"You can't…" Qing Tan's expression shifted subtly as she listened to Xiao Yan's words. She had long known of Lin Jing's feelings for him and had once even tried to push the two together. Now that Lin Jing had finally fulfilled her heart's desire, Qing Tan ought to feel happy for her.
But the problem was, she and Xiao Yan also shared an ambiguous, unspoken relationship.
That single thought made Qing Tan instinctively try to break free from Xiao Yan's embrace. She pressed her palms against his chest, trying to push herself upright. Yet before she could rise, Xiao Yan tugged her back down. Watching her fidget with concern, he asked, somewhat puzzled, "What's wrong?"
"We can't go on like this. It's wrong!" Qing Tan shook her head anxiously, her tone firm. "Jing'er called me her adoptive mother. That makes me her mother in all but blood. And now that she's your woman… that makes me your mother-in-law. So between us… this can't happen anymore."
"And what about that?" Xiao Yan replied casually. "I already told Lin Jing that technically I'm like her adoptive father, and she still stripped down and climbed into my bed. If she doesn't mind that… why should you?"
"That's not the same!" Qing Tan bit her lip. "I've watched her grow up with my own eyes. Even if she never formally called me 'mother,' I've always seen her as a daughter. Xiao Yan… you are her man. That makes you my son-in-law. I can't… I just can't take her beloved man for myself. Let this be the last night, alright? After this… let's return to what we were."
"What nonsense is that?" Xiao Yan wrapped an arm tightly around her waist. "We've already shared everything—your body has been mine for months. Now you want to button up and act like nothing happened? Where do you think things work like that?"
"Don't joke like that…" Bitterness filled Qing Tan's gaze. "You can't forget that I'm your mother-in-law now. We mustn't..."
Before she could finish, Xiao Yan cut her off.
He gently grasped her slender wrist, looking straight into her conflicted eyes, a faint smile appearing on his lips. "Have you only just met me? Do you really think I care about what others think?"
"You may not, but I do. Jing'er does too! Think about how awful it would sound—mother and daughter sharing the same man. The moment this spreads, it'll ruin your Endless Fire Domain. Who would want to join a faction mired in such scandals?"
"I'm not here to lecture you or be lectured," Xiao Yan said flatly. "I'm a villain through and through. I've never cared what others think. Even if everyone in the Endless Fire Domain aside from you and Mandala were wiped out, I wouldn't care. As long as I live, Endless Fire Domain won't fall."
"And if you're so caught up on the 'mother-in-law' title…" His voice dropped lower as he pulled her closer. "Then keep that identity. Honestly, it only adds fuel to my fire."
With that, Xiao Yan pressed Qing Tan back down and launched into a new, fervent "battle." No matter how much Qing Tan resisted, she was drawn back in. Again and again, she was dragged into the fray… and again and again, she was defeated.
At first, she tried to argue with reason—tugging at his emotions, citing ethics and propriety. But Xiao Yan paid no heed to such things. He used the most direct, unrelenting approach possible, overwhelming her protests until there were no words left to speak.
In desperation, Qing Tan sought help from Mandala. Although Mandala didn't fully grasp the situation—wondering why these two suddenly had a mother-in-law and son-in-law dynamic—she still stepped in out of sisterly loyalty.
Unfortunately, she quickly realized something important: food can be eaten carelessly, but fights can't be broken up lightly.
Mandala barely joined the battlefield before she was thoroughly "educated" for several hours. After that, she immediately declared herself powerless to help and left Qing Tan to her fate.
To Xiao Yan's surprise, Qing Tan's endurance turned out to be quite formidable. Even in such circumstances, she refused to submit easily. She stubbornly clung to her moral lines… but that didn't last long.
Because Xiao Yan soon did something she could never have imagined—he connected the entire Dou Qi Continent to the Tianluo Continent through a dimensional link. And as the first act after opening the passage to the Endless Fire Domain, he arranged for Qing Tan and Lin Jing to be matched for a "three-person ranked battle."
As the saying goes: there's no problem that can't be solved with one good brawl. And if there is—then two or three will do.
Initially, Qing Tan tried to maintain dignity in front of Lin Jing. But each time, Xiao Yan smashed through her pretense with brutal precision. Over time, her shame faded… or more accurately, she simply became accustomed to it.
After this ordeal, Qing Tan finally realized one truth—never try to reason with Xiao Yan.
Other people might need elaborate words and emotional appeals to help someone like her get over such psychological hurdles. But Xiao Yan didn't care about logic, ethics, or guilt. He simply did what he wanted.
He didn't talk Qing Tan through her crisis—he simply bulldozed right through it. And in the aftermath, she rarely brought up her "mother-in-law" identity again. She realized it only gave him more firepower, with no benefit to herself.
Of course, there were still times—very specific times—when they'd jokingly bring up the title again…
That said, while Qing Tan did feel physically drained from the intense days of "training," her cultivation saw remarkable improvements. With Xiao Yan's one-on-one guidance, she smoothly advanced to the Earth Sovereign realm.
This meant Qing Tan now had the qualifications to compete for the Ice Spirit Clan's position of clan leader.
Before she departed to return to her clan, Xiao Yan handed her a jade slip. Crushing it would allow him to tear space and arrive instantly. He even left a trace of his Flame Emperor Flame within her, powerful enough to force even Heavenly Sovereigns to retreat if activated.
After sending Qing Tan off, Xiao Yan let out a long breath. She had her own responsibilities now, and so did he.
It was time for him to make a name for himself once again—build influence for Qing Tan's cause, and finally begin executing all those ideas he'd long dreamed of but never had the power to pursue.
(End of Chapter)
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