Yan Zhen couldn’t fathom why the Yu Shizun had suddenly turned cold toward him, but he doubled down on his sweet-talking charms. After a barrage of honeyed words, she couldn’t maintain her aloof demeanor any longer. Obediently, she wrapped her arms around his waist, and they entered the Fire Refining Starry Sky to complete their sixth dual cultivation session.
When it ended, Yan Zhen was no longer weakened, but the Yu Shizun fussed over him just the same. As always, she cradled him in her arms and fed him recovery pills.
Yan Zhen figured this was her way of showing gratitude, so he didn’t resist—in fact, he played along perfectly.
Sure enough, her gaze softened as she looked at him, every bit the devoted wife tending to her weary husband.
Once the timing was right, the Yu Shizun departed first. Yan Zhen lingered in the Fire Refining Starry Sky, sharing some intimate moments with his beautiful master before finally heading out.
No sooner had he returned to Holy Son Peak than Cai Lian informed him that the Yan Family had arrived. They were now settled in Pilgrimage City at the base of the sacred land’s mountain.
“Grandpa and the others are here?” Yan Zhen felt a mix of joy and concern. “In that case, I’ll take Meng’er and Cousin Ruyu to see them.”
Cai Lian hesitated, words catching in her throat.
Yan Zhen knew what was on her mind and reassured her. “Cai Lian, it’s not convenient for you to go out right now, so why don’t you sit this one out? Once you’ve given birth to Yan’er, I’ll bring everyone to meet Grandpa and the rest together.”
“Wouldn’t that be… a bit rude?”
“I’ll explain it to everyone—they’ll understand.”
Long Ying, standing nearby, chimed in. “Then I won’t go either.”
Yan Zhen ruffled her draconic head haphazardly. “I didn’t invite you in the first place.”
Long Ying huffed in haughty fashion, tucked her hands behind her head, and sauntered back to her room with the swagger of someone who owed the world nothing, intent on a good nap.
Yan Zhen headed to the cultivation grounds where the four women trained. He found Yan Meng’er and Yan Ruyu and shared the news with them.
Both women lit up with excitement. It had been two years since they’d gone home, and they missed their parents terribly.
The trio soon boarded a luxury speedboat and flew down to Pilgrimage City.
The distance was short—they arrived in less time than it took to brew a cup of tea.
Pilgrimage City was home mostly to the families of the sacred land’s attendants and elders, stratified by rank and status. But the Saint Son’s kin ranked among the most exalted.
The new Yan Mansion sat squarely in the central district, nearly ten times the size of their old estate in Martial Tang City. It easily placed in the city’s top three grand residences, a status wholly befitting the Saint Son’s family. It might as well have been the city lord’s manor.
It wielded no real power—no say over other clans, no tax collecting—but its prestige was unmatched.
Once properly settled, the newcomers were strangers in a strange land, so they skipped any formal banquet. They simply shut the doors and shared a family meal as their housewarming feast.
To their surprise, the city’s noble houses descended uninvited. Every day brought guests at the Mystic King or Mystic Lord Realm, all exceedingly courteous and laden with lavish gifts.
Yan Lie scarcely knew whether to accept or decline, fretting that it might cause trouble for his grandson. For days, he swung between delight and worry—beaming one moment, furrowing his brow and sighing the next.
Yan Lie wasn’t alone; the rest of the Yan clansmen felt much the same. Naturally, some were more thick-skinned—like Yan Meng’er’s mother, Yan Zhen’s little aunt. She primped and preened daily, ever ready to dote on her dim-witted daughter and her nephew.
The moment she heard they’d arrived, she dashed off to find her bosom friend—Yan Ruyu’s mother, Yan Zhen’s big aunt—and together they went out to greet their fine nephew.
Yan Zhen, Yan Meng’er, and Yan Ruyu stepped off the speedboat and entered the gates, only to see Grandpa and the others rushing out to welcome them. They hurried to meet them.
“Mother~”
Seeing her dear mother again stirred Yan Meng’er’s heart. She raced toward the woman, who was jogging over—only for her mother to breeze right past her. Instead, she sidled up to Yan Zhen and looped her arm through his with lavish affection.
The tears brimming in Yan Meng’er’s eyes evaporated in an instant. She halted, shooting mortified, furious glares at her heartless mother, too incensed to speak.
The beautiful woman cooed in a syrupy voice. “Such a good boy, Zhen’er. Your little aunt always knew you were a dragon among men, the one to revive the Yan Family. And look—I was spot on! Our Meng’er might not be good enough for you anymore, but she could at least serve as your concubine. You’ve known each other since childhood, after all—you understand one another inside out. Being together would be perfect, wouldn’t it?”
Yan Zhen’s mouth twitched. He felt utterly helpless against his little aunt’s effusive familiarity. By contrast, the big aunt immediately fussed over her own daughter, inquiring after her well-being.
The elders watched Yan Zhen with barely contained excitement, Yan Lie’s eyes misting over most of all.
“Well done, Zhen’er. Your father would be bursting with pride if he could see you now.”
Yan Zhen held off on mentioning news of his father for the moment. He smiled, made a few polite replies, then helped the old man into the banquet hall and instructed the kitchen to prepare the feast.
The meal stretched on for quite a while, interrupted midway by more visitors seeking an audience. Mindful of the Yan Family’s position going forward, Yan Zhen didn’t turn them away. After eating, he received them alongside Grandpa, his uncles, and the other elders—accepting fitting gifts and politely returning the rest.
“Stay the night here. Grandpa’s already had the servants tidy up a courtyard for you.”
“Alright.”
Yan Zhen couldn’t bear to refuse. He ended up staying at the Yan Mansion for three full days before departing.
“If you miss me, Grandpa, just come up to the sacred land. I’ll send someone to fetch you.”
“Good Zhen’er, and what about your little aunt? Can she come too?”
“Uh…” Before Yan Zhen could respond, Yan Meng’er cut in irritably. “Mother, just stay put—you’re annoying enough to look at!”
“Hey now, what kind of way is that to talk to your mother?”
The little aunt’s face soured at once. Yan Meng’er ignored her and hustled Cousin Yan Zhen along. “Let’s go!”
The luxury speedboat rose smoothly into the air, then shot off. In short order—less than the time to sip a cup of tea—they were back at the sacred land, without so much as a ripple.
Yan Zhen had half-expected the Evil Consort to ambush him during that brief jaunt outside.
To be frank, she was a Mystic Saint. Even freshly healed and not fully recovered, snuffing out a pipsqueak Mystic Lord like him would be child’s play.
The moment he stepped beyond the sacred land’s bounds—no matter how short or long the distance—she could materialize out of nowhere and snatch him.
And yet… nothing. Had the Evil Consort abandoned her designs on him?
Back at Holy Son Peak, Yan Zhen settled into his routine cultivation.
He dove into the Fire Refining Starry Sky to study pill refining, talisman drawing, and soul refining with his beautiful master.
He ventured into the Bitter Sea Cave-Heaven for body refining under his Saint Lord master’s watchful eye, battling various lotus root people.
All the while, he sought guidance on blood techniques from his beautiful master, Cai Lian, Long Ying, and the Saint Lord master. He occasionally practiced Gangsha Unity with Xian’er and dropped in to help the Yu Shizun fine-tune her dual cultivation.
Days turned to weeks without any major incidents. Big Aunt Yu Yan and Little Aunt Yu Qing were swamped with their own duties and couldn’t visit the sacred land, contenting themselves with messages of encouragement.
Months slipped by like this. Yan Zhen’s mystic power plateaued at One-Star Mystic Lord, but his divine soul and physique saw substantial gains. He picked up fresh blood techniques and soul techniques to boot.
Cai Lian’s due date loomed ever closer, while little Yan Yan fussed nearly every night. “I feel like I’m about to be born!” Her plight left her mother exasperated.
Yan Zhen paused his cultivation for the time being, devoting his days to chatting and strolling with mother and daughter.
At last, that very evening, Cai Lian was seized by a sudden stab of abdominal pain. She buckled at the knees and collapsed into Yan Zhen’s arms.
