Chapter 226: We Can’t Use Beds Anymore!

Chapter 226: We Can't Use Beds Anymore!

The lingering heat of our thirty-minute cultivation climax finally began to recede, leaving both of us staring at the wreckage of our room in absolute, defeated amusement. The hotel bed frame had collapsed completely under the violent, qi-infused momentum of our thrusts, causing the mattress to slump awkwardly onto the floor amid splintered wood pointing in odd directions. Ling'er remained flat on her back, her ankles still pinned up near her ears as a breathtakingly smug grin spread across her flushed face.

"Well, I successfully reached the peak of the Body Realm, but it seems we cannot use a bed with a frame anymore, ufufu." Ling'er let out a soft, breathless laugh, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she watched my reaction to the ruined furniture.

I pulled out of her warm heat, gently lowering her legs from their sharp jackknife position before pulling her soft body against mine in a tight spooning hold.

"Did we have to deal with this problem in our past life?" I asked, my fingers tracing gentle circles across the bare skin of her shoulder while I waited for her answer.

She twisted her neck back to look up into my concerned bright-blue eyes, pressing a sweet, reassuring kiss against my lips to chase away my lingering doubts.

"Yes, we can only use a floor futon or sleeping bags from now on," Ling'er explained, resting her cheek comfortably against my chest as she spoke. "Hell, in the higher realms we cannot currently reach, you and I could easily crack a solid stone bed, fufu. But fear not, this will be the absolute worst damage the two of us can do. In one week, I will enter the Chi Realm right alongside you just before our big job, and absolutely no one will be able to stop us. Well, normal fighters cannot, at least."

"I wonder why Mei did not come to investigate after hearing the bed shatter into pieces?" I muttered, casting a wary glance toward the heavy wooden door of our hotel room.

"Oh, at that exact time, I could hear the shower running across the hall, so I bet she completely missed the good part," Ling'er giggled, her fingers playfully tapping against my chest to nudge me away. "Now get out of this bed before Mei finishes timing my single hour of privacy. I have to go see some stupid tourist park with Pam and the rest of the crew, sigh."

I leaned down to kiss her again, adding a sharp, deliberate bite to her lower lip that caused her entire body to shudder with a sharp intake of breath. Ling'er had always insisted that I bite her gently whenever we kissed or whenever I sucked on her breasts, claiming it made her feel my genuine affection through some deeply twisted logic of hers.

We eventually forced ourselves up, taking quick turns in the shower to wash away the sweat of our cultivation before heading downstairs to join everyone for the continental breakfast. We would just have to pay the hotel management for the shattered bed later, cough.

Pam sat closely between Ling Ling and Sam at the center of the large breakfast table, with his eye-catching maid wife sitting quietly on his other side. Kevin and his wife took the seats directly next to Ling Ling, while Mei and I completed the massive circle to round out our group.

Pam looked up from his plate, offering a casual smile as he caught my eye mid-chew. "We are all going to visit a few of the park sights and natural landscapes used as movie locations today, so what will you be doing?" Pam asked, gesturing with his fork toward the tourist brochures scattered across the tabletop.

I maneuvered my chopsticks deftly, lifting a large piece of fried egg into my mouth before giving them a quick, affirmative nod. "I will be meeting with a major business company known as the Fujiwara Group," I replied, swallowing the food quickly so I could address the whole table. "They are the global leaders in rocket technology and want to purchase a Star Wars unit from us."

Mei finished off her last piece of bacon, staring down at her empty plate with a distinctly sad expression that immediately pulled at my heartstrings. Due to the early stages of her pregnancy, her appetite had spiked massively over the last few days, causing her to burn through food at an alarming rate.

"I am going to get more food at the buffet line anyway, so I will grab you some more bacon while I am up," I offered, patting her hand gently before pushing my chair back from the table.

"Thank you, Master," Mei murmured, her sad expression instantly vanishing as a bright, grateful smile lit up her face.

My cultivation meant I needed to eat about twice as much food as an ordinary human. It was nothing entirely crazy like the bottomless stomachs of Naruto or Goku, but I required roughly 6,000 calories a day because my physical body efficiently stored energy to convert it directly into usable Chi. If I allowed myself to starve, my core reserves of Chi would rapidly deplete, unless I chose to drain it directly out of Ling'er instead.

Just as I began picking through the buffet trays for the highest quality foods to fuel myself and my pregnant Mei, a soft, melodic voice speaking fluent Chinese cut through the morning chatter behind me.

"I am unsure of some of these foreign foods from other countries. Do you happen to have any suggestions for someone with old-fashioned Chinese tastes?" the woman asked, her tone carrying an elegant, measured cadence that demanded attention.

I turned around, caught completely off guard by the striking beauty of the shorter woman standing before me, her straight black hair framing a pair of deep blue eyes. I could instantly read the flawless posture of her high-society etiquette, alongside the telltale muscle memory of advanced Wing Chun Kung-Fu skills built into her frame. She clearly had not left her home country before this trip, lacking the worldly, street-smart confidence that radiated naturally from women like Mei or Ling'er.

I extended my hand toward a steaming tray, pointing out the best options available. "That egg fried rice is not authentic Chinese, as it has a heavy Japanese twist to it, but it would be the dish closest to your palate," I explained, maintaining a polite but distant demeanor. "Lastly, those egg rolls over there would pass for traditional cuisine. Sorry I cannot help you much more than that, please excuse me."

A brief flicker of intense irritation washed over the woman's eyes at the blunt realization that she was being blown off, but she quickly masked it, stepping closer to block my path.

"I am Ning Qian. What is your name, sir?" Qian demanded, crossing her arms tightly over her chest as she stared me down.

"Rick Tang," I answered shortly, offering a brief nod as I attempted to maneuver past her.

I flashed a polite, brief smile as I started to turn away from her again. The beautiful girl could not be more than seventeen or perhaps eighteen years old, and I could already tell she looked down on me with an underlying sense of disdain. Based on her haughty attitude and the deliberate way she had targeted me in the buffet line, I immediately assumed she was a shadow agent sent to work with Mei or Ling'er.

"Rick, is it not entirely obvious that I have come over here specifically to get to know you?" Qian persisted, her blue eyes narrowing as she stepped directly into my line of sight. "You do not seem at all interested in meeting me."

I hoisted the two heavy plates of food in my hands, keeping my tone perfectly flat as I gave her my reasons for leaving. "Sorry, Miss Qian, but I have a pregnant lover waiting at the table to be fed, and you seem a bit too young for my tastes," I stated firmly, gesturing with the plates toward our crowded breakfast table. "Are you even eighteen yet? Sorry, I really need to go."

Her beautiful blue eyes squinted in pure, burning humiliation as my words hit home, her lips trembling slightly as she muttered under her breath. "What man alive does not like a younger woman, especially one as beautiful as I am? Bastard!" Qian hissed, her face flushing crimson as she glared at my leaving form.

The gorgeous young woman stomped her small foot hard against the tile floor, turning sharply on her heel to storm completely out of the breakfast hall.

I slipped back into my seat and slid the fresh plate of food in front of Mei, prompting her to lean in close and ask in a low whisper. "What exactly happened over there?" Mei inquired, her eyes tracking the retreating figure of the young martial artist.

"A high schooler tried to pick me up at the buffet, so I told her I only dated older women," I chuckled, picking up my utensils to resume eating. "Pass the salt, please?"

Ling Ling used her enhanced cultivation hearing to catch the comment from across the table, and both she and Mei immediately pressed their lips together, their faces twisting as they struggled to hold back laughter at how utterly ruthless I had been to the poor girl. Sadly for her, I genuinely preferred older, mature women, a deep-seated preference that must be a lingering side effect of my past lives affecting my current psyche.

Later that afternoon, Mei and I walked out of the massive glass doors of the high-rise building, having successfully concluded our meeting with the Fujiwara Group. After hammering out the successful core negotiation, I threw the rest of the tedious contract talks over to Alex to wrap up so I could end my day early. As we walked, I pulled out my phone to answer my non-emergency text messages, and one specific notification caught my eye.

[Mary Lee: Rick call me, :P]

I immediately dialed my wife's number, holding the phone up to my ear as the line connected to hear her voice. [Sorry, I hope I did not interrupt anything important, but... I am pregnant?!]

A massive wave of relief washed over my chest at her sudden exclamation. With the unique nature of my high-level cultivation, I had been genuinely unsure if I could even get her pregnant at all, let alone this quickly, so I spoke into the receiver with a warm, genuine smile.

"Really? I am so incredibly happy we managed to do it," I said, my voice softening as I guided Mei through the crowded sidewalk. "This child was far more of a dream for you than even being a police officer. That job was something you did strictly for our dad and for our own survival, but this baby is entirely for us. I am so proud of you, my wife. I love you."

[Rick, you are being incredibly sappy, and you say it like you are completely incapable of having more children, ufufu. Well, get back to whatever trouble you are causing out there. I just absolutely had to tell you the news before I blast it to everyone else in Harem-Chat. Love you too, bye. Click... do do do...]

Mei watched me lower the phone as the call went dead, a soft, teasing smile playing on her lips. "Your next business venture should probably be a preschool and a playground, built just to accommodate your future children, fufu," Mei joked, nudging my side playfully with her elbow. "Let us go to the karaoke center now so we can thoroughly investigate the place before tomorrow's meeting."

Mei and I walked hand-in-hand toward the entertainment district, turning our investigation of the building's interior layout into a pleasant afternoon date.

Later that night, I sat at the small desk in our hotel room, typing away at my laptop to finish up some leftover paperwork when the sudden vibration of a call from Inu disrupted the silence.

"Mother, what is up?" I greeted, balancing the phone between my shoulder and ear while my hands remained on the keyboard.

[Tonight in exactly three hours, on the west-side docks, the duel will take place. Will you come watch from the shadows?]

"Hmm? For you to call me out of the blue like this, you must be feeling incredibly suspicious about the setup, right?" I reasoned, shutting my laptop completely to give the conversation my full attention. "Yes, I will bring my night-suit and work behind the scenes. I will do absolutely anything to protect Hinata."

She sounded relieved, [Giving you my silly daughter was a true blessing to her. I feel that bringing Steven into our lives was a massive blessing to our entire Kyusho family. Thanks for coming to help, see you later, and I will text you the exact location details now.]

I hung up the phone and walked over to my heavy gear bag resting in the corner of the room. Unzipping the hidden bottom compartment, I pulled out the dark fabric of my tactical ninja suit. Ling Ling and Mei stopped what they were doing the moment they saw the gear, their expressions tightening as they realized danger was brewing.

Mei stepped forward quickly, her eyes searching mine for instructions. "Master, what can I do to assist you?" Mei asked, her hands already reaching out to help organize my equipment.

"I am just going out to watch over Hinata's duel to make sure nothing goes sideways," I explained, checking the buckles on my tactical vest. "Don't worry, the threats out there are absolutely nothing to me. Just make sure to stay awake so you can let me back in through the window later. I need to leave from the exterior side of the building to keep my watchers completely in the dark."

Ling'er stepped up to help me, her hands moving efficiently as she strapped the tight outfit and protective gloves onto my body. Once the gear was secure, she handed me a small plastic contacts case containing a pair of dark brown lenses to hide my distinct eyes.

Mei walked over to her own travel bag, reaching deep into the pocket to pull out a tightly wrapped set of specialized ceramic throwing knives covered in a sleek, non-reflective black glaze.

"Here are my ten personal knives, and do not worry about retrieving them from the scene," Mei instructed, carefully pressing the wrapped bundle into my hands. "I have plenty more back in storage, and absolutely no genetic material can be left on their surfaces."

I took the bundle and slid them securely into my lower-back pouch, completely unaware of what massive impact those ten ceramic knives would end up having later in the night, sigh.

Ling Ling crossed her arms, watching me adjust the pouch. "I can follow along in the shadows if you like?" Ling Ling offered, her gaze tracking my movements with intense focus. "It is incredibly easy for me to keep pace."

I leaned down and whispered softly against her lips, pressing a gentle kiss there to soothe her nerves. "Just protect Mei here at the hotel for me, alright?" I whispered, gently cupping her jaw to ensure she felt my reassurance. "You are pregnant now, so we need to make sure you stay warm and entirely comfortable."

"Such absolute bullshit, as if I have never carried your children through a fight before," Ling Ling snorted, rolling her blue eyes even as she leaned into my touch. "But whatever you say, go play ninja."

I leaned down to kiss Mei goodbye, pressing my lips to hers before turning back toward the open window frame.

"My smartphone is on stealth mode, so just call in case of an absolute emergency," I instructed, giving her a reassuring look before checking my gear one last time. "I will rush back instantly if there is any trouble. See you in a while."

With the room lights completely dimmed, I slid smoothly out of the high-rise building and made my way down the sheer exterior wall, utilizing my Advanced Cat Burglar technique to navigate the drop.

Climbing swiftly to the structural corner of the building, I tied off a thin, specialized cable designed to let me lower myself down to exactly one floor above the ground level. Securing it at this height ensured the line remained completely hidden from casual passersby on the street below. Once anchored, I allowed myself to free-fall through the dark, using the cable to instantly slow my rapid descent just as I reached the final floor.

With the reinforced capabilities of my new body, a stunt like this amounted to absolutely nothing. I possessed enough physical durability to drop a staggering ten floors without breaking a single bone, though doing so raw still managed to hurt like a total bitch. Yes, I had actually tested that limit myself. Even more nuts, if I actively flushed my physical frame with my core reserves of Chi, I could drop those same ten stories and not even feel a single bit of pain, which felt like a total cheat code.

"Lucy, start looping the security cameras on my slated path toward the dockside, thanks," I muttered into my hidden earpiece, my eyes scanning the alleyway below.

[Dear, it is already completely done...] Lucy's playful voice chimed instantly inside my ear, her digital confirmation letting me know the coast was clear.

I immediately began running at full speed through the dark streets, deliberately routing myself down the most abandoned pathways available. I utilized high-level parkour methods to smoothly vault over various small physical hazards, relying on my enhanced sensory awareness to spot and avoid incoming people long before they could ever catch a glimpse of me.

I had deliberately left my body camera behind to avoid freaking out Lucy with my extreme movements, while my Master Level Stealth skill made me almost entirely invisible to anyone else out tonight.

Sadly, my dark route forced me to witness multiple petty crimes going down in the alleys, but I intentionally ignored most of them to maintain my focus on the mission. I did pause long enough to quickly snap the neck of a stray scumbag who was actively punching a defenseless woman, chalking it up as one small good deed done in the deep shadows.

A lone car cruised through the darkness of the night, and I timed my sprint perfectly to leap completely over the moving vehicle as it passed underneath me. The driver only managed to see a formless black shadow flash across his windshield, similar to the optical illusion a large bird might cause. I could clearly read the sheer, wide-eyed confusion plastered across his face through the glass, knowing his brain was struggling to process a feat that no ordinary human could ever accomplish.

In only fifteen minutes of continuous sprinting, I arrived early at the industrial docks, immediately pulling up my specialized Cat and Mouse application to pinpoint the exact locations of my active snipers.

"Okay, time to systematically kill the enemy snipers," I whispered to myself, checking the grip on my weapons as I surveyed the high perches of the harbor. "Now my real work starts in the shadows, ensuring Hinata never finds out I actually helped her tonight."

With those final words, I took a single step backward and melted completely into the surrounding darkness, vanishing as if I had never been standing there at all.