"—Since I kind of left my job, you know?"

"Yes you did, Miss He." Li Yang nodded and then stood up to approach her, or rather walk past her. He stepped into the bathroom and glanced back at her, quietly taking note of the flowery scent that came from her damp hair.

Her hair seemed a lot shorter this time than when she was in his office and revealed her soft and pale skin. She must have cut it while she was here, but before he could think too much about it. The man finally went inside and excused himself. "I'll be taking my turn then this time."

"Oh, enjoy your bath!" Ying Yue He called out.

The man shut the door and then sighed slightly. He rubbed his face and then went for the shower to get his mind off things now. The hot water poured and produced a steamy atmosphere that allowed him to take a moment to relax himself and his body.

Distractions were still distractions.

Even now he wondered why he was having difficulty accepting this new situation. He should have taken her offer to take a bath with her. It was a strange thing to realize that Li Yang didn't know how to act around her anymore—or at least he was aware that their relationship was no longer that of a CEO and his secretary.

This was particularly stupid in a sense, but the last years were Ying Yue He listening to him and he tended to rely on her as his assistant. Now that she mentioned the change in their dynamics, he realized it was the right way of looking at things.

Li Yang and Ying Yue He were going to be peers and hopefully partners and yet he was slightly worried that the old way he treated her would still shine through.

Was it really any different though?

Of course, it was.

The change wasn't just in their job titles but in how they looked and treated each other. A part of him was always aware that Ying Yue He admired him—but it was something that he never actually brought up. He never needed to bring it up because he was the boss and he determined how far their relationship could actually become.

Even though Li Yang was grateful for her presence, he never sought out for more.

Relationships tended to complicate things.

Romance was a great distraction for many and could also lead to one's downfall if it occupied one's thoughts constantly. The energy that could have been poured into becoming more powerful or accomplishing another project was diverted into love and keeping another person happy.

It was a huge commitment.

That was why it was so amusing to think and consider that all Li Yang ever needed to get stronger was to gather strong women around him and form his harem. In a way, even if he were to never lay a finger on them, and he were just to gather them then it was still possible to get stronger.

Sure, he gained bonus Charm Points for actually sleeping with them, and he found himself enjoying that part—but it was distracting him from his main goal.

It was to break free.

He needed to overcome the temptation to seek Ying Yue He out and pull her to her bed and spend the entire night discovering every little supple part of her body. Li Yang's breath hitched lightly and found the water pouring down on his body as another delicious tension remover on his body.

Right now, Li Yang was supposed to be thinking of a way to get out of here.

"Am I supposed to be some kind of horny teenager beset by raging hormones?" Li Yang clicked his tongue.

One part of him wanted to simultaneously jump at his former secretary while another was also a bit.. awkward at the sudden developments.

It reminded him of the time when he was in college—when he was reminded of his rather lovestruck self. While some might have thought he was being too considerate or even pathetic as his brother once called him.. it was those times that he had let his guard down and actually allowed himself to simply be.

But now, he couldn't even picture her face anymore.

Li Yang really did not have the time nor the energy to regress back into those simpler times at all. However, this was about Ying Yue He.

Even if he was hesitant about taking things further and was also trying to find a way out, Ying Yue He was happy to see him back despite of the fact that they failed to fully pour out their feelings before, so he still needed to further discuss his relationship with—

A black and white ball of fur appeared in the shower.

"Ding-Ding, motherfu—hah, I don't even have the energy to cuss." The Panda eyed him and trailed its gaze down his body and then stared at a certain part of his body. It let out a whistle. "But you clearly have the energy."historical

Li Yang sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. It would go down on its own. "What can I do for you? Is there any life-threatening situation I should be concerned with besides my current predicament?"

"I guess the first thing that you can do is wash everything off," Bao said. "But you've been getting requests."

"What requests?" Li Yang asked.

"Huh? Is this a sign that you're taking them?!" The Panda's eyes widened as it stared at the CEO that once denied stripping for a hundred thousand charm points. Time truly did change an individual, but whether it was for good or bad was up to anyone's guess.

Li Yang lowered his voice. "If it means finding a way to escape the island with Ying Yue He without getting caught then yes, I am willing to take requests that can further my agenda. I will still decide in the end if I will take it or not."

"Well a certain group is willing to give you a safe voyage," Bao said. "But another prefers that you attempt to wipe out the entire island if you can—because if you escape here with Ying Yue He, who is to say that you won't be chased down by them for turning down their hospitality?"

"I am aware of that." Li Yang frowned.

"We'll look into the suggestions then," Bao said and then presented Li Yang with a new large screen.

If there was anything that modern stories may have gotten right for Xianxia and Wuxia stories, it was the dog-eat-dog world. One might have thought that it was simply reflective of the highly competitive nature of one's modern living, but as today, so was the past.

Nothing was new under the sun.

Only a naive man would try to do his best to hold up to a certain ideal.

Li Yang was that man who did his best—or rather, left most of those activities to his brother and other individuals he found trustworthy—but it was impossible for anyone to say that they succeeded in achieving anything without stomping and trampling on the dreams of others.

It was a world where it was impossible to not hurt anyone.

For every cultivator that succeeded Foundation Establishment were countless mortals who could not even dare break through it may have died through tribulations. For each wealthy and powerful person were also those who had much less than himself. That was the nature of the world.

Thus, if there were any unfair advantages for him to grab—then he would.

"Alright, there we go--a bunch of Heaven formulated quests for you to take. You choose one, you alienate the others so be wary of that too." Bao flicked its paws and motion to the screen. The bathroom was the perfect time and place for him to choose.

[ Heaven Granted Quest: Odyssey ]

If the Individual is able to escape into the sea without being detected, the Celestial Observers, OwlBrain and Trite are willing to grant a safe voyage to return to Shanghai without any sea monsters, sirens and other deadly undine creatures that may have noticed the death of the Nian Beast. The pursuers will not find them while at sea in the event of discovery.

Requirements: Stealth Escape

Rewards: Protection While In The Sea

[ Heaven Granted Quest: Bloodbath of the Moon ]

If the Individual is capable of laying the entire island foundation to waste and kill all of the cultivators in the island, the Celestial Observer, The One Who Slaughters, will provide a new and powerful skill-type weapon: Burning Spear.

Requirements: Total Annihilation

Rewards: New Skill (can also be granted to another individual)

[ Heaven Granted Quest: Hospitality of the Hearth ]

If the Individual is capable of staying on the island and form a good relationship with the Hosts of the Illusory Island, the Celestial Observers, Scythe Wheat and Fire Dweller, will celebrate the lack of bloodshed and offer some blessings.

Requirement: Diplomacy

Rewards: Two Minor Blessings

A small frown formed on Li Yang's lips. All three of them were requiring a lot of things and each one was difficult in their own way--even impossible unless he were to burn through his current stash of Points to buy things in the Points Shop.

—-—-

Author's Note: Today is September 1, 2021 and for the previous week, I failed to upload daily due to a series of health issues, and the latest of them is what I fear to be an impacted wisdom tooth. So yeah, things have not been chill lol. Terrible really, dudes. I'm on painkillers and antibiotics and not looking forward to a possible surgery.. Thus September Privilege is at a discounted rate. Thanks for reading!