Yan Zhen lay on the bed with his hands clasped behind his head, grinning like an idiot as he turned into a total slacker.
His Evil Consort Master had told him to stay put in the Demonic Flame Palace and wait for her return, so of course he was going to obey. What if she got mad and refused to get intimate with him afterward?
Thinking back to the steamy moments he’d shared with his master, Yan Zhen couldn’t help but let out a sleazy chuckle.
Sleeping with his master was technically betraying his ancestors, but what if it was mutual passion? Then it wasn’t betrayal—it was a forbidden romance.
—Oh man, that’s embarrassing~~~
Yan Zhen giggled foolishly while wriggling on the bed like a worm.
It took a while before he calmed down. Then he remembered Jiu Youyue, whom he hadn’t seen in ages.
“I wonder if Big Sis has come out of seclusion yet. Maybe I should go check on her before Master gets back?”
After all, Big Sis was the one he’d shared his first night with, his dual cultivation partner. Sure, it was a bit greedy, but he still wanted to make her his official dao companion.
—It’s not like I’m a player or anything. Since we’ve already done all that, I should take responsibility for her.
With that thought, Yan Zhen sprang off the bed, ready to shed his sleep robe and don his Divine Child robes. But then he sensed a familiar aura, and his movements froze.
“Little Zhen, open the door! I’ve come to see you.”
Jiu Youyue’s voice drifted in from outside. Yan Zhen’s eyes lit up. Forgetting all about changing, he dashed over and flung the door open.
There she stood, his alluring and beautiful big sis, pretty as a picture. Her sparkling almond eyes roamed over him, her gaze soft and sticky with longing, clearly missing him just as much.
“Big Sis!” Yan Zhen lunged forward and pulled her into a tight embrace. “I’ve missed you so much.”
Jiu Youyue felt a secret thrill. This time, she’d finally stolen the show in front of Sister She Ji. Hmph~
She wrapped her arms around his waist in turn, gently stroking his head. Then a distorting pull from space yanked them both into the Fire Refining Starry Sky.
Yan Zhen sensed something off and released Jiu Youyue. He looked up—and froze in shock.
A simple hug, and they’d crossed into another world?
Taking a closer look, he saw the vast plaza, the enormous Heavenly Pillar, the endless void, and the burning stars. Wasn’t this exactly the scene from his dreams?
Yan Zhen jolted in alarm, for he spotted three familiar, beautiful figures—
The three female attendants from Jialan Holy Land: the Myriad Snake Queen in her colorful skirt, the Thousand Fiend Queen in her gray dress, and the pink-haired rice-bucket loli dragon!
He’d had a one-night stand with the Myriad Snake Queen, but it hadn’t been consensual—she’d been taken by him in his berserk state, and afterward she’d sworn to castrate him if she got the chance.
The Thousand Fiend Queen clashed with his gangsha; they were sworn enemies who bickered on sight. They’d fought multiple times, with wins and losses on both sides.
As for the rice-bucket loli dragon, she’d mooched off his meals the whole time he was undercover at the academy. He’d pranked her with maniac-level spicy food several times, pissing off the little loli so much that she held a grudge and demanded his arrest!
All three were trouble waiting to happen.
He quickly let go of Jiu Youyue and stepped forward, shielding her behind him.
“You… what are you all doing here?”
The three women had already heard about Yan Zhen from Jiu Youyue. They knew the Evil Consort had tampered with his memories, making him see them—and Jialan Holy Land—as “enemies.”
They’d braced themselves for it, but seeing his wary, unfamiliar expression still twisted their hearts a bit. Long Ying especially pouted her little lips.
“Yan Zhen Zhen…”
“Don’t call me that, you rice-bucket loli dragon!” Yan Zhen said with distaste. “Baby talk is gross. Next time, it’s maniac-level spicy for you!”
Long Ying had been feeling down, but that set her off. She shot back loudly,
“Who’s a rice-bucket loli dragon? You’re the big dummy, Yan Zhen Zhen! I don’t eat maniac-level spicy—I like it mild! (She emphasized.)”
“I like it mild too, so is that your excuse for mooching off me?!”
“I-I’m not mooching!”
“You totally are! Every time, and it costs me a fortune!”
“You gave it to me yourself, Yan Zhen Zhen!”
“You mooched it!”
“Did not!”
“Eat and deny, huh? Classic rice-bucket loli dragon move!”
“Don’t call me rice-bucket loli dragon, you dummy Yan Zhen Zhen!”
Cai Lian, Yi Xian’er, and Jiu Youyue exchanged subtle glances as the two bickered like kids on the playground. The vibe was nothing like they’d imagined.
Still, it lifted their moods.
This childish, petty side of Yan Zhen felt just like the boy they’d first met—no strangeness, just nostalgia.
Ignoring past lives, it had only been three years, and this rascal had gone from a pure, hardworking youth to a flirtatious saint son.
“Father Emperor~~~”
Yan Yan suddenly popped out from behind Cai Lian’s butt and launched herself at Yan Zhen from midair. He was still trading barbs with Long Ying when he heard her voice. Glancing over, he saw a pink, tender loli in a flaming miniskirt plummeting toward him. Instinctively, he stretched out his arms and caught her securely.
Big and little locked eyes. Yan Zhen blinked in confusion.
“Little girl, who might you be? Don’t go yelling random stuff—I’m a pure and innocent man. Bad for my rep.”
“Doesn’t Father Emperor remember me?” Yan Yan pouted, aggrieved. “I’m your precious baby girl~”
“Precious baby? I don’t remember having a daughter your age.” Yan Zhen frowned. “Who’s your mother?”
Yan Yan pointed backward.
“Cai Lian, of course.”
“Cai Lian? Oh, the Myriad Snake Queen. Wait—hold up!” A horrifying suspicion dawned on Yan Zhen. “You, her, me… don’t tell me it was… a one-time thing and she got pregnant?!”
He gawked at the cold beauty in her colorful skirt. Arms crossed, she averted her eyes with a touch of guilt. Recalling how bewildered Yan Zhen had been the first time he met Yan Yan in their previous life, she couldn’t help but smile faintly, her lips curving up.
Yan Zhen’s face twisted in disbelief. Right now, he wasn’t ready to be a dad at all. He was still just a fragile-ego Divine Child who needed cuddles and pampering from his Evil Consort Master and big sis.
—They came here for the kid to meet her dad?
Yan Zhen’s scalp tingled. Facing these “enemies,” he lost all confidence. He whipped around to Jiu Youyue and found her watching with a gleeful, popcorn-munching look.
—Phew, good, Big Sis isn’t mad. Wait… something feels off!
Yan Zhen reeled, his mind a total fog like he’d been hit with some infinite illusion jutsu. Before he could sort it out, another eager call rang out:
“Zhen’er…”
His heart lurched. A blurry black-and-white figure flickered in his mind, drawing his gaze. There stood a stunning woman in a black dress with white hair, gazing at him with sorrow and heartache. Her flawless, otherworldly face and peerless curves gradually overlapped with that hazy image in his head.
“You… you’re…?”
