'It's good to be returning back to the sect after having dealt with that uncomfortable lust,' Zhang Tian thought, a rare, genuine smile touching his lips. He leaned back against the plush velvet cushions of the carriage, the gentle rocking a soothing rhythm after a month of intense, solitary work.
The return journey to the Seven Treasure Glaze Tile Sect was a world away from their tense, furtive escape from Suotuo City. The air was light, filled with the easy chatter of victors and the comfortable silence of a shared secret.
"That hotpot was amazing!" Ning Rongrong declared, patting her stomach with a contented sigh. She was nestled comfortably against Zhang Tian's left side, her head resting on his shoulder. "But the candied spirit fruits we found in that little market were the best part. I'm so glad we went out."
Zhu Zhuqing, seated on his right, said nothing, but a small, serene smile graced her lips. She adjusted her position slightly, her plump full breasts pressing more firmly against his arm.
Her own satisfaction came not from the food or the sights, but from the memory of the previous night—the heat of their bodies, the taste of his mouth, the feeling of his release.
They had finally, truly, satiated the desperate lust that had been building between them for months, and the secret knowledge of it was a warm, smoldering ember deep within her.
Zhang Tian wrapped his arms around both of them, pulling them into a comfortable, three-person hug. "It was fun," he agreed. "But now, the real work begins again."
Upon their arrival, the sect's opulent palace was a welcome sight. While the girls went to freshen up, Zhang Tian made his way directly to the grand, circular study of the Sect Master. He found Ning Fengzhi seated behind a massive, carved jade desk, a stack of reports before him.
The Sect Master looked up as he entered, a warm, paternal smile on his face. "Zhang Tian. Welcome back. I trust your brief excursion into the city was enjoyable?"
"It was very relaxing, Uncle Ning," Zhang Tian replied with a polite bow.
"Good, good," Ning Fengzhi nodded, gesturing for him to sit. He picked up one of the scrolls from his desk. "I was just reviewing the latest reports from Rising Dragon City. It seems your pill formulas have caused quite a stir within the Breaking Clan."
He began to read, his voice filled with a quiet excitement. "Clan Leader Yang Wudi sends his most profound gratitude. He says the Mystic Water Pills and Spirit Ascension Pills are revolutionary, a gift that will change the very foundation of his clan. His own grandson, who had an Innate Spirit Power of 5 has consumed the pills and has now already broken through to Level 27 Spirit Grandmaster and his speed of cultivation is much quicker now. The effect is…truly miraculous."
Ning Fengzhi set the scroll down, his eyes shining. "They have already begun secret, small-scale production. The first batches have been distributed to the most promising young disciples of both their clan and our own. The results are astonishing. We are seeing a sect-wide surge in talent and cultivation speed, all thanks to you. This information, of course, is being kept under the tightest possible security."
"That is excellent news," Zhang Tian said, genuinely pleased. The strengthening of his allies was a crucial part of his long-term plans.
"Now," Ning Fengzhi said, his expression turning more serious. "What can I do for you? I doubt you came here just to hear good news."
Zhang Tian met his gaze, his own expression turning equally serious. "Uncle Ning, I wish to request your assistance in arranging a meeting. I need to speak with the Poison Douluo, Dugu Bo."
The name dropped into the quiet study like a stone into a still pond. Ning Fengzhi's smile vanished, replaced by a deep, thoughtful frown. The two silent, imposing figures standing guard in the corners of the room, Sword Douluo Chen Xin and Bone Douluo Gu Rong, both shifted their weight, their immense auras flickering for a fraction of a second.
"Dugu Bo?" Ning Fengzhi repeated, his brow furrowed. "That is… a complicated request, Zhang Tian. The Poison Douluo is a strange, reclusive figure. And politically, he is aligned with Prince Xue Xing. As the official tutor to the Crown Prince, Xue Qinghe, my own faction is… not on the best of terms with Prince Xue Xing's."
"I am aware of the political divisions, Uncle Ning," Zhang Tian said calmly. "But my reasons for meeting him are purely academic. They will not affect the balance of power within the Heaven Dou Imperial Family."
He had no intention of revealing the full truth, the secret of the poison that was slowly killing both Dugu Bo and his granddaughter. That was a private, delicate matter, a card to be played in person, not through a third party.
"Then why?" Chen Xin's sharp, cutting voice interjected from the corner. "Why seek out that old poison freak?"
Zhang Tian had prepared his answer carefully. "I wish to seek his assistance in furthering my alchemical research. The Breaking Clan's knowledge is profound, but it is focused on enhancement and healing. Dugu Bo is the undisputed master of poisons and the rare, toxic herbs that produce them. I believe that by studying his methods, by acquiring samples of his unique materials, I can create a new generation of pills. Pills with effects far beyond what we have now."
He let his next words land with their full, calculated weight. "I would, of course, be willing to share any new pill formulas I create with him, in exchange for his cooperation. Even the formulas for the Mystic Water Pill and the Spirit Ascension Pill. A gesture of goodwill, to show that this is a partnership, not a simple transaction."
Ning Fengzhi's eyes widened. To offer such priceless formulas, even to a Titled Douluo, was a move of incredible confidence and generosity. He looked at Zhang Tian, at the calm, unwavering certainty in his blue eyes, and he knew there was more to this than a simple desire for research. But he also knew that this boy's intelligence was a terrifying, brilliant thing. He trusted it.
"Very well," Ning Fengzhi said, his decision made. "I will speak with His Majesty, Emperor Xue Ye. I will request a formal meeting at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace. Dugu Bo may be reclusive, but even he would not dare to refuse a direct summons from the Emperor. It may take some time to arrange."
"That is acceptable," Zhang Tian nodded. He then turned his gaze to the two silent giants in the corners. "Grandpa Sword, Grandpa Bone. When the meeting takes place, I would be grateful if you would both accompany me."
Gu Rong let out a dry, rattling chuckle. "Worried the old poison freak might try something, little rascal? Don't be. The moment he learns you are under the protection of our sect, he wouldn't dare."
Zhang Tian just shook his head, a faint, mysterious smile on his lips. "It is not for my protection, Grandpa Bone. It is for… another reason entirely."
The two Titled Douluos exchanged a look, their curiosity piqued by his enigmatic response. They both gave a curt, assenting nod.
With the serious matters concluded, a warm, paternal smile returned to Ning Fengzhi's face. The atmosphere in the study shifted, from the cold calculus of politics to the warm intimacy of family.
"Now that that is settled," he said, his eyes twinkling, "we have another, more pleasant matter to discuss. A matter of the future." He looked at Zhang Tian, his smile widening. "I believe it is time we set a date for your official engagement to my daughter, Rongrong."
Zhang Tian was momentarily startled. He had known this was coming, but the directness of it still caught him off guard. He recovered in an instant, his expression returning to one of calm composure. He stood and gave a deep, formal bow. "I would be honored, Uncle Ning."
"Excellent!" Ning Fengzhi beamed. "We will begin the preparations at once. The ceremony will be the grandest the sect has seen in a generation!"
"However," Zhang Tian said, straightening up, his voice respectful but firm, "I have one request. On the same day that I am engaged to Rongrong, I would also ask for your blessing to be engaged to Zhuqing."
The air in the room stilled. Ning Fengzhi stared at him, his smile frozen on his face.
Zhang Tian met his gaze without wavering. "I love them both, Uncle Ning. And they… they have both accepted this. They are willing to be my companions, together. I will not have one as a wife and the other as a concubine. They will have equal status. They will both be my wives. And I hope," he added, his gaze sweeping to include the two powerful Douluos, "that you, and Grandpa Sword, and Grandpa Bone, can bless our union."
For a long, tense moment, no one spoke. Then, a slow, appreciative smile spread across Ning Fengzhi's face. "I see," he said softly. "You are a man of great ambition, Zhang Tian. But also, it seems, of great heart."
"Hmph," Chen Xin snorted from the corner, though there was a hint of approval in his sharp eyes. "If you had dared to suggest otherwise, if you had dared to slight our little Rongrong or that quiet, fierce little cat, I would have tested the sharpness of your bones with my sword."
"He's right," Gu Rong's dry voice added. "You treat them both well, boy. Or you will answer to us."
It was not a threat. It was a promise. A promise that was also, in its own strange way, a blessing.
Zhang Tian smiled, a genuine warmth spreading through his chest. "I will," he vowed.
"Then it is settled," Ning Fengzhi declared, his voice booming with a newfound joy. "A double engagement! This is a cause for a grand celebration indeed!" He looked at Zhang Tian, his mind already working. "We will set the date for two months from now. That will be just after Zhuqing's thirteenth birthday. It is an auspicious time."
"I will leave all the arrangements in your capable hands, Uncle Ning," Zhang Tian said with another respectful bow.
He took his leave then, his heart feeling lighter than it had in a long time. He found the two girls in his suite, lounging on the comfortable sofa, engaged in a lighthearted argument over which new dress Zhuqing should wear for their next outing.
He stood in the doorway for a moment, just watching them. The sight of them together, so beautiful, so vibrant, filled him with a profound sense of peace.
"I have some news," he announced, his voice drawing their attention.
They looked up, their faces a mixture of curiosity and expectation. He walked over to the sofa and sat between them, taking each of their hands in his.
"I have just spoken with your father, Rongrong," he began, looking at her. "He has proposed that we become officially engaged."
Ning Rongrong's eyes went wide, and a brilliant, happy blush spread across her cheeks. "Really?!" she squeaked, her voice filled with a joy so pure it was infectious.
"Yes," he confirmed, squeezing her hand gently. He then turned to Zhu Zhuqing, whose own heart was beginning to hammer in her chest with a mixture of hope and fear. "And I have told him that I will not be engaged to one of you without the other. I have asked for his blessing to be engaged to you as well, on the same day."
Zhu Zhuqing's breath caught in her throat. Tears, hot and sudden, welled in her eyes. "You… you really did that?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"Of course," he said simply. "I told him I love you both, and that you will both be my wives, with equal status. And they have all agreed. The ceremony will be in two months."
A single, happy tear escaped and traced a path down Zhu Zhuqing's cheek. She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, her body shaking with a profound, overwhelming relief. The dark, terrifying specter of her forced marriage to Dai Mubai, the fate that had haunted her for her entire life, had finally, truly, been vanquished and she would have her rest of the life tied with this incredible man who owned her heart. She felt truly happy.
Ning Rongrong, seeing her friend's emotional release, joined the hug, wrapping her arms around both of them. But her tears were quickly replaced by her usual, teasing nature. She pulled back, a mischievous glint in her eyes as she looked at Zhang Tian.
"Well, well," she chirped. "Look at you. Engaged to two beautiful girls like us. You truly are a lucky man, aren't you?"
Zhang Tian just laughed, a deep, happy sound. He playfully poked her nose. "I think you have it backwards," he teased. "It is the two of you who are lucky to be engaged to a peerless and handsome genius like myself."
The three of them collapsed into a fit of happy, lighthearted laughter, the sound filling the opulent suite with a warmth that had nothing to do with the sun streaming through the windows.
A week passed in a blur of happy preparations and continued, relentless training. The news of the upcoming triple engagement sent a wave of joyous excitement through the entire sect.
One morning, as Zhang Tian was in his laboratory, sketching out a new, more advanced design for a spirit tool that seemed to be an armor based on his recent breakthroughs, a familiar figure appeared at the door.
"Uncle Ning," Zhang Tian greeted, setting aside his work.
"Zhang Tian," Ning Fengzhi said, a serious expression on his face. "I have news. His Majesty has agreed to my request. The Poison Douluo has agreed to meet with you. The meeting will take place three days from now, at the Heaven Dou Imperial Palace."
~~
A/N: Check out my other novels like "Harem Master: Seduction System" and the "Villain: Manipulating the Heroines into hating the Protagonist" and I hope you like this story and those stories as well.
Check out more chapters on my P.atreon. The P.atreon will have 20+ Chapters ahead for this story. I hope you like it.
The link of p.atreon is: bit.ly/evildragon