SSS rank Mother-In-Law to an Invincible Family

And while things were moving along outside the world, Xu Qianghua, for once, there were no reports on his desk.

No maps floating in the air.

No casualty numbers scrolling past his eyes.

Just the sound of crashing waves.

Xu Qianghua sat on the wide wooden deck of a coastal villa, legs stretched out, arms resting on the sides of the chair.

He wasn't wearing his usual robes. No layers. No formal colors. Just a loose shirt, thin pants, and bare feet.

The sea breeze hit his face.

It felt… strange.

But good.

After so many sleepless nights, so many blood-soaked updates, and too many lives weighed on every decision, this was the first time he had taken a real breath in days.

No one knew he was here.

Not even his closest aides.

He didn't leave a message. No notice. Just left a minor clone projection back in the Xu family subspace to give the illusion he was still working.

Because he knew there was nothing left to do right then.

Not really.

The beast faction had pulled back. The Zerg hadn't made another move. The Unified Army was already helping the Western Continent recover.

And most of the world had stabilized.

It wasn't peace.

Not yet.

But it was quiet.

The kind of quiet that didn't last long—but still, when it came, you had to take it.

Qianghua leaned back a little, looking out at the waves.

Nexara was one of the few regions not directly affected by the beast invasion. Tucked away on the far edge of the Central Continent, it was quiet, peaceful, with sprawling beaches and long stretches of untouched coast.

Several years ago, he purchased this land under a quiet shell name. Back then, it was just a fallback idea—somewhere private, isolated, a place to disappear if the burden ever became too much.

He hadn't visited since the world merged with the game mechanics.

Now, it felt like a completely different planet.

But the waves hadn't changed.

Neither had the sky.

He stood up slowly, letting his toes dig into the warm wood, then stepped down onto the sand.

The beach curved gently in both directions—no people, no buildings, just smooth dunes and sea grass waving in the wind.

His steps were slow.

Not because he was tired.

But because he wanted to feel each one.

The sand was warm beneath his feet. A little rough. A little sticky.

He walked toward the waterline, listening to the soft thud of waves breaking just ahead. Small crabs scattered near his toes. A few spirit gulls circled overhead, their shadows dancing across the shore.

Qianghua didn't use any spiritual energy to enhance his senses. No defensive formations. No aura pressure.

Just a man.

Breathing.

Being.

As the water touched his feet, he closed his eyes.

This place reminded him of the old days.

Back before the game systems merged with reality.

Back when he, along with the ladies, spent the last few days in that island resort.

When they used to rent out a little resort spot near the ocean every summer, the wind always smelled like salt.

The rooms were always too bright in the morning, and the beds were too soft. But the sound of waves had always calmed his mind.

And for some reason, it still did.

He stood there for a long while, letting the water splash against his ankles.

Eventually, he turned and walked back to the house.

It wasn't large. Just a clean wooden villa with sliding doors, an open courtyard, and a single spirit tree growing beside the back patio. There were no guards. No maids. No disciples.

Only silence.

And solitude.

Inside, he poured himself a small cup of chilled tea and sat at the dining table near the window.

The glass pane opened sideways, letting the sea breeze in. The sound of waves filled the room.

He didn't check for messages.

Didn't reach for a communication crystal.

Didn't call anyone.

Instead, he leaned back and let the silence wrap around him.

For once, the pressure on his chest felt lighter.

He had done everything he could these last few weeks.

Sent plans.

Set traps.

Triggered chain reactions across entire continents.

Guided armies without ever stepping onto the battlefield.

And now, he needed to stop.

Because rushing forward without a clear plan would be a mistake.

He couldn't attack the beasts just to make a point.

He couldn't engage the Zerg without knowing the full extent of their strategy.

And more importantly, he couldn't burn his people's energy chasing shadows.

Not now.

There would come a time when the Xu family needed to strike again.

But this wasn't it.

This was the pause between storms.

The stillness before the next wave.

And if he didn't breathe now, he wouldn't be ready when the time came.

The tea tasted slightly bitter.

He didn't mind.

His eyes wandered across the room—simple furniture, clean floors, a few soft spirit lanterns hanging from the beams. He didn't need more than this.

This is because there is not much more he would need, as this is a spot that the other ladies know, but few come here without me, so the place is not the best.

And this house wasn't for meetings.

It was for moments like this.

Moments when even the strongest had to admit they were tired.

He reached into his inner sleeve and pulled out a small jade pendant.

Not a weapon.

Not a key.

Just an old charm given to him by someone who used to say, "Even generals need days off."

He placed it on the table beside the tea.

The sound it made was soft. Grounding.

He stared at it for a while, then smiled faintly.

He had no plans for the next two days.

No strategies to write.

No simulations to run.

He would sit.

He would walk along the beach.

He would sleep if his mind let him.

And if a storm came early… then he would return.

But until then, this was enough.

The world could move without him for a while.

And for once, he would let it.