Shui Bing'er stood by the window, watching the names that kept appearing on the Sky Screen, her brows slightly furrowed.
Beside her, Shui Yue'er idly plucked at the strings of her zither, producing a few scattered notes.
"Mother, what's been going on with you lately?" Shui Bing'er turned to look at Shui Qing'er, who sat on the couch with a dazed expression. "You look so pale."
Shui Yue'er looked up, chiming in, "Yeah, Mother, are you feeling unwell?"
Shui Qing'er forced a faint smile and waved her hand. "It's nothing. Maybe I haven't been sleeping well lately."
How was she supposed to explain?
For days, every woman who had appeared on the Sky Screen's Combat Power Ranking had been a dear friend of hers.
She knew better than anyone just how intimate their exchanges with Brother Cao had been in their dreams.
Watching mother-daughter pairs appear on the ranking one after another, Shui Qing'er grew increasingly anxious.
If she appeared on the ranking, wouldn't that be like a public execution?
How would she face her family then? How would she face the students at the academy?
"Madam."
Her husband, Jiang Luyuan, walked in, his eyes fixed on Shui Qing'er.
"Madam," he said slowly, "you've cultivated the Yin-Yang Reincarnation Technique too, haven't you?"
The recent Sky Screen rankings had left Jiang Luyuan on pins and needles.
It had become commonplace for daughters to appear on the Genius Ranking and their mothers to appear on the Combat Power Ranking.
And their family fit the bill perfectly.
Both daughters were on the Genius Ranking, and his wife was a peerless beauty.
Unless Brother Cao was blind, there was no way he'd pass his wife by.
Jiang Luyuan wasn't a fool.
He'd noticed his wife acting strangely long ago; he just hadn't dared to ask, and hadn't wanted to.
Now, at last, he'd asked.
Shui Qing'er already felt guilty, worried that she might appear on the ranking at any moment.
Now, confronted by her husband's question, she panicked.
"Luyuan, I..." She opened her mouth, but had no idea how to explain.
She'd willingly cooperated in her dreams and trained hard only to improve her strength.
Besides, she and her husband had lived apart for many years.
But no matter what, they were still husband and wife in name.
Shui Qing'er was a traditional woman; she simply couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Father, what are you doing?"
Shui Bing'er stepped forward and stood in front of her mother, her voice tinged with displeasure.
"You know what kind of person Mother is, don't you?"
Shui Yue'er hurried to chime in as well. "Exactly! Even if Mother really did cultivate the Yin-Yang Reincarnation Technique, that doesn't prove anything. It happened in a dream, so it doesn't count. They haven't even met in real life!"
Jiang Luyuan had no time to dwell on his daughter's outrageous explanation. He hurriedly asked, "In a dream? You mean... that Brother Cao taught you to cultivate in your dreams?"
Shui Bing'er nodded. "That's right. At first, we didn't even know whether Brother Cao was from Douluo Continent."
Jiang Luyuan fell silent for a moment.
A dream, not reality.
In other words, his wife and that Brother Cao had never met in person. Everything had happened in a dream.
He took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. "Bing'er, Yue'er, don't be angry, okay? Your father was just curious. I was only asking."
He turned to Shui Qing'er, forcing a smile. "Madam, I trust you completely!"
Shui Qing'er looked at him.
That smile, those words, that studied air of nonchalance—she knew them all too well.
But she didn't want to go on like this. It was time to come clean!
"No, Luyuan."
"I really did cultivate the Yin-Yang Reincarnation Technique. And it is a dual-cultivation technique. In my dreams, Brother Cao and I did everything together."
Shui Bing'er froze.
Shui Yue'er froze too.
They'd suspected as much, but hadn't expected their mother to say it so bluntly.
Jiang Luyuan was even more taken aback. He stared blankly at Shui Qing'er, at a loss for words.
His usually traditional, reserved wife had really strayed, even if it had only happened in a dream.
An eerie silence settled over the room.
Just then, a new image appeared on the Sky Screen.
It showed their family of four!
At the same time, the information for tenth place slowly appeared.
[Combat Power Ranking, Tenth Place: Shui Qing'er.]
[Identity: Head of Skywater Academy, mother of Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er.]
[Strength: Level 99 Titled Douluo.]
[Techniques: Yin-Yang Reincarnation Technique, Heavenly Demon Chaotic Dance.]
[Rewards: 10 Teleportation Talismans, which can transport the user to any location on Douluo Continent; Soul Power increased by one level; Formation: Three Talents Formation, which allows three Soul Masters to become of one mind and multiplies their power.]
Boom!!!
A familiar golden pillar of light descended from the heavens, enveloping Shui Qing'er.
Watching this, Jiang Luyuan's heart was a tangle of emotions.
His wife had cuckolded him. By rights, he should have been furious.
But he didn't dare—because the man who'd cuckolded him could slap ten God Officials to death with a single swipe.
Besides, this was a live broadcast. The entire continent was watching.
Silence settled over the room once more.
After a long while, Jiang Luyuan secretly made a decision that went against his ancestors.
Jiang Luyuan smacked his thigh.
"Madam! You made the ranking! Tenth place!"
His voice brimmed with delight.
"Wonderful! Skywater Academy is sure to flourish! Hahaha!"
He laughed so hard he nearly fell over. Shui Bing'er and Shui Yue'er were both dumbfounded by his excitement.
Shui Yue'er opened her mouth to say something, but Shui Bing'er tugged at her sleeve.
Only Shui Qing'er knew that Jiang Luyuan was deliberately playing the fool.
He didn't want the whole continent laughing at his family. He didn't want outsiders to know about the pain and helplessness in his heart.
So he chose to laugh.
Shui Qing'er couldn't be bothered with him anymore. What mattered most now was the formation rewarded by the Sky Screen.
The Three Talents Formation.
It allowed three Soul Masters to become of one mind and multiplied their power.
Wasn't it tailor-made for the three of them, mother and daughters?
One mind—if they used the formation during an intimate exchange, it would be like cheating.
They'd definitely be able to beat Brother Cao and make him remember it for the rest of his life!
Shui Yue'er and Shui Bing'er exchanged a glance. They'd clearly thought of how to use the Three Talents Formation too, and both girls blushed.
This formation... it wasn't proper!
After watching Jiang Luyuan's clumsy performance on the Sky Screen, the entire continent was left speechless.
"Is Jiang Luyuan really an idiot, or just pretending? His wife ran off with another man, and he can still smile?"
"So what? She only cultivated in a dream. In reality, she's still pure and untouched. Heh heh!"
"Youngster, this is what it means to be a seasoned hand! Look at his reaction—so natural, so smooth. You can tell he's practiced!"
"Old Jiang's got it rough! His heart's bleeding, but he still has to keep smiling."
"Being chosen by Brother Cao is an honor. Old Jiang's so fortunate!"
"Ah, look on the bright side. If you can't beat them, join them!"
"Exactly. It's not like he'll lose a piece of flesh. His wife's still his wife, his daughters are still his daughters. He's just gained one more... well, relative."
"Relative? What relative?"
"Brother Cao! Think about it. His wife's with him, and his daughters are with him too. So what does that make him to Old Jiang?"
"Holy crap! Don't say another word! I think I'm growing a brain!"