Hello, dear readers! Here's chapter 111! Hopefully a lucky number!
This week: I've been extremely busy to the point that I had little time to write. I'm still around half done writing chapter 121 as I'm writing those lines, but I should be done by tomorrow with some luck. If not, I'm planning on catching up on my writing on Sunday, something I never do, but you gotta do what you gotta do I guess. Well, the good news is that I should be a lot less busy in the coming weeks, meaning more time to write. As always, we'll see how it goes, but I'm fairly confident in my claim this time. Of course, if you want to give me more mental strength, do check the paragraphs below *Smile with anticipation*.
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Bright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Demian's P.O.V.
As soon as those clothes appeared on his body, even before he asked his question, Seraphine's gaze moved from top to bottom, her reaction surprisingly enthusiastic. "You look so... Dashing! Like a main character in a Cultivation novel!" Indeed, unlike his usual sport attire, his current outfit consisted of a modernized Ming-style dark blue Huangfu with beautiful white cloud patterns and white lining. The upper part was relatively tight-fitted, unlike those from older styles sporting exaggeratedly large sleeves. As for the lower part, it was loose enough to allow kicking movements and covered part of his ankles. Below the vest, he was wearing a white shirt with dark blue cloud patterns, although most of it was hidden below the dark blue vest. When it came to the outfit's lower part, he wore a pair of slightly loose dark blue pants with patterns matching those imprinted on the vest, and whose ankle part was tightened by a sort of elastic cloth of the same color. Finally, his feet displayed a pair of well-made dark blue shoes with the same patterns as every other piece of clothing he was wearing, giving an impression of elegance and dignity. A hair ornament would have completed the picture perfectly, but he could not help but feel a tinge of embarrassment. 'A grown man wearing a hairpin? I already feel awkward looking like a Wuxia Cultivator cosplayer... I can't deny I look fantastic, though...' He thought while hesitating if he should wear the dragon hairpin his teacher left in the Void Storage Ring he had been gifted with a while back. Indecisive he may be, but Seraphine was certainly not. Indeed, her gaze immediately fell on his unbound raven-colored hair, its silky appearance giving the illusion of flowing movement despite its stillness, a discreet display of Demian's newly acquired mastery of his First-Grade Water Intent. A perfect case of 'Transcending Body through Universal Law Mastery'.
Narrowing her eyes, she remarked. "You didn't bind your hair? Didn't Uncle Sergei gift you a few hairpins? Since she was the one who suggested that outfit, I'm pretty sure my Teacher would have told him to buy several." Indeed, there were many items stored in his Ring, which were suggested by Sera's teacher, Feng Ling, for her husband to buy. Among them were a few 'Ancient Chinese outfits', or, at least, they matched what he imagined 'Ancient Chinese Outfits' looked like. Some of them, like the one he was wearing, had more of a modern and 'simple' take, while others were a lot more adorned, fit for grand occasions. In a way, they were the equivalent of the modern tuxedo, something not worn on normal days. As for the rest: the simpler ones, he would wear when leaving the Mansion, and for his day-to-day life, a pair of shorts would suffice. At most, a T-shirt when he went to chat with his Teacher and Aunt Ling. He was not that particular with what he wore when it came to his loved ones, after all.
Back to the situation at hand. Demian nodded and said hesitantly. "I do have a few, but..." Tilting her head, she asked, confused. "But what?" Scratching his chin while avoiding her gaze, he replied. "Isn't it a bit too much? I mean, wearing a hairpin for a grown man..." Those last words were said in a progressively lower tone until he fell into an embarrassed silence. A brief moment later, he heard the young woman burst into giggles. Turning in her direction, he felt a bit annoyed at her reaction, prompting him to remark. "Come on! It's not that funny!" Despite his words, because of his tone, he sounded more like a child throwing a tantrum than someone truly angry, which pushed Sera to retort playfully. "You're really thin-skinned, aren't you?" Shaking her head, she added. "I really don't understand how you can not care about adding Mom into your Harem and what other people could say about it, but you still feel embarrassed about wearing a hairpin... You're a strange man, Demian Mikhailov, you know that?" Giving her a deadpan look, he replied. "This is this, and that is that. Two completely different issues." Pausing for a second, he then asked hesitantly. "Should I wear one then?" Still wearing her amused grin, she nodded and responded. "Of course. Since you chose that outfit, you can do things halfheartedly. And don't tell me you're not dying to try it, I won't believe you!" With a feeling of being read like a book, he lowered his head in defeat, which prompted the woman to question. "Do you need my help to tie your hair?" To which he nodded, his previous embarrassment alleviating a lot, replaced by some slight impatience. "That'd be great, Love."
With a brief thought, a gorgeous hairpin appeared in his hand, whose main body represented an ancient Chinese dragon head. The item was of a captivating dark blue, reminiscent of his outfit's overall color scheme, while speckles of gold peppered the dragon's scales, with its eyes being two golden orbs emitting a mysterious shine. The piece was the perfect balance between elegance and opulence, something that would add a few points to his already overwhelming charm. Since he had already made his decision, the young man did not hesitate to hand over the item to Seraphine, who started to work on his hair while placating the impatient woman waiting behind the door with a few words. With her current dexterity, tying his hair was nowhere near the realm of difficult, as a hairpin would still be a hairpin, no matter how ancient-style it was. Thus, after barely a few seconds and a few gestures for him to flex his knees a little to make it easier for her to reach the back of his head, the task was done. With a sigh of satisfaction, Sera instructed. "It's done. Turn around so I can see how amazing you look." Following her words, he turned around slowly, a playful smile gracing his lips in a bid to dazzle his woman. And dazzle he did as Sera turned speechless with her body frozen for a few seconds, which prompted him to cock his brow and ask with confusion. "What's wrong? Is it that bad?" Immediately, a human-sized, perfectly reflective rectangle made of Water Element appeared on one side, displaying his image clearly. Seeing his new look, he clicked his tongue with amazement before muttering. "A real heartbreaker, as Mom would say. Although this time it's real and in more ways than one." Thinking about the 'few' people he had killed recently, he shook his head slightly before his gaze returned to his lover, a genuine smile gracing his lips. Amusingly, the usually quick-witted woman had an expression on her face screaming '404 page not found', eliciting a few light chuckles from the young man.
Turning on his charming mode, with the matching grin, he whispered. "Like what you see, beautiful?" As if those words were a real Charming Spell, the young woman shivered slightly, her brain apparently rebooting. Turning her head away, she mumbled. "Holy fuck! Being so handsome should be a crime... And that hairpin made it even worse... Or better?" Putting her hands on her face to hide her eyes, she added, with her words directed at him this time. "Do you know how many bitches will want to take you away from the three of us with how you look? Damnit! Should I be happy or mad about it... I'm so confused..." Thinking she was overacting, he retorted. "Come on, Love. It's not that bad. Or good. I do look attractive, but not to that point." Hearing those words, Seraphine let out a sigh before lowering her hands and saying, while staring into his eyes with a look that seemed to say: 'Oh sweet summer child'. "If you don't believe me, let me show you something." After those words left her lips, she went ot the door and opened it. "Are you finally ready? I've been waiting for..." Adeliya, who had been waiting for not such a long time, started chiding them until Demian's figure was completely unveiled in front of her eyes. That was when her voice cut off, her eyes filled with shock and awe, while her mouth was still open, and her body froze to a stop. All in all, she reacted pretty much in the same way as Seraphine, with the latter remarking, her attention directed at his face. "Still think I'm exaggerating?" With a wry smile, he commented. "Come on, not you too, Liya!" Inwardly, he wondered hesitantly. 'They have to be doing it on purpose, right? My charm isn't that high!' His musings were suddenly interrupted when Adeliya started moving again, her head swiftly moving toward Sera, and with a firm voice, she exclaimed. "We need to talk! Come with me!" Before her daughter could say anything, she was taken away toward the patio by her impatient mother, who kept muttering unintelligible sentences to herself, puzzling the young man.
Due to his powerful Senses and the fact that she was not really trying to hide, he immediately caught her unusual bodily reactions, whether it was the rising body temperature, her cheeks being a deep red, or the slight fragrance coming from her lower body. All of it led him to a somewhat surprising conclusion. 'Is she... In heat? No way! She can't be, right?' His conjecture was, however, quickly confirmed when he heard the middle-aged beauty tell her daughter the following half-joking, half-serious words. "How is he even...? Forget it! We need to do something, or he will definitely attract a bunch of sl..." Coughing to cover her near curse word, she then reformulated. "Women. A bunch of women." Pausing for a second, she added. "I'm relatively open-minded, but there's no need for too many women around him, is there?" With a firm nod and a somewhat dangerous expression, Sera replied. "I agree 100%. With you, big Sis, and me, there are already enough women around him. No need for more." After those words left her lips, a frown appeared on her face before she remarked. "But we can't exactly lock him up, can we..? or maybe we could..." At first, Demian thought that the two were simply messing around with him, knowing he was listening to them. However, when he heard those last words leaving Sera's lips, along with the Bond sending some concerning signals, a shiver of fear traversed his body along with a thought. 'Fuck! I thought she was joking, but why does it feel to me like she's actually serious? And why is her Inner Energy going haywire? Could it be...?' While having those brief thoughts, his body instantly disappeared from his location before reappearing by their side. He then set one hand on Adeliya's shoulder and declared solemnly. "Liya, stop pushing your own daughter on a dark path, or I'll have to wait a few years before bonding with you. You know, to let your head cool off a bit." A glint of dissatisfaction flickered in her gaze at his words, something he secretly felt himself. 'Do you really think I want this, woman? It's you who're pushing Sera to become a fucking Yandere! All of us would suffer if she does, so you don't get to complain!' Those were his thoughts, but none of them left his lips as there was something more important to do than scold his Mother-in-law/Aunt/Lover. It was definitely not because he was afraid of her reaction. Nope.
Done with the middle-aged beauty, his head turned toward Sera, immediately noticing the strange expression she wore, as if her Mind was incapable of sensing the outside world. Sensing her Inner Energy growing more and more frenzied, a frown appeared on his face, his thoughts churning. 'Why does it look like what happened to me that time in the woods?' Not wanting to waste time on useless pondering, he gently cupped her face and said, with his gaze meeting her unfocused grey orbs. "Love. A penny for your thoughts? You look unwell..." He was not sure if it was the care with which he uttered those words, the words themselves, or his gentle gesture... Maybe all three? In any case, he could feel through the Bond that her Energy seemed to settle down while her tense expression melted away, leaving only apparent exhaustion, and, although it was brief, Demian also felt a mix of loss and frustration, quickly hidden away inside her Heart when she realized her current situation. "Feeling better, Love?" Aware that she knew that he knew and that she was not in the right State of Mind, he did not press the issue, only signifying to her that he was there through the innocuous question and light caress on her cheeks. That was one of the advantages of being Soul Bonded: Reading your partner like an open book, leaving no unsaid grievances to fester.
With a gentle nod and loving smile, she answered in a low tone. "I'm okay, Babe. Thanks." While mirroring her smile, he replied. "Anything for you." The grin on her face grew after she heard his words, and while the two were staring at each other, a few thoughts traversed his Mind at lightning speed. 'Unless I'm mistaken, she just experienced Cultivation deviation, or in other words: Inner Demons flaring up... Does it have to do with my new look? Or maybe something else I'm not aware of? Whatever the case, I need to talk to her about it after Bryn is done with her Tribulation. The faster she gets rid of those, the better. Otherwise, if they act up in a dangerous situation, she could lose her life, and that's not something I want to experience!' His musings were suddenly interrupted by Adeliya's concerned voice coming from his left side. "Why are you reacting like that? Did something happen?" Moving his head in her direction, his gaze swiftly fell on her face, the latter sporting a light frown, while a glint of confusion was visible in her eyes. Feeling a bit hesitant, Demian was about to answer when Seraphine interjected by shaking her head and saying. "It's nothing, Mom. Just a bit of overthinking. Nothing significant." The look on Liya following Sera's 'explanation' displayed how credible that sounded to the former, which elicited a wry smile from Demian. 'If you had to find an excuse, couldn't you at least find one that at least sounded credible?' He complained inwardly before gently interjecting by taking the two of them in his embrace, gently kissing their foreheads, and finally saying. "Lying and making excuses may have been fine in the past, Love, but we can't afford to do that anymore." Pausing his words for a second as he sensed the two returning his embrace, with one face set on each shoulder. The youngest gave the fiercest hug, which was not surprising to him and prompted him to continue. "With my breakthrough to Tier 2 coming up very soon, it means that Liya and I will finally be able to bond. You know what that means, Sera, right?" A brief moment passed before he felt her nod very slightly, and he thus continued. "It won't be only the two of us anymore. We'll finally be three. Pun intended."
His bad pun elicited a few muffled giggles from the two, bringing a gentle smile to his face before he added. "Joke aside, we'll need to rely on each other even more than before. That means sharing what's going on in our Hearts, because if we don't, the consequences won't be pretty." While falling silent for a few moments to let his words sink in, his hands started moving from the small of their backs to the back of their heads and started stroking their silky, long hair in a rhythmic manner until the tension seemed to have left them almost entirely. Only then did he continue. "That being said, we can wait until Bryn passes her Tribulation. Otherwise, she'll be pissed at us for wasting her time." A few chuckles escaped his lips while a smile surfaced on both of their faces as they left his embrace, and Sera mumbled in an uncharacteristically low tone. "I need to change. Mom can stay, but can you go out for a bit, Babe?" Nodding his head, he decided to avoid mentioning the small wet patch on his right shoulder where her face had been a moment ago, or the redness around her eyes. With a slight thought, his body disappeared and reappeared outside the bedroom before gently closing the door and starting to wait for the two to ready themselves. Guessing that they would chat for a while, he was not surprised by the fact that it took more than a few minutes for Sera to finish preparing herself, despite the practicality of having a Void Storage Ring to use. Fortunately, with Cultivation involving regular meditation, patience was now pretty much ingrained in him, with the simple act of observing the environment being now as interesting to him as a blood-pumping action movie was for the average Mortal. Especially with his Intent condensed, allowing for the comprehension of the underlying workings of the Universe... Was there anything else as thrilling? 'I can maybe see one thing that comes close, but the sensations I receive are amplified, so I don't know if that counts...' A few random thoughts popped up now and again as he waited, his attention wandering here and there.
And thus, 20 minutes went by, spent in random ponderings and half-hearted Intent contemplation, until his ears caught the sound of footsteps coming toward the door, which was clearly deliberate on their parts since there was a 'noise-canceling' feature in the room's Array. Then he heard the voice of Sera saying. "We're ready." Cocking his brow, he asked. "We? Weren't you already ready, Liya?" His confusion was, however, immediately resolved as the door opened, unveiling the two women standing behind, wearing some completely unexpected outfits. As soon as his gaze fell on them, his Mind froze for a brief moment, and only two words left his lips: "Holy fuck!"