It could hardly be said that Jun Moxie was lacking in women; each one was a breathtaking beauty capable of toppling nations. First there was Dugu Xiaoyi, and then Guan Qinghan arrived, and he carried absolutely no burden of conscience. Even that time outside the Heaven's Punishment Forest, when an accidental mishap involving Dugu Xiaoyi’s drug led to him taking Guan Qinghan's virginity, he might have felt a twinge of pity, but it certainly wasn't a debt weighing on his soul; by now, it had simply become the accepted reality.

Because in Young Master Jun’s heart, Guan Qinghan was his woman, and Dugu Xiaoyi was too.

As women who loved him, they were destined to be together eventually anyway, so whether some things happened sooner or later made little difference! At least, not much difference to his peace of mind!

Because he would be responsible for that woman’s entire life, and he possessed the ability to be responsible for the entire lives of all the women who loved him!

It was the same with Mei Xueyan later on; everything flowed smoothly, a natural progression. This was because there were absolutely no obstacles in the way; even… even Han Yanmeng, who came after, showed him subtle signs of affection, and the young maid serving closely by him, Ke'er, was deeply devoted to him, making it difficult for her heart to stray elsewhere. But regarding all this, Jun Moxie simply adopted an attitude of letting things take their natural course.

If these women one day genuinely chose to leave him for someone else, the Young Master might feel upset for a while, but it wouldn’t be entirely unacceptable; he might even send them off with a generous dowry, like marrying off a sister, ensuring they left with honor. Of course, if these women ultimately chose to remain by his side, Jun Moxie wouldn't force them out the door either.

But this time, entering the Illusionary Residence, the Young Master truly felt a sense of conflict and frustration!

Although the Illusionary Residence differed from the Three Great Holy Lands and their relationship wasn't a clear-cut matter of friend or foe—as they were a faction calculating against the Heaven's Punishment Forest—they were still in a semi-antagonistic state; yet, the care shown to him by Cao Guofeng and the other six along the way was undeniable! Although all of it was built upon a false identity and a transcendent physique, that genuine affection deeply moved Jun Moxie himself!

He, for the sake of a self-serving deception, was ultimately receiving sincere feelings from the supposed enemy!

This made Jun Moxie feel quite uneasy. Even after intervening to replenish Cao Guofeng's lost lifespan and True Essence, Jun Moxie’s guilt hadn't significantly lessened. The other party acted from the heart, while his actions were intentional; the difference in moral standing was immeasurable!

And after arriving at the Illusionary Residence, the fabricated cover identity had instantly turned him into the darling of the entire place, especially among the highly respected and venerable elders; everyone's expectations for him were deeply sincere.

These people, although each of their ultimate goals was for the future of the Illusionary Residence! That sentiment of cherished affection had also fallen entirely upon Jun Moxie.

Because he was the legendary possessor of the Ethereal Physique! The future hope of the Illusionary Residence!

Jun Moxie could perfectly imagine that when his identity was eventually exposed, regardless of whether he had taken the Seven-Colored Sacred Tree or not, the result would be the same: these people would inevitably suffer unimaginable disappointment and rage!

Thinking of this, Jun Moxie also felt a profound sense of shame!

Then there was Miao Miaomiao, whom he had just parted from in Gang Prefecture!

Although Miao Miaomiao was the most outstanding descendant of the younger generation in the Miao family, intelligent and profound in profound arts, deep down she was still just a young girl blossoming into love. Just today, she had proactively opened her heart to him! Facing a desperate situation, she was willing to stand by him, to live and die with him, to die together! How could he bear such loyalty and righteousness? How could he repay it?

"Only if there is a next life, remember my appearance, and we won't miss each other!"

How resounding those words were! How could Jun Moxie remain unmoved?

Even a heart of stone, hearing such words, could truly remain untouched?

The women of the Illusionary Residence dedicated their entire lives to a single man! The moment that veil was lifted from Miao Miaomiao’s face, she was fated to have no turning back! This infatuated girl had entrusted her entire life to Jun Moxie!

Or, perhaps, entrusted it to Mo Junye!

Was this love blind? No! Not at all! If Mo Junye were truly just Mo Junye possessing the Ethereal Physique, then Miao Miaomiao’s choice, and this deep love, would certainly not be in vain, destined not to be in vain!

And the final outcome would certainly be beautiful and happy, perhaps even becoming a widely praised, beautiful legend!

But, "Mo Junye is Jun Moxie!"

If the day came when his identity was exposed and he departed without a word, could this girl… could she even survive?

The deception of her beloved, the scorn of those around her, the reproaches of her family, coupled with the loss, sorrow, and despair originating from within his own heart… how could a fragile young girl bear such a weight? How could she endure it?

Jun Moxie could almost foresee that beautiful, peerless face withering the moment he pulled away, but could he not leave?

He could not!

This was undoubtedly a massive contradiction! An irreconcilable contradiction!

And yet, that day was fated not to be long in coming, perhaps only a matter of days away!

Jun Moxie was suddenly struck by a profound sense of confusion, a confusion that refused to dissipate!

Must the happiness of his own family necessitate the creation of another tragedy?

Or perhaps the only somewhat viable solution was to take Miao Miaomiao with him when he left—but would she follow him?

And what about the care he received from within the Illusionary Residence? How should he respond to that?

Must he truly repay it with ungratefulness?

If so, would he still be the Free and Unfettered Lord, clear of conscience in dispensing rewards and exacting vengeance? How could he find peace in his heart from then on?

With countless worries plaguing him, Jun Moxie’s mind was a chaotic mess. In this state, he drifted vaguely back to his residence.

It was fortunate that he was still in the otherworldly state of the Yin-Yang Evasion, not merged with the mundane world; otherwise, who knew how many times he would have bumped into things!

As soon as he stepped through the door, Young Master Jun finally regained his senses. Looking up, he saw his nominal master, Cao Guofeng, and five other Saint Emperors waiting for him in the courtyard; only Bai Qifeng was missing.

Seeing that he seemed somewhat distracted, Cao Guofeng hurried to ask what had happened after he left. Jun Moxie, troubled by his thoughts, felt the urge to shift the burden. Since the only people in the Illusionary Residence Jun Moxie held no goodwill towards were from the Zhan family, he recounted in detail the forced competition at the Fragrant Cloud Tower.

As for the six Venerable-level assassins who attacked him afterward for "offending people," he elaborated with even greater detail, even exaggerating the account a bit!

The first part was manageable; although the Young Master was forced into a competition, his gains were plentiful and significant. But when everyone heard that someone had ambushed Jun Moxie midway, Cao Guofeng and the others were instantly furious!

When they then heard that all six assassins possessed Venerable cultivation, all six felt a simultaneous chill run down their spines! They had been too careless. They had believed the Ethereal Physique was the hope of the entire Misty Illusionary Residence, that since they were all part of the residence and shared the same goal, they would never allow any accident to befall him, perhaps only minor disturbances, but certainly not mortal danger. Yet, they never imagined that dark currents were also surging within the Illusionary Residence!

Perhaps the older generation all hoped this youth with the Ethereal Physique would grow up safely and soon become a pillar of the Illusionary Residence, but it seemed there were some who did not wish him to live in this world.

After Jun Moxie finished recounting the entire sequence of events, Cao Guofeng, the Cao Saint Emperor, felt both relieved that his disciple had encountered danger but was saved by a noble person, and simultaneously heartbroken and enraged!

He knew that although Wang Neng and Li Jie were not his direct disciples, they were both students he had carefully taught and nurtured for decades. He never expected that when danger struck, they would choose without hesitation to betray Jun Moxie!

To betray the very future hope of his life!

At that moment, Saint Emperor Cao could barely restrain himself from jumping up and cursing. If Wang and Li were still alive and standing before him now, the enraged Cao Guofeng would probably have torn them to shreds without hesitation!

However, while the six Saint Emperors breathed a collective sigh of relief, they were also puzzled about the identity of the mysterious master who had saved Jun Moxie. Considering the bizarre demonic sword wielded by that mysterious figure, such distinct characteristics should have made him widely known, yet in the Illusionary Residence, they had never heard of such a person…

"A flash of movement, and Bai Qifeng floated back, laughing heartily from afar: "So this kid has been back already, making me run an errand for nothing; I’ve nearly scoured the entire mountain."

It turned out that Saint Emperor Bai, seeing Jun Moxie delayed for so long, and being the most impatient among them, had gone out to search for him...

"You all probably don't know yet, something major seems to have happened with the old Miao family; Old Man Miao's sudden burst of angry roar almost shook the entire Illusionary Residence,” Bai Qifeng chattered excitedly, with a hint of schadenfreude: “I wonder who managed to offend him this time? But it looks like there's a good show to watch..."

"This show," Cao Guofeng said darkly, "might require you to play the lead role yourself."

Only then did Bai Qifeng notice the grim expressions on his brothers' faces and felt a sudden tightening in his chest, asking: "What exactly happened?"

Cao Guofeng sighed and recounted the entire matter briefly.

"Damn it! Who dares to do this? Damn it, it must be those bastards from the Zhan family! I’m going to find them right now! Daring to stir up trouble on the Lord of Heaven’s head, if I don't let them know King Ma has three eyes, I’m not Bai Qifeng!"

Hearing this, Bai Qifeng immediately exploded in rage, shouting and cursing incessantly.

Seeing Bai Qifeng about to rush out, Cao Guofeng quickly grabbed him: "This is your temper! Such impulsiveness! Where has the composure of a Saint Emperor gone?! You say it’s the Zhan family, so it is? Do you have proof? Going over there uninvited to start a fight based on nothing—even if you were right, you’d lose the moral high ground! Besides, with the Zhan family’s strength, do you think you could gain the upper hand? Be careful they don’t counterattack and drag both of us into this messy situation; that would be disastrous, possibly throwing the entire Illusionary Residence into chaos for some time."