As soon as Wan Ling whistled, the doors opened again and a familiar face entered the room. Sage was ambushed so thoroughly that he was shocked into silence.
How can she be so good at stealing my words?
His own idle thought broke his shock, but he still had no idea what to say at this moment. The new arrival came to stand next to Wan Ling, her pale skin bearing only a slight trace of soft blue veins, no longer pulsing and standing out largely from her skin like they had been on the battlefield. Zhu Jiao glanced over at him and then chuckled, turning back to Wan Ling with a wide smile, “Sister. Your plan went off without a hitch. Your skills are truly invaluable.”
The two women hugged and Sage was flabbergast. These two knew each other? Certainly Wan Ling knew of his engagement, but when had the two of them ever met? They treated him like he wasn’t in the room, complimenting each other and even leaning close to fix the other’s hair and makeup. Then with some sort of unseen signal they both turned their gaze in unison upon him, and Sage felt an ominous apprehension. They both stared at him for a few moments and then they broke into laughter at the look on his ghostly face.
“Such a foolish look. You weren’t just lying to me about his abilities, were you?”
Zhu Jiao poked Wan Ling’s side and laughed, to which the other woman could only sigh and nod her head, “I know, he sure doesn’t look like much. I’ve never known someone who was so full of plots, schemes and stratagems, but also scatterbrained at the same time. It’s like he’s got a head full of elaborate plans, but then goes and picks one of them at random.”
Then they shared a glance and laughed together, “At least now he doesn’t have that stoneface to hide behind.”
Wan Ling nodded while the two women walked closer, then she reached out and pinched Sage’s side, “Hear that. Even when you get a new body, you aren’t allowed to use that stone face around us anymore. Got it?”
He nodded robotically, to which they both laughed once again. Then Zhu Jiao smiled and hooked her arm into Wan Lings, “We’ve already talked it over and made the decision. Out of respect to your Ancestor, you shall marry me first and then Sister Ling second. Given our financial situation, we shall have a joint wedding.”
Wan Ling nodded, “You are the only one left of the Lang Clan and without heirs, so there is no problem with you having multiple wives.”
Zhu Jiao squeezed Wan Ling’s hand, “That’s right, you are far too important to be just a concubine, Sister.”
Sage still had not said a word this whole time.
Am I daydreaming? Did I drink too much and pass out? What a strange dream. I’ve heard it said that dreams are the subconscious mind processing information and relaying it back to you indirectly. Do I long for Wan Ling deep down?
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Sage’s eyes slowly stared off into the distance and the two women shook their heads and laughed at him again. Then the two of them both reached out and pinched his sides, startling him from his daze. It was only then that he realized they were pinching his Nascent Soul body and he looked down to see they’d both been going to the effort of coating their fingers in Qi, specifically to ensure they’d be able to affect his soul form.
“Are you alright? Have we broken your mind with happiness?”
Wan Ling berated him with a smile on her face, while Zhu Jiao let out a giggle. Then Sage brought out a Storage Bag from the Universe Ring and handed it over while bowing his head. He still seemed tongue tied, but Wan Ling took the bag and looked inside, “Oh, a half-million Spirit Stones? You still have this much saved up? You didn’t spend it all on your cultivation already?”
Zhu Jiao patted Wan Ling’s hand, “Very good, that should serve as sufficient dower for you, Sister Ling.”
“Hehe, don’t be silly, I have an equal share of the Prosperity Company. This should be enough to fund our wedding and restore the damage to Lionheart Town, though.”
“We’re heading back to that little place?”
“We have to return eventually, and our enemies may not be expecting such a bold move. They must already be planning a hunting party. We’ll use these funds to repair the damage to the Flying Ship,” then she purposely paused to glare at Sage, “which was only on loan, by the way.”
Then she returned to chatting with Zhu Jiao, “I used Lionheart Town as collateral to borrow this ship from Thousand Treasures. I was thinking we’d have to give up our commission on airships for decades to make up for the damage, but now we can afford the repairs and can also commission better defenses for the Lang Clan.”
“Oh that’s right, you said he put his strongest formation around the whole city? Why didn’t he just focus it upon the Clan lands?”
Wan Ling glared at Sage again, “I tried to tell him, but he seemed to think that his formation was invincible,” then she laughed, “He was just so proud of his clever tricks that I didn’t have the heart to break it to him.”
“Ohh, I thought he was just so dead set on being a City Lord that he would rather die than give up the position.”
“I’m right here you know!”
Sage finally couldn’t help himself, getting belittled by the two gorgeous women that he just blurted out something. They were startled for a second and then both burst out laughing once more, “So you’re still alive after all! We were wondering how much we’d have to tease you to finally get you to speak again.”
“Curs-,” Sage stopped himself mid-word and the two women gave him a knowing smile with narrowed eyes, “Cur-rently, where are we going?”
They rolled his eyes at his nonsensical attempt to save himself from cursing at them and he coughed to clear his -currently- nonexistent throat, “Ahem, so you have a plan? I don’t know how long it’s going to take to recover my body. It might be a few months, or many years. We should probably go into hiding while I recover, I wouldn’t feel right going into seclusion while everyone protects me. It was already a great favor to be rescued by everyone.”
Zhu Jiao laughed, her nose scrunched up and she covered her mouth with her hand, “Didn’t you hear? Sister Ling already has a plan. She had it long before we ever came to your rescue.”
“That’s right. While you were busy trying to play the hero and lead the enemy away I was already working on my contingency plan. You know, the one you didn’t seem to have,” she rolled her eyes again at him, “I made a deal with Thousand Treasures. The Prosperity Company is now one of their official partners. They get exclusive sales rights to all of your future products, and their fearsome reputation now offers us a blanket of protection. If your enemies come again, you can just hand over ownership of Lionheart Town. Then, if they still want to claim your life, they will have to offend Thousand Treasures.”
Zhu Jiao smiled, “See, isn’t it a great plan? Sister Ling is quite capable. Everyone knows that the Four Major Businesses of the Dou Kingdom aren’t to be trifled with. Even the royal family wouldn’t dare to mess with them. I’ve heard they’re backed by those at a level even higher than the King.”
Wan Ling’s eyes seemed to flash, “Really, Sister Jiao? Your Zhu Clan really is the most knowledgeable and connected in the Kingdom. I’m so envious.”
“Nonsense! You aren’t even from this Kingdom and yet you’re already so well informed and resourceful. My Zhu Clan could really learn a thing or two from you.”
Wait a second, how does she know so much? Where does Wan Ling get all her information from anyway? Hmm, I gave her access to the Information Network, didn’t I?