Chapter 621 – Reunion - Part 3

From the side, Bai Xinxuan quietly observed the situation.

She still didn’t know Li Yuan very well. But these old friends of his? They were her best window into understanding him.

That night, the Dean dutifully fulfilled her wifely role, their union harmonious in every sense.

The next morning, Li Yuan returned to his cultivation. The battle three months ago may not have brought him as much power as he’d hoped, but it hadn’t been fruitless either.

Bai Xinxuan quietly summoned her many disciples.

Before long, all the information about the people Li Yuan had toasted at the wedding banquet was laid out before her.

As she traced the threads of his life in the mortal world, she felt a growing sense of reassurance.

𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

All the details pointed to one thing. Once someone became part of this man’s family...he never truly let them go.

Yes, he was a cunning old monster, calculating, ruthless, and dangerous.

But somehow, this old monster still harbored a heart that could love. That could care.

He was a man of loyalty and feeling.

Bai Xinxuan let out a long, relieved sigh. Then she destroyed the documents and rose to her feet, ready to meet her new

sisters.

When she arrived at the side hall, Ping’an and Sheng’er were already there.

Bai Xinxuan gave them the kindest smile she could muster.

Soon after, she met the four others, Cui Huayin, Jing Shuixiang, Yao Jue, and Xie Wei.

She had already learned of these four. Now, she lowered her posture without hesitation and addressed each of these little sisters with sincere warmth.

None of them objected.

After all, it was common knowledge that this latecomer to the family wouldn’t be playing the role of

Concubine #8

.

In terms of age, experience, and strength, Bai Xinxuan was more than qualified to be the eldest sister.

Naturally, Xie Wei, an expert in social maneuvering, was the first to warm up to her. Yao Jue, not to be outdone, quickly joined in. Before long, Cui Huayin and Jing Shuixiang were part of the conversation too.

The five women chatted freely.

Bai Xinxuan spoke of cultivation and the shifting tides in the Eastern Sea.

Xie Wei shared old stories of her time with Li Yuan. Yao Jue chimed in now and then, and even the more reserved Cui Huayin and Jing Shuixiang offered occasional remarks.

One was the elusive and mysterious hand in the Eastern Sea. The other, a former empress who had stirred the fate of the Central Plains.

Surprisingly, they got along quite well.

But no one mentioned the one person who wasn’t there.

Because everyone knew that Xie Yu had departed.

The sword-wielding woman in red had left in a carriage, alone, headed for the sky port.

Though it remained sealed to most, she had wanted to return to the Central Plains.

Through Sheng’er, she sent Li Yuan a single message.

I want to see Zhen’er. I want to stay with her.

Li Yuan couldn’t say no. So, he let her go.

Now, she was probably standing at the bow of a flying ship, staring out into the ever-changing clouds, watching waves and mist rise beneath her.

Whether she had cried, no one knew.

But Li Yuan couldn’t chase her.

The wall that stood between them, forged of old wounds and hardened silence, was too tall, too heavy. Even if he caught up to her, what could he possibly say to make it all right?

Besides, he had no time to chase her. He couldn’t leave.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Half a year passed.

The Immortal Alliance was formed, and it had begun to function in earnest.

Then news came back from the little crow. Xie Yu had arrived at the Star Manor.

But truth be told, it wasn’t so much that Xie Yu had gone to be with her daughter...as it was Zhen’er who was now looking after her.

Xie Yu, free-spirited and impulsive, hadn’t changed.

But Zhen’er, already nearing 50, already walking the path of acceptance, was more like the adult now. A child who had grown up with barely any memories of her mother, and yet, in her later years, was blessed to finally be accompanied by her.

But Xie Yu refused to speak of Li Yuan, not a single word.

Instead, it was the little crow who quietly passed on news of Li Yuan to Zhen’er.

Zhen’er, piecing together the fragments, slowly began to understand the history between her parents. She tried to bridge the gap between them.

But Xie Yu was unyielding. The moment Zhen’er mentioned Li Yuan’s name, her face would go cold. No matter how hard she tried, the conversation would die there.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Another three years slipped by.

By now, all the major hidden clans and powers of the Eastern Sea had joined the Immortal Alliance.

At last, the Alliance was unified.

Li Yuan had also reached the peak of consolidating his power. There was nothing left to refine, no weaknesses to patch.

And through Ying Zhuoyao, he learned something critical. There were only 12 years left until the Great Upheaval of Heaven and Earth.

The countdown had begun.

It was time, time to explore the ancient halls.

The date was set for three days later.

That night, seven shared a single bed.

Li Yuan lay on his back. On his left arm nestled Cui Huayin and Xie Wei; on his right, Bai Xinxuan and Yao Jue. On the outer edges, curled inward toward him, were Ying Zhuoyao and Jing Shuixiang.

In the darkness, the room stirred softly with rustling fabric, the quiet crackle of firelight. The passion eventually burned out, ember by ember.

This kind of

blessing of seven beauties

, it was the first time in over a hundred years that Li Yuan had truly enjoyed such indulgence.

Suddenly, he moved a single finger of his left hand.

Sensing the signal, Ying Zhuoyao, lying furthest out, silently leaned forward and began to siphon lifespan from his body.

Then Li Yuan turned to his right, only to see Bai Xinxuan blinking at him in the dark.

He asked, “How’s the investigation into the Faculty of Ghosts?”

Bai Xinxuan replied, “Aside from that sarira, we haven’t found any other inheritance. Seems like only Shi Jialan knows the rest.”

Li Yuan said, “Three days from now, I’ll bring him to the ancient hall. If he still refuses to talk, I’ll throw him into the shattered void.”

Then he turned his head back to the left and saw Cui Huayin, who used to wear a faint look of disdain, now lying there silently listening, eyes wide open.

He smiled and asked, “How’s your father?”

Cui Huayin replied, “He’s reading ancient texts at the Faculty of Puppetry. They’ve got a number of crafted puppets and weaponsmithing skills stored away.”

Li Yuan’s expression dimmed slightly at the word

puppets

, a shadow flickering through his gaze. Clearly, he was remembering someone long gone, someone whose fate remained unknown.

He chatted for a while longer with the women around him. Then, falling quiet, his eyes turned toward the ceiling, his gaze piercing through roof tiles into the starry sky beyond.

The night sky was dazzling, stars scattered across it like spilled jewels, sparkling and lively.

A line from an old Immortal Domain manuscript surfaced in Li Yuan’s mind.

“The universe is vast and high, and the stars can all be seen. But no matter how far you travel, you can never reach them.”

That...was the boundary.

The veil that separated.

There were bright realms and dark ones.

The bright realms could be seen. The dark ones could not.

“So then,” Li Yuan murmured, “the stars belong to the bright realm...but the ghost street, the Underworld, and even the ancient halls hidden now within the chaos, they must all be part of the dark realm.”