Volume One: The Femme Fatale Chapter 50: The Meeting Gift from the Father-in-Law

"Senior, you mentioned Her Majesty the Queen just now? Could it be that the ruler of the Southern Xia Kingdom is a woman?" Jiang Hao asked curiously.

In Jiang Hao's understanding, every monarch he had ever seen was a man without exception. This was the first time he had ever heard of a woman becoming the head of a state.

"Indeed!" Qin Jiangtang smiled slightly and retorted, "Could it be that young brother Jiang Hao holds some prejudice against women?"

"No, no, no! Senior, I was merely a bit curious." Jiang Hao hurriedly waved his hands, eager to explain.

Qin Yumei, standing beside them, seemed suddenly unable to bear it any longer. She put her hands on her hips, stared straight at Jiang Hao, and said, "Husband, what is wrong with women? Could it be that a woman cannot surpass a man? Who laid down the rule that a woman cannot be the ruler of a nation?"

Qin Yumei's sudden and rapid succession of rhetorical questions left Jiang Hao completely speechless. He could not understand why Qin Yumei had suddenly flown into such a temper.

"Haha!" Qin Jiangtang let out a hearty laugh and continued, "Young brother Jiang Hao, you may not know this, but for over twenty years, Yumei's ultimate idol has always been none other than Her Majesty the Queen of our Southern Xia Kingdom!"

"Senior, such a thing actually exists?" Jiang Hao could not help being surprised.

"Hmph!" Qin Yumei let out a cold snort and retorted, "That was the past, however. The idol in my heart has changed now."

"Yumei, could there be such a thing?" At this, Qin Jiangtang also wore an expression of utter perplexity.

"Yumei, then who is your idol now?" Jiang Hao, standing nearby, could not help but pursue the question.

"You blockhead!" Upon hearing this, Qin Yumei immediately pouted her lips and said, "Isn't this asking something you already know? The idol in my heart now, aside from you, my husband, could there possibly be anyone else?"

"Haha!"

Watching the two of them before him, Qin Jiangtang could not help but laugh inwardly, as if he had already seen through everything and had merely been pretending ignorance beforehand.

"..." Jiang Hao wore a bewildered expression, his cheeks unwittingly染上 a flush of red.

"Dad, you're laughing at me again!" Qin Yumei pouted displeasantly, acting coquettishly toward Qin Jiangtang.

"Alright, alright, alright! Dad won't laugh at you anymore!" Qin Jiangtang nodded repeatedly in response, his face glowing with a long-absent joy.

Toward the prospective son-in-law before him, Qin Jiangtang's expression overflowed with unconcealed admiration.

Afterward, Qin Jiangtang stroked his beard and slowly said, "Young brother Jiang Hao, you may not realize this, but our Queen is only four years older than Yumei."

"I never imagined that at the age of thirty, she would already be the ruler of a nation," Jiang Hao remarked in astonishment.

Qin Jiangtang smiled slightly and continued, "That is not even the most important part. What is even more shocking is that at the age of thirty, Her Majesty's cultivation has already reached the Great Completion of the Spirit Pill Realm! Looking back, I did not break through to the Great Completion of the Spirit Pill Realm until I was forty years old."

"Not only does Her Majesty have to handle affairs of state, but she also concurrently serves as the head of the Dragon Gate Academy. To possess such a rate of cultivation, I fear that throughout the entire Southern Xia Kingdom, one would be hard-pressed to find another such extraordinary woman." As he spoke, a trace of genuine admiration surfaced in Qin Jiangtang's eyes.

"To govern an entire nation while concurrently serving as the head of an academy? With such a busy schedule, she still finds time to cultivate? The strength of this woman is simply too astonishing," Jiang Hao thought to himself with a silent sigh.

"Young brother Jiang Hao, can you understand now why Yumei's idol used to be Her Majesty the Queen?" Qin Jiangtang asked with a smile.

***

Hearing this, Jiang Hao gazed at Qin Yumei for a moment and sighed softly, "Senior, now I completely understand. Given that Yumei is such a striving and ambitious woman, it is hardly surprising that Her Majesty the Queen became her idol."

"Hmph! I never expected you to understand me quite so well," Qin Yumei let out a cold snort and asked, "Well then, do you still harbor any prejudices against women?"

"None! Absolutely none!" Jiang Hao hurriedly raised his hands in surrender.

"Haha!" Qin Jiangtang laughed heartily, then asked, "Young brother Jiang Hao, we plan to set off early tomorrow morning for the imperial palace to pay our respects to Her Majesty the Queen. What are your thoughts on this?"

"Replying to senior, I was wondering if it might be possible to go to the imperial palace today and take me to see the Queen?" Jiang Hao pondered for a moment before making the request.

"Husband, why the rush?" At this moment, Qin Yumei had cast aside all her lingering petulance, stepping quickly to Jiang Hao's side and saying with evident reluctance to part, "Indeed! Young brother Jiang Hao, this is your first time coming to the Myriad Treasures Pavilion, and this old man has yet to properly host you!" Qin Jiangtang also appeared somewhat surprised and began trying to persuade him to stay.

Jiang Hao gently patted Qin Yumei's hand, shook his head with a bitter smile, and said, "Yumei, senior, to not hide it from you both, I am determined to secure a spot on the Azure Cloud Rankings!"

"However, there is only a short month remaining until the Azure Cloud Assembly. I wish to head to the Dragon Gate Academy sooner so that I may have more time for cultivation. After all, the more time one has for cultivation, the greater the chances of success." Jiang Hao explained with a solemn expression.

"Husband, I understand." Qin Yumei nodded, gazing deeply at Jiang Hao, and said softly, "Husband, no matter what decision you make, I will support you with all my heart!"

"Since young brother Jiang Hao is so eager to cultivate, let us depart today then." Seeing this, Qin Jiangtang readily agreed, stepping forward to ask, "Before we do, I wonder if young brother Jiang Hao is in possession of any handy spirit artifacts? This old man happens to want to present you with a few welcome gifts."

"Although this Myriad Treasures Pavilion of mine dares not boast excessively, we certainly have a modest stock of spirit artifacts, spell manuals, and medicinal pills. If young brother Jiang Hao has any needs, feel free to speak up." Qin Jiangtang said sincerely.

"As expected of Yumei's father! To think he understands me so well!" Jiang Hao rejoiced inwardly.

"Young brother Jiang Hao?" Seeing that Jiang Hao seemed somewhat lost in thought, Qin Jiangtang asked again.

"Ah?" Jiang Hao snapped out of it and hurriedly replied, "Senior, then this junior will not stand on ceremony!"

"You must never stand on ceremony with my father! Just say whatever you want, and father will surely grant it to you," Qin Yumei added from the side.

"Mm, Yumei." Jiang Hao nodded in response and said, "Senior, I am actually not lacking in spirit artifacts at the moment. However, I would like a tier-three sword cultivation spell, as well as a tier-two spirit array diagram."

For Jiang Hao, who already possessed the Immortal-Slaying Sword, spirit artifacts were indeed no longer in short supply. As for sword cultivation spells, however, he currently possessed only a single tier-three technique, Cleaving the Void. If he could acquire another tier-three sword cultivation spell, it would naturally be for the best.

As for spirit arrays, although Jiang Hao possessed a tier-three spirit array diagram for the Bewildering Soul Array, he had not yet successfully deployed it.

With only a month remaining until the Azure Cloud Assembly, Jiang Hao dared not guarantee that he could successfully set up the Bewildering Soul Array within that timeframe. Therefore, setting up a tier-two spirit array was unquestionably the best choice for the present moment.

Qin Jiangtang stroked his beard and slowly said, "I am afraid I must disappoint young brother Jiang Hao. Sword cultivation spells simply cannot remain in the Myriad Treasures Pavilion for long; whenever a manual for a sword cultivation spell arrives at the shop, it is invariably snapped up immediately."

Jiang Hao naturally caught the implication in Qin Jiangtang's words and hurriedly replied, "Senior, it is quite alright. It is simply that this junior made the request too abruptly, leaving senior without any in stock. This junior understands completely!"

"I never expected this fellow to be quite so tactful in human relations!" Qin Yumei thought to herself with silent appreciation.

"Haha!" Qin Jiangtang laughed heartily a few times before saying, "As for a tier-two spirit array diagram, this old man happens to have one on hand at this very moment." With that, he retrieved a spirit array diagram from his storage ring and handed it into Jiang Hao's hands.

***

"Young brother Jiang Hao, this is a defensive spirit array diagram known as the Rock Array!"

"This array uses solid rock as its foundation to construct a natural barrier, possessing formidable physical defense capabilities. It can even effectively withstand the continuous attacks of a cultivator at the Great Completion of the Spirit Spring Realm."

"I hope this spirit array can be of some help to you. Please make sure to keep it safe," Qin Jiangtang admonished.

"A spirit array capable of withstanding the attacks of a cultivator at the Great Completion of the Spirit Spring Realm?" Shocked inwardly, Jiang Hao cupped his fists and said, "Many thanks, senior!"

"A mere trivial matter, not worth mentioning!" Qin Jiangtang waved his hand dismissively and continued, "Although I do not have the sword cultivation spell young brother Jiang Hao requested, I do happen to have a tier-four movement spell. I wonder if young brother Jiang Hao might be interested?"

"A tier-four movement spell?" Jiang Hao's eyes lit up.

Seeing Jiang Hao's reaction, Qin Jiangtang smiled slightly, retrieved a somewhat yellowish spell manual from his storage ring once more, and handed it to Jiang Hao.

"This movement spell is called Gale Steps. It is said that when a practitioner executes it, their figure rises like a sudden gale, their speed increasing drastically. In motion, they are like wind sweeping across the clouds, making them utterly unpredictable."

"Relying on this movement technique, a practitioner can launch surprise attacks upon their enemy, catching their opponent completely off guard and fully displaying the marvelous grace of agility and swiftness."

"Whether for offense or for escape, this technique can truly be described as adding wings to a tiger!" Qin Jiangtang explained with a solemn expression.

Having listened to Qin Jiangtang's introduction, Jiang Hao was already brimming with excitement. He quickly bowed deeply and said, "Senior, with such a precious spell, this junior truly does not know what treasure to offer in exchange."

Previously, the reason Jiang Hao could accept that tier-two spirit array diagram without a second thought was because its value was merely around one hundred thousand silver coins.

As for this tier-four movement spell before him now, its value far exceeded that of the tier-two spirit array diagram! Jiang Hao could not possibly turn a blind eye to it, and in his heart, he understood the immense weight of this gift.

Even among the six major immortal-cultivating sects of the Southern Xia Kingdom, the strongest inherited techniques were merely tier-four!

"Haha! Young brother Jiang Hao, if you speak thus, you are merely diminishing this old man!" Qin Jiangtang stroked his beard and laughed, "Compared to the fact that you saved my daughter, what is a mere tier-four spell?"

"Senior, this?" Jiang Hao was momentarily at a loss for words, unsure how to respond.

Seeing this, Qin Jiangtang teased, "Besides, when the day comes that you proudly marry my daughter into your household, won't this old man's entire family estate belong to the two of you anyway?"

"Dad! What are you saying!" Qin Yumei instantly grew flustered, her cheeks burning red like a ripe apple, looking so lovely that one could not help wanting to kiss her.

"..." Jiang Hao wore a blank and bewildered expression, his mind completely wiped clean, overcome by an incomparable shyness.

"Haha!" The hearty laughter of Qin Jiangtang echoed through the room, while the young couple had long since been so embarrassed that they wished they could find a crack in the ground to crawl into.