When I first saw Ellen’s figure, time seemed to stop for me. I stared as I took in her appearance. The mere sight of her filled in an empty hole within my heart that I hadn’t realized existed until now. This wasn’t a dream. This was real. A smile stretched across my face and joy filled my entire being. I wanted to run over and pull her into an embrace, but I resisted the urge.

Instead, I opened my mouth to call out to Ellen. However, I froze when I saw that she wasn’t alone. As she descended down the staircase, a group of cultivators wearing white and gray robes followed her. On the back of their robes was a single sword surrounded by slashes that gave off the impression of a countless number of blades. This was the uniform of the Thousand Blade Sect.

There were four Thousand Blade Sect disciples, all of them in the Foundation Establishment realm. Two were in early Foundation Establishment, while the other two were in mid Foundation Establishment. The leader of the group was one of the former.

He was a young man with fair skin, blue eyes, and blue hair, of all things. I didn’t even think such a hair color was possible. He walked with the sort of arrogance that I associated with young masters, the ones who believed that everything they saw was theirs for the taking. He didn’t even try to conceal his aura. From what I could tell, he had a pure spirit root aligned with Metal and Water.

As Ellen spoke to the group of Thousand Blade Sect disciples, I used my spirit sense to listen in.

“Once again,” She said in a strange tone. It sounded cheerful and polite, but impersonal. I had never heard her speak like this before. “The Dawn and Dusk Treasure Hall is grateful for your patronage, Cultivator Galen. If there is anything else that you wish to purchase, feel free to let me know.”

The lead disciple, who I assumed was Cultivator Galen, smirked.

“I don’t care about the Dawn and Dusk Treasure Hall’s gratitude.” He said as they all reached the bottom of the stairs. “I care about yours, Cultivator Water Fang. Given the number of spirit stones I’ve spent in this shop over the years, surely I deserve… Special treatment.”

Ellen’s smile stiffened. It was subtle, but I noticed it. Even after all these years, I was adept at reading her. She was annoyed, but was trying her best to hide it. I felt the same way. There was something about this Cultivator Galen that reminded me of Cultivator Byron Gold Flame, back when the latter pursued Cultivator Aneira.

“I’m not sure what you mean.” Ellen said, lying through her teeth. “As a VIP here at our Dawn and Dusk Treasure Hall, you already receive preferential treatment.”

Cultivator Galen’s smirk widened and his followers snickered.

“Don’t play coy, Cultivator Water Fang,” he said, “You know what I meant. When are we going to stop with these games and admit our feelings for each other? Marry me, and you’ll never want for anything ever again. I’m even willing to make you my primary wife.”

What.

This idiot not only had the audacity to proposition Ellen in public, but he did so right in front of me. Rage and killing intent filled my heart. I would tear this man to pieces and scatter his remains across the Howling Desert province. However, just as I stepped forward to kill Cultivator Galen, Elliot grabbed me from behind.

“Don’t, Young Master.” He hissed. “Let Ellen handle this. Trust her.”

His words helped me regain control of myself. The rage and killing intent remained in my heart, but I kept them from swaying me.

“Let go of me.” I said. “I won’t do anything.”

For now.

Elliot complied and released me.

“Cultivator Galen,” Ellen said, no longer smiling, “As I’ve told you before, I have no romantic interest in you. If my actions caused you to believe otherwise, then I apologize for the misunderstanding. However, if you persist in this behavior, then I must insist that you leave the Dawn and Dusk Treasure Hall.”

Cultivator Galen’s smirk disappeared and his expression twisted with anger.

“Don’t act all high and mighty, Cultivator Water Fang.” He said. “You might pretend otherwise, but I know that you’re not a real disciple of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. A mere retainer dares to reject my proposal? Clearly you don’t know what’s good for you. I suggest you reconsider your decision while I’m still being polite.”

Ellen smiled. It sent shivers down my spine, and I wasn’t even the target of it.

“Walk away while you still can, Cultivator Galen,” she said, “Otherwise, your companions will have to carry you out.”

Cultivator Galen looked surprised by her words. At this point, their argument had attracted peoples’ attention, so everyone witnessed Ellen’s rejection of his proposal. It was like a slap to the face. Cultivator Galen flushed with embarrassment. Given what I knew of him so far, I doubted that he would let this go without a fight.

“You dare threaten me?” Cultivator Galen demanded. “When my father hears of this-…”

Ellen didn’t let him finish speaking. She snapped her fingers and the three puppets in the center of the store came to life. Each one exuded the aura of an early Foundation Establishment cultivator. The three puppets stalked towards the Thousand Blade Sect disciples. The other customers in the store backed away from them, unwilling to get caught up in the conflict. A few even left the shop altogether.

Cultivator Galen and his companions looked afraid. When they thought they faced a lone woman in late Foundation Establishment, they seemed more confident. However, the three puppets more than evened the odds.

“Get out and never come back.” Ellen said in a cold voice. “You are no longer welcome here.”

One of the other Thousand Blade Sect disciples tapped Cultivator Galen on the shoulder.

“Senior Brother,” he said, an uneasy expression on his face, “We should do as she says and leave. We can’t win this.”

“Shut up!” Cultivator Galen snapped, before facing Ellen again. “You’re going to regret this.”

Ellen let out a derisive snort.

“The only thing I regret is ever putting up with your obnoxious behavior.” She said.

Cultivator Galen’s jaw dropped, before he whirled around and stomped out of the shop. Ellen let out a sigh, before she turned to address the other customers.

“I’m sorry that you all had to witness that unseemly display.” She said, smiling once more. “We recently received a batch of mid-grade Healing Pills. As part of my apology, everyone here can each receive a single one for free.”

The other customers looked surprised but pleased by this offer. No one would turn down a free Healing Pill. Ellen gestured to one of the shop assistants, who ran off. Moments later, the assistant returned with several bottles filled with Healing Pills. The customers all lined up to receive their free pill.

“I like her.” Willow said, her voice filled with grudging respect. “She knows when to take the hard approach, and when to take the soft approach.” She nodded. “Yes, I think I can accept Ellen as my senior sister.”

I glanced at her in surprise. Given the way Willow acted towards Cultivator Harlow, and Clarissa to a lesser extent, I expected her to be more… Competitive towards Ellen. I gave her a soft smile, before I turned towards Ellen again. However, when I saw her staring at me, I froze.

“Darian?” Ellen whispered.

A smile spread across my face, one that no doubt made me look like a fool. I didn’t care. All that mattered to me was Ellen. However, to my dismay, she turned around and ran up the stairs to the second floor.

“Wait!” I said, running after her.

The shop assistants tried to stop me, but I evaded them with ease.

“You can’t go up there!” one of them shouted.

I ignored her and ran up the stairs. The second floor looked more like a lounge or sitting room rather than a shop. However, I saw no sign of Ellen. I heard the shop assistants running up the stairs. Just before they reached the top, I heard a creak.

A nearby wall opened up and a slender hand emerged. The hand grabbed me and pulled me through. I found myself in a corridor with Ellen. Ah, it wasn’t a wall. It was a door disguised as a wall, one that led to the shop’s back areas. That was all I had time to notice before Ellen kissed me on the lips.

She overwhelmed all of my senses until I knew nothing but her. Her scent, her taste, the sound of her moans, the feel of her body pressing against mine. She filled my entire world. Rather, it was more accurate to say that she became my entire world.

Ellen pushed me until my back hit a wall, before caging me in. I was trapped. Even if I wanted to escape from her grasp, which I didn’t, I couldn’t. My demonic nature stirred at her aggressiveness. Oh, how I had missed Ellen’s domineering nature. My heart beat against my chest like a drum.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

We kissed until we both ran out of breath. Ellen pulled away and pressed her forehead against mine. The sound of our breathing filled my ears. She stared at me with those yellow, serpentine eyes of hers.

“You’re here,” Ellen whispered, “This isn’t a dream.” She pressed her face against the side of my neck. I felt her fangs scrape against my skin. “You’re really here.”

I pulled her tight against me and let out a contented sigh.

“Yes.” I said. “We arrived in East Mesa City just today for a mission. As soon as we finished with the mission, we came right here.”

Ellen pulled back and gave me an inquisitive look.

“‘We?’” she asked.

“Me, Elliot,” I said, “As well as a few others.” I paused. “… including Willow Stone Pillar. She wanted to meet with you to receive your… permission.”

Ellen blinked at me in surprise.

“Permission?” She asked. “What do you mean?” She held up a finger before I could answer. “Hold that thought. This is neither the time nor the place. If I don’t go out there soon, my assistants will start to panic. Let me go calm them down.”

I listened and I realized that she was right. I heard the shop assistants’ voices through the door. They sounded upset and anxious.

“Stay here.” Ellen said, giving me a wicked smile. “I don’t want everyone to see how cute you look when you’re flustered.”

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. However, before I could respond, Ellen left the corridor and returned to the main area. I took a minute to calm my emotions as well as my demonic nature. Once I regained my composure, I exited the corridor.

In the short time we were apart, it appeared that Ellen managed to deal with the shop assistants. They headed back downstairs, though a few of them leveled dirty looks my way. To my surprise, Elliot and Willow were also on the second floor. The latter gave me a look that was equal parts jealous and full of longing.

“Brother!” Ellen said, after the shop assistants went downstairs. She pulled Elliot into an embrace. “It’s good to see you after so long. I’ve missed you!”

“I’ve missed you too, Sister.” Elliot said. He glanced at me. “Though, not as much as the Young Master, it appears.”

Ellen chuckled, before turning to Willow. The latter gave the former a martial salute.

“Greetings Big Sister Ellen.” Willow said, before removing something from her storage. “Here. Take this. Consider it a gift.”

It was a container of expensive spirit tea. As far as gifts went, it was a good choice. Ellen stared at the container, stared at Willow, before staring at me. Her eyes were filled with confusion.

“What is going on?” Ellen asked.

I understood her confusion. Under normal circumstances, someone of Willow’s status would almost never salute someone like Ellen. While the latter had a higher cultivation base, she was also a servant. Meanwhile, Willow was a divine demon as well as a core disciple of the Dawn and Dusk Sect. However, these weren’t normal circumstances.

“It’s… a bit of a story.” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “Is there any place where we can have a private conversation?”

Ellen mulled it over, before she nodded.

“I rent an immortal abode here in the city.” She said. “Give me time to make some arrangements for the shop. After that, I can take you there.”

----------------------------------------

After Ellen made arrangements for one of the shop assistants to take over managing the store, she led us to her immortal abode. Along the way there, she pointed out some of the best places to shop or eat on the Third Terrace. To my surprise, there was also an arena where people could bet on fights to the death. Most of the time these fights were between spirit beasts or demon beasts that had been captured for this exact purpose. However, sometimes cultivators fought as well, either against beasts or against other cultivators.

Ellen’s rented immortal abode was located in a quiet and out of the way part of the Third Terrace. It was a simple and elegant courtyard residence, with a few auxiliary buildings in addition to the main building. A number of defensive arrays protected the immortal abode.

Best of all, the qi in this part of the city was rich and abundant. While it wasn’t as good as my immortal cave in the Black Mist Mountains or my estate at Flame Fiend Peak, it wasn’t bad by any stretch of the imagination. Overall, Ellen found a good place for herself.

“Working as the manager of the Dawn and Dusk Treasure Hall earned me a lot of contribution points.” Ellen said as she led us into her immortal abode. She chuckled. “At this point, I believe I have more than Darian here.”

I snorted.

“That isn’t a difficult achievement.” I said.

While I completed a few minor missions over the past five years, and received a stipend from Second Master, I spent most of what I earned on alchemy reagents and precious materials. Now that I could take on more lucrative missions, I planned on earning a lot of contribution points and/or spirit stones.

Ellen led us to the main building of her immortal abode, which was warm and cozy, and brought us to the dining room. She disappeared for a bit, before returning with spirit tea and snacks. I closed my eyes and let out a moan after I ate some of the snacks. After five years, I finally got to eat Ellen’s cooking again. It appeared that her skill as a spirit chef had grown. When I opened my eyes, I found her watching me with a fond look on her face.

“I think half the reason why you’re with me is because of my cooking, Darian.” She said.

I mulled it over for a bit, before nodding.

“That’s not inaccurate.” I said, grinning at her.

Ellen laughed, before turning to the others. While everyone partook of the refreshments, Ellen and Elliot caught up with one another and talked about their family. I focused more on the food. Meanwhile, Willow seemed impatient and nervous.

“Now then,” Ellen said after we finished off the snacks, “Will someone explain to me why Cultivator Willow called me Big Sis? And what does she need my permission for?”

Willow and I glanced at one another, before turning towards Ellen.

“As I mentioned earlier, it’s a bit of a story.” I said.

I proceeded to explain to her my resolve to not sleep around with every woman I found attractive, and how I wanted to discuss the matter with my current partners before I took on a new one. I also told her, through telepathy, about Cultivator Jasmine and what happened at Flowering Blossom Palace, since I still felt a little guilty about that.

“After Darian told me about this,” Willow said after I finished, picking up where I left off, “I decided to meet with you myself, Big Sis Ellen.”

“I decided to help the Young Master maintain his resolve by acting like an overbearing brother-in-law.” Elliot said, before taking a sip of his tea.

Ellen looked between the three of us, before she burst out into laughter.

“Darian,” she said, wiping tears from her eyes, “I told you before, I don’t care how many women you sleep with or how many wives you have. As long as I am one of them, I am content.”

“What?!” Willow exclaimed, before glaring at me, her eyes filled with accusation.

I frowned.

“You may not care, but I do.” I said. “I don’t want to be the sort of scumbag who treats women as if they were nothing more than objects for me to slake my lust.” I shook my head. “I control my demonic nature, it does not control me.”

Ellen raised an eyebrow at this.

“Why not?” She asked. “Mistress Nova and Young Mistress Estelle don’t hold themselves back.” She paused. “Young Mistress Astra is the exception because she wants to only be with Cultivator Raphael.”

“I’m not them.” I pointed out. “While I won’t be monogamous like Big Sis Astra, I want to treat my wives with respect. I don’t want to take them for granted. So, my solution is to involve my current wives in the decision-making when taking a new one.”

Ellen studied me for several moments, before she turned to Willow.

“How do you feel about this, Cultivator Willow?”

Willow shrugged.

“As frustrating as I find Darian’s attitude,” she said, “It’s also one of the things I like about him. If nothing else, I don’t think he plans on collecting women like trophies and ignoring them afterwards.”

Ellen smiled, before she planted her elbow on the table and propped up her chin.

“From what I understand,” she said, “That means that, at the moment, I have the power to determine whether or not you take on any other wives, Darian.”

“In essence, yes.” I said.

A wicked grin stretched across Ellen’s face.

“I’m almost tempted to keep you to myself.” she said. “However, I won’t deny you like that, Darian. Besides, I like Cultivator Willow.” She paused. “Or perhaps I should say Little Sis Willow.”

Willow’s face lit up with excitement.

“Does this mean you accept me?” She asked.

Ellen nodded.

“Yes, on two conditions.” She said, holding up two fingers. “One, I am the head wife. Neither one of us will be primary or secondary compared to the other, but I am the one in charge. First among equals. Even when you become more powerful than me, that will not change. Understood?”

Willow thought it over, before nodding.

“I can accept that, Big Sis Ellen.” She said.

I looked between the two of them.

“Is that really necessary?” I asked.

“Yes.” Ellen, Elliot, and Willow said at the same time.

“There needs to be a clear hierarchy.” Ellen explained. “The lack of one creates conflict and confusion as your wives will compete with each other for your favor. Making things clear right from the beginning nips that particular problem in the bud.”

Elliot snorted.

“This isn’t limited to men with multiple wives.” He said. “During my travels, I once met a woman whose husbands kept challenging each other to duels.”

Ellen smirked at me.

“If you wish, we can do away with any sort of hierarchy.” She said. “In that case, you should be prepared for your wives to scheme and plot against one another, while dragging you into it.”

I gave her a horrified look.

“Things wouldn’t be that bad, would they?” I asked, glancing at Willow.

Willow shrugged.

“Maybe,” she said, “Maybe not. I feel like Big Sis Ellen and I would get along regardless. However, it doesn’t hurt to be prepared for the future.”

I sighed.

“Very well.” I said. “Let's do it your way.”

Ellen smiled.

“Excellent.” She said, before facing Willow once more. “The second condition is even more important. Love Darian and remain loyal to him. If you ever turn your back on him, then you will never be welcome in this family again.”

Willow gave her a small smile.

“That won’t be a problem.” She said, glancing at me. “I’d be a fool to let someone like Darian go. He’s a good catch.”

At that moment, I felt more like a husband shared among multiple wives rather than a husband with multiple wives. While the two seemed similar at first glance, there were a few significant differences. Still, as long as everyone was happy, that was fine by me.

“In that case, welcome to the family, Little Sis Willow.” Ellen said, before smirking at Elliot. “Now, we just need to find a wife for my brother. He’s the odd one out here.”

Elliot snorted.

“No,” he said, “I’d rather do without the hassle. Serving Young Master Darian is enough for me.”

Ellen opened her mouth to respond, but before she could, a voice rang out.

“Water Fang, you shameless seductress! Come out here and fight me!”