a breather, in hopes of seeking some enlightenment.”

  Nobody will be happy when they know the other party is not sincere, but Jia Shizi certainly didn’t show it on his face, simply covering it up with a booming laugh, “Hahaha...”

  After laughing it off, just like Bubai thought, Jia Shizi didn’t press further.

  Instead, a wild grin prowled onto the maniac’s face and the guy already determined his outlet for venting, “I understand. Since Brother Mo isn’t satisfied, just say so, and I, Jia Shizi, will teach her well when I return!"

  The declaration elicited a tremor from the fully robed Jia Fei by the man’s side. It was an almost imperceptible reaction, yet not lost to the discerning eyes of Bubai.

  Some people benefit, some people suffer. The woes of being a pawn.

  Of course, Bubai wasn’t one to easily sacrifice a pawn. His each and every move had always aimed to milk them dry of value. This time was no exception.

  Truthfully, with the rapid depletion of Jia Fei’s cultivation reserves within a mere few hours, Bubai found little benefit from the blonde babe, save for the occasional memory orbs gathered from her.

  Hence, this prompted his decision to embark on his little tour around the sect during her visit.

  Naturally, beyond the pragmatic utilization of his time, his trip also served another purpose: sending a message to her owner, implying that he wasn’t head over heels for her.

  While this course of action would undoubtedly make Jia Fei’s life more difficult, it was still a way to achieve his goal: urging Jia Shizi to take further actions to gain his favor!

  This was Bubai’s gradual process of luring Jia Shizi into his schemes! As long as Jia Shizi wants more essence, the guy can only willingly play along!

  Of course, this calculated move only works now mainly thanks to two factors: the mountains backing Bubai and Jia Shizi’s own greed that curtailed his inclination to call in aid from his own clan.

  Consequently, the guy was constrained to employ more civil tactics, a favorable outcome for Bubai as it allowed him to cast a long line to fish for more benefits.

  Nevertheless, the precarious nature of this arrangement could downright go wrong at any given moment for the insatiable lure of greed could induce the man to take more drastic measures!

  Still, no matter how drastic it will be, Bubai wasn’t too worried.

  After all, unless Jia Shizi flips the table and let their trade escalate into a political game between the top brass, there was a limit to the extents of the man’s madness.

  At worse, he gets kidnapped and locked up in the man’s rustic pig farm. It was an unwelcoming fate, but…

  Bubai isn’t afraid of being locked up.

  Bubai briefly peeked down at the bracelet made from wooden prayer beads on his wrist, letting a confident smile bloom on his face to accompany his smooth response.

  “Brother Jia is overthinking. Bubai has never met a woman so good at meeting my every expectation. That’s why I made sure to fill her up all night. It’s just that I may have been a tad… enthusiastic, and I decided to let her rest a bit because I don’t want to break the bond we brothers share."

  “Is that so…?”

  Jia Shizi’s grin widened, his sharp gaze eyeing Jia Fei who demurely bobbed her weimao in agreement to save herself.

  This wise woman who crawled her way up to this point undoubtedly had loyalty, but loyalty birthed from fear… always has loopholes to exploit.

  Alas, men were always confident about their women’s loyalty. Sometimes too confident.

  Returning his attention to Bubai, Jia Shizi chuckled heartily, “Haha! Well, I’ll trust that Brother Mo won’t lie to a brother on matters like these.”

  Wearing his ever-present fake face, Bubai fired back with a silencer on any signs of his lies.

  "Of course! How hard is it to meet a good brother like you who is willing to share with me? That’s why I am always happy to return Brother Jia’s… gifts. It’s just that I don’t have much to offer except my sincerity. I just hope brother isn’t too dissatisfied over... my little maid.”

  Bubai’s meaningful eyes fell upon Wei Er standing at his side.

  Seeing the petite maid still staring back at himself with reluctance, Jia Shizi could only let out a hearty laugh and dispelled any lingering tension.

  “No cause for dissatisfaction whatsoever. Your little maid performed admirably and I can’t ask for more! But...”

  With a smooth transition, Jia Shizi broached the topic of future exchanges, "Brother Mo, do you have any interest in switching up the trade next time? Perhaps you'd fancy some fresher meat? Just say the word, and I, Jia Shizi, will make the arrangements to make sure brother is fully satisfied!"

  Oh? He can switch to someone else?