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"Miss Miyabi, your poisoning and corrosion symptoms have completely disappeared. There's no need for further treatment."
After the Bringer incident concluded, Arden had planned to return to Yunkui Summit with Yixuan to rest and unwind. Unexpectedly, Miyabi requested to accompany him there.
Her reason was to continue her "treatment."
"The symptoms may be gone, but my control over the Sword of Red Heaven is still insufficient. That last move overexerted me. My condition is poor right now—I need a quiet place to recover."
"Can't you rest at your own home?"
"Yunkui Summit is closer…"
Indeed, in terms of distance, Port Elpis was closer to Yunkui Summit.
"Besides, we can't rule out the possibility that Bringer has remaining accomplices. I believe staying by your side is safer."
Safer by Arden's side? A perfectly reasonable excuse… yeah, right.
"The youngest Void Hunter in New Eridu, now wielding the divine weapon known as the Sword of Red Heaven, claiming she lacks a sense of security…"
Arden couldn't decide whether to laugh or cry.
"You're stronger than a Void Hunter, aren't you?"
Miyabi shot back calmly.
"Uh…"
That question genuinely left Arden speechless—because it was true.
"Fine. I can take you to Yunkui Summit. But you'd better behave."
Arden himself had no objections. The issue was Ju Fufu and Yixuan… one of his wives was pregnant, and here he was bringing another woman home. That carried a real risk of getting beaten to death.
Still, as the old saying goes, "An ugly daughter-in-law must eventually meet her in-laws." Since Miyabi had already accepted the pills as betrothal gifts and hadn't objected afterward, sooner or later he would have to bring her back to Yunkui Summit.
Arden gritted his teeth. This hurdle would have to be crossed eventually—might as well be today.
"Riding my beloved little motorcycle~~ it'll never get stuck in traffic~"
The familiar tune played as the sidecar motorcycle roared to life.
Yixuan sat in the sidecar, while Miyabi, seated behind Arden, wrapped her arms tightly around his waist.
…
Yunkui Summit.
"Sigh…"
Under a sky of sparse stars and bright moonlight, Arden squatted in the courtyard, staring at the harmonious figures inside the house and letting out a heavy sigh.
The anticipated battlefield of jealousy had not occurred. Ju Fufu, Yixuan, and Sweety had not rejected Miyabi. Instead, they acted like affectionate sisters. The only one punished was Arden himself—banned from entering the house for three days.
A husband locked out by his wives was pitiful indeed. But if it meant Miyabi could integrate into the family, Arden felt it was worth it.
Three days would pass soon enough.
Of course, if Arden wished to formally marry Hoshimi Miyabi, there was a far more significant hurdle to overcome.
Her father.
"What kind of betrothal gift would make Miyabi's father willingly entrust his daughter to a man who already has four wives?"
Putting himself in that position, if he discovered his own daughter had pledged herself to a man with four wives, Arden would probably beat that scoundrel to death.
The thought made him shudder.
"What gift would persuade my future father-in-law… Dennies?"
The idea was dismissed the moment it surfaced.
The Hoshimi family might not be extraordinarily wealthy, but they certainly weren't short on money.
"Then… threaten that if he refuses the marriage, I'll destroy New Eridu?"
Coming from Miyabi, Arden knew that the Hoshimi Family regarded protecting humanity as their duty. For the sake of all mankind, sacrificing one daughter might seem… logical?
"No. Absolutely not."
Rejected again.
Not to mention how Hoshimi Souichirou would react—even Arden's four wives and Miyabi herself would vehemently oppose such madness. The entire family might fall apart.
"This is tough. Really tough…"
Arden raked his fingers through his hair, racking his brain.
"The weight of the betrothal gift must at least match—if not surpass—Miyabi's position in her father's heart."
Hoshimi Miyabi was Hoshimi Souichirou's daughter. In his heart, her importance likely ranked second only to the survival of New Eridu—and perhaps to the late Mrs. Hoshimi.
"But Mrs. Hoshimi has long since passed away… hmm?"
Suddenly, Arden's eyes lit up.
"I remember there's an ancient text in the library that records a spell called 'Taizan Fukun no Matsuri,' doesn't it?"
The Taizan Fukun no Matsuri—an unparalleled Daoist technique that sincerely petitions the deity of Mount Tai, offering an equivalent price in exchange for the life of the deceased.
If Arden attempted it alone, the difficulty would be extreme. But with Yixuan's help, and with a suitable "offering," the probability of success would not be negligible.
He sprang to his feet and dashed toward the scripture pavilion.
…
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
"Husband, your sentence is over. You may return to the house."
Yixuan came to the scripture pavilion to call Arden home.
For three days, Arden had buried himself in ancient texts. Yixuan had assumed he was reflecting and obediently serving his punishment, so she hadn't paid much attention.
"Oh? It's already been three days?"
Arden lifted his head weakly from the pages.
"!!"
Seeing his exhausted appearance, Yixuan was startled. "Husband, are you alright?"
"We didn't mean to truly drive you away…"
She seemed to think he was upset with them.
"Come, Shifu, take a look at this part. I can't quite understand it."
Ignoring her concern, Arden pulled Yixuan down beside him, spreading open the text and pointing to a section that puzzled him.
"This is… the Taizan Fukun no Matsuri. You're not thinking of…?"
In truth, Yixuan had once considered using this ritual to revive her deceased sister, Yiji. But with her abilities alone, it had been impossible.
But now… if Arden and I combine our strength, perhaps…?
"No!"
Yet Yixuan rejected the idea.
Regardless of the probability of success, if it failed, both she and Arden as casters would share Yiji's fate.
"Why not?" Arden asked.
"Because…"
Yixuan gently touched her increasingly rounded belly.
She didn't need to say more—her meaning was clear.
Arden sighed helplessly and leaned in to kiss her.
"You know what kind of man your husband is. I'll prepare the offering properly. Even if it fails, we'll be fine."
"…That's good."
Yixuan finally relaxed.
"So, I'll need your help to revive Mrs. Hoshimi—as the betrothal gift for marrying Hoshimi Miyabi."
Arden's next sentence nearly made Yixuan faint from exasperation.
So, it wasn't for reviving her sister—but to marry a new wife?!
"Uh…"
With sharp instincts, Arden immediately corrected himself. "Of course, once we succeed once, there'll be a second time. How could I forget my dear sister-in-law? Heh… heh…"
After performing the Taizan Fukun no Matsuri, it would take ten years before it could be cast again. But Arden's goal was for his entire family to attain near-endless lifespans—so, waiting ten years more was nothing.
"At least you have a conscience."
Yixuan finally let him off. "Does Miyabi know?"
At this time, Miyabi had already left Yunkui Summit and returned to the Hoshimi household.
"Not yet. I haven't fully studied the text. It won't be too late to tell her once I'm certain."
"That makes sense."
With the plan barely outlined, Arden felt it best to wait until preparations were more complete before informing Miyabi. Surely… she wouldn't object.
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