Looking at Dean Little Aunt and Mentor Aunt blocking his path ahead, Yan Zhen inwardly cried out that things were bad.
If they found out he had another wife who was pregnant, they would probably skin him alive.
The Yu Family’s tolerance for him as a live-in son-in-law was already sky-high to begin with. The Yu Family Head Mother-in-Law had even said they could bring his four little girlfriends from the academy back to the Yu Family to serve as his concubines.
In contrast, not only did he show no intention of properly marrying in, he even wanted to turn the tables and take control of the Yu Family. Though his goal was simply to be with Mentor Yu Xuan, it still carried a whiff of being an “ungrateful cur” that couldn’t be tamed.
As Yan Zhen grew more familiar with the Yu Family’s elders, his guilty conscience only deepened—especially toward the Yu Family Head Mother-in-Law.
Though he’d only seen her three or five times over the past year, she always received him with utmost care, treating him like a jackpot son-in-law.
In truth, Yan Zhen was nothing of the sort—just a philandering radish tattooed with an Evil Dragon Mark.
If System-chan weren’t in the middle of upgrading, it would probably be smacking him in the face nonstop with the System Interface.
“…”
Yan Zhen instructed Cai Lian and Long Ying to stay inside the cabin. Then he opened the top hatch, leaped out, and stepped across the starlight to land before Dean Little Aunt and Mentor Aunt.
A month apart, and the two beautiful elders still radiated captivating charm.
Dean Little Aunt wore a flowing blue skirt draped with her dean’s cloak. Her hair hung loose and unadorned, swaying in the wind like a carefree homebody.
Mentor Aunt, by contrast, had her long hair neatly combed and simply pinned up. Her curvaceous figure was wrapped in a white mentor’s robe, and she wore oval glasses over a beautiful face set in an unyielding expression—a straight out of a vice principal’s mold!
Yan Zhen kept his eyes straight ahead and greeted them politely.
“I’ve come to pay my respects to Little Aunt and Aunt.”
Dean Yu Qing and Grand Mentor Shui Bailan both sized Yan Zhen up from head to toe.
“I heard you took a month’s leave to visit family back home? What kind of family visit takes that long? You didn’t go off doing something shady, did you?” Dean Yu Qing eyed him suspiciously before adopting her elder’s tone to lecture him. “Don’t think that just because you’ve claimed the top spot on the Inner Court Star General List, you can slack off in your cultivation. The Inner Academy is full of crouching tigers and hidden dragons—your number one spot could vanish in an instant!”
Yan Zhen shot Dean Little Aunt a disdainful look. A month apart, and the first words out of her mouth were this kind of scolding.
The twinge of guilt in his heart eased a fraction. He was even tempted to hit her with the Social Death Deck again.
Grand Mentor Shui Bailan skipped the theatrics. In a mild tone, she asked, “Have you finished handling your affairs?”
Yan Zhen nodded and informed them about the Heavenly Gu Elder—a powerhouse from the Demon Domain—appearing within Garo Kingdom borders.
The two beautiful elders were stunned by the news.
According to the plot, the killer of his no-good father-in-law was none other than the Heavenly Gu Elder’s chief disciple, the Poison Lord.
The man’s poison techniques were impossible to guard against completely, so his father-in-law had fallen to an insidious plot. He’d perished miserably on the chase, dying with unspent grievances.
Dean Yu Qing glanced at her close friend and assistant. The other woman’s eyes had clearly sharpened; beneath her sleeve, her fair fist clenched tight.
Yan Zhen continued, “I have a feeling the Demon Domain is gearing up for something big. Mentor Yu Xuan, being a reincarnator, should know about it. She might have already informed Yu Shizun—you could ask her.”
The two women pondered this thoughtfully.
Grand Mentor Shui Bailan recovered first and changed the subject. “Your four little girlfriends have entered the Inner Academy already. They’ve even joined the club you founded. You can see them as soon as you head back—no need to go to the Outer Academy.”
Yan Zhen nodded. “Got it. Thank you, Little Aunt and Aunt, for looking after them all this time.”
“Who knows what kind of luck with the ladies you’ve stumbled into. Hmph!” Dean Yu Qing muttered darkly. “We’re planning a trip back to the Yu Family at the end of this month. You’re coming with us. Second Sister’s been asking about you lately.”
“Uh, I’ll see if I can make it.”
“Putting on airs now, are you?” Dean Yu Qing crossed her arms, shedding any pretense of elder dignity to reveal her true colors as a spoiled young miss. “I’ve already told Second Sister you’re coming. Go or not, you’re going!”
“It’s not like that. I need to sort out some cultivation issues first.”
“What’s wrong?”
“My cultivation method is special. I need to refine an Extreme Flame to advance to the next realm.” Yan Zhen answered honestly. “It’s been nearly two months since I broke through to Mystic General, and my cultivation hasn’t budged. I need to hurry and refine a new Extreme Flame.”
Dean Yu Qing and Grand Mentor Shui Bailan both stared at him in shock.
“A technique like that? Wait—does that mean your three Extreme Flames came from doing this?”
“Yes.”
“So you’re planning to refine a fourth Extreme Flame?”
“That’s right.”
The two beautiful elders exchanged a glance, both finding it utterly unbelievable. They’d never heard of such a technique. Refining even one Extreme Flame was a massive risk—going for nine or ten? That was suicide.
Still, considering Yan Zhen was a prized disciple of the Flame Saint, it seemed almost reasonable.
“Extreme Flames are exceedingly rare, especially the powerful ones. Weaker ones ranked beyond a hundred aren’t hard to find, though. The Han Family has two, as far as I know.”
“I’ve got Phosphorus Fire, ranked 108th, as a backup.”
“You want one higher-ranked? That’s tricky.”
“Ahem. There’s one in the Inner Academy ranked 21st that I have my eye on. I’d like to go for it—hoping you’ll approve.”
“In the Inner Academy? Wait—you mean that one on top of the Firmament Nine-Story Tower? No way. That’s the core treasure of the tower!”
“I think we can talk it over. Didn’t Thunder Supreme try to take the Wind-Thunder Crystal Fire before? He failed, but I’d like to give it a shot now. Can’t I? Besides, Thunder Supreme just waltzed up and tried to claim it, which proves the Wind-Thunder Crystal Fire belongs to the academy—not the Yu Family. If I succeed, it becomes ours. Right?”
Dean Yu Qing was momentarily speechless, glaring at him like he was the epitome of shamelessness.
Grand Mentor Shui Bailan let out a light chuckle and nodded in agreement. “That’s a fair point. And Thunder Supreme doesn’t seem ready to give up. If he takes it, we’re just handing it over for nothing. Better to give Yan Zhen the chance. He’s one of ours, after all.”
Dean Yu Qing wasn’t opposed to letting Yan Zhen try—not exactly. She was worried about the danger.
“How do you plan to take it? Even Thunder Supreme failed. A Mystic General like you would just be throwing your life away.”
“Don’t worry, Little Aunt. I’ll make full preparations to ensure success. I’ll discuss the details with Grand Aunt later.”
“So mysterious. At least notify us before you make your move.”
“Got it. Well—I’m off, then?”
“Wait!” Dean Yu Qing flew closer to Yan Zhen, her gaze shifting to the airship behind him. “Why do I sense a strange yet powerful aura inside there?”
Yan Zhen’s expression flickered. He coughed twice. “Oh, that’s Long Ying. She’s almost back to her original form now—strong enough to fight a Mystic Ancestor. When the Heavenly Gu Elder’s avatar showed up earlier, she helped out a lot.”
“I see. Take good care of her, then. Otherwise, if the Dragon God Clan comes demanding justice, we won’t be able to cover for you.”
“Yeah, yeah. Long Ying’s already a great partner of mine. Of course I’ll look after her. Anything else? If not, I’m heading to the Inner Academy.”
