Are all your family members’ genes so amazing?

In the room.

Tie Yanran lifted the teapot and poured himself a cup of tea—only halfway full. Steam curled upward, carrying the fragrance of tea toward Xiao Yu.

“Did you come here about Liu Shicheng? Wanting me to let him out?” he asked, his voice hoarse with a hint of suspicion.

Xiao Yu blinked, but didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he picked up his teacup and took a small sip. The tea melted on his tongue like spring mist—cool and refreshing, sliding down his throat, leaving his mind clear and serene.

Excellent tea. No wonder—this was a wealthy household. Far better than the tea he’d once stolen from Dao’s private stash.

The warmth soothed his thoughts, lightening his mood.

“Well… not exactly,” Xiao Yu said. “That kid being in Sword Prison is probably good for everyone. But if you’re willing to negotiate… letting him go isn’t completely off the table.”

“No.”

Unsurprisingly, Tie Yanran gently shook his head, firm and principled:

“My sense of justice won’t allow me to commit such an act of favoritism.”

Then why even ask?

Xiao Yu thought wryly. He continued:
“But back at the tavern…”

“I… I only did that because of you. That was a one-time exception. Don’t expect it again.”

His voice faltered slightly.

Tie Yanran gripped his teacup tightly. The ears visible beneath his mask flushed faintly red.

This… tsundere attitude—what was *that* about?

Xiao Yu twitched his lips. He took another sip of tea, steadying himself.

No wonder earlier, when he got close in the prison, Tie Yanran had reacted like a startled cat, nearly drawing his blade.

But now, the atmosphere felt oddly tense—nothing like his easy conversation with Tie Qingyan.

“You’re nervous around me?”

“Of course not!”

Clatter!

Tie Yanran knocked over his teacup.

“S-Sorry. The cup was just… too slippery.”
He stood quickly, grabbing a cloth to wipe the spill.

Xiao Yu rubbed his own cup—the surface was matte, not particularly smooth.

“L-Let me be clear—I’m not as shy as Xiao Yan says. I’m just feeling unwell today. Definitely *not* because you suddenly came in and made me nervous. Absolutely not!”

Tie Yanran straightened the fallen cup, then sat back down across from Xiao Yu. Beneath the table, a pair of slender hands fidgeted nervously on his knees.

What kind of pure-hearted young man was this?

Xiao Yu inwardly groaned. He raised his cup and gulped down another large mouthful—scalding hot, but he didn’t care.

“By the way… what was that thing you mentioned at the tavern—the one I was supposed to give you?”

Realizing how awkwardly revealing that sounded, Tie Yanran quickly changed the subject to avoid further embarrassment.

Xiao Yu’s grip tightened around his cup.

Now it was his turn to panic.

“This… there’s nothing worth seeing.”

He took a tactical sip—but drained the cup entirely. Still, to hide his discomfort, he mimed drinking again.

Truthfully, what he’d originally planned to give Tie Yanran was simple: a photo album.

His personal treasure—Immortal Beauties Ranking, a rare collection he’d luckily saved from the fire by keeping it sealed in his spatial ring.

It wasn’t as revealing as the ones he sold underground at the tavern.

Technically, “revealing” meant just legs and cleavage—nothing truly explicit.

A gentleman desires beauty, guided by emotion, restrained by propriety. Looking at albums wasn’t immoral. Everyone had their hobbies.

There’s no such thing as a man without some lewd interests—even the Jade-Faced Demon must have them.

Xiao Yu figured giving it privately wouldn’t hurt. Might even build goodwill—maybe someone would cover for him next time he smuggled contraband.

But now that he knew Tie Yanran was one of the kids he’d raised…

He instantly lost all desire to hand it over.

Wouldn’t that ruin his noble image in the younger man’s eyes?

“It’s fine. Whatever you give me, I’ll cherish it.”

Tie Yanran spoke calmly—though his gaze unconsciously flickered toward the crumpled doll on the bed.

Beneath the mask, his lips curved into a soft, hopeful smile.

Damn. Tie Yanran clearly looked forward to it.

Xiao Yu stiffened. Desperate, he scanned his spatial ring—besides the album, was there anything else presentable?

Wait! There was something else.

A cultivation miscellany titled Genius Ranks Across the Five Continents—a folk-complied list similar to the Immortal Beauties ranking, except focused on male and female geniuses.

It detailed each genius’s cultivation level, background, and unique traits. Being unofficial, it also included amusing anecdotes.

Like #27 on the Rising Wave List—the Whirlwind Young Master—who secretly visited a foot massage parlor, picked a pretty girl, and just as things were heating up, realized it was his own cultivation partner.

Or #36, who fell for a courtesan at a brothel. A bidding war erupted—neither side backing down—until they met face-to-face and discovered it was his *father*.

#17: the eldest senior sister of Azure Cloud Sect, famed for her impressive figure and extreme naivety—her talent points all invested in cultivation, zero in common sense. Once, during an exorcism, she used explosive talismans and accidentally blew her clothes off. Exposed, she paused, thought deeply, then stuck two talismans over her chest, believing that solved the problem.

She walked out like that—bare everywhere except her chest.

Needless to say, she made headlines that day. Luckily, her junior sister reacted fast, covering her with a robe—though a sharp-eyed artist cultivator still managed to sketch the scene.

Still, compared to others, she was lucky. Geniuses often had quirks. Like the Fifth Poison Sect’s Holy Maiden—a Five Poisons Body cultivator—who refused to wear clothes, claiming fabric restricted her nature.

Her debut challenge at Thunderclap Mountain shocked everyone. Wait… she really wasn’t wearing anything?!

Though her poison arts and body overwhelmed the sect’s top disciple, the exposure led to the venue being shut down—her challenge deemed a failure.

Rumor had it she was locked in the sect’s forbidden area by the elder ancestor until she corrected her habits.

Overall, entertaining reading. Xiao Yu treated it as light entertainment.

He hesitated, glancing at Tie Yanran’s eager eyes beneath the mask.

Finally.

He’d go with *this* book. Better than the photo album. For discretion while traveling, he’d wrapped both books in identical covers.

“Alright. It’s nothing special. Hope you don’t mind.”

With that, he sent his spiritual sense deep into his spatial ring. To make space for Fan Hai’s clothes, he’d pushed everything back.

Now retrieving items took effort. Just as he found the two books and prepared to pull one out—

Across the table, Tie Yanran’s eyes flickered. He seemed to recall something, stammering:

“Um… can I… call you ‘Yu Gege’… like Xiao Yan does?”

“What?”

Xiao Yu turned sharply, staring at Tie Yanran.

“Ah… never mind. Nothing. I just meant… your gift doesn’t need to be valuable.”

“Oh, right. Just a regular thing. Though, it’s probably rare on Demon Gathering Island.”

Xiao Yu nearly jumped. Tie Yanran had been so flustered—he thought he was about to be confessed to!

Absolutely not for a Nan Tong!

Even if prettier than most women.

Recalling the blushing Tie Qingyan, he added: I think.

While thinking, Xiao Yu pulled out one book—carefully checking it wasn’t the wrong one—then handed it to Tie Yanran.

Tie Yanran took it casually, flipping it open.

Immediately, a purple-haired, eerily beautiful woman appeared—topless, surrounded by pale green poison mist. While the fog obscured her most private areas, the partial concealment made it even more suggestive—an overwhelming aura of *almost but not quite*.

Exactly like the illicit albums Tie Yanran had confiscated before.

Tie Yanran: “… …”

Unaware of his discomfort, Xiao Yu explained beside him:

“These people are among the strongest outside. You could learn from them—take their strengths, discard weaknesses. After all, you’ve stayed on the island—you should know the outside world’s average level.”

Tie Yanran flipped again.

This time, a youthful-faced woman with massive breasts filled the page. Her bare, bountiful curves were unlike anything he’d ever seen. On her chest, only two thin yellow talismans covered her—dividing her mounds into north and south. Worse, the paper wasn’t long enough—leaving the lower halves exposed.

Beside it, text read: *Mo Shuiyao, Rank #17, Talisman Cultivator, dual-attribute Water Path…*

“…………”

His eyes locked onto those peaks.

Learn? Take their strengths? Average level?!

Tie Yanran’s fists clenched. Due to his own flat chest, he was extremely sensitive about such matters—especially hearing this from *Xiao Yu*.

Wait…
Could this be the Immortal Beauties Ranking?

This level of suggestiveness… he remembered seeing a similar book in his father’s study. Same format—ranking women. His mother found it, punished him with three days kneeling on a washboard.

He recalled: the larger the chest, the higher the rank. Not a single small-chested woman made the list.

“How is it? Pretty good, right?” Xiao Yu continued, oblivious. “You shouldn’t underestimate yourself, Brother Tie. With your strength, you could make a name outside. I believe in you!”

Tie Yanran’s Golden Core cultivation would easily land him in the top twenty outside.

Liu Shicheng might rank even higher—rare among sword cultivators for sheer destructive power.

As Xiao Yu spoke, he failed to notice Tie Yanran’s ears turning increasingly red.

Tie Xiong?!

Creak!

A corner of the golden nanmu wooden table snapped off in Tie Yanran’s grip.

“What was that?! Careful, Brother Tie!” Xiao Yu warned.

The next moment—

Bang!

The entire table flipped over.

Tie Xiong?! You’re the one with no chest, damn Xiao Yu!!

Golden Core energy exploded outward. Veins bulged on Tie Yanran’s forehead—furious, humiliated.

“What?!”

“Xiao Yu, so it was you spreading these obscene publications! Circumstantial and physical evidence both present! Today, I’m arresting you and throwing you into Sword Prison! You won’t leave until forty-nine days have passed—or I’ll change my surname!”

With that, he grabbed the rope at his waist, hurled the book upward, and lunged to apprehend him.

Xiao Yu froze. They’d been getting along fine—why the sudden turnaround?

And how had his smuggling operation been exposed?

But first—stop Tie Yanran.

“Calm down! Brother Tie!”

“Brother Tie your sister!”

Better not to speak. That only enraged Tie Yanran further. Abandoning restraint, he charged straight at Xiao Yu.

But in his haste, he stepped too hard—his foot landing on the spilled teacup.

His ankle twisted. In an instant, he toppled forward, crashing directly toward Xiao Yu.

“Watch out!”

Xiao Yu reached out instinctively—but underestimated Tie Yanran’s momentum.

Like a furious panther, Tie Yanran slammed Xiao Yu—a confused lamb—beneath him.

Clang!

“Ow! My arm… wait—what?!”

The position was… strange.

Xiao Yu lay pinned on the floor. Above him, Tie Yanran froze mid-fall. Xiao Yu’s hands pressed against Tie Yanran’s chest, supporting his full weight.

Visually: “厶”.

Tie Yanran’s fury vanished. He looked down, meeting Xiao Yu’s gaze.

Silence settled over the room—thick, awkward.

Xiao Yu held Tie Yanran up, adjusting his grip. Instinctively, his fingers squeezed slightly to reposition—seeking better leverage.

But the feel of it…

“So hard!”

Like touching steel plating. No softness at all—just ribs and muscle. Solid.

Xiao Yu felt his own Mud Embryo chest muscles were softer than this.

“You… mm…”

A low, breathy moan escaped above him.

Dazed, Tie Yanran hadn’t processed the situation—when Xiao Yu’s unconscious adjustment sent a shiver through his body, slipping out an unintentional sound.

Snapping back to reality, his face flushed red. Fortunately, the mask hid his embarrassment.

Just then—whoosh.

A dark shadow fell from above—landing perfectly on Tie Yanran’s head.

It was the book he’d thrown earlier.

*Thud!*

Due to Xiao Yu’s sudden arrival, Tie Yanran hadn’t secured his mask properly.

The impact dislodged it.

The grotesque mask clattered to the floor.

Xiao Yu stared, stunned.

Without the mask, the hidden face was revealed—peerless beauty. Delicate features, skin like fresh snow, small cherry lips soft as petals—tempting to kiss. Most captivating were his eyes—bright and clear, like ripples on a tranquil lake.

His face resembled Tie Qingyan’s—they shared the same bloodline—but differed subtly. Where Qingyan was tender and youthful, this one was more mature. His eyeliner sharper, his charm like spring water—soft yet seductive.

Now, a delicate blush painted his cheeks. A man blushing like a maiden surpassed all wine in intoxication—one glance, and the soul drowned.

Xiao Yu froze.

After Tie Qingyan’s precedent, he assumed this one was male too.

After all—he was currently touching the chest. And it was hard.

Compared to that, calling Tie Qingyan a woman would be more believable—she was much softer.

Still, Xiao Yu had one unavoidable question:

Are all the men in the Tie family genetically blessed?!

Looking at this beauty, he felt emotionally numb. He desperately wanted to meet Tie Yanran and Tie Qingyan’s parents—to see what divine beings could birth such nation-shaking brothers.

While Xiao Yu spiraled into mental chaos—

Tie Yanran, dazed from the book hitting his head, finally regained awareness.

She came to her senses.