SSS rank Mother-In-Law to an Invincible Family

The waves rolled in gently, foaming across the shore before pulling back again.

Xu Qianghua sat in a reclining chair just outside the villa, his arms resting along the sides, legs stretched out, and eyes half-closed under the warm afternoon sun.

The sea breeze brushed past his skin, cool and salty. It was peaceful here. There were no system messages, battle alerts, or elders knocking on his door to ask about urgent family affairs.

Just quiet.

And for once, he let himself enjoy it.

His body was relaxed, but his mind—while not racing—was still quietly thinking.

Memories drifted in the background like clouds: images from the past life, old battles, old friends, the first time he saw the system interface appear after the merge, the moment he realized what kind of world this was becoming…

He didn't move when he heard the soft footsteps behind him.

The villa was protected by layers of formation, so anyone arriving without his approval would've triggered at least five warnings.

So, if someone made it this close, it could only mean one thing.

He smiled faintly. "You're late."

A soft chuckle answered him. "You didn't exactly leave a message saying you'd be here."

Li Xinyue's voice was familiar—steady, calm, with just the right touch of teasing that always felt natural coming from her.

She stepped into view from behind, wearing a casual light green dress that fluttered with the breeze.

Her long hair was tied back in a loose ribbon, and her eyes sparkled when they met his.

"I asked around when you didn't answer the family token," she said, kneeling down behind his chair. "Took me a few minutes, but your clone projection gave it away."

Xu Qianghua didn't answer.

Instead, he closed his eyes again as her hands reached up and gently pressed against his shoulders.

Her fingers were warm and practiced—knots he hadn't even noticed began to loosen under her touch.

He let out a long breath, sounding far more tired than expected.

But he knew that this was more due to her technique than his tiredness, as his cultivation is at a level where he can be in those kinds of situations for weeks and be fine.

However, he did not stop her. He liked it when she did this, as her method increases Spiritual Qi absorption, which helps him bring in more pure Spiritual Qi into his body.

"You could've told me," she said quietly.

"I didn't want to be followed," he replied. "This was supposed to be… nothing more than a small break to reset my thoughts."

"Nothing?" she repeated, amused.

He opened one eye and gave her a sideways glance. "A break. A pause. A moment to remember things that aren't made of blood, war, or power."

She nodded slowly and pressed a little deeper into his shoulder blades. "So, what? It's not like you cannot leave all of this to the elders and just have fun. You do know each and every single one of the elders is powerful and smart enough to control a massive family.

So, you doing so much work can help the family grow, but it is not like you are forced to do so."

Xu Qianghua snorted lightly.

"By the way, why here, though?" she asked, after a moment.

"This place…" He paused, then looked out at the water. "It reminds me of the old world before everything changed. Back when no one knew what was coming."

Li Xinyue stayed quiet.

"Back then," he continued, "people lived a much simpler life, although there were deaths and stuff, but not to this scale as we have now."

"But now?"

He smiled faintly. "Now, it is a world where the strong rule while the weak can only make themselves stronger or hug someone's thigh for protection."

She moved her hands to the base of his neck and worked in slow circles. "So this is you letting go?"

"For a few days, yes," he said. "There's nothing pressing right now. The beast faction is licking its wounds. The Zerg haven't made their move. And anything smaller… the Elder Council can handle it."

"You are finally willing to let them get some work in?"

"I mean it's not like I am not letting them," he said. "They've mostly spent time cultivating and building their teams, and most of the day-to-day work doesn't need my interference.

So I just let them do it, which is why I can completely focus on the major problems and not worry about the day-to-day stuff?"

She gave a small nod of agreement.

"And besides," he added, "if anything serious happens, they'll let me know. Until then, I'm going to sit here, drink cold tea, and maybe walk the beach if I feel like it."

Li Xinyue smiled behind him. "That doesn't sound like you."

He tilted his head slightly. "That's because all of us have been so busy since the merge, and even before that, both of us still did a lot of work."

There was a pause.

Then he added, quieter this time, "In my last life… I didn't rest. Not even once. Always moving. Always reacting. Always trying to fix something that was already broken."

Her hands slowed.

"I can't afford to live like that again," he said. "Not when things are still savable."

"You think they're savable?" she asked.

He looked out at the sea again. "Barely. But yes."

"And what about you?"

He didn't answer right away.

Then, with a small shrug, he said, "That's why I'm here. To find out if there's anything of me left that's not just… the strategist. The enforcer. The shield."

Li Xinyue leaned forward, her hands resting lightly on his shoulders now.

"There is," she said softly. "I can see it."

"Then help me hold onto it," he said, only half-joking.

She smiled again and stood up slowly.

"I brought food," she said, walking back toward the house. "You're not allowed to skip meals just because you're pretending to be on vacation."

"I never said I was pretending."

"You didn't have to," she called back, already disappearing inside.

Xu Qianghua leaned back again.

The breeze carried the scent of the ocean and, faintly now, the smell of cooked rice and vegetables from the kitchen.

He closed his eyes again, letting himself drift in the sound of waves and the presence of someone who didn't need anything from him, not now.