Zhen Rou thrust a finger at Song Yan's smug face.
Her cheeks puffed out like steamed buns.
"Liar! You have no relationship with my husband other than being a nosy siren elder trying to stick your beak where it doesn't belong!"
Song Yan's plump, ruby lips curved higher.
She's completely unruffled as always.
She walked past Zhen Rou and gently lowered herself onto the bed's edge beside Li Qingmu.
One elegant jade hand pressed lightly against his chest to feel for any wounds.
This is a sweet sensation for Li Qingmu.
To have your chest rubbed by the grand elder is not an easy feat for many men!
He wondered what he did to be this rewarded.
The way her soft palm rubbed against his chest made him quite excited down there.
He had to bite back a sigh of contentment.
Song Yan nodded once, satisfied.
"He's fully healed. No trace of meridian damage left."
She turned her proud gaze to Zhen Rou.
"As for our relationship, little Rou'er… I protected him when half the sect screamed for his blood and claimed he killed you. And he promised to make me one of those beauty pills you use so fondly."
Her hand drifted to her own chest as her fingers splayed over those perky cantaloupes that stood firm and soft against her crimson robes.
Zhen Rou went silent.
Her lips parted and closed with little piping sounds.
"Mmm… hmph… but…"
This only made Song Yan's confident smile widen as her long lashes fluttered.
"Intimidated, hmm? Good."
She proudly propped up her succulent chest.
"A little respect for your elders goes a long way."
That did it.
Zhen Rou's held-back laughter burst out.
She doubled over to clutch her flat stomach.
"Haha! Oh, my—there's nothing romantic about that! I'm sure Husband probably just promised you a pill to curry favor and get you off his back!"
She almost fell to her knees.
"Pfft—beauty pill? For you? Hahaha!"
Song Yan's composure cracked by a hair.
This made a mature woman like her pout a bit as her rosy lower lip jutted out adorably.
It's unusual to see the grand elder like this.
You can count how many expressions she makes in a year but this is not one of them.
Li Qingmu couldn't help it and snuck a peek.
『Who knew the ice-cold grand elder could pout like a maiden? But it makes sense… I've only seen her in formal robes, never this casual. Adorable.』
He nodded internally.
This is a new and exciting discovery.
A spectacularly elegant woman like Song Yan does not know much about romance.
And that pout made it clear she's bothered by it.
Surely the grand elder is not the kind of woman to act so seductively and charm many men only to turn into a scared beauty the moment she's naked in bed?
She certainly is!
『I must have Grand Elder Song someday…』
Li Qingmu nodded with a smile.
『Hm…?』
The tent had gone suspiciously quiet.
He lifted a brow and cracked one eye open.
In his face were two beautiful pairs of breasts so fresh they almost looked shiny.
If he moved a few inches more, his face would dive into that perky softness.
One set is bouncy and full like jade melons.
Those belong to pure and inexperienced Zhen Rou.
The other is round and firm like sun-ripened fruits.
This is for the gorgeous grand elder.
He froze.
Two furious faces glared down at him.
Song Yan's eyes narrowed to slits.
"You woke up rather comfortably, dear. How long have you been pretending to be unconscious? Is this your spinless way of trying to reject my offer to make you a member of my Fenghuang Peak?"
She leaned closer abruptly and her chest bounced.
"If so, you don't have a choice."
She placed her hand back on his chest, smiling sweetly but Li Qingmu smiled back, only to quickly grit his teeth in pain as he felt her nails digging into his skin.
"Ah—Grand Elder…"
He was already sweating.
"Surely you wouldn't bully a recovering junior?"
"Surely you won't tell me no~"
She replied coolly.
Zhen Rou hugged her husband from the side.
"You won't harm Husband!"
Her soft chest squished against his arm while her cheek smooshed adorably against his shoulder.
She's like a possessive cat.
Song Yan frowned a bit.
"Don't make it seem like I'm mistreating him. He's my sweet disciple now… hand him over."
She reached out but Zhen Rou slapped her hand away with a sharp smack.
"No! Old ladies should stick to old men. Go find a wrinkled patriarch to bother!"
Li Qingmu closed his eyes and let out a tired sigh.
Song Yan's patience snapped for a second.
"Don't think I won't dare discipline you, little girl!"
Zhen Rou puffed up to face the elder head-on.
"That would be misuse of strength! Even you can't break sect rules!"
Song Yan's trembling fingers folded into a furious fist.
She's clearly frustrated.
She was the one who'd advocated for that sect rule to ensure elders couldn't bully disciples over petty reasons. If word got out that the elegant grand elder was brawling with a junior over a peasant… she'd lose face.
A calm smile is forced into her pretty face.
"Since no one's asked… how are your wounds?"
Zhen Rou hugged him tighter.
"I was about to ask that!"
She let out a petulant hmph.
Li Qingmu groaned like an old man then quickly freed himself from Zhen Rou's sweet hug.
He left the bed, grabbed a spotless white long robe from the side and draped it over his inner robes.
The two fairies blinked in confusion.
"Husband?"
"Junior Brother Li?"
He pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Ladies… please."
He glanced back at them, only for Song Yan to walk over and begin adjusting his collar and robes.
She's like a doting mother.
"Once you regain your strength, we need to talk."
Zhen Rou circled behind to gather his silky black hair into a neat ponytail as she tied it with a cute blue ribbon from her luxurious sleeve.
"I'd like a chat too, hubby ♥️"
Her cute pink eyes sparkled up at him, batting lashes like a coquettish fox.
Song Yan's eye twitched.
"Enough! Everything on first come, first served not this childish nonsense!"
Zhen Rou smiled proudly as she finished the bow.
"I'm the wife, so I have first pass no matter what! If you're going to complain about that, come off your high horse and marry my amazing husband as well… but even then, I'll still be head wife!"
She held her head up confidently.
Li Qingmu was sandwiched between them as they fussed and refussed his appearance to perfection.
Collar straightened, hair retied, robes dusted.
He's being pampered by two fairies!
There was a part of him that wanted to act like he wasn't enjoying this, but the way Zhen Rou praised him and even put him on the table for marriage to a beautiful grand elder made him cry tears of joy internally.
『Heh, what man wouldn't revel in this?』
But outwardly, he kept his cool.
Song Yan clicked her tongue.
"I'm not interested in marriage! Why are you twisting this like I'm competing for his hand?"
Before they'd get at each other's throats, Li Qingmu stepped aside calmly and exited the tent, even as he heard them call his name several times.
Outside, Li Qingmu relaxed near a serene lake.
He sat cross-legged on a flat rock.
"System."
The familiar blue screen bloomed in his mind's eye.
Notifications flooded in… dozens upon dozens.
[Ding! Your 27 offspring have grown remarkably under the care of your concubines!]
They would be around 3 to 5 years now.
This is because of the time difference in his family spiritual dimension.
[Would you like info on their well-being?]
Li Qingmu nodded without hesitation.
"—!?"
Out of nowhere, two long queues of disciples will emerge and drop to one knee in unison.
"Greetings, Li Clan Chief!"
Li Qingmu blinked, system screen vanishing.
"Eh? How did you all find me?"
A burly disciple at the front puffed his chest.
"Chief Li, I know this estate like the back of my hand! I've mapped every lake and peak during patrols. I'd be perfect as your head scout to track rivals, scout resources, no secret escapes me!"
Others spoke up, eager as marketplace hawkers.
"I'm a formation master! I can set up the best defensive arrays for your settlement if you invest in me!"
"Alchemy's my forte, Chief! With your resources, I'll brew pills to boost the whole clan!"
"Sword cultivation present—I'll train the young ones into little sword immortals!"
Li Qingmu waved them off mid-pitch.
"Hold on—this estate is massive. I haven't even seen half of it. Where are we exactly?"
The burly one grinned wider.
The burly disciple grinned wider.
"Ah, Chief, this is the new Li Clan settlement! It's under rapid development thanks to the Zhen Clan's backing and Grand Elder Song's finances. We're trying our best to build as fast as we can. It's all for you and the family!"
Li Qingmu tilted his head.
"Eh…?"