I'm a major player in a parallel universe

After pondering for an entire day, Yang Hao Xuan's eyes were beginning to ache. Frustrated, he closed the book and rubbed his tired eyes. Just then, a maid entered the room and softly spoke, "Young Master, Master wants you to come for dinner."

"I have no appetite," Yang Hao Xuan replied, twisting his neck to relieve the tension. "You can bring the food over here. I'll eat when I'm hungry."

But the maid did not leave. She hesitated, looking both troubled and a little scared. With a hard swallow, she said, "But… but Master said it's a celebration for you…"

"Is that so?" Yang Hao Xuan sighed in resignation, setting the Changsheng Decision aside and stretching his legs.

The maid stood stunned. Although Hao Xuan had been holed up in his room for a month, training and seemed to have softened his temper, she was still afraid of him. In the past, if he hadn't wanted to go for dinner and the maid had said even a word more, he would've exploded, possibly even hit someone.

But now, Yang Hao Xuan just said, "Is that so?" so calmly and stretched out to put on his shoes. The maid blinked, realizing he wasn't going to lash out. With a slight shake of her head, she stepped forward and offered, "Young Master, let me do it."

"Huh?" Yang Hao Xuan froze for a second, watching as the maid walked over. She squatted down and began helping him put on his shoes. In his past life, there had never been a woman to help him with something as simple as fetching water or washing his feet. Moreover, the position they were in now felt rather awkward—one man sitting, one woman squatting, and her head bowed low.

Cough! Yang Hao Xuan quickly forced the strange thought out of his mind. He couldn't help but glance at the maid. She wasn't exactly beautiful, but there was something about her—a petite, delicate figure that was oddly charming.

"Ah… the flowers of our nation," Yang Hao Xuan sighed, "They need watering!"

"Huh?" The maid hesitated for a moment, looking up. "What did you say?" But then, her voice suddenly turned extremely flustered. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry, Young Master, I shouldn't have asked!" She quickly backed away.

"It's fine!" Yang Hao Xuan stood up, seeing the maid's frightened expression. He teased, "What are you so scared of? I won't bite you!"

I'm afraid you will bite me! The maid thought to herself but dared not speak it out loud.

"This darn thing!" Yang Hao Xuan muttered to himself as he held the Changsheng Decision, preparing to set it down and head out for dinner. But suddenly, a thought struck him. He looked at the maid and said, "Take a look at this!"

Flustered, the maid took the book, but as soon as she touched it, she realized something was wrong. She quickly waved her hand. "No, no, Young Master, I don't know how to read!"

"Stay still!" Yang Hao Xuan suddenly barked. The maid froze in place, too frightened to move. Stealing a glance, she saw the Young Master staring intently at her chest.

However, this was a misunderstanding. Yang Hao Xuan wasn't eyeing the maid, but rather the Changsheng Decision she was holding. She was holding it upside down, and the little figure depicting meridian lines was also upside down.

The sight stunned Yang Hao Xuan. He rushed forward, grabbing the book from her hands and flipping it around, examining it with excitement.

"I get it now! I finally get it!" Yang Hao Xuan murmured to himself, his excitement palpable. He realized the change in the Changsheng Decision wasn't in the meridians or anything technical—it was in the posture! Yes, the posture!

"YES!!" Yang Hao Xuan exclaimed, then impulsively hugged the maid beside him. "You're my lucky star!"

It was over! It was finally over! The wicked Young Master was going to harm her! The little maid's heart raced with panic. Is he going to push me down now?

She tightly closed her eyes. But suddenly, she felt Yang Hao Xuan release her. Though his grip hadn't loosened, her fear seemed to intensify.

"Wait, what? Is the Young Master planning to torment me now?" she thought.

A while later, she opened her eyes and found Yang Hao Xuan was staring at her curiously, asking, "Why are you so scared?"

"I…" The maid froze, unsure of how to respond.

"It's fine!" Yang Hao Xuan patted her shoulder and reassured her, "I won't eat anyone!"

"Young Master... I..." The maid still looked at him with pleading eyes.

"Don't worry!" Yang Hao Xuan patted her shoulder a few more times.

"It's not..." The maid's voice trembled with nervousness.

"What's the matter?" he asked.

"Young Master... your hand..." The little maid finally gathered her courage to say those words, her voice barely above a whisper.

Yang Hao Xuan was caught off guard. He realized with a shock that the hand he had just patted was on her... well, her chest!

Damn! Yang Hao Xuan quickly withdrew his hand, his face burning with embarrassment. He couldn't help but recall that, despite her small size, she hadn't been wearing a bra. The sensation… Cough! He stopped himself from going further into those thoughts.

Now that he understood the secret of the Changsheng Decision, Yang Hao Xuan had planned to go back to his studies. However, he had overheard from the maid that his father, Yang Batian, was hosting a large celebration for him, inviting key members of the family.

"Fine, lead the way," Yang Hao Xuan said awkwardly, scratching his head. "And you should know, I wasn't doing that on purpose earlier."

Not on purpose? The maid thought, deeply aggrieved. She said nothing but simply led the way ahead, still brimming with unspoken resentment.

In the Yang family hall, several tables had already been set up, and key family members were seated. The scene was odd, with some people expressing their congratulations to Yang Batian while others remained silent, their faces cold.

This was the ongoing struggle between the loyalists and the opposition. The opposition was naturally concerned with determining whether Yang Hao Xuan really had the strength to back up his reputation—and if so, what secret powers he might possess.

As Yang Hao Xuan approached the main table, his father, Yang Batian, quietly spoke to him. "Hao Xuan, you've done your father proud today. I'm happy for you. Although I don't understand why you're so strong, I suggest you tell them that a great expert from the mountains took you as their disciple and passed down their techniques. That should keep them guessing!"

"Mm!" Yang Hao Xuan nodded, understanding his father's intentions. He was slightly moved—his father, for all his flaws, always seemed to be thinking about him.

As soon as he sat down, someone from the family immediately asked, "Hao Xuan, congratulations on your success. But I have a question. When your dantian was healed, you were only at the second layer. How come you're so powerful now?"

It was Yang Hao Xuan's fourth uncle, Yang Ying's father, who stood up and asked this coldly.

With a nod from his father, Yang Hao Xuan stood up and explained, "Since everyone is asking, I'll speak plainly. The old man who healed my dantian also took me as his disciple. So he's my master. As for my current level, it's only the fourth layer. Since I was previously at the sixth layer, it's been easy to progress now that my dantian is healed. And my master also passed down an Earth-tier cultivation method!"

The mention of the Earth-tier cultivation method caused an immediate uproar.

On the Tianhe Continent, cultivation methods were ranked in four tiers: Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow. Cultivation methods were incredibly rare. Even the Yellow-tier methods were considered treasures in a family like the Yangs, and Mystic-tier methods required membership in a sect. As for Earth-tier methods, they were nearly impossible to obtain. The entire Great Yan Empire couldn't even acquire one.

But now, Yang Hao Xuan casually mentioned that his mysterious benefactor had given him an Earth-tier method as though it were nothing! How could they accept this? Who exactly was this mysterious figure?

Some of those who had planned to assassinate Yang Hao Xuan began to reconsider their plans. They realized that anyone who could provide such a treasure had power beyond measure.

Even Yang Batian was shaken, though he could not help but notice the sly grin on his son's face. A helpless smile spread across his own as he thought, This brat, he's more of a schemer than I am.