My Twin Sugar Mommies and Two Systems are 100 Years Late! Volume 2 – Chapter 11.
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As the [Immortal Clan System] spoke, her window displayed the relevant information.
Startup Missions: [Matriarch Wanted] [Concubine(s) Wanted (Optional)] [Home Sweet Home] [Descendants]
Yan Anle halted for only a second, glanced at them, then resumed climbing down.
"There is no rush." He made half his stance known. "With the resources at my disposal now, I can probably find a woman with decent Spirit Roots to start a family with in a short time. But, I would rather build a family that is based on actual affection."
As for the other half that he did not say? It was the naked truth that he was only speaking of such things now because he had gained some cultivation.
If he were still a powerless old man, he would have settled for anyone willing. Talented or not, affectionate or not. He would have been like those protagonists from the "Many Children, Many Blessings" novels he had lost interest in after the first few tens of chapters.
The two systems knew this but did not expose him.
[Myriad Worlds] probed, [But, Master, do you already have someone with whom you share affection?]
"Eh? And who might that be?"
[Immortal Clan System] reminded him, [Your little maid.]
[Myriad Worlds] added, [Don't deny it. Before, you felt that you were going to die of old age, while she would go on to reach greater heights, living for hundreds, or possibly, thousands of years, so you refused to admit it yourself. But now… Hehe.]
His inner voice went silent as he reflexively tried to find a refutation, but, in the end, he could not deny the fact.
At the same time, the door to Dou E's chosen room clicked open, and she made eye contact with him.
His footsteps halted as her initial surprise quickly disappeared and was replaced by a huge smile. She closed the distance between them in a blink and asked, "Young Master, do you notice anything different about me?"
Yan Anle silently stared back at her for a moment, then used his recently acquired Divine Sense to inspect her. Soon, his eyes widened slightly. "You… You've broken through?"
"Yes!" Dou E jumped on her toes. "Young Master, it's all thanks to the Marrow Cleansing Pill you gave me. After washing off the impurities removed by it, I felt what was left of my bottleneck completely shatter."
She spun around. "Then, on impulse, I sat down to cultivate. And just like that, I directly went from the Second to the Sixth Level, skipping four minor realms in one go!"
She stopped spinning and added, "I felt that I could probably keep breaking through to the Seventh or even Eighth level, but I didn't dare to be too greedy. Breaking through so many realms at once could have implications. I am not as fortunate as you, having an immortal to oversee my training."
Towards the end, there was some undisguised but playful jealousy in her tone, and she pouted.
Yan Anle smiled. "Little girl, you finally learned how to be jealous?"
[Immortal Clan System] chuckled in his mind, [There you go again, calling her 'Little Girl' left and right. You still don't want to admit the truth, huh, Master?]
Yan Anle ignored her.
"Master, don't slander me," Dou E denied, still pouting. "Where do you see me being jealous? I was just saying it casually."
"Okay, okay, you aren't jealous. It's me who misunderstood you." Yan Anle laughed and ran his hand through her hair. "Now, how about we hold a small party with those things we bought from Bliss Sanctuary to celebrate our change of fate?"
As he spoke, staring down at her, the words of the systems kept repeating in his mind on a loop. The more he looked at her, the more he felt that their guesses struck true.
Staying with, being cared for, and never abandoned by her for so long, despite her change in status from a mortal to a cultivator, how could he not be moved?
It's just that, as more time went by and his hair turned gray, he had suppressed those feelings from a tall tree to an inconspicuous broomstick. Once the idea of starting the clan with her sprouted, it started to grow wildly and uninhibited, like weeds.
Still, he actively pulled his hand away from her hair.
The Immortal Clan System only claimed she held the highest level of trust and loyalty a being with free will could have for him. That did not automatically translate to romantic affection. Romance was the same as chess in regard to being a two-player game.
Dou E's pout disappeared, and she agreed excitedly, "Yes, Young Master, let's do that."
Yan Anle glanced at the hallway and found that it was still empty. "Are you the only one residing on this floor?"
"No, Sister Pan chose one room up here as well," Dou E said, walking with him. "If she took the pill like I did, she may still be in her room, breaking through."
"I see."
According to the system, he could use the [Structural Management] function to scan the whole Secret Realm, leaving nothing to escape his notice. However, he did not use that to check on Pan Ting's whereabouts or condition. What if she was undressed or doing something private at the instant he peeked?
Not just her, there were other ladies among the recruited staff. That's not completely right—accidentally peeking on his own gender was not desirable either. So, unless there was a strong reason, he would not use that ability casually.
When they arrived on the second floor, in contrast to the third floor, it was very lively. The staff were all gathered together, discussing something with great fanfare.
Dou E and her Young Master halted their steps and silently listened from behind them. Within moments, the subject of their animated discussion was deduced by the pair.
It was naturally all about the Marrow Cleansing Pill. Although they only got diluted versions of it, the difference was more than evident to them. They felt that if they got their hands on cultivation techniques and tried cultivating again, they might really be able to step into the Qi Gathering Realm and cease to be mortals, as they once hoped to.
The requirement Yan Anle had given Dou E when recruiting people was to find those who not only had a good appearance but also had low-quality Spirit Roots that prevented them from even entering Qi Gathering Level 1. Additionally, they must be from relatively poor backgrounds and need money, but have no bad reputation or history of crime.
Dou E finding people who met all requirements simultaneously, and within hours at that, was actually not a great feat. Those with poor or no Spirit Roots made up over ninety percent of the world's population. Plus, most of them were actually descendants of cultivators, whether they knew it or not.
Since time immemorial, there have been several continent-wide disasters. And in those times, cultivators would prioritize those related to them, while those who were not related to them would die in droves.
It was difficult to find a truly ugly cultivator, as breaking through stages purifies the body, molding one's appearance to the best their bone structure allowed. So, their descendants, by extension, could hardly be truly ugly.
That left Dou E with only the part about having a clean history a bit tricky, as it required her to spend time on an investigation, but not so much. Simply by throwing money around, she was able to gather information about her targets from specialized agencies very quickly.
Yes, the reason why Yan Anle's inventory showed exactly the number of Spirit Stones he had earned from the auction and nothing more was that all he had left after spending at the Bliss Sanctuary had been handed over to Dou E after they discussed things last night.
Back to the present, after Yan Anle understood the situation, he thought, Three Spirit Stones will be insufficient for them to get even the most basic Cultivation Techniques.
The impulse to give them a few more only surfaced for a split second before he squashed it. Forget the fact that he did not want his people cultivating such low-end techniques from the outside when he had systems; he also did not want to spoil them too much on the first day. The diluted Pill was already a great benefit for them.
Thinking up to this point, he gave Dou E a look, and she cleared her throat loudly. The sound was infused with Spiritual Qi, echoing into all their ears.
"Eh, it's Madam Dou E."
"Thank you for the Pill, Madam."
"Yes, thank you for giving us such a precious thing. You have changed my life. I promise to rise earlier than the chicken and work harder than the ox."
"Me too."
They all voiced their genuine and utmost gratitude and appreciation. At the same time, many glanced at the young man beside her, somewhat curious, but did not dare to directly ask.
Some whispered.
"This young man's appearance is so handsome and refined. He and Miss Dou E make a perfect match."
"You, stop guessing. They may just be colleagues under the Master. Coming to conclusions about cultivators' relationships—you must be tired of living."
"But it can't be denied, though. Ah, this young man's appearance is so good. His background cannot be ordinary."
"Is it just me, or does this young man share some resemblance to the Master? Could he be the Master's son?"
"Eh, now that you mention it, he indeed looks like the Master."
This chatter, no matter how much they tried to suppress it, could not escape either Dou E's or Yan Anle's senses, even without either of them actively listening.
The latter reflexively stroked the left side of his face, agreeing with them.
While people from Clans all looked at Spirit Roots and Special Physiques when seeking spouses and concubines to bring back to the clan, they also looked at beauty. This was why you could hardly ever find people more beautiful than Princes and Princesses, and Young Masters and Young Mistresses.
It's not that the authors of those Wuxia and Xianxia novels had an obsession with describing important characters as Jade Beauties and Heroic-looking men, but realistically speaking, how could they not be so good-looking if they had great backgrounds?
Dou E's lips curved up into a smile, and she announced happily, "There is no need to keep guessing so much. You already know who he is. In fact, just now, the Young Master has made a breakthrough in his cultivation base, regaining his youth! To celebrate, we will be throwing a feast for dinner!"