158: Father is kind and son is filial

I am free!

I am finally free!!!

When Chen Zhaojing stepped out of Chen Jun Manor with unsteady yet incredibly firm steps, returning to his Bai Xi Palace...

He felt that every breath of air he inhaled carried the sweet scent of freedom!

His Great-Grandfather's golden words, establishing the rule of "two thousand quota, retirement upon completion," were like a ray of redeeming Holy Light, pulling him out of the abyss of Hell!

"Cui Hua! And all my wives!"

Chen Zhaojing straightened his back; although his face remained somewhat pale, his eyes had already reignited with the confidence and majesty belonging to a Stellar Level Peak powerhouse.

"Great-Grandfather has decreed that since this Your Highness has exceeded the Family quota, from this day forth, procreating offspring shall be entirely voluntary!"

He waved his hand, high-spirited:

"That ridiculous 'Fertility Management Committee' is disbanded immediately! Throw the 'Ovulation Schedule' into the Stellar Furnace for me! And those 'Ten-Complete Vitality Soups,' 'Dragon-Tiger Vigor Wines'... all of them are to be sealed in the warehouse! They are not to be used unless I personally request them!"

His words were sonorous and satisfying!

He seemed to already see himself lying high above the clouds, smiling at his house full of children and grandchildren, enjoying the beautiful future of winning while lying down.

Just like his Great-Grandfather Chen Jun! It would be enough to just lounge on a lounge chair every day!

However, he underestimated his wives, especially the wisdom and resilience of the core members of the "Committee" led by Cui Hua.

"Disband the Committee?"

One wife stepped forward gracefully, her face still wearing that gentle-as-water smile, but a glint flashed in the depths of her eyes:

"What is my husband saying? The Committee manages palace affairs, coordinates relationships between sisters, and arranges resource usage; it has no direct conflict with whether my husband 'voluntarily' procreates."

She gently took Chen Zhaojing's arm, her voice soft and seductive to the bone: "Since Great-Grandfather said it is entirely voluntary, then we sisters naturally will not force my husband. It is just..."

She changed the subject, her beautiful eyes sweeping over the group of wives behind her who were gazing intensely:

"The marital bond and the joy of fish and water are only human nature. Before, it was for the sake of the Family's great cause, so we sisters were unavoidably a bit anxious. Now that my husband no longer has the pressure of a quota, then... shall we just talk of romance and moonlight, and not discuss procreation, how about that?"

Chen Zhaojing was stunned. Talk only of romance? Not discuss procreation?

Sounds... not bad?

Before he could think it through, another wife chimed in:

"Sister is right! My husband is now free from heavy burdens and should properly recuperate and enjoy life. I have newly learned a set of 'Starry Sky Massage Techniques,' which are best for soothing meridians and nourishing the Divine Soul. Why not let me help my husband relax properly tonight?"

"Relax?" Another wife covered her mouth and giggled, "What fun is there in just massage? My palace has newly introduced an 'Aurora Hot Spring.' The spring water is formed from ten-thousand-year-old geothermal warm jade, which is of great benefit to Stellar Level cultivation. My husband has worked hard in seclusion, so he really should go for a soak to dispel fatigue."

"How can there be no music while soaking in a hot spring?" A wife skilled in music played her zither and whispered, "I am willing to play a piece of 'Heart-Cleansing Benevolence Mantra' for my husband to help him calm his heart and spirit and comprehend the Dao."

"Listening to music alone is monotonous. I have prepared some 'Starry Sky Fine Wine.' The wine is mild and is best for setting the mood..."

"The scenery in my palace is the best; one can watch the rotation of billions of galaxies..."

The wives spoke one after another, instantly planning a "leisure and wellness" package for Chen Zhaojing for the next month that would never repeat!

Not a word mentioned "procreation," not a word mentioned "quota." It was all care, all consideration, all romance and moonlight, elegant and tasteful!

Chen Zhaojing was a bit bewildered by this sudden gentle offensive. Dazed, he felt that everything his wives said made a lot of sense!

He had worked so hard for so many years; it was time to enjoy himself!

Thus, that night, Chen Zhaojing, amidst Lady Cui Hua's "Starry Sky Massage Technique" and another wife's "Heart-Cleansing Benevolence Mantra," comfortably... fell asleep.

The next day, he soaked in the Aurora Hot Spring, feeling completely refreshed, drinking Starry Sky Fine Wine, watching the brilliant galaxy, and felt that at this point in life, what more could one ask for?

On the third day, he was on a certain wife's "Star Gazing Platform," discussing the Dao and tasting tea, feeling that his cultivation Bottleneck was faintly loosening.

The fourth day... the fifth day...

Chen Zhaojing's days seemed to have truly entered "retirement" mode.

Without the pressure of hard quotas, the wives were no longer like wolves or tigers, but had become gentle as water, obedient and compliant.

He felt as if he had returned to his youth, enjoying the feeling of being admired and surrounded by many outstanding women, and his vanity was greatly satisfied.

However, he soon discovered... something seemed wrong?

This "Starry Sky Massage Technique," how did it end up on the bed while being massaged?

This "Aurora Hot Spring," how did a warm and fragrant beauty end up by his side while soaking?

This "Heart-Cleansing Benevolence Mantra," how did the atmosphere become ambiguous and amorous while listening?

And that "Starry Sky Fine Wine," is the aftereffect a bit strong? Why does he feel... unable to hold back every time he finishes it?

Most importantly, every time an "accident" happened, the wives appeared incredibly "understanding":

"My husband need not worry; it was just where feelings led, not for the sake of offspring."

"Yes, my husband, you are now a 'free man,' we are just enjoying mutual affection..."

"In case... I mean, in case there is a pregnancy, that is also fate bestowed by Heaven, unrelated to the quota. My husband, please do not feel pressured."

Chen Zhaojing: "???"

He felt as if he had fallen into a more Advanced trap woven with gentleness and romance!

Before it was overt exploitation with swords and guns; now it was corrosion by sugar-coated bullets!

Yet he couldn't even blame them!

Because the wives truly did not "force" him; everything was so natural, and feelings were hard to restrain...

Moreover, this "free love" mode seemed... to consume more energy?!

Before, there was a schedule, so he could have mental preparation and plan the "combat" rhythm.

Now? It's completely randomly triggered, impossible to defend against!

Maybe he is Cultivating, a wife brings in snacks to "console" him, eyes meet, and the atmosphere is right...

Maybe he is taking a walk, a wife "happens to meet" him, and chatting leads to a secluded place...

Maybe he is reviewing Family affairs, a wife comes to "add fragrance to the red sleeves," and adding fragrance leads to...

What's even worse is that without the unified scheduling of the "Committee," the "competition" among the wives moved from the open to the underground, becoming even more... involution!

Today you show off culinary skills to capture the stomach, tomorrow I show off talents to capture the heart, the day after she relies on "accidental meetings" to create surprises...

Chen Zhaojing felt like prey targeted by countless top-tier hunters; they no longer attacked head-on but used more sophisticated methods to lure him into stepping voluntarily into the gentle trap.

His "retirement" life was far from as leisurely as he had imagined!

Although the frequency had indeed decreased compared to the previous "industrialized" production, the mental "vigilance" and physical "consumption" had not diminished at all!

Even because every time it was "where feelings led," the level of engagement was higher, and it was actually more... tiring?

"Is this... is this the taste of freedom?" Late one night, Chen Zhaojing looked at the sky alone, his eyes filled with complex confusion, "Why does it feel... even more mentally exhausting than when there was a quota?"

He looked at a certain wife sleeping soundly beside him after having "could not restrain her feelings," and sighed.

"Above there are policies, below there are countermeasures... the ancients did not deceive me!"

"Forget it, forget it, it's still much better than the days before when I was treated as a sowing machine."

"And... this 'free love,' it feels... actually not bad?"

Compared to his father Chen Zhaojing's sweet annoyance, Chen Yuanhai's situation was thorough, unadulterated—Hell!

The "two thousand quota" was like an ancient giant mountain, pressing down on this young lover so hard he could barely breathe.

His Great-Grandfather's light words sentenced him to at least ten-plus years of "fixed-term imprisonment"!

Moreover, as his cultivation Advanced towards the Stellar Level, this sentence might continue to extend!

Returning to Yuanhai Mountain Villa, what greeted him was not comfort, but a more frantic "sprint"!

The wives also learned of the "two thousand quota" and the "more births, more rewards" regulation!

What did this mean?

It meant that before Chen Yuanhai completed the quota, he was an absolute "scarce resource"!

It meant that if they didn't get pregnant now, if they didn't exploit him more, once the quota was reached, there might not be a legitimate opportunity later!

It meant whoever got pregnant first could enjoy "Innate Nurturing Feedback" sooner!

It meant the more they gave birth, the more Family contribution points they got, and the higher their status among the sisters!

involution! Must involute to death!

If before, the wives still carried a bit of the romantic color of "vying for favor," now, it was completely naked "performance competition"!

Chen Yuanhai's Yuanhai Mountain Villa completely turned into an "performance Shura Field" without smoke, but crueler than a battlefield!

"My husband! This is the 'Ice and Fire Double Heaven Set Meal' I refined using 'Ten-Thousand-Year Profound Ice' and 'Nine-Yang True Fire,' hurry and taste it!"

"Brother Yuan Hai! Look at the 'Phantom Lingering Fragrance Medicinal Pill' I newly refined; eating it can make you light as a swallow, with infinite energy!"

"Hai Lang~ Last night I observed the stars and divined that tonight at the Zi hour is a once-in-a-millennium 'Purple Qi Comes from the East' auspicious time, best suited for... hmm~ closed-door Dual Cultivation!"

Drugging, hypnosis, Formation, divination... various methods emerged one after another; there was nothing Chen Yuanhai couldn't imagine, and nothing the wives couldn't do!

He even discovered no less than twenty various types of eavesdropping and surveillance Formations in his own bedchamber!

In his daily diet, he had detected over a dozen different types of mood-enhancing ingredients with different effects!

Walking might lead to stepping on a trigger-type "Infatuation Formation"!

Sleeping might lead to being dragged into a dream to meet via the "Dream Entry Technique"!

He felt he was living like an interstellar agent who might be ambushed at any time, his nerves constantly on edge!

What made him break down the most was that the wives even started to "cooperate"!

Not the small alliances from before, but true "strategic cooperation"!

For example, several wives joined forces to set up a super compound Formation, trapping him inside, and then taking turns going in to "discuss life"...

For example, several wives were responsible for luring, drugging, keeping watch, and cleaning up afterward... with clear division of labor and high efficiency!

For another example, they actually came up with a "contribution point System," allocating the next "priority selection right" based on the order and quantity of children conceived?!

Chen Yuanhai looked at the "Real-time Points Ranking for His Highness Yuan Hai's Favor Auction" that was constantly scrolling on the villa's bulletin board, and almost spat out a mouthful of old blood!

Is this f*cking something humans would do?!

He felt like he was not a person, but rather... a commodity, clearly priced and sold to the highest bidder?!

"Wuwuwu... Great-Grandfather... Father... Help me..." Chen Yuanhai hid in the bathroom, the only place of momentary peace he could find, wailing into his communicator.

From the other end of the communicator came Chen Zhaojing's voice, full of vigor and even a hint of... schadenfreude?

"My son Yuan Hai! Why are you so panicked? Have you encountered a problem while you Cultivate?"

Chen Yuanhai cried out: "Dad! It's not about my Cultivate! It's... it's those daughters-in-Law of yours and my wives! They... they are rebelling! They are drugging me! Setting up a Formation! And holding auctions! You have to do something about them!"

"Auctions?" Chen Zhaojing's voice held a trace of curiosity, "What auctions? Explain in detail."

Chen Yuanhai recounted the matter of the "Favor-Granting Points Leaderboard" with added embellishments.

There was a moment of silence on the other end of the communicator, followed by Chen Zhaojing's laughter, which he was trying hard to suppress but still leaked out:

"Pfft... Ahem! Hmph! This is preposterous! Truly... truly ridiculous!"

Chen Yuanhai seemed to have grasped a lifeline: "Dad! You think it's too much too, right?! You have to step in and handle them! They will definitely listen to you!"

"Handle them? How? Who dares to handle them? Procreating descendants is the core Family value personally set by your Great-Grandfather!"

Chen Zhaojing said earnestly: "Yuan Hai, you must understand them. They are doing this for the Family, and for their own Dao. With more pressure, there is more motivation! Look at me back in the day..."

"Back then, you at least had Auntie Cui Hua managing everything! It was orderly! My situation is completely chaotic competition! Growing wild!" Chen Yuanhai interrupted.

"Only chaotic competition can stimulate maximum potential!" Chen Zhaojing began to spout platitudes:

"My son, your Great-Grandfather once said: 'When Heaven is about to place a great burden on a man, it first pains his heart and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, and starves his body...' You are currently experiencing a trial! This is your Great-Grandfather's regard for you! It is an opportunity!"

Chen Yuanhai felt like cursing: "Dad! If this opportunity were given to you, would you want it?!"

"Ahem!" Chen Zhaojing coughed twice, "I have already retired, so I won't compete with you young people for opportunities. Yuan Hai, you must learn to adjust your mindset and turn pressure into motivation. Think about it, for every one more you produce, your Family contribution points increase! The allocation of future resources will increase! What a glorious and arduous task this is!"

"Glorious?! Arduous?!" Chen Yuanhai was on the verge of tears, "Dad! My kidneys are almost not my own anymore! If this continues, let alone reaching Stellar Level, I'm afraid I won't even survive to reach Planetary Level!"

"Nonsense!" Chen Zhaojing's tone became "serious", "My son, Chen Zhaojing's son, could he be such a fragile person? Rest assured, I still have a few bottles of 'Dragon Vigor Medicinal Pill' left over from back then. The effects are potent; I will have someone send them to you right away! Hang in there! I believe in you!"

After speaking, without waiting for Chen Yuanhai to react, Chen Zhaojing hung up the communicator.

Chen Yuanhai listened to the busy signal on the communicator, looking at himself in the mirror with dark circles under his eyes and a haggard face, sorrow welling up from within...

"Believe in me? You probably mean you're waiting to see when I'll be drained dry?!"

"Is this even my own father?! He's sabotaging his own son!!!"

He collapsed in despair onto the cold floor, feeling that his life was bleak...

Meanwhile, on the other end of the communicator, after putting it down, Chen Zhaojing finally couldn't help but burst into laughter, laughing until tears came out.

"You brat, you finally have your day! You used to show off your 'master of romance' methods in front of me every day! Now you know how tough it is, right?"

"However... the 'Dragon Vigor Medicinal Pill' must be sent over quickly. I shouldn't actually tire my son out... After all, he is my son with the highest 'Aptitude'..."

Chen Zhaojing blissfully sipped some "Starry Wine", feeling that his retirement life, set against the backdrop of his son's "misery", seemed even more comfortable and wonderful.

There is no happiness without comparison...

Meanwhile...

Chen Jun appeared to still be lounging on his lounge chair, obsessed with "Zen Bonsai" and unable to extricate himself.

【Ding! You attempted to nourish the ancient pine with the 'Law of Life', but the ancient pine vaporized directly due to energy overload...】

Chen Jun indignantly exited the game, picked up a plate of "Star Core Grapes" that Chu Yueyao had just peeled for him, and ate them happily.

Although he appeared not to concern himself with affairs, the "dynamics" regarding Chen Zhaojing and Chen Yuanhai were naturally reported to him in detail by Chu Yueyao, Li Qingshan, and others in the form of "Family affairs reports".

Looking at what was described in the reports, Chen Zhaojing was suffering and enjoying himself in "limited freedom", while Chen Yuanhai was in dire straits in the "performance shura field"...

The corners of Chen Jun's mouth couldn't help but curl into a wicked smile...

"Hmm, Zhao Jing is half-liberated. The granddaughters-in-Law know how to use romantic games to compete. Not bad, they've made progress."

"This kid Yuan Hai... is still too young and can't keep his composure. However, the pressure is indeed a bit high. I shouldn't let him end up with psychological trauma or have his body collapse."

He put down the grapes, wiped his hands, and spoke to the empty side hall as if talking to himself:

"Qinglan, and also... Yue Xi, Su Yuan, Xuan Sha, Liu Qing, all of you."

As his voice fell, space rippled like water...

Five figures appeared silently before Chen Jun.

The one leading them was none other than Yun Qinglan, still in a white dress whiter than snow, cold and ethereal like an immortal.

Behind her stood four women, each with a different temperament, peerless beauty, and flowing with the brilliance of the sun!

Their strength, bolstered by the massive resources of the Dragonborn Empire and their own Heaven-Defying Aptitude, had already reached Advanced Star Arm Level!

This is the power of the source marrow! Although it cannot help a Stellar Level Peak Breakthrough, it is more than enough to help with the accumulation for the Star Arm Level!

Aside from Yun Qinglan and the leader Yun Xi, they are the true pillars of the Federation!

"Father." The five bowed in unison, their voices either cold, gentle, dashing, or lively.

Chen Jun looked at his five beautiful and immensely powerful daughters and nodded with satisfaction.

"Hmm, a small task for you." Chen Jun picked his teeth with a bamboo toothpick and said lazily, "In your spare time from Cultivate, keep an eye on your grand-nephews, especially those with many wives, like Chen Yuanhai."

He pointed to the report: "Don't let them really get drained dry, or suffer Qi Deviation. When appropriate, help them secretly, regulate their bodies, and calm their minds. Of course, don't interfere too much; the trials they need to experience must still be experienced. After all, jade cannot be made into an object without being carved."

Yun Qinglan nodded slightly, her eyes still calm and waveless: "Yes, Father."

"Rest assured, Father, we will watch over those little guys and guarantee that they... are lively and vigorous."

"It's a good opportunity to study the effects of overwork on the physical functions of War God Level, using the grand-nephews as samples."

"Whoever dares to use underhanded methods to harm my grand-nephew, I will tear her apart."

Except for the usually silent Liu Qing, the other three daughters responded one after another.

"Ahem... mind your measures, don't scare them." Chen Jun cautioned.

"Yes, Father!" The five replied, and then their figures merged back into space and disappeared.

Chen Jun looked at the place where they had disappeared and rubbed his chin.

"With Qinglan and these four girls watching from the shadows, there shouldn't be any major problems."

"However... with Qinglan's temperament, she will probably only ensure their bodies are unharmed... As for the mental torture? She probably thinks that's tempering their Dao Heart?"

"Forget it, children and grandchildren have their own fortunes; I've done what I should."

"Continue researching my 'Zen Bonsai'! I don't believe I can't save a virtual tree!"

From then on, while Chen Zhaojing was enjoying his "limited freedom", he would occasionally feel a gentle force brush over his body, eliminating fatigue and stabilizing his cultivation.

He just assumed his cultivation had Advanced and didn't pay it any mind.

As for Chen Yuanhai, who was in "Hell", the experience was even more "obvious".

Sometimes, when he was about to be trapped by one of his wife's "strange Formations", the Formation would inexplicably fail.

Sometimes, after drinking a tonic with added ingredients, he would find that the medicinal power was mostly neutralized by a gentle force, leaving only the nourishing effects.

Sometimes, when his mind was on the verge of collapse and he was hiding in the bathroom feeling emo, he would feel a cool breath pour into his Sea of Consciousness, smoothing out the restlessness and letting him regain... uh... the "courage" to continue struggling?

The most outrageous time was when he was jointly trapped by three wives in a meticulously arranged "Inverted Heaven and Earth Mandarin Duck Formation" and was about to be "doomed", but the core of the Formation suddenly revealed an imperceptible gap, allowing him to escape in a sorry state!

Chen Yuanhai thought at the time that it was his potential exploding in a moment of crisis, and he was smug about it for a long time afterward.

He didn't know that all of this stemmed from those five great-aunts hiding behind the scenes, eating melon seeds while commenting on him.

"Tsk tsk, this young man's kidney Qi is a bit unstable, he needs a boost."

"Record: War God Peak male, after continuously receiving seventeen high-intensity 'mental suggestions', willpower resistance increased by 0.001 percent."

"Hahaha, look! He's hiding in the bathroom again! Did he cry this time? I bet one source marrow that he cried!"

With the "secret protection" of the great-aunts, great-grandsons like Chen Yuanhai who had many wives, although they still lived in dire straits, at least managed to maintain their basic foundation...

Their cultivation even improved under the immense pressure and secret regulation...

This is probably... suffering while growing?

As for Chen Zhaojing, he continued his "retirement" life in "limited freedom" and the "gentle traps" of his wives, occasionally remembering his son's miserable state, and would have a pang of conscience and send over a few bottles of Medicinal Pill, along with "affectionate" encouragement:

"My son! Hang in there! My today is your tomorrow! Keep it up!"

Every time Chen Yuanhai received the Medicinal Pill and "encouragement", he was so angry he wanted to smash the communicator, but for the sake of his life, he silently swallowed the Medicinal Pill...

The Old Ancestor Chen Jun, lying on the lounge chair, hid his achievements and fame, continuing his shameless... ah no, his leisurely and comfortable life of winning while lying down.

The System's experience bar was advancing exponentially and rapidly towards that "one trillion" goal, at a speed visible to the naked eye...