Chapter Fifty: A New Body!

The day’s training had come to an end.

At the entrance of the villa, Xiao Qing personally lit refined charcoal, set up the grill, brushed the lamb with a marinade prepared by Yang Ye, and began to roast it.

As the sizzle of meat filled the air under the bright lights, Yang Ye took out a piece of living wood, cut off a two-meter segment, and started carving a new body for Xiao Qing.

This was something Xiao Qing had persistently and adamantly requested from Yang Ye.

She wanted a more mature body—no longer the appearance of a twelve- or thirteen-year-old. She longed to grow up quickly.

“I want to look eighteen, a real adult!” she declared, pouting as she watched Yang Ye draw a short knife and begin shaping the living wood.

Yang Ye smiled. “Alright, alright! Just be careful not to burn the meat.”

He understood well—children always wished to grow up fast. Besides, Xiao Qing’s mental growth was indeed rapid.

At that moment, Yang Ye finally understood why his grandfather had left behind the living wood.

A dragon’s physical growth cycle was so long; to take human form could take ages. If Xiao Qing remained in her dragon form by his side for all those years, his grandfather had worried that the bond between them would never become that of man and woman.

With other remarkable women appearing around him, what then? Yang Ye was, after all, a young man full of vigor.

But with the living wood, it was different. Xiao Qing could stay by his side in the shape of a woman—essentially allowing her to assume human form ahead of time.

What’s more, it made communication between them much easier.

The effect was obvious. Now, in Yang Ye’s heart, Xiao Qing had truly become a girl.

“Grandfather was so thoughtful!” This realization struck Yang Ye, and his mind involuntarily drifted to that night on the boat.

“Once she’s grown up, is it finally time to taste the forbidden fruit?” Yang Ye murmured with a smile.

“What do you mean, taste it? The meat? It’s not done yet!” Xiao Qing caught his muttering, shot him a glance, and laughed.

“Oh, right!” She put down her brush, hurried over to Yang Ye, and said, “This time, make it even more beautiful!”

“A young lady truly deserves the most beautiful appearance in the world,” came a familiar, gentle voice.

Yang Ye and Xiao Qing turned their heads. It was, as expected, Butler Mu.

Butler Mu stood holding a stack of paper scrolls. They looked like ancient paintings, complete with wooden rods at either end.

“Butler Mu, what brings you here?” Yang Ye asked in surprise.

Butler Mu replied, “I have arrived just in time. Young master, you’re carving a new body for the young lady, are you not? I have brought a few portraits for your reference.”

He handed the scrolls to Yang Ye, who carried them into the villa’s living room.

There were five in total. Yang Ye laid them out on the clean tea table and unrolled them one by one.

He’d expected ancient paintings, but to his astonishment, the images were as clear as if captured by a camera.

Each depicted a woman of breathtaking beauty, all dressed in flowing, ancient-style gauze, both elegant and alluring.

“They’re perfect!” Yang Ye could not help but exclaim after a cursory glance.

“Hmph!” Seeing Yang Ye’s gaze linger on the portraits, Xiao Qing pouted with displeasure.

Yang Ye realized she was jealous and said with a laugh, “Don’t misunderstand, Qing. I’m studying these portraits to carve you the perfect body.”

Butler Mu said gently, “Look closely, young master. What do these five women have in common?”

“In common…? They’re all flawless, almost as if deliberately designed,” Yang Ye mused.

“Wait…” Suddenly, Yang Ye’s eyes widened. “Butler Mu, these five women look remarkably alike—almost as if they were cast from the same mold. Only… there are subtle differences.”

As for those differences—Yang Ye felt it inappropriate to mention in front of Butler Mu which woman had the fuller bust, the rounder hips, and so on.

Butler Mu nodded. “They look alike because they are all Xiao Qing’s elder sisters. Sadly, they are no longer in this world.”

“Ah…” At these words, Xiao Qing’s eyes widened in shock.

Aside from her grandfather, she had never imagined having other relatives.

She was about to question further, but Butler Mu said, “Asking won’t change anything, young lady—I only know this much.”

“They’re gone…?” Xiao Qing’s face was full of sorrow.

Yang Ye gently rubbed her head, offering comfort, then asked, “Butler Mu, you brought these portraits so that Xiao Qing’s new form would resemble her sisters, didn’t you?”

Butler Mu nodded.

“My mother must have looked like this, too,” Xiao Qing added softly.

She had long known her parents were gone.

Butler Mu replied, “That I cannot say, for I never met your mother, young lady.”

With those words, Butler Mu bowed to them and said, “I must return to guard the Dragon Palace and cannot stay longer.”

Without waiting for Yang Ye to try to detain him, Butler Mu’s figure flickered and vanished into the night.

Just then, the smell of burning drifted in from outside.

“Oh no!” Xiao Qing cried, dashing out.

Yang Ye shook his head, smiling, and gazed at the portraits, letting his mind shape Xiao Qing’s new image.

Soon, Xiao Qing returned, pouting. “Husband, I burned the meat.”

Tears welled up in the corners of her eyes as she spoke.

“Don’t cry, Qing. Didn’t you say you want to be grown up? Adults shouldn’t cry so easily,” Yang Ye said, wiping her tears away before pulling her into his arms.

He understood—Xiao Qing was truly grieving for her lost family.

Then, cupping her face, he planted a kiss on her cheek—his tried and true method.

A blush instantly spread across Xiao Qing’s face, and she teased, “Husband~”

From then on, Yang Ye trained during the day and spent his evenings designing Xiao Qing’s new body.

He paused the carving until the design was finalized.

To that end, Yang Ye even bought a computer and downloaded a character creation program.

After five days, he finally finished.

On the computer screen, a young woman appeared—her features matching those in the five portraits, her proportions adjusted to near perfection.

Yang Ye then called Xiao Qing over to see.

She scrutinized the model, frowning. “The chest isn’t big enough, the waist needs to be a bit thinner, the hips aren’t shapely enough…”

She rattled off a litany of ‘flaws.’

Since it was to be her own body, Yang Ye patiently made the adjustments she requested.

When he finished and looked again, he was surprised to find that the slight changes had indeed made the figure even more stunning.

Xiao Qing was very satisfied too. She kissed Yang Ye and declared, “Husband, carve it like this—I love it.”

Yang Ye nodded. “Then I’ll suspend training for the next two days to focus on the carving. I’ve already unlocked the third seal on the Solar Gauntlet. With more than twenty days left, there should be enough time.”

Xiao Qing beamed. “Then tomorrow I’ll head into the sea and bring you back some beast cores, husband.”