Roy returned to the Xiang family residence, instructing the servants to take care of his steed, Wuzhui. Under the astonished gazes of the maids, he carried the woman in his arms back to his own courtyard.
Roy's room was sparsely furnished, containing only basic necessities. Several bamboo scrolls were arranged on a shelf nearby, and the walls bore traces of calligraphy.
In this era, there were no extravagant decorations to adorn a house, and Roy cared little for material comforts. He could live in opulence, attended by a thousand servants, or embrace a simple, unadorned life.
Gently placing the woman in his arms onto his bed, he covered her delicate form with a thin blanket. This non-human woman's attire was far too revealing—only the essential areas were concealed, while the rest of her body was nearly bare.
Perhaps she didn't mind, but Roy couldn't help feeling protective, unwilling for others to glimpse her flawless, snow-white skin.
As he draped the blanket over her, his gaze lingered on her bare, rosy feet—delicate and elegant, with faint blue veins tracing the arches. Each toe was like a budding flower, and he had to recite the "Heart of Ice" mantra to suppress the urge to caress them.
No sooner had he settled the unknown woman than he heard footsteps in the courtyard outside, followed by the respectful greetings of the maids: "...Lord Xiang!"
"Haha, Ji'er, I heard you brought a woman back?"
Xiang Liang's laughter echoed from the courtyard, brimming with amusement.
He approached the door and called inside, "...May I come in?"
His tone carried a teasing lilt.
"Come in, Uncle!"
Roy chuckled softly and beckoned him inside.
Xiang Liang pushed the door open and strode in.
Seeing his uncle enter, Roy moved to the table, scooping tea leaves from a bamboo container into a cup before pouring hot water over them.
When Roy wasn't away training soldiers, the servants kept water boiling at all times, ensuring he could enjoy tea the moment he returned.
In the pre-Qin era, tea was consumed as food, and by this time, it was brewed. However, the art of tea ceremony flourished only during the Wei-Jin period. In the Qin dynasty, drinking tea held no particular refinement—it was merely a recreational beverage, and the unroasted leaves left much to be desired in taste.
Compared to tea, Roy preferred coffee, but alas, there was no coffee to be found in the Qin dynasty.
"Uncle, with your busy schedule, what brings you here?"
Roy set the steaming cup by Xiang Liang's side and smiled.
"Ji'er, the whole of Wu County knows you carried a woman into your courtyard. No matter how busy I am, I had to come see for myself."
Xiang Liang winked at Roy, teasing him further.
Wu County was small—any trivial gossip spread like wildfire by the next day. And given the Xiang family's prominence, their influence even surpassed that of the local governor. With little entertainment in this era, people naturally fixated on such scandals.
"Ji'er, with this stunt of yours, countless young ladies will be weeping in despair."
Xiang Liang continued to jest.
With Roy's appearance and demeanor, even modern women who have seen much of the world would be captivated by him, let alone women from this remote region of the Qin Dynasty.
Roy had no affection for his father, Alister, but he was grateful for the man's excellent genes.
At the very least, even if he had nothing, this face alone was enough to get him by.
"Which fortunate lady is this? If you're interested, Ji'er, I'll go make a match for you right away. If she's from a noble family, take her as your wife; if she's from a humble household, make her your concubine."
Xiang Liang was very concerned about Roy's "future." In his view, as long as Roy settled down with a wife and children, he would become completely stable and devote himself wholeheartedly to the Xiang family's cause. By then, the Xiang family's fortunes would be tied to his—prosperity and decline would be shared. For the sake of his wife and children living a good life, he would naturally fight with all his might.
This was similar to how an emperor must have heirs—only with descendants could his subordinates be more loyal.
"She's not from Kuaiji. If I had to describe her, she would be a mountain spirit."
"A mountain spirit..."
Xiang Liang's expression shifted at these words.
Of course, he knew of Qu Yuan's "Nine Songs," where the so-called mountain spirit was actually a goddess or fairy.
"I'd heard before that the woman you brought back wasn't human, but I thought it was just a joke. Now it seems it's true."
At least a thousand people had seen the woman outside the city. Roy knew it was impossible to hide this unless he used magic to erase everyone's memories.
"It doesn't matter if she's not human. Ji'er, you yourself are extraordinary—perhaps ordinary human women aren't worthy of you. If this mountain spirit understands human hearts and knows human ways, you might as well take her as a concubine."
After some thought, Xiang Liang spoke these words.
But to his surprise, Roy shook his head.
"Ah... Could it be you actually have no interest in her?"
Xiang Liang thought he had misunderstood—that Roy had saved this "mountain spirit" out of kindness, with no other intentions. He felt a little awkward.
"No, I don't want her as a concubine..."
Roy paused, then said seriously, "...I want her to be my wife."
Xiang Liang was about to object, but the words died on his lips.
He had wanted to say that choosing a wife wasn't so casual—it was best to find a noble family, a match of equal status, one that could aid the Xiang family's cause. Only then should such a woman be taken as a wife. But then he quickly remembered that Roy was no ordinary man. With his abilities, he likely didn't need to rely on external forces.
If the Xiang family's grand ambitions were realized, then Roy could have any woman he wanted as his wife or concubine with just a word. Rather than upsetting him, it was better to let him do as he pleased.
"If that's the case, then I won't say anything more, Ji'er. Do as you wish... In fact, I'd like to see what kind of beauty could move your heart so."
With that, Xiang Liang stood up and walked to the bedside. When he saw the unconscious woman lying there, a flash of awe crossed his eyes, and even a surge of desire stirred within him.
However, Xiang Liang quickly suppressed the wicked thoughts in his heart and turned back to Roy with a bitter smile, "...Such peerless beauty, even if Su Daji or Xi Shi were reborn, they would be no match. I once mocked King Zhou for falling under a woman's skirt and being overthrown by the Zhou dynasty, and King Wu of Wu for indulging in beauty and being destroyed by King Goujian of Yue. But now that I've seen this woman, I realize there truly are femme fatales in this world."
"Blaming women for the fall of nations would only shame us men. Whether it was King Zhou or King Wu of Wu, their downfalls were their own faults and had nothing to do with women."
Roy shook his head, refuting Xiang Liang's words.
"Haha! Ji'er, it's best that you think this way. I was afraid you'd drown in the gentle embrace of women and lose all your heroic spirit!"
Xiang Liang laughed heartily, then winked suggestively at Roy before flicking his sleeve and leaving, "...I have work to attend to, so I won't disturb you any longer, Ji'er!"
With that, Xiang Liang quickly departed.
"Deep tenderness can also inspire boundless heroism..."
Roy murmured as he watched Xiang Liang's retreating figure, then turned his gaze to the bed and smiled, "...Since you're awake, miss, there's no need to pretend. I know exactly how much force I used in that punch—with your physical abilities, you couldn't possibly have been unconscious for so long."