"Heh, is that so."
Yixuan smiled without saying more. As her disciple, Arden's true nature was something she understood very well.
"Yiji, right? No need to be nervous. Stay at Yunkui Summit with peace of mind. No one will ever force you to do things you don't want again."
Arden was Arden, and Yiji was Yiji. With Yixuan's kind heart, she naturally wouldn't drive Yiji away.
And staying at Yunkui Summit required a proper status.
"How about this—I'll take you in as a registered disciple. What do you think?"
Taking Yiji in as a registered disciple was already an exception. As for becoming a direct disciple, that would require Yiji's own efforts—she would need to pass the annual assessment.
"Thank you, Sect Master Yixuan!"
Overwhelmed with excitement, Yiji knelt down in a deep bow. She finally had a home.
"Hm? What did you just call me?"
"….."
Quick-witted, Yiji reacted immediately and corrected herself. "Cousin Yixuan, Master Yixuan!"
"Mm."
Yixuan nodded in satisfaction, then looked at her other two disciples. "Arden, Fufu—take Yiji to tidy up her room. Let her stay in the east wing, second room."
As a side note, Arden and Ju Fufu's room was the first room in the east wing.
"And also…"
Yixuan glanced at the daoist robe Yiji was wearing—Arden's—and frowned slightly. "Go to the storeroom and collect a set of disciple robes."
Just like that, Yiji settled down at Yunkui Summit.
…..
The next day.
Early in the morning, Arden took Yiji to the Public Security Bureau to apply for a citizen ID. After that, they went to Lumina Square to register her identity with the Hollow Investigative Association and buy daily necessities.
"Riding my beloved little motorbike~~ it never gets stuck in traffic~~"
Arden drove the sidecar motorcycle once again along the road from Waifei Peninsula to Lumina Square.
He felt Yiji's arms wrapped around his waist from behind and glanced sideways at Ju Fufu sitting in the sidecar.
"Riding my beloved little motorbike, carrying youthful and pretty girls~~"
While Arden was focused on driving, Ju Fufu and Yiji were hardly idle. The two chatted nonstop along the way, steadily deepening their "bond."
"Senior Sister Fufu is a female Tiger Thiren, so that means… a tigress, right?"
"….."
Hearing that, Ju Fufu's mouth twitched.
Technically, she wasn't wrong—but for some reason, hearing it made her irritation flare up.
"I am indeed a tiger…"
At least she hadn't mistaken her for a Cat Thiren—that deserved praise. "And also wi—wife!"
"But calling me a tigress is very inappropriate. I'm Brother Arden's girlfriend and fiancée."
Ju Fufu's tone was full of pride, as if deliberately showing off in front of Yiji.
"Fiancée? So that means you're not married yet?"
Yiji interpreted it from an entirely different angle.
"Not married just because we're not old enough yet. I'll be eighteen very soon. Once we get the marriage certificate, then we can… hehe!"
Ju Fufu began fantasizing about her future married life.
However, after imagining for a bit, she realized there didn't seem to be much difference. After all, the two of them had already been together for a long time—everything couples should do, and even things they shouldn't, had all been done already.
"Marriage… eighteen…"
Yiji seemed not to hear Ju Fufu's words at all, muttering to herself instead.
She remembered that for convenience, when registering her citizen identity, aside from her name being "Yiji," her age had been filled in as eighteen.
"Which means… I still have a chance to get ahead…"
A glint named ambition flashed in her eyes as Yiji tightened her arms around Arden's waist.
….
"I can give Brother Arden babi—no, little tiger babies. Can you?"
Thiren traits were dominant genes. If a 'Hairless Thiren' like Ju Fufu or the shark girl had children with Arden, there was a seventy-five percent chance the child would still be Thiren. As for a 'Furred Thiren' like Von Lycaon marrying a human, the probability of the child being Thiren was one hundred percent.
"I—I can also give Master little… little humans!"
After the [Greater Restoration Pill]'s treatment, Yiji possessed complete physiological functions.
"….."
The moment those words left her mouth, all three of them fell silent for a while.
"Not just having little tigers… I'm also Brother Arden's senior sister and partner. I'll clear away all obstacles and dangers for him!"
Ju Fufu waved her tiger claws as she continued emphasizing her importance to Arden.
"I—I can help too, Senior Brother Arden!" Yiji retorted unwilling to be outdone.
"You? Not to be rude, but with that tiny frame of yours, you should focus on protecting yourself first… instead of needing Brother Arden to save you every time."
Perhaps driven by jealousy, Ju Fufu blurted that out—but she regretted it the instant the words left her mouth. "Sorry! That's not what I meant!"
"I'm so weak… I really am sorry."
Ju Fufu's attempt at damage control came too late. Yiji's mood inevitably sank.
"Yiji, don't belittle yourself!"
At that moment, Arden—who had been silent all along—spoke up. "Didn't I test your aptitude late last night? Yiji, your talent for spells is actually quite good. As long as you cultivate seriously, your future achievements won't be worse than the other disciples."
This wasn't mere comfort—it was the truth.
Although her physical attributes were lacking, as a member of the Silver Squad, her Ether perception far surpassed that of ordinary people. "And you're quick-witted and very intelligent. I think you'd be especially suited to becoming a Proxy."
That's right—Arden hadn't saved Yiji simply because he coveted her body. His real intention was to train her into a capable Proxy. That way, during future Hollow explorations, the burden of pathfinding would be greatly reduced, allowing him to focus more on combat.
"Spells… and being a Proxy—really?"
Arden's words instantly lifted Yiji's spirits.
"Of course it's true. I never lie."
Just then, Arden brought the sidecar motorcycle to a stop. "We're at Lumina Square."
…..
After parking the motorcycle, the three got off one after another.
"Brother Arden, treat me to a meal later—lots of meat!"
As she spoke, Ju Fufu hugged one of Arden's arms.
"Alright."
Arden agreed readily. Every time they came to Lumina Square, he treated Ju Fufu to a meat-heavy feast—it was practically tradition.
"I want some too!"
Not to be outdone, Yiji hugged his other arm.
"Uh…"
The soft sensation pressing against his arms felt quite nice, but…
"You're both too close. I can't even walk."
Though Arden said that, the smile on his face was impossible to hide. Being fought over by beautiful girls actually felt pretty good—so long as it didn't turn into a battle royale.
…..
Lumina Square. Outside the Simmer Hotpot Restaurant.
"Honestly!"
Arden leaned against a lamppost with his arms crossed, impatience coloring his expression. The rubber soles of his cloth shoes tapped rhythmically against the stone-brick street, producing a steady pa-pa sound.
"If you can't handle spicy food, then don't force it! Why insist on showing off? You're both acting like children!"
Ju Fufu and Yiji's rivalry never stopped—and hotpot was no exception.
What should have been a pleasant hotpot meal turned into chaos. Ju Fufu wanted mild spice, Yiji demanded medium. Yiji chose medium, Ju Fufu went for extreme. In the end, egged on by the shop owner, they insisted on challenging the so-called "Spiciest Hotpot in New Eridu," completely ignoring Arden's advice.
One 'tabby cat' tiger and one 'newly created human'—do either of you even know what spicy means!?
And now look at the result—what, both of you moving into the restroom permanently!?
"Hm? That's…"
Just as Arden was growing too impatient and was about to go haul them out of the restroom himself, a plump shark tail appeared at the edge of his vision.
Shark girl? What a coincidence.