Chapter 387 - 161: Xu Lei’s Cover Blown

"General, I’m old and have lost my beauty!" That day, Xu Lei held Di Xixi, whose figure had grown a bit plump.

Di Xixi was feeling a bit self-conscious.

"It doesn’t matter, Xixi. I want you, right now!" Xu Lei said in a commanding tone. "Take off your clothes! I’m going to give you some intense Charitable Giving!"

Di Xixi obediently complied.

And so, Xu Lei did indeed perform Charitable Giving on Di Xixi.

"General, we’ve all become middle-aged women now."

"Should we find you a tender, young new wife?"

"After all, you’re still so strong and healthy, and you look so young!"

Di Mengmeng, Chu Shuhan, and Zhao Xiaoru also felt rather self-conscious around Xu Lei.

Although they were still more youthful and beautiful than Di Xixi, they ultimately couldn’t stave off aging the way Xu Lei could.

This made them feel a sense of transgression whenever they were with Xu Lei, as if the three of them were old women doting on a younger man.

Of course, Xu Lei would never scorn them. After all, they had been with him since they were young and delicate.

It was just that they were mortals, and Xu Lei was a Cultivator.

So, naturally, Xu Lei refused their suggestion that he take another wife.

’There’s no need. Mortal women can only offer their beauty; they can’t help improve my Cultivation.’

His four wives were now middle-aged and at their most ravenous—like wolves and tigers. It was also inadvisable for women their age to have more children, as it would be quite dangerous.

So Xu Lei simply decided to stay with them for the time being.

’I can still accept the extent of their physical aging for now. After all, they’re still mature women with a unique kind of charm.’

’But what about when they get even older? I’m not sure I’ll be able to accept them then.’

’So, while I can still accept them, I hope I can do my best to treat them well, performing Charitable Giving for them more often. That way, their marriage to me won’t have been in vain.’

His four wives were, of course, very moved by this and served Xu Lei with great tenderness.

And so, Xu Lei spent another seven years with them.

By this time, Xu Lei was forty-four years old in his third life.

He now had the appearance of a mortal man of about twenty-five.

Di Xixi, on the other hand, had become a woman in her forties.

Although she worked hard to maintain her appearance, she could no longer hide the wrinkles on her face, and gray hairs were gradually starting to appear.

Di Mengmeng, Zhao Xiaoru, and Chu Shuhan had likewise become somewhat plump women in their late thirties, approaching forty.

Of course, they also worked hard to exercise and control their weight, but the condition of their skin was gradually deteriorating nonetheless.

Although Xu Lei still cherished them in his heart, he sometimes found that his passion had waned, especially when it came to Di Xixi.

With Zhao Xiaoru, Di Mengmeng, and Chu Shuhan, it was still a little better.

But his passion had still diminished compared to when they were younger.

’It couldn’t be helped. As a woman’s youth fades, her allure to men inevitably diminishes.’

’I’m a normal, ordinary man, too; I can’t defy human nature.’

The main reason was that his marriages to them had not been built on much of a so-called emotional foundation of love in the first place.

Of course, on the whole, Xu Lei had still spent these years very happily with them.

Then, one day seven years later, Xu Lei’s Cultivation once again rose by a Small Realm.

He reached the Second Tier of Bodhisattva Ring Realm.

"A full seven years just to advance one Small Realm. It’s gotten a bit harder to progress than before."

Xu Lei sighed to himself.

Without Qing Lian’s help these past few years, he had been cultivating alone, and he felt his progress had indeed slowed.

Of course, advancing one Small Realm in seven years was actually still a relatively normal speed.

It was just that Xu Lei had enjoyed a faster rate of progress before, so returning to this ordinary rhythm felt like a letdown. As the saying goes, it’s hard to embrace frugality after living in luxury.

Unexpectedly, just as Xu Lei was feeling a bit gloomy about this, Bai Ling suddenly showed up looking for him.

It turned out that she had found traces of a Spirit Monster and wanted to ask Xu Lei and Qing Lian to hunt it with her.

"What? Qing Lian left?" Upon hearing that Qing Lian couldn’t join them, Bai Ling was momentarily stunned.

After all, there had been some unpleasantness between her and Xu Lei in the past.

If the three of them were going, Qing Lian could have acted as a buffer to ease the tension.

But now that Qing Lian was gone, it would be just the two of them, which was bound to be a bit awkward.

"That’s right. It’s just me now. So?"

Xu Lei asked bluntly, "Do you still want my help?"

"Of course I do. But let me be clear: I’m only looking for you to hunt the Demon. Don’t get any other ideas."

Bai Ling added, "Besides, we’re both our master’s disciples. Since hunting the Demon is a win-win for us, there’s no reason to look for anyone else!"

"Don’t worry, I won’t get any funny ideas. This is purely a partnership."

Xu Lei nodded. "Besides, I already have a Dao Companion. Qing Lian may have left for now, but she said she’ll definitely be back."

Indeed, Bai Ling had no better partner to turn to than Xu Lei, and Xu Lei needed her Creepy Spirit’s tracking ability. It was a case of mutual need.

Coupled with the fact that they had cooperated a few times in the past, the two ultimately decided to travel together.

After briefing his men at the military camp and leaving his trusted subordinates in charge, Xu Lei said goodbye to his four wives and left with Bai Ling.

There wasn’t much happening at the military camp these days anyway.