Within the White Jade Spring stood two rockeries, named for their appearances: one of gray rock, the other of crystal. Yan Zhen occupied the latter, its body gleaming throughout like crystal.
At this moment, the portion of the Crystal Rockery rising above the water had been entirely remodeled by him using the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire. He had hollowed out the structure, transforming it into a spacious chamber more than ten feet across in every dimension.
The floor lay just a bit higher than the water’s surface, and along the edge sat a waterbed. Yan Zhen lounged on the soft waterbed, his legs dangling into the water below, thoroughly at ease.
Shui Bailan and Yu Qing each leaned against one of his legs, serving him with the utmost devotion as if he were a great lord. Their two stunning faces—one exuding refined allure, the other vibrant charm—hovered close together. Her white hair and her blue hair complemented each other perfectly, evoking the image of twin flowers blooming side by side in breathtaking harmony.
Though they bantered noisily at times, the two women were longtime confidantes who understood each other even better than they understood themselves, their rapport seamless.
Shui Bailan was poised and intellectual; Yu Qing, by contrast, was more impetuous yet brimmed with liveliness.
From his elevated perch, Yan Zhen gazed down upon them, his eyes mingling pity with smug satisfaction. Every so often, he reached out to stroke their silken tresses of contrasting hues.
Most people on the Mystic Heaven Continent had black hair, but during cultivation, mystic power of various attributes could alter its shade.
Blue for the water attribute, green for the wind.
Such changes were generally under one’s control.
Take Mentor Yu Xuan, for instance: she liked to dye the inner layers of her hair blue while leaving the outer strands their natural color—a distinctive and, of course, beautiful touch.
Or consider Huangfu Wenqing, who cultivated hers until it glowed green, greener than a lush prairie where even sheep might be tempted to take a nibble.
Shui Bailan’s white hair carried a hint of blue, distinct from Chen Xi’s bright silver-white, Jialan Fairy’s pale gold-white, or Yi Xian’er’s ashen white.
As for which was loveliest, they each had their own merits.
Yan Zhen pondered this as he petted their heads, prompting the women to redouble their efforts. One on the left, one on the right, their attentions weaving back and forth in perfect alternation.
It had to be said that Yu Qing, spoiled and willful as she usually was, became as docile as a little baby in moments like these—utterly obedient.
Just then, the isolation barrier Yan Zhen had set suddenly stirred. It was Mentor Yu Xuan, who had swum over.
Taking in the scene before her, Mentor Yu Xuan inwardly confirmed her suspicions, a helpless yet bashful flush coloring her lovely features.
“Yan Zhen, didn’t you promise me you wouldn’t fool around?”
Yan Zhen blinked with wide-eyed innocence and pressed his hands atop Shui Bailan’s and Yu Qing’s heads. He said, “We’re playing hide-and-seek. Does the mentor want to join?”
“What hide-and-seek? I’m not— Eek!”
She had no chance to refuse. Yan Zhen’s mental tentacles lashed out, coiling around her and yanking Mentor Yu Xuan straight to his side. He swept her into his arms.
What he felt beneath his hands was all soft flesh, the sensation exquisite.
Yan Zhen maintained his harmless facade, his flame-lit eyes fixed brightly on his mentor wife.
“Mentor, my back’s been aching lately. Would you give it a rub?”
Seeing the smile tugging at his lips, Mentor Yu Xuan knew she had fallen right into this scoundrel’s trap. Escape was impossible. With a shy nod, she moved behind him, allowing him to lean back against her bosom. Her gaze drifted over his shoulder to the two elder beauties below, her heart pounding faster by the second.
With three beauties attending him, Yan Zhen relaxed completely, as if he had ascended to paradise.
Over in the shallows, only Yu Yan and the Family Head Yu Lu remained.
After Mentor Yu Xuan departed—and with about the time it took to brew a cup of tea passing without her return—the two elder beauties realized Xuan’er had been held back as well.
Though they could neither see nor hear anything, vivid images nonetheless danced in their minds, leaving their hearts subtly unsettled.
“Little Yan Zhen sure has energy to spare~”
“Sister, aren’t you going over?”
“What about you, Xiao Lu?”
“It has nothing to do with me. I can’t rein him in anymore.”
“You know that’s not what I meant.”
“…”
The Family Head Yu Lu fell silent, her right hand unconsciously tightening around the bracelet on her left wrist.
Yu Yan had long noticed the item but had chosen not to mention it. With a quiet sigh, she headed toward the Crystal Rockery to see what was happening.
No sooner had she poked her head out than Yan Zhen’s mental tentacles seized her, dragging her into the wolf’s den to serve as target practice for his escalating antics.
A good while passed with no sound from the Crystal Rockery. Growing restless, the Family Head Yu Lu finally made up her mind after much hesitation and swam over to investigate.
—Perhaps they had drowned. She had to check.
The Family Head Yu Lu gave herself that excuse before slowly swimming toward it. Rounding the rockery, she peered inside and froze in shock.
Snapping out of it, the Family Head Yu Lu fled back to her original spot, but the image burned into her mind: two held fast in his arms, two pinned between his legs—like some debauched tyrant surrounded by his harem, straight out of the histories.
She waited nearly an hour, but no one returned from that side. The Family Head Yu Lu considered her options and decided to head back first, lest he come for her too.
Sensing that familiar aura retreating, Yan Zhen felt no urgency. He focused instead on the one who had boasted so boldly earlier, not letting up until she whimpered and begged for mercy.
Night gradually deepened until the moon hung high overhead. Only then did the commotion finally subside.
Surveying his conquests, Yan Zhen felt a Mystic satisfaction deep in his soul.
“Mentor, you all rest here for a bit. I’ll step away for now.”
Mentor Yu Xuan cracked her eyes open, her hazy gaze settling on her lover.
“Yan Zhen, you… don’t make her sad, all right?”
Yan Zhen replied tenderly, “I wouldn’t dream of it—just as I wouldn’t dream of making you sad, Mentor.”
Mentor Yu Xuan let out a soft hum.
“You and your sweet words.”
“Do you like hearing them?”
“I… I love them~”
“Want to hear more in the future?”
“…Yes.”
“Good girl~”
“Shy…”
Yan Zhen adored his mentor wife like this. With one last fond look, he invoked the Rootless Earth Spirit Fire to erect a fresh isolation barrier. Then, transforming into a streak of starlight, he shot straight down the mountain toward the Yu Family Mansion—or more precisely, the Family Head’s Great Courtyard.
Upon her return, the Family Head Yu Lu had retreated to the tearoom, lost in a daze. She wore a dignified and elegant night robe that revealed scarcely any skin save for her hands and ankles. Her blue tresses cascaded down her back, so long that the tips brushed the cushion beneath her as she sat.
The tea before her had gone cold, its fragrance long dissipated. For one who cherished tea above all, such waste was rare.
“Sigh~”
The Family Head Yu Lu let out a wistful breath, her heart unexpectedly stirring with envy for her sister and her younger kin—feelings she knew she shouldn’t harbor.
In that moment, she sensed a presence hurtling toward her at tremendous speed. Before she could react, a blaze of brilliant starlight streaked through the open window into the tearoom. A closer look revealed none other than Yan Zhen.
He too wore only a night robe, its sash tied loosely and its front flung wide open, lending him the air of a roguish libertine.
He came to a halt beside the Family Head Yu Lu and sat down shoulder to shoulder with her, his searing aura filling the air around them.
“Family Head, why did you leave early?”
