(AKJ)Chapter 122 - Fierce and powerful, sweet and adorable

[A/N: Hello, dear patrons! For the first time in a while, I finished writing the weekly chapter in advance! I'm a bit tired, but super happy with the result. 4200+ words for your enjoyment. I hope you will like it. Anyway, the following chapter, we'll get to explore a bit more of this world, something I had put aside for a while since I thought the MC and FLs were too weak to deal with the kind of problem they could encounter in this crazy might makes right cultivation world. They're still not very powerful, mind you, but their strength is enough to get a taste for it. Okay, I'll leave you with your chapter and I'll see you next week!

Bye!]

Bright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth

Omniscient P.O.V.

On the other side, Demian was the first to notice Bryn’s state, with Seraphine being close second. After all, she did have those special eyes of hers. As for Liya, she was a bit slower than the other two. Who told her to be much weaker than everyone else in her family? Well, hearing that question, she would probably say it was merely a temporary setback and she was counting on her nephew’s selfless help to make her stronger through his ‘special method’. But that was besides the point. Back to the situation. In Demian’s perspective, Bryn’s eyelids began closing down, her previously fidgeting body loosening instantly, making it clear to him that the woman—the same who had fearlessly faced a Tribulation that would have pulverized more than 99.9% of cultivators at her level—that woman was literally fainting from what seemed to be a nervous breakdown. Her reaction was so unexpected that his own brain froze for a brief moment, though his body still moved automatically, almost teleporting to Bryn’s side before gently catching her body into a princess carry. Only when he had her in his arms did the young man regain focus, an expression of not knowing whether to laugh or cry appearing on his face. ‘Should I be glad that catching the three girls in a princess carry has become instinct to me, or should I be upset that I could have literally made her float in the air without even needing to touch her body with a single thought? I hope that particular instinct is only for those three...’ Letting out an inward sigh, he then added. ‘Forget it. Let’s just call it ‘occupational hazard’, although in my case, the occupation would be having a harem.’ Pausing for a second, an amused smile wiped off the previous distressed expression from his face. ‘Well, I can’t exactly call it a hazard with how much I enjoy holding them in my arms, though.’ Despite having those thoughts traverse his head, he did not fail to notice Seraphine’s and Adeliya’s sudden arrival at his side, the former clicking her tongue, her following tone uttered in a tone mixed with admiration and teasing. “Passing out from dressing up... I gotta say, it’s the first time I heard about something like that. I didn’t even know that was possible for someone of her Rank.” He had to admit, his elven lover had a knack for poking where it hurt, though he was sure it was simply a means to lighten the atmosphere. That being said, had Bryn been awake at this time, she would have probably fainted again from her careless remark. Interestingly, Adeliya seemed to also think that the little minx should watch her words a little more. With her beautiful brown eyes narrowed at her daughter’s face, she started admonishing. “Stop bullying your older sister. You know how hard it was for her to do what she’s been doing, so mocking her efforts doesn't help at all.”

Now it was Demian’s turn to feel bad for feeling slightly amused at the situation. ‘She’s right. I know how shy Bryn is, but she still dressed up for me—something she’s never done in the past.’ He pondered while admiring the now peaceful face of his future wife. Although focused on Bryn’s unconscious figure, he did catch Sera’s muttering apology coming from beside him. Was he feeling some schadenfreude? Of course not! He was not petty like that... Right? Pushing those self-convincing words aside, he suddenly asked the other two, his eyes not deviating from Bryn’s captivating face. “Should we try to wake her up, or do we let her sleep?” His words cut off Liya’s ‘How to respect your older sister 101’ course, plunging the two into a brief, thoughtful silence before the redhead instructed. “Better wake her up. I’m sure she’d be disappointed if we spent the day together without her.” Nodding in agreement, he started circulating a small strand of his Water Elemental Energy in her body in a particular pattern he had learnt recently, triggering some of the secondary acupoints in her back. The reaction was immediate, with the woman’s eyelids fluttering open, her gaze briefly unfocused while a few words escaped her dark-golden lips. “Where am I...?” Her expression, however, quickly turned bashful when she noticed herself lying in Demian’s strong arms, the latter’s lips’ corners lifted in a gentle smile. “Feeling better, Love?” The combo gentle-words/gentle-embrace was almost too much for the shy woman, though her mental resistance seemed to have experienced some slight growth. At least, if the fact that she stayed conscious this time was any indication. Well, her skin was still thin, though, since her eyes darted everywhere, clearly trying to desperately avoid his own, while her cheeks were turning a darker shade of gold as time passed. But the most obvious of all the signs was the stutter in her voice. “I-I-I I don-don’t...” Looking at the woman’s adorable reaction, instead of teasing her—Nothing to do with Liya’s previous words, of course—, he gently instructed. “Take a deep breath, Love. You’re safe. There’s no need to panic.” His magnetic voice seemed to have a magical power on the woman in his arms, prompting her to follow his instructions, this time without avoiding his gaze. Was it his instructions or his dreamy eyes? She was not sure, but the result was that her heart rate started to slow down while her mind was busy admiring the deep color of his eyes. ‘So blue...’ She thought, her brain seemingly having left on vacation. Well, she was not the only one with a temporarily deficient brain, as Demian’s ‘inner philosophical contemplation’ was: ‘Her lips look so delicious...’ Lost cases, both of them.

Besides those two ‘teenagers in love’, the other two ‘third wheels’ looked at each other, each noting the annoyance in the other’s gaze before simultaneously bursting into a giggling fit. As the saying went: ‘The apple did not fall far from the tree’. The sudden noise broke Demian and Brynhild from their staring contest, prompting them to turn their heads toward Liya and Sera’s direction, and, seeing how they were not even looking at them, turned their gazes back to each other. Noting Bryn’s blushing cheeks and shy smile, his own grin was gentle, matching his next question. “Better?” His deep voice carrying a certain quality that brought an itch to her Heart as she responded with a ‘Mmhh’ noise and slight nod before her right hand moved to lay on his chest, her lips letting out a whisper. “You can put me down now...” Her tone seemed slightly reluctant, though her skin was—unfortunately—not thick enough to stay in that embarrassing position. Well, not with an audience present anyway. Hearing her ‘demand’, a low chuckle escaped him before he teased. “Are you sure? I don’t mind if you stay in my arms. Your body is pretty comfortable to hold, after all.” Feeling some butterflies in her stomach at his words, she now had trouble looking him in the eyes. Though she tried to hide her delight, the growing grin on her face betrayed her completely. As for her current thoughts? Well... ‘He said my body felt comfortable! Oh my God! Oh my God! Oh my God! Wha-what am I supposed to reply? Shou-Should I also tell him that his arms are comfortable? But-but that would be too straightforward, wouldn’t it? Damn it, Bryn! Get ahold of yourself! You’re a beautiful, strong, and independent woman! You can’t get flustered with just a small compliment! Otherwise, Sera will make fun of you again! No, I have to show her that I can act like a mature and confident woman. Let’s try with complimenting back.’ Only a brief moment went by as all those thoughts flashed in her head, and thus, with a slight stuttering, she replied. “You-you too...” Those two words brought vastly different reactions from the two involved. On the one hand, Bryn closed her eyes, wondering where she might end up being reincarnated after dying from acute cringiness, while Demian got a shot in the heart from Bryn’s words and expression’s ridiculously adorable reaction. ‘Well, that’s decided. That woman is mine for life. No way I can let her go after I’ve just seen her react like that. Not that I wanted to let her go in the first place, though...’ His heart skipping a beat and his breath getting briefly stuck in his throat, he had to close his eyes and take a few deep breaths to regulate his body’s natural reaction. Opening his eyes, a slightly complicated expression appeared on his face as a few words left his lips. “No wonder you three are blood-related...”

Because the tone he used was very low, Bryn barely caught them, but her mind was too chaotic to bother making sense of them, though the other two Mikhailov women were different, with Sera exclaiming, her tone barely hiding her envy. “Alright, Babe. I think you can let her down now. She looks fine now.” Liya said nothing, but her expression, caught from the corner of his eye, was speaking for her. Shaking his head while sporting an amused grin, Demian said. “You two are really something.” He then gently set the golden-skinned beauty down, doing nothing to hide his reluctance from those two piercing pairs of eyes observing every one of his movements. After all, a man had to put his foot down from time to time or his women would walk all over him. ‘They are all supposed to be my wives, but those two are already jealous of each other. Who knew having a harem was so hard on the man’s side?’ He thought, half-jokingly, half-concerned. Indeed, he was truly hoping that there would be no ‘internal war’ between the ‘Sister-wives’. Wife-Mother-Daughters? Daughter-Mother-Wives? Whatever they should be known as! In any case, he decided to do his best to help those three accept each other, not as daughter/sister/mother, but as true sisters. After all, every relationship was complex, demanding that each partner had qualities like kindness, empathy, and the willingness to communicate. That was for ‘normal’ relationships, so how much more complex a romantic relationship involving four people was, especially when the women involved had a close blood relation? If he were to be honest with himself, Demian admired those three for being willing to share him with each other, even though they did feel some slight reluctance from time to time. Thinking about himself sharing even just one of them with other men, a shiver of disgust traversed his body, making him realize how much love those three had for him and each other to accept that kind of ‘abnormal’ relationship. ‘Love is truly mysterious with what it can make people do...’ He contemplated as his gaze moved from one woman to the other before he stated firmly, but also with all his feelings mixed in his tone. “I’m really lucky to have the three of you in my life.” Funny how a few months ago he said similar words, but their meaning was completely different. Or maybe it was a different side of things? After all, he still considered the three as family. Just not the same kind of family as before...

Those words had an immediate effect on those three, wiping out the slight irritation in the observing mother-daughter duo, replaced by a wave of happiness washing over their heart. Of course, those two cunning foxes only showed a simple smile on their faces, probably to save face in front of Li Hua, though it could also have been to compete against Bryn in ‘maturity’. Well, Demian did not know and did not want to know. On the other side, the Jade woman’s face was like an open book, the delighted smile plastered on her face being a dead giveaway to her inner feeling. Well, love would do that to you. At least, in the beginning. Instead of uttering any playful remark to the three, though the urge was truly there, Demian instead suggested. “So, Sera told me that you wanted to spend the day together... Do you want to do something in particular?” For weeks, the young man had been mostly practicing cultivation, with only a few breaks here and there, so asking him for ideas on what to do for a ‘date’ was useless, especially if they were to stay inside the mansion’s grounds. Speaking of which... “Actually, I was thinking that we could go spend the day in the Outer City.” Seeing the doubts on their faces, Bryn added, this time a bit more firmly. “Well, Aunt Ling and Uncle Sergei said that we shouldn’t go there before breaking through to the Foundation Building Rank, right?” Noting them nod at her words, she felt a bit more confident in her idea. “The thing is, they didn’t specify if everyone had to break through. To be honest, with my current strength, I’m enough to protect all of us if something happens, and since you two—Sis and Dem—are as strong as Foundation Building cultivators, it should be enough to ensure our safety, don’t you think?” Her words made the other three realize that their current combat power was much higher than they previously thought. Though they could not really be blamed for not noticing. After all, they had not left the Mansion since they arrived, and with the only comparison they had was the Sergei couple with their powerful cultivation—the guards and maids having all reached in the Foundation Building Ranks—it was hard to realize their current ‘status’ in this world. ‘Right! We aren’t part of the weaklings anymore. Though I wouldn’t say we’re anywhere near powerful, at least in the Capital City of one of the Federation’s Eight Inner Islands, we should be plenty safe. Especially with our current backing.’ If they were ‘normal’ cultivators, their current cultivation base may not have been enough. However, the three youngest could destroy anyone with a cultivation below one complete Rank above theirs. That was the advantage of talent(Luck) and deep foundations(Cheating).

After a few seconds of silence, Li Hua, whom everyone else had forgotten about, interjected. “Young Lord and Young Ladies, you should ask the Lord and Lady first if you wish to go on an outing. But I’m certain they would agree if you brought a few guards with you. Even if you don’t need their protection, they can prevent some uncouth individuals from bothering you.” Her words seemed to imply something, prompting Demian to ask. “Is the Outer City so dangerous?” Tilting her head slightly with a thoughtful expression on her face, she then replied a moment later. “Not exactly. This entire Island is part of the Federation with its rules and regulations. The thing is... Well, some cultivators like to break those rules and, depending on their background, can get away with merely some light punishments. Of course, it also depends on the gravity of their actions.” Her words made the three of them frown in displeasure, not towards her but instead toward those lawless cultivators. Feeling a bit irritated, Adeliya asked. “Is it something common? And what do you consider as ‘serious’?” Seraphine added her own questions. “What about people snatching? Does it happen here?” What she meant was not simple kidnapping, of course, but something much more sordid that would follow after the ‘snatching’ part. Before the other two could ask anything, the maid, with a helpless look on her face, interjected. “I don’t mind answering your questions, but I’d need the time to do so.” Seeing the embarrassed look on their faces after her gentle reminder, she put her hand in front of her dainty mouth, a few melodious giggles escaping her lips. While discreetly turning her attention toward Demian, Seraphine noticed the slight lift of his brow and the hint of interest—in her opinion—in his gaze when looking at Li Hua. ’Fuck! I was right to be wary of that woman! She’s clearly seducing Demian!’ Was she, though? Well, Demian did not really care if she was, as his mind was busy comparing the woman in front of him with his three lovers, noting how drastically different they were. If he had to put words on it, he would say that Li Hua was like a painting: graceful, refined, and with complicated layers. The Mikhailov women, however, were much simpler, more real, or raw, in a way, with none of that pretending nonsense. In other words, they were simply themselves, something he loved about them, and one of their most attractive traits in his opinion. As for Li Hua, however, everything about her felt a bit too... Fake, maybe? It was as if she created that refined and attractive persona to hide who she was. Of course, that was just Demian’s intuition talking. As for ‘real’ proof? He had none and did not care enough to find any.

Back to Li Hua, the woman started answering their questions. “The worst crime you can do in the Federation is ‘High Treason’. You can probably guess what it is from the name, but in case you don’t, it comprises leaking secret federal information to our enemies, killing an Elder-level figure from our federation, etc. Anyone found guilty of that crime will be executed, and their loved ones have a chance to be implicated, depending on the situation.” Pausing for a second, she took a deep breath before adding. “As for anything else, the seriousness is highly variable. Take murder, for example. If a Void Seed Cultivator kills a Chi gathering Cultivator without any background in one of the Capital Cities, then he/she would not face much punishment. At most, a small fine would need to be paid to the victim’s family and to the Federation. On the other hand, if that same Chi Gathering Cultivator kills another with a similar Cultivation Base, then he/she is likely to be imprisoned for years, with a high chance of having his/her cultivation base crippled. Of course, even those Void Seed old Kings can’t go too far, or they would also receive severe punishment. At least, that’s what my Lord and Lady told us.” Nodding at her words, a thought came to Demian’s Mind. ‘Yeah, I’m not too surprised. It’s pretty much what Teacher told me before with the whole ‘Might makes Right’ thing. Though I guess it’s a good thing there’s SOME limit to that as well.’ Li Hua, after letting the four digest her words for a few brief moments, continued, her voice slightly hesitant. “When it comes to people snatching, I assume you mean in the street?” Seeing Sera nod, she said. “Well, it’s a bit similar to what I said previously: it depends on the situation. If a Core Formation snatch a Chi Gathering Cultivator in the street, there’s not much the latter can do. After all, for a crime to be punished, you need proof, unless you possess overwhelming might. But then you wouldn’t be in this predicament in the first place.” She mumbled that last sentence before shaking her head slightly and explaining. “What I mean by proof is you need to have the victim testify to the crime, especially if it involves things like rape. But would the woman, or man, for that matter, be brave enough to testify against someone who could destroy them with a thought? Keep in mind that the higher one’s Cultivation Base, the more varied one’s means become. So, it would be very easy for someone like that to control a cultivator a few Ranks below their own without killing them.” Her voice lowered until she fell silent, leaving the other four in a gloomy silence.

Only a few seconds later did Demian, after letting out a troubled sigh, said. “No wonder Teacher told us to wait until we grow stronger before going to the Outer City.” With a complicated smile on her face, Li Hua replied. “The Cultivation World is ruthless. But Young Lord and Young Ladies need not be afraid. With your current Cultivation Base, coupled with your status, there’s little chance of that happening. At most, you may be bothered by a few people interested in your looks, nothing too serious.” Pausing for a second, as if something came to her mind, she added. “Also, what I just told you is not something that happens all the time. It’s relatively rare, and with the hundreds of millions of cultivators living in Bright Star City, the chance of that happening to anyone is almost zero.” Hearing that last sentence, Seraphine’s face turned helpless. ‘Well, and here comes the red flag!’ Hopefully, she was mistaken, though she would not bet on it. ‘I really need to break through quickly. Well, Demian and I. That would increase our safety by a large margin.’ She contemplated while the rest kept asking a few other questions to the well-informed maid for a few minutes. After a while, the four were satisfied, and thus Brynhild declared. “I’ll ask Uncle Sergei and Aunt Ling for their approval, and in the meantime, you can all prepare what you need for our day out.” She did not call out anyone, but the combination of a few glances and her expression made it clear that she was not satisfied with their current outfits. Seeing her so particular about those things she did not pay the slightest mind to in the past brought out a few chuckles from Demian, while the other two briefly looked at their own outfits before dashing toward their own room like rockets, though without creating any collateral damage on their way, thankfully. Shaking his head, the young man told the other two. “I’ll go put on something a bit fancier. See you in a bit.” Now, without the presence of her two rivals, Bryn felt as if the previous tension wracking her mind had mostly disappeared, prompting her to flash a beautiful smile at Demian before uttering a simple ‘yes’ in a voice so sweet that the young man felt a shiver of excitement coursing through his entire body, eliciting a wry thought. ‘Fuck! Why am I so weak to those three speaking in a sweet voice...? If any of them notice, I’m screwed.’

‘Fortunately’, none of those three seemed to have, and he was thus ‘safe’ for a while more. As Bryn walked to the Main Courtyard where the Sergei couple resided, Adeliya and Seraphine were busy trying on accessories and hairstyles, as choosing the right dress to wear was surprisingly easy for the two, with Seraphine keeping the burgundy-colored one she was previously wearing, simply adding a pair of flat-bottomed shoes matching the piece of fabric’s color. As for her hair, she decided to style it with two loose top-side buns linked behind her head by an intricate golden-red lotus headdress, leaving only two locks of purple hair to frame her delicate oval face. Adeliya took a bit longer to choose her own outfit, but finally settled on a light Blue with long sleeves Cheongsam falling in the middle of her ankle. It also had the usual slits on each side, though it only ran up to the top of her knees. When it came to patterns, the dress had white phoenixes with golden eyes along with some white clouds. Her shoes matched the color of the dress, though the only patterns visible were a few white clouds. When it came to her hair, she chose to style it into a slightly more complex high bun with two locks of hair on the back, each forming a closed circle, and two locks in front, used to frame her face, as delicate as her youngest daughter, though displaying a bit more maturity. The whole hairstyle was held by a headdress representing a white-colored phoenix with golden eyes. As for Demian, seeing how Sera put so much importance on her outfits, he decided to dress a bit better than the previous day. ‘Let’s forget the short sleeves, then. Let’s see...’ Well, it was not as if he had hundreds of choices... ‘Let’s choose this one. The color scheme is similar to the one I’m wearing right now.’ Having made his decision, he removed the clothes on his body with a thought, briefly leaving himself in underwear before teleporting a full outfit onto his body from his Void Ring. ‘Having magical powers makes dressing up so much easier.’ He exclaimed inwardly while admiring himself in his new huanfu. The outfit comprised a blue outer vest with both golden white dragon patterns and white cloud patterns, a pure white inner vest with golden blue linings, a pure white pair of pants with a golden blue belt, and a blue pair of flat-bottomed shoes. Coupled with his supernatural handsomeness, the outfit gave him a kind of transcendent attractiveness, akin to those so-called exiled immortals he read about in those cultivation novels in the past.

Gazing at his reflection in the mirror in front of his eyes, he felt delighted, though he did feel that something seemed to be missing. Swiftly, his gaze moved upward to his raven-colored shoulder-length hair, understanding where the problem lay. With an anticipatory smile, he exclaimed inwardly. ‘Once that’s done, it’s date time. I can’t wait!’