Nothing unexpected happened along the way.
As soon as they returned to the Seven Kill Sect, Chen Fan immediately summoned the elders and ordered them to arrange a private wedding.
It wasn't a large affair, and they didn't make a big show of it. Only a few of the sect's core elders and the father and son, Chen Jianjun and Chen Xin, were invited to bear witness.
As for Xu Wensu, he was busy dealing with matters concerning the Xu Family, so he was still in Star Luo City and couldn't make it.
The wedding hall was set up inside the Seven Kill Sect. The red silk and candles weren't particularly luxurious, but everything had been arranged with care.
Ling Yuan had changed into a bright red wedding gown that day. Her hair was swept up high, with a golden hairpin dangling from it.
She stood beside Chen Fan, her expression somewhat complicated.
The previous "wedding" in Spirit City had been little more than a formality, and things had gone wrong halfway through. They hadn't even had a chance to consummate the marriage. Now that they were back at the Seven Kill Sect to hold the ceremony properly, she couldn't quite say what she was feeling.
But the Xu sisters, Xu Jiuer and Xu Qinger, refused to wear wedding gowns no matter what.
"S-Sect Master... we wouldn't dare overstep our place."
Xu Jiuer's face flushed red, and her voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz. "We... we can just be maids..."
Xu Qinger nodded along, her head nearly buried in her chest.
Chen Fan glanced at them and didn't press the matter. "All right, then you can be the maids of honor."
And so,
Xu Jiuer and Xu Qinger wore matching peach-red maid outfits and stood obediently to the side, holding red silk and wedding fruit. With their eyes lowered, they didn't dare look around.
The ceremony was simple: they bowed to Heaven and Earth, then to the elders, with Chen Jianjun seated in the place of honor, and then to each other. Chen Xin stood to the side as the officiant. Once he called, "The ceremony is complete," he tactfully led the elders out.
The red candles flickered. Only Chen Fan and Ling Yuan remained in the bridal chamber.
Ling Yuan sat at the edge of the bed, her red veil already lifted. She folded her hands in her lap, cheeks flushed and lashes trembling, yet she pretended to be calm and didn't avert her gaze from Chen Fan.
A moment later,
Ling Yuan suddenly burst into giggles and twisted aside, trying to dodge him. "Oh? Hehehe... that tickles! You're so mean."
Chen Fan withdrew his hand. Watching her try to evade him, he raised an eyebrow and deliberately said nothing, simply staring straight at her.
Under his gaze, Ling Yuan's cheeks grew hot. She couldn't help lowering her head, her voice faint as a mosquito's buzz. "H-Husband, don't stare at me like that... it's so strange..."
"What's strange about it?"
"It's just... it's just..."
Ling Yuan stammered for ages without managing to explain. In the end, she buried her face in the bedding, leaving only the tips of her ears, red as could be, exposed.
Chen Fan reached out and pulled her back. Ling Yuan struggled twice, then realized what he was doing and spat out, "W-what are you doing..."
"Hm?"
Chen Fan hadn't heard her clearly. Maybe she'd mumbled.
"Stop..."
Ling Yuan's voice was muffled by the bedding, tinged with embarrassment and annoyance.
But before she could finish, Chen Fan had already raised his head. The words on Ling Yuan's lips caught in her throat, turning into a vague syllable. "W-Wait..."
Her fingers gripped the bedsheets without her realizing it. Her voice trembled a little. "Husband, don't do this. I'm scared..."
Chen Fan's movements paused. Looking down at her slightly reddened eyes, he softened his voice. "What are you scared of?"
Ling Yuan bit her lip and fell silent for two and a half seconds before speaking softly. "It's just... I've never done this before... I'm a little nervous..."
Chen Fan stopped teasing her and gently patted her back. "Then we'll take it slow."
The candlelight flickered, casting their shadows on the window paper, where they mingled into a hazy outline.
[The host has acquired a fourth biological child. Issuing "Conception" reward: Yin-Yang Heaven Derivation Physique] [Yin-Yang Heaven Derivation Physique: The host's blood transforms into Yin-Yang bloodline. When the Yin and Yang in the body are in balance, the bearer of this physique will emit a unique fragrance. This fragrance can nourish female Soul Masters and double their meditation and cultivation speed, but it will secretly eat away at a Soul Master's spiritual sea, causing some unpredictable changes.]
In the dead of night, Chen Fan was getting tired too. He lay flat on his back.
But just then, the system's notification rang out in his mind!
Chen Fan's pupils shifted slightly.
Yin-Yang Heaven Derivation Physique?
Nourish female Soul Masters?
Eat away at a Soul Master's spiritual sea?
What, was he some kind of male musk deer?
However,
before Chen Fan could think it through, he heard the door being gently pushed open from outside, just a crack. Two heads poked in, one above the other.
Xu Jiuer stood in front, with Xu Qinger hiding behind her. Both their faces were filled with nervousness and shyness.
Xu Jiuer held a basin of hot water, while Xu Qinger carried a clean towel. They exchanged a glance, then seemed to muster their courage and crept inside.
"S-Sect Master..." Xu Jiuer's voice trembled. "We... we'll help you wash up..."
Xu Qinger hid behind her sister, not daring to look up. Only the tip of one bright-red ear peeked out.
Chen Fan glanced at them. Behind him, Ling Yuan rolled over, seemingly disturbed by the noise. She mumbled something in her sleep, then sank right back into slumber.
Xu Jiuer carried the basin to the bedside, her head lowered and her ears so red they looked ready to drip blood.
Xu Qinger followed close behind, step by step, gripping the towel in her hands until it was all crumpled.
Looking at the two young women standing awkwardly before him, Chen Fan didn't refuse. He simply nodded. "Put it there."
Xu Jiuer set the basin on the low table by the bed, then turned to look at Xu Qinger.
Xu Qinger bit her lip and hesitated for a long while. In the end, she followed her sister and murmured, "Sect Master... we... we want to stay too..."
Xu Jiuer's face turned even redder, her voice so faint it was almost inaudible. "W-We talked to the Ancestor... The Ancestor said... serving the Sect Master is our good fortune..."
Chen Fan looked at them, then at Ling Yuan, who had already fallen fast asleep. After a moment of silence, he simply nodded and lowered the bed curtain halfway.
Xu Jiuer and Xu Qinger exchanged a glance. Their cheeks burned, but they still kept their heads bowed and carefully climbed onto the foot of the bed, curling up in opposite corners like two kittens someone had just brought home. They barely dared to breathe.
The curtain fell. The candle flame flickered a few times in the night breeze, then finally went out.
Chen Fan didn't know when he fell asleep. He only remembered that, somewhere between waking and sleeping, two more notifications rang out in his mind...
[The host has acquired a fifth biological child. Issuing "Conception" reward: Black God-Bestowed Spirit Ring ×6] [Black God-Bestowed Spirit Ring: Unconditionally obtain one Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring!] [This is a Conception reward. If the child is unable to be born for any reason, the reward will be reclaimed. Otherwise, a "Birth" reward will be issued again. Please take note!] [The host has acquired a sixth biological child. Issuing "Conception" reward: Black God-Bestowed Spirit Ring ×4] [This is a Conception reward. If the child is unable to be born for any reason, the reward will be reclaimed. Otherwise, a "Birth" reward will be issued again. Please take note!]
But Chen Fan no longer had the strength to pay attention to any of that. With one woman in his arms on the left and another leaning against him on the right, while a third lay across his chest, he sank heavily into the soft bedding, his consciousness ebbing away little by little.
Before falling asleep, he had only one thought:
At least the trip to Star Luo City hadn't been in vain.