Ye Family Fortress, courtyard.
Xiao Cui had just refilled the tea for the several masters and hadn't yet had a chance to leave when two streaks of light descended into the courtyard one after the other.
One was cool and aloof, the other fiery and sensual.
Zhu Zhuqing wore a black outfit suited for combat. She was tall and slender, with a cool, beautiful face and an exceptionally voluptuous figure.
Zhu Zhuyun, meanwhile, wore a long purple dress. Her figure was alluring, and her eyes brimmed with warmth.
The sisters stood together, one cold and the other radiant. The contrast between them was so striking that they were impossible to forget.
Ye Lingling's gaze swept over the two of them, and the corners of her lips curled into a faint smile. "Zhu Zhuyun, fourteenth on the Genius Ranking. And Zhu Zhuqing, eleventh on the Genius Ranking?"
Zhu Zhuqing gave a slight bow, her expression a little uneasy. "I'm Zhu Zhuqing."
After all, the woman before her was Brother Cao's official wife, while she... could be considered a newcomer. It felt like a concubine meeting the principal wife. There was no point pretending she wasn't nervous.
Zhu Zhuyun, however, didn't seem to mind. She stepped forward boldly, her smile bright. "Zhu Zhuyun pays her respects to you, elder sister. You really are a peerless beauty. Brother Cao is so lucky!"
Xiao Wu, standing nearby, wore a strange expression. That line... why did it sound so familiar?
Hadn't she said the exact same thing when she'd first met Ye Lingling?
Hearing those words, Ye Lingling also felt a strange sense of familiarity.
She sized up Zhu Zhuyun without showing it. With her curvaceous figure and alluring charm, she really was a stunner.
Her husband certainly had good taste.
"Little sister Zhuyun is the one with the graceful figure and stunning beauty."
"Since you two are here, you're both my sisters now. You can stay here for the time being."
Zhu Zhuyun hurriedly thanked her. "Then thank you, elder sister. You're so kind!"
As she spoke, she didn't forget to tug along Zhu Zhuqing, who was still standing there in a daze.
The sisters were opposites, one cold and one warm. Only by sticking together could they keep Brother Cao in line. Zhu Zhuyun understood that much.
The women took their seats, all wearing smiles. On the surface, they seemed perfectly harmonious.
Xiao Wu obediently took the teapot and refilled Ye Lingling's tea. Zhu Zhuyun held Ye Lingling's hand and showered her with compliments, while Zhu Zhuqing, though quiet, nodded in agreement from time to time.
Cao Xiyu sat to one side, watching the scene and reflecting to herself.
The harmony was only temporary. More girls were still on their way.
Before long, this courtyard was probably going to turn into a battlefield.
Xiao Wu seemed to think of something and suddenly spoke up. "Since we're all sisters now, we can cultivate together in the Dream Space."
Ye Lingling glanced sideways at her. "Is that Dream Space very large?"
Xiao Wu nodded, looking utterly innocent. "It's enormous inside. There's more than enough room for as many sisters as we could have. Could it be... you've never been there, elder sister?"
Ye Lingling's smile stiffened ever so slightly.
Zhu Zhuyun's eyes lit up as she listened.
Good grief. Xiao Wu looked innocent and guileless, but she wasn't exactly a pushover.
She sounded as if she were talking about the Dream Space, but she was really testing her: You've never even been to the Dream Space, elder sister. Does that mean your relationship with Brother Cao isn't all that deep, either?
Zhu Zhuyun decided to add fuel to the fire. "It seems that before the Sky Screen revealed everything, elder sister didn't know Brother Cao's true identity?"
That was even more direct: You spent ten years by Brother Cao's side and still didn't know who he was.
Though we only meet him in our dreams, we're connected to him heart and soul. Can you really hold on to that position as his official wife?
Ye Lingling looked at the two scheming little minxes and sneered inwardly.
So they thought she was easy to bully, and were all here testing her limits?
She picked up her teacup and took a small sip. "My husband and I are together day and night. We sleep together every night and see each other every day. Why would we need to meet in a dream?"
Zhu Zhuqing didn't understand the implication and blurted out, "Since you see Brother Cao every day in real life, of course you don't need to enter a dream."
Xiao Wu's expression shifted slightly.
At first glance, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with that. But what it really meant was: You can only see Brother Cao in your dreams, while I see him every day in real life.
The difference couldn't have been greater.
Zhu Zhuyun shot her silly little sister a glare, exasperated.
Her foolish sister couldn't even recognize an insult when someone hurled one at her.
No wonder she sweated so easily whenever she chatted with people. Her head was full of water!
"Let's drink our tea."
The women raised their cups, and the atmosphere returned to its former harmony.
Watching the scene, Cao Xiyu secretly found it amusing.
These women talked about sisterly affection, but every word was really a test of strength.
The Madam was telling them: I'm the official wife, and I'm with him every day.
Xiao Wu was testing her, and Zhu Zhuyun was stirring up trouble.
Zhu Zhuqing? That silly girl simply thought the tea tasted good.
Life at the Ye Family Fortress was probably going to be anything but peaceful from now on.
Star Luo Empire.
Unlike the undercurrents swirling at the Ye Family Fortress, the Star Luo Imperial Palace was now as lively as a New Year celebration.
White Tiger Emperor Dai Tianfeng sat on the throne, laughing so hard he doubled over. Even his imperial robe had slipped askew.
"Hahaha! So that old fool Xue Ye finally got his comeuppance!" He slapped the table. "His wife was stolen away, and now he's got a green hat on his head! Hahaha! This is killing me!"
The ministers chimed in one after another, each laughing from ear to ear.
"His Majesty is right! The Heaven Dou Empire has really disgraced itself this time!"
"His own empress ran off with another man. How can Xue Ye ever show his face again?"
"Hahaha, His Majesty is truly wise. Nothing so disgraceful could ever happen in our Star Luo Empire!"
Dai Tianfeng was in high spirits. He picked up his wine cup, about to take a hearty drink.
On the Sky Screen, dark golden light surged, and a new ranking appeared.
[Combat Power Ranking, Fourteenth Place: Zhu Yunyun.] [Identity: Empress of the Star Luo Empire.] [Strength: Level 99 Titled Douluo.] [Techniques: Yin-Yang Reincarnation Technique, Heavenly Demon Chaotic Dance.] [Reward: 8 Teleportation Talismans, which can transport the user to any location on the Douluo Continent; Soul Power increased by one level.]
BOOM!!!
A golden pillar of light descended from the heavens, enveloping the dignified, elegant empress beside Dai Tianfeng.
Dai Tianfeng's smile froze instantly.
The wine cup slipped from his hand and hit the ground with a clatter. He slowly turned toward the figure bathed in golden light beside him—his empress, his wife of several decades, Zhu Yunyun.
He had just been mocking Emperor Xue Ye for having his wife stolen away, and now it was his turn.
Had karma really come so quickly?
Dai Tianfeng's mouth hung open, but he couldn't utter a single word. His expression shifted from elation to disbelief, from disbelief to livid fury, then from livid fury to pallor. In the space of a few breaths, his face had gone through several different colors.
The ministers were all dumbfounded, too.
"Huh?"
They had just been mocking the Heaven Dou Empire, and now their own empress had made the ranking.
"This..."
Dai Tianfeng said nothing. He simply glared at Empress Zhu, his tiger-like eyes filled with anger and indignation.
But what could he do? He didn't dare do anything!
After a long while, he slowly rose to his feet and turned to leave, looking every bit the helpless husband.
Zhu Yunyun watched Dai Tianfeng leave, a hint of guilt rising in her heart.
But she didn't regret it.
Without Brother Cao, she would have spent her whole life trapped in the imperial palace, with a man she didn't love. She wouldn't even have been able to save her daughter.
Brother Cao had given her strength and true freedom.
Brother Cao was a real man!