The four women had dressed this way partly to compete with whatever “women of the house” might be inside, but now that they had a clear look at her identity, embarrassment flooded them all at once.
The Myriad Snake Queen—also known as the Snake Consort Empress—whose true name was Cai Lian. In his previous life, she had been one of Yan Zhen’s two principal wives, her status even a notch above Zi Xunyi’s.
Yan Meng’er and Yan Ruyu had rarely crossed paths with Cai Lian back then. Her qualities were simply too outstanding. From her appearance and temperament to her cultivation and background, everything about her left them feeling utterly inferior.
Mi Xue’er’s impression of Cai Lian lingered mostly on the image of a “cruel and cold-blooded Myriad Snake Queen,” evoking nothing but fear—even now, after her rebirth.
Even Xiao Xinyan, who had never met her before, found herself cowed by Cai Lian’s overwhelming presence and instinctively lowered her head.
What they didn’t realize was that Cai Lian felt even more flustered than they did right now. She had planned to get acquainted with these four little sisters tomorrow, but Yan Zhen had insisted on putting her on the spot tonight. All she could do was force a high-and-mighty, aloof demeanor as if nothing untoward had happened.
Yan Zhen looked them over leisurely and noticed the four women standing awkwardly outside the bedchamber area. “Come on over,” he said. “Why are you lingering so far away?”
This custom-made luxury canopy bed was a three-chamber design, complete with three sets of doors. Step through the first, and decorative furnishings flanked the left and right. A little farther in sat the vanity and storage cabinets, while the bed itself occupied the innermost space. Windows opened to either side of the bed, and an intricate lattice backed it, turning the whole thing into a cozy little room within a room.
The four women moved to the second chamber, positioning themselves between the vanity and the cabinets.
Summoning her courage, Yan Meng’er took the initiative. “Cousin, who is this?”
Yan Zhen shot her a sidelong glance, inwardly noting that Meng’er wasn’t being entirely forthcoming, but he let it slide. “This is Cai Lian,” he said. “She’s from the City of Water. Most people call her the ‘Myriad Snake Queen.’ You’ve all heard the name, I’m sure?”
Xiao Xinyan gasped in shock. The Myriad Snake Queen of the City of Water—a supreme powerhouse in the Mystic Lord Realm! And she was here with her junior brother Yan Zhen…
The other three didn’t react as dramatically; they were merely puzzled by the Myriad Snake Queen’s sudden appearance. In their previous lives, she hadn’t arrived from the City of Water until after Yan Zhen had become the Jialan Holy Son.
“As people of the Three Major Kingdoms, how could we not know the Myriad Snake Queen of the City of Water? Her name rings like thunder in our ears.” Yan Meng’er mustered her nerve and dipped her head in greeting. “Greetings, Sis—er, Sister She Ji. I’m Meng’er, your cousin’s favorite little cousin~”
Cai Lian didn’t stand on ceremony. She nodded with a gentle smile. “Hello, Little Sister Meng’er. You’re every bit as clever and sweet as Yan Zhen described.”
Yan Meng’er blinked in surprise. Why was her sister-in-law’s attitude so different from what she remembered? In their previous life, the woman had always worn a frosty expression, keeping everyone at arm’s length. She’d spent two years in the holy land without making a single friend and had clashed terribly with Cousin’s confidante, the Thousand Fiend Queen. They’d snipe at each other the moment they met, escalating from barbs to outright brawls—fights that brimmed with murderous intent. Terrifying.
So why did she come across now like the perfect matriarch of the household?
Yan Ruyu found it odd too. Timidly, she spoke up. “I-I’m Ruyu.”
Cai Lian turned her gaze to Yan Ruyu. “Cousin Ruyu? Is that an acceptable way for This Queen to address you?”
Yan Ruyu started to nod, then caught herself and shook her head instead—but that felt wrong too. Flustered, she blurted, “You’re older than me. I should be the one calling you ‘Sister.'”
Cai Lian shook her head slightly. “It’s better to stick with the original family hierarchy. Yan Zhen calls you ‘Cousin Ruyu,’ so how could This Queen possibly claim to be your senior?”
Yan Ruyu froze. Was this really the haughty Myriad Snake Queen?
“You wouldn’t mind?”
A faint blush colored Cai Lian’s cheeks. In her previous life, she never would have bowed to anyone, but after everything she’d been through, she had long since clarified her own place in the world.
She was the Myriad Snake Queen of the City of Water, yes—but above all, she was Yan Zhen’s wife. The latter took precedence.
Just as Zi Xunyi had done back then. Despite being the God Maiden of the Heavenly God Clan, she had humbly accepted a junior role and called Cai Lian “Sister” of her own accord.
“As the saying goes, marry a chicken and follow the chicken. There’s no ‘minding’ about it. If it makes you uncomfortable, This Queen can simply call you ‘Ruyu.’ Would that work?”
“O-Of course.”
“Then don’t call me ‘Queen.’ Just ‘She Ji’ will do for This Queen.”
With that, Cai Lian turned to Mi Xue’er, whose heart skipped a beat. Nervously, she said, “Sister She Ji can just call me Xue’er—no need for ‘Senior Sister.’ We’re not blood relatives, after all.”
Xiao Xinyan chimed in hastily. “I’m Xiao Xinyan, Yan Zhen’s… partner. I look forward to your guidance, Sister She Ji.”
Cai Lian murmured a soft acknowledgment, a memory surfacing. At the grand wedding in their previous life, these four had attended alongside Mentor Yu Xuan. Even after ascending to emperorhood, Yan Zhen had remained ever-courteous, addressing her and Mi Xue’er as “Senior Sisters” and crediting their care during his time at Mystic Academy. Ji Ya, who had overseen the event, hadn’t dared neglect them, seating the pair as honored guests alongside a host of renowned Mystic Venerables and Supreme Powerhouses.
“No need to be so formal,” Cai Lian said mildly. “From now on, we’re all sisters. Let’s just get along peacefully.” She paused. “There are a few other sisters besides This Queen. I’ll introduce you all properly another time.”
The four women were taken aback, almost overwhelmed by the honor. Cai Lian’s demeanor clashed utterly with their preconceptions—she was far too gentle, practically mirroring Mentor Yu Xuan. And that aura of the principal wife… it left them utterly compliant without a fight.
Yan Zhen was surprised too. Earlier that day, she’d been all huffs and puffs with him. Now she had slipped seamlessly into main-wife mode, welcoming his little sisters with open arms. Talk about playing favorites.
“You’re all reincarnators, aren’t you?” he remarked. “This isn’t our first meeting. Isn’t all this polite talk getting a bit stale?”
The words hung in the air. The three—Yan Ruyu, Yan Meng’er, and Mi Xue’er—froze, then panicked.
Had they been exposed?
Mentor Yu Xuan had sworn she hadn’t breathed a word to Yan Zhen. So why…?
Their eyes flicked to Cai Lian, the same thought striking them all at once: Was she a reincarnator too?
Cai Lian shot Yan Zhen an irritated glare. He’d ruined the harmonious atmosphere she’d worked so hard to build with a single offhand comment.
Couldn’t he have broken it to them gently? No, he had to blurt it out—probably just to watch them squirm in mortification.
That rascal!
“Yan Zhen,” she said firmly, “step outside for a moment. This Queen needs to speak with the little sisters privately.”
Wait, what? Yan Zhen blinked. Was that really necessary? What could they possibly say that he couldn’t hear? Keeping secrets from her own husband? Hardly proper.
But Cai Lian ushered him firmly toward the door. With a sigh, Yan Zhen left his own bedroom and headed upstairs to Long Ying’s room on the second floor.
Long Ying was blissfully unaware that the four women had returned. She lay sprawled across the bed in deep slumber, limbs akimbo, quilt kicked half off.
Yan Zhen approached quietly, tucked the covers back around her, and settled at the bedside. He gazed at the Loli Dragon Girl’s adorable sleeping face, his mind drifting to the matter of subduing the Wind-Thunder Crystal Fire.
As if sensing his presence, Long Ying smacked her lips and rolled over. Her little arms snaked around his thigh, her cheek nuzzling against it. She mumbled something unintelligible through a sleepy grin.
“Yan Zhen Zhen… hee hee hee~”
