The brick house didn't look particularly large from the outside, yet the design by a master craftsman afforded it a surprising amount of space within.

This was true not only for the living room but extended even to the bathroom.

The bathtub was enormous, capable of comfortably holding four or five people bathing simultaneously without feeling crowded.

As Qin Fen soaked in it, he felt like he was at a public bathhouse.

However, when he held the soft, fragrant warmth of Song Jia in his arms, this feeling of a public bath instantly transformed into the sensation of soaking in paradise.

Song Jia lay cradled in Qin Fen’s embrace, a nameless sense of peace and happiness permeating her core.

She secretly opened her eyes to look at her man; he was actually quite, quite handsome.

The saying that beauty is in the eye of the beholder—sometimes that applied as much as saying 'in the eyes of a lover, even Pan An appears less fair.'

Qin Fen’s appearance, at most, radiated the aura of a virile, manly man; the word 'handsome,' which carried a slightly softer connotation, seemed utterly unrelated to him.

Yet, when a person falls in love with another, many things begin to change, including one's sense of aesthetics.

At this moment, Qin Fen’s eyes met Song Jia’s. He asked gently, “What are you thinking about?”

“En…” Song Jia sat up from Qin Fen’s embrace, settling onto his lap. Her twin peaks subtly appeared and disappeared above the waterline, causing a ripple of unrestrained desire in him.

“Take me, and the path ahead for you might become very difficult.”

“Difficult?” Qin Fen scratched his head. “When I made the decision to send those ten men to the hospital, I was already mentally prepared.”

Song Jia leaned slightly forward, bringing the skin of her chest into slight contact with Qin Fen’s. She cupped his face with both hands and whispered, “Perhaps, the mental preparation you made wasn't enough.”

“How so?” Qin Fen wrapped his hands around Song Jia’s body, unable to resist placing them on her snowy, shapely hips.

“Do you know what command my grandfather issued means?”

“I know.” Qin Fen patted her shapely rear lightly. “It means any man in the entire world who wishes to marry my wife must fight me.”

“Wife,” Song Jia chewed on the title playfully, an intense wave of happiness and sweetness washing over her heart.

After a moment, she spoke again. “You are very strong, that is true. But the younger generation on the Federation also has many powerful individuals. Moreover, anyone under the age of thirty is eligible to propose to me. That means the martial artists from five years ago, and even those from ten years ago, are qualified…”

Five years! A generation!

After martial artists reached seventeen or eighteen, their power entered a period of explosive growth, a developmental cycle that was exceptionally long; even by the age of thirty, this growth period hadn't entirely passed.

Five years meant they had a five-year head start into this rapid martial advancement compared to Qin Fen.

If it were ten years, that meant a full decade’s advantage—a gap that couldn't be explained away in just a few sentences.

“Putting aside the martial artists from the first two generations,” Song Jia looked at Qin Fen with worry, “even within our current generation, there are extraordinarily talented experts on every planet.”

“For example?” Qin Fen made a questioning gesture with his hand.

“Hades, the son of White Tiger Harris on Venus, is hailed as the strongest martial artist of the current generation on Venus. And the four Golden Heavenly Kings among the Twenty-Eight Mansions under White Tiger: Niu Jinniu, Kang Jinlong, Gui Jinyang, and Lou Jingou. The children of these Four Golden Heavenly Kings also have exceptionally outstanding offspring. For instance, Tang Hu, the son of Niu Jinniu Tang Ao, is very famous among the young martial artists of this Federation generation. And on Mars… Shangguan Chuanqi…”

Upon mentioning Shangguan Chuanqi, Song Jia’s mood noticeably dipped. She had met that man once six months prior. He was as legendary as his name suggested!

“In short, you might face many challenges ahead,” Song Jia leaned gently into Qin Fen’s embrace. “You must win; you absolutely cannot lose.”

Qin Fen pulled Song Jia tightly into his arms, blowing warm air near her ear. “I will not lose. Furthermore, I won't let countless hot-headed people come looking for fights. I already have a plan.”

“Oh?” Song Jia lifted her beautiful face. “What plan?”

“It’s simple,” Qin Fen’s smile held a deep, steady confidence. “I won’t wait for them to come to me; I will go to them first. I will defeat every famous and capable one, one by one. Naturally, others who wish to challenge me will first have to consider whether they can defeat those I have already defeated. If they can’t even beat someone I’ve beaten, why would they dare challenge me?”

“You…” Song Jia looked at Qin Fen in shock. Shifting from passively accepting challenges to proactively seeking them out? The idea was breathtaking.

“You don’t have to do it that way, do you?” Song Jia showed a hint of worry; not everyone would adhere to the rules.

On Earth, under the shadow of the Earth Martial God’s reputation, no one dared to launch a sneak attack. If any family won through such means, with the Song family’s influence on Earth, they could quickly investigate everything, and the family resorting to treachery would incur the contempt of Song Wendong.

Martial artists’ honor and dignity were what Song Wendong considered the bare minimum standard for any martial artist.

However, if he initiated challenges proactively, he might have to leave Earth, and then…

“You don’t have confidence in me?”

“It’s not a lack of confidence…”

“If I challenge them, I will definitely choose Earth as the battlefield,” Qin Fen laughed. “If I go to other planets, heaven knows what underhanded tactics they might use. Of course, using Earth as a battlefield, I wonder how they will react?”

“Cunning.”

Song Jia smiled radiantly. If Earth were the battleground, wouldn’t the young martial artists from other planets worry about hidden daggers here? Perhaps there would even be refusals to accept the challenge; that was also possible.

After laughing, a faint shadow of melancholy still lingered around Song Jia’s brow.

As Qin Fen’s girlfriend, she supported him unconditionally. But as Song Wendong’s granddaughter, she could accurately assess the strength of a martial artist.

As of now, Shangguan Chuanqi’s strength was likely superior to Qin Fen’s.

If they fought right now, the probability of Qin Fen losing was high, even if he used the finishing move he recently employed that nearly killed Ge Bing—he still might not be able to defeat Shangguan Chuanqi.

As for Little Pluto Hades, Song Jia had never witnessed his power firsthand. But being nominated as the top young expert on Venus was enough to indicate how formidable his strength must be.

Time passed quickly. After bathing a while longer, they realized staying there wasn't the way.

Holding the still-damp Song Jia, they returned to the living room, a flurry of rustling sounds as clothes were put back on.

Qin Fen looked at the ambiguous bloodstain on the sofa, and Song Jia’s face flushed again. She hadn't expected her first time to be on the sofa with Qin Fen, not in bed—it was far too bold, something she wouldn’t have dared imagine before.

“What about this… what should we do about this…?” Song Jia asked, her face red, pointing at the stain on the sofa while seeking Qin Fen’s opinion.

Snap, snap…

Qin Fen cracked his knuckles five times in succession and, with one swift grab, tore off a piece of the sofa covering that held Song Jia’s stain. He carefully folded it, tucked it inside his military uniform, and asked, “Can you give this to me?”

“Yes…” Song Jia’s voice was barely a whisper. She glanced again at the damaged sofa. “Then this…”

“How much is this worth, approximately?” Qin Fen asked, looking at the ruined sofa. “I’ll buy an identical one.”

Song Jia quietly held up five fingers.

“Five thousand?”

“Fifty thousand?”

Qin Fen guessed twice, and both times Song Jia shook her head. He started to feel uneasy.

“It’s not going to be five hundred thousand, is it?”

This time, Song Jia nodded.

“Five hundred thousand?” Qin Fen looked at the sofa beside him; this piece of furniture was worth more than his entire current net worth.

Seeing Qin Fen’s look of difficulty, Song Jia quietly said, “I’ll lend it to you first. Pay me back when you have it later.”

“Deal.”

Qin Fen agreed readily. He understood perfectly well that Song Jia offered to lend the money to save his pride.

A grown man shamelessly asking his woman for five hundred thousand—that was something he couldn’t do.

“Then you should step out first,” Song Jia waved dismissively. “Lin Liqiang’s eyes are too sharp; I’m afraid he might notice something…”

“Are you still in Shengjing?”

“I’ll stay for a few more days.”

“Then… I’ll come find you another day.”

“That would be nice.”

Qin Fen forcefully calmed his mindset. Facing the notorious playboy Lin Liqiang, he was also somewhat nervous. It wasn't fear of his friend seeing through him, but fear that he would relentlessly pursue the matter with endless questioning.

If it were Yin Zhiluo, it would be manageable, but Lin Da Shao was different; Qin Fen genuinely feared he couldn't withstand the bombardment of tedious persistence.

The construction crew hired by the Song family was highly efficient. The courtyard, previously resembling little more than ruins, was now completely renewed, showing no trace that a fierce martial contest had taken place there.

Lin Liqiang leaned against the courtyard wall and whistled at Qin Fen as he walked out. “Old Qin, I just learned a palm technique called the Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm. Interested in exchanging pointers?”

Exchanging pointers?

A surge of emotion rose in Qin Fen’s heart. The meaning behind those words wasn't merely an exchange; it was clearly an excuse to teach Qin Fen the Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm.

He knew very well that Lin Liqiang came from a prestigious lineage, and any palm technique he deemed worthy of an 'exchange' couldn't be mediocre.

“Sounds good. I have a technique called Raging Tempest, and I was also looking for a chance to compare notes with you and Old Yin.”

“Oh? That’s the palm technique that left Ge Bing temporarily unable to care for himself?” Lin Liqiang stretched his shoulders. “Must be that one, right? When the technique is unleashed, it really gives off the momentum of massive, surging waves.”

The two walked side-by-side down the deserted country path.

Standing on the second floor, Song Jia heard Lin Liqiang’s receding voice: “I’ve only learned three moves from Grandpa Hou’s Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm: specifically, [Finger Illuminating Heaven], [Dragon’s Reverse Slash], and […it’s very suitable].”

“Grandpa Hou’s three strongest moves of the Great Brahma Demon Subduing Palm?” Song Jia pondered the retreating figures of the two men.

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