Bengtie: My death fueled their madness.

After retiring from the military, Qi Zhimu left Yaoqing and moved to Luofu to live permanently. He bought a hot spring resort and named it Qingxinju.

Qingxinju is located halfway up the mountain, nestled against the mountain and beside the water, far away from the hustle and bustle.

In the early morning, I would occasionally go to the spring on the back mountain to check the water temperature and trim the grass and trees along the way.

In the afternoon, one might sit in the courtyard basking in the sun, watching the clouds drift by while flipping through ancient books, or personally brew a pot of fine tea and serve a cup of plum blossom wine to distinguished guests.

There were no piercing alarms, no numerous battle reports, only the babbling of flowing water and the rustling of the wind through the green plants.

The customer traffic is decent, but hiring a few employees would be enough to maintain orderly operations.

Everyone who comes here can enjoy a rare moment of tranquility.

The reason isn't in the hot springs, but rather that during the relaxation process, you'll receive a glass of fine wine with the delicate fragrance of plum blossoms.

The wine is clear and amber in color, with a slightly sweet taste and a long finish.

After a sip, most of the worries in one's heart will quietly melt away like snow meeting the sun, bringing peace to both body and mind—it's truly magical.

In winter, when the red plum blossoms stand proudly against the snow and their subtle fragrance wafts through the air, Qi Zhimu would personally go to the back mountain to pick the freshest plum blossoms to make wine.

Initially, this wine was only a limited-edition complimentary item offered to guests.

But soon, the news that one could truly relax at Qingxinju spread like wildfire.

There are quite a few entertainment options on the boat that can relieve stress and lift your spirits.

However, the threshold increases with repeated experiences of many projects, especially for immortal species.

Qingxinju is different; every time, the effect is just like the first time.

When the news spread, Qingxinju's business boomed rapidly, the reservation system crashed several times, and the waiting list stretched to thirty years in advance.

Many high-ranking officials, wealthy merchants, and magnates waved their halberds or credits, just to ask for a room and a cup of wine.

This news even reached Interstellar Peace Corporation, where Charlie Des, a senior business manager at P-43, personally paid a visit.

"Mr. Qi, it's a pleasure to meet you. I am the business supervisor of Longjing Department of Shixin Ten in our company."

Charlie stretched out his hand, his eyes slightly warm: "I'll buy out your plum blossom wine recipe for this price."

Upon hearing the name "Dragon Crystal," several images flashed through Qi Zhimu's mind.

Before leaving, that person said: The position of Long Jing among the ten people of Stone Heart is quite special. If there are no accidents, they will all be recommended and cultivated by the previous leader.

On the surface, the decision of who will succeed Longjing is made by the head of diamonds, but in reality, it is almost a succession, unless the current Longjing dies unexpectedly.

Qi Zhimu took a sip of tea, his expression calm.

What was originally a firm refusal that was on the tip of their tongue has taken on a different meaning.

"Buying the recipe is useless; only I can brew this wine to achieve this effect."

Charlie paused for a moment, then his eyes lit up and he immediately put on a smiling face.

"Then let's cooperate! How about providing one hundred jars every year? I can use the company's channels to package it as a top-tier luxury item! One million credits per jar is no problem!"

"million?"

Qi Zhimu remained noncommittal.

"The Forget-Me-Not Plum Blossom Wine is a consumable rare item. I can produce a hundred jars, but the price is not enough to tempt me to cooperate with your company."

"A strange object?!" Charlie almost jumped up from his chair.

If it's a rare item, labeling it with that name will raise its price far beyond just doubling.

After some haggling, the two finally settled on an astonishing profit-sharing ratio.

Charlie left satisfied with the contract, as if he could see countless credits beckoning to him.

Qi Zhimu withdrew his gaze, a faint trace of nostalgia appearing on his face.

……

Time flows on.

Mianxue and Qinghan have not yet chosen to retire. Together with Jingliu, they submitted a transfer application to Luofu to serve as Yunqi Xiaowei.

Teng Xiao never imagined that Qi Zhimu, after retiring from the military, could still provide him with such assistance.

Over the years, Yao Qing's valiant swordsmanship, known as Jing Liu, has become famous on many immortal ships.

He hunted down countless monstrous creatures and achieved numerous military exploits.

With such elite cavalry, generals can have a much easier time.

As for the Mianxue sisters, having lost their status as Qi Zhimu's bodyguards, they shone brightly in Luofu's Cloud Cavalry Martial Arts Examination by relying on their own strength.

Both were promoted to the rank of Valiant Guard and each led their own troops to continue fighting.

No matter how busy the war was, as long as they returned to Luofu in triumph, they would always return to Qingxin Residence as soon as they finished their work.

There are private hot spring rooms for them there.

Of course, mirror flow also exists.

After each battle, their most relaxing moment is washing away the blood and exhaustion and immersing themselves in warm spring water.

After concluding his two-year expedition and the inspection of the Dan Ding Division, Jing Liu headed straight for Qing Xin Ju.

The fox-girl at the front desk naturally recognized her. When she asked about the boss's whereabouts, she shook her head, indicating that she hadn't seen him that day.

Jingliu didn't pay attention.

It's currently the time when humans are most active at night, so Master is either in his study or soaking in a hot spring.

Upon entering the bath area, which was reserved for only four people, Jingliu abruptly stopped in his tracks.

The lights were on in the private hot spring bathhouse reserved for the poor.

There were two pairs of shoes outside the door, one large and one small.

She would never mistake the size of the larger pair; they belonged to her master.

The bathtub has excellent sound insulation, but the five senses are enhanced by the mirror flow.

She could hear the faint sound of water, the low murmur of conversation, and even...

She had encountered this scene many times, but why did she feel more uncomfortable each time than the last, instead of gradually getting used to it?

Jingliu stood in the corridor, his body trembling slightly, but he could only close his eyes helplessly.

Why?

Why can they?

Why am I the only one who can't do it?

Her master had never set foot in her private bath.

Jingliu stared intently at the door, his pupils rapidly narrowing, a sense of dizziness washing over him.

Jealousy is like a venomous snake coiling around the heart, biting down and injecting its bone-deep poison.

I really want to rush in...

I really want to smash that door open and confront my master...

I really want to destroy the entire manor and kill everyone who dares to touch my master.

I want to lock my master up, so that he can only see her and touch her...

Jingliu took a deep breath, forcibly calming himself down.

She knew... she couldn't do that.

My master is over a thousand years old and belongs to a high-risk group. His mental state is far less stable than that of young people.

Any slight provocation could be the last straw that breaks the camel's back.

If you anger him, you might even unleash his demonic power...

Then I would really lose him... completely and forever.

The fear of this loss far surpasses that of jealousy.

She couldn't imagine a world without Qi Zhimu and her master.

Even if I can only watch from afar, even if I only receive a sliver of his condescending attention, it's better than losing him completely.

Jingliu's fingernails dug deeply into his palm, leaving blood marks.

Patience...patience...

Only by finding Hu Lei, beheading his wolf head, and following the trail left by his master, can he prove himself...

She turned around, taking heavy steps toward her own private bathtub.

Master, look, I'm being very good.

My disciple will not make a fuss or cause you any trouble.

As long as you're still here, as long as everything is alright...

Even if your tenderness no longer belongs to me, I am willing to stay by your side until... until the day I become a monster.