The training effects of Tianxing Jianzong have completely vanished.

The active herbs, which were inconvenient to carry, have already been snatched up by the Husky wolf pack. Other items can be carried in storage rings for light travel. From here, they can directly fly to Yaodu on their swords, no need for transportation.

His Majesty the Demon Emperor flew alongside everyone, leisurely, as if Tianxing Jianzong had become the Demon Emperor’s personal guard. Along the way, not even a bird dared to chirp, making any training impossible.

The journey to Yaodu was quick. Upon arrival, they stayed in the increasingly well-furnished Honglu Si, clearly indicating that Yaodu treated this event with the same seriousness as diplomatic relations between two nations.

—The news of Lu Xingzhou’s proposal to marry four women is no longer limited to a select few who received special messages. It gradually spread through various trade routes, and at least the gossip-mongers in Yaodu are now aware. Although Lu Xingzhou stated they would all be his wives, Shen Tang, being the first proposed, was naturally and implicitly considered the primary wife.

And His Majesty the Dragon Emperor’s desire for Lu Xingzhou to be her Empress has never been hidden. She once held Lu Xingzhou captive in the Empress’s chambers, “squeezing his juice” for a month, and had a long-standing quarrel with her ministers over it, which was known throughout the Demon Realm.

So, this is a national war, king against king.

Xiao Liang, the Honglu Si Qing, was dripping with sweat. Dealing with the troublesome Sheng Yuanyao, a “grandma,” had already been a headache, almost having his tail shaved for a brush. This time, the “primary wife” was arriving. His Majesty, in this game, felt like an intervening mistress.

Even His Majesty didn’t have much confidence, let alone his subordinates. Xiao Liang had been waiting at the gate with his retinue since early morning, ready to welcome Tianxing Jianzong into the city.

After entering the city, Long Qinghuang naturally didn’t lead the way herself; that would have been too undignified. Ultimately, it was Shen Tang who led the group. However, when Xiao Liang saw Shen Tang and Yuan Muyu at the front, he was dumbfounded.

Both of them were so exceptionally beautiful, so which one was the main one?

Although one of them wore clothes different from the others, it was normal for a sect leader to have some special attire… Oh, never mind, upon closer inspection, it was just a young girl, with a tender and flat face.

Xiao Liang let out a long sigh of relief and bowed to Shen Tang, “Sect Leader Shen, please come in. Your accommodations have been arranged.”

He paused, then added, “The previous report didn’t mention the Sect Leader bringing a maid. We only arranged a private courtyard for you. Do you need a room with a maid’s bed rearranged?”

Yuan Muyu: “?”

Who are you referring to as a maid?

Although Shen Tang considered her Ye Zhuoyu and a sister she needed to protect, it didn’t mean she wasn’t a little jealous or annoyed. Hearing this, she felt a refreshing coolness, like drinking a bowl of sour plum soup on a hot summer day: “Just arrange a private courtyard for this sister and me.”

Zhang Shaoyou and the others were too lazy to offer advice. After observing the strange girl nervously throughout the journey, they felt she didn’t seem malicious, but rather a bit mentally unwell. She often appeared absent-minded and dazed, spoke very little along the way, always silently pondering something. It seemed the bizarre scene they encountered earlier wasn’t strange at all; they had simply met someone with mental issues.

It wasn’t until they settled into the small courtyard that Yuan Muyu, as if waking from a dream, grabbed Shen Tang: “Who are you calling ‘sister’?”

Shen Tang directly took it as the usual provocation from mistresses towards the main wife. She smiled and gently pried open the fingers gripping her collar—hmm, they were quite soft. “No need to rush, little sister; there will be plenty to rush for later.”

Yuan Muyu retorted angrily, “Have you misunderstood something?”

Shen Tang said, “Do you know why I haven’t asked for your name all this time?”

“How would I know!”

“Because in that initial situation, no matter how I asked, I would only get a fake name, which would be meaningless. And now…” Shen Tang smiled, “Shall I ask it differently?”

Yuan Muyu thought Shen Tang was the crazy one: “Ask what?”

Shen Tang said, “Does your name contain ‘Yu’ (fish)? Even if it’s a fake name.”

Yuan Muyu was stunned, momentarily unsure how to answer.

Shen Tang felt even more certain, smiling as she put an arm around Yuan Muyu’s shoulder and led her inside: “So young and so arrogant… No matter what, we are humans, and that dragon mother is an outsider. We should unite against outsiders first, and discuss our own matters later.”

An extremely absurd feeling welled up in Yuan Muyu: “You two seem to get along, yet you’re still competing and tearing at each other?”

“Of course, I can’t yield an inch on this.” Shen Tang closed the door, comfortably poured two cups of tea, and pushed one towards Yuan Muyu: “Although in reality, no matter how she fights, it’s meaningless, we can’t lose our momentum. Otherwise, how will I manage the household later?”

Who is “we”?

Yuan Muyu was both annoyed and amused: “So, what are you doing in Yaodu for? Did you come specifically to see her?”

“Isn’t that normal, just like you came specifically to see me?”

“I’m not…”

Before she could finish, Shen Tang cut her off: “I understand, I understand.”

What do you understand?

“Later, she might put on airs, ask me to ‘present myself’ at Longya, and then try to humble me in front of others, making me lose some face. Anyone can figure that out.” Shen Tang drank her tea, smiling: “Let’s figure out how to handle this.”

Yuan Muyu laughed in exasperation: “What does that have to do with me? Even if she calls for you to present yourself, she won’t call for me.”

No sooner had she spoken than Xiao Liang’s voice came from outside: “An envoy from the palace has arrived, asking the two of you to meet at Longya.”

Yuan Muyu: “The two of us?”

“Yes.”

Yuan Muyu said, “I’m not going. What can she do to me? If she has the guts, she can come invite me herself. What’s the point of sending a fox demon to boss people around?”

Shen Tang was speechless.

Alright, alright, this little sister is sharp.

Indeed, these outsiders from Tianyao Sacred Land don’t care about emperors or anything. Her own thinking was still too limited…

In fact, this was the first time Yuan Muyu, who had been dazed and muddle-headed recently, showed the fiery temper of a Yan Jun. She was truly provoked into a rage by being called “maid” and then “sister.”

Soon, the envoy’s voice came from beside Xiao Liang: “Both of you, I’m Xiao Kui, sent by His Majesty to invite you to the palace for a talk.”

Yuan Muyu said, “Where did this big-faced sunflower come from? Go away.”

Xiao Kui was quite helpless: “Miss, we are all maids, so please don’t be so presumptuous…”

“You’re the maid, your whole family are maids!” Yuan Muyu was furious. Suddenly, a phantom hand appeared out of thin air, aiming to slap Xiao Kui flat.

Shen Tang quickly intervened, stopping it. Such a familiar technique…

And you still say you’re not from Tianyao?

“Miss Xiao Kui, please tell the Dragon Emperor that my sister and I have gone shopping…” Shen Tang put down her teacup and said leisurely, “If she’s interested, she can come shop with us sisters. As for presenting ourselves, forget it; we’re just merchants, not envoys.”

Xiao Kui touched her head, finding it still there, and ran back in tears.

Shen Tang felt that this “sister” was helping her deal with the Dragon Emperor’s attempt to exert authority, and in a good mood, she rose and linked arms with Yuan Muyu: “Come on, let’s go shopping.”

Yuan Muyu looked at her, her hand warmly linked with her own, with a strange expression. Her earlier temper tantrum had vanished. She didn’t know what she was thinking, only muttering, “Why did you stop me?”

Shen Tang said, “That sunflower is probably a close associate of the Dragon Emperor; we can’t bully her casually… She might even become a concubine’s maid in the future.”

Yuan Muyu’s cheek twitched.

Are you really doing your homework for future harmony in the inner courtyard, even considering concubine’s maids? Oh please, with that big face, how could Xingzhou ever be interested?

Never mind, if not a concubine’s maid, then a maid. That seems right too.

Wait, why am I considering the harmony of his inner courtyard? Yuan Muyu finally reacted: “What do your inner courtyard concubines have to do with me?”

“Stubborn, still stubborn.” Shen Tang pulled her out: “Nothing to do with you? If you keep being stubborn, you’ll only be a concubine’s maid for the National Preceptor. That old woman is insidious.”

This sentence genuinely left Yuan Muyu, who had been muddled and confused recently, so bewildered that she didn’t know how to respond, and was dazedly pulled out onto the street.

Over there, Long Qinghuang, after hearing Xiao Kui’s tearful recounting, was also furious.

You, Yan Jun, I won’t expose you, and now you’re bullying my people?

The ‘Dragon Ogress’ was not one to be trifled with. With a “whoosh,” she vanished from her spot, reappearing in front of the “sisters” who were walking arm-in-arm.

The two stopped. Shen Tang smiled slightly: “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Long Qinghuang said expressionlessly, “Sect Leader Shen’s maid is very rude, isn’t she?”

Shen Tang stopped Yuan Muyu from reacting: “Your Majesty jests, this is not my maid.”

Long Qinghuang said coldly, “So? My palace maid was bullied, and nothing happened?”

Shen Tang smiled apologetically: “I apologize to her on behalf of my sister.”

As soon as the word “sister” was spoken, Long Qinghuang instinctively looked at Yuan Muyu’s face, only to see Yuan Muyu standing there blankly, not even refuting it.

Long Qinghuang’s chest was full of anger, but she was almost amused.

Yan Jun, what are you doing, Yan Jun?

Given your relationship with Lu Xingzhou, you are the older sister, you are everyone’s older sister!

Even if you have such thoughts for your younger brother, when it comes to the hierarchy of the inner courtyard, why are you meekly letting someone call you “sister”? What are you doing? Are you going to serve tea next?

Thinking about it, Yuan Muyu probably didn’t want to expose her identity and was forcibly holding back, so Long Qinghuang decided to push it further: “Alright, your sister is my sister. As long as this sister calls me ‘Big Sister Long,’ this matter is over.”

The muddle-headed Yuan Muyu suddenly exploded: “Why are you the older sister? Because you’re older?”

Shen Tang shot a sidelong glance at her. With words like that, did she no longer want to pretend to be a young girl they met on the road?

Yuan Muyu was stimulated to the point where at least half of her no longer wanted to pretend: “You two aren’t even married yet, yet you shamelessly claim to be older sisters, one after another. Whose older sisters can you be?”

Long Qinghuang said leisurely, “Because I have already ‘done the deed’ with him.”

Critical hit.

Not only Yuan Muyu was critically hit, even Shen Tang’s face turned as black as a pot bottom.

Long Qinghuang, refreshed, said leisurely, “Whether Shen Tang has ‘done the deed’ or not, I don’t know… But you, this little bean sprout, definitely haven’t. There’s not an ounce of femininity to be seen.”

Yuan Muyu: “…”

Then Long Qinghuang glanced at Shen Tang’s dark face, suddenly realized something, and was even more amused: “So you too… Alright, both of you call me ‘older sister’.”