On the other side, while Yu Qing was discussing serious matters with his two fathers-in-law, his four wives—Duan Xin, Zi Ruyi, A Rou, and Fox Consort—tacitly pulled the newcomer, Purple Pearl, to the side.
The four women, each with a different style but equally beautiful, surrounded Purple Pearl. Eight eyes scanned her up and down like searchlights, filled with scrutiny, curiosity, and a faint, imperceptible hint of playfulness.
Purple Pearl felt completely uncomfortable under their gaze. Her hands nervously twisted the hem of her clothes, her fair face flushed slightly, and her purple eyes flickered with uncertainty. She was like a little white sheep that had stumbled into a wolf's den; although she was also a wolf (Spirit Master), she was clearly overwhelmed in terms of aura and experience.
The silence lasted for a moment before the most straightforward and "lawless" one, A Rou, finally broke it.
She crossed her arms, her pink eyes narrowing slightly as she leaned forward until she was almost touching Purple Pearl's face. In a playful yet piercing tone, she asked:
"Sister Pearl~ Have you two... already performed Yin-Yang Harmonization?"
"!" Purple Pearl's cheeks instantly turned bright red! Like a ripe apple, the blush spread all the way to her ears! she lowered her head abruptly, her voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz as she squeezed out a single word from her throat: "...Yes."
Upon hearing this definitive answer, Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi's eyes instantly narrowed. They exchanged a meaningful look, and invisible sparks seemed to crackle in the air. A faint sense of discomfort and jealousy quietly spread in their hearts—though they had known this day would come, now that it actually had, the feeling was still... complicated.
However, when they remembered that Purple Pearl was Yu Qing's savior and that their husband might have already perished at sea if she hadn't intervened, that bit of unhappiness quickly dissipated.
Zi Ruyi, the most gentle and considerate of them all, lightly took Purple Pearl's hand and comforted her in a soft tone: "Sister, don't be nervous. We don't mean anything by it. We're just... a bit curious. How did husband... trick you... uh, I mean, how did he get you to agree to Yin-Yang Harmonization?" She almost spoke her mind directly and quickly corrected herself with a gentle smile.
Feeling the warmth and kindness from Zi Ruyi's hand, Purple Pearl's nerves relaxed significantly. She looked up and explained in a small voice: "Actually... it wasn't anything special. At the time, husband just asked me... if I wanted to quickly increase my spirit power... I felt his gaze was very sincere and without malice... and he had even helped me hunt a very suitable fifth spirit ring before that... I-I thought he was a good person, so... I agreed..."
Her voice grew smaller and smaller, and her head hung lower and lower, looking every bit the obedient girl who admitted she was easily fooled.
However, this "innocent" speech, when heard by the four "battle-hardened" sisters, instantly ignited a fuse!
The expressions of the four wives changed instantly!
They looked at each other again, and without needing words, they completed a highly efficient exchange of glances, reaching a consensus in an instant:
Husband, oh husband!
Not only did you almost lose your life from injuries on your trip to sea!
But you actually learned to use this classic routine of 'helping hunt spirit rings + quickly increasing spirit power' to trick an innocent young girl!
You really... need to be taught a lesson! It seems you haven't been 'disciplined' in too long, and your skin is getting itchy!
A "great" plan (in their eyes) quickly took shape in the hearts of the four women!
A little devilish smirk curled at the corner of A Rou's mouth; Duan Xin's eyes sparkled with eagerness; Zi Ruyi's gentle smile held a hint of danger; even the most languid Fox Consort had an excited light flashing in her fox-like eyes!
"Hehehe..." A Rou lowered her voice and let out a mischievous laugh. "Eight months! It's been a whole eight months since we've had Yin-Yang Harmonization! Sisters! It's time to join forces and let our philandering husband feel what it's like to be... drained... to... death!"
"Agreed!" Duan Xin was the first to raise her hand in response, rubbing her palms together.
"Mhm... it's about time husband was given something to remember." Zi Ruyi nodded with a smile, her tone still gentle, yet it somehow made one's spine tingle.
"That sounds... very interesting~" Fox Consort licked her red lips, her eyes bedroom-soft yet carrying the dangerous aura of a predator.
And so, a "cruel and inhumane" joint sanction plan against a certain "philandering" husband was finalized! Even the newcomer, Purple Pearl, was pulled onto the "rogue ship" in a daze... When Yu Qing finally got away from his fathers-in-law and returned to his familiar and cozy room in a good mood, he pushed open the door only to see a sight that made his scalp tingle—
His four wives, along with the new Purple Pearl, were standing in a row by the bed, five pairs of beautiful eyes focusing squarely on him! Those looks... half-smiling, half-reproachful, carried an extremely "unfriendly" light, as if a pack of she-wolves had set their sights on a plump prey!
"Uh... m-my dear wives... w-what's... the occasion today?" Yu Qing's heart skipped a beat as an extremely ominous premonition instantly surged! He instinctively wanted to back away and slip out!
But... it was too late!
"Do it!" A Rou shouted!
The next instant!
Whoosh!
A Rou's figure vanished like a ghost, appearing at the door with a Teleportation. With a "bang," she slammed the door shut and locked it! Her movements were as smooth as flowing water and fast as lightning!
At the same time!
Duan Xin and Zi Ruyi, like well-trained left and right Protectors, lunged forward! Four slender jade hands moved over Yu Qing's body with dazzling speed!
"Hey! Wait! What are you doing... mmph!" Yu Qing's futile protests were instantly drowned out by the "rip" of tearing fabric!
In just a few breaths' time!
Yu Qing discovered to his horror that he had been stripped clean, standing stark naked before his five wives like a lamb to the slaughter!
"W-what are you doing?!" Yu Qing shielded his chest with his hands, his face pale with shock, his voice even carrying a tremor! This scene... was too terrifying!
"Hehe~ Husband~ what do you think?" A Rou approached with a mischievous grin, her pink eyes flashing with a dangerous and excited light. "It's been eight months... the sisters have missed you dearly~ Today, we shall... catch... up... properly!"
After speaking, A Rou left the battlefield to Zi Ruyi, while she and Fox Consort guarded the door and Duan Xin guarded the window. As for Purple Pearl, she was placed in a small alcove in the room.
The experience that followed was, for Yu Qing, simply an ultimate encounter between fire and ice!
Zi Ruyi launched an all-out charge at Yu Qing regardless of the consequences! She turned all eight months of longing and a tiny bit of jealousy into action; her offensive was like fire!
Unfortunately, her physical strength and combat power were the weakest among the five, and she soon admitted defeat.
But next to take the baton was Duan Xin. With her firepower fully unleashed, even Yu Qing found it difficult to withstand her for a while.
By the time Yu Qing finally managed to defeat Duan Xin, Fox Consort walked in with seductive steps. She subjected him to a continuous, wave-like offensive that lasted for half an hour, but she too eventually lost.
Then came the main general, A Rou. As the one with the strongest current strength and most abundant stamina, A Rou's "combat power" was terrifying! She took over the battlefield and launched a fierce, grueling battle that lasted for over half an hour!
When A Rou finally stepped back, satisfied (for the time being), Yu Qing already felt his waist and legs going soft, as if he were about to collapse from exhaustion.
However... it wasn't over yet! This lesson had only just begun.
And this fierce and wild large-scale battle also left Purple Pearl, who was watching from the alcove, dumbfounded.
She went from being uncontrollably embarrassed and covering her eyes tightly at the start, to unconsciously letting her hands down, and finally to having numb eyes, even looking at the sisters with a sort of academic, appreciative gaze.
Her inner thoughts were extremely rich:
"Wow... this Sister Duan Xin... her 'assets' are so huge!"
"Heavens! Sister A Rou's beautiful legs and slender waist... are just too enviable!"
"Sister Zi Ruyi is so gentle..."
"Sister Fox Consort... this figure is simply the golden ratio! So enchanting!"
This punishment was not just a penalty for Yu Qing's philandering, but also a release.
Therefore, they launched charge after charge! Even if their bodies were about to fall apart, they ordered Yu Qing to use the power of the Life Domain to help them quickly recover their state, and then... they threw themselves back into the fray!
And this war lasted for three days.
The flames of war even spread to Purple Pearl, who had been "watching" from the side!
After realizing they couldn't defeat Yu Qing even by joining forces, the four sisters exchanged glances, nodded in unison, and then:
"Sister Pearl! It's your turn!" A Rou shoved the still-dazed Purple Pearl onto the "battlefield"!
"Ah?! I, I won't... mmmph!" Purple Pearl's cry of surprise was quickly drowned out... and so, the war continued for another whole night.
In the end, the five (four) women, who had fought until their eyes were bloodshot, still gritted their teeth and persisted for the sake of that prideful thought of "making husband admit defeat." They insisted on fighting until the very last moment!
Seeing the deep exhaustion and "pain" in his wives' eyes, Yu Qing finally felt heartbroken.
In the early morning of the fourth day, as the sky was just beginning to lighten, Yu Qing feigned a lack of physical strength. He suddenly fell backward, collapsing onto the bed while clutching his lower back, and wailed loudly with a "waning" aura:
"I can't do it! I can't! I surrender! I surrender! My wives' Divine Might is unparalleled! This husband... humbly admits defeat!"
Although the acting was slightly exaggerated, the exhausted women clearly didn't have the energy to distinguish truth from fiction.
Hearing Yu Qing "admit defeat," A Rou immediately hugged Fox Consort and let out a victory cheer: "Yay!!! We won!!!"
Duan Xin also breathed a long sigh of relief. Supporting her aching body, she said proudly: "Let's see if husband dares to bring sisters home randomly without our collective consent in the future!"
Zi Ruyi didn't even have the strength left to celebrate. She just lay on her back staring at the ceiling, her mouth twitching into a difficult grin without saying a word. She felt as if her body had been taken apart and reassembled a hundred times; every bone was groaning, and every muscle was protesting in severe pain.
After Yu Qing "admitted defeat," A Rou and Duan Xin, who had just been celebrating, were also quickly overwhelmed by the tidal wave of fatigue and soreness, grimacing in pain.
Fox Consort was slumped on the bed, not wanting to move even a single finger.
Purple Pearl, who was the last to join the battlefield, was in slightly better shape, but she was also sore all over with a dazed look in her eyes, wearing an expression as if she had experienced the great ups and downs of life and seen through the Mortal World.
Restraining his urge to laugh, Yu Qing gently picked up his five "broken" wives one by one, carefully cleaning their bodies and tenderly tucking them in.
Looking at them all grimacing and unable to move, he was both annoyed and amused:
"Let's see if you'll dare to mess around like this again in the future..."
"I won't, I won't..." A Rou buried her face in the quilt and pleaded in a muffled voice, her tone carrying a hint of a sob (mostly from the pain).
"Hmph... if I'd known it would hurt this much... I wouldn't have agreed to their stupid plan..." Fox Consort hummed weakly, shooting Yu Qing a fierce glare that lacked any deterrent power.
"Sigh... a miscalculation... a serious miscalculation..." Duan Xin sighed, regretting her past actions.
Zi Ruyi continued to lie there like a corpse staring at the ceiling, saving even the strength to roll her eyes.
Purple Pearl was still immersed in a strange sense of "sublimation," grinning foolishly: "Hehe... the sisters are so amazing..."
Yu Qing shook his head and stood up. "You all rest well. I'll go make some nourishing Medicinal Cuisine for you... Sigh..." He let out a deliberate sigh and turned to leave the room.
After Yu Qing left, the four women slumped on the bed (A Rou, Duan Xin, Zi Ruyi, and Fox Consort) with difficulty rolled their eyes to look at each other's wretched states... There was a moment of silence.
Suddenly, A Rou seemed to remember something, and her eyes flashed! Although her body couldn't move, her tone became excited:
"Hehe! Sisters! Did we forget... that we still have a 'reserve team'?!"
"Huh?" The other three women looked at her in confusion.
"It's that pair of sisters from the Shui Family you tricked into coming to Heaven Dou City! And that grass that attained spirit form!" A Rou said with a wicked grin. "Once we pull them in too! I don't believe it! Husband can still... take on eight at once?!"
As soon as these words were spoken, the eyes of the other three women also instantly lit up!
That's right!
A new and even more "grand" plan was quickly conceived, discussed, and refined among the four wives slumped on the bed, leaving Purple Pearl absolutely dumbfounded.
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