Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed. During this period, Xiao traveled back and forth between the two worlds, living freely and happily.
Compared to the days when his mother forced him to learn various skills in the world of The Boys, Xiao really enjoyed himself like an emperor in the courtyard.
He lounged on the couch in his independent courtyard house, basking in the warm sun and enjoying the service of beautiful women.
Instead of paying attention to the outside world, he lingered with his lovely wife and concubines, unable to extricate himself.
Compared to the dangerous world of The Boys, this world was so comfortable. There were no enemies, his family was wealthy, and he had no worries about the trivialities of life.
Wealth, power, and women were at his fingertips. As long as he wasn't exposed to the public, he could do whatever he wanted. Every day was simply enjoying life. This place was perfect for retirement.
No wonder 'he' had such a powerful setup yet still only accumulated so little power. As the saying goes:
Twenty-eight beauties have a body as soft as a stick, and a sword at their waists to kill the foolish man.
Although there were no dead heads, secretly the bones of the emperor were withered.
It wasn't that Xiao didn't work hard; the beauties were simply too enchanting.
In addition to the back-breaking, marrow-absorbing life he enjoyed, Xiao found the feeling of being comparable to Homelander within the courtyard world.
The two abilities combined could be described in just four words: invincible.
On the other hand, in the world of The Boys, Xiao could only be an ordinary person and dared not reveal himself.
Although he had awakened his superpower, Xiao did not dare announce it. After all, his behavior as a child was an exception, and his family had always been under the semi-surveillance of Vought.
Over the years, Vought had checked on him at least once a year. Naturally, they were interested in his potential.
Except for not installing cameras in his home, Vought basically monitored all his information.
You know, Vought is a proper capitalist enterprise. For them, as long as something has value, there is no moral bottom line. Human experimentation, vivisection, private executions — those were all aired in TV dramas, and God knows how many dark events went unreported.
Resistance? Don't be ridiculous. The Blood debt squad would show you how powerful they are.
Although the other members of the team were no threat to Xiao and could be killed with one finger, Soldier Boy, the captain, was still active. Xiao had no ability to challenge Vought directly.
As the strongest superhero currently, Soldier Boy had invincible strength and defense, enough to withstand nuclear bombs, even though Xiao could only absorb a little nuclear energy at the moment.
Physically, Xiao wasn't afraid of Soldier Boy, but Soldier Boy's laser cannon could eliminate superpowers — truly a threat.
Even if the laser cannon was the result of Soviet experimentation, what mattered was that what if Soldier Boy always had the ability to suppress superpowers. What if the experiments only enhanced Soldier Boy's own abilities?
Without his powers, Xiao was just a child, easily strangled by anyone. Any strength beyond an ordinary person was useless.
For his own safety, Xiao decided to stay cautious and wait until Soldier Boy's death before revealing his abilities.
That period coincided with the power vacuum at Vought. Soldier Boy had ended, and Homelander made his debut.
During this heroic vacuum, it was the perfect time for Xiao to act and gain benefits.
…
…
Xiao squinted at the beauty beside him. Qin Huairu, already naturally stunning, had been nourished by Xiao, and her skin, once roughened by farm work, was now as smooth as jade. Her hair fell straight and glossy, and her figure was plump and healthy.
The fitted cheongsam accentuated her body elegantly. On her feet were exquisite red low heels, and her long, straight legs moved with a grace that seemed to mesmerize anyone who looked.
She could easily be called unmatched in elegance, a true beauty of the world — worthy of the title "goddess of temperament" in ancient costume. Her style was impeccable.
"Huairu, I feel like I've been corrupted by you!"
Xiao, just entering his sage mode, touched Qin Huairu's hair, recalling the indulgent life of the past few days with a flash of annoyance.
He felt influenced by the memories of 'other me', and there was no way he could have been this depraved on his own. Wine was a poison to the intestines, and sex was like a steel knife scraping the bones — harmful to the body. Beauty, however, was misleading him.
"Affected by what?"
Qin Huairu, facing the mirror, wiped the lipstick Xiao had brought from the world of The Boys. She raised her moist eyes in curiosity.
"I wasn't a womanizer before!"
Xiao's answer made Qin Huairu roll her eyes. She thought: If you weren't a womanizer, then are all the other women in this mansion vixens?
Though dissatisfied with Xiao's philandering, the long-standing authority of the family leader left her no choice but to acknowledge him:
"Yes, yes, Master, you are the noblest!"
"You're so weird. What are you talking about? I didn't go to your room the other day!"
Xiao raised his hand and playfully slapped her plump buttocks, causing a ripple of flesh.
"Oops!"
Qin Huairu let out a cute cry, but Xiao's words clearly struck a nerve. A sad look appeared on her face, her beautiful eyes brimming with tears as she said:
"Master, I've been married to you for at least four years. Except for the year you went to war, the rest of the time has been almost the same — partying every night… yet there's still nothing in my stomach!"
Qin Huairu, the eldest wife and first to marry into the family, had received the highest status and favor. But after all these years, she had never been pregnant, unable to give the Xiao family a son or even a daughter.
In the eyes of society at that time, infertility was a grave issue.
Other women in the compound also lacked heirs, but as the eldest wife, Qin Huairu's position drew constant scrutiny. She lived in perpetual anxiety, her mood easily destabilized by the slightest provocation.
"It's not your fault. I just don't want it!"
Xiao touched her cheek gently, comforting her in a low voice.
Regarding their lack of children, both Xiaos understood the situation clearly and shared the same view.
Thanks to Compound V, Xiao's body differed from ordinary mortals and had partial reproductive isolation. Although not completely infertile, his reproductive efficiency was extremely low.
In fact, 80% of superhumans in the world of The Boys had no heirs — the price of gaining superpowers.
The previous 'him' had condensed all his vitality into seeds, abolishing fertility entirely and choosing not to have children.
The reason was clear: besides immortality, the main concern was the concept of life extension.
'The other Xiao' had relied on [ Immortal Peach] and [Yang Ginseng] to curry favor with a multitude of dignitaries — but it came at a cost. Even though nobility could not refuse these rare items, they would never trust their lives entirely to another.
Once Xiao's resources were exposed, the upper-class nobles immediately investigated the origins of the two items.
However, the results were inconclusive. Xiao's predecessor had been an ordinary farmer with no special abilities. The peaches and ginseng seemed to appear from thin air, with no traceable source. Furthermore, Xiao frequently produced all kinds of precious fruits, vegetables, and meats at will.
The higher-ups guessed Xiao might control the legendary [Dongtian Paradise] his own Grotto-heaven, prompting them to begin tests immediately.