Li Yuan took Xiaozhao to the mountain retreat for a few days.

Tang Nian’s underground palace was incredibly luxurious, but it was also filled with various puppet apparatus and all sorts of things, making it unsuitable for living.

Tang Nian started giving Li Yuan some crazy ideas.

"Dad, why not marry the eldest daughter of a big family on Cloud Mountain Path?

My disciples know all about which lady is beautiful, just say the word, and you’ll be married in three days.

By then, you can bring Xiaozhao to live with the family, get involved in family affairs, and enjoy family life."

"Dad, if you don’t like this idea, how about becoming a tributor to a sect on Cloud Mountain Path?

With your abilities, what beauty in the sect couldn’t become my little stepmother?"

"Still not interested... then..."

Li Yuan looked at Tang Nian speechlessly, especially with Xiaozhao beside them listening intently.

He raised his hand and flicked Tang Nian’s forehead, saying, "How’s the investigation into the Ice Race going?"

Tang Nian replied, "The investigation is long term. The path west was mostly blocked by ice and snow during winter, so we could only send a few people.

Sending puppets alone isn’t enough; they can only assist. The main exploration still requires people."

Li Yuan suddenly said, "Clean up your underground palace, make a quiet space. Then recruit some reliable disciples, so Xiaozhao can play with them."

"Alright, alright, you’re my dad; whatever you say goes. I’ll get on it right away." Tang Nian acknowledged, then mischievously blinked and said, "However, this mountain retreat is the core forbidden area of my Tang Sect, but within the Tang Sect’s central area, there are three more palaces, eight towers, and one hundred and eight residences...

Outside the Tang Sect’s central area, there’s the encircling outer sect.

The outer sect looks like villages and towns, but they’re all my Tang Sect disciples.

Three thousand in the inner sect, thirty-eight thousand in the outer sect.

Dad, if you really want to let my sister experience the human world, why not go to the inner sect.

Among my three inner sect palaces, only the third palace is the cultivation skill secret palace, open to meritorious disciples, while the second and first palaces are off-limits.

I’ll reserve the first palace for you and my sister. My sister just needs to wear a face-concealing conical hat, and she becomes a mysterious beauty on Cloud Mountain Path. Who knows, she might get a nickname in the social world in a few days, hehe."

Pop.

Li Yuan flicked his forehead again, saying, "Stop fooling around with that silly grin."

"Ouch, it hurts." Tang Nian exclaimed coquettishly, "I’m at least the mysterious Sect Leader of Tang Sect, and people respectfully call me Mrs. Tang outside. Can’t you give me some respect, dad?"

"Mrs. Tang?"

Li Yuan looked at the red-clothed demoness before him, trying hard not to laugh, "They don’t know what you look like?"

Tang Nian replied, "Dad, do you think so? Except for my disciples and a few top members of the Cloud Mountain Daoist family, no one else knows what I look like."

Li Yuan thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Do you have any tasks that require training?"

Tang Nian counted on her fingers, "Internally, it’s cultivation, research, and personnel; externally, it’s trades, arbitration, and social relations...

Often, families hold weddings and invite me to officiate. There’s also gambling among factions on Cloud Mountain Path requiring me to send someone to oversee, and transactions between powers, worried about being cheated, ask me to send someone to witness as well.

Besides these, there are big personnel changes, disciples seeking guidance, and other matters... Actually, dad, I’m quite busy.

But, I delegate whatever I can, letting my direct disciples represent me.

These direct disciples are from big families; though they look like little girls here, they’re big shots outside."

Li Yuan looked at Xiaozhao, "Xiaozhao, would you like your sister’s disciples to show you around? Whether it’s officiating weddings, overseeing gambling, or witnessing shady deals, you could go wearing a hat and veil to watch."

Then he turned to Tang Nian, "Is that Black King still around?"

Tang Nian replied, "It’s well-kept and fattened because this Sixth Grade Demon Beast can walk sideways in a place like Cloud Mountain Path."

Li Yuan looked back at Xiaozhao, "Let Black King accompany you."

Xiaozhao replied, both nervous and hopeful, "Okay, dad."

Tang Nian laughed cheerfully, "Then, why don’t you live with us in this underground palace, godfather? If you fancy one of my disciples, I can call her mom that very day."

"Go, go, so insolent." Li Yuan was speechless and continued, "I’ll just stay in your rooms; just provide me with some food and wine."

"What about women? Dad, you’re already Fifth Grade, with such vigorous energy. What will you do without women at night... eh..." The red-clothed demoness started sighing pretentiously again.

Li Yuan replied, "Don’t worry about it."

Tang Nian grumbled in response, then led Xiaozhao to the underground palace, and quietly returned upstairs, pulling out a soft map from her chest and stuffing it into Li Yuan’s hand. The map also contained two tokens.

She whispered, "Godfather, this shows all the brothels and entertainment alleys on Cloud Mountain Path, and quite a few of them are assets of Tang Sect and Cloud Mountain Commerce Association. You only need to show the token to enjoy yourself freely, no charge, hehe."

Li Yuan didn’t refuse, knowing that sometimes, when he’s outside, he needs to gather information from these brothels and entertainment alleys and can’t always take detours back to Tang Sect Headquarters. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Tang Nian giggled in his ear, "Yan Rurou from Meichun Building is newly arrived, a courtesan who is both beautiful and talented. Many young, talented men are spending lavishly on her, godfather, you might want to take a look...

Moreover, Meichun Building isn’t far away; it’s just over the mountain path. With dad’s ability to fly, you can reach there by crossing a few mountains. The round trip takes less than an hour."