Fairy, I am truly a virtuous gentleman!

"Eh?"

Ning Yuan's words were astonishing, and Xiao Lingjiang was stunned once again. Her beautiful eyes, like those of a fawn in the forest, revealed a clear sense of bewilderment.

This was the umpteenth time today that she had been startled by the boy.

"As long as the marriage contract is fulfilled, you will be my wife. When the Xiao family tries to harm you, they will have to consider my feelings. I believe my father will not be indifferent to his daughter-in-law. As long as he is willing to step in, all difficulties will be resolved."

Ning Yuan coughed twice and explained his thoughts in detail, "Not only that, I can also provide you with rare and precious materials to repair your Dao veins and replenish your Dao foundation. You don't need to go back to the Xiao family; you can just stay here with me. I have everything you need for your cave dwelling and Dao training ground. What do you say?"

Hearing these tempting conditions, Xiao Lingjiang slowly came back to her senses.

She bit her red lips lightly, and said blankly, "Even if there's a reason, why are you so good to me?"

Ning Yuan's gaze darted away. He, who had been in control and strategizing all along, finally revealed a hint of the awkwardness unique to young men.

"A fair maiden is sought after by a gentleman. Miss Xiao, you can take my lust for her as an excuse. Anyway, if it were me, I would be very satisfied... no, I should say extremely satisfied, to have a fiancé like Miss Xiao who has such a strong personality and dares to love and hate."

It felt as if it had been soaked by spring rain.

A seed seemed to have been planted in Xiao Lingjiang's heart, about to take root and sprout, stirring up an indescribable flutter.

So she stared straight at the boy, and after a moment, she burst out laughing.

The sound is as clear and crisp as a silver bell, and as melodious as a clear spring.

"Haha, I never expected that the son of the famous Ning Muxian would be such an interesting person."

After laughing, Xiao Lingjiang shook his head and sighed, "I'm sorry, Young Master Ning, you are a good person, but if I agree to your request, what about all the things I did to resist before? Wouldn't that be a joke?"

"yes……"

Ning Yuan tried hard to maintain his composure, but he couldn't help but reveal a hint of disappointment.

However, Xiao Lingjiang curled her lips and changed the subject, speaking in a playful tone completely different from before: "However, Young Master Ning has given me a hint. I wonder if you currently lack a maid who, like me, enjoys practicing swordsmanship?"

Ning Yuan's eyes brightened, and he said with undisguised delight, "You mean...?"

"A maid isn't any different. As long as you're willing to accept me, I can just stay here and cultivate without going out. Those people can't do anything to me. They won't just rush in and search for me everywhere, will they?"

Ning Yuan thought about it carefully for a moment, then said confidently, "They wouldn't dare. Dali has been stable for a hundred years. The twelve great families are closely connected and stand on equal footing with my father's Surveillance Bureau. Those old guys would love for things to stay this way, so why would they want to break this balance?"

"That solves it, doesn't it?"

Xiao Lingjiang seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and sat back down in her seat.

"Actually, you surprised me quite a bit..."

She slightly raised her eyelids, her long, thick eyelashes fluttering, and said casually, "Before, those unambitious people in the family talked about you. In my impression, I thought you were someone who only knew how to indulge in pleasure and enjoy life. After all, your father is Ning Muxian, the Grand Preceptor of the Great Li Kingdom, and the Pure Yang Dao Venerable. But sixteen years have passed, and you are still just a Qi Refiner. That's why I..."

Xiao Lingjiang pursed her lips. "But your swordsmanship is far superior to mine. A sword is like a person. I don't believe that someone with such swordsmanship would be a spoiled brat."

Upon hearing this, Ning Yuan couldn't help but shake his head and sigh, "Actually, I had no choice but to do it."

Ning Yuan looked straight ahead and said softly, "My father, Ning Muxian, went from a mountain boy to a peerless Dao Venerable who had entered the Pure Yang Realm in less than two hundred years, and his name became famous throughout the Great Xuan Heaven."

My elder sister, Ning Chanxue, became one of the ten core disciples of the Yellow Springs Sect as the daughter of the Grand Preceptor of the Great Li Kingdom. Her title of Netherworld Fairy spread throughout the thirteen major immortal sects and cultivation holy lands.

Tell me, if I were like those two, would the many noble families of Dali still treat me so politely...? Would that one still tolerate me?

The young man's words were piercing to the heart.

Ning Muxian is indeed renowned and has an extraordinary record, but the Great Li Immortal Dynasty has survived to this day despite the infighting among various Daoist sects and immortal factions. It has a history of tens of thousands of years and also has its own trump cards!

Let's leave aside the Ji royal family.

The Twelve Pillars Clan alone is already unfathomable.

On the surface, the Great Li Immortal Dynasty only has one Pure Yang Dao Venerable, Ning Muxian.

However, the foundation of the twelve noble families should not be underestimated.

Above the Lingbao is the Dao artifact, a Dao treasure that has already developed its own spirituality. It can generate its own power and has boundless might, comparable to the Pure Yang of Returning to Emptiness.

Almost every one of the twelve clans possesses a top-tier Dao artifact, and with multiple Dao Lords in addition, their combined combat strength is quite considerable.

After hearing all this, and with a little more imagination, Xiao Lingjiang immediately pieced together Ning Yuan's long-standing predicament.

He disguised himself as a harmless playboy in the inner city of Luodu, spending his days drinking and indulging in pleasure, hiding his ambitions, all to lessen the burden on his father and sister.

"In that case, why didn't you continue to hold back? Making such a rash move today only exposes your talent, especially since you've been holding out for so long..."

Ning Yuan laughed, "What talent? You just defeated a girl who had only just begun cultivating with a sword. You're not even as good as my maid. It's nothing... Besides, I can't exactly have my maid blast you away, can I?"

Although the boy pretended to be relaxed, Xiao Lingjiang was still feeling uneasy inside.

How could it have no impact?

Ah, what kind of situation is this? I was thinking about how to use him to get revenge on those old guys, but now I've become their maid!

Xiao Lingjiang took a deep breath and said to Ning Yuan seriously, "Then let's do it this way. I can't just sit around doing nothing. A maid should act like a maid. You can order me around as you please. I'll do whatever the others are supposed to do. Don't worry too much. Of course, you can't go too far..."

When he said the last three words, his originally aggressive voice immediately quieted down.

Ning Yuan looked puzzled.

"What did you say? I didn't hear you."

Xiao Lingjiang blushed, "You clearly heard me!"

Seeing this, Ning Yuan couldn't help but laugh and said, "Alright, alright, from today onwards you will be my little maid. For convenience, you can stay in a room in my courtyard. Don't think too much about it, my place is very big."

...

...

With everything initially agreed upon, Ning Yuan decided to have a maid from the manor show Xiao Lingjiang the place where she would be staying and help her get used to the environment.

He stayed inside, picked up a cup of fragrant tea, and leisurely savored it.

Thirty years later, Xiao Lingjiang killed eight Nascent Soul True Monarchs, seriously injured one, and captured Luodu, the capital of Dali, making his name known throughout the world.

Over the next seventy years, stories about this noblewoman, born into a prestigious family and who could have risen to great heights, and who became a legendary female cultivator, circulated and were collected by Ning Yuan.

Without a doubt, only by obtaining an extraordinary opportunity could Xiao Lingjiang defy fate and change her destiny.

The most credible rumor is that she became the disciple of a remnant immortal soul, received his inheritance and guidance, and thus achieved unparalleled success.

Such baseless rumors are not entirely without basis.

It is said that after Xiao Lingjiang left Dali, she was unable to join a celestial sect as she wished, but she quickly demonstrated her powerful strength and talent, directly occupying a Dao vein for cultivation and voluntarily submitting to the upper sect.

She claims to have inherited the legacy of an ancient immortal sect, but her methods are bizarre, and she has used many spells that were lost after the collapse of the Heavenly Court.

It's not like they just inherited the legacy of a single immortal sect; it's more like they directly plundered an entire heaven.

Of course, more importantly, when she finally achieved the Dao Lord status, Xiao Lingjiang took the initiative to admit that she had a mysterious master behind her who made her who she is today.

Ning Yuan was unsure whether the remnant soul of the immortal existed or had already appeared beside Xiao Lingjiang.

Therefore, he chose a roundabout approach.

Psychological warfare is superior to physical warfare.

You can't use violence; you have to win her heart first, lure her to your side, and then slowly train her until she's completely captivated.

And after putting in so much effort, Ning Yuan did indeed gain something.

During their conversation, Xiao Lingjiang was lost in thought several times. Others might not have thought much of it, but Ning Yuan believed that this was very likely her communicating with the remnant soul of that immortal!

"Hehe, it came to me without any effort."

The matter of the immortal's remnant soul is very important. To ensure everything goes smoothly and to prevent any counterattacks, we must take necessary precautions.

Ning Yuan didn't intend to alert the enemy; after all, there was still plenty of time, and he would have many opportunities.

For example, start with Xiao Lingjiang herself...