Outside Ye Family Fortress, however, the scene was bustling with activity.
Hundreds of craftsmen were hard at work. Some hauled stone, others built walls, and still others carved wood. The clanging of hammers rose and fell without pause.
Yu Xiaogang stood by the road, staring at the busy construction site, completely stunned.
She had spent every last Gold Soul Coin she had, traveling over mountains and across rivers, and had finally made it to the vicinity of Ye Family Fortress.
But the sight before her made him wonder if she had come to the wrong place.
She stopped a craftsman who was carrying bricks and asked cautiously, "Excuse me, sir, is this Ye Family Fortress?"
The craftsman set down the bricks in his hands, wiped the sweat from his brow, and looked him up and down.
His gaze lingered for a moment on Yu Xiaogang's face, caked in makeup. A strange look flashed across his eyes. "Yes, this is Ye Family Fortress. But it's being expanded. Are you here to see someone?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded repeatedly, but grew even more confused.
"Expanded? Ye Family Fortress is doing just fine. Why expand it?"
Seeing his bewildered expression, the craftsman explained, "I heard Brother Cao has too many wives for Ye Family Fortress to house them all. So the mistress, Ye Lingling, decided to expand it. They're building ninety-nine garden-style residences on the existing grounds for the wives to live in. They're also building the largest manor at the very center, for Brother Cao and the mistress."
"It's a massive project. I heard it'll cost a million Gold Soul Coins!"
Yu Xiaogang's mouth fell open wide enough to fit an egg. Ninety-nine residences? A million Gold Soul Coins? Just how many women did Brother Cao have?
A million Gold Soul Coins? Could Ning Rongrong, the little rich girl, have come?
She swallowed, and a more fervent longing surged in her heart.
Ninety-nine garden-style residences, one for each wife. If Brother Cao took her in, wouldn't she get one too?
The more she thought about it, the more excited she grew. She hurriedly asked, "Excuse me, sir, where is Brother Cao now?"
The craftsman pointed into the fortress. "He should be in the main hall. I saw a few of his wives go in just now."
Yu Xiaogang thanked him and hurried inside. She crossed the construction site and finally reached the main hall.
Inside, several figures sat gathered around, drinking tea.
The man in the center wore a blue-green robe. He was handsome, with a faint smile on his lips. It was Cao Xiyu.
Beside him sat Ye Lingling, her water-blue hair swept up in a married woman's bun, her bearing elegant and regal.
Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Liu Erlong, Ah Yin, Tang Yuehua, Zhu Zhuqing, Zhu Zhuyun, and the other women sat on either side, each with her own poise.
Standing at the doorway, Yu Xiaogang gazed at the roomful of peerlessly beautiful women, overcome by envy and jealousy.
She took a deep breath and stepped over the threshold.
Ye Lingling looked up at the strange intruder and frowned slightly. "Who are you?"
Before Yu Xiaogang could answer, Xiao Wu cried out in shock, "Y-You're Yu Xiaogang?"
Everyone in the hall turned their eyes to Yu Xiaogang.
That face caked in makeup, that pointed chin, that coquettish posture—everything about her looked bizarre.
Cao Xiyu was holding a teacup. At the words, he spat out a mouthful of tea.
He set down the cup and stared, wide-eyed, as if he'd seen a ghost. "What the hell! Grandmaster? How did you turn into this neither-man-nor-woman thing?"
Xiao Wu covered her mouth and couldn't help laughing. "Brother Cao, Xiaogang had surgery just for you. He became a woman!"
Cao Xiyu's mouth twitched.
For him? She'd had surgery just for him? She'd become a woman? A chill of revulsion shot from the soles of his feet straight to his scalp.
He looked Yu Xiaogang up and down: her makeup-caked face, pointed chin, hand curled into an orchid-finger pose, and gently swaying hips.
He drew a deep breath, forcing down his disgust. "I can't even bear to look at you."
Yu Xiaogang, however, saw nothing wrong with herself.
She stepped forward and stopped before Cao Xiyu, pressing her hands together, her eyes full of pleading. "Brother Cao, please take me in! I can do anything! I'm good at laundry, cooking, and cleaning—everything! And I'm more than capable of warming your bed! I may not be as beautiful as Xiao Wu and the others, but I'm not bad!"
Cao Xiyu's face darkened like the bottom of a pot. He turned his head away, unable to bear the sight. "Ugh! Get out! Go, now! Or I might beat you to death!"
Yu Xiaogang refused to give up. She turned toward Xiao Wu and the others, her face full of grievance. "Xiao Wu, Rongrong, Erlong, say something for me! If he takes me in, we'll be sisters! We'll be natural allies!"
Xiao Wu hurriedly waved her hands, looking disgusted. "Don't look at me! I don't want to be your sister!"
Ning Rongrong shook her head repeatedly and backed away, as if even getting a little closer might contaminate her with something filthy.
Liu Erlong was even more direct. She stood up and kicked out!
BANG!!!
Yu Xiaogang's coquettish figure flew backward like a kite with its strings cut, hurled by the kick to crash heavily onto the steps outside the door.
She struggled to her feet, dust covering her body and half her makeup smeared. She looked utterly wretched.
Liu Erlong dusted off her hands and said coldly, "Get lost! If I see you again, I'll break your legs!"
Yu Xiaogang looked at the disgusted faces in the hall, at Liu Erlong's icy expression, and at Cao Xiyu's face as he refused even to look at her. Despair and fury welled up inside her, beyond words.
She silently got to her feet, turned around, and limped away from Ye Family Fortress.
Behind her, Xiao Wu's laughter rang out. "Yu Xiaogang really has gone crazy."
Liu Erlong snorted. "That was disgusting."
The Divine Realm, God Committee Hall.
Beneath the golden dome, the atmosphere was more oppressive than ever.
Asura God sat upon the throne of the God Kings, cracks from his battle against the Silver Dragon King still marring his dark-red divine armor.
His face was pale and his breath was weak, but his eyes remained sharp.
"Everyone," he said, his voice somewhat frail. "The situation in the lower realm is more complicated than we imagined. The Silver Dragon King is no weaker than me. Some Soul Beasts... have already broken through the million-year limit."
"And many humans have gained god-level strength."
The gods fell silent.
Asura God was gravely wounded, and dozens of deities had fallen. Since the Dragon God's battle, they had never suffered losses like these.
God of Destruction frowned. "In your view, how should we respond?"
Asura God was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "A direct assault would cost too much. We might as well try another approach and break them from within."
He stood and swept his gaze over the gods present. "Our connection with Douluo Continent has been restored. We can send down God Trials and cultivate our own forces there. Those who resent Brother Cao, those whose wives or daughters were taken from them, those consumed by jealousy, hatred, or resentment—we'll make them our targets."
God of Goodness furrowed her brow. "Isn't that somewhat improper?"
Asura God looked at her and said coolly, "Improper? The Fire God is dead, I'm gravely wounded, and the Divine Realm has lost face. And you're telling me this is improper?"
God of Goodness parted her lips, but said nothing more.
Asura God turned away and said sternly, "That settles it. Each of you will find suitable candidates and grant them God Trials."
The gods accepted their orders and went their separate ways.