"Who did you call the fattest, you bastard?!"
Fourth Sister exploded instantly, gritting her teeth as poisonous smoke nearly burst from her mouth again.
Then she suddenly froze.
Her eyes widened as she realized something hidden in Axel's words.
"Wait… how do you know about the formation here?"
She pointed at him suspiciously.
"Was this formation set up by you and that pig together?!"
"Stop talking nonsense."
Axel suddenly appeared directly in front of her.
Bang!
A sharp flick landed on her forehead before she could react.
Fourth Sister stumbled backward, clutching her head in shock.
"So fast…"
She tried taking another step back, but dizziness overwhelmed her almost immediately.
Thud!
She fell straight onto the ground.
Fifth Sister quickly rushed over and helped her up while glaring at Axel.
"I thought some great hero had arrived, but you're just a rude bully."
She stuck out her tongue at him.
"If you're so capable, go bully Pigsy instead… actually, never mind, it sounds like you already did."
Then she huffed.
"Anyway, if you're truly a guest, then hurry inside already. Don't keep us standing here waiting to get our heads flicked by you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Fifth Sister dragged Fourth Sister away at full speed.
Third Sister hurried after them, though before leaving, she still stole one final glance at Axel.
Meanwhile, Second Sister finally let go of Axel's wrist, her cheeks still slightly red.
She pulled Sixth Sister along and guided Axel into the courtyard.
"Our home is a little gloomy," Second Sister explained softly. "The mountains here are steep, and sunlight rarely reaches this place. Mother also dislikes strong light."
She glanced around the courtyard apologetically.
"And the courtyard is dusty today. I'll have someone clean it immediately."
Then her tone became more eager.
"As for food, I'll arrange it right away. Please wait a moment."
She hesitated briefly before speaking again.
"The wine in our home mostly came from travelers, so I don't know how good it is… but I do have one jar of over two-hundred-year-old daughter's wine."
The moment she finished saying it, her face turned red.
"I… I only meant that it's probably the best wine we have!"
Second Sister became increasingly flustered as she spoke.
"If you like it, then I'll be very happy!"
Before anyone could reply, she turned around and ran off in a panic.
Watching her disappear, Sixth Sister stared in disbelief.
Was this really the same Second Sister who managed the entire household every day?
Beside her, Axel laughed before casually ruffling Sixth Sister's hair.
"You look shocked," he teased. "Is she usually different?"
"Of course!"
Sixth Sister nodded immediately.
"Second Sister normally handles everything perfectly. She's amazing with people."
Then she whispered conspiratorially.
"Even the four scorpion demons from South Mountain got fooled by her and ended up doing chores for her all day."
She glanced toward the direction Second Sister ran.
"But now she's acting just like those scorpions."
Sixth Sister looked back at Axel curiously.
"Uncle, I think Second Sister likes you."
Then she tilted her head.
"But you've only met once."
"Haha!"
Axel laughed loudly.
"You little spider are pretty sharp."
Then he smirked.
"There's no such thing as love at first sight. Most of the time, people just get blinded by appearances."
He tapped his own chest proudly.
"Look at me. I'm obviously handsome enough to ruin people's judgment."
Then his grin became more playful.
"Besides, how do you know your Second Sister isn't pretending?"
He lowered his voice slightly.
"I'm very dangerous. If she acted like your Fourth Sister and seriously annoyed me, wouldn't she worry about what might happen to all of you?"
Sixth Sister stuck out her tongue slightly.
Then Axel suddenly raised a hand.
A delicate flower crown appeared in his palm.
He placed it gently on Sixth Sister's head.
"This is a gift for meeting me."
Axel chuckled.
"I ripped it off the Hundred Flowers Fairy in Heaven. No idea if it's valuable, but it looks pretty."
Sixth Sister's eyes immediately curved into happy crescents.
"Thank you, Uncle!"
Her smile became genuinely bright.
Seeing her reaction, Axel laughed softly before walking deeper into the courtyard.
Soon, they entered the main hall of the Zhu Family Courtyard.
An older spider sister dressed in purple stood there barefoot, directing servants as they cleaned the area.
The moment she saw Axel, she hurried over and bowed respectfully.
"Great Sage, Pigsy has already spoken with Mother about you."
She gestured politely toward a nearby seat.
"Our home is humble, please forgive any shortcomings. Mother will come greet you after she finishes speaking with Pigsy."
Then she continued.
"Second Sister has already arranged food and wine."
At that point, her expression became slightly strange.
"But… Great Sage, do you really intend to drink Second Sister's daughter's wine?"
She sighed softly.
"If you do, then please treat her kindly. She may appear clever, but she's actually very straightforward inside."
"What?"
Axel immediately laughed.
"Hold on, I never insisted on drinking it."
He leaned back casually into the chair.
"So this whole thing was her own idea?"
He clicked his tongue dramatically.
"Now I'm wondering if she's the one craving alcohol."
The eldest sister froze briefly before quietly relaxing.
At least this terrifying man seemed surprisingly easy to talk to.
She carefully sat beside him, smoothing out her skirt before picking up a delicate pastry.
"This was made by Third Sister."
She gently offered it to Axel.
"She likes poetry and storybooks, so she learned how to make pastries from old recipes she found."
Her expression softened proudly.
"This is hibiscus, green date, and osmanthus cake. Please try it, Great Sage."
Axel took the pastry and bit into it.
After chewing for a moment, he nodded approvingly.
"Pretty good."
Then he grinned.
"Your Third Sister's talented."
He grabbed another piece casually.
"All you sisters are capable. Your mother clearly raised you well."
Then his tone became more amused.
"Too bad she ended up falling for Pigsy."
Axel clicked his tongue.
"If Pigsy were some destined hero, maybe all the suffering would've been worth it."
Then he snorted.
"But he's just a pig."
"What terrible luck."
Just then, hurried footsteps echoed through the courtyard.
Second Sister rushed back carrying several jars of wine in her arms.
The moment she sat beside Axel, she quickly brushed dust off the jars before opening them one by one.
"Husband, please try this too!"
Her face was still slightly red as she eagerly poured wine for him.
"I know you prefer strong liquor, but please also taste my daughter's wine."
Then she leaned closer.
"If you want more dishes, I can cook personally for you."
She smiled brightly.
"Mother and Pigsy probably won't finish talking anytime soon. They haven't seen each other for centuries."
Second Sister continued pouring wine enthusiastically.
"So please eat and drink properly. If one jar isn't enough, I brought five more."
Then she smiled proudly.
"I'll make sure Husband drinks to his heart's content."
Beside them, the eldest sister suddenly frowned.
"Wait."
She looked at the wine jars carefully.
"Second Sister… why are there so many jars?"
Second Sister blinked innocently.
"Because I dug up everyone's buried wine."