Chapter 069 – Long-Term Plans

After dinner, Xue Ning took a bath and, after drying off, dabbed a few drops of rosewater on her skin to give her body an enticing, silky sheen. She then slipped into a red silk robe, climbed under a thin quilt, and arranged her long legs in a suggestive, intertwined manner.

In the moonlight, her white skin took on a soft pink glow of shyness and anticipation. Her full breasts rose and fell in rhythm with her quickened breathing, and her heart fluttered with excitement as thoughts of the coming moments sent tingles through her. Her fingers clutched the quilt nervously, much like during the nervous anticipation of her first marriage.

She was about to be with a man once more—a capable, young man who, if all went well, might even father her a child. The mere thought set her heart racing wildly.

Outside, Yan Yu guided Li Yuan to the door, then linked her arm with his and whispered teasingly, “You know, Big Sis and I aren’t the same kind of woman. So put a little more energy into it tonight. From now on, don’t go sneaking glances at other women again either!”

Li Yuan, exasperated, replied, “Since when have I ever done that?”

Yan Yu ignored his protest and laughed, “Don’t be so self-absorbed. You’ve got to make her happy too.” With that, she gently ushered her husband into the room before darting off.

Inside, Xue Ning sensed footsteps drawing near. She said nothing but quickened her breathing as the quilt was gently lifted. Soon, a robust figure slipped beneath the covers...

The night seemed to blaze like quiet flames.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

The next morning, Li Yuan awoke to find the beautiful woman in his arms still sleeping soundly. Not wanting to disturb her, he lay back in the bed and began to ponder.

As he absentmindedly scanned the status window, a message popped up.

「

You spent a harmonious night with Yan Yu and gained 7 stat points.

」

Li Yuan paused in surprise. What did that mean? Did it imply that as long as marital relations were harmonious, every night automatically netted him points? And since Xue Ning was also favored by Yan Yu, her presence wouldn’t disrupt that harmony. That was why the stat points were still granted? Could it be that this system only worked in a monogamous setup, at least for now binding only Yan Yu?

A flurry of thoughts rushed through his mind, but Li Yuan simply shook his head and set them aside. Well...that actually made things a lot easier. He was confident that with his relationship with Yan Yu, those stat points would surely keep accumulating day after day.

Over the coming century, he planned to try every possible way to help Yan Yu extend her lifespan and eventually transition into cultivation. The path to immortality was arduous, but if he could ease the journey for someone he loved, he would spare no effort.

After all, he was just an ordinary man of the mundane world. What the future might hold was uncertain, and he wasn’t about to become so indifferent as to treat his loved ones as fleeting shadows.

As a simpleton of the common world, Li Yuan never really warmed to those immaculate beings from the heavens. If he ever did attain immortality, he had no desire to swap his identity and join their ranks.

And if it still doesn’t work out, then in a hundred years I’ll just have to see if the system ever reassigns itself.

Once that thought was settled, his mind turned to the matter of gathering intelligence.

On his return, he had been ambushed by assassins from the Wei Family. Although the encounter ended without harm, it served as a stark reminder. While he was cautious enough, his ability to gather information and grasp the overall situation was woefully inadequate.

If only he’d known more about Silver Creek when he was at Little Ink Village, he might have made a wiser decision, perhaps even delaying his return by a few days.

Then there was the black market. Back then, Cai Ze had given him a choice among the public market, black market, bailiff duty, and watch patrol; and he chose the black market.

But had he known beforehand the true state of the black market and the other three avenues, he might never have run afoul of that lurking

ghost

there, or been forced to feign illness to escape trouble.

Establishing reliable intelligence channels to obtain accurate news was crucial. Otherwise, he’d be stumbling in the dark and risk falling into another trap next time.

So, how could he set up such channels?

One was by taming animals. With winter giving way to spring, Gemhill County was finally seeing some birds around. Perhaps he could try to tame them.

Next, there was Xue Ning.

Just as he was pondering this, the woman in his arms let out a soft, breathy sound. Xue Ning opened her enchanting eyes and looked intently at Li Yuan’s face, her gaze filled with tenderness.

She was tall and graceful. In many ways, her form suited Li Yuan’s physique better. Whereas Yan Yu’s petite feet could only dangle from his calf, Xue Ning’s feet could actually reach his.

There were many differences between the two women. For instance, Yan Yu had an oval face with gentle almond eyes, while Xue Ning’s face was more angular with eyes that hinted at a fox-like allure, large rather than narrow.

Similarly, Yan Yu’s delicate frame was as graceful as a swallow, while Xue Ning’s was just a bit more strong, like a spirited steed.

“Young Master Li, what are you thinking about?” she asked.

“Still calling me Young Master Li?” he teased.

“Hehe...”

“Once the time is right, I’ll host a wedding banquet. I still owe Yan Yu hers. Then...how about I marry both of you?” Li Yuan suggested.

“The two of us shall follow your lead, Dearest,” Xue Ning murmured sweetly.

Only then did Li Yuan steer the conversation back. “I was thinking about our intelligence work,” he admitted.

“Intelligence work?” she echoed.

“Yeah...” he replied, and then went on to explain his thoughts. He even covered the true situation between the Blood Blade Sect and Wei Family.

Yet, unlike with Yan Yu, he couldn’t be entirely candid with Xue Ning, so he held back his deeper insights.

Xue Ning’s eyes sparkled as she considered his words. “I’ll give it a try...though I’m afraid it might not work,” she said after a moment.

“Why not?” Li Yuan asked, curious.

With a sigh, she confessed, “Since I’m yours, I might as well speak my heart. Speaking frankfully...those beggars aren’t exactly upstanding citizens. Really, what misdeed haven’t they committed on a daily basis?

“In the small mountain villages, whenever a household was missing a wife—or a child went missing...you can be sure that their traces were all over it. Not all of them are outright villains, but the good ones are scarce.

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Over time, any pity you might have felt for them fades, leaving behind mostly a sense of resignation. As for loyalty, that’s a foreign concept to them. They work for me simply to put food on the table.

“Sure, there’s a kind of hollow camaraderie between us, but it’s far from genuine. If you need them to do a few tasks on occasion, that's one thing; but if you expect them to gather sensitive intelligence, basic info might suffice, yet ask for something confidential and they might sell us out in the blink of an eye.”

Li Yuan mused, “Then we’ll just have to wait a bit. Pick out someone from among them who might be capable of leading the beggar gang. Once we’ve had our wedding, your status will carry extra weight, and that should keep them in line.

“But as for intelligence gathering, let’s not use them for that. I might have them do other things instead. And Xue Ning, keep an eye out for those beggars who are exceptionally vicious and ruthless; they could prove very useful to me.”

Xue Ning smiled softly. “Mhm. Good thinking. We’ll do just as you say. And there’s no need to hurry with the wedding banquet. If we rush it, we might provoke the surviving Wei Family members, and then the Ginger Tavern could be in serious trouble.”

She was clearly pleased by Li Yuan’s calm and steady manner. Resting her delicate fingers against his chest and playfully hooking her small foot around his ankle, she closed her eyes and drew in a deep, contented breath—as if a little bird had finally found a safe branch to settle on.

After another round of tender intimacy, the two eventually rose, dressed, and washed up. Stepping out into the dining hall, they found Yan Yu already at breakfast.

Upon seeing Xue Ning, Yan Yu giggled and came over to take her hand. “Big Sis, did he give you any trouble yesterday?”

Xue Ning laughed. “Our husband is wonderful. How could he ever trouble me? Besides, before long, it’ll be me calling you Big Sis!”

Yan Yu teased, “Oh, Big Sis, you’re so cunning. You’re making me feel old!”

The two women continued their lighthearted banter, filling the room with a warm and harmonious atmosphere.

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

Over the next few days, Xue Ning busied herself furnishing the estate, and she frequently dashed into the inner district to spend the nights with Li Yuan. She and Yan Yu were already on friendly terms, and in just a couple of days the two women found themselves sharing the same bed with Li Yuan—a true blessing of communal happiness.

That particular night, with one woman on each side, they rested their heads on Li Yuan’s arms, whispering sweet nothings in the quiet dark.

In a soft voice, Xue Ning murmured, “Dearest, this house still feels awfully empty. Yan Yu and I have talked about it. We could hire a few more maids. I’ve done some checking, and it turns out that since the Blood Blade Sect took over the Wei Family’s territory, the black market has been flooded with their former maids and even some female relatives.

“Quite a few of them are very beautiful, and the disciples of the Blood Blade Sect are scrambling to buy them. Would you consider purchasing a few? Honestly, if they truly join our household, it’ll be a blessing for them. After all, not everyone gets as lucky as you.”

Li Yuan, holding the two women in his arms, gazed up at the ceiling. In that moment, his mind flashed with grim images—a heavy, black-cloth-covered iron cage; the bone-chilling cries echoing from a dark alley; the aggrieved, resentful face of that woman who had, in despair, driven herself headlong into the iron bars of a cage to end her life...

He said firmly, "I’m not buying from the black market. You shouldn’t either."

The two women didn't ask why. When their husband made a decision, it was final.

Yan Yu piped up, "Big Sis, let me tell you. Our husband isn’t going to buy from the black market."

Xue Ning teased, "Why are you still calling me that? Shouldn’t I be the little sister now?"

Yan Yu laughed, "Let’s call each other whatever you like... In this household, there’s no first or second wife. You and I are equals."

Xue Ning fell silent for a moment, then softly said, "Thank you..."

She continued, "Since our husband is worried that outside maids might have ulterior motives, I'll send over the four maids who’ve been with me for ages—Mei, Lan, Zhu, and Ju. They’ve been loyal all along, even though they don’t possess the glamorous looks of those girls peddled in the black market."

Li Yuan, embracing the two women, remarked, "What glamorous girls? In this world, none are more beautiful than you two."

Yan Yu giggled, "Our husband is sweet-talking again."

Xue Ning laughed too, "It does feel wonderful to be flattered..."

˙·٠✧🐗➶➴🏹✧٠·˙

The next day, the four maids arrived at the estate and settled into the west wing of the women's quarter. They were close to Xue Ning and clearly understood why she’d sent them; they came happily, regarding Li Yuan with the deference due to a master.

Soon after, Li Yuan registered them officially, and they became part of his household.

That night, the vast estate finally felt a bit more lively.

Li Yuan wandered through the inner hall. After a while, he heard the gentle sound of birds chirping on the branches above. Clearing his throat, he playfully called out, "Chirp"

A light chirp replied from overhead.

Catching the signal, Li Yuan continued, "

Hold on, I'll get you some food...

"

“Chirp chirp...

You?

”

In a flurry, Li Yuan dashed to the dining hall and scooped some rice into a bowl. With his circumstances much improved these days, he had long abandoned settling for mixed millet and beans.

He then hurried out to the courtyard and called, "

Come eat!

”

But the courtyard was silent. Glancing around, he saw that the bird had already flown away.